Epilogue
EPILOGUE
PAIGE
5 months later
“ P aige!” Eva calls out, waving her hands dramatically across the room. When she sees that she has my attention, she grips the arm of the woman next to her and points enthusiastically.
“Go,” Leo mumbles, stepping up beside me and winking at me. “I’ll take over the wooing.”
“I owe you.” I whisper, offering a polite smile, and excuse myself from the group of new investors. I’ve been wining and dining with this group for the past thirty minutes, and while I wish I could have a few minutes to catch up with Leo so I can ask where his girlfriend is, I don’t hesitate to let him step in for me. This whole party might have been my idea, to help give our partners and employees a chance to mingle, but I am so over smiling.
While making my way toward Eva, I glance around at the party and frown when I don’t find Garrett. Ignoring his absence for a moment, I swipe a fresh glass of champagne from a passing server and focus on the women now in front of me.
“Finally!” Eva sighs dramatically. “I thought getting you away from investors was going to be impossible.”
“Well considering this party is for them…” I level her with a playful glare, smirking over the rim of my glass.
“Yeah, yeah.” She grumbles before her smile softens and she motions to the woman beside her. “I’d like to officially introduce you to Stella!”
Stella beams at her friend’s introduction and my eyes widen as I take in one of our newest employees. She is easily one of the most intimidatingly beautiful women I have ever seen. Her brown curls are mixed with various shades of blonde, complimenting her smooth bronzed skin. Shining pale blue eyes sparkle back at me, her perfectly painted eyeliner and makeup highlighting her features.
“Holy crap,” I stutter before I can stop myself. My cheeks burn and I shake my head vehemently while I fumble to backtrack. “Sorry. No. I didn’t…that’s not. You’re stunning.”
I groan, closing my eyes and dropping my head. After sucking in a deep breath and shoving my momentary lapse of shock away, I compose myself and grapple for whatever professionalism remains.
“I’m sorry. It’s nice to finally meet you.” I extend a hand out toward her but she just shakes her head and moves in the blink of an eye.
“No apologies necessary!” She says, throwing her arms around me and pulling me in for a hug. My brain doesn’t even let me fight it. I instantly give into her warm embrace, shocking myself and hugging her back. “Eva has told me so much about you. I’m so thankful for you and Mr. Walker giving me a chance!”
She pulls away finally, her face sparkling with relief that is all too familiar.
“We’re excited to have you a part of this next service addition.” I tell her. This next move is the final piece of Garrett’s plan and honestly the one that makes me most nervous. Not because I don’t trust the contracts, steps, and procedures we have in place. I simply worry about everything that could go wrong with adding date for hire services.
Garrett’s not worried though. His calm confidence is one of the only things keeping my fears at bay. We already have inquiries lined up for the rest of the year. Some clients are looking for a date to a banquet or two, others are looking for temporary contracts that would last a few months.
Seeing how beautiful Stella is though sets all my nerves on edge and I make a mental note to shoot Parker an email to make sure we’re doing everything possible to keep our employees protected.
Shaking it off for now, I force a grin at Eva and Stella. “But we’ll save the work talk for Monday. How was the move down?”
Stella groans and rolls her eyes. “Aside from a very dramatic four year old claiming that I was making her sit in the car as punishment for not eating her veggies…it wasn’t bad.”
“But the real question is, did she eat her veggies after the drive?”
“Ate every piece of broccoli last night without complaint.” Stella laughs.
“Maybe she can convince Zoey to eat hers,” Eva laughs.
While they go on to talk about how nice it is to be living close together again while raising toddlers, I half listen and search once more for Garrett.
Leo catches my eye across the room, flicking his gaze in the direction of the exit before turning back to his conversation with the investors. I make quick work of leaving Eva and Stella, then politely dodge everyone I pass so I don’t get sucked into another conversation.
When I exit the ballroom, the security team waiting around their desk all snap into action. I pause and raise a brow when I see Elliot, Garrett’s new personal security, behind the desk.
“In his office?” I ask.
“Yes ma’am,” he responds and starts to round the desk. I hold up a hand, motioning for him to stay with the rest of the security team.
“I got this,” I say, trying to keep the excitement from my voice as I pivot toward the elevators.
While I watch the numbers on the elevator rise, I can’t hold back my smile.
If someone had told me last summer that one year from then I would be the COO of the company I work for, with Garrett as my partner in every sense of the word, I would have laughed in their face. In my defense though, I also would have had the same reaction if they told me I would be kidnapped.
Thank God for therapy.
I shake my head as the elevator dings and the doors slide open.
I weave through the desks, silently grateful for the momentary break from needing to be social. Stopping in Garrett’s office doorway, I cross my arms and prop my hip against the frame.
“You know there’s a party going on for your company downstairs,” I say. Garrett doesn’t even bother to look apologetic.
“And I’m sure no one missed me in the five minutes I’ve been gone.” He smirks, finally glancing up from the paperwork in front of him. His gaze trails down the length of my body and it’s an effort to ignore the effect he has on me from a simple look.
“That would be true,” I start, pushing off the doorframe and slowly crossing the office toward him. “Except it’s been at least thirty.”
