Текст книги "Easy Love"

Автор книги: Kristen Proby

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Текущая страница: 10 (всего у книги 15 страниц)

Kate deserves so much good.

***

There’s a buzzing in my pocket.

And a woman lying on top of me.

I open one eye and squint at the light in the room. We’re still in the living room, stretched out on the couch, cuddled up much like we were at the inn when we watched the movie.

Well, pretended to watch the beginning of the movie.

Kate’s face is snuggled against my heart, her arms wrapped around my sides, legs entangled with mine. The only way we’d be able to get much closer is if we were naked. And it feels fucking amazing.

Imagine that.

The buzzing begins again in my pocket.

“Are you going to answer that?” Kate asks without moving, making me grin. I fish my phone out of my pocket, with Kate’s dead weight on me, and frown when I see Declan’s name on the caller ID.

“Hey,” I answer. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, as far as I know,” he replies. I can hear street noises. “You sound funny. Were you still asleep?”

“No,” I lie, and Kate pokes me in the ribs and hisses, “No lying.”

“It’s after nine, Eli.”

“Are you the morning police?”

“Don’t you have to be at work?”

“That’s the thing about being the boss. I can go into work when and if the desire strikes.” I kiss Kate’s head and grin again as she shimmies against me, getting more comfortable, and succeeding in making sure my morning semi-hard-on is now just a hard-on.

But then she looks up at me, and everything in me just goes…tender. Her eyes are swollen and red. Her hair tangled around her face. Lips swollen from licking and biting them as she cried.

If I have anything to say about it, she’ll never have another reason to be devastated like this in her life.

And that’s ridiculous because she isn’t mine.

Except, she’s mine for right now, and that’s all that matters.

“Eli?”

“Sorry, what?”

“If you tell me that you’re having sex while on the phone with me, I will deck the fuck out of you when I see you.”

“You don’t scare me.”

“He’s not having sex,” Kate says into the phone, and giggles as she snuggles into me again.

I’ve never loved to snuggle. I mean, it’s a necessity to snuggle right after sex. Otherwise, you’re just a prick who wanted to fuck her. And I am, but even I know the importance of the obligatory snuggle.

That isn’t what this is.

“I might have sex after we hang up,” I clarify, earning another giggle from Kate.

“No, he won’t. At least not with me.”

I slap Kate’s ass and laugh when she pinches my side. “What’s up, Dec?”

“Just wanted to give you an update on Van. She’s doing better this morning. Stiff and sore, but her ribs aren’t broken, and there’s no bleeding. They’ll let her go to Mama’s this afternoon.”

“She’ll love that,” I say dryly.

“Gabby wanted her to go to the inn, but I put the nix on that. Van will try to help. If we have her go to Mama’s, she’ll be pampered and taken care of.”

“She’ll die of boredom in a week.”

“Maybe in a week she can go to Gabby’s,” he reasons, and I agree. “Anyway, I wanted to let you know so you can look in on her at Mama’s tonight. I’ll be by too.”

“Thanks.”

“And just so you know, Eli, she doesn’t look good.”

“I know. I saw her last night. But she’s going to be fine, Dec.”

“Yeah. Yeah, she will.”

We ring off and I toss my phone on the floor and hug Kate close. “Now, what’s this about me not having sex this morning?”

“I don’t have time.”

“Do you have somewhere you need to be?”

“Yes,” she laughs. “I need to go in to work. As it is, I’m very late.”

“You’re with the boss, Kate.”

“No one else knows that.” She moves to climb off of me, but I tug her back into my arms and turn us on our sides, her between me and the back of the couch, and kiss her softly.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

I lean back so I can look at her clearly, and aside from the puffiness and redness, I can see that she’s telling the truth.

“Strong girl,” I whisper and kiss her forehead.

“I’m also late.”

“Are we back to this?”

“I’m serious, Eli. I have a mountain of work, and I have some leads that I’m following.”

“What leads?” I ask.

“Let me see if they go anywhere. All I have are hunches right now. I’ll fill you in as soon as I have anything solid.” She smiles and kisses my chin. “So, I really do have to go to work. And so do you.”

“I do.” I sigh and don’t move. “I’m going to go check on Savannah this afternoon.”

“I’ll go this evening.”

“Just ride with me this afternoon.”

“I can’t.” She rolls her eyes and I grin because she’s adorable. “You and I aren’t doing…stuff.”

