19. Todd
TODD
The moment we stepped off the jet in Chicago, I was on alert.
I told myself it was because of the photographs, because someone had managed to get images that shouldn't have existed, because somebody was watching Cici.
That was the logical explanation. The truth was a little harder to admit. I couldn't stop thinking about her.
My gaze swept the terminal as we walked, taking in the crowds, the phones, the exits, anyone paying too much attention, anyone lingering, and anyone who looked out of place.
"Are you expecting trouble?" Cici asked beside me.
I glanced down at her.
"No."
She raised an eyebrow.
"That sounded convincing."
I almost smiled.
"I'll let you know if I see any."
She shook her head.
"That wasn't an answer."
I took her carry-on from her shoulder before she could protest.
"I know."
The corner of her mouth hitched, and neither of us said anything else, but I noticed she walked a little closer to me afterward. I didn't hate it, not even a little.
The hotel wasn't far from downtown.
Because of the engagement announcement, Bunny had made the reservation for us and booked one room.
It was a suite with a king-size bed. Nobody questioned it, when we checked in. Not even us. Which probably should have concerned me. Instead, I found myself carrying her bag into the room and wondering why it felt so natural.
Cici wandered over to the glass.
Chicago glittered outside the windows, a sea of lights reflecting off the waters of Lake Michigan.
Navy Pier stretched into the lake, the Ferris wheel lights glowed in the distance, traffic streamed along Lake Shore Drive in ribbons of red and white, and the illuminated skyline rose against the night sky.
"Wow."
I watched her instead of the skyline.
The city had competition.
"Pretty nice."
She turned toward me.
"The view is definitely pretty nice."
I smirked.
"Sure."
Her cheeks turned pink. Then she disappeared into the bathroom. I stood there for a second staring at the closed door.
I was in trouble.
Later, while she showered, I opened my laptop again and pulled up the files. They filled the screen as I reviewed timestamps, access logs, downloads, metadata, and everything else I could find. The deeper I dug, the less sense it made.
Nothing connected Cici to any of it. The files existed before she ever started flying for me, and several had been created before she even knew I existed. Every trail I followed led to the same conclusion: she didn't fit. If she was involved, she was the worst corporate spy in history.
I rubbed a hand across my jaw. Someone had planted those files. The question was why. And who.
The bathroom door opened. I immediately closed the screen. Not because I suspected her. Because I didn't want her worrying about it.
Cici emerged wearing soft gray pajama shorts and an oversized T-shirt. My concentration completely vanished.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"Yeah."
Lie.
Nothing was okay. I was sharing a hotel room with a woman I couldn't stop thinking about. That felt significantly less than okay.
I took a few moments to prepare for tomorrow's meetings, while Cici ordered us dinner.
Our meals arrived, nothing fancy, we sat together near the windows overlooking the city. For the first time in what felt like forever, neither of us talked about work, reporters, photographs, or engagement stories.
We talked about normal things, her great-grandmother, Lake Norman, and my time in the Army. The conversation drifted easily and comfortably, the kind of conversation that made hours disappear.
At some point, we moved to the sofa and turned on the T.V. She eventually rested her head against my shoulder. I didn't move, I realized I was enjoying this far too much.
The worst part? I didn't want it to stop.
"You're squeezing my ass, Todd!"
I heard someone calling my name. They sounded distant... far away.
"Todd! Ow, you're hurting me!"
"Wha...?" My eyes sprang open.
It took me a few seconds to realize where I was. In bed, with Cici curled up against me. My arm was wrapped around her with my hand tucked into the waistband of her pajama shorts. I had a firm hold on her left ass cheek. I immediately released my grip.
"Oh, shit! I'm so sorry."
"Were you dreaming of making bread or something?" she laughed. "You kept kneading your fingers into my butt. It was soft at first, but became stronger with each flex."
"No, I wasn't dreaming about making bread." I choked. "Hell, I guess when I'm lying in bed with a gorgeous woman, my hands tend to roam without my knowledge."
