“Monday was a clusterfuck, Julianne.” He pulls a hand down his face and suddenly looks very tired. “I was pulled into Vincent’s office as soon as I got to work. He told me that they’d received an anonymous phone call telling them that I’d been having an affair with you. He said that they didn’t have any proof, so at first I denied it.”
“Audrey.” I state and he nods.
“It was Audrey. She saw us at the market on Sunday.”
“How does she know about the no frat policy?” I ask, confused.
Nate sighs and shakes his head. “I don’t know. I have a feeling she’s probably made it her business to look into most everything about me. She’s a nosy woman.”
“So it wasn’t Carly?” I’m so confused.
“No, but she was just a ticking time bomb too. After you asked about her in the meeting, Vincent had us do some checking into her computer and office. She had extensive notes on you, Jules. She’s the one who sent me that incomplete report in New York. Jenny admitted that she asked her to hit send on your computer after you called that day, and Carly set you up. She was trying to figure out a way to get you fired.”
“Why?” I ask.
“Who knows?” he shrugs and shakes his head. “To move up in the company faster, maybe she just didn’t like you, the possibilities are endless. When confronted, she denied it, but we had enough evidence to fire her.”
“So Carly’s gone too?”
“Yes.” He exhales deeply.
“What happened that morning?” I ask.
“Vincent told me that he was going to fire you whether I copped to it or not. He said he didn’t need proof, which is true. This is a no-fault state. They can fire anyone for any reason. So I called over to HR to have a representative present and I told them that yes, you and I are in a relationship.” He swallows and shakes his head.
“Then Vincent told me that he’d let you stay if I broke it off and transferred you to the New York office.”
I gasp and feel my eyes go wide.
“I told him to go to hell. I told him that I would stay on with the company if he offered you a severance package and cashed out your sick as well as your vacation time.”
“Nate, it wasn’t about the money…”
“I’m not finished, Julianne.”
Oh, that’s right, this is Nate.
“Alright.”
“Then I left his office and went to mine and starting making calls. At noon, I was asked to go to the conference room so Vincent could discuss some things with Luis and me about how we’ll handle the accounts with you gone.”
He looks me in the eye. “It was killing me. The thought of having to fire you, and planning how to divvy up your work was killing me.”
“You looked just fine in the meeting, Nate.”
“Yeah, well, looks are deceiving. When they pulled you in the room, I wanted to hold you and protect you. But I had a plan, and I couldn’t show you any emotion. I knew you’d be strong and that you would tell the truth, and you didn’t disappoint me, baby.”
“I didn’t have any reason to lie. I knew what I was doing when we started our relationship, Nate.”
“I know. We both did. But we don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
“No, we don’t.”
“I mean, there’s more.” He smiles at me, a wide, beautiful smile, like he has a gift for me. “After you left the building, I made a few more calls, and then ran after you. You know what happened then.”
“Yeah,” I whisper.
“Well, the following day, I handed in my resignation.” I gasp again and search his face. He looks happy. At peace.
“Nate, God, you didn’t have to…”
“Yeah, I did, Jules. But here’s the best part. You know I’ve done well in this business. I’ve been smart. I’m a very, very wealthy man, sweetheart.”
“Okay.” I narrow my eyes on his face, not sure where he’s going with this.
“Well, as of this morning, you’re looking at the CEO of McKenna Enterprises, LLC. We have clients on board, and Mrs. Glover is coming with us too.”
“Us?” I ask, in shock.
“Of course us. It’s going to be a busy year ahead, but I know you’re not afraid of a little hard work.”
Oh my God.
“Are you offering me a job?” I ask, still not entirely grasping what he’s asking.
“No, my love, I’m offering you a partnership. This is our company.”
“Holy shit.”
“Is that your way of accepting the position?” he asks with a grin.
“No fraternization policy?” I ask.
“I’m not fond of those,” he replies.
“You did this for me?” I whisper, in awe.
“I would do anything for you, baby. When are you going to figure that out?” His face is so serious, so sure.
“Oh, Nate.” I launch myself into his arms, and he pulls me close, buries his face in my neck and holds on tight.
“I love you so much, Julianne. Don’t leave me again. Please.”
I run my fingers through his hair and soak in his warmth. “I’m here.”
He pulls back and gazes down at me, brushes his knuckles down my cheek and kisses my forehead. “Your skin is so soft.”
“Natalie and I had my birthday spa treatments today.”
“You deserved them.” He murmurs.
“Nate?”
“Yes, baby.”
I pull my fingers down his face, so in love with this sweet man. “When can I move in?”
“I’ll make some calls in the morning.”
Epilogue
“Are the arrangements all made, Jenny?” I ask my assistant.
“Yes sir, everything is ready.” Jenny winks at me and I smile back. Bringing her with Julianne and me to the new company was one of the best moves I ever made.
“Thank you. You can go ahead and go home for the weekend.”
“Great, I’ll do that. Happy birthday, Mr. McKenna.”
“Thank you, Jenny.”
Jenny pulls her purse out of her desk just as Julianne comes out of her office, looking fucking amazing in her red dress and black heels, hair all loose around her gorgeous face.