“If by stuff you mean kissing,” I kiss her lips, “and touching,” drag my hand down her side to her hip, “and fucking,” pull her against me so she can feel my hard cock against her abdomen, “yes, we are.”

“No one else knows that. I can’t arrive late and leave early, Eli. But I will let you do stuff to me later.”

“We’re going to keep working on your vocabulary, cher.”

She grins up at me as she slides her leg up mine and presses her center against me, making my eyes cross.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Chapter Fifteen

“How are you adjusting?” I ask Van as I lean back in my chair and prop the phone between my ear and shoulder, returning an email.

“You know I love the inn,” she replies. It’s good to hear the smile in her voice. “And I love Mama too, but after the eighth day, I was ready to make an escape.”

“Mama enjoyed babying you for a while,” I reply.

“I really could go home, you know. I’m feeling pretty much normal again. I need to work.”

“You need to relax.”

“I have work, Eli.”

“We may fall apart around here without you,” the sarcasm in my voice is thick, “but we’ll muddle our way through. Just enjoy the inn. Get well.”

“I forgot how much I love being out here,” she concedes. “And Sam is so adorable. He brought me breakfast in bed this morning. Gogurt and Goldfish crackers.”

“Breakfast of champions.”

“Oh, I have to go take a call for Gabby. I’ll call you later.”

“Bye.”

I hang up and sigh. I’m restless. It’s been more than a week since Van was hurt. She’s doing well. The past week has been a blur of police statements, long days at work, and short nights with Kate.

Kate.

She’s been working her own ass off. She works late into the evening, and is up early again the next morning. I see her long enough to sink inside her sweet body, then curl up around her and sleep.

I rub my hand over my mouth as it occurs to me that I miss her.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

I turn my attention back to work, but it’s no use. I can’t focus. I can’t think of anything but Kate, and quickly decide to rectify the situation.

“Put me through to Kate O’Shaughnessy’s office,” I instruct my assistant and grin when I hear Kate answer with an irritated, “This is Kate.”

“This is Eli,” I reply. “I need you to gather all of your notes and files on your project and come to my office, please.”

“Is there a problem?” she asks.

“Ten minutes,” I reply, rather than answer, and hang up the phone. I answer several emails and calls before Kate is announced and shown into my office. I gesture for her to have a seat, then stand, cross to the door, lock it, and return to my own seat behind the desk.

“Good morning.” My voice is formal, professional, and makes Kate frown.

“Hello,” she replies. “Eli, is something wrong?”

“No.” I shake my head and steeple my fingers. “I just want an update.”

She narrows her eyes on me for a moment. I cock an eyebrow and simply wait, and finally, she opens a file and begins to talk.

And I don’t even know what the fuck she’s talking about. Her words mean nothing to me. All I can think about his how that skirt fits tight on her hips and ass and her white blouse fits tight across her tits. She loves expensive underwear, which makes my cock hard and my heart pound, and I want to know what she’s wearing under that outfit.

She crosses her legs, drawing attention to the sexy emerald green fuck-me heels on her slender feet, and I swallow hard as I picture her naked, sprawled on my desk, her legs over my shoulders with just those heels on.

Jesus Christ, I want her.

“Eli?”

“Yes.”

“Did you hear a word I just said?”

“No.”

She shakes her head and watches me like I’m crazy. And I am. I’m completely fucking crazy about her.

“Do you want me to go through it again?”

“No, I don’t really give a shit right now.”

“You don’t care that someone is stealing from your company? That’s the whole reason you hired me, Eli.”

“Right now, in this moment, no. I don’t give a fuck.”

“What do you want, then?”

“You.”

Her green eyes flare, and her pouty mouth opens in surprise. The pulse in her neck speeds up.

I’m going to bite her there.

“You called me up here to—”

“To fuck you.” I finish her sentence for her, because I didn’t call her up here to do stuff, as she calls it.

“We are not going to do that here,” she hisses, looking scandalized, but I simply grin and lean over the desk toward her, keeping her gaze steadily in mine.

“Let me make it clear; we can have sweat dripping, sheet ripping, furniture breaking, screaming, trembling, hair pulling, ass smacking fucking for hours, or soft, sweet, quiet, intense lovemaking for days. You can have either or both, but we’re not leaving here without me being inside you, sugar.”

Her legs shift as she clenches her thighs together and she swallows hard, processing my words.

