25. Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter twenty-five
Kennedy
“You’re infuriating!” I practically shout, tossing my hands in the air. Long gone are the niceties.
“Me?” he asks, pointing to his chest. “How can you possibly think that when you’re the problem.”
It’s Christmas Eve and Tristan and I have been in the conference room for the past hour, arguing over the internet with Dave, our IT Director, as we continue to sort out the delay in technology. I’m tired and frustrated on so many levels. Not only am I missing Christmas in the States with my friends and family, but I’m stuck in another battle with Prince Nelson . He’s back on his high horse, expecting me to bow down to him, but he has another thing coming.
Yesterday was the deadline to have the smart technology system in the rooms up to date; however, Dave informed me that he needs more time. Time is not our friend. The villas are moving at a rapid pace, which means opening day is around the corner.
“Can’t we just forget the smart systems?”
“Skip the smart systems?” Leaning forward and placing my weight on my elbows, which are resting on the table, I glare at him. “We’ve been working on this for weeks. I know we’re close. We are close, right, Dave? ”
Dave starts to answer my question, but Tristan cuts him off. “Close? It’s crashed twice this week, and God knows how many times yesterday.”
“We just need more time.”
“Time. Time. Time. That’s all you request. We don’t have more time, Kennedy.”
“And what are you suggesting, Tristan ?” Disdain drips from my words. “Just scrap everything? We might not have time, but it’s going to take us even longer to rip everything out that has already been installed.”
“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting. At least then we’ll know things will work and be reliable.”
An incredulous laugh erupts from my lips. “So you’re suggesting that we go back to door-to-door service and handwritten orders. Yeah, that’s going to speed things up.”
Tristan leans forward, his mouth opening, but I shove my hand in the air to silence him. “Nelson Signature promised a luxurious resort, including high-end amenities and modern technology. Smart systems are those improvements. We’re not going to paper menus and dumbing down the entire experience!”
“Enough with the dramatics, Kennedy. We’re still promising high-end amenities, but instead of top-of-the-line technology, we’ll have a reliable option, not a goddamn technological nightmare.”
I’m taken aback, physically shocked at his outburst, and it’s then that I know this isn’t his doing. Someone in New York is pulling the strings and Tristan is just the puppet. It pisses me off even more that he’s being controlled by the puppet master and not supporting the vision of this project .
Dave slams his notebook shut, startling me as my head whips in his direction. His eyes are wide as he bounces his head between the two of us. “Before you two kill each other, how about we take a deep breath? I’m sure we can all come up with a solution.”
“A solution would be for this to have been resolved already.” Tristan’s glare toward Dave is glacial and has me cringing in my chair.
Spinning toward Dave, I give him my full attention as I wait to see what suggestion he has. But not before sending Tristan a pointed look.
For the next twenty minutes, the three of us hash out a variety of ideas in a somewhat professional manner. Dave has a front-row seat at the Tristan and Kennedy show, where we fight each other on everything. After talking ourselves into circles, we concluded that we need to continue with the smart systems—which I said—but implement them in a phased approach. The worst-case scenario has appeared, and the solution is to continue rewiring the resort. No one loves where we’ve landed, but it’s better than scrapping the entire approach.
“I expect to see an updated timeline by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow is Christmas, Tristan.”
“Kennedy,” he grumbles beneath his breath.
“What? I think we can give him until the twenty-six. He deserves to have the holiday off too.”
Dave gathers his items in his hands. “It’s no problem, Miss Kennedy. I’ll give you the new timeline by tomorrow. We’ll find a way to salvage this without all the drama.”
“Ha, there’s already plenty of drama,” Tristan adds as he stands from his chair and follows Dave to the conference room door. I watch the two exchange handshakes as I gather my items. I need to get the hell out of here and find some space away from Tristan .
The sound of the lock clicking sounds like a bomb going off in this tiny quiet space. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
I scoff, refusing to look up at him. But I don’t need to. Tristan’s energy is palpable. I can feel him erasing the space between us as he moves to the side of the table I’m standing in front of.
The heat from his front meets my back as he reaches down, grabbing the outside of my legs. His rough hands trail up my dress and the material feels like silk against my smooth skin. “What do you think you’re doing?” I ask, more breathily than I intended. I’m pissed off, and one touch already has me unraveling.
“Seeing you fight for what you want turns me on,” he whispers against my ear.
“So you were pissing me off on purpose?”
I feel his head shake as he kisses the spot where my neck and shoulder meet. I’m such a slut for this man. I know exactly what he’s talking about. It shouldn’t turn me on to fight with him, but God, it so does. The push-and-pull fuels our banter and my need for him only grows.
What the hell is wrong with me?
“No, I wasn’t trying to piss you off on purpose, but I love seeing that wild, firecracker side of you.”
My back straightens at that.
“Wait.” I spin around and place my hands on his chest. Confusion and concern line his features as he stares down at me.
“Did I hurt you?”
Shaking my head, I feel the crease deepen between my eyebrows. “What did you say about my firecracker side?”
“You know, your fiery side. The side that flares whenever you get passionate about something. ”
“So it was never about my hair color?”
“What? No–” His expression softens as the light bulb goes off in his head. “Did you think I was making fun of you when I was calling you firecracker?”
