by Ava Alise
“I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry, Drex.”
“No,” I say.
“You have every right to hate me.”
Her head is buried in her hands so I have to pull at her wrist before I can lift her chin, forcing her to look at me.
“You are smart, beautiful, caring, the best fucking person I know. There isn't a god-damned thing about you that I could ever hate.” Her red rimmed eyes stay locked on mine as she blinks slowly.
“You don't hate me? Even after…” she stammers. “I failed William, I failed all of you.”
“One moment didn't fail him,” I say, pulling her onto my lap. “A bunch of things failed him. Missed phone calls, ignored red flags, bad listening. It's not all on you.”
She nods and her tears begin to slow. “I hated myself for a long time, Drex. It was hard to look in the mirror for awhile after that and I've been terrified that the moment you found out the whole story, you'd run, never want to speak to me again.”
She blows out a puff of air as uncertainty plays in her eyes. I slide a thumb across her cheek, wiping away tears before brushing her hair from her face. I hate that she carried this pain, this guilt, for so long. But she needs to know that I'll never run from her.
“I'm in love with you, Kelsa, and I'm not going anywhere.” My heart hammers in my chest as I say those words. Three words that I've never said to another person or meant as much as I do now.
“You…”
“I love you,” I repeat.
The best way to describe the look on her face is one of confusion, elation, and shock all rolled into one. Her eye bore into mine as she stares in disbelief… at least I hope it's disbelief. I could have completely freaked her out. My pulse triples as I wait for her to respond. She blinks slowly as the most gorgeous smile spreads across her lips.
“I love you too,” she says, blinking the last of her tears from her lashes.
Something between us ignites the moment our lips touch. It’s as if all the stress and pain from the stacks drains away leaving only what's been buried underneath, passion, excitement… love. The freedom of finally not having to worry about anything standing in the way, not Tara, not the past, not the baby, not EDG. None of it matters.
Our kisses are deep and purposeful. She throws her leg on the other side of my hip, straddling me.
“God, I've missed you.” She says. My hands travel over her thighs and up her back.
“I've missed you too.”
She melts into me as a desperate need to be closer overtakes us. I pull at her shirt, sliding it over her head as she unbuttons mine. It's been too long since I've had her, too long since I've held her, and I'll be damned if I ever let go. Our kiss burns with lust, with love. We forget where we are, forget we have one more issue to handle, forget that Ronald and Amber's rooms are right next door.
Her lips travel across my chest as she pushes me back on the floor, leaving my skin searing. I take my time undressing her, bathing in the sight of her before I kick out of my pants.
“I can't believe I tried to run from this. Ruin us,” she whispers, kissing me gently.
“I wasn't going to let you get too far,” I say, rolling her onto her back. “You’re mine,” I say. “And this…” My finger drags down her lips and over her throat, stopping at her breasts. I squeeze them, pulling her nipples into my mouth, causing her back to arch.
“Mmm,” she moans.
“Mine too.” She watches as I kiss my way down her stomach, tickling her belly button with my tongue before I spread her legs, revealing her sweet pussy. “Every bit of you.”
The smile that was playing on her lips fall away the moment I taste her. My tongue slides over her clit and she gasps, tugging on my hair and begging for more. I totally lose it after that. I devour her, teasing, sucking, drinking her until she's no longer speaking words, only moans. Just the way I want her, open, needing, and in love. There's nothing better than this. And when she cums, it's with my name on her lips. She has pulled a pillow from the couch to muffle her sounds, but I want to hear all of them. Her body is still spasming when I begin kissing my way over her stomach. Her chest heaving as she tries to catch her breath.
“Mmm,” she breathes. “God I love your mouth.”
“Well it loves you,” I say, kissing my way across her neck. Slipping my hands around her waist, I lift her to a sitting position.
“Couch.” I order.
She moves to her knees, crawling across the floor. I have to bite my lip to stop myself from pulling her back and taking her from behind. Following her to the couch, I kneel in front of her, sliding her hips down as I position myself between her legs.
