Chapter 14 Full Court Press #5
“Tessa,” David said as he moved beside her, then took her into his arms. “I love you so much,” he kissed her deeply.
“I love Greg like he’s my own brother. I watched him burn through so many personal assistants in the past, and through many qualified candidates when Janet got ordered to bedrest by Darren.
I had to act to protect both Pimico and him.
Carry was the only real option I had to do both.
” He laid his head on her shoulder and pulled her tight to himself.
“But this situation is so different. He’s never had to face the choice of women before, much less deal with two. ”
“Three if you count Erica back in the mix after what Greg confessed to us. How can we help him?”
“Right now, we just need to be there for him as emotional support,” David replied. “He stood by me all those years while you and I dealt with Jason Marsden groping you at the Prom, and I’m going to stand by him, no matter who he chooses.”
“Are you really just going to stand by and do nothing?!” Tessa protested.
“Not nothing, dear. I’m going to be there for him.
Let him vent, let him rant, let him analyze, let him turn it over in his mind, and let him explore out loud the things his heart is telling him.
If I try anything more than that, he’s going to shut back down, and we might lose him because he’ll feel betrayed.
” He sighed deeply then kissed Tessa’s forehead softly.
“That is exactly what he did for me all those years. He knew how much I hurt every time we ran into each other and I couldn’t just take you in my arms again. ”
“But all you ever wanted was me!” Tessa protested.
“And all Greg ever wanted until last year was Erica Stamson.” He sighed again and shook his head.
“He knew when to speak with me and when to just listen. It kept me going, especially after you turned your back on me when I graduated from Northwest Missouri State University.” For the first time, Tessa saw deep pain in David’s eyes.
“I’m sorry David. But when I saw you, it hurt so much inside because I felt so guilty.
I’d only been there because I wanted to make you jealous, showing you that I was desirable to the captain of the football team,” she paused seeing him wince at the memory of that night again.
“I didn’t want you to lose control of your anger. ”
“I,” he started. “I saw how hurt you were, and I wanted Jason Marsden to feel the pain he’d inflicted on you, and Philip to feel the pain he’d inflicted on Mary.
I was so filled with rage that if you hadn’t screamed at me, I might well have beaten him to death that night,” he somberly admitted.
“You saved me that night, in more ways than one. From that moment on, there could never be anyone else in my heart. I endured all that time apart because Greg stood by me after it all went down. That’s why I’ll stand by him now, even if it costs me Pimico in the process. ”
“What are you saying?” Tessa asked very confused.
“Do you even know how many times Greg has bailed us out? If he hadn’t gone to Denver that Valentines weekend just over a year ago, we’d have lost Pimico for good.
They were going to pull out everything and switch to Marsdens.
So were the Maurman’s. I couldn’t be in two places at once.
He convinced Connor Sheridan to keep his twenty-four million dollars invested in the South East Asia project here. ”
Greg was finishing his check in process when he watched Tessa and David walk off toward the elevators.
Veronica was standing to his right with her left hand tracing up and down his right forearm as he waited for his room key.
The bell boy looked over and started that way when Veronica just shook her head no and gave him a stop signal with her left hand.
He froze in place, gave a nod and stepped back to his waiting station.
Greg signed off on acceptance of the room, received the room keys and slipped them into his inner jacket pocket before turning to grab his bag.
Veronica looked him deep in his eyes, dropped her clasped hands over his head onto his neck and gently pulled him closer to herself.
He took the cue to let go of his bag, wrap his arms around her waist, then he slowly moved in to kiss her softly.
“Now, that’s what I like. A man who truly does know how to read my body language and comply with my desires,” Veronica said in a soft sultry voice.
“I need to get settled into my room before we go out,” he said softly. “I know you wanted to speak with me privately.”
“I’ve got reservations for us,” she whispered to him. “You made arrangements back in Kansas City for the Black Angus, so I’ve made the arrangements here.”
“Then, let’s get my bag tucked into my room, and we can go so we won’t be late.”
“That’s my man. You are starting to truly understand me, Greg.” She smiled with a joy that flowed from her heart. “What’s the cause of this change?”
