Jordyn's Army, page 40
“It, being your attraction to me?” I wonder out loud.
“I think it’s pretty mutual, but yes,” he concedes.
“This doesn’t feel right. I feel like I’m getting the job for all the wrong reasons.” I move to stand in front of him.
He grips my shoulders with a gentle touch and stares down at me. “You’re getting this job because you are the best choice. Ross hired you, not me. I’m giving my partner approval. Sex free. No influence.”
“I need to know that you have no authority or say in my job. That it’s all Ross. I don’t want my integrity comprised by anything happening between us,” I plead, my desire to explore what I’m feeling for Fin obvious. This is a job offer of a lifetime, but, let’s face it; men come and go.
Sensing my internal struggle, he continues to argue, “Chloe, the only thing you need to worry about where I’m concerned is to make sure I look good to the public and the clients. That’s it.” He steps into me then, pulling my body flush. His face just inches above mine as he looks down at me. “Anything else that happens is between you and me. No one else.”
I lick my lips, wanting to kiss him, to wrap my arms around his waist, but know this isn’t the time or the place. Instead, I back out of his hold and peer back at him. “Okay, I need some time to think and review the offer Ross presented.” A wave of shyness sweeps over me as I continue. “And to think about you.”
“Fair enough.” He walks to the table to grab the folder Ross presented me with earlier and hands it to me. I retrieve my bag off the floor beside the table and start for the door.
“I’ll ask Gina to call a car for you.” He pulls the door open for me and allows me to walk ahead of him.
“Actually, I’d rather walk. It’s not that far, and I could use the time to think.” I turn, extending my hand to him. “Thank you for everything, Mr. Harrison.”
5
Final Destination
Strangest day ever. I push the contract and job terms across the table and stride over to the mini-bar. It’s after five, and I am so ready for a damn drink. I grab one of the little bottles of white wine, twist the cap off, and drink straight from bottle. Sometimes, a girl just has to do what a girl has to do. And, screw it, this is all getting billed to my new company anyway.
“Cheers to me.” I lift the wine in the air, even though no one is there, and bring it to my lips again for another gulp. I freeze when there’s a loud knock on the door. I set the small bottle down on the table as I pass, and push down on the handle to pull the door open.
“Griffin,” I exclaim, unable to mask my surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“We have dinner plans.” His eyes roam over me, his brow creasing as he does. I’m still in my skirt and shirt from earlier. The jacket was thrown onto the back of the couch hours ago, leaving my shirt tucked and unruly at my waist.
“Oh, I didn’t think we were still doing that.”
“I was hoping we still were.” His eyes meet mine as he holds up a bottle of Dom Perignon. “And, I promised you this, win or lose.”
“Come in. You look silly standing out in the hallway.” I roll my eyes then wave my hand to enter, his ocean scent wafting up into my nostrils when he breezes by me. He’s still wearing the dark suit pants and the clean white shirt he had on earlier, but the tie and jacket are now gone. “Trying to sway me with champagne?”
He sets the bottle on the table beside my paperwork, then sweeps me into his arms. Gasping, I blink up at him in surprise. “More like, trying to seduce you.”
“You don’t need champagne for that,” I whisper, his lips brushing against mine as I complete my sentence. His hand snakes through my hair to grasp onto the back of my head, and I arch my body into his, our mouths crushing together, our desire finally snapping as we fuse against each other.
My hands slide around his neck as his fingers skim up the outside of my thighs, dragging my skirt with them, my legs wrapping around his waist as he lifts and carries me to the bed. Our kiss deepens, his tongue sweeping against mine, him growling in hunger as his body lays over me. He shoves my skirt higher and thrusts his hips into my center, his hard length sliding against the silk of my panties, the friction eliciting a moan from me.
Hot, full lips deliver a fluttering trail of wet kisses over my chin, down my throat, and into the cleavage of my blouse as he begins to work the buttons. My fingers mimic his actions on the shirt he’s wearing, but before I can complete the task, he pulls abruptly away, yanking it over his head, exposing his bare chest to me. I gaze up at him, his eyes locked on mine as he jerks my shirt open. I gasp, my teeth catching my lip as my fingers graze down the downy plane of his chest and then glide lower over the sculpted ridges of his abdomen.
“You’re too perfect,” I murmur, any legible words I was going to utter silenced when I feel the heat of his mouth around my nipple. My nails sink into the flesh of his back as his pelvis shoves against me, a silent O shaping my lips as I toss my head back. I feel the clip on my bra release, and lift myself off the bed slightly as Fin strips my torso bare.
“You’re so beautiful,” he professes, caressing the hair back from my face, dropping kisses down my body until he reaches the waist of my skirt. He grasps the hem with both hands, then tugs it down my legs until I’m completely naked. His gaze is feral as he unbuttons his slacks, kicking them off as they hit the floor. His cock juts hard against his waist as he slides a condom on.
I spread my legs as he crawls over me, his mouth crushing against mine as he lines himself against my center, both of us groaning as he enters me in one thrust. I don’t think either one of us could wait another second for this, and it feels so utterly perfect when he begins to move.
