Chapter 26 Falling Head First
Chapter 26
falling head first
“Sleep? Hell, love, I don’t think we’ll make it to your bedroom,” Wes said, and Summer’s nipples reached out to high-five him.
“How far do you think we’ll make it?”
“Let’s put it this way. I’ve been staring at you in the denim skirt with those thigh-high boots all night, imagining if you have underwear on. And if so, what style and color. So we’ll be lucky if we make it through the doorway.”
“Well, why don’t we see what’s behind door number one,” she said and very slowly pulled her blouse up over her head, letting the silky top pool at her feet. “As you can see it’s Wild Orchid.”
He ran his hand through his hair. “And see-through.”
He took a step forward and she took a step back, holding her hand out for him to stop. “Not yet. We still have door number two.” She slowly unbuttoned her skirt, teasing him as she went, then pushed it over her hips and onto the floor. Then, in her boots and lace, she did a little turn for him to see the entire view.
“Are you ready for door number three?”
“As long as the boots stay on.”
“Always the negotiator.”
She reached behind her and unclasped her bra and let it slide down her arms onto the pile of her clothes.
“Door three is definitely my favorite. But if you tell me there’s a door four, you’d better fucking believe I’m partaking in the moment.”
She crooked a finger at him and gave him her best come-hither look in the history of the world, and he wasted no time in being an active participant. He was on her in a second.
She prepared herself for his mouth to come crashing into hers. For him to grab and tear and rip her thong right off. But she should have known better. His lips were soft and languid, a gentle exploration.
His hand traced her jaw to her cheek, then threaded through her hair at the base of her neck. As the moment went on so did the neediness in her body, spiraling in her core and curling at her toes. He was taking his sweet-ass time, and she was already revved and ready to go. Just ask her nipples. And the hot juncture between her legs, which was already vibrating with need. He’d barely touched her and her body was responding as if she were in the middle of a Face-Off 69
She would try to pick up the pace and he’d slow it down.
“Are you trying to tease me?” she asked as his lips trailed down her throat.
“Isn’t that what you’re doing in nothing but a Wild Orchid thong and fuck-me boots?”
“I was giving you a taste of what was to come.”
“Love, the only thing I care about coming is you.” And with that he pulled her nipple into his mouth and sucked until she was sure she’d pass out. Then he moved to the other breast and this time her legs did buckle.
Not that she needed to worry. He lifted her up and walked down the hallway and into Summer’s room and set her on the mattress, and that’s when she remembered that she’d emptied her closet looking for something to wear, in the hopes she’d see him tonight.
“Looking for a special outfit?” He dropped to his knees and scooted between her thighs. “Were you thinking of me when you did?”
“Yes.”
“And before you went down to the shop, did you masturbate while thinking of me?”
Her face flushed fully, but she answered honestly. “I wore out the battery thinking of you.”
“Well, you won’t need a vibrator tonight. Unless you want me to use it on you. Because you’re mine, remember.”
“I remember.”
“Clearly not enough.” He dipped his head and licked her straight up the center. Then he pulled the Wild Orchid pink lace aside and began to feast. Unable to hold herself up, she fell back on the mattress with a thud. Hands gripping the sheets, legs over his shoulders, he continued until she felt that churning in her stomach, the coiling in her core.
She was there. Right on the precipice, ready to fall, when he pulled back.
She sat up. “Are you stopping?”
“You’ve come enough without me today. This time when you come it’s going to be with your pretty tits bouncing from the force and that sweet pussy clamping down on me. Understood?”
What was she supposed to say to that? Nothing but a “hell yeah” would suffice. She grabbed his face and kissed him until their bodies were like a match thrown on gasoline. She pulled him on top of her.
He pulled her thong down and off her legs, then crawled his way up her body, which was more than primed.
“You ready?” he asked, and she shook her head. “Wrap your legs behind me, love. This is going to be one hell of a ride.”
She had no sooner locked her ankles behind his lower back when he thrust into her. One long thrust that stung as much as it pleasured.
“Christ, you feel like a dream. A wet, hot, sticky dream.”
“I’ve been like this since I saw you at the shop.”
“I’ve been like this since you dropped me off at my office.”
“Then what was up with the drive-by peck?”
“Love, anything more and I wouldn’t have been able to stand straight. And it would be difficult to run a meeting and intimidate people who needed a little intimidation in their day with an erection the size of a telephone pole.”