“Right, because we can just stay here for days.”

“Don’t tempt me. I can make that happen.”

She tilts her head and watches me for a moment. “You’re intense today.”

“I’m intense every day.” I stand and slowly walk around my desk to her, pull her to her feet, and smirk at how short she still is, even with those amazing shoes on her feet. I turn her in my arms, glide my hands around her sides to her belly and up to her tits, bury my nose in her hair and whisper in her ear. “You’re going to have to be quiet while I fuck you. My assistant is just on the other side of that door.”

“I can’t believe you want to do this.”

I don’t want to. I need to.

“Do you think you can do that, Kate? Be quiet?”

“I’m not good at quiet,” she replies breathlessly, and pushes her ass back against my already hard cock. I grip her tight skirt in my hands, gathering the fabric, pulling it above her sweet, round ass.

“Did you wear this skirt just to make me crazy?”

“No, but if it does, that’s a great bonus.”

I bite her earlobe, thankful that she wore her hair up today, giving me access to her neck. “It does. And so does this fucking amazing underwear.”

She’s wearing black lace today.

“Lean on the desk.” She bends over, pushes her ass out, and gasps when I squat behind her, rip her underwear, and toss them onto the desk.

“Those were expensive.”

“And I don’t give even one fuck,” I murmur, as I drag my fingertip from the top of the crack of her ass, over her anus, and through her already sopping wet folds. “You’re already turned on.”

“Mm,” she moans softly.

“No noise,” I remind her, right before I pull her pussy lips into my mouth and suck, push my tongue into her, then over her folds, making sure she’s good and wet. Her hips are moving desperately, searching for release, but before she can come, I stand and sink two fingers inside her while I unfasten my pants, desperate to be inside her. Jesus, it feels like I’m about to come out of my skin. I’m hot, swollen, and breathless.

I push into her from behind as I tilt her face back and kiss her hard, masking her moans. She can’t stay quiet.

And that’s another fuck that I just don’t give.

I get only two pumps in, then pull out, spin her around, lift her onto the desk, pushing anything in our way aside so she can lie back, and coffee spills all over my iPad, right before my monitor tips over and cracks the screen.

“Oh, no!” Kate gasps, but I laugh as I prop her legs on my shoulders, kiss her ankle, and push back inside her.

“Thank God for the cloud,” I murmur, and begin fucking her hard and fast. Her eyes are on mine, she’s panting, and her cheeks are flushed. She licks her finger and reaches down to rub her clit. “Yes, baby, rub yourself. Fuck, that’s hot.”

She clenches around me, and I can’t hold back. I come hard, and feel her come with me, milking my cock with her muscles. She covers her mouth with her free hand, trying to keep quiet, and failing miserably.

I pull out and help her off the desk.

“Just needed to take the edge off?” she asks, and begins to shimmy her skirt down her legs, but I stop her and lead her to the couch.

“I didn’t say we were done.” I strip us both out of the rest of our clothes and cover her body with mine on the couch.

“We already had furniture breaking sex,” she says with a grin. “Or, electronic breaking anyway.”

“And now we’ll have the slow and sweet,” I whisper against her lips. “You’re beautiful, cher.”

“You’re charming,” she whispers back. I love how shy she gets when I give her compliments, and turns it around on me, calling me charming.

I’m just being honest.

“Your eyes are so green,” I murmur and slide my already recovering cock through her folds, up to her clit, and down again. She gasps and closes her eyes. “Open.”

“You’re so bossy,” she moans and bites her lip.

“You like it.”

“I like it so much,” she groans and circles her hips, inviting me back inside. I pin her hands over her head with one of my hands, cup her face with the other, and kiss us both mindless as I sink inside and stop, balls deep, and enjoy how tight, wet, and hot she is.

“No one has ever turned me inside out the way you do,” I say against her mouth, then tug her lower lip with my teeth. “You make me forget myself. You make me fucking crazy.”

“You do the same for me,” she says, and whimpers as she circles her hips again. “Please move.”

“You need me to move, baby?”

“Yes.” She pushes against my hands, using my strength as leverage to lift her hips, creating just a tiny bit of eye-crossing friction.

“Ask me,” I reply.

“Please.”

I pull out slowly and push back in and stop again, making her frown.

“Ask me better than that.”

She narrows her eyes on me, earning a cocked brow from me. “Eli?”

“Yes, Kate?”