I nod, embarrassment flushing my cheeks.
“Oh, baby, I would never make fun of you for that. I love seeing your spark and your tenacity whenever you’re passionate about something. All this time, I’ve been fighting and bantering with you because I love it when you finally snap. I know that sounds bad, but when you finally push aside your polite nature and fight for something, it’s so fucking hot.”
“All this time…” I pause, my eyes bouncing between his, “I thought you were making fun of me.”
“I know I’m an asshole, but I’m not that much of a dick. I would never make fun of someone’s appearance.”
“I’m sorry I assumed that,” I tell him quietly, swallowing past my suddenly dry throat.
“Turn around.” His command is deep and gravelly as he gently grips my wrists and spins me back around. My hands land on the table to steady me as he pins me in place, making my stomach flutter. “Don’t move your hands.”
As badly as I want to ask him what he’s doing, there’s a part of me that wants to see how this is going to play out. Soft kisses tease behind my ear as Tristan sucks my earlobe in his mouth and bites down. My lobe pops free as he continues kisses down my neck, over my shoulder, and along the backs of my arms as he lowers himself to his knees. Shivering from the sensations, I suck in a deep breath as he gathers the material of my dress in his fists and glides it up to my hips. His nose trails the back of my thigh as a thrill races down my spine.
“Don’t move those hands.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I watch as Tristan leans forward and places gentle kisses across my turtle tattoo. The soft brush of his lips against my skin elicits goosebumps and has my body craving more. With one fist, he grips my dress while using his other hand to remove my panties. My core tingles when he places the material in the pocket of his slacks.
Searing eyes shoot up and meet mine. Desire swirls in his irises, and I’m needy to know what he has in store for me.
“Be a good girl and stay quiet.” Leaning forward, Tristan licks me from front to back, and the moan I let out is guttural—the opposite of quiet. A smack echoes around the room and has my pussy clenching. I never thought I’d enjoy being spanked, but there’s something in the way that Tristan smacks me but then rubs the pain away. It’s deliciously arousing.
Standing to his full height, I feel his eyes roaming over my exposed skin. I’m completely vulnerable in this position, but I don’t feel self-conscious in the way that I thought I would. Over the last few weeks, I’ve fallen into a place of comfort with him.
The sound of a wrapper ripping jerks my attention. Somehow, I missed Tristan freeing himself from his pants. He fists his erection and gives it a few tight pumps, then sheaths himself with the condom.
Our eyes lock with mutual desperation, our hunger for the other at the very surface. I’m so gone for this man, and there’s no way to come back from it.
“This is going to be quick, Firecracker.” His voice breaks the trance. “Battling it out with you was all the foreplay I needed.”
“Then what are you waiting for, Golden Boy? Give it—” I’m cut off as Tristan plunges inside me. I hiss at the stretch of his thick cock as my walls relax around him.
“Fuuuuuck,” he groans. “You’re so fucking perfect, Ken. So”–thrust–“fucking”–thrust–“perfect.”
“Oh my god,” I moan as he hits the spot deep inside of me. He warned me this was going to be a quick fuck. The fact that anyone could unlock that door and walk in on us only excites me more.
One of his hands tightens around my hip, keeping him in place as he pumps in and out of me. The other hand trails up my spine before he’s pushing down between my shoulder blades. Gasping, my chest crashes against the table and my ass rises in the air, allowing him to go deeper inside of me.
“Touch yourself, baby,” he grits out. “I’m not going to last much longer, but I’m not coming until you do.”
Before I do as he says, I angle my body until I can look at him without standing. Reaching up, I hold two fingers in the air. “Suck.”
His eyes flare as he takes both fingers into his mouth. His hot tongue flicks at my digits, coating them in his saliva. When he pops my fingers free, I slip my hand between my body and the table as I find my aching center. My fingers rub my clit in circles as Tristan continues his powerful pace. It’s not long before I feel the tension pooling in my belly.
“That’s it, Kenny. Such a good fucking girl.”
Yep, that does it. Praise kink unlocked. Tristan calling me a good girl again is the undoing I never knew I needed. My walls tighten against his cock, and I’m delirious with the desire to come.
“Fuck, that feels so good,” I murmur into the back of my hand, which separates my head from the table. I’m trying like crazy not to be loud, but dammit, it’s hard.
A loud crack pierces the room as a flash of pain hits my ass cheek, and it’s all I need to fall over the edge. I continue circling my clit as I come hard, holding back a scream as my body shudders beneath him. Riding out every bit of pleasure I can, I’m desperate to close my eyes, but instead, I risk a glance and am so glad I did.
Standing behind me is the gorgeous specimen of a man I’m nearly bringing to his knees. Tristan’s hands are on both of my hips as he thrusts unabashedly inside of me. His head tilts toward the ceiling, eyes closed, and the look of raw desire transforms his features.
“Your pussy is squeezing me so goddamn tight.”
With a final pump and dragged-out moan, I feel him pulse inside of me. A thrill runs through me at the realization that I gave him that much pleasure.
Tristan collapses across my back, but not before he catches his weight with his arms. He peppers soft kisses across my neck before he stands up and slides out. Instantly, I feel empty and ready for him again.
“You’re fucking perfect, Firecracker.”