“What are you doing with that pillow?” I ask, noticing her grabbing another one as she slides.
She groans as I tease her with my cock, pushing into her an inch. “I don't want to be too loud. What if Ronald and Amber get back early?”
“Fuck them.” I grin. “They are finding out about this the moment I lay eyes on them. I'm done hiding.”
She wiggles away, sitting forward. “I think we should wait till—”
“No.” I cut her off, bringing my lips to her neck.
“I know,” she says. “I'm done hiding too, but I think we should—” her words cut off briefly as a breathy moan escapes her lips. “Wait until we get back to the office. It may be unprofessional to do it right now in the middle of a deal.” I kiss my way up her jaw, landing on her lips, my hands in her hair. We get lost there for a beat before I drag her hips back to their original position.
I groan as the head of my dick slides against her pussy. “I can't promise you I'll behave,” I say, then I push deep into her.
“Oh God.” She grips the couch, then grabs for the pillow, covering her face. As much as I want to, I don't pull it away. The sex is rough as dirty words and muffled screams cut through the air. I pound into her at a steady pace. Not too slow, but just fast enough to keep us both teetering on the edge.
She circles her hips, meeting my thrusts, and it isn't long before both of us are out of control. Now, I've had some great sex in my life and it's always been mind blowing with her, but everything about this moment tops them all. Starving, yet satisfied. Frantic, yet in sync in every way. The woman is my everything, and finally, I am hers. We cum together, tangled together sharing deep kisses until our breathing slows.
“I love you,” she says, smiling against my lips. “And I can't believe—”
The sound of someone knocking on the door startles us, stopping her words. “Fuck… who's that?” she says with wide eyes. “Do you think it's them?”
“Shit,” I say.
The knocking turns to banging and she stands from the couch.
“Kelsa,” Amber's voice bleeds into the room.
Aw, fuck.
“Go,” she whispers as she slides back into her clothes. “The bedroom, bath… somewhere.”
Treading quickly, I grab my clothes and walk into her bedroom just as I hear Amber enter the suite. The faint sound of her heels clicking against the floor sounds louder as the two ladies murmur. Is she pacing? I try to listen in on their conversation but this suite is large and the bedroom is tucked away toward the back, making it hard to make out full sentences.
In the dark, I start to dress. Man this shit is getting old. I’m almost thirty, still hiding in the bedroom trying not to get caught with the girl I’m fucking. But putting it like that is almost an insult because Kelsa is so much more than just a girl that I’m fucking. Frustration bubbles through me and before I know it I find myself walking toward the bedroom door. I remember when I was a kid I was terrified of pulling a bandage off, but when it was time to change it, my dad would snatch it off without warning. Her excuse of it being unprofessional is just that, an excuse. Ronald knows how I feel about Kelsa and Amber is no fool, the only thing they are concerned about is the breaking of company policy. I'm willing to bet that the only reason she wants to wait is because somewhere beneath the “I love yous” she'
s still afraid. I want her to believe in us, wholeheartedly.
My steps are careful as I walk down the hall.
Well, like Father would say, Ready or not.
I can see Kelsa standing in the living room facing Amber who is hidden on the other side of the wall. Kelsa doesn’t see me until right before I step into the living room. She does a double take.
“What are you doing?” she mouths.
“It's my move, right?” I say, but my plan to out us is foiled by the fact that Amber is already stepping out of the door.
“Be ready, I'll call you in fifteen minutes,” Amber yells over her shoulder as the door shuts behind her.
“What’s going on?” I ask watching the door glide to a close.
“Henry declined our deal.”
After some coaxing from Ronald, Henry agreed to see us for a last minute meeting. He’s been called away and will be flying out of the country first thing in the morning, so tonight is the only chance we'll have to change his mind. He’s attending a charity mixer this evening so we had about twenty minutes to get dressed and meet the cars downstairs.