“Will you please—” she clenches her muscles on my cock, making me swear under my breath. “Please fuck me?”

“Now you’re just using the dirty words to get what you want,” I say, but comply, moving slow and steady, in and out, and she smiles up at me. A gorgeous, full-on, happy smile, and my heart catches.

“I love the way you feel inside me.”

Heart fucking catches.

I can’t respond. I’ll say something ridiculous. Instead, I pick up the pace and grind my pubis on hers, hitting her sweet spot, and watch her come apart beneath me, pulling me with her.

I release her hands and lie on her chest, in her arms. I can hear her heart, thundering in her chest. I can’t see it, but I brush my hand down her side, over the sexier than fuck tattoo there. I am enough the way I am.

She’s so much more than enough.

She sinks her fingers into my hair and holds me tight.

“You’re a sweet man, Eli Boudreaux.”

She kisses my head, and suddenly, everything in me simply calms. This feels…right.

It feels like home.

And that’s ridiculous.

Isn’t it?

“I hate to have to be the party pooper, but I really do have to go back to work,” she says softly, but continues to hug me to her, gliding her fingers through my hair. I could sleep like a baby, right here.

“I have work too. But this feels good.”

“Hmm,” she agrees. “I like your hair.”

“My hair?” I ask with a laugh.

“It’s soft. And it feels good in my fingers.” She rubs my forehead with her fingertips and I sigh. This woman can touch me as much as she wants, whenever she wants. “I like it.”

“I’m glad.”

“And I like your ass.”

“Are you making a list?” I ask with a grin.

“Shh.” She continues to make me sleepy and calm with her fingers. “I like your ass. It’s firm, and you have the sexiest dimples right above it.”

“I’m happy you like them.”

“You have lots of likeable parts.”

“What about the most important part?” I ask and glance up at her to wiggle my eyebrows.

“God, you’re such a man.”

***

“Hey, Van, it’s Eli.”

“Two calls in one day? I’m fine, Eli. Seriously.”

“I’m happy to hear that, but that’s not why I’m calling this time.”

“What’s wrong? Do I need to come to the office?”

I laugh and shake my head. “No. You’re not coming in to work. I need your advice. You’re Kate’s best friend. I want to do something nice for her. Surprise her. She’s been working hard, but I don’t know what to do. Give me ideas.”

There’s a long, pregnant pause.

“Is this Eli Boudreaux? My brother?”

“Funny.”

“So, what exactly is happening between you and Kate, Eli? And don’t tell me it’s none of my business.”

“It’s none of your business,” I reply, just to rile her up.

“Really?”

“Kidding. Honestly, I like her. A lot. We spend time together.”

“You’re fucking her.”

That pisses me off for reasons I can’t explain. Yes, I am fucking her, but it’s more than that, and to hear it put like that makes it sound…cheap.

“We are engaging in a physical relationship, yes.”

“Is that it?”

“Are you going to help me or not?”

“I will if you answer my question.”

I sigh and drag my hand down my face. I washed up after she left my office, but I swear I can still smell her on me, and it makes me want her all over again.

This is getting ridiculous.

“She’s not like the others, Vanny,” I say quietly…voice aloud for the first time what’s been brewing in my head for weeks. “I like her. I respect her. And I want to do something special for her.”

“Are you going to ask her to stay when the job is done?”

“No,” I reply without hesitation. Van sighs.

“Okay, stubborn ass, I know exactly what you should do.”

***

Her head is bent over her desk as she reads through what look like financial reports. She doesn’t even see me as I lean against the doorjamb, watching her work. It’s early evening, at least two hours past the time that the last person left for the day.

I do believe I’ve met my match in the workaholic department.

“I see you,” she murmurs without looking up. Is it any wonder that I’m crazy about her?

“It’s time to go, cher.”

“I have a few more things before the weekend.”

“Kate, it’s almost eight on a Friday evening. It’s the weekend.”

“I’m almost done.”

I cross to her desk and tip her head back with my finger under her chin. “Shut it down. I have a surprise for you.”

Her eyes flare in happiness. “You do?”

“Yes.”

She begins plunging her hands in my pockets, patting me down. “Where is it?”

“This is a new side to you.”

“I love surprises.”

So noted.

“What is this?” She pulls the half-dollar out of my pocket and gazes at it. “Does this say 1860?”

“It does. Dad gave it to me when I was just out of college. He used to carry two of them. He gave the other to Beau.”