“And did you intimidate?”
He gave a hard thrust. “What do you think?”
“That if you don’t start moving I’m going to lose my head or grab the nearest BOB.”
“Not in this century.”
“Then you’d better get moving, big guy.”
“Arguing even when you have my cock inside you.”
“Are you surprised?” she teased.
He withdrew and slammed back in, making her gasp. “I think you’re the surprised one.”
“Surprise me again. And again. And again,” she moaned.
And surprise her he did. He took her fast and hard until she’d reached the pinnacle, then he surprised her again by slowing down so she could feel every thrust, every withdrawal, and every emotion that was arching between them.
Their bodies were slick with sweat, gliding over each other, and his mouth was gently nibbling at her lower lip, then her upper one. One hand was at the base of her neck, the other cupping her ass like he owned it. And he did, she realized.
But that wasn’t all he owned. He owned her heart and soul. Somewhere between him trying to have her car towed and them kissing in the lake, she’d fallen. Hard. Fallen for a man who’d given her the best meet-cutes ever, who kissed like a god and made love like it was a religious experience.
But he’s leaving , her head reminded her.
Love can conquer all , her heart argued.
But could it withstand three thousand miles and an ocean between them, with a man who didn’t believe that long distance could work?
It was something she was willing to try. Now all she had to do was get him onboard. She knew he felt deeply for her. She could feel it in every stolen look and touch. In the way he spoke to her, caressed her. In the way he stood by her side.
“Stay with me, love,” he whispered against the curve of her ear.
She looked him dead in the eye and this time it was his turn to be surprised. “I am so with you my heart is synced to yours. Can you feel it?”
She took his hand and placed it over her heart, and the sweet smile he gave her made her belly flip over and over and over again. She was in deep trouble. Summer had fallen head over heels in love with a man who didn’t believe in love, romance, or happily-ever-afters. She knew it was because of his traumatic upbringing filled with abandonment and rejection, but she wanted to show him what the other side felt like.
He gradually sped up his pumps, faster and faster. His lips never hardened, but remained gentle and loving. His hands moved up and down her body, everywhere all at once, creating a frenzy of feelings—all the feels in her body.
His thrusts became more intent as he rolled his hips, hitting all the right spots. And in those final moments before they both fell he looked into her eyes and held her gaze, never once breaking contact, and what she saw there gave her hope.
“It’s too much pressure,” Summer said, and Wes rolled onto his back and she cuddled into his chest.
They were both still naked and exhausted from their all-night sex-a-thon. She might not have a red room, but she was definitely part of Team Wild Orchid. He had the scratch marks on his back to prove it.
“These kinds of requests are common with bigger authors. Usually they’re three times the ask,” he explained, but he felt like an asshole. Five grand was a drop in the bucket for him. In Summer’s world that was an entire month’s budget.
She rested her chin on folded arms on his chest and looked up at him with so much trust he felt like he was ten feet tall. He’d earned that. The only person in his world who completely trusted him and what he brought to the table was lying on him fully exposed and open, with nothing between them, not even air.
He knew how important this event was for her and he knew how to promote this so it could be huge.
“So you think it’s worth it?”
“I know it’s worth it. Plus, there are tons of things you can do to promote that don’t cost a penny.”
“I was going to send out newsletters to my subscribers, post flyers around town, and mention it on my podcast next week, which will have a sexy bookstore legend as the guest.”
“You mean the King of Books,” he corrected.
She nipped his nipple—hard.
“Just remember, payback is a bitch,” she said, and he chortled.
“You can also have bookmarks made up and leave them by the cash registers of local shops. I know that I’d put them by my registers.”
“You would?” She sounded so surprised he wanted to kick every asshole who’d come before him.
“Of course.” He ran his hand up her spine, and then back down until he was cupping her ass cheek. “You can also run a discount. Bring a friend to the signing and get twenty percent off. You can join forces with other book retailers and ask them to do a newsletter swap. It will cross-pollinate your audience.”
She cleared her throat. “Mister CEO of BookLand, would you want to do a newsletter swap with me?”
“You didn’t even have to ask. I was going to do one already.”
“Even though it’s a disruptor that’s meant to take away from your opening.”
“Even then.”
“Then I will send one out announcing the opening of your new bookstore.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
She slid up his body until their lips were aligned. “I want to,” she said against his mouth, and then gifted him with a kiss that was hotter than the fucking sun. His Summer didn’t disappoint when it came to brightening the day of everyone she came into contact with, including a pessimist like Wes. She was like a fresh ray of sunshine in his world of darkness and betrayal.
