Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
C arys
I roll down my window.
“May I see your identification, ma’am?” The man in the guard shack holds out his hand. “Who are you here to see?”
“Gannon Brewer.” I glance down the long, winding driveway before me. “He asked me to be here at seven.”
“I understand. Your name?”
“Carys Johnson.”
He steps back and tilts his head to his shoulder. His mouth moves against a tiny speaker that’s barely visible, but I can’t hear what he’s saying.
I tap my fingers nervously against the steering wheel as rain begins to splatter against my windshield. It never occurred to me that I’d be interrogated before the security guards would allow me through the gates. The security at Tate’s knows me and lets me in with a wave.
“Okay, ma’am,” the man says. “You’re good to go. Have a good evening.”
“Thank you.”
He punches a button, and the oversized iron gates creep open.
I flip on my wipers as the rain begins to come down harder. Tall trees line either side of the driveway in neat lines. Small lights are attached to the trunk of each tree, illuminating the drive to the house ahead.
“Holy shit,” I mutter as the structure becomes clearer.
Gannon’s house is out of this world.
A stone facade is punctuated by oversized, tinted windows and dark metal trim. It’s two, maybe three stories with a covered patio extending the length of the house on the upper floor. Shrubs and ornamental grasses are perfectly manicured, as is the expansive lawn that extends in all directions.
I roll to a stop just before the driveway leads between the house on one side and another large building on the other. The patio overhead connects the two like a bridge.
“Where do I go?” I ask, glancing around.
Thankfully, a text buzzes, and I swipe my phone up immediately.
Gannon: Security said you were here. Meeting running long. Park beneath the portico and come in that door. My office is down the hall. First door on your left.
“Great,” I say, pressing the gas slowly. “This won’t be weird or anything.”
I inch my way beneath the portico until I spot the door Gannon mentioned. I place the car in park, get out, and lock it.
“You’re getting fucked tonight.”
Excitement sweeps through me as I walk to the door. I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the glass. Not bad .
I had no idea what to wear to a fucking appointment , but I didn’t want too much fabric to get in the way. I’ve waited for this for far too long to fumble with pants. So I chose a short, beaded tangerine skirt, a tight white top with a built-in bra that hits at my navel, and gold heels that aren’t nearly as high as the pair I wore to Courtney’s party. Big hoop earrings look great with my messy updo and sun-kissed makeup.
Gannon will approve.
It takes a bit of effort to pull the door open. It also takes effort to step inside the house.
Wow . I blink, taking it all in as the door shuts behind me. This is incredible .
The design is bright and airy, with light flooring and creamy-colored walls. The chandelier overhead is massive with reflective crystals dangling from all sides. A large piece of art faces the door with splashes of blues, grays, and pale yellows.
A living room is off to my right, and a hallway extends ahead.
My office is down the hall. First door on your left.
Anticipation blooms in my belly as my heels tap against the floor. My skin is already hot and tight, threatening to explode if I don’t find a release to the pent-up energy I’ve corralled for days. A whiff of my perfume floats through the air as I peek into the room on my left.
All the air in my body exhales in one shaky breath.
Gannon sits at a large wooden desk that faces the door, but his focus is on a computer monitor. He has earbuds in his ears, and he’s still dressed in the suit from earlier, sans jacket. His hair looks as if he’s run his fingers through it a million times.
I can’t wait until it’s my turn to do that.
His head whips up as I move to fill the doorway.
I lift my hand and wiggle my fingers in a simple wave.
The corners of his lips twitch. He sits back, looking relieved, then he clicks a button on his keyboard.
“Hey,” he says, smiling at me.
“Hey yourself.
“This shouldn’t take much longer.”
“I don’t want to interrupt you.”
He shakes his head. “I have them on mute, so it’s fine. I’ll wrap this up as fast as I can.”
“No worries.”
He nods, then presses the button again. His brows pull together as his attention goes back to the computer. “That’s a bunch of bullshit, Charlie, and you know it. There’s no way in hell we’ll ever agree to that.”
Poor Charlie .
I toss my purse onto a chair and look around the room. Bookshelves line the wall on my left, a framed TV is mounted in the center of the opposing wall, and behind me are two chairs on one side of the door and a chaise lounge on the other.