“What does it mean?”

Smart girl. “They were handed down from my great-grandfather as the first measurable profit from the company. And Dad said that it was to remind us that every penny we make is important, whether it be fifty cents, or fifty million dollars.”

“I like that.” She replaces the coin in my pocket and keeps searching. “I can’t find my surprise.”

“Well, we have to go to it. I don’t have it on me.”

“Oh.” She pouts, but then stands and launches herself into my arms. “Thank you.”

“You don’t even know what it is.”

“It doesn’t matter. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Let’s go.”

She locks her desk and gathers her things, and then frowns as I escort her down the hall.

“You know, you shouldn’t come down to my office.”

“Everyone is gone, Kate. We’re the only ones here.”

“Still.” She sniffs as she steps into the elevator, then does a little happy dance. “What’s the surprise?”

“I’m not telling,” I reply with a laugh and tug on a piece of her hair.

“Can I guess? Is it…?” She bites her lip as she thinks. “Is it a show?”

“No.”

“Is it…Dinner?”

“No.” I pull her in for a hug and kiss her head. “Stop trying. You’ll never guess.”

“Give me a hint.”

“You must be impossible to live with at Christmas.”

She simply grins and climbs into the car, a bundle of nerves the entire drive through town.

“We’re leaving town?”

“We’re not going far.”

“You’re a good surprise giver.”

I laugh and glance over at her where she’s watching me with happy eyes. “Is that such a thing?”

“Yes.”

I pull into the parking garage at the airport, and Kate watches me with shocked curiosity. “Where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

“But, I didn’t pack a bag! I don’t even have a toothbrush, since I took my spare out of my purse—”

I yank her to me and kiss the fuck out of her, just to shut her up, then lead her into the baggage claim area. I watch as her eyes skim over the people waiting for their bags, and when they land on a familiar face, she smiles and runs to her friend.

“Oh, my God! What are you doing here?”

The tall, dark man who was speaking with Kate’s friend steps away, gathers his own bag, and waves at Lila as he walks away.

“Eli! This is Lila,” Kate announces, as she and the dark-haired, beautiful woman turn to me.

“I know,” I reply with a grin and shake Lila’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you in person.”

“Likewise.”

“Wait. Why didn’t I know that you were coming?” Kate asks Lila, as they lead me back into the parking garage. I’m happy to bring up the rear with Lila’s small suitcase in tow.

“Well, I was going to come down in a few weeks for a job interview anyway, and then Eli called and asked if I’d like to come see you, and hello! Of course I did! So, I called and had my interview moved to Monday, and here I am.”

Suddenly, Kate launches herself into my arms and hugs me tight. “Thank you,” she whispers into my ear.

“My pleasure, cher.”

“First things first,” Kate says, after we all get settled in the car. She and Lila are sharing the back, so they can talk without one of them craning their neck to see the other. “Who was that tall drink of water you were chatting with at the baggage claim?”

“Noticed that, did you?” Lila asks with a laugh.

“Um, hello, he was hot.”

I growl as I catch Kate’s eye in the rear-view.

“Did he just growl?” Lila asks with a laugh.

“He does that,” Kate says. “Spill it.”

“All I know is, his name is Asher, and he’s in town for some work thing.” She shrugs. “That’s it.”

“You didn’t get his number?”

“No.”

“Did he get yours?”

“No.”

“What is wrong with you?”

Lila laughs and kisses Kate’s cheek. “Let’s talk about you. How are you?”

“I’m good.”

There’s a moment of quiet. “I believe you,” Lila finally replies.

“You really didn’t get his number?” The girls bust up laughing, and it makes me smile to hear Kate so happy. So carefree.

I plan to keep her that way.

“I think this calls for girls’ night out tomorrow night,” Kate says suddenly. “I’ll call Van, Gabby, and Charly, and we’ll hit the town.”

“Excellent idea! I haven’t seen them in forever.”

“Do you know my sisters?” I ask.

“Yep, I met them a few times when we were all visiting Kate at college. This is gonna be epic.”

“So fun,” Kate agrees. “We’ll start at Café Amalie and flirt with Joe.”

“Who’s Joe?” Lila asks as I growl again.

“My favorite waiter.”

“Is he hot?” Lila asks.

“So hot,” Kate answers, and I grip the steering wheel tighter.

“I’m so in,” Lila replies.