Chapter 13

"I can't breathe when you do that to me," I mutter under my breath. "You need to stop. I'm begging you to stop."

He freezes in place. His labored breaths tickle my moist flesh. His shoulders are still resting against my inner thighs. I'm exposed and open. I've come twice already and if I don't stop him now, I'm liable to pass out from sheer pleasure.

"You need a time-out, Tess. You don't want me to stop."

He may be right but who am I to judge? I'd let him pick me up in the living room as I wrapped my legs around his waist. He'd pulled my clothing off so quickly that he'd torn a hole near the top of my dress where it buttons.

I hadn't wasted but a minute when I tried to unbuckle his jeans. I'd groaned out loud when I felt the outline of his erection pressing against the fabric. I wanted it then. I wanted to push him on the bed and slide my body over his, but he took control.

"Can't you just fuck me?"

The rumble of his laughter floats into me as he lazily draws his tongue over my core once more. "Can't I just fuck you?"

"I want it," I say brazenly. "I just want to feel you inside of me."

He looks up my body, his eyes stopping at my breasts before they settle on my face. "I love being inside of you. I love tasting you. I love it all."

I hold my hands against my chest as I try to find a deep breath. I'm flushed. I can see the pinkness as it pours over my skin.

"Will you kiss me?"

I don't have to say another thing before he's sliding his large frame over me. His cock presses against my thigh before he drags it along my hip until it rests against my stomach.

His hand leaps to my chin as he tilts my head to the left. His lips press into mine for a deep kiss.

I wrap my arms around him. I run my tongue over his bottom lip before I glide it over his cheek to his neck.

"I have to put on a condom." He kisses me once more, softer this time. "You can make me do anything, Tess. Anything."

I smile as I watch him walk to his dresser. He pushes things aside before he pulls out a condom wrapper. His eyes meet mine as he slowly rips it open.

"Put it on for me." He walks towards the bed, the unwrapped condom in his hand. "Do it for me."

"I've..." I've never done that," I stammer. "I don't know how."

"You've watched me." He dips his chin towards his cock. "I've seen you watching me. Put it on."

I lean forward to wrap my hand around him. I slowly and carefully slide the condom on, being careful to not puncture the tip.

"I love the way you make me feel." He leans down to cup my chin in his palm. "I've never felt like this with anyone before."

I reach up to grab his shoulders as I pull him down and into my arms.

***

"Can I see you again tomorrow night?"

I look to where he's still tangled beneath the sheet on his bed. He'd fucked me hard. It was so hard that I came quickly. That had only spurred him on.

He'd flipped me over before he entered me fully in one swift plunge. I'd fallen forward and as he took me with long, slow strokes, he'd whispered into the air that he wanted me to touch myself.

I had.

I'd reached between my legs to circle my swollen bud with my finger.

His thrusts increased and as we both neared the edge of our release, he'd pulled out before he rammed himself into me so hard that tears filled my eyes and I cried out.

"I'm not sure," I say honestly. "I may have a meeting."

"I'm leaving the day after tomorrow." He sits up, struggling to wrap his torso in one of the sheets. "I want to see you before that."

I laugh as I watch him mutter a few choice curse words before he pushes the bed linens aside and stands up, completely nude.

"Will you look like that when I see you?"

"Like this?" he asks as he holds his hands out in front of his semi-erect cock. "You like me best when I'm naked, is that it?"

I like him best at any moment. "I'll call you tomorrow and we can find a time to meet."

"You can stay with me tonight?" He waves his hand over the bed. "You can fall asleep right here in my arms."

It's so tempting but I have work to do before I see Gabriel and I want to prepare myself for the tentative dinner I have planned with Gianna tomorrow night.

"I just want to listen to you fall asleep, Tess." His hands leap to his chest. "I'll let you go first thing in the morning."

I drop my purse on the floor. "Can you help me out of my dress?"

Chapter 14

"A private investigator your father's attorney hired contacted my mother. She wasn't prepared for that."

Your mother was sleeping with my father. I sure as hell wasn't prepared for that, Mr. Foster.

"Gianna was very forthcoming," I say sweetly. "She's been a big help."

"Is that so?" He cocks both brows. "She wasn't comfortable sharing the details of her discussion with the investigator with me. I assumed that was because she didn't have much to offer."

"On the contrary," I stop myself before I say it but it's so close to the surface that it just comes spilling out of my mouth. "Apparently she has a lot to offer."

"Was she able to offer anything to help your father?"

I'm going to need a shower after this discussion. I never once imagined my parents behind closed doors. I don't want to conjure up a mental image of my father and Gianna.

"I believe so." I open my tablet. "I was hoping we could go over some of the finer details for the pop-up shop event."

Gabriel adjusts the cuff link on his left wrist, taking time to straighten it completely. "If your attention needs to be on your father's legal situation, Tess, I have a replacement in mind."

It's hard not to take that personally. I can't though. The man is only looking out for his company's best interests. I'm doing the same for mine, which is why I’m here, and not in Boston helping to plan the celebratory party for my father's release tomorrow.

"You have my full attention, Mr. Foster." I slide my finger across my tablet's screen. "I'd like to start with the list of models I've hired for the event."

His eyes fall to where my finger is perched. "Very well, then. Let's get started."

***

"Frederick Beckett would like to see you."

"Me?" I touch my left ear wondering if I misheard what Everett just said to me. "Landon's father wants to see me?"

"His attorney called me this morning." He shifts on the small chair in the crowded café we're sitting in.

He'd called just as I was leaving Gabriel's office. He told me that he had something to talk about that was better discussed face-to-face. Since I haven't spoken to anyone in my family yet today about my father's upcoming arraignment hearing tomorrow, I'd panicked.

When I asked him point blank about my father, he had assured me that everything was on track. He didn’t anticipate any hiccups. He simply wanted to go over something with me in person before he left for Boston in the morning.

"Why would he want to see me?"

"I can think of any number of reasons," he says calmly. "Your lives have intersected on many levels, Tess."

"Am I allowed to talk to him?" It's a genuine question. I've thought about going to see him myself more than once. It's never been about lashing out at him over what happened with my father, or Landon. My pull towards him has always been to understand more about the man who single handily ruined so many people's lives only to return on a whim.