by Gina Gordon
The awkward silence was killing her.
“I was just getting ready for bed,” she lied. She couldn’t exactly tell him she was making him a present.
“I’m sorry. I should go. I wasn’t thinking.” He made for the door.
“Hold it. I didn’t say you had to leave. But you should be out celebrating.”
“I…” He turned to face her. “I wanted to celebrate with you.”
Her heart skipped. When she’d gone on that yacht she never thought she’d fall so hard. Especially not with Jack Vaughn, the socialite’s bad-boy son. But he wasn’t a bad boy after all. The man was sweet, kind, generous, and driven. So much more than what she expected.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
She tensed. Did her eyes betray her emotion? Because she definitely couldn’t come out and tell him she’d fallen in love with him. But before she had a chance to answer, he rushed toward her and scooped her into his arms.
A squeak escaped her lips with the rough squeeze of his arms around her body. “Jack?”
He brushed his lips against hers. That excitement she felt rumble in her stomach quickly morphed into desire. And when he kissed her it wasn’t slow or sweet. It wasn’t gentle. No, this kiss rocked her very being. A tangling of tongues that left her weak.
He ripped his mouth away, shaking his head. They both panted from the intensity of their kiss.
“I should go.” Pressing his forehead against hers, he whispered, “I don’t know what to do.” He turned his head, but his forehead still clung to hers.
“About what, Jack?” What the hell was he talking about? “Talk to me.”
As he tried to step away, she jerked him back. Like hell he was leaving. This man had spent the last three weeks making sure every one of her desires was sated. The least she could do was reciprocate. He needed her strength, because for some reason he had gone from ecstatic to guilt-ridden in a matter of seconds. It was probably your silly puppy-dog gawking. Way to turn off a man.
Grabbing both sides of his face, she brushed her thumbs against his cheeks. “You don’t have to tell me. Just don’t leave.”
Sterling wrapped her arms around him, snaking her hands up his back to rest on his shoulders. She dipped her head, pressing her lips against his, nipping, sucking, trying desperately to engage him. Flicking out her tongue, she traced the seam of his mouth and finally, he opened for her, allowed her the opportunity to deepen the kiss.
His hands were rough with her body, his lips hard and demanding. But for a second time he jerked away. One hand clasped the back of her neck and fisted her hair. “I want you so bad.”
There was no mistaking the desire in his eyes.
“I won’t be gentle.”
Rough sex? Dirty sex? Where did she sign up?
He stared her down, his lips thinned into a straight line, and his eyes pinned her in place as if daring her. “Do you want me to leave?”
That would be a hell, no.
“I want you to take me to bed.”
He looked deep into her eyes. So deep, his stare touched her soul.
But the intimacy was short-lived when he grabbed her bottom and lifted. She wrapped her legs around his waist. He didn’t need directions, he knew exactly where the bedroom was, and with a brisk pace he took them to the bed.
He let go and she bounced on the mattress. They both scrambled to strip her bare, her clothes like heat-seeking missiles with only one destination: the floor.
When she was completely naked, he positioned her in the middle of the bed and straddled her body. He made his way from her forehead to her toes, licking and kissing every inch of her skin, his five o’clock shadow rubbing her raw. He returned to her mouth, and when she lifted her head, their lips connected. His tongue swiped across just before he invaded her mouth, staking his claim.
A low growl filled the room as she gripped his head, her hands threading through his hair, guiding him down between her legs.
He licked up the inside of her thigh, stopping at the edge of her sex. His hand flattened against her mound, and he snaked his tongue across her clit. She gasped. The pleasure was so intense; she was only a few licks away from release.
“I love how wet you get for me. With barely even a touch.” His moans of appreciation vibrated against her, ramping up the pleasure, coiling tightly in her womb. He licked, more furiously this time, spreading her legs, giving himself better access to her core.
“You’ve ruined me,” she moaned, pushing his face harder against her body. He circled her clit with his tongue as his free hand found the folds of her sex. He penetrated with one finger, swiping up and down, then using the tip to rub against her clit.
Sterling grabbed her breasts, kneading the soft skin in her hands. Her pelvis bucked on its own accord. Seconds later, she came undone.
Before she recovered, he was already on top of her, his lips pressing against hers with urgency. The taste of her was heavy on his lips.
“I need you. I’ve never needed anyone…wanted anyone…like I want you.”
These were the things she’d always longed to hear. “Then take me.”
He left her on the bed. Coldness settled in with his absence. He quickly rid himself of his clothes and was back on the bed in less than ten seconds. He crawled up her body, prowling over her. He settled between her legs and thrust inside her in one smooth movement.
He plunged slowly, pumping his hips in a steady rhythm, every thrust pushing her closer to release. Their eyes locked. Great sex was great sex but with the connection of their bodies something shifted. Something that they both couldn’t deny. Something that might change the very relationship they’d agreed to keep casual.