God, I love her.
“Are you heading out, Jenny?” she asks in her soft, sweet voice.
“Yes, Miss Montgomery, unless you had anything else for me?”
“Oh, no, that’s fine. Have a good weekend.” She smiles at Jenny and then crosses to me, a happy smile on her lips. “I think I’m ready to call it a day as well, Mr. McKenna.”
“You read my mind, baby.” I take her in my arms and rest my lips on her soft forehead, breathing her in. She always smells like sunshine and vanilla. “I have a surprise for you.”
She looks up at me with wide eyes and then frowns. “But it’s your birthday. I have a surprise for you.”
“Will it travel?” I ask and rub my hands up and down her lean back.
She purses her lips and her eyes widen a bit in surprise and then she says, “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Good. Grab your things and let’s go.”
“Are we going home first?” she asks. I love it when she says home like that. It’s our home now, and has been for two months, but it still sounds new when it trips off her sweet tongue.
“No, we don’t have time.”
“But, I didn’t bring anything for a weekend trip.”
“It’s been taken care of, Julianne. Trust me.” She gathers her things and we lock up the office, then I hold my hand out for hers, lacing her fingers in mine, and we ride down the elevator to the parking garage.
“Where are we going?” she asks, her big blue eyes looking up at me expectantly.
“You’ll see soon.” She sticks her bottom lip out in a pout and I laugh and lean down to nibble and kiss her lips. “You taste good,” I whisper.
“I had a Hershey bar before we left,” she whispers back.
I chuckle as the elevator opens and lead
her to the Mercedes. I’d really like to take the bike this weekend, but we have too much stuff to bring with us.
After stowing our things, we’re soon on the freeway heading south out of Seattle. Julianne runs her fingertips up and down my thigh, sending shivers through me and making my cock twitch. I catch her hand and kiss her fingertips, and then rest our hands in my lap. She smiles sassily. “Later,” I murmur.
“Okay, spill it. Where are we going?”
“To the beach house.”
“Oh good! We haven’t been in a while.” She beams at me and I smile back.
“I know, we’ve been too busy building the business. We deserve this weekend away.” I kiss her hand again and she leans over to kiss me.
“Yes, we do.”
***
“Hey, baby, we’re here.” I brush the back of my hand down Jules’ soft cheek, waking her from her nap. She fell asleep thirty minutes into the car ride here and I just let her sleep. She looks like an angel when she sleeps, and we’ve worked many sixty to eighty hour weeks lately, exhausting both of us.
“We’re here?” she asks sleepily and sits up to stretch, pushing her breasts out against that sexy dress and my cock immediately stirs to life.
I didn’t realize until I pulled in the driveway how nervous I am about tonight. Telling her that I have a surprise for her was the understatement of the year. This could be one of the most important nights of our lives, and I just pray to God I don’t fuck it up.
Jules grabs her handbag and I pull the large suitcase containing both of our clothes for the weekend out of the backseat and join her on the porch, unlock the door, and follow her inside.
The rental company I use to care for the house in our absence has been here like I requested, and I take a quick look around. There is a fire burning in the fireplace, the logs not burned too far down, telling me they were here recently.
Perfect.
The dining room table is set for dinner, and there are chafing dishes on the counter with our dinner being kept warm.
Jules drops her bag on the couch and turns to look at me, her pretty eyes wide and her mouth dropped.
“What is this?” she asks.
“I knew we wouldn’t want to cook.” I shrug, pretending that it’s no big deal.
“More of your minions?” she asks, making me laugh.
“Yes, my minions.”
I leave the suitcase at the foot of the stairs, planning to carry it up later, and flip on the sound system, satisfied as John Legend starts to croon out of the speakers.
Jules has walked over to the fireplace, looking at the flames, her arms folded over her chest. The light is bouncing off her beautiful blonde hair and pale skin, and I can’t resist her. I wrap my arms around her from behind and bury my nose in her neck, breathing her in.
“You are so sexy, Julianne.”
“Hmm,” she murmurs. “You’re not so bad yourself, ace.”
I smile at her silly nickname for me, then kiss her soft neck. “Come on, let’s eat.”
“Okay.”
We pile our plates full of delicious-smelling pasta and white sauce, salad and bread and I open a bottle of her favorite champagne.
“Wow, you went all out.”
“Wait till you see what’s for dessert,” I respond.
“Chocolate cheesecake?” she asks with a grin.
“You guessed it,” I respond. You so did not guess it, baby.
Goddamn it I’m nervous. I’m thankful that my hands are steady as I pour the pink champagne into flutes and we sit at the table to eat.
“To you,” I hold my glass in the air and she follows suit. “The most beautiful woman in the world.”
“I’ll drink to that,” she winks and sips her champagne and I can’t help but chuckle at her.
When our food is consumed, Jules jumps up and kisses me square on the mouth, and before I can grab onto her and pull her on my lap, she pulls back, flashes me that sexy grin, and says, “Wait here. I’ll be right back.”
She leaves out the front door with her keys in hand, and then returns less than thirty seconds later with a large black box in her arms.
“What the hell is that?” I ask.
“Your birthday present,” she responds with a grin.
