25. Sean
We talked for hours. But the moment we’re in the elevator, I hoist her up, pull her thong down and put it in its usual spot, and sink into her.
The moment I cross the threshold to her place with her around my hips, I find myself tearing off her dress and losing myself in that soft body of hers.
“Yeah, there we go,” I growl.
The moment I’m ready to come, she has other plans, steering “our conversation” to a different topic.
She pushes me to sit on the edge of her bed before sliding onto her knees.
Being with a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go for it? That’s always a win. But throw in smartness, loyalty, and the occasional surprise—instant marriage material.
I lift my hips, and she tugs my pants down, not even bothering to take them all the way off before she runs her tongue up my shaft.
I’m hard as a rock. Achingly stiff. The goddamn visual of her lips stretched around me doesn’t ease the situation. I lose myself in the wet heat, my fingers buried in her hair as she has me panting and praising within seconds. “That’s it, baby, yeah, that feels fucking amazing.” Every time I try to take control or pull her off to get my mouth on her, she resists, unwilling to relinquish control.
And after a time, I don’t care enough to keep trying.
She takes me right to the edge, and only stops right then, ignoring my warning.
Enough is enough.
I yank her onto my lap, position her where I need her the most, and waste no time sliding her down onto me. Her pussy is tight. Dripping. Perfect for me.
With a heavy moan and a hand on my chest, she pushes me onto my back and rides me with reckless abandon, her tits a sight that leaves me breathless. She throws her head back and purrs like a newborn kitten when my hands slide up and over her stomach to those gorgeous nipples. My eyes never leave her tits as she continues to move on top of me. She squirms in delight when I roll her nipples between my fingers and lightly pinch them.
I spin her around, grab her wrists and place her arms above her head, locking her in. With my thigh, I spread her legs wide apart and angle my cock at her entrance.
I thrust into her, my whole length.
We lose ourselves in each other for the next several hours, nothing on our minds but each other and releasing the need within us. By the time Jess has her fourth orgasm, we’re ready to call it a night.
Still inside of her, I pull her on top of me, her tits plastered against my chest. “My cock stays inside of you. If you wake up early, you can ride me awake. That clear?”
“I was just about to suggest that,” she says.
She’s destroying me.
Fuck. Me.
Jess is perfect for me.
My attraction to her grows stronger by the day.
I’m certain we both pass out the second our heads hit the pillows.
Two hours later, I stir awake, my dick hardening. Jess is still in my arms, cuddled on top of me. Her eyes are closed, and she’s slowly circling her hips and squeezing my waking cock. My hands help, grabbing her ass, moving it in circles.
“Yeah, baby. Take that dick like a naughty girl,” I rumble.
We lazy-fuck until we come, then pass out again.
Unfortunately, we can’t continue our conversation the next morning. Nor enjoy our Dorayaki. My cell pings with a text while Jess is curled across my chest. It’s from my father, which never bodes well. I have to be at Blackwood HQ for another meeting. I’m not particularly jazzed about it, mostly because I’m not sure what it’s about.
Reluctantly, I extract myself from Jess’s warm embrace. She wakes, but I urge her to go back to sleep, which she immediately does. Before I leave, I place her thong on her nightstand, lean down to brush a soft kiss on her forehead. This naked girl will be the death of me. Not wanting to wake her (or my twitching cock), I cover her with a blanket.
Back in my apartment, I do my quick morning routine and prep my compact travel bag before getting ready to head out.
I’m just hopping onto my motorcycle when I get a text.
Jess:
Hey, where’d you go? Your flight isn’t until later.
Me:
Impromptu meeting at the HQ.
Good luck out there. Call me if you need anything.
Likewise.
Here’s a snack for the journey. ;-)
She sends me a pic of her in the bathroom, smiling. My dick jerks. She’s in front of the mirror, holding her thong. I can see the top of her tits. The photo cuts right off where her nipples begin.
I find myself smirking when I pull out of my parking space. Little tease. It’s amazing what frequent sex can do to your morale. On top of that, our date last night was fun. It brought a depth of connection that I haven’t had in a long time. Being able to talk shop with someone who knows what they’re talking about and discussing fresh perspectives brings a unique satisfaction, but there’s more to life than work. The way our conversation flowed between professional and personal was effortless.
A lot of things with Jess are effortless.
This time when I get to Blackwood Inc., I don’t even bother going to my office first. I immediately head for the conference room, which Jasmine is in the process of prepping. When she sees me, she gives me a bright smile.
