Chapter 10
“You think you’re too messed up.”
Macie froze, the last bite of maple syrup drenched pancakes frozen nearly at her mouth. Slowly, she put the fork down. Edward had already finished his stack of pancakes and was slowly sipping coffee. Black, extra thick, and extra strong.
“I’m…what?”
“You think you’re too messed up for a relationship.”
Macie swallowed hard, the easy atmosphere of a moment ago obliterated by his words. “I thought that your parents warped your view of romantic relationships as well.”
He nodded. “Yeah, they did,” he said with a sigh. He leaned forward. “It doesn’t matter what’s in our past, Macie. We have Kyle now. We’ll be connected forever.”
“You…,” she felt her heart pounding again. If she made it through this…whatever “this” was…she was going to have to check in with her doctor to make sure her heart was still stable.
“I want to stay in Kyle’s life,” Edward announced. He set his coffee cup down on the dining table and reached for her hand. His warm fingers wrapped around hers, stroking her knuckles with his thumb. “We’re going to have to figure this out. We created a son together. We will always be connected, if only through Kyle.”
She swallowed and tightened her fingers around his. “You’re right. I know you’re right. But…I just…there’s too much happening in our world right now. I don’t know who vandalized my car, or if it’s the same person who set fire to my house and my barn. I don’t even know if I have a job to return to after we get this figured out. So my income is…uncertain. That means that my future is uncertain. I can’t commit to anything until we both know what we’re dealing with.”
Oh, that sounded very good! Very adulty and reasonable! Surely, Edward couldn’t argue with that!
Edward watched her face carefully, noticing the rush of emotions that flitted across it. “You’re right. We need to figure this out. However, you need to rest assure that you and Kyle will always be provided for. You never have to work again in your life,” he told her, then lifted his free hand when she opened her mouth to argue. “I know. You enjoy working.” He squeezed her fingers slightly. “It’s one of the many things about you that I admire. You’d never allow me to take care of you, even though I can think of perhaps a dozen ways that I’d like to spoil you if you’d let me.”
She laughed, recalling a conversation she’d had with a friend about what they’d each do if they won the lottery.
“I love my job.”
“And I can assure you that your job will be waiting for you when you return. No matter how long it takes to figure this out, you will still have a job at Linx Airlines.” He lifted her fingers and kissed them. “If you don’t want to work there, or if you ever don’t feel safe, then just say the word and I’ll transfer you to one of my other companies. There is always a need for someone who can program as proficiently as you can.”
She blinked back her surprise, then smiled. “Thank you. That means a lot.”
“Good. Now, how about if you take over my office again and see what you can find out? Sean is heading to Philly to speak with Henry and Antonio is flying up to Frankfurt to speak with our division head there.”
“Antonio is going to speak with Ralph?”
Edward set the coffee cup down on the table and stood up. He gathered the empty plates, bringing them to the sink for Ms. Kealy. “Yes. Do you know him?” he asked over his shoulder.
She shook her head. “I’ve only heard about him. He’s a scary man. The rumors around the Philadelphia office are that he’s not one to piss off.”
Edward’s features shifted to a scowl. “That’s not good.”
“You don’t want someone who can get things done?”
“I always prefer employees that can accomplish the tasks assigned to them,” he assured her. “I don’t like division managers who manage by intimidating their employees. It means that they don’t hear what’s going on within their division because employees are too scared to come to them when there’s a problem.”
“No one goes to Ralph,” she agreed with a laugh. “When I speak with the German division employees, they will do just about anything to avoid taking an issue to Ralph.”
“Hmmm,” was Edward’s reply. “I’ll look into that as a separate problem, even though it could be connected in some way.”
Macie had always admired Edward for his business prowess. But his comment that he’d look into a tyrannical manager, even while trying to save his relatively new company that could be badly damaged if there were legal problems with bad actors using his resources for illegal activities was wildly unexpected.
But before she could say something about that, he did the strangest thing. He stood up, leaned over and…kissed her! He actually kissed her as if they were an old married couple that had recently finished a meal and was now moving on to the next activity in their day.
She was too stunned to react initially. But then he walked away before she could even kiss him back!
Her lips, however, tingled as she watched him walk away.
And then he whistled! The dratted man actually whistled! He kissed her, walked away, leaving her lips tingling for another kiss…no, leaving her whole body aching for more than just a mere kiss…and then he whistled!
