Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
LINCOLN
Iwas holding a dream come true in my arms, and I had no intention of ever letting it go.
I’d released her long enough for her to slip back into her panties and shirt, but that was all the time I was willing to give her.
Now that I’d finally had her, my desire had only grown.
I couldn’t touch her enough. I couldn’t get enough of her skin against mine, of her lush, curvy body pressed into me.
The intensity of what I was feeling for this woman hit me like a wrecking ball to the gut. I wasn’t just falling for her, I’d already hit the ground. It was a feeling I’d never experienced, and it gave me a high I knew I’d chase for the rest of my life.
Her breath whispered across my chest on a lazy sigh, and she snuggled deeper into my side.
I was on my back on the couch with her curled between me and the back cushions.
We’d been lying there in silence for the past several minutes, her tracing random patterns on my chest and me doing the same against her hip, and I’d been content to stay just like that for the rest of the day and all night.
“I can’t believe you,” she said with a soft giggle a minute later. “But at least you know now that if you ever need to torture someone into spilling trade secrets, you can count on your guys to annoy the answers out of them.”
She shook against me with the force of my laughter. “Always a good skill to have, buttercup.”
Lifting her head, she adjusted so she could rest her chin on the backs of her hands and see my face as she asked, “How come you didn’t put Bryce on my security detail? At least then I would’ve had a familiar face.”
My body went tense beneath hers, and I knew by the frown marring her forehead that she’d felt it. “’Cause he wants to fuck you,” I answered honestly.
At my announcement, her eyes widened, and a second later she burst out laughing. “You’re insane,” she exclaimed through a fit of giggles as she tried to get control of her laughter. “He does not.”
The fact that she couldn’t see her effect on men made me appreciate her even more.
“He absolutely does,” I informed her. “You made an impact, darlin’. So much of one that I thought I might have to beat the shit outta one of my best guys.”
“Wow. That’s… wow.” Then she smiled. “You think you can get me his number?”
I narrowed my eyes and pinned her to me. “Oh, she thinks she’s funny.” I dug my fingers into her ribs and tickled until she was thrashing and flopping and laughing wildly.
“All right! Okay! Okay, I take it back! It was just a joke!”
By the time I stopped tickling her, we’d shifted and Eden was lying beneath me. “Just a note for the future, no joking about other men.”
My chest warmed at the sight of her gorgeous smile. “Consider me properly warned.” She paused and tipped her head deeper into the soft cushions. “You didn’t actually hit him, did you?”
“No.” She sagged in relief at my answer. “Doesn’t mean I didn’t want to, but I held back.”
The seconds ticked by as we stared at each other, and with each one the atmosphere grew more serious.
“You still with me, baby?” I asked, my heart beating against my ribs so hard you could almost hear it. It felt like I was waiting for the weightiest, most important answer I’d ever get.
Finally she put me out of my misery. “I’m with you,” she responded quietly.
“This changes everything,” I stressed. “There’s no going back now. It’s you and me. You get pissed about something, you can’t just shut me out and disappear for days at a time. We talk it out. We work it out. No more running.”
“No more running.” Eden reached up and placed a palm against my cheek, and I knew right then, without a doubt, that I’d never get tired of her touching me.
Eden
As much as I wanted to stay exactly where I was, the fact remained that we were in Lincoln’s office, and just outside the door were a number of people who could come knocking at any minute.
“I should probably get going.”
He groaned in objection. “I know, but I really don’t want you to.”
“I don’t either, but I’m pretty sure we both need to get back to work.”
Reluctantly, he pushed up and grabbed my hands, taking me with him. I dressed in the rest of my clothes as he pulled his shirt back on. Once I had everything righted, he took my hand and led me to the office door, throwing it open and walking me through.
The moment we cleared the threshold into the lobby, Roxanne looked up from her computer and hit me with a shit-eating grin.
“Enjoy the rest of your day, Eden. I’m sure I’ll be seein’ you around here again really soon.”
I ducked my head and blushed furiously as a grin of my own pulled at my lips. “See you later, Roxanne.”
As soon as we reached the side of my car, I pulled my hand from his and slapped them both over my face. “Holy shit,” I groaned into my palms. “She knows what we did in your office! That was so humiliating.”
His chuckle filled my ears as he grabbed my wrists and pulled my hands down. “Calm down, buttercup. She’s just happy for us. She wants you for me.”
Hearing that made me feel all kinds of awesome. “She does?”
“Oh yeah. Should’ve seen her after I fucked it all up. She threatened to tear me a new one if I didn’t fix it. She’s just happy I managed to get you back. She knows how amazing you are. Everyone does.”
I leaned back against my car and stuffed my hands in the pockets of my jeans, looking up at Lincoln through my lashes. “Nona told me what you did at The Tap Room, how you defended me in front of everyone. Thank you for doing that.”
He took a step closer so our thighs were pressed together and curled his fingers around my waist. “Nothin’ to thank me for, Edie. I was just tellin’ the truth.”
“Yeah, well, still… thank you anyway.”
He gave me that dimple while clenching his fingers tighter on my hips. “My pleasure, baby. You got plans tonight?”
I scrunched my face in mock thought. “Well, I have a bottle of wine at home that’s calling my name and a new rejuvenating face mask I was gonna try, but other than that, no.”
“Then I’ll pick you up at seven. Dinner at Marcello’s, then drinks at The Tap Room. Sound like a plan?”
I pulled my hands free and looped my arms around Lincoln’s neck, lifting onto my toes to get closer to his lips. “Italian food and awesome beer? Definitely.”
“Good. I’ll see you then. Drive home safe, baby.” He gave me a little shake and ordered more seriously, “And set the alarm.”
With one last kiss, he let me go, and I climbed into my car and started her up. My man was taking me on a date tonight. That meant I needed to get my ass home so I could gussy up for a night on the town.
I couldn’t freaking wait.