“You can try that, but you’ll fail,” Gannon says. “If you want to waste your time, be my guest. But we’re not paying for it.” He pauses, then laughs angrily. “I’m not fucking playing.”
That’s so hot.
Gannon gives Charlie, the poor guy, a lecture to end all lectures. I listen for a while but lose interest.
His library catches my attention, so I move closer to check out the titles lining the shelves. The first section is stuffed with business-y titles about mergers and contracts and strategies. The next is filled with classics. The Catcher in the Rye. The Great Gatsby. The Iliad, Lord of the Flies, Don Quixote. The last piece is a mixture of poetry, self-help, and … is that a romance novel ?
I bend over to inspect the black-and-pink spine. Love Hurts is written in white block lettering. I pull it off the shelf, then turn around—and stop in my tracks.
Gannon’s gaze is glued to me.
“What?” I whisper.
A smirk graces his lips.
I look at him, confused, as I walk back to the chair where I threw my purse. As I move, the edge of my skirt rides up my thigh and clarity hits me like a ton of bricks. I don’t have any panties on, and I just bent over in front of him.
My brows lift, and he grins before looking back at the screen.
“You shouldn’t be watching me,” I whisper. “They’re going to know you aren’t paying attention.”
He clicks a button again. “My camera isn’t on.”
“Ooh. So they can’t see me?”
His eyes darken.
“Is anyone else here?” I ask, biting my lip.
“Behave, Carys.” He makes a point of hitting the audio button. “You’ll have to take that up with Renn, but it’s never going to work. He’s going to call me and lose his shit and guess what I’m going to do, Charlie? I’m going to agree with Renn.”
I plop the book next to my purse. The book can wait.
Grinning, I mosey to the center of the room. Gannon’s gaze trails me like a hawk, so I face the door with my back to him and glance over my shoulder.
I bend slowly, running my hands down my legs until I reach the clasp around my right ankle. My skirt has hiked up in the back with the end riding just above the bottom of my ass. Then, just as slowly, as if I have all the time in the world—because I apparently fucking do—I undo the clasp on the other shoe.
I step out of them, kicking them toward the chair. Then I turn and face Gannon.
“You should probably be careful,” he says. “You might just get what you’re asking for.”
I’m not sure if he’s talking to me or Charlie, but it makes me giggle anyway.
My shirt slips easily over my head, the warm air caressing my nipples as they’re exposed. I toss it to the side, cupping my breasts in my hands as Gannon watches intently.
The feeling of his attention on my naked body is heady. Powerful. I forget about the stretch marks on the sides of my boobs and the marks that mar my hips. None of that matters under Gannon’s gaze.
I slide my hand behind my back, feeling brazen, and unfasten my skirt.
It drops unceremoniously to the floor.
Gannon’s Adam’s apple bobs in his throat as his eyes widen.
“Are you about done, Mr. Brewer?” I ask, smirking.
He starts to say something to me but stops himself in the nick of time. He collects himself. “Talk some sense into Charlie, Gunner.”
“I’ll take that as a no,” I whisper.
I grab the chaise lounge and drag it into the center of the room. Gannon’s brows lift to the ceiling as he watches, his attention split between his meeting and me. Butterflies flutter in my stomach as I lie back with my legs dangling off either side of the chair.
“There are consequences to everything,” he says, his gaze following my hand as it skims my body. “You should really consider those before making decisions. Otherwise, they can bite you in the ass.”
“Sounds fun,” I say softly.
He presses the button on his keyboard again. “You’d be wise to listen to this conversation. Because if you’re going to do what I think you’re going to do, your little ass is going to be on fire, too.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time.”
My fingers roam over my mound and cover my slit. I hiss a breath, the contact making me shudder. My clit is swollen as I flick my thumb across it. The intensity makes me yelp.
“ Fuck ,” I moan through gritted teeth.
Gannon’s jaw pulses as he watches me, but he doesn’t say a word.
I didn’t expect to do this, but it feels too good to stop.
My thighs are sticky as I widen them farther to give Gannon a clear view of how horny I am for him.
