Chapter 22
twenty-two
GENEVA
“To us for having the balls to forge our own path in life,” Rand says, raising his glass of champagne. We clink glasses and take a sip. I’m not really a champagne person, but tonight feels like there’s a lot to celebrate.
I can’t believe how chill my brother’s being about Peter and me. He even told Peter he was kidding when he told him he had to pick up the tab.
“I guess I don’t understand what you’ve done with my brother,” I say, only half in jest.
He sighs, then shakes his head. I look at Peter, sitting between us. He looks as worried as I feel. Will he break up with me if Rand demands it? He says he won’t, but how do I really know?
“I’m going to warn you,” Peter says. “There’s nothing you can say that changes how I feel about Geneva. I understand why you made me swear to stay away from her. But I’m not the same man I was then.”
I slide my hand into his under the table, and he squeezes it. We wait to see what Rand will say. It won’t change how we feel about each other, but I don’t want it to ruin a friendship either.
“Here’s the deal,” Rand begins. “I’m not the same man I was then either. The best thing I’ve ever done was follow what my heart was telling me.” Bront? leans over to kiss him on the cheek. I agree, it was the best thing he’s ever done.
“I’ve watched you circling each other for a long time. Maybe even before you realized it yourselves. At the time, all I could see was how badly it could turn out for us if you got together and then broke up. It wasn’t until I fell in love that I could step back and consider what would happen if you did fall in love.
“Geneva, all I’ve ever wanted was for you to be safe and happy. The only man other than me I’ve ever trusted you with was Peter. Even knowing he wanted you, I knew he’d never hurt you. He’ll never let anything bad happen to you.” His brows draw together as he cocks his head at us. “Although after hearing your road trip stories, I’m starting to wonder.”
“None of it was Peter’s fault,” I say.
“I know that, I’m just teasing you. What I’m trying to say is, who am I to stand in the way of your happiness? If you find it with the best man I’ve ever known, then I guess we all win.”
“I appreciate that, brother,” Peter says.
“Make no mistake though,” Rand adds. “You do anything to hurt her, and I will set your balls on fire.”
“Fair enough.”
“And with that, we’re going to head home so the babysitter can do the same.” Bront? stands and pulls Rand to his feet. Peter and I stand to say goodbye.
“Stay as long as you like,” Rand adds. “The bill has been left open, so have dessert.”
“We’re so glad y’all are here,” Bront? says, pulling Peter into a hug first and then me. “I can’t wait for us to have some time to get to know each other even better.” She turns me loose to take Rand’s hand. With a wave, they leave the restaurant.
“Well,” Peter says, sitting down. “Do you want to share a dessert?”
“On Rand’s dime? Absolutely.”
He flags down the waiter and orders a large slice of carrot cake. It arrives moments later with two coffees. I don’t know if he even likes my cake of choice. It’s a small thing to think of me first. It’s another check on the perfect boyfriend list that’s been forming in my head.
“What are your plans tomorrow at work?” he asks.
“Just get everything organized. Bernadette, of course, has done a marvelous job so far. But we’re going to need a new accountant. I need to decide what HR I can handle and what should be sent out. The new logo design should be back from the graphic artist by now. I need to rattle his chain. We need business cards, letterhead, and things like that with our branding. Rand is talking about an all-new prospectus package. What?”
He’s just smiling at me. He hasn’t touched the other fork, which tells me the cake was for me. I haven’t even seen him take a sip of his coffee. I have his full attention.
“Nothing. I’m just listening. You have so many great ideas.” I blush. Wait, I’m not a blusher. Damn it. His smile grows broader.
“That works two ways,” I say before this blush thing gets out of hand. “Tell me what you have planned.”
“I’m supposed to work up some preliminary plans for a refit on a property in Kansas City. Rand wants to present it next week. If he lands this development, we’ll fly up there to meet at the site soon.”
“Who’s we?”
“Bront? and I, for sure. I assume Rand.”
I tamp down the niggling of jealousy that tries to make its way through my body.
“Do you have a problem with Bront? and I traveling together?” he asks.
Do I? It’s obvious by the way she looks at my brother that she only has eyes for him. Besides, we’re technically sisters now. She knows I won’t put up with any bullshit.
“No,” I say finally. “Jealousy takes too much energy.”
“Good. Because I’d never cheat on you. I don’t care who it’s with. I only want you.”
“I know.” I do too. It’s not just a feeling. I know that Peter could never hurt me deep in my soul. He’s just not wired that way. “What say we take the rest of this cake back to your place?”
“That sounds like a great idea.”
He calls for the waiter to close out the bill. Picking up the cake box, he takes my hand. I watch other women glance our way as he leads me through the restaurant. The look on their faces tells me they can sense when another catch is pulled off the market, and they’re right. This catch belongs to me now.
We decide in the parking lot that I’ll follow him to his new apartment. It gives me at least fifteen minutes to settle my nerves. I don’t know why I’m nervous to spend the evening with Peter. It’s something we’ve done a million times.
Maybe it’s because I consider today the first official day of us. It’s easy to be together when you’re on vacation with one room to share. It’s a whole other world to do it during ordinary day-to-day life.
We stop at a gate while he punches in a code. I follow closely through the gate behind him. Pulling into the spot next to his, I take a look at the building he now calls home. It’s one of the ones I didn’t get a chance to see when we were hunting for housing. It was all such a whirlwind that I barely remembered the apartment I chose.
