“If I say yes, are you going to stop?”
He presses his lips to my belly. “I’m not going to stop until you come.”
His tongue teases the sensitive flesh on my belly and then he’s back between my legs, twirling my clit with his tongue, a slow, sexy tease while his fingers stroke the line of my sex and then slip inside. He licks, strokes, caresses and teases and pleases in random wicked ways that has me pumping my hips, moaning, and then crashing into orgasm way too quickly. I’ve barely collapsed into the mattress when my cellphone rings.
I groan. “Come here,” I plead, wanting him inside me. “I don’t care who it is.”
He slides up my body and grabs my phone. “Grayson.”
My eyes go wide. “My cell is on my business card. He must have gotten it from there.”
“Answer it,” he says, handing me the phone and rolling to his side, his hand on my belly.
“Good morning,” I greet.
“She greets me politely, with high energy, and ready to make a deal despite her apartment burning down hours before. You only solidify my decision, Carrie. I’m in on the convention center, but find out what it’s going to take to keep it off the bidding table. I want it closed quickly.”
I look at Reid and nod. He smiles and kisses my temple. “I’ll make the call now,” I promise Grayson. “It’s the middle of the night in Japan, but I have a cell number for my contact.”
“Good. Now, about your building.”
“About that. How did you know?”
“I have everyone I consider doing business with checked out. I knew your address.”
“You had me checked out and quickly. Of course you did. You’re a billionaire and while I am not, I thankfully have good insurance.”
“I can offer you a luxury apartment for six months free of charge.”
I blanch. “That’s incredibly generous Grayson, but I’m fine. I’m with Reid.”
“Interesting. Well, if you change your mind, the offer will remain on the table. Let me know on the offer.”
“I’m on it.” I hang up and look at Reid. “Did you hear the conversation?”
“Every last word, including the apartment.”
I kiss his cheek. “That I don’t need. I have a home with you and we’re about to be very rich together thanks to that clause in my contract that gives me a percentage of anything above a certain threshold.”
He covers my hand with his. “You know I don’t care about the money, right?”
“Why? It’s a lot of money. I care. This is my first time ever to make this kind of money. I’m excited. It’s okay to want to make money with me, Reid.” I think of the hours we sat and talked last night, even after his confession and I easily say, “I trust you.” I smile. “Now, are you excited?”
He laughs. “Yes. Now I’m excited. It is a shit-ton of money.”
“I need to call Japan.” I sit up and start looking through my cellphone contacts. “Got it.” I punch in the number and listen to it ring and end up with my contact’s voicemail. I leave a message and then throw away the covers. “We need to get to work. You should shower with me. It’ll save time.” I dart toward the bathroom and then turn and point at Reid, who’s clearly about to pursue. “Wait a minute though. I have to pee, and we aren’t at a place where you get to watch that.”
He laughs. God, I love to hear him laugh and it means even more after what he confessed last night. I pee and turn on the shower. “Ready!” I call out only to have Reid already behind me, his big body walking me into the shower and pressing me against the wall.
“This isn’t the way to make the shower faster,” I tease.
“Sure it is. We fuck and shower at the same time. It's the definition of time management.” He lifts my leg and presses inside me, drilling hard and cupping my backside to angle my hips. And then he’s thrusting, his gaze raking over my breasts as they sway to his pumps, and I forget everything but how good he feels. How intensely he looks at me, how perfectly he fucks me and kisses me.
Yes.
I will live with you, Reid Maxwell, I think, and enjoy every minute.
***
Much later, we’re both dressed, me in a pink suit, and him in a navy suit with a blue tie the color of his gorgeous blue eyes, sitting at the island in the kitchen drinking coffee and eating eggs that he made us. Yes, Reid Maxwell does cook. The beast has a human side and that’s why I decide to breach a difficult topic. “Have you thought about telling Cat what you told me last night?”
“I don’t want her to know,” he says, and I’m pleased with how quickly he answers, how easily he’s let down his guard, though I doubt it felt easy to him. “But I need to make things right with her,” he adds. “I’ve been working on it, but I need to do more.”
“I think I’ll invite her to lunch, just to get to know her. Are you okay with that?”
“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I just wanted to make sure.”
“Which reminds me.” He grabs my phone. “I’m putting her number and Gabe’s in your phone.” He keys them in and offers me my cell. “You know they’ll be there for you, Carrie. For all the hell my family has been through, my siblings are still loyal.”
“They know you are, too, even if you don’t get warm and fuzzy with them. I knew there was more to you, even when you were barking orders at me.”
He arches a brow. “You think that’s over?”
“No. Because it apparently turns me on since it always ends with us fucking.”
“Exactly.”
My phone rings and I glance at the caller ID. “Japan.” I answer the line and thirty minutes later I hang up. “It’s a huge number, but I got it. He’s emailing me a written declaration. I’m going to text Grayson.”
“Do it,” he says.
I punch in the message and then sigh. “It’s gonna happen, Reid. I feel it. I want to go to Paris to celebrate.”