How dare he do that to her! He knew exactly what a kiss would do to her!
She glanced at the remaining stack of pancakes on the counter, considering grabbing another. But in the end, she wasn’t in the mood for more empty carbs. She was in the mood for a big, muscular man!
Instead of following him to wherever he was going, probably to pick up Kyle and hold him while he slept, she would just head into his office and work. Yes, that’s what she would do. That’s the sensible thing. She hadn’t made much progress on finding more questionable shipments recently. So today, she was working backwards, hoping to find a pattern. That’s what she should have been doing anyway.
No, actually, she should have a whole team of people digging through the data. But that would alert the perpetrators to their investigation. She’d set up the system so that there were a limited number of people who could access information about shipments. It was one of the mandates of several clients so that they knew that their shipments could not be tracked by competitors. It wouldn’t hide the shipments from government agencies. Linx Airlines was required to file all appropriate data to the various government people who tracked the products coming into or going out of their individual countries.
However…!
Macie stomped into Edward’s office and nearly slammed the door. She didn’t, but closing it gently took a great deal of effort.
She sighed as she sat down behind Edward’s massive desk. The desk was too big for her taste. She’d prefer something smaller and more delicate. And with a lot of table space. She enjoyed being able to spread her printouts across her desk and look at the data from various angles. Sometimes, she’d print out her code and rearrange the various coding modules so that she could see how each section would react to the others.
But today, she couldn’t concentrate. She couldn’t seem to figure out what was off. The weights were right, if slightly unbalanced. The fuel consumption was…close enough that it didn’t raise any red flags.
Finally, she gave up and stood up.
Storming out of the office, she hurried down the annoyingly long hallway until she found Edward giving Kyle another bottle. Immediately, her hands flew to her breasts. They weren’t swollen and painful from lack of nursing. Was it possible that only three days of a messed up schedule could throw off her body’s milk production?
In one way, that made her sad. But then she saw the look of abject adoration on Edward’s face as he gazed down at Kyle. For his part, Kyle’s tiny fingers were wrapped around Edward’s longer fingers, as if needing that connection. And there was trust. Kyle had known his father for only two days, but already, the little guy had absolute trust in the man feeding him.
Her heart ached at the sight. And it was even more joyous when Kyle’s eyes slowly drifted closed. He still slurped on his bottle, but slowly, very slowly, his jaw went slack.
The eight ounce bottle was nearly empty. That meant that he’d eaten about six ounces of formula. That was more than he’d been eating since coming here. She’d been lucky to get four or five ounces into him.
He was thriving. There was something about Edward that called to Kyle. They were meant to be together.
Edward looked up, staring into Macie’s green gaze. She seemed almost stunned as she watched them. He wasn’t sure why, but he carefully stood up and placed Kyle into the bassinet. He had to resist the urge to cover him up. He’d read that babies shouldn’t have blankets in their bassinet because they could be a choking hazard.
Then, he turned, looking directly at Macie. “Are you…?”
He didn’t have a chance to finish his question because she rushed across the room, throwing herself into his arms and kissed him. It took everything inside of him not to buckle under the unexpected onslaught. Macie had always thrown him off balance. And every damn time she touched him, it was like an electric bolt right to his groin. He went from fine to rock hard in a moment.
After a shocked moment, during which time she took control of him, gripping his head and deepening the kiss, he rallied and grabbed her, lifting her higher. She wrapped her legs around his waist, angling her head so that his tongue could swoop in and taste her, pulling away to nip at her neck, bite her earlobe, and shift her body so that her nub was pressing against his shaft in a way that he knew would drive her wild.
He didn’t bother carrying her upstairs. Primarily, because they wouldn’t make it that far. But also because…hell, he had to be inside her. Now!
He sat down on the sofa and lifted her sweater out of the way. He didn’t have time to take off her bra. It wasn’t necessary anyway. He simply pulled the strap down, revealing her breast to his eager gaze. “Now!” she hissed, pushing her breast closer. Edward didn’t need a second invitation. And he heard her gasp when his mouth closed around her nipple.
He didn’t have time to enjoy her other breast because Macie pulled away, quickly stripped off her leggings, then climbed back onto his lap, straddling him.
“Do you have protection?” she demanded, rubbing herself against him as she fumbled with his belt buckle.
“Pocket. Right side.” He groaned when her slim hands released him from the confines of his boxers, those fingers wrapping around his shaft, stroking him until his head spun with urgent desire.
