Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66134 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 331(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
“Will I get to see him for his birthday?” my mother asked as she followed us through her house to the front door. “It’s just not the same now that you and Alyssa don’t throw him a big party with all our friends there.”
Those spectacles had been Alyssa’s doing, putting together a ridiculously huge and expensive bash for a kid that was all for show and appearances, thrown only to impress her friends and make sure everyone knew that money was no object. I’d hated those parties, which was why I’d changed things up with Owen’s birthdays once Alyssa and I divorced.
“I’m taking him to the beach club for his birthday weekend, just like I have the past few years. I’ll make sure you get to see him sometime that week before we go.”
“Will your…girlfriend be there?” she asked, her tone already dripping with criticism at the word girlfriend.
“Yes, Stevie is going,” I said, but made sure my mother knew what the arrangements would be because she’d no doubt report back to Alyssa. “She’ll be staying with Cara in her suite.”
By the time I left, I was mentally fried and worked up at the same time, and when we returned home after stopping for lunch, I wasn’t in the best mood and needed to decompress. I called to see if Cara was around and asked her to watch Owen while I spent the next two hours in the downstairs gym, working off my aggression.
On Sunday, I handed off Owen to Alyssa.
The next three days until I had plans to see Stevie for my business dinner passed at a snail’s pace. The time since I’d seen her last had most definitely not flown by. I couldn’t get Stevie out of my mind. Not when I was at home, not when I was at work, and most certainly not when I was in my bed alone at night and wished she were there with me.
Every night one or the other of us had been busy, which didn’t stop us from texting each other about our days—and flirting—because if I couldn’t be with her in person, I found myself wanting to connect with her in other ways until I was able to see her for tonight’s dinner with Beck and Chloe, and Gerard Laurent and his wife, Hazel.
After a too long day at the office—though an incredibly productive one since Gerard and his wife had submitted an offer on the triplex penthouse at Central Park Tower, which made tonight’s dinner more of a celebratory event—I arrived home and took a shower and changed into a fresh suit.
Finally, Stevie was all mine. I wasn’t thrilled that we had a long, drawn-out meal and pleasantries to sit through, but once that was over I had every intention of making up for lost time. As in, bringing her back to my apartment afterward, stripping her naked, and keeping her very busy in my bed for the rest of the night.
At six-thirty, I knocked on Stevie’s door to pick her up.
She answered, her eyes bright with excitement and a wide smile on her lips. She called out to Valerie that she was leaving, and I walked with her to the elevator. Once we were inside and heading down, she smoothed a hand along the front of her silky black dress that was subtly sexy, skimming her body just enough for me to appreciate her sensual curves.
“I hope I dressed appropriately for the restaurant we’re going to?”
The question was tinged with a hint of self-conscious uncertainty that she had no reason to feel. I took in the complete package…the way she’d worn her hair up in a more elegant style, her smoky eye makeup and daring choice of lip color, then continued down to the classic, sophisticated black dress and tasteful heels that completed the ensemble.
“You look gorgeous,” I said, meaning it, and followed that up with a sinful smile. “The only thing that would make you look even more beautiful is if you weren’t wearing anything at all.”
A pink blush suffused her cheeks, but her eyes shone with awareness. “So, that’s how it’s going to go tonight, huh?”
“Me imagining you naked?” I asked, turning toward her and closing the very short distance between us, until her back was pressed against the cool chrome interior wall. “Absolutely,” I murmured.
I lifted my hand and stroked the backs of my fingers along the side of her bare neck, watching with satisfaction as she shivered from my touch. “In fact, all throughout dinner, I’m going to be thinking about pulling those pins from this fancy updo so I can wrap your hair around my fist while I fuck you.”
Her eyes darkened with desire as they looked up into mine, and her lips parted on a soft exhale of breath.
I smiled, skimming my thumb along her chin, not done seducing her imagination that would hopefully keep her on edge until we were alone later. “But first, before I do that, I’m going to put you on your knees because that red lipstick you’re wearing? It’s a goddamn tease and I want to see it smeared all over my cock while you suck my dick.”