Wright Together, page 18
“I’ll do that.”
His smile was magnetic as he drew me against his slick body and pressed our lips together. That wasn’t the only thing pressed into my skin. His cock was long and hard against my stomach. I reached between us and wrapped my hand around the head.
“Fuck,” he growled.
“We’ve barely touched, and you’re already hard for me,” I teased.
He walked me backward until my ass was against the glass of the shower wall. “I was hard as soon as I saw your hot, naked body.” His hands moved to my hips. “I wanted to bury myself inside of you the instant I saw you through the glass.”
“Yes.”
He grinned at the raspy gasp in my voice, the breathy desire. “You want that, too, do you?”
“Oh, yes.”
He lifted one wrist and the other until they were above my head. “Don’t move them.”
My breasts hung heavy from the position. My nipples peaked.
He ran his thumb over my wrist. “What’s this?”
“Crescent moons,” I told him. They were two crescents, side by side—one filled in and one open.
“Why’d you get them?”
I shrugged helplessly. He smirked, and his hands leisurely moved down my arms and to my shoulders.
He traced my peonies. “What does this one mean?”
“My favorite flower,” I told him.
“And this one?”
One hand gripped my thigh, right over my dream catcher.
“I used to have bad dreams, but not anymore.”
“Hmm.” His hand rose to my hip, where a semicircle of cherry blossoms bloomed in soft pink. “And this one?”
“Gram always called me her cherry blossom,” I admitted.
He arched an eyebrow as his fingers traced the line of my Gram’s handwriting on my bicep. “You don’t seem much like a cherry blossom.”
“She said that when she was a girl, she went to a cherry blossom festival, and the flowers were the most striking thing she had ever seen, but they were feisty, temperamental things. A single storm or cold weather would drop them off the trees after a mere day.”
He laughed. “Feisty, temperamental little thing. I can see that.”
“I only bloom under perfect conditions.”
His look was full of mischief when his hand slipped between my thighs. “Think I can make you bloom?”
Was that even a question? All I’d done was open like a cherry blossom in his presence. And the the look on his face said he knew it.
Whitt lifted my hips up, leveraging me against the glass window. Our bodies aligned, his cock pressing against my opening. He slowly lowered me onto him, and I squirmed the entire way down.
“Oh,” I gasped when I was fully seated on his cock.
My hand dropped unintentionally, and he reached up and grasped both wrists in one hand and slammed them back against the glass. My eyes widened in surprise, but he tightened his grip on my hip that braced me against the window. Then, he began to move.
He thrust his hips up, sliding in and out of me with such force that I saw stars. I could do nothing but hold on as he speared me wide open. With my hands above my head, I had no sense of control. Whitt owned my body, and I wanted him to. It wasn’t until I came hard on his cock that he finally emptied himself as well.
He gently released my wrists as he pulled out of me. I slid down to my feet on wobbly knees. He lifted me back up and put me back under the spray, using his soap to clean the mess we’d just made. Then, he turned off the shower, wrapped me in a big, fluffy towel, and sat me down on the edge of the enormous bathtub.
“You looked like you were going to faint,” he said as he pushed a glass of water into my hand.
I took it gratefully. I hadn’t realized how much I needed it. “I guess…I just gave up all control.” My head was still buzzing. I couldn’t believe the words leaving my mouth. “I liked it.”
His eyes were molten at the words. As if I’d struck at the heart of who he was. Did he want me to give up all control? Because if it was like what had just happened in the shower, then maybe I’d be up for that.
“If I didn’t have to get to work, I’d drag you to bed right now.”
“I think I’d let you,” I teased.
His hand went back through his hair. “Fuck.”
“You can’t be late,” I wagered.
He shook his head. “I can’t.”
I drained the rest of the water and came to my feet. I pressed a kiss to his lips. “You wouldn’t be you if you were late. I’ll see you after I finish work later.”
“All right.” He dragged me in for another kiss. “Good luck at your meeting.”
“You too.”
I kissed him and then headed home, delirious from Whitt on every dimension.
Wright Construction’s lush lobby was full of morning traffic. Since I started contracting with the company, I’d been here many times, including a few occasions just to see Whitt.
But I wasn’t here for him today.
Today, I had my own meeting with Jordan about my job, which was now unfortunately over. I’d contracted for the project, and now, the project was wrapped. While I’d had an incredible weekend with Whitt, reality was creeping back in.
I had one more payment for working at Wright Construction. I’d sold one house this month. I still had to pay my dad for next month. While Whitt might not have asked about the money, that didn’t mean it wasn’t still on my mind. I’d double-checked that the deposit for this month had gone through, which it had.
But when I’d looked, I’d seen the dwindling funds in my account. What was I going to do after today? The couple I’d thought would buy this weekend was second-guessing buying instead of renting. I had exactly three leads, and I was pretty sure they were dead ends. It just wasn’t buying season. I had no idea how I was going to make ends meet.
I clenched my hands into fists and then released them.
I’d figure it out.
I always did.
Right now, I had to survive my final meeting with Jordan.