“A discussion I had on the flight down,” Greg said as they arrived at the elevator.
“I’ll tell you about it later, along with the event that brought it on.
” As they stepped onto the elevator, he felt the buzz in his shirt’s left chest pocket.
He pulled out his phone and noticed the message.
‘Bill Kline is requesting for Veronica to sing at his son’s wedding – Kelly.
’ Greg stared at it for a few seconds as the doors closed.
He pressed the button for the seventh floor.
“Veronica,” he began as he turned toward her.
“Yes?” she replied softly.
“You’ve really helped Pimico with your endorsements, but I’d like to ask another favor from you,” he said then dropped his head slightly.
“Ooh, a mysterious favor being asked by my man?” She smiled. “Go ahead.”
“We’ve got a client that we’ve been working on for over a year, trying to get them to switch completely away from the Marsdens,” he was telling her as the elevator stopped on the seventh floor.
The doors opened, he pushed his bag out, then followed with Veronica on his arm.
“Do you think you could possibly sing for his son’s wedding back in Kansas City? ”
“That depends on when it is,” she said, tapping a finger on her chin. “Is it really important?”
“It would mean about seventy or eighty million more in investments for Pimico to manage,” Greg admitted proudly.
“Get the date and details over to James, and we’ll see what can be arranged,” she said with a smile as Greg stopped outside his room. “In the meantime, can we just have the rest of tonight as man and woman, no more business?”
“If that’s what you really want,” he said. “I can text Kelly back to contact James and let him know that you asked him to provide the details at your request.”
“As long as that is the last business item you handle tonight,” she said as the door opened. “I want the rest of the evening to be just you and I alone, like the first night of that cruise we took.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Greg admitted. “After the week I’ve had, I need a break from all the business. Give me a moment to send the text and put my bag in the bedroom,” he continued with a soft smile. “After that, I will be all yours for the rest of the night.”
“Alright,” she replied. “I’ll just wait right here.”
“Thanks,” he said as he rolled the bag into the bedroom, then laid it on his bed.
He then formed the text message – ‘Send details to James Emory as advised by Veronica for coordination, copy myself, David and Fred. Good work Kelly, keep it up – Greg.’ He pressed the send, put his phone back in his pocket and walked back out of the bedroom where Veronica was still waiting.
“You really are a vision of loveliness,” he observed as he moved over to take her in his arms then kiss her softly for a long twenty seconds.
“You knew that I wanted to be kissed long but soft,” she said nearly breathless. “You really can read my desires. This makes me love you all the more, Greg,”
“I have to admit that I skipped lunch, so that gurgle was just my stomach reminding me that I need to eat something,” he sheepishly admitted.
“Well, I can’t have my man starving himself, especially when we have reservations downstairs in the private dining room. Shall we go?”
“Yes, dear,” he said with a large smile forming. “We shall indeed.”
Veronica slipped her arm through his as they exited the suite together and moved back toward the elevators.
The hallway was serene and quiet compared to the chaos downstairs.
No cameras—reporters—flashing lights. Just the soft sound of their footsteps against the carpet as they walked side by side.
“You seem calmer now,” Veronica observed quietly as they stepped onto the elevator alone.
“I think tonight finally slowed down enough for me to breathe again,” Greg admitted.
“That surprises me,” she replied lightly. “Usually the media attention makes men either arrogant or terrified.”
“And which category am I in?” Greg asked with genuine curiosity.
She smiled softly. “Neither. You almost looked uncomfortable being kissed in front of all those cameras.”
“I was uncomfortable,” Greg admitted honestly.
“That world still feels more like your world than mine.” He moved closer to her as the elevator slowed down then stopped.
The elevator doors opened onto the rooftop private dining level.
Veronica guided him down a softly lit hallway toward an isolated dining suite overlooking the Dallas skyline.
Candles flickered softly around the room while jazz music played quietly in the background.
Greg paused near the window just taking in the view. “This is incredible.”
“You work too hard,” Veronica said softly behind him. “I wanted one evening where we both could just stop carrying the weight of the world.”
He turned toward her slowly. “You really thought all this through.”