Chapter 33
thirty-three
. . .
WYATT
I wake up to Blair’s arms and legs wrapped around my body, and it feels like home. I like how she looks in my bed, and I have this powerful urge to never let her leave. Last night, we felt like more. It felt serious.
She stirs and slowly opens her eyes, and when she finds mine, she gives me a little smile.
“What time is it?” she asks. She stretches a little but doesn’t untangle herself from me.
“Just after seven a.m.” I’m growing hard against her naked body. I can’t get enough of her.
“I need to get going. I have a ten a.m. meeting.”
As I kiss down her neck, my hands find her breasts. “You’re naked,” I say.
“So are you.”
The corners of her mouth twitch upwards, and she tries to hide her face in my neck. Her hands slide down my back as she pulls her body closer to mine. I cover her mouth with mine and push her back into the bed. Then I roll over her, place my arms to frame her head, and stare down at her. She is so gorgeous that it takes my breath away.
“You’re going to make me late, sir.”
“I’ll make it worth your time.”
She pulls me to her lips and flicks her tongue into my mouth, claiming mine.
I grab a condom off the nightstand and after I slip it on, I sink into her, both of us lost in each other. When our eyes lock, we both fall apart together.
“I enjoy waking up with you in my bed,” I tell her as I kiss the corner of her lip.
“I do, too,” she whispers.
“You ok?” I ask.
She nods, holds my face with both hands, and kisses me tenderly. I deepen the kiss, wishing that I could stay in bed with her all day. Then I drag her out of bed and to the bathroom.
I start the shower and pull her into the water with me. With my arms around her, I let the warmth of the stream run over her back.
She turns to face the water and runs her hands over her hair, getting it wet. I reach for my body wash so I can lather up her body.
“I only have my shampoo and body wash in here. I’m sorry. I should have thought ahead.”
“It’s ok. I enjoy knowing you have nothing in here for women. And I kind of like how you smell. I’ll have your scent on me all day.”
I kiss her again, and then we finish washing one another and rush to get dressed.
“Will I see you at the office?” Blair asks me.
“Not today. I’m meeting with my father to go over some last details on the merger docs. Can I see you later this evening?”
I feel guilty that I haven’t told Blair what’s happening at TWA. This is the only reason I could imagine keeping things professional, so I don’t feel like I’m totally betraying her trust. Nothing is set in stone yet, so I’ll see how everything shakes out, but if her name is on the final documents, I have to tell her. I don’t want her to be blindsided. Thankfully, we have a little time.
“I have dinner with Naomi tonight, but I’ll call you when I get home.”
We walk out together and enjoy one last lingering kiss before we get into our separate cars and head to work.
I’m still smiling when I get to the office. The memory of Blair in my bed last night and this morning plays on a loop in my mind, and I feel like nothing can bring me down today. With any luck, I can convince her my bed is a place she should always be. Or her bed, too. I believe in equality.
As I walk into my dad’s office, the usual air of authority hangs in the room. He barely looks up from his papers.
“Hey, Wyatt. What’s the latest with the TWA merger? I saw Blair’s name on the layoff list. Is that going to be an issue?” His tone is as casual as ever, like he didn’t just throw a grenade into my chest.
“No, it won’t be an issue. Everything’s under control,” I reply, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Good,” he says, finally looking at me with a piercing stare. “It’s important to keep things professional, especially now. You know better than to cross any lines.”
I swallow hard as the guilt settles like a rock in my stomach. “I’m aware. I’ve got it handled.”
His eyes narrow. “Wyatt, I hope you’re not getting distracted again. Blair’s a pleasant woman, but this is business. We can’t afford any complications.”
There it was, the lecture I’d been dreading. My jaw tics as frustration bubbles up.
“I understand the stakes,” I say, forcing the words out, careful not to make any promises I won’t be able to keep.
He gives me a curt nod, and his expression remains hard. “Just remember, you’re part of this team. We have responsibilities to our clients and the firm. Don’t let personal feelings overrule logic again.”
I nod as the weight of his words press down on me. “Understood.”
I leave his office and head to my own, feeling trapped between duty and desire. Blair’s impending layoff is burning a hole in my conscience, and it’s inevitable that I will disappoint someone.
A knock startles me, and I’m surprised to see Jake in my doorway. I thought he was supposed to be on his honeymoon for a few more days. He and Lauren were supposed to spend a month in Italy.
“Why are you here?”
“Can’t a guy just come visit his friend?”
“Sure, but that friend is supposed to be on his honeymoon.”
Jake slides his hand down his face, and I see the exhaustion peek through. “Lauren wanted to come back for some Housewives casting call.”
“What?”
“Don’t.”
I raise my hands in surrender and do what I can to be supportive. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I just stepped into the biggest conflict of interest shitshow.”
“Looks like I got here just in time.”
Normally I would push Jake more, but I can see that he’s trying to work out how he feels right now, and I could use his advice. “It’s the TWA work.”
“I thought you were excited about that? I mean, you won’t come work with me, so I thought taking on this account was the next best thing?”
“It is, but it’s kind of interfering with my personal life.”
“Hmm,” Jake raises an eyebrow, waiting for me to say more before he decides how to respond to that.
“I’m kind of seeing Blair, but nobody knows it. Well, Sophia does. And maybe Blair’s friend Jess. And now you. But it’s new, and we haven’t even labeled it or anything.”
“Well, don’t fuck it up, then,” Jake says with a hearty laugh.
“I’m trying not to.” I let a small laugh escape, too.
I explain how Blair was initially part of the meetings and involved in everything that was happening at TWA but then Lance cut her out. I didn’t really think anything of it, and it actually made it easier for us to entertain the possibility of rekindling our feelings for one another. But then a few suggestions I made to help cut costs inadvertently put Blair at the top of a layoff list.
“And she has no idea?”
“No. In fact, I think she thinks if she signs Sophia, she’s protected and safe.”
“You can’t let Sophia sign with her, then.”
“I know. I’m trying to figure that out, too. Fuck. How did I go from finally getting everything I want to fucking it all up at the same time?”
“Sorry, man. Can you tell her?”
“Not right now. I’d feel better about telling her if we were close to the notification date and her name on the list was for sure final. But until then, I can’t say anything.”
“Maybe it’s time for work to keep you really busy right now.”
I know what he’s implying: that I keep my distance so I’m not tempted to share confidential information. But the last time I kept my distance it backfired in the grandest of ways. And I’m not sure I can stay away, even if I should.