“No more, Macie!” he told her, pulling her hands away. “Give me the condom!”
She shook her head, sliding backwards on his legs.
Edward knew what she was going to do, but he wasn’t sure he’d survive. He watched as her fingers rolled the condom down over his shaft, teasing him, making him groan.
He wasn’t going to let her get away with that, no matter how sweet the torture. He spread his legs, which spread her wide. He watched with fascination as his thumb stroked her, his body heating with the glistening wetness of those pink folds completely exposed to him.
At his first touch, Macie leaned back, her hands behind her, supported by his knees as he rubbed her until he thought she was going to climax right then. Then he pulled his thumb away. If he wasn’t also in pain, he might have laughed at the guttural sound Macie made, as well as the frantic look in her eyes. But he was well beyond the possibility of laughing now. Later. Much later, he would find this whole scene amusing. Right now, he just needed to be inside her.
“Take me, Macie,” he ordered, lifting her hips and positioning her right on the tip of his erection.
He felt her soft fingers grip his shoulders and braced himself. It didn’t help. Feeling Macie lower her body onto his shaft was…incredibly hot! He loved watching her like this and he nearly lost control as she accepted all of him into her tight, amazing heat.
“Move,” he ordered, his voice hoarse now as the need for release hit him like a brick.
She moved and, because he was so close, he brought his thumb back into play. It only took a couple strokes to bring her back to the edge of a climax. Pulling her closer, he kept his thumb in place, letting her shift against the pad of his thumb while he pulled her closer, sucking hard on her nipple! That was all it took to bring her over the edge and she had to cover her mouth with her other hand to mute the screams of pleasure. She started to slow down, but he grabbed her hips, encouraging her to ride him until his own release washed over him. And it felt as if his soul drained out of him and into her.
“Witch,” he groaned, pulling her in close, needing to feel her against him after that kind of intensity.
“Thank you,” she whispered into his ear. Then kissed his neck before going limp across his chest.
He pulled her in closer, not pulling out of her but, instead, enjoying the intimate connection of holding her just like this.
“Gilly, we need to talk,” Henry announced as he stepped into the warehouse manager’s office. He froze in the doorway, staring at…! “What the hell is going on in here?”
A woman clad in what could only be described as pieces of nylon strung together with a shoestring, was getting to her feet. Behind her, Gilly was quickly zipping his fly.
“Thanks, darlin’,” the manager said, patting the irritated woman on her barely covered butt.
“Fifty bucks,” the woman demanded, flipping her hip to one side and planting her hand on it, the other hand outstretched for the cash.
Gilly grinned, then reached into the desk and pulled out a wad of cash. Peeling off the appropriate amount, he handed it to her, a disgustingly smug smile on his face. “That was a good one, right?”
The woman rolled her eyes, pushed her overly hair-sprayed hair up a bit higher, then turned on her heel. “Whatever. Call me when you need another one.”
She stalked to the door and turned sideways, looking at Henry as if assessing him.
Henry loved the idea of getting a blowjob on command, but this woman was nothing like his fantasy. Quickly, he shook his head and lifted both of his hands, palms out. “No cash here,” he snapped. “Get out.”
He waited until the hooker had sauntered out of the office before slamming the door behind her. Then he glared at Gilly. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Getting a blowjob?” the manager asked, laughing at the stupid question. “What did you think I was doing, balancing my checkbook?”
“Don’t do that crap here!” Henry hissed, bracing his hands on the metal desk. “And definitely don’t leave a roll of cash lying around! Now that woman knows you have spare cash. You’re either going to get mugged on your way out to your car tonight, or she’s going to get a group of her buddies to break into this office and steal that cash from you.”
“Don’t be such a worrier. I can take care of myself.” He leaned back in the chair, relaxed now that he’d gotten satisfaction. “Why are you here? I thought we weren’t going to meet for a while.”
“We have a big order that needs to get on a plane tonight.” Henry sighed, pushing away from the desk. “How soon can you shift things around so that the crates can get on the flight heading to Germany?”
Gilly sighed gustily, but he leaned forward, typing on his computer. He searched for a bit, then nodded. “Yeah, there are some boxes that I can take off tonight’s flight to fit the client’s shipment. But we need to be careful about the weight, right? And the size?”
“Can’t you find similar boxes to take off and substitute the crates?”