“Do you know why he declined it?” I ask Ronald after he ends his call. He had been on the phone with Mr. Headly inquiring about any possible plans for contingencies that may be thrown our way.
“Yes. Henry's accountant doesn't see the benefit in the deal. He seems positive that with the right backing, they can take their line to the global market successfully themselves without being locked into Headly’s contract for five years.”
“Backing? What backing? Do they—”
“Yes. Another company has approached them with different terms and they are leaning in that direction.”
I exhale a deep breath. “I see.”
We have been traveling through the busy streets at a snail's pace with Amber and Kelsa's car close behind.
We eventually pull up to a large building with two bright spotlights illuminating the entrance. A red carpet flows down the short staircase coming to street level where the valets wait for arriving guests. It's nice, very fancy, and I can't help but wonder if the suit I chose will be enough. My gaze travels up the stairs, meeting the tall white pillars made of stone framing a large set of double doors. Our car stops in front of the entrance. Ronald and I step out and stand by waiting for Kelsa and Amber. Kelsa looks incredible and I have to remind myself not to stare. She's wearing a nude dress that hugs her body, accentuating the curve of her hips and tiny waist. One by one we watch as people enter the building in pairs, women wearing gowns with tuxedo-clad men on their arms escorting them inside.
“Madame,” Ron smiles, offering an arm to Amber, which she readily grabs with a nod.
I walk over to Kelsa unable to keep the smile from spreading on my face. Her eyes are alight as she watches me.
“Baby,” I whisper. “You look amazing.” She blushes and her eyes move over my shoulder, undoubtedly to Ron and Amber. “If you only knew the thoughts that were running through my head right now,” I say under my breath, then smile, making a show of offering my arm and leading her toward the others.
“Oh yeah. Won't you tell me?” she says, continuing our muted conversation.
“No need. Because I'll be showing you, the first chance I get.”
She clears her throat as we follow the crowd into a large ballroom.
We are seated at a table marked for Henry's guests. Light music echoes throughout the large room as laughter and chatter breaks out from every direction.
“So what's the plan here?” I ask.
“Henry will invite us to his VIP table after he makes his rounds and then we will throw everything we’ve got at making this deal happen,” Amber says. I admire her poise, her confidence. She doesn't seem at all shaken by this turn of events.
“Yep. Until then, we mingle and pretend we actually belong here,” Ronald says.
“Sounds good,” I say. Kelsa excuses herself to the restroom and Amber follows. My eyes are glued to Kelsa, running them down the length her body. I can't wait to touch her, kiss her, melt into her. This feeling is new; it's explosive and so fucking good. She and Amber maneuver through the crowds of people and are almost out of view when Ron's voice pulls me from my trance.
“You sure you don't need to sign a paper?”
I clear my throat and adjust my tie, but as I'm turning to look at him there's a tap on my shoulder.
“Bonjour Mr. Adams… Mr. Fullerman.” The woman addressing us nods. “I’m Vicky, sent by Mr. Delon to ensure you all are taken care of while you wait.” Her French accent is thick and curls over many of the words she pronounces in English, but not so much that she's difficult to understand.
“Why thank you, Vicky. We are doing fine over here.” Ron smiles.
“You're welcome.” She looks from him back to me and I can't help but notice the way her eyes linger on mine. “I haven't seen you guys around here before. Are you new clients of Henry’s?” She asks us both but she never takes her eyes from mine.
“Sort of,” I respond.
“Well.” She smiles. “I've been working for Henry for a long time. I know everyone here. If you'd like, I can show you around, point out who's who.”
I look to Ron briefly to see if he's interested and then return my gaze to her.
“Thank you.” I offer a polite smile. “But that won't be necessary.”
“Ok. If you need anything I’ll be sitting right over there.” She points to a nearby table and winks, then she walks away.
“Well damn, Adams. She has the hots for you.” He grins.
“The hots?”
“Yes.”
“Bring it up a decade or two old man.” I laugh.