“Oh my God, so good, Fin.” I rake my hands down his back until they’re gripping his ass, pressing him harder, faster, even deeper inside of me. He lifts himself onto his elbows, bracing himself over me, then surges forward, his cock plundering into me again and again. “Yes, yes, yes.” I cry, my eyes clenched as my head rocks back and forth, my orgasm already beginning to crest.
“Look at me, Chloe.” Fin grunts above me, his hips continuing to pummel me, the walls of my core beginning to tighten. “Look at me when we come.”
I blink my eyes open to find his staring down at me, so much darker than I’ve seen them before, his desire blazing. “You’re so fucking perfect.” His hips thrust into me after each word, the next deeper than before, the last one sending me toppling over the edge. His name leaves my parted lips in a strangled breath as stars burst beneath lids I can no longer keep open.
“Fuck, yes!” His hips surge against mine once, twice, and then a final time as his release throbs against my clenching muscles, both of us panting as we cling to one another.
He moves first, pulling me with him as he rolls onto his side, sliding out of me as he does, sending small aftershocks pulsating through my core. I squeeze my legs together, moaning at the tingling pleasure, already wanting more. His arm wraps me close, his heart thundering under my cheek as I drape across his chest. “Was that my signing bonus?” I giggle, high from the orgasm I just had.
His chest rumbles under my cheek, the vibrations when he speaks ticklish against my ear. “That was the pre-signing bonus.” He moves at lightning speed, rolling me over to trap my body under his, that gorgeous dimple tempting me as he looms over me. “Give me a half-hour and you’ll get a bonus so amazing, you’re going to wonder how you even had a second thought about working for me.”
I lift my head and capture his mouth in mine, nipping his lip playfully when I pull away. “I don’t work for you, remember?”
He presses another kiss against my mouth then smiles again. “So, you’re going to take the job?”
“I mean,” I laugh, slapping a hand over my face in resignation, “I don’t think I’m going to get a bonus like this anywhere else.”
“You bet your ass you won’t.” He chuckles, rolling me over again, adjusting me so that I’m straddling him. My long hair hangs down between us as I lean down.
My expression grows serious. “This could be hard.”
He wiggles his hips under me. “Oh, believe me, it will be. Any second now.”
I deliver a playful slap to his chest. “I mean working together. Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“Only if we let it.” He sits up underneath me, aligning his chest with mine, a soft kiss falling against my lips before he continues. “As I said earlier, we really won’t see each other in the office unless we want to. We have completely separate responsiblities.”
I rest my forehead against his. “Good. Because, I think I like you. And I think I’m going to want to keep doing this.”
One side of his mouth quirks up in a smile before pressing against mine. “Good, because I know I like you, and I know I want to do this again.”
“So, I guess everything is coming up roses for me then?” I question, wanting to believe everything could really be this simple.
His fingers grip around my bum to push my center against his, my brows shooting up when I feel his hard length. “Well, something certainly is coming up.” He growls, rocking into me again, an inviting smirk on his lips. “If you still want to do this again.”
I grin, capturing his mouth with mine, my silent acceptance to both the job and the sex, knowing in my heart that this is just the start of something amazing.
Thank you for reading Coming Up Roses, and for purchasing the Jordyn’s Army anthology. Your donation to Jordyn and her family is appreciated more than any words I could express.
If you enjoyed Coming Up Roses, you should check out my book Tempting Secrets. It’s a sexy, contemporary romance featuring Trey Riley, a recent med-school graduate, moonlighting as an escort to help pay off his school loans. It seems like a really good idea, until he falls for one of his clients, Charlotte Harvey. It’s a happily-ever-after and can be purchased on any platform here: books2read.com/u/49WPLY.
I also have a very steamy contemporary romance available right now for FREE. It’s called The Winning Bid and features billionaire Drew Sapphire. He’s hired submissive Scarlett for a weekend to fulfill his every need. When the weekend ends, he wants more, but she’s got a secret that forces her to walk away. Sound like something you’d like? You can download it for FREE here: books2read.com/u/mey2KZ.
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About Michelle Windsor
Michelle Windsor is a writer who lives north of Boston, Massachusetts, with her adoring husband and two teenage boys. She writes steamy contemporary romance, and was just awarded the 2019 Best Contemporary Romance Writer by Passionate Plume Ink. When Michelle isn’t working on another book, you can find her spending time with her family, her German Shepherd, Roman, or enjoying cocktails with her favorite girlfriends.
You can find out more about Michelle, as well as links to all her books, on her webpage: www.authormichellewindsor.com
Mine to Protect
Kristin Mayer
1
Scarlette
I opened my eyes and stared at Austin’s face. He was still asleep, and his dark lashes fanned across his cheek. My beautiful man. Last night had been everything I’d wanted. Austin understood me on a level no one else did. There was a part of me I could only unleash when I was with him. He fulfilled the raw, sexual need within me. We’d been together just under two weeks, but our souls knew each other.
I shifted, and his arms tightened around me. “Morning, sweetheart.”
“Morning.” After all the activity from the night before, I was deliciously sore.
Then I remembered that his mom was coming into town. I jutted out my lip. “It’s sad you’ll be over at your place tonight.”