“Yeah,” Gilly replied with a shrug. “But if the weight is off, then the plane won’t be balanced. It’s not a huge deal, but the plane won’t fly as easily.” He leaned back in his chair. “Weren’t you bragging about how that side of the equation was your job?”
Henry rubbed his forehead. “I’ve already fixed the weights and sizes on the computer end of the shipment,” he snapped. “It’s up to you to make sure that the crates get onto the plane. The client will deliver the shipment in less than an hour. He’ll come through the back gate. Just make sure that the crates are on the plane in time and don’t get inspected.”
Gilly tilted his head slightly. “Sure, boss. Whatever you say. I’ll wait until the rest of the crew leave for the night. The forklift can get the boxes moved around without a problem.” He leaned back in his chair. “This doesn’t seem like something worth coming down here to talk to me about. Usually, you just shoot me a message.” He rubbed his jawline. “What’s so special about this shipment?”
Henry looked away, praying that the idiot didn’t see the anticipation on his face. “Nothing special about this one other than the urgency. We’ve never had a same day shipment before.”
“Good point,” Gilly replied, then shrugged again. “I’ll take care of it, like I always do.”
Henry watched the man for another long moment. He was getting a bad feeling. Gilly wasn’t being as careful as he should.
“Can you figure out the weight issues? I’ve adjusted the fuel needed for the flight.”
Gilly snorted. “Sure! I just said I would. Don’t worry your pretty little head about it, okay?”
Again, Henry calculated the commission he’d earn on this shipment. It was huge. This shipment meant he could get on a flight and vanish from this hellhole. He’d never have to see Loretta again, never have to deal with the obnoxious Gilly, and he could finally leave the problems that were waiting on him back at his office forever.
“Fine. Just…” he lifted his hand in the air, but Henry wasn’t sure what he’d been about to say. His mind had already returned to the blond woman in a tiny red bikini that would be smiling at him from the next beach chair. “Whatever.”
Henry left Gilly’s office. The manager laughed as if Henry had said something funny, which only irritated him further.
Ignoring Gilly, Henry walked out of the warehouse, looking around. The boxes that were prepped for shipping didn’t seem as organized as normal. Was that because they were already set up for loading? Or was Gilly slacking off?
A problem for another day, Henry told himself.
Gilly walked out of his office and watched as the pompous prick left the warehouse.
“He thinks he’s better than us, doesn’t he?” Mike, the forklift operator muttered as he came to stand next to Gilly.
Gilly made a sound that might have been agreement. “I guess he doesn’t like to sweat.” He looked at Mike. “Might mess up that nice dress shirt.”
Both men laughed and Gilly slapped Mike on the shoulder. “Let’s get this stuff loaded. I’m ready for a beer.”
“I’m with ya!” Mike replied, then moved towards the forklift. “Hey, did you hear that Adelaide is going to be at the Thirsty Tavern tonight?”
Gilly paused, his interest perking up. “That redhead that was at your place last month?”
“Yeah!” Mike laughed. “She’s hot! And Jerry thinks he has a chance.”
Gilly shook his head. “No way. That little gem is mine !”
Mike reached up and pulled himself into the seat of the forklift. “Not if I get there first!” Then he pressed the button that would start up the forklift.
Two hours later, the cargo was loaded and the crew was clocking out for the night.
“You coming?” Mike called out.
Gilly turned, flipping the clipboard around. “I’ll catch up with you,” he said, itching to get to the bar so that he could chat up the gorgeous redhead. But he also knew that he had to switch out those boxes of…he looked down at the clipboard. The boxes of paper products were about the same size as the wooden crates that were currently hidden in the back of the warehouse. He’d met the big guys who had delivered them, assured everyone that the crates would be on the flight to Germany tonight, then forgotten about them in the chaos of stuff that still had to get done. But the text from Henry fifteen minutes ago reminded him.
Now, he just needed to switch everything around, then he could get out of here.
It took less than twenty minutes to take the massive boxes of paper products off the plane and replace them with the crates. He made sure to balance out the load, then rushed into his office. He put in the fuel order, adding another fifty gallons. According to Henry, that amount of fuel would more than cover the additional weight. There would be fuel left over, but what did he care? Linx Airlines could handle the waste.
Logging off of his computer, he grabbed his car keys, and hurried out of the warehouse. A pretty little redhead was waiting for him!