“Yeah, yeah.” He dismisses me, getting the attention of a server carrying a tray of champagne glasses, and grabs four. Moments later Kelsa and Amber reappear in the crowd as they walk in our direction.
Shit. There I go again… staring. It's hard not to. She's looking at me just as hard with a smile that makes my heart beat a bit faster.
I can't wait until we get back to New York City. I won't have to worry if I'm staring to hard or smiling too big,
She'll be totally mine for the world to see.
“We miss anything?” Kelsa asks.
“Not really,” I respond.
Ron nods to the glasses of champagne and lifts one. “Cheers, ladies. Let's get ready to reel this one in.” Everyone smiles and we clink glasses.
“Cheers.”
Amber and Ron are dancing in the crowd and Kelsa and I are sitting at a table. We are there for another hour before we hear anything from Henry. Or should I say… Vicki.
“Henry will be ready for you in about a half hour.” She runs a light hand over my shoulder.
KELSA: God, she so obvious.
ME: Yeah. The “fuck me” force is strong with this one.
KELSA: Haha. She's been staring at you pretty hard from her seat over there. Think we'd still have a chance at landing Delon's if I trip his assistant when she walks by? Accidentally on purpose, of course.
ME: Looking to add a little spice to our situation?
KELSA: Not the way you'd appreciate.
ME: Not into that? Three's a crowd?
KELSA: UGH.
ME: Haha. I'm kidding baby. I couldn't share you.
Amber eventually comes to get Kelsa and they make their way around the room, mingling. I sit and wait for Ron as I try to avoid Vicky’s gaze. Kelsa was right. The girl is eyeing me hard and has been for awhile. My eyes slide to Kelsa's from my spot across the room. She's standing next to Amber, who’s in deep conversation with an older gentleman. Maybe an old client? Not too long after Ron returns we are finally called to meet Henry.
The meeting is fast paced and intense. I watch in awe as Ron and Amber tag team this guy countering every issue he brings up. Why Headly's is perfect for his line. How rolling into an exclusive deal for five years will increase his profits greatly and continue to increase them even after the contract
ends. We watch how they expertly attack the other company's offer without making it seem like that’s what they’re doing. These guys are amazing and I see why they are the best. By the end of the meeting, not only do we get the deal with Henry, they talk him into a sweeter one that's even more involved than what was previously offered.
We are all smiles as we exit the VIP area and head back down to the party.
“That was incredible,” Kelsa says once we are a good distance from Henry.
“Yes.” Amber sighs. “It couldn't have gone any better.”
We decide to stick around for a bit to celebrate our major win. We drink a little more freely and I even talk Kelsa into dancing with me. Her eyes are full of love as we slow dance to the melody floating through the room.
“I'm trying so hard not to kiss you right now.”
She smiles. “Don't, because if you start I don't know if I'll be able to stop.”
I groan at that thought.
“Do you think they would notice if we disappeared for a while?” A naughty gleam passes through her eyes and she looks over my shoulder toward where Ron and Amber are dancing. “Maybe.” I spin her slightly so I can get a look at them without making it so obvious. They are standing not far from our table, dancing like two life long friends without a care in the world.
“Wouldn't it be a crazy turn of events if those two were hooking up?” I say.
“Ronald and Amber? You've got to be kidding.” Kelsa laughs. “Her attitude is unstable, at best, if she was sleeping with Ron I'd have to tiptoe around the office. She'd probably be a mess.”
“No. Maybe that's her problem. She's not getting any, maybe she needs that attitude adjustment.” I laugh.
“Maybe so.”
I glance back over to Ron and Amber and notice Ronald eyeing me, hard. He gives me a knowing look and I don't get it at first, but then I look again at Kelsa. Unlike the casual position they are dancing in, Kelsa and I are in a lovers embrace. My hands are clasped and resting on her lower back, both of her arms are around my neck, and we have been looking at each other like no one else in the world exists. I back off from her slightly as my eyes find Ronald again. He uses his hand to mimic signing a paper and I look away.