“Why the hell would I stay over there?” he said, his brow furrowed.
Stating the obvious, I repeated what he’d said in case I’d missed something. “Your parents are coming into town.”
“Sweetheart, I’m a grown man. I can stay with my girlfriend and not need a time out.”
I wiggled underneath him as the hunger in his eyes grew. “Austin… I don’t want them to think badly of me.”
“They won’t. I don’t want to stay apart, Scarlette.” Austin’s dick hardened against my thigh.
His mother’s ringtone filtered through the room and his dick immediately softened. Austin didn’t move to answer it, but it kept ringing. “Get that. It might be important.”
“Cockblocking her son now.” He cleared his throat as I giggled, and then he answered. “Hey, Mom. What? Already?” His eyes grew wide. “Yeah, give me like twenty minutes. Yes, she is. Yeah. Okay.”
What’s going on?
He hung up the phone. “They’re here.”
I shot out of bed. “Like, here, here? As in ‘in the driveway’ here?”
“Yeah.”
There was no time to look at what he was doing. His parents were here. Like here. I’d be meeting them in minutes. In a whirlwind, I searched through my clothes and settled on a summer dress. Panic ensued. What if they don’t like me? His parents were here. And they were close. Like, really close as a family. I froze, feeling like the room was closing in on me. “Austin, I can’t meet them right now.”
I turned toward the bathroom, looking for a place to hide, when his arms wound around me. “Scarlette, it will be fine.”
The warmth from his arms soothed me some, but this was still too much. I’d planned to spend the day preparing to meet his parents. I needed more than a few minutes.
“Relax. I promise it will be fine.”
I took a few deep breaths, trying to calm. “I want to make a good impression.”
Austin spun me around, and the intensity of his stare sent goosebumps along my skin. “They already like you because you’re important to me.”
I huffed, blowing some hair out of my face. “If you say so.”
Leaning down, he gave me a little kiss, and I focused on his touch as he murmured, “Just relax. If you want me to ask them to come back later, I can. Or we can go hang out at my place.”
That would be worse. Then I would have to go over there and feel awkward walking into Austin’s place without knocking. I just needed a few minutes to gather myself. “No. Don’t do that. Let me brush my teeth. I’ll meet you in the living room in a bit. I just need to… give me a few minutes.”
He gave me another kiss. “Deep breaths. They don’t bite. Take all the time you need.”
I tried to smile, but my stomach felt queasy. When he closed the door, I sat on the bed for a few minutes to gather my thoughts. I can do this. It’ll be fine. Feeling more optimistic, I got myself off the bed and headed to the bathroom.
Before I was mentally ready, I was presentable and the bed was made. The bedroom looked like we’d only played cards there the night before. I giggled, thinking about how untrue that statement was.
At the bedroom door, I heard a booming laugh that was similar to Austin’s, yet different. Quietly, I opened the door to see two older people standing with their backs to me. Austin’s eyes lit up when they landed on me. At his change of expression, his parents turned around.
“Mom, Dad, meet Scarlette Noelle. Scarlette, these are my parents, Rose and Gene.”
Rose turned to me with a brilliant smile on her face, happy wrinkles framing her eyes. “It’s nice to meet you, Scarlette. I’m sorry for showing up earlier than expected. We made better time on the road than we anticipated. And I was excited to meet you. It wasn’t until we got here that I realized it might not be a good idea.”
I held out my hand. “I’m glad to meet you. I’ve heard a lot of wonderful things from Austin.”
“Well, I’m glad my son finally got his head out of his ass. He’s been pining over you for quite some time,” Rose replied.
Oh, this gray-haired woman was feisty. I liked it. “I’m glad we ran into each other again.” I blushed and looked down. After we’d broken up a year ago, I never thought I would have him back in my life. It was time for a subject change.
Gene must have sensed it, too, or he had impeccable timing. He extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Scarlette.”
“You, too. Would you like some breakfast? I have eggs and sausage. Maybe some biscuits.”
Austin came around and wrapped his arm around my waist. “Mom, Dad. Let me help Scarlette get breakfast together while you get settled in my place.”
“Rose, honey, let’s get settled. I know I could use a shower.” Gene walked toward the door, but Rose didn’t take her eyes off us. “Rose! Come on. She’s not going to disappear. You’re going to freak her out if you don’t stop hovering.”
That broke the ice, and I laughed as Rose slumped her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I know I’m being creepy. It’s just I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Rose!”
She threw her hands in the air. “Okay! Okay! I’m coming. Hold onto your drawers. But if she does disappear, I’m holding you responsible.”
I loved the banter between his parents. It made me feel more at ease and less on display.
The door closed, and I grinned. “Oh my, I think I just fell in love with your mom.”
Austin gave me a kiss, and I could sense his relief as the stiffness in his shoulders eased ever so slightly. “She’s a mess but excited to meet you. Let’s cook breakfast. Knowing Mom, she’ll be away for about five minutes and not be able to stand it.”
We had the biscuits in the oven and the eggs were ready for the skillet when the door opened about ten minutes later. “You need any help?”