“Good morning, Mr. Blackwood. Can I get you a coffee or anything else?”
“Yes, please, thanks.” She prepares me a cup of coffee, finishes up her work, and pats me on the arm as she leaves. When my father arrives, he takes the seat at the opposite end of the table.
“You’re early,” he says by way of greeting.
“I’m only here for the meeting. I have a plane to catch.”
“You’ve been spending a lot of time at Westerlyn. I haven’t seen much of you lately.”
“So? You know how much time goes into transitions.”
“Is that the only reason?”
His tone and hard expression are difficult to read. Luckily, I have years of experience recognizing when my father is trying to verbally goad me.
“Look, we don’t have much time before the rest of the board arrives,” I tell him, “so, just tell me what you’re trying to say, and we can move on.”
“Always so quick to be defensive, son. Fine, we’ll skip right to it. Are you sleeping with the co-owner of Westerlyn Hotels?”
What the hell?
That’s not what I thought he was going to ask or say, but I don’t let it show that he’s caught me off guard. Where would he have heard this? I know Connor definitely wouldn’t have told him. The question is out of the blue because he’s never asked me about my partners in the past. Why is he asking now?
“Care to explain this?” he says, dropping a shiny art magazine on my desk.
I glance at the opened page, and there it is—several photos from the charity event. Jess and I, looking like more than just colleagues, especially in that photo where she embraces me after the winning bid for the art piece. The press certainly knows how to twist a moment. Dammit.
“Just a friendly gathering,” I say, trying to keep it casual.
His eyes narrow. “Friendly, you say? The press seems to think otherwise. There are rumors of a secret engagement floating around. Are you engaged, son?”
I let out a weary sigh, fixing my gaze on his. “What I do in my spare time is none of your business.”
“So you are engaged?”
“I am not.”
He studies me for a moment, and I can tell he’s not entirely convinced. “Seems like your PA couldn’t hide all the papers and magazines from me. Keep your personal and professional lives separate, Sean. This could jeopardize the reputation of the company.”
I temper my anger and force myself to remain calm and collected. “Tell me this is not what this meeting is about. Is this some ridiculous chess move where you’re trying to make me appear compromised? Any personal relationship I may or may not have with Jess Summers has no bearing on my job and has nothing to do with my proposal to bring her on as an employee. I suggested we bring her on because she’s smart, capable, and willing to do what it takes to ensure that Westerlyn and its staff are running smoothly.”
He waves his hand casually, as if my words hold no significance. “She’s willing to do what it takes? According to this article, you dropped three million dollars on a damn drawing, son. Please, for the love of sanity, tell me you haven’t let her wrap you around her fingers.”
For fuck’s sake.
So much for keeping things under wraps.
I take a deep breath, preparing to address the concern that’s etched on his face. “She has proven multiple times already that she’s willing to compromise and work with us—and that’s a hell of a lot more than we’ve had in the past.”
Before my father can respond, board members start to filter into the room.
My father simply looks at me, his expression unreadable.
Daniela Sanborne is the first to sit, and I can tell by the way she looks between me and my father that she senses the tension. I’m on high alert.
When my father clears his throat, they direct their gazes to him.
“I appreciate you all taking the time together,” he begins. “I’m aware this is last minute, but I feel there’s something important that we need to discuss. As you all are aware, it has been three weeks since we acquired half of Westerlyn Hotels, but there’s still one major hurdle that has not been conquered.”
Before my father can continue, Daniela speaks up, addressing him, “Wait, are you telling me that you gathered us all here—once again—to discuss the sale of a property that’s already been bought by us?”
I turn to look at her, schooling my expression so she doesn’t notice the surprise. As far back as I can remember, she’s always backed my father’s decisions, which makes her question bold and surprising.
“Half-bought,” he corrects her. “And yes, that is still what we’re discussing. The ramp-up phase shouldn’t take longer than fourteen days. It has been long enough, and we need to act. Obviously, Miss Summers is not willing to sell, that means we have no choice but to take drastic action.”
“She has one more week to decide,” I say firmly.
“Nonsense. If she wanted to sell to us, she would have. Rumor has it that Rutherford is interested in her shares. Word on the street is she’s considering selling to him.”
Well, it was inevitable. Engagement rumors weren’t the only whispers that made their way to my father. “That’s complete BS.”
“Son, remove your blinders. You don’t know what’s happening out here. Obviously, she’s playing you to gain insider info. We need to act, and fast.”
“And what exactly is that action?” I ask. “What exactly do you think we should do if she decides not to sell to us?”