His eyes widen. Cursing under his breath, he shoves up his sleeve and flicks his wrist to check the time on his watch.
“Blame Leo,” he grumbles while straightening out the papers he was reading.
“I will do no such thing considering he’s downstairs swooping into my rescue when needed.” I cross my arms and playfully stick my tongue out at Garrett.
“Yeah well, he’s the one that gave me this investment proposal.” He grins sheepishly at me. Slowly, I round the desk to stand beside him.
“And knowing Leo, I bet that it came with a ‘look this over next week and let me know’ somewhere in that sentence.”
Garrett pushes back from the desk, placing a hand on my hip before guiding me to stand in front of him. I lean back to rest my thighs against the edge of his desk while he shrugs and starts rubbing his hands up my hips.
“Well…”
“Mhmm, that’s what I thought.” I tease while bending down, bracing my hands on his shoulders, and hover my lips inches away from his. “At least it’s nice to have a quick break.”
What was only meant to be a quick peck on the lips before dragging us both back downstairs, quickly turns heated.
Garrett’s hands wrap around the backs of my thighs and he helps lift me to sit on his desk. Once I’m seated, he breaks our kiss, trailing his lips down the column of my throat to the center of my chest where he pauses.
“Since we’re both already missing…” He reaches an arm around me, shoving the contents of his desk to the side and off his desk.
“Garrett!” I gasp, twisting to try and catch some pens from falling but he pins me in place.
“Of all the things that have been on my desk you are by far my favorite.” He slides his hands up the sides of my thighs, pushing my skirt up with his hands.
He slides from his chair with ease, kneeling between my parted legs. Gripping the tops of my thighs, Garrett pulls me to the edge of the desk. His fingers find the edges of my underwear, making my heart thud heavily in anticipation.
“Look at you,” he groans when his fingers dip under the fabric, shoving it aside and tracing over my entrance. “Already dripping all over my desk.”
He expertly teases me, dipping his fingers inside me only to pull back and leave me panting for more. My hands hit the desk with a thud behind me, holding me up as I watch him lean forward. Just as he slowly works two fingers into me, his tongue finds my clit. Heat courses through my veins, my orgasm already building at the base of my spine.
When he curls his fingers and flicks his tongue over my sensitive bud once more, a groan slips free before I can stop it. Shaking my head, I brace my weight on one hand and reach for him, tangling my fingers into his hair and gently tugging.
“I need you. Now. ” I demand.
He chuckles but lets me guide him to stand between my thighs and bends to give me a quick, teasing kiss. “Anything for you, Sweetheart.”
I lick my lips and watch as he hurriedly undoes his buckle and shoves his pants down to his knees. I watch unabashedly while he strokes his hard length in his hand slowly, never once removing his heated stare from me.
“You’re so pretty like this.”
Taking the final step, he drags the head of his cock through my pussy, covering himself with my arousal. My entire body clenches with anticipation and my need for him.
He grips my hips, holding me in place as he finally starts pumping his hips, pushing in, inch by inch. By the time he’s fully sheathed himself inside me, it feels like I’m seconds away from exploding.
“Fuck,” Garrett groans, pulling all the way out before slamming back in. I just barely slap my hand over my mouth to help stifle the moan that threatens to escape. But Garrett grabs my wrist and traps it back behind me.
“Don’t you dare hold back those pretty sounds. There’s no one around, so let it out. And if anyone is up here instead of at the party, let them hear what I do to you.”
He slams into me, earning the moan I was fighting to keep back in response while I scramble to hold onto the edge of his desk. “That’s it beautiful. Let me hear you.”
His pace is relentless and all I can do is give him exactly what he asked. I give into him completely, nonsensical words and sounds that probably should embarrass me slip from my lips while Garrett fucks me.
“I’m close,” Garrett moans and releases one of my hips. His deft fingers find my clit, applying delicious pressure. I clench around his cock as he slams back into me, hitting that glorious spot that makes me see stars. “That’s it, Sweetheart. Come for me.”
Garrett picks up his pace, working me higher and higher before sending me over the edge with a pinch to my clit as he pounds back into me. My legs wrap around his waist as his movements become choppy, losing his composure before finally following. He explodes with my name falling from his lips and all I can do is clutch his shoulders as we both come down from our high.
We collapse on his desk with him still inside me. He braces his weight on his elbow, peering down at me with shining hazel eyes.
“You’re perfect.”
I laugh, shaking my head and tangling my fingers into the hair on the back of his neck.
“Only for you.”
He smiles, making those adorable dimples pop out.
“I like the sound of that. You are perfectly mine.” He kisses me. Slowly and languidly, as if we have all the time in the world. As if nothing outside of this moment, outside of him, matters.
Garrett pulls back, placing kisses along my jaw before speaking again. “Move in with me. I know you’re basically always over, but I want you with me. In every way. I want your clothes in my closet, your mismatched cocktail glasses decorating my cupboards, and your colorful fuzzy blankets. Everything you have, I want it to be mixed with mine. I want to make it all ours.”
My heart freezes before taking off. This time though, I don’t even have to ask for time to think my answer over.
“Yes.” I whisper, cupping his face in my hands and pulling him in for a kiss.