“As you wish,” he moaned against her, drinking down every last sip she was willing to give him. When she pulled back he nearly cried.
“Anything else I should be aware of?”
“Besides the erection that’s pressing against your stomach?”
She smacked his chest. “I meant the contract.”
“It’s a pretty standard and straightforward contract.”
“Would you sign it and agree to five thousand dollars?”
He studied her for a long moment and saw the desperation in her eyes, the lack of confidence, the uncertainty. It made him want to go into fix-it mode, but he wasn’t sure that was what she needed. And if he’d learned anything over the past couple of weeks, it was that sometimes she needed him to just listen. “Are you looking for a sounding board, or advice?”
She thought about that for a moment. “I think both.”
“Five grand is a steal. I know it seems like a lot right now, but you will triple your revenue, gain new listeners, and expand your customer base. If it weren’t for the money, would you hesitate?”
“No,” she said immediately.
Well, that was an easy fix. “Let me give you the money.”
She cupped his cheek. “I can’t take your money, Wes. I know that most people would jump at your generosity, but I need to do this my way. Plus, I’d feel like everyone else who’s taken your money over the years.”
This was new. The people in his world came up to him practically with their hands out. He always picked up the tab when he went out, even with his co-workers, women like his ex had always expected lavish presents, and the board was always trying to undermine him and get a bigger chunk. And here was a woman, torn between parting with what seemed like the last of her cash and hosting the event of the year, and she wouldn’t take a cent from him.
He pulled her into his body, until she was on top of him like a comforter. “What if it was a loan and you paid me back after the event?”
“Wes, I like you and I don’t want to confuse that with money. I already have a relationship that is strained over money.”
“Autumn?”
She opened her mouth in a perfect O of surprise. “How did you know?”
“I accidently overheard your dad taking to Autumn that she had to come clean and then pay you back the loan. Come clean on what, and how much did you lend her?”
“I told her she had to tell Randy about the loan and her finances before they moved in together or I would. Then I gave her an extension on paying me back.” Summer studied his chest and played with the light dusting of hair there. “I lent her ten grand from my wedding fund.”
He chuckled. “Of course you have a wedding fund.”
“Why do you say it like it’s a bad thing? I didn’t want my parents to have to pay a cent for my wedding, and I’d never ask my fiancé to pay for what the bride should pay for, so I started my own fund when I was eleven, which I can borrow from for the signing. I just hate taking more money out of it.”
“I mean it in the best way possible. I love that you’re a romantic and how you view the world. I love that you knew what you wanted at such a young age and made steps toward achieving it. But I hate that Autumn put you in this situation and that you have to borrow against one dream to make another come true.”
“Well, if your predictions are accurate, I can pay back my fund in a single day. Anything else I should be aware of?”
“There is a cancelation clause, which allows the author to cancel the signing within seventy-two hours.”
“She can stand me up?”
“Yes. But it’s more like if she’s ill or an emergency comes up. It goes both ways; you can cancel too. I’ve seen the clause on many contracts that go through my company.”
“Thanks for making me feel better. Now that I’ve spilled my guts, how did your meeting go?”
“Terrible. I can’t change the date because it’s already been advertised.”
“The sneaky bastards.”
“Exactly. Which is why I hired a third crew to get it done. It’ll be tight but it will get finished.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist, and it was as if luck had finally turned his way. He wanted more of this. Not the sex, although he could make love to her forever and still want more; he wanted the vulnerable moments where they were sharing their struggles and successes. He’d never had that.
“Can you fire them?”
“I wish, but no.” That got him thinking about what he’d said to Summer about the upfront money being worth it in the long run. “But I can threaten to buy out each and every wanker who waited for me to be distracted to hold an emergency meeting to vote on the early opening.”
“Can’t you sue them for potentially costing the business millions?”
He gave her a big smack on the lips. “I can and I will. Tomorrow morning, first thing. I just need to get my brother there.”
“Promise you won’t tell Randy about Autumn. Give her a chance to tell him.”
“It’s her story to tell. Plus, I don’t want our families or businesses to come between us.”
“Really?” Her excitement was like sweet music to his ears.
“Really.” Then he rolled her over and pinned her to the bed. “You think we can break this bed?”
“Do I hear a wager coming on?”