Chapter 39
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
LUKE
“H ow did the meeting go?” I ask after greeting Dei with a few kisses.
“I’m not sure,” she replies, dropping her purse on the countertop.
“What do you mean?”
Deidre fills me in on the conversation she had with Victoria as she makes her way into her bedroom to change. “Can you believe her? It’s like she’s trying to take ownership of Flirt or something.”
“I could understand if she said your , but not our.”
“Exactly,” Dei huffs.
“But Flirt is her main client. Anyone who works with or for a company always takes some bit of ownership mentality as a sense of belonging and pride.”
“Whose side are you on?” Dei asks.
“Yours. You know what I mean, but I also understand why you’re frustrated.”
“Victoria is claiming that we can’t test or launch the expansion for at least a year or two because of all the marketing we’ve done and the new stuff that’s lined up,” Dei adds.
“Good marketing can change, especially if there’s a great idea that needs to be added sooner rather than later because of how well it’s received in testing.”
“Right,” Dei huffs in agreement. “It’s not like she or others haven’t already been paid for their services. This could mean a lot more users and revenue overall.”
“Maybe she was just having a bad day,” I suggest.
Dei shrugs on a new shirt. “Maybe.”
I wait until Deidre is close enough and snatch the edge of her shirt to pull her closer, wanting to comfort her with more than just words.
“What did you want to do tonight?” she asks, running her fingers through my hair.
“Anything that allows me to touch you and eventually make you come a bunch of times,” I state, grabbing her ass.
“So…nothing out in public.”
“Nope,” I confirm. “When’s Mandy supposed to be back?”
“Not sure. She’s going out with the girls from work tonight.”
“Why don’t you finish up and I start dinner?” I offer.
“Okay.” She kisses me. “I need to pee and then I’ll be in to help you.”
“I already started, so it won’t take too long before we eat.”
“Tony didn’t think you were an intruder?” she asks with a smile.
“No. He knows my car. Besides, I know you told him you gave me a key.”
“Dang,” Dei huffs. “I was really hoping he would have scared the crap out of you.”
“We’re not kids anymore.”
She lifts a challenging brow. “You sure?”
“Yes. Now, go. I plan on feeding you and then fucking the shit out of you.”
“Done,” she says, kissing me before disappearing into the bathroom.
As soon as the door clicks in place, I rush to my bag and get the last book I borrowed from her and put it back on the shelf. My heart races as I try to find the next book in the series that I just read.
“What are you doing?” Dei suddenly questions me from behind.
“Nothing,” I say, zipping the pocket of my bag shut.
“What were you putting in there?”
“Nothing.”
“Luke?”
“I was hiding a pair of your underwear.”
“What for?” she asks with a giggle.
“I get lonely when I have to sleep at my place by myself,” I admit.
“Do you really have a pair of my underwear?”
“Maybe.”
“Clean or dirty?” she asks.
I smile, not wanting to admit that I do have a dirty pair, but they’re already at my place.
“Luke?”
I don’t comment.
Dei moves toward me, but then suddenly sidesteps toward my bag.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing,” Dei replies with a mischievous tone.
“Dei?”
“Nothing.” She uses her body to block me and reaches over.
As I hear the sound of the zipper, I reach past her. “Don’t.”
She turns her back on me, blocking me further.
“Dei.”
Her body freezes. She doesn’t say anything as she walks over to her bookshelf with the book in hand that I just hid from her.
“It’s not what you think,” I preface, watching her gaze bounce between the book and back at the shelf.
“What do you think I’m thinking?” Dei ponders.
“Nothing.”
Dei studies me for a moment. “How many have you read?”
“What?”
Her eyes narrow. “How many of my romance books have you read?”
“That’s the first one,” I lie.
“Bullshit.”
“Second.”
Her brow lifts, but she doesn’t say anything as she crosses her arms.
“I don’t know, I lost count,” I admit.
A very pleased grin smears across Dei’s face. “Do you like them?”
“Yes,” I admit, knowing that it’s too late to turn back now from the truth.
“When did you start reading them?”
I hesitate to answer for a few beats. “The first time I was here,” I admit bashfully.
“Why?”
“Because of what you said to Mike the night of his bachelor party.” This is fucking embarrassing.
Dei’s head bobs slightly.
“Does it bother you?” I ask nervously.
The smile on Dei’s face widens. “No.” She hands me the book.
My eyes dart to the book and back up to her face several times before I take it from her.
“You’re not mad?”
“Why would I be mad?” she replies.
“I don’t know,” I say, putting it back in my bag.
“I think it’s sweet.”
“Sweet?” I repeat, making sure I heard her correctly.
“Mm hm,” she confirms, stepping closer to me. “And….”
“And…?”
“And…sexy,” she shares, sliding her hands onto my hips.
“Sexy?” I repeat with confusion.
“A grown man admitting that he not only reads them…but likes them.” Dei bites her lip. “That’s hot and it explains so much of some of our times together.”
“So…I’m not in trouble?”
“Nope,” Dei confirms, kissing me. “Not unless you want to be in trouble.”
“Trouble as in?”
“As in you want to be punished…or spanked.” Dei trails her lips down my jaw and onto my neck.
“Punished?” I chuckle nervously. “Spanked?”
“Well…you did say that you don’t have any fetishes, but the book you picked up has a few interesting things in it. And it’s the third book of the series.” Dei’s head pulls back slightly. “You’ve read the first two?”
When I don’t answer, Dei’s smile returns, and then her mouth resumes exploration of my body.
“Which one do you want to try first?” Dei kneels and lifts my shirt.
I gulp. “Which one what?”
“Spanking or tying up?”
“What about dinner?”
“Dinner can wait,” she says.