Chapter 26 #2
Launching myself at him, I threw my arms around his neck, and he enveloped me.
The heat of his hands seared through the chiffon shirt as he held me tight.
I buried my face in his neck. His sandalwood and leather scent infiltrated my nostrils and filled my lungs.
“Oh my God,” I murmured. “I don’t know what to say. ”
“You don’t have to say anything.” He paused momentarily.
“I remembered when you told me that life was too short for me not to be doing what makes me happy. And when I realized that as the majority stakeholder I could get everything I wanted, I did what needed to be done.” He kissed the top of my head, my temple, my cheek, and then he pulled back so he could see my face.
“I get to retain ownership of my company. I get to design more. And I get you. So, no, you didn’t encourage me to do anything that I didn’t want to do. ”
He leaned in, kissing me softly.
The stress, anxiety, dread, and guilt melted away with each brush of his lips. Pushing up on the tips of my toes, I deepened the kiss to express everything I couldn’t verbally. His tongue gently caressed mine in a way that punctuated everything he’d just said.
He groaned sexily and a chill ran down my spine.
My lips curled into a smile before I pulled out of the kiss.
Our faces were still close, and I placed the palm of my hand on his chest. Feeling his heart beating as strongly and intensely as my own made me emotional.
“I’ve spent the last couple weeks trying to figure out how to fix this,” I told him. “I was worried that you were going to resent me.”
“The only thing I resent is me not making this move earlier.”
“I don’t think you understand how glad I am to hear you say that.” I exhaled audibly. “At one point, Lori was going over something in the meeting and I was trying to figure out how to get your job back. I was so worried.”
He kissed the top of my head before wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight. I felt so safe and secure wrapped in his arms.
“I got you. I always got you,” he uttered.
I nuzzled my head into his chest as if we were in bed and not in a downtown parking structure.
“You don’t have to worry about anything except what you’re going to wear on our date tonight,” he said softly.
“Where are we going?”
“On a date.”
I lifted my head so I could look up at him. “Russ!”
“When have you known me to ruin a surprise?” There was a twinkle in his eye.
I felt the flutter in my belly and the rush of adrenaline that always hit me before a date with Russ.
“How am I supposed to know what to wear?” I argued.
“Dress like we’re going somewhere nice for dinner.”
“So, we’re going to dinner?”
He smirked. “I’m taking you somewhere special.” Grabbing my face, he dropped a kiss against my forehead, and then my nose, and then my lips. “But don’t worry, I plan on feeding you tonight.” With his lips just barely touching mine, he continued. “Trust and believe. You will be fed.”
I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, trying to stifle the throbbing between my thighs. “Russ,” I whispered, holding his gaze. “What time are you leaving the office?”
“Right after my last meeting ends. Two o’clock at the latest.”
“You’re lucky you’re worth the wait.”
I pushed up on my toes so our lips could meet.
I intended for it to be a quick kiss, but as soon as our mouths connected, it was hard to pull away.
He wrapped his arms around me and ran his hands up and down my back before parting my lips with his tongue.
My entire body reacted, and the sensation consumed me.
“Mmmm,” I moaned into his mouth.
I felt his energy pouring into me. I felt his love and lust, respect and reassurance, intimacy and affection filling me.
When we finally pulled apart, I took a trembling breath.
“Two o’clock,” he repeated.
He took a step back and adjusted himself. “I gotta calm down before I go back in.”
“Yes, please. You don’t need to be putting on a show.”
He grabbed his bulge. “This show is only for you.”
I grinned. “Good.”
He checked his watch and then sighed. “I need to head back in, but pack a bag when you get home. I’m coming to get you when I leave here and taking you back to my place. We have a lot to celebrate.”
“I don’t know what you have up your sleeve, but I’m looking forward to celebrating with you.”
“Me too.” His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket. Running a hand over his beard, he let out an audible breath. “My meeting starts in ten.” He shoved his phone back into his pocket and then locked eyes with me. “I’ve missed escaping with you. We haven’t really been able to do that.”
“No, we haven’t.”
“Come here.” Scooping me into his arms, he kissed me. “I’ll be leaving here in two hours at the latest.”
“And I’ll be ready and waiting for you.”
He’d taken a couple steps backward when a question popped in my mind. I knew he didn’t have much time, so I hesitated, contemplating waiting to ask him later.
I swallowed hard. “If I was your escape from work and life, how does that look now that we’re working together and in a relationship?”
He stopped. “It looks like my fantasy.” He closed the gap between us in half a second. Hooking his forefinger under my chin, he tipped my head up and studied my face. “Nina, I was never running away from work and life. I was only ever running toward you.”
My heart skipped a beat.
Before I could respond, his phone started ringing again. He pulled it out of his pocket. “I have to take this.” Leaning down, he planted a sweet kiss against my lips. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I murmured.
“Hello?” he answered. “Get the projections together and get everyone in the conference room to review.” He pointed to the elevator to let me know he needed to leave.
“Okay,” I whispered. “Call me when you’re free.”
He kissed me and then nodded. “Start without me, I’m on my way,” he snapped as he walked away. “Get Remedy…”
The events of the day replayed in my mind as I watched him enter the elevator. Before the doors closed, I turned toward my car and brought my hand to my chest.
My heart was racing.
I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the window. Between my glassy eyes and upturned lips, my happiness was written all over my face.
The elevator dinged and I glanced over my shoulder.
And then did a double take.
“Nina!” Russ called out to me as he stepped through the doors. His long stride quickly closed the distance between us. “I forgot something.”
“What?” I looked around to see if he’d dropped something before meeting his eyes again. “What did you forget?”
“This.”
Grabbing my face, he pressed his lips against mine urgently.
Warmth flooded my system as his kiss radiated throughout my body.
I fisted his jacket, bringing him even closer to me.
Our mouths moved hungrily over each other as he backed me up against my car.
Soft, contented sighs rang out from us as we kissed harder, deeper.
“Don’t you have somewhere you’re supposed to be,” I murmured into his mouth.
Pulling away fractionally, he waited until I met his gaze before he spoke. “I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
My stomach fluttered. “What about your meeting?”
“They can wait.” He leaned into me, his lips brushing against mine. “This can’t.”
Russell Long was the manifestation of the love I always knew existed, but thought would be impossible to find. I’d been fostering men until they found their forever home. It never occurred to me that they were also fostering me until I found mine.