Wetness coats my hand as I press one finger, then two, inside me. With the other hand, I press slow, small circles around my bud. The friction is delicious—sharp yet soft. My body craves more.
“There’s ten million dollars on the fucking line,” Gannon says. “I’m questioning your judgment. Both of you.”
I think he means me.
“My judgment?” I lick my lips, sinking back so that my hips angle up. “Look at what you do to me.”
“If that’s your decision, then I won’t try to stop you. Just know it’s asinine, and when you regret it, because you will, don’t call me.”
My eyes flutter closed as my legs begin to shake. His chastising of Charlie fades into the distance, except for his growl. Fuck, when he makes that sound …
The vibrations of his tone scratch against my skin. I’m lightheaded, tingling all over from the look in his eyes, the depth of his voice, and the control he has over everyone on that phone call. I’ve never been with someone who dominates every area of his life yet doesn’t try to make me feel inferior or less than.
I’ve never been this brazen, this bold. No one has ever made me feel as confident and sexy as Gannon—and he hasn’t even touched me … yet.
God, I want his hands on me. His tongue tracing my nipples. I want his kisses to move down my body toward the apex of my thighs.
And then I’m there.
I try to pull my hands away, but when I do, my finger flicks my clit. That’s enough to send me careening over the edge.
“Oh God.”
My body tightens, flexing as my pussy pulses. I whimper as the waves of pleasure crash over me. The intensity is almost sharp as I ride out the last bit of the climax before sagging against the chair.
I open my eyes, only for them to be caught by Gannon’s.
“What’s done is done,” Gannon says, his voice eerily calm. “Now you’ll get to meet the consequences of your choices.”
He lifts a hand and motions for me to go to him.
My heart pounding, I pry myself off the chair. My legs wobble as I make my way across the floor. He holds out a hand as I approach him, so I place my palm in his.
He leans forward, holding my pointer and middle finger in his grasp, and brings them to his lips.
“No, you are not,” I whisper, my jaw dropping.
He pulls them both into his mouth, holding my gaze as he sucks the cum off my fingers. His tongue slips between them, his eyes twinkling dangerously before he pulls them slowly from between his lips. Then he lets them go.
Oof.
“Get with Kylie and schedule a call,” he says, pushing his chair back. “Tell her to coordinate it with Renn.”
He gets to his feet, and his hands immediately go to his belt.
The look in his eye is dark and wicked—and so fucking sexy. I pant, waiting for his next move. And mine .
The belt zips from his waist, and he coils it in his hand before dropping it on his desk. He makes quick work of his tie. The buttons on his shirt are no challenge for him either.
I step back, putting distance between us, as his shirt slips over his shoulders.
Holy fucking shit.
My thighs grow heavy once again as I take in his bare chest. The ridges of his abdomen. The thick muscles across his shoulders. God himself must have chiseled Gannon’s obliques because they are absolute perfection.
“Talk soon,” he says, then pushes the button again—this time with a finality that makes my heart jump.
He pulls both buds out of his ears and tosses them onto his desk. The sound echoes through the silence.
The temperature in the room increases, and just like that, the power changes hands. I might have gotten away with calling the shots for a little while, but that’s over. The man standing in front of me is about to eat me alive.
“How’d that go?” I ask, not sure how to break the ice. “It sounded rough.”
He grins. “Not as rough as it’s going to go for you after that stunt you just pulled.”
I take a step back as a rush of desire pools in my core again. “Is that so?”
He rounds the corner of his desk.
I take another, bigger step back.
“You better run,” he says, lunging forward.
I yelp, surprised by his sudden playfulness, and make a dash for the door. I cover my chest with one arm as I dash toward the front door, squealing as I go. His footfalls are just behind mine, but I’m too afraid to turn around to look.
As soon as I step into the foyer, an arm wraps around my middle and hauls me backward. My back slams against Gannon’s chest, and I giggle as he wraps his other arm around me, too.
I sink against him moments before he lifts me into the air and tosses me easily over his shoulder.
“Gannon!” I yell, laughing. “What are you doing?”
His hand cracks down on my ass hard . The contact spreads through me like wildfire, and my moan is instant and loud.
“You had your fun,” he says, carrying me through the house. “Now it’s my turn.”