“Paris it is.”
My cellphone rings and I glance at the number, and eye Reid. “Grayson,” I tell him and then quickly answer the call. “Hello,” I say.
“What’s the number?”
“It’s big,” I warn.
“Number, Carrie.”
“Two and a half billion.”
“Tell him it’s done. Get it in writing and then close it.”
“Oh,” I say. “Yes. Done.” I hang up. “He said to make the offer.”
Reid rounds the island and pulls me to him. “Paris, baby. You and me and a whole lot of money. But just remember, there will be so much negotiation of this contract that it’s going to take weeks if not months to close.”
“But it’s going to close.”
“Yes,” he says. “It’s going to close.”
My cellphone, still in my hand, rings and this time when I glance at the number I’m not as eager to answer. “My father,” I say tightly.
“You don’t have to take it.”
“I do,” I say. “I want it over with and right now on this high, I can deal with him better than otherwise.”
“Okay, baby.”
He releases me, and I hit the answer button. “Hi, dad.”
“Was the fire in your building?” he asks.
“Yes, it was.”
“And?”
“Total loss for me.”
“As in your apartment?”
“Yes, but I have insurance.”
“Okay,” he says, “so obviously you’re meant to be here with me. Come here now.”
My lashes lower and I grab the island. “Did you really just tell me that my apartment burned up so that I could be there?”
“Things happen for a reason. I came here and I belong here. You’ll feel the same.”
“You’re right. They do happen for a reason. I moved in with Reid.”
“What?” he growls. “You did what?”
“I love him. He loves me. I’m living with him. I’m with him.” I turn to face the island and Reid, who’s now directly ac
ross at the opposite endcap. “And you need to know that any action against the Maxwells is now an act against me. Do not go after Reid or his family, who, with the exception of his father, I really like.”
“You have no idea how that family affected our family.”
“I actually do. I know about mom and Maxwell Senior, but she left me and that speaks of her character. You didn’t leave me. She wasn’t worth the war you started over her. She wasn’t worthy of us, but you’re making yourself unworthy of anyone by engaging in this kind of war. Please be bigger than that.”
“Reid told you about your mother?”
“He didn’t even know until this week. It’s not our war, but you two want to make it our war. You don’t get to pick my enemies.”
“It’s too late. It’s about more than your mother now. We are enemies. He’s your enemy.”
“No. Please don’t do that. The company is safe. I saved it and Reid helped me.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m coming there.”
“Don’t. Don’t come. I won’t be here. I’m going to Asia.” I hang up.
Reid joins me and his hands come down on my shoulders. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Was it okay that I said I knew? It just kind of came out.”
“Of course. I would have told you to keep it between us if that was necessary, but I still would have told you, Carrie.”
“I know that. We’re not enemies.”
“No. We’re not enemies.”
Chapter Sixty-Six
Carrie
Reid and I are about to walk into the West office building when he stops me, pulls me to the side, and around the corner into a small alleyway. “Where are you going to say you’re living? Because people are going to find out about your apartment.”
“I—well, where should I say I’m living?”
“With me, Carrie. We’ve nailed a huge opportunity for the stockholders and the staff. We’re living together. That’s not something easy to hide and I don’t want to.”
My hand goes to his chest. “You don’t?”
“No, I don’t. What about you?”
“Me either.”
His eyes warm. “Good. We’ll stay professional, but we won’t hide our relationship either. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
He pulls me to him and kisses me. “Then let’s go up.”
He takes my hand and leads me toward the door, but releases me when we enter the building. And it’s a good thing we just had that conversation because the minute we step off the elevator and into the executive offices, Sallie and Connie, who are both at Sallie’s desk, bombard us. “We heard about your building,” Connie says. “Oh, hon, I’m so sorry.”
“I tried to call you,” Sallie says.
This goes on for a good two minutes, before I say, “My apartment aside, we’ve all but closed on the Japan deal and we’re signing on with Grayson Bennett’s company for more work. So I have to put the apartment thing behind me and dig in.”
Both women show appropriate excitement, and when Sallie’s phone rings, Reid eyes Connie, “I’m expecting a document from my father today. Call his office and check on the status.”
“Oh right. What documents?”
“He’ll know what it is,” Reid says and then looks at me, motioning to my office. “Let’s talk.”
I nod and head that direction. He’s on my heels and shuts the door behind him. I round my desk and set my briefcase, which had thankfully been at Reid’s place during the fire, down. Reid walks to the window and offers me his back. I frown and join him. “What’s up?” I ask.
He turns to face me, or really tower over me. “Our lives are merged now.”
“Yes. They are.”
“Then you need to know something.”
“Okay,” I say cautiously.
“My father tried to make his retirement contract contingent on no West having any personal or professional involvement with a Maxwell.”
“In other words, me moving in with you means he’s not retiring,” I assume.
“It’s more layered than that. Gabe and I came together and gave him papers that officially withdraw us from the firm should he not sign my version of the retirement plan by today.”