“What do you think so far?” he asks, opening my door.
“Impressive.” He ushers me into an elevator that whisks us to the top floor. The first thing I notice are the bay windows with a view of the river. His apartment definitely has a better view than mine.
“What do you think?” he asks.
“I’m not sure it can rival the Grand Canyon, but it’s nice.”
“One of the slips in the marina down there is mine also for when we want to go boat shopping.” I smile to myself. Every time he says we, my heart thumps a little harder. “If you look to the left, you can see the south edge of downtown.”
“I like it.”
“Do you really?” he asks. I turn to find him watching me. “You’ll be comfortable here?”
“Of course, it looks perfect to spend a lazy Sunday in,” I answer. “I do have one question though.”
“What’s that?”
“Since we’re officially a ‘couple,’ can we dispense with all the chit-chat until after you make me come?” His mouth opens like he wants to ask another question but then closes again before he does. I watch as his gaze turns stormy with lust. My eyes sweep down. Yep, his barometer is registering extreme interest.
Without a word, he pulls his phone from his pocket. He pushes a button and tosses it on the coffee table. He’s on me before the lights finish dimming.
I’m spun around, my hands are slapped against the glass above my head, and he presses my body against it with his. He runs his hands up my body, taking my dress over my head.
“Where did these boots come from?” he growls.
“I took them to change into at the office for this very reason.” They have a five-inch heel, making me the perfect height for Peter. “Did you not notice them at dinner?”
“Oh, I noticed them. Ate the whole fucking meal with a hard-on.”
“Poor baby,” I purr. My snark is met with a stinging slap to my right buttock. I jump against the glass. He unhooks the clasp of my bra before pushing me back against the window. My nipples pebble from the cold.
“I bet you look sexy as fuck from the water,” he says. “Do you think there’s some sad perv with his binoculars just waiting to see how you fuck?”
I moan; there’s nothing I can do to stop it. I also can’t stop how my body begins to ache for his touch. Wetness rolls down my thighs as he nips my shoulder. He kisses down my back until he’s kneeling behind me.
“Let the bastard see how you come on my tongue.” Then he’s spreading my feet apart. He licks the moisture off my thigh with a hum.
“Peter,” I beg. My clit throbs for his masterful tongue.
He rewards me with a sweep through my folds. I rock back against him. There’s another sharp sting to my backside. Then he’s holding me in place as he fucks me with his tongue.
“Peter,” I warn as my body begins to buzz with anticipation. He ignores it.
A tidal wave forms in my core. It races at me as he swirls, sucks, and flicks around my clit. A string of curse words rip from my mouth as the wave swallows me up. My body tumbles with the tide; light and sound are no longer accessible. Right when I think I’ll drown, he’s standing behind me, holding me against him.
“Better than any dessert,” he hisses. “I could swallow you down for days and never get enough.” He places my hands back against the window. I don’t remember moving them. Then he kicks my legs back open. I don’t remember stepping my legs together either.
He presses inside me. It’s in my nature to fight the intrusion, but I can’t. He owns me, body and soul. I turn over everything I am to his whims.
His hips crush me against the glass over and over. I can’t catch my breath as I feel the waves racing toward shore again. Our bodies are slick with sweat, our hearts race together, and I never want it to end. I want Peter to take my heart as his. To keep it safe until our story is over and we find each other again in the next life.
“Give him a show, little bird. Scream for me. Shatter these windows.” He reaches between my legs to pinch my clit. I do exactly as he commands. A scream rips from my lips as I shatter around him.
“Geneva,” he moans. It’s the last thing I hear before I’m swept away by sensations no one but he can give me.
“Geneva?” My name on his lips is also the first thing I hear. He has me cradled on his lap. We’re on his couch, which is a few feet away from the bay window. I don’t remember getting here. “Are you alright, sweetheart? Did I break you?”
“You did. I’m now broken for all other men,” I answer. “I hope you’re good with the consequences of your actions.”
“I’ll have to live with it, I guess.” His smile is beautiful. The cerulean eyes that gaze back at me are filled with happiness. It looks amazing on him. “I didn’t know you have an exhibition kink.”
“Neither did I,” I admit. “Good thing you’re not on the first floor.”
“Yeah, I talk a good game, but I don’t want a bunch of strangers watching us.”
“Just your dead grandma, right?” I tease.
“Exactly.” He sits me on the couch and stands. “Wait here.” He returns a few minutes later in a pair of sweatpants, carrying water and a long T-shirt. There’s also one of his fuzzy blankets I’ve fallen asleep under too many times to count. “Found this in a box in the bedroom.” He pulls me to him once I have the T-shirt on and tucks me under the blanket.
“Can I ask you something?” I ask as we settle in.
“Anything.”
“Is this how you envisioned us being together?”
“Part of it. As much as I want to barricade us inside, we’ll have to leave eventually to interact with the general public. We’ll need to go on the occasional date night too. But I think we established our couple routine years ago. We just didn’t realize we were a couple,” he says.
“Hmm,” I hum. “In that case, I think this ‘us’ thing is going to work out pretty satisfactory.”
“Couldn’t agree more.” He pulls me tighter to him. “I’m glad sex is a part of it now though.”
“Well, that goes without saying.” We grin at each other. Then I’m pulled off the couch and tossed over his shoulder. He carries me to his bedroom and tosses me on the bed. He’s on me before I’m done laughing.
Yeah, I think this relationship thing is going to work out just fine.