After navigating the lobby, I took the elevator up to the top floor. My heels clicked against the floor, and I stopped before Jordan’s office door.
“You must be Eve,” his assistant said, reaching for a phone.
“That’s me.”
“Just let me tell Mr. Wright that you’re here.”
I wondered how confusing that was in this office. How many Mr. Wrights worked here? At least Morgan probably got Ms. Wright, like the badass she was.
“He’ll see you now,” the assistant said. He gestured to the door. “Go on inside.”
“Thank you.”
I took a deep breath and then walked inside. No matter that Jordan and I had been drinking beer lakeside together yesterday, today, he was my boss.
“Eve,” Jordan said, looking up from his desk. “Come in. Have a seat.”
I straightened out my pencil skirt and dropped into a seat in front of him.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I went ahead and direct-deposited the last payment into your account. I thought it’d be easier than a paper check. It should clear this afternoon.”
“Oh,” I said slowly. I’d thought I was here to pick up that check. What did he want to have this meeting for if not to hand over my money?
“You’re probably wondering why I called you here today.”
“I was actually.”
Jordan leaned forward, opening his hands palm up in welcome. “I want to offer you a job.”
I blinked. “Come again?”
“Our previous commercial agent left for a spot in Dallas with her wife, who just got into medical residency. We have a spot that I’m supposed to put on the market this afternoon. According to Morgan, I was supposed to do it two weeks ago, and she asked why I was dragging my feet.”
“Why…are you dragging your feet?” I asked, as if I couldn’t quite comprehend the words coming out of his mouth.
“Because I want you to take the position,” he said simply. “You did excellent work in Midland. Malcolm King is a hard man to impress, and he said he liked you. In fact, he said, in the future, I should send you down for their needs, which leaves me in a position where I need you.”
I opened my mouth and closed it. Was he for real?
Jordan paused, judging my reaction. “It’s a competitive salary, but I’m open for negotiations if you want more.”
He pushed a sheet of paper toward me. When I saw the figure printed on the paper, I thought I might pass out. I hadn’t seen money like this…ever.
My eyes flicked up to his. “You can go higher than this?”
He grinned. “If you want the job, I bet I can get another ten grand out of Morgan.”
I just barely managed to keep my jaw from dropping. “Wow.”
“So…do you want it?”
“Jordan, yes,” I said, my hand shaking as I set the paper back on the desk. “This is incredible! Thank you so much for thinking of me.”
“Oh good! You had me worried for a minute when you went silent.”
I laughed. “You’re never worried.”
“You forget I’m married to Annie. That woman keeps me on my toes.”
“At least someone does.”
“Fair.” He stood and held his hand out. “Welcome to the team.”
I shook his hand. “Happy to be here.”
Jordan filled me in on all the details while I listened in utter shock. I had a mountain of paperwork to fill out, and I’d start as soon as it was all filed. He even offered to show me my office, which had been vacated by the previous owner two weeks earlier.
I walked around the space like I was in a dream. It wasn’t the corner office that Whitt or Jordan had. In fact, it was an interior space. So, there wasn’t even a window. But there was a door and a desk, and all of it belonged to me.
Before I knew what I was doing, I was back up the stairs and striding, uninvited, into Whitt’s office. “Did you know?”
“Know what?” he asked with a smirk that said he damn well had.
“And you kept it from me!”
He laughed. “Did you accept the offer?”
“Of course I did! With an increase in the salary!”
“Congratulations!” He rose to his feet and swung me into his arms. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Did you do this?”
“No, you did. You earned it.”
“I can’t believe it,” I whispered. “Maybe I should have negotiated more.”
He just chuckled. “I’m sure Jordan was fair. He usually is in my estimation.”
“He was.”
I shook my head. Just this morning, I’d been hanging on by a thread, and now, I had a nearly six-figure salary in my future.
“We’ll have to celebrate at the silent auction on Friday,” Whitt said. “Let me get you a new pair of fancy shoes.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Who said I had to do anything?” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I want to.”
A knock on the door broke us apart, and Colton Wright strode inside with a coffee in hand.
“I went to Monomyth,” he said before glancing between us with a sly smile. “Did I interrupt?”
Whitt snatched the coffee out of his hand. “You did not. We were just discussing your dad’s silent auction on Friday. Are you going?”
“That’s for old people,” he said with complete seriousness.
Whitt and I exchanged a look. Youths.
“And anyway,” Colton said, taking a sip of his own coffee, “Dad’s flying me home on Sunday so I can start school on Monday. I’ll be out of here for good.” He added under his breath, “Thank fuck.”
“Well, the soccer team will miss you,” I told him.
He grinned. “Yeah, fair. You didn’t suck.”
“I guess I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“He’s fifteen and completely self-absorbed,” Whitt said, pushing Colton in the back of the head. “He doesn’t do compliments. Now, go and get to work.”
“Roger that, boss.”
“You’re going to miss him when he’s gone next week,” I observed.
“Yeah,” he said with a sigh. “Guess we’ll just have to go to New York and harass him.”
