Chapter 25
Chapter
Twenty-Five
ADRIANNA
I’d like to say everything happened like on television. The cops were called, and Mr. Lind was arrested. It broke the news, and our names were cleared.
Unfortunately, real life doesn’t work that way.
Instead, the lawyers pored over our evidence and started planning a strategy of their own. I’m dying to know about it, but Elijah swears it’s better if I focus on the gala and let him handle this part.
That’s why I’m standing in my bedroom in a floor-length royal blue dress that matches Elijah’s eyes. I couldn’t resist when I saw it on the rack.
My whole life went from revolving around the foundation to revolving around him. I miss him like crazy when he isn’t with me. I never knew I could feel the way I do right now.
“Are you coming out sometime tonight, Ms. Baker?” Elijah yells.
“Hold your horses, Mr. Samson,” I holler back.
Checking my hair one last time, I open my bedroom door. When I step out, my breath catches in my throat.
I’ve seen Elijah dressed up before, but it’s as if I have love goggles on. He looks so much more attractive than I remember in his tux.
I want to climb him like a tree and leave lipstick stains all over his collar so every woman knows that he is already taken.
“Wow,” he manages to breathe out.
His eyes are taking me in as I take him in. It’s as if reality is suspended in this moment.
I love you.
The words are right there on the tip of my tongue. I ache to say them, but I bite them back.
“Wow yourself. You clean up nice,” I joke.
“You’re telling me. I’m used to seeing you naked and bent over. Who knew you could look so classy?” He steps into me, hugging me to him.
I smack his shoulder. “Asshole Elijah is in the past, remember?”
“Baby, I will always be Asshole Elijah. The only difference is that I’m now your asshole.”
“I’m going to shove your ego up that asshole before too long. We need to get going and make sure everything is set up right,” I tell him, rolling my eyes.
I go to step out of his arms, but he pulls me back, kissing me.
“You’re going to get lipstick on your lips,” I hiss at him.
“I don’t care. I wanted a kiss.”
“Do you think you can kiss me whenever you want to?” I quip.
“I’m hoping that I can. I really enjoy doing it.”
He leans in, peppering kisses on my face.
I laugh halfheartedly, leaning away from him. “Okay. Okay. You’re going to mess up my makeup.”
“You don’t need it anyway. You are absolutely stunning with or without makeup.”
“Such a charmer.” I give him one more light kiss before I pull back. “Let’s go.”
He leads me down the steps to the waiting limo.
“You really pulled out all the stops.”
“Anything for you, Ms. Baker.”
I smile as he helps me inside. I slide over for him to slide in behind me. Secretly, I love when he calls me Ms. Baker. It has turned into this turn-on for me, but only from him.
“Are you nervous?” I ask him.
“What for? It’s going to be great. We are going to do a lot of good for the city.” He pulls me under his arm, resting his head on my head.
“I hope so. You’re going to win the bet, you know,” I say, hoping he says to forget the bet.
My heart sinks when he says, “No bet talk tonight. We can talk about me collecting my winnings tomorrow. For tonight, we focus on what’s important. Helping all of those battered women.”
“You’re right,” I say, looking down at my lap.
The limo pulls up to the gala in time to save me from having to show my disappointment. I knew that he would appoint someone new as CEO, but I hoped he would let me keep my job even with me looking for others. Looks like I was wrong.
Pasting a smile on my face, I let him help me out of the limo.
“Welcome to The Williamson Foundation Gala for the abused and neglected women of Boston,” a man greets us as soon as we step out.
“Thank you.” I nod at him as Elijah leads me up the stairs.
Once in the lobby, I stop dead in my tracks.
Right there at the entrance is a poster board with the event name across the front. That’s not what surprised me, though.
“It’s my mom,” I whisper, tears starting to fall.
The photo is like the others, with half the face battered and bruised while the other half is my mother smiling.
“It is. I knew this was important to you, so I thought I would thread in a part of you with it.”
At the bottom of the photo, it says, “We are the survivors.”
“How did you get those?” I turn to him.
“It took some work, but the police gave me the one on the left. I had to sneak the photo off your nightstand for the other. I think they did a good job piecing it together since she wasn’t here to take the happy one.”
My hand touches my heart as I lean up and kiss him. He kisses me back passionately, not a care in the world for who is around.
“Thank you. I want to keep that. Can I have it?” I ask.
“I’m having it framed for you after the event,” he confirms.
“You’re perfect,” I whisper.
“Mr. Samson,” someone calls.
“I’ll go handle this. I’ll see you in a bit.” He leans in, pressing a kiss to my forehead before he runs off toward the main hall.
I can’t help myself. I stand there for another several moments looking at my mother.
We did survive, Mom. I’m still surviving. No. I’m thriving now.
Walking over to the poster, I press a kiss to my hand, then press it to my mother’s image.
“I love you, Mom.”
ELIJAH
She is incredible.
