Chapter 29 Wylder #2
I stroke his back idly. I need to take care of his erection, which is stabbing into my hip, but first, I need to figure out what he’s up to. “Why? What have you done, brat?”
“Nothing yet.” His fingers stroke through my chest hair. “But I’ve been thinking that I’d like to have self-defense lessons.”
My brow crinkles. “That’s a great idea. Why would I need to be in a good mood to agree to that?”
He cringes slightly. “Because I was thinking Harley could do it?”
My spine stiffens as I picture the holds Harley would need to put him in, the two of them wrestling on the floor. “Absolutely not.”
Neo rolls his eyes. “You know I’m not attracted to him in the slightest, right?”
Logically, I do know that. But my monster is having absolutely none of this. For once, we’re in complete agreement. “No. If you want training, then I’ll be doing it.”
Neo pouts. “But I get all distracted around you. We’ll end up fucking every time, and I won’t learn anything.”
I open my mouth to argue, but really, he’s probably right. “It’s a no to Harley.”
“Fine. But what about Cade?”
Now I’m the one cringing. “No. I’m not letting him near you. He’s unhinged, Neo.”
He presses a kiss to my chest. “So are you. You just hide it better. Those slutty glasses you wear help. A lot.”
I’m not doing a very good job of hiding it right now.
I roll us until he’s under me, pinning him with my weight. “I’ll teach you. My father made me the best, so you can benefit from that.”
“Don’t mention your dickhead father when we’re naked,” Neo says. “I’ll be fine with one of the others.”
“No,” I growl, my cock growing hard again with him trapped under me. “You’ll have me. That’s it.”
“Fine,” Neo huffs, but there’s a small gleam in his eyes that tells me he doesn’t really mind. “I’ll indulge your ridiculous possessive and protective side.”
I kiss down the side of his neck. “You indulge it because you love it.”
“I do. And I love you.”
We don’t speak again. Not as I prep him, as I slide between his legs and enter him, as I take him slowly, memorizing the bliss on his face as he comes apart beneath me.
I can’t believe I almost lost him. But now that I have him in my arms, I’m never letting him go.
Long after, as we catch our breath between the sheets, a thought suddenly occurs to me. “I never did tell you what your payment is.”
Neo smiles at me from across the pillow. “Payment for what?”
“For your request.”
Understanding dawns. “For the date?”
“Yes.”
“Fine,” he says dramatically, stretching his back like a cat. “What do I owe The Firm?”
I lean down to kiss his nose. “Not The Firm. Me.”
I see the twinkle in his eyes. “Go on. Tell me. I’m ready. Do you want a kidney?”
“No. Your body…and your heart. I’d bargain for your soul, but I’m not the devil.”
His lips curl upward. “I can do that.”
“That’s the official price,” I say. “You and your heart forever. You living here, permanently. Not next door, but right here in my bed.”
“Obviously. I’ve been sleeping here for a while now, anyway.”
“Good.” I smile softly. “I thought you’d fight me on it. You fight me on most things.”
“Not on this.” His smile takes on a shy quality. “Not on my heart. It’s yours. Has been for a while now. As for living with you? Honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“I’m glad. I didn’t want to have to lock you in here. I would’ve, too.”
“That’s true. I did unleash your monster, so I guess I can’t complain about it. I’d like to see you tie me down though.”
“I think I can overpower you,” I reply dryly.
“Yeah, until I learn all those cool self-defense moves. Then you’ll be helpless against me.”
“I can’t wait to spar with you,” I confess, and then pull him onto me, his body slotting perfectly against me.
“Same. I think it will be very, very sexy. Can I do it naked?”
“You can do whatever you want.”
“Anything I want?”
He leans up on his elbows, and our eyes meet.
“Yes, my love. Anything you want.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Neo looks slightly guilty the next day, his eyes darting this way and that as he moves into my office to work. I told him to take a day off, but he looked at me and then asked if I’d be working. When I said yes, he rolled his eyes and insisted that he be by my side.
My chest swelled with love for him.
But now I worry that something is wrong when he can’t stop wiggling in his seat.
“What is it?” I ask, my tone a little too gruff.
“Remember when you said I can do anything I want? It was yesterday, post orgasm, so your brain might have been scrambled.”
“I remember,” I say slowly.
Neo shifts on the spot. “Right, well…I did a thing. Please don’t be mad at me. Or, you can be mad, but then you can fuck me, and then you won’t be upset anymore…right?”
He’s making no sense when the door to the office opens, and I see Dotty appear, a scowl on her face. Behind her is a tall middle-aged woman, her heels clacking on the floor as she moves, her hair pulled into a severe bun.
“Your guest has arrived,” Dotty says, and then closes the door behind her.
I take the woman in. She’s smartly dressed, a professional of some sort.
“What did you do?” I ask softly, and Neo stares up at me with those beautiful, expressive eyes.
“Just…give her a chance. She came highly recommended.”
She moves toward us with a bright smile. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Buckingham. I’m Melissa Wright. When your boyfriend called me and said you’d be interested in decorating your house, I cleared my schedule.”
My hands fist and then unclench slightly. Neo is peering at me, unblinking, until I finally reach over and take his hand in mine. I bring it up to my lips and kiss his knuckles.
“He’s so thoughtful.”
“I am?” he asks, his eyes wide.
“He is. I’d love to hear what you’d do to this place.”
She nods and then glances around the room. “Would you like me to focus on this office, specifically, or…”
“The entire house, Ms. Wright. I want it stripped down and redone.”
Her eyes widen slightly, but she quickly regains her composure. “Absolutely. We can do that.”
“After Christmas, of course. I don’t want that ruined for Neo.”
Neo blushes and leans into me. “I think Samson wouldn’t mind.”
“I’m not doing this for him, darling,” I say, and then I kiss his forehead just as the decorator pulls her phone out, and a moment later, two of her assistants appear, tablets in hand.
“I can get the designs up, and we can start renovations after the holidays. But right now, if you have time, let’s go over what colors you like, themes, and just general vibes. And then we can get started.”
I peer over at Neo, and he grins softly at me. I can’t believe he did this. And yet I can. He knows how much I hate this place, how much it’s always felt too much like him. And now I have a chance to start over, to redo it all.
I can finally make this place my own.
I can purge my father from the walls of this place and finally live in peace. With Neo at my side.