I laughed and kissed him again. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Unfortunately, I have to get back to work as well. Come by my house later?”
“Yes, sir,” I chirped.
He smoldered at the word. “See you soon.”
“Not soon enough.”
And then I skipped out of the office, a bounce in my step that hadn’t been there in so very long.
26
Eve
I stared down at the black box on my bed.
“Girl,” Blaire said, crashing down onto the bed beside the box.
“Even I know that’s fancy,” Piper said.
“My brother doesn’t play.” Harley looked down at her black-and-gold manicure and then back at the box. “Are you going to open it?”
My fingers traced the red Louboutin logo. The heels that Arnold had purchased for me had been my go-to for the last year. They were starting to show wear, and if I was honest, wearing them made me feel a little gross now that I was in a happy relationship. Maybe it was time to retire my fancy shoes that had been given to me by my abusive, asshole, married ex.
I lifted the lid from the box, and inside were a pair of matte-black heels with the traditional red-lacquered bottoms. I pulled one out to a chorus of oohs and aahs. My old shoes had nothing on these.
When I slipped it onto my foot, I felt just like Cinderella.
“Damn,” Harley said. “I need a pair. Think Whitt will buy me some?”
The girls laughed, and Harley grinned. She might be younger than the rest of us, but she liked being part of the group as much as I did. I was glad that I’d invited her to get ready for the auction with us. Even though she’d said that she had homework to work on instead. She’d still donned a Wednesday Addams-esk black chiffon dress and shown up with thick makeup for the occasion, ready to dance the night away.
“Man has good taste,” Blaire said.
“Hollin would never,” Piper said with a snort. “I’m trying to imagine the hulking, tatted cowboy ordering designer heels.”
Blaire cackled. “Never. And Campbell would absolutely get me some, but he’d probably hand it off to his publicist.”
“Sounds right,” Piper agreed.
Harley shrugged. “I’m going to be the girl who buys her own damn shoes.”
“Fair,” Piper and Blaire said in unison. There was appreciation in their eyes.
Harley was a force, and I looked forward to seeing her take over the world.
“Okay, okay. Finish getting ready so we can go!” Piper said, dragging Blaire toward the door. “The boys should be here soon.”
I pulled on the splurge black dress that I’d gotten for the occasion. It had tiny spaghetti straps and a scooped neckline with a soft shimmer to the shiny material. The dress just hit the floor in my new heels. I’d styled my hair in long waves down to the middle of my back and donned my signature red lipstick.
The look on Whitt’s face when I opened the door was worth all the effort.
“Do you like?” I did a twirl.
“Like?” he asked, mesmerized. “Love. You look incredible.”
“Thank you. And the shoes.” I stuck one tanned leg out toward him. “They fit perfectly.”
He slid his hands around my waist and pulled me in close. “I’m going to fuck you in them later.”
I squirmed against him. “You’d better.”
“Guaranteed.” He pressed a kiss to my shoulder and then tugged me out the door.
I groaned, wanting nothing more than to take him up on that offer before and after the event tonight. Whitt laughed at my protest and helped me into the car, smacking my ass before I took my seat.
Jensen had rented out a ballroom at a downtown hotel, conveniently located only a block from Wright Construction. Whitt pulled his Lexus into valet, and I was assisted out of the car. Whitt held out his arm and escorted me inside.
“I have another surprise.” Whitt removed something out of his pocket and held up the key card.
“You got us a room?” I asked with a laugh. “I live five minutes from here.”
“But neither of us has to drive home if we drink.”
“Safety first.”
He squeezed my hip and winked at me. “Something like that.”
Whitt handed off our tickets to the man at the door, and we stepped inside. The ballroom had a sky-high ceiling with a second-story balcony that wrapped around the room. Chandeliers dotted the room, emitting a soft glow upon the festivities. A dozen round tables were decorated with fresh flowers for the dinner portion of the event. And along the back wall was a row of auction items to bid on.
“I heard that Morgan is offering a trip on the private jet,” Whitt told me as we found our seats.
“Jesus, how much is that going to go for?”
“Who knows? A small fortune.”
I still couldn’t believe that people could afford anything like that. Let alone that the Wrights had a private jet on standby for them. That Jensen would be using it on Sunday to take Colton back to New York City.
“What else do you think they have?”
“I know that Jordan said they were going to do a limited vintage wine, named after the recipient, from the vineyard.”
“That’s cool.”
“We can go look if you want.”
“Drinks first,” I insisted.
I wasn’t buying anything. I’d need a drink and some food to mingle with people who could.
We ran into Jordan, Julian, Annie, and Jennifer at the bar. We grabbed drinks and stepped away from the congestion of free booze.
“Did you ever hear from Dad?” Jordan asked.
Whitt shrugged. “I told him we weren’t interested, but he said he was going to come up anyway, just in case.”
Annie wrinkled her nose. “Typical.”
Jennifer put her hand on Julian’s arm. “Your dad is coming into town? You didn’t tell me.”