I blanch. “Wait. Maxwell and Maxwell would leave Maxwell, Maxell, and Maxwell?”
“Exactly.”
“You can’t leave your firm for me. Reid, no.”
He pulls me to him. “Gabe and I will start over. I’m not against the idea and Gabe and I both have plenty of money and connections to make this work.”
“What about this Japan deal? I assume as CEO, you, and your firm, receive a percentage of this sale. How badly does leaving cut you out of your profits?”
“I’m operating as an extension of the firm, but I’m on the front line and a managing partner. I’ll get a nice payday as will Gabe. He’s a co-managing partner. I have plenty of money, Carrie. You can feel secure with me. I know how much you need to feel that stability.”
I swallow hard, shocked at how well he really does get me, but I don’t want him to feel that motivates me in negative ways. “I feel secure because of you and what we’re becoming, not because of your money.”
“I want you to feel secure and comfortable with me and my money.” He kisses me. “But we have plenty of time to talk about that. I need to run to the office and meet with Gabe. Call me when you know anything about Japan.”
“Yes. Of course, I will.”
He caresses my cheek. “See you soon.”
He walks toward the door and my cellphone rings at my desk. “Leave it open, please,” I call after him as I race to answer my phone.
Once I’m behind my desk, I snatch my cell from my purse to find the number labeled “Cat” that Reid input for me. “Hey, Cat,” I say. “Thank you so much for last night.”
“You sound good considering everything.”
“This huge deal Reid and I have been working on is about to close. It’s exciting and, well, Reid and I are good. I’m going to live with him without hesitation.”
“That’s wonderful. I wasn’t so sure last night that was going to work for you.”
“We talked for a long time. Cat, do you know he and Gabe might pull out of the firm?”
“Yes,” she says. “Gabe told me and honestly, if they make that decision, they’ll make it work. They’re incredible together and all around incredible at their jobs.”
“I noticed,” I say. “It seems to run in your family. And on that note, I’d love to take you to lunch soon and fan girl over your column.”
She laughs. “You’re too kind I’d love to have lunch, but Reese has a huge trial going on that I’m covering. Well, you know that. You read my column. It would need to be next weekend.”
“That works. I’ll call you later in the week.”
“Perfect, and Carrie, you’re good for him. My mom would approve.” She hangs up and Sallie appears in my doorway. “What do I need to do?” she asks.
I motion her forward and she claims the visitor’s chair in front of my desk. “I need to have you fight my insurance company to get me paid. I need to focus on Japan.”
“Of course. Do you need them to advance you for clothes and a place to stay?”
“Get them to pay for all you can, please,” I add.
“Do you need a hotel or a short-term rental?”
“No, but brace yourself,” I warn. “I’m staying with Reid.”
She blinks. “What? You hate each other.”
“No. No, we really don’t. We’re together.”
“Wow. That was fast. So very fast. Carrie, are you sure?”
“Very, and yes, it’s fast but I’ve never felt this way before. He’s not an asshole—well, okay he can be, but I’m working on that.”
She studies me a moment. “He makes you happy?”
“How do I seem today after my apartment burned down?”
“Happy,” she says, surprise in her voice. r />
“Yes. Happy. I’m alive and so is this company. And Reid—he matters to me.”
The sound of her phone ringing on her desk has her grabbing my phone to answer it. “Eric,” she says. “One moment.” She glances at me and I nod. “Let me patch you through to Ms. West.” She hands me the phone and rushes away.
“Eric,” I greet. “I’m excited we’re working with you.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do, and if this is what you do while your apartment’s being burned down, I’m quite certain I won’t be disappointed. I’m about to email you and Reid the agreement. I’m sure I’ll be hashing out the legalities with him, but I wanted to welcome you on board.”
“Thank you. We’ll do an amazing job for you.”
“I know you will. More soon, Carrie.” We disconnect, and I call Reid.
“Eric just emailed us contracts for the rest of the work. I’m about to pull them up and review them.”
“I’ll go through them at the office.”
“I’ll email you my notes.”
His phone beeps. “That’s Eric calling me,” he says. “I’ll let you know if he adds anything new to the conversation.”
We disconnect and the phone on my desk rings. I smile. I love this day. I love Reid. I grab my phone and dive into the craziness. This is where I belong. This is where I want to be.
***
Reid shows up back at the office mid-afternoon and he and Eric have hashed out our contract. An hour later, we ink a letter of intent to sign a contract with the owners of the Japan event center. We have one month to come to terms or the bids can reopen. We finally leave the office at seven and order from our favorite sandwich place on the way home.
Home.
With Reid.
It’s really surreal.
It’s on the walk through Battery Park that it hits me we haven’t talked about his father’s retirement. “Your father?”
“No response, which means Gabe and I will close out our current projects, take on no new clients, and leave officially in six months. An announcement will go to the staff after the board meeting next week.”
“How do you feel about it?” I ask as we enter the building.