She pushed her head back against the pillow and arched her body, not only giving her the edge she so desperately needed, but relenting to his dominion over her body. He pumped a little faster, but instead of the hard and fast sex she expected, he kept his cool, refusing to unleash his animalistic side, fucking her with a sweet, steady rhythm.
Their eyes connected. At that moment they weren’t fulfilling part of some deal. This was real. She knew right down to her soul.
“Sterling…” He buried his head in her neck and moaned, his body vibrating in her arms.
She rested her hand at the back of his head. “Come for me, Jack.”
He pumped twice and buried himself to the hilt, his body shaking against hers as his cock released inside her. The contractions sent her over the edge and she shuddered, accepting the waves of pleasure that rolled throughout her body.
The way they’d made love was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. They’d broken the rules of their relationship.
And there was no going back from here.
…
Jack played with the wisps of hair at the top of Sterling’s head. She had fallen asleep across his chest, the steady warmth of her breath tickled his skin, and he’d spent the last ten minutes contemplating their actions.
He showed up here expecting celebration sex—although sex wouldn’t be the word he used to describe what just went down with the beautiful woman asleep on top of him—until she leveled him with one look. It was the look he had been afraid of this entire time. The look of more. More than what he wanted. More than what he was willing to give. He had to leave.
He slipped out from Sterling’s embrace, quietly dressed, and made his way to the kitchen.
He’d been tending bar when he’d heard from the lawyers that the details concerning the charity had been ironed out. He left the restaurant wanting to celebrate. And there was only one person he wanted to celebrate with. Sterling.
The idea had come full circle and everything was falling into place. During his stay he’d managed to honor his mother by expanding the program, help out his brothers, and help Sterling have the time of her life. And soon he would be gone. Jetting back to his normal life.
He took a glass from her cupboard and filled it up with the bottled water from her fridge. Her ap
artment was sparse—not the type of place he expected her to live.
He sipped on his drink as he paced her living space. Old, minimal furniture filled the room, probably hand-me-downs bought from a used furniture store. Not that it mattered. He was fully aware that not everyone had the same privileges he did. And the fact that he knew just how bad things could get made him appreciate Vivian and the opportunities she had set before him even more.
He returned to the kitchen to refill his glass, and when he pulled open the fridge door a mess of papers fell to the floor. “Shit.”
He knelt to pick up his mess. He collected the papers haphazardly on top of each other but he couldn’t help from noticing they were invoices and statements with Sterling’s name on them.
His stomach flip-flopped. He looked toward the bedroom, hoping he hadn’t woken her up. She was still wrapped up in the comforter, fast asleep.
He didn’t mean to look at the contents of the papers but it was impossible to miss the red OVERDUE scrawled at the top of the bill. Formal letters from the bank demanded payment of a home—her home. Underneath that, there were several credit card statements totaling thousands of dollars. That would explain why she lived in this apartment. But how could she have possibly gotten herself into such a situation? Sterling was the most responsible, organized person he’d ever met. There’s no way she would fall behind on mortgage payments.
Maybe she’s responsible now. Maybe she hadn’t always been responsible.
“Jack?” Her soft voice carried from the doorway. “What are you doing?”
“I…” He stuffed the papers on the seat of the chair in front of him, then looked up.
Fear shone in her eyes. She rushed to the table and grabbed the pile of papers. “It’s rude to look through people’s things, you know.”
“Says the woman who’s looked through every drawer and closet of my home.”
She gasped, drawing back. “It’s my job.”
She was right. She would never be the type of person who would intentionally be nosy. But those bank statements had raised a big red flag. Combine that with the fact that she was working on weekends for extra money. It all made sense now.
“I’m sorry.” That wasn’t a lie. He wished he’d never seen those papers. But it had been exactly what he needed to get him focused. He was leaving. Sterling’s financial problems had nothing to do with him. They owed each other nothing.
Sterling slid the pile of paper between the microwave and the wall. When she turned to face him she crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive gesture. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
There was a hardness in her gaze. This was not the Sterling he’d grown to care for. “I think you owe me an explanation.”
“I’ve asked for nothing from you.”
He crossed his own arms. “You’re right. You didn’t ask. But I think you were hoping I’d find those bills and that I’d come to your rescue.”
“I am not a gold digger. I am not your mother.”
“You’re right. You’re not like my mother. At least she had track record of disappointing me and I shouldn’t have been surprised. You, on the other hand, spent all this time telling me how honorable and responsible I am. Was that your way of softening me up? If I’m so honorable you knew I would help you.”
“I don’t need anything from you, you arrogant jerk.”
Anger flared inside him. At himself. “You don’t need the money I’m paying you to pack up the house?”
Her eyes darted to the floor.
“By the looks of those demand letters, I think you do need something from me.”
He was the one who pushed the relationship. She had done her best to keep it professional but he’d persisted. She needed the money. That’s all she ever needed. And all this time, he was starting to believe that he was different. She made him believe he was different. But it was all an act.
She hung her head and brought her hands up to cover her face. “I want to be with you.” She mumbled through her fingers, “I just want you.”