"They tend to roam, do they?"
Cici lifted herself up onto her elbow and looked at me with a devious stare.
"Do they roam like this?" Her voice was soft and raspy.
My dick pressed against my boxer briefs.
She moved her hand to rest on my chest. Her fingers moved softly outlining the ink that was there. She traced my nipples, giving a little tweak to each one.
I closed my eyes and focused on her touch. Her hand drifted downward... slowly. A little more... just a little more. You're almost there...
Then... nothing.
I opened my eyes to see Cici, smiling down at me.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you want my hand to roam down further?"
"Nope, I'll take it from here."
I quickly rolled on top of her, straddling her waist, and attacked her stomach with relentless tickles. She dissolved into laugh-screams, twisting beneath me and desperately trying to catch my hands.
"Stop, no!" She gasped, "that... tickles!"
I kept going. She was strong but no match for me.
She was practically panting, from laughing so hard.
"Todd... please."
I stopped mid-tickle. After all, she said please.
I was still straddling her, my hands resting lightly on her stomach. Her cheeks were flushed, and that devastating smile played across her lips. I watched her chest rise and fall as she caught her breath, unable to look away.
"God Cici, you are so fucking sexy."
"Stop." She looked up at me and shook her head no.
"No, I won't stop." I swallowed. "You are so beautiful."
Her smile disappeared. Her eyes darkened, and her lips parted slightly.
"Todd..."
I didn't let her finish. I kissed her. My lips brushed against hers lightly as her hands came up and cradled my face.
"You're not so bad yourself."
I reached down and hooked my thumbs into the waist band of her shorts, pulling them off with ease. She reached for my boxer briefs but I had them half way off already. They were quickly thrown to the side.
I settled on top of her, resting most of my weight on my forearm. I held her gaze as I reached down and rubbed the tip of my cock against her folds. She shifted her hips slightly, opening her legs for me. She was wet, hot, and ready for me.
I pushed into her slowly, studying every little shift in her expression as I went deeper. Her mouth opened. Her breath hitched. Her eyes became hooded.
"I want to see you when you come, Cici. Keep your eyes on me."
She gave a small trembling sigh.
Then I started to move.
Slow at first, deep strokes that dragged against every nerve ending. In and out. She moaned at the contact. She wrapped her legs around my waist, her heels digging into my ass, pulling me deeper.
Her eyes stayed on me as our bodies found a rhythm. The king-sized bed creaked beneath us. I quickened the pace, her hands sliding down my back, and her nails dug in. The sting only spurred me on. I changed my angle slightly, hitting that spot deep inside her.
"Yes! Right there. Don't stop, Todd"
I maintained the angle, pistoning into her with relentless precision. Her walls began to tighten around me, her breath coming in short bursts. I could feel her getting close.
Her eyes fluttered shut and her head fell back.
"Cici, look at me." I growled.
Her eyes opened but they were dazed and already closing again. I watched in awe as her orgasm crashed over her.
The furrow in her brow, her pouty lips, and the pitch of her moan as she came was fucking music to my ears.
Her pussy clamping down on me like a vice pushed me over the edge. I buried myself deep as I came. My own release tore through me in waves.
I sank down beside her, our ragged breaths filled the room as sweat glistened on our skin.
I held her close, listening as her breathing gradually slowed and deepened. Her fingers traced absentminded patterns across my chest, back and forth in a soothing rhythm. Within minutes, her hand grew still, relaxing completely.
I brushed a strand of hair from her face. She was already half asleep.
"Mmm, this is really nice," she purred.
The feeling that hit me then was unexpected, because the words were barely louder than a whisper. For a moment I wasn't sure she'd meant to say them out loud.
I looked down at her. Her eyes were closed, and a small smile graced her lips. I tightened my arm around her, and she settled even closer.
And as I stared out at the Chicago skyline, one thought became harder and harder to push aside.
Yeah.
This wasn't fake anymore.