“Baby, you didn’t have to give me anything.”
Just please don’t say no. That’s the only gift I need.
“Uh, duh. Nate, it’s your birthday. Of course I got you a gift.” She clears our dinner plates and sets the box on the table before me. “Open it.”
I pull the lid off and peel back the silver tissue paper to find one framed photo resting on a photo album.
I pull the frame out and stare in awe at the photo. Jesus Christ, it’s her. It’s Julianne, but she’s not wearing any clothes. She laying on a bed, on her belly, and she’s smiling at me the way she does when she knows that I’m hot for her.
Fuck, I’m hot for her right now.
“Say something, ace.”
I look up into her uncertain eyes and grin. “You’re so damned beautiful.”
She smiles sweetly in relief and I lean over to kiss her, wrapping a hand in her long, soft hair. She pulls back and whispers, “Open the album.”
There are pages and pages of her, in the sexiest lingerie I’ve ever seen, wrapped up in a sheet, stark-ass naked, all in different poses. All sexy as hell.
I close the album and scoot my chair back and then pull her into my arms, her ass resting in my lap, and kiss the shit out of her. I run my fingers down her soft face, and over her breast, feeling the nipple harden as I play with it between my fingers. With a soft moan she stands, hikes her skirt up around her hips and straddles me.
“Right now, fast and hard, ace.” Her blue eyes are on fire with lust, and who the fuck am I to say no? She’s my every fantasy.
I rip her underwear in two and throw them on the floor as she smirks.
“I’ll buy you more next week.”
“Yes, you will.”
She unfastens my pants and I yank them down around my thighs, and suddenly she’s on her knees, my dick in her sweet little hands and her pink mouth is wrapped around it, sucking hard.
“Fuck, baby,” I gently grab her hair and guide her head up and down as she jacks me off with her fist. My balls tighten, and before she can make me come in her hot mouth, I yank her up by the shoulders and she straddles me again, guiding me inside her and all conscious thought evaporates. All I can think about is pounding in and out of that sweet pussy.
“Oh, Nate, yes.” She throws her head back and I kiss her neck as she rides me, thrusting up into her wet softness.
“Christ, you’re so wet, honey.”
“Mmm…” she moans, and her muscles tense around my shaft, and I can feel the orgasm building in her. She’s going to take me with her, and I start to move faster, cupping her ass in my hands and bringing her down on me harder.
“Oh, Nate, I’m gonna come, babe.”
God, I love hearing my name come out of her like that when I’m inside her. I look down to watch her, to watch us and see her red tattoo, and I’ll be damned if it doesn’t make me even hotter.
“Come for me, my love,” I whisper to her and watch in awe as she bites her bottom lip, clenches her eyes shut, and grips onto my hair as she explodes around me, grinding down so hard on me that it almost hurts, and I feel my own climax take me as I still, pushed all the way inside her heat, and spill myself inside of her.
She collapses onto me, her arms wrapped around my shoulders and face buried in my neck, breathing hard.
“Happy birthday,” she murmurs and I laugh.
“God, honey, you’re amazing.”
She’s so fucking amazing.
“I take it you like the pictures?” She leans back and grins down at me.
“I love them. Natalie?”
“Yeah, Nat took them.”
“Remind me to thank her too.”
“I hope you just send her a thank you card or som
ething, rather than thank her this way.”
“Um, yeah, that sounds like a good plan.” I brush her hair off her cheek and pull her down for another kiss. “I have something else for you,” I whisper against her lips.
“You do?”
“Yes, come on.” I lift her off me and tuck my dick back in my pants while she shimmies her shirt back down and open the back door.
“I’m not wearing any shoes.”
“Here,” I lift her easily and she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek.
“Thanks.”
“Anytime.”
When we get down to the gazebo, I nod my head in satisfaction. It’s decorated exactly the way it was the first time I brought her here, when I gave her Mom’s necklace.
“Oh, Nate, this is beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it.” I pour her another glass of champagne from the bottle the catering company left down here, and we settle on the plush couch.
“Julianne,” I take her hand in mine, and the nerves are back. Fuck. I take a long pull off the champagne. She’s looking at me curiously, her head cocked to the side.
“Nate, it’s okay.”
My eyes dart to hers, and my stomach immediately settles. That song she loves, I Won’t Give Up starts to play through the speakers, and I know. This is my moment.
I clear my throat and look down at our linked hands, and then back up into her perfectly blue eyes, searching for the words I’d practiced every day in my head for the past two months.
“I love you, Julianne. I’ve loved you for a long time. You and I are a team, in every way. You amaze me with your strength, with your kindness, and the love you show everyone around you, including me.” Tears leak out the side of her eyes and I reach over to catch them with my fingertips.
“Don’t cry, baby,” I whisper. I can’t stand it when she cries. “Jules, we were meant to be. I knew it the minute I first saw you.” I kneel before her and pull the red Cartier box out of my pocket and open it so she can see the vintage-style diamond engagement ring I picked out for her a month ago. More tears fall out of her wide eyes as she stares down at it and then back up at me in awe and surprise and love, and I don’t need to search for the words anymore.
Fight With Me Page 25