Want. Want. Want. Everyone wanted something from him. His brothers wanted him to be more like them. His birth mother wanted his money. The world wanted to know every tiny detail of his life. And now Sterling, she wanted the worst thing of all. A commitment.
“You can’t have me, Sterling.”
A look of horror spread across her face and she hugged her body, wrapping her arms around her torso.
“By next week I’ll be gone.” He was being mean. He knew it. “I thought we had something good going here. We had an understanding. This was temporary.” Temporary. A strange feeling settled in his chest when he said the word. But he tamped it down. “I held up my end of the deal. I thought that you appreciated my efforts to get you to loosen up, have some fun.”
“I did—I do—appreciate it. Everything. But don’t tell me that you did those things for me.”
“Like I flew to Florida for myself.”
“You liked the way doing those things made you feel. Like you were redeeming yourself. Like they were your penance for a sketchy past.”
Was it true? Had he used her to make himself feel better?
Tears stung her eyes. “I think you should leave.” She nodded her head, emphasizing that she wholeheartedly agreed with her decision. “The house is done. The rest of the items will be picked up next week. I’m sure you can handle the rest.”
He nodded. “I’ll send you a check.”
She did a good job hiding her disgust at his response. It only barely registered on her face. But he’d spent enough time with her to know that she was holding back tears.
“Good-bye, Sterling.” Jack walked into the hall, his head high. When the door clicked behind him, he let it fall forward.
Just when he thought he had everything figured out, Sterling reminded him he was nothing without his money.
Chapter Thirteen
Jack gripped the file folders in his hands. It was presentation day and it was the first time in his life he actually felt nervous.
Cole was settled in the corner of one of the restaurant booths, his arms crossed over his chest covering the embroidery of his name on his white chef’s coat. His stoic expression was a little intimidating. Finn sat beside him, wearing his typical T-shirt with the image of a skull, fiddling with a cloth napkin. They were just waiting for—
“Carson Kelly is a woman.” Neil’s angry voice rang out behind Jack. All three of them turned in his direction.
“I take it your meeting with her didn’t go very well,” Cole said.
“Her? You knew?” Shock and horror registered on Neil’s face.
Cole repositioned himself on the bench. “Penn told me.”
Carson Kelly was the architect Neil wanted to hire to design and build the new restaurant on the farmland they had purchased. But it seemed old Carson Kelly wasn’t at all what Neil expected.
Neil growled. “It seems the real Carson Kelly has retired and left his daughter—Carson Kelly the second—his daughter—to take over.” Neil threw his files on the table. “Did I mention she’s his daughter?”
Neil’s tie was missing and the first two buttons of his dress shirt were undone. Even his hair stood at attention as if he’d grabbed it and pulled.
“So…?” Jack said. He’d never seen Neil so rattled.
“So?” Neil shouted.
Finn threw down the napkin. “Is she hot?”
“She’s perfectly fine,” Neil answered.
“Perfectly fine?” Jack said. “She must be smokin’.”
Both Cole and Finn gave answering “ahs.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” he asked, an indignant look on his face. He wrestled a chair out from under the table and sat his big body down.
Finn answered. “It means, Neil, that whenever you really like a woman you refuse to discuss her.”
“That’s bullshit,” he countered. He looked from brother to brother, then finally settled on Jack. “You’re w
earing a suit. This is going to be interesting.”
“This isn’t about me. Don’t deflect.” Jack had dressed the part hoping that his well-tailored suit would distract from the fact that he was nervous as hell.
“Fine,” Neil spat. “She’s a ten. Is that what you wanted to hear? Actually she’s a fifteen because she rode up to our meeting on a Ducati.”
“A Ducati?” Cole asked.
“Sweet,” Finn said.
“Good morning, boys. Can someone please explain why I’m here at this hour?” Gloria York sauntered into the kitchen wearing her black power suit. Gloria was Vivian’s best friend and a big investor in the Cooking for the Future program.
Jack ushered her into the booth. “I won’t take up too much of your time, Gloria. I promise.”
When Gloria had settled into the booth, he took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. “Are any of you attached to Mom’s wardrobe?”
“Attached how?” Cole asked. “Please don’t tell me you put on Mom’s clothes.”
Finn slapped his hand on the table. Cole and Gloria laughed out loud. Even Neil couldn’t keep his angry face intact.
“I’m being serious.” Jack settled his nerves. “I mean, if the clothes weren’t in our possession anymore, if they were sold, how would you feel?”
Looking from one face to the next, tension built in his chest. Why weren’t they responding? He’d have to try a new angle. “What is Mom’s favorite thing?”
This time, he got a reaction from Finn, who smiled wide. But none of them broke the silence.
“Jack, dear.” Gloria leaned across the table. “What exactly are you trying to say?” Her tone was like being scolded by a schoolteacher.
He took a deep breath and continued. “Her three favorite things in the world: the Cooking for the Future program, along with food and fashion. I think we should create a foundation to raise funds for the program. Since I’m stationed out of Chicago, Gloria, I’d love for you to be the chair.”