I’ve watched her mill around the room all night, making sure everything is running smoothly. She chats with people here and there, but mostly she is the piece that keeps the machine well-oiled and working properly.
How did you ever think she was evil?
I was blinded, but my eyes are wide open now.
I can’t take them off of her as she sashays around the room in that gorgeous deep blue dress.
When she stepped out of her room, I lost my breath.
I always thought it was a myth, but I was speechless. I couldn’t catch my breath as I took in the goddess in front of me.
All I could think was mine. She is mine.
I didn’t even mean to say anything out loud, but the word slipped before I could stop it. Thankfully she didn’t think I was too cheesy. Instead, she checked me out as well. I could tell she liked what she saw.
I can’t wait for everything to go through so I can tell her the truth about our stupid bet. I knew I would win, but really it has more to do with the following she has created over the years than anything I did.
So I do plan to appoint a new CEO. One that is worthy of the position. Then I plan to do the same with the CFO position.
I think she will approve of the changes.
“If you stare any harder, you’ll burn a hole in her ass,” Brantley jokes, coming to my side.
“Shut up and write a check,” I tell him.
“Already did. You really like her?” he asks.
“It’s more than that. I know you don’t get it, but she lights me on fire from the inside. When she’s not near me, I feel like I can’t breathe. All I want is to be back by her side. I don’t even remember what life was like before her. I love her, man.”
He nods. “So when are you telling Mason?”
“That I love her? I’m pretty sure he knew before I did.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, he tried to get us all to take bets, but I know when I’m going to lose. No, I meant when are you going to tell him you want to be the CFO of the foundation?”
I pull my eyes from Adrianna and look at him. “How do you know that?”
“Dude, you just said you can’t be without her. It’s the perfect arrangement with the former CFO gone. Mason will understand.”
I nod. “I plan to tell him tonight. I’m waiting on a call from the lawyers to confirm everything before I tell him.”
“Oh look, there she goes again. Better go catch your girl.”
Looking back, I see Adrianna heading over to Bob and Doreen. I hightail it across the room so I can be by her side.
I walk up just as I hear Adrianna say, “I didn’t expect to see you. This isn’t your usual event.”
“After you spoke so passionately about it, I knew we had to attend,” Doreen tells her.
“Bob.” I nod.
He smiles as he sees my hand on Adrianna. “Eli. I see things are going well.”
The women continue to talk next to us as I smile down at Adrianna.
“You were right. It wasn’t passing,” I admit.
“I didn’t think it would. I’m happy for you, son. Doreen, your wine is low. We will chat later, Adrianna. Let me go get my girl a drink.”
Adrianna smiles at him, pulling him in for a hug. “Thank you for coming. It means a lot to me.”
Bob stiffens but then hugs her back, reminding me that he rarely gets hugged anymore.
It’s odd. I registered his smell but put it out of my head. Caring about someone really makes you put aside unpleasantness for them.
“Anytime. I made a large donation in your mother’s name as well. She would be proud of you.”
Adrianna tears up at a loss for words.
Bob and Doreen walk away, leaving us alone for the first time all night. Looking around, I pull Adrianna with me as we slip out of the side door.
“What are you doing?” she asks, still sniffling.
“You’ll see.”
It takes me a minute of navigating between employees to find a supply closet. Pushing her inside, I shut the door behind us.
Then I turn, pulling Adrianna to me as I kiss her senseless. She doesn’t deny me. She kisses me back as if she needs me as much as I need her.
Quickly, I unbutton my pants and drop them. Her dress is hiked up next before I pick her up and slam her against the door. Positioning myself at her entrance, I thrust inside of her in one go.
“ Fuck, ” she moans out.
With no condom between us, she feels even better than she did before.
She’s made for me. She’s mine.
Those thoughts cycle through my head as I start to rut into her. Her nails dig into my tux jacket as she moves her body against mine.
“You are so fucking pretty. I’m jealous out of my mind watching men watch you,” I hiss into her ear.
“No. No. They don’t,” she says mindlessly.
“They do. Every guy in that room, bar the ones I consider family, wants to fuck you. You drive them insane looking like this.” I thrust into her harder. “You want them thinking they have a chance?”
“No,” she manages to say as she hiccups on a breath.
“Who do you belong to, Ms. Baker?”
“You.”
“Who? Tell me who, Adrianna.”
“You, Elijah. Only you.”
“That’s right. This pussy belongs to me. This mouth is mine. Your body, mind, heart, and soul. Mine.”
She screams out so loud that I have to seal my lips to hers to keep us from getting caught. Then I spill my own pleasure inside of her.
Holding her against me, I let her catch her breath as I try to catch my own. Once she seems okay, I lower her to her feet before adjusting her panties.
Then I cup her pussy. “Don’t clean this up. I want to play in it later.”
Her eyes widen.
She looks gorgeous all disheveled and well fucked. Her lipstick is probably all over my face, but I couldn’t give a fuck.
The whole world will know soon enough.
Adrianna Baker is mine.