My father gives a half-hearted shrug. “Oh, there’s plenty. We can talk to our lawyers and consider legal action. After all, she was the one who insisted you write up that ridiculous contract agreeing to certain terms. Our lawyers are some of the best in the city, I doubt she has the capital to match. I’m certain Drexler has a solution.”
Drexler, as in Samuel Drexler, my father’s favorite legal Pitbull of Stanford Partners. A ruthless bastard, never lost a damn case.
I shake my head. “Except for the fact that she has been upholding her end of the deal, and she’s been more than cooperative,” I shoot back. “Besides, she has a right to choose whether or not she wants to sell, and if she doesn’t want to sell then that’s that.”
Daniela clears her throat, and our heads turn toward her. “I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Jessica Summers at this year’s charity event,” she says, “and the opportunity was open to all of you had you attended…” Her gaze sweeps over all the members. “I believe she’d bring great value to our team.”
Huh.
The unexpected commendation from Daniela is a welcome change of pace in the boardroom.
I glance at my father.
His brow is furrowed, and his lips are pursed tight when he stares at Daniela. “Blackwood has a reputation to maintain. If we give leeway to one person, others will expect the same.”
“The public has a pretty strong sense of how we do business,” Daniela argues. “That’s not going to change overnight. If anything, this will show that we’re flexible and willing to be team players. That’s never a bad thing.”
“If I may,” one of the other board members speaks up. His name is Osgood Reginald, he’s in his seventies, and though I don’t know much about him, I do know that he tends to take my father’s side no matter the situation. Which is probably why he’s been around for so long. “A stubborn client has never deterred us before. We’ve always been able to get them to see our way…or at least replace them with somebody who does.”
“Exactly, Osgood,” my father says. “Sean, the sale needs to be done no matter what.” He shrugs. “Promptly. If you don’t, then we will need to evaluate your work and determine whether or not you have a future at this company.”
If you don’t. Not if you can’t.
I want to laugh because it’s so ridiculous.
I want to tell him what I really fucking think of this sorry excuse for a father. He must really be pissed at me if he’s willing to threaten my job in front of the entire board. His only son. The one he was insistent on following in his footsteps. The one who he trained since childhood to join his business. The one he instilled with profound love for this place.
Is he really willing to forget all that and throw it away to maintain the control he so desperately wants and needs? I’ve never been a family man, but damn, I thought being blood would count for something.
The only thing that stops me from walking out of the room without a second thought is the fact that he could have presented the art magazine to the board, proving his point—especially following Daniela’s challenge regarding his and the other board member’s non-attendance. It seems there still is a shred of decency left in him, like my mother claimed there was.
“I’ve heard enough.” Calmly, I sweep my gaze across the table. “I will not have my skills and worth ethic brought into question. You all know me. Everybody in this room knows what I can do, what I’m capable of. We have Westerlyn, we have them where we want them, and we have the means—and the partner—to take them to the next level. It shouldn’t matter how much of the hotel we own because we’re already calling the shots.”
I pause for a moment, gauging the reactions of the people around me. I can see one or two small nods of approval, but not as many as I would like.
“I don’t need to have my job threatened,” I add, “and I’m not going to stand for it either.”
Silence falls over the room, filling it with uncomfortable tension. I look at my father for his reaction.
“Sean, you have brought a substantial amount of business to Blackwood and have never been one to shy away from a challenge. Get her to sell. You have three days to get it done.”
With Connor away on one of his business trips and the meeting dragging on longer than anticipated, I make my exit from Blackwood HQ and head straight to the airport for my next destination. In a few days, I’ll catch a flight to join him. Today’s trip gives me the time and space to reflect on what the hell just happened.
I don’t like this. There’s a deep gnawing feeling in the pit of my stomach, making it churn. I’m a decisive person, and I’m swift to act. When I know what I want and what needs to be done, there’s nothing I won’t do to make it happen.
However, this is different.
In this instance, there’s no cut and dry way to do this because emotions are involved. Not just mine, but someone else’s. Jess’s.
She’s excited to continue working together and the plans we discussed are still very much what I want to do. But I don’t want to do it without her. Her job is secured by our agreement. But I know my father, and judging by the meeting we’ve just had, he won’t shy away from sneakier ways to muscle her out of a job without outright firing her. He can make her life a living hell if he wants to. How understanding is she going to be when her plans are constantly turned down? How is she not going to be frustrated when she’s constantly stonewalled, and my father speaks to her the way he’s talking to me?
That part will never happen. Over my dead body.