Sweet Affection (Truth Book 3) (5 page)

“Come for me, baby. I want to feel it inside me.” She whispers, dragging her teeth over my earlobe and I slam her hips down on top of me harder as my cock erupts fiercely. “Shit,” I hiss out gruffly, and bend my knees, bracing my feet on the floor, while she carries on riding me slowly until the pulses have eased inside her.

“Fuck me,” I say in astonishment.

“I just did.” She replies sassily, and I cup the back of her head and pull her mouth down to meet mine.

“Best. Roommate. Ever.”

She giggles and runs her hands through my hair, kissing my forehead and rocking me slowly back to full mast.

I sit up and wrap my hands around her back, bending my head to take her nipple in my mouth. Her breath catches as I trace my tongue over it and suck it gently.

“James…” She sighs out.

“Right here, beautiful. Always. What do you need?” I kiss across her chest and pay the same attention to her other breast, hands gripping her hips and rocking her against me.

“My new bed.” She gasps as I grip her ass and spread her so I can get even deeper. I get up holding her tightly against me and kick the blanket out the way so I can move out the door.

“Wait.” She says as I start walking us up the stairs. “What about the stairs?”

“You want me to make love to you on the stairs?”

“Why not?” She smiles shyly, tugging her lip between her teeth and I’ve never been able to resist that look. She grabs my face in her hands and kisses me gently, tongue darting out, letting me know it wants mine. I lower her back to the stairs, resting one hand on the step above her head, the other on the front of her hip, and show my new roommate how much I’m going to love having her here. 

Laurel

“I’m going to be late for work. I’ve got to get up.” It’s Monday morning, and I’ve stayed at James’ all weekend, but still haven’t told my mum I’m going to be moving out. Maybe I don’t actually have to tell her. I could just faze it out slowly. Take a little with me each time, and eventually my room will just be empty and I’ll just never sleep there.
No, that’s mean Laurel.
I’ve just got to suck it up and tell her.

Today.

James grips my hip tighter and mumbles against my breasts, “No. Just five more minutes.”

I laugh and try to pry his hand away.

“You stay in bed. There’s no need for you to get up too.”

He lifts his head. “Did you forget the non-negotiable part of our little merger? No showering alone.”

He snorts. “Do you really think I’d be able to stay in bed and go back to sleep knowing you were naked in
our
bathroom, running your soapy hands all over yourself, fingers slipping over your tits and your pussy…” He growls and turns over on his back, punching the mattress.

“Shit, now I’m hard and wide awake. I’m never gonna get to sleep in, am I?”

He shakes his head, and I throw the covers off of us and get up, strutting round to his side of the bed.

“Come shower with me then, and I’ll take care of that little problem for you.” I give him my flirtiest smile and pull him into our bathroom.

“So what have you got planned today?” I ask as James drives me to work. I said I could drive but he insisted on dropping me off and picking me up, then taking us both to my mum’s so we could tell her.

“Not much. I’ve got a conference call at one with Riker Garrison, owner of that hotel chain I was telling you about. Then I’ll be working on the brief.”

“Oh yeah, so are you getting the contract?”

“Seb and I are pitching for it next week, there’s a few other smaller companies, but our biggest competition is Cooper’s.”

I snort, a very un-ladylike sound, but there’s something about Sarah Cooper that gets my blood boiling and I haven’t even met the woman.

“Is that a jealous snort I hear over there?” James looks at me out of the corner of his eye, and shoots me his killer smirk. It does funny things to my stomach.

I roll my eyes, and flip my hair over my shoulder playfully.

“I don’t have anything to be jealous of. I’ve seen her picture. She’s a brunette. She can’t compete with me.”

He laughs and picks up my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing my knuckles.

“She can’t compete with you. But it’s not just your hair colour, babe. It’s everything.”

I leave the car after a heart-stopping kiss and a giddy happy feeling that’s way too strong for even work problems to kill.

“What’s up?” I mouth to Jess as I walk in the store and watch her pretty face twist in anger whilst she’s pacing up and down on the phone. She holds up a finger telling me she’ll just be a minute so I put my bag down and flick the kettle on. We’ve still got half an hour until our first appointment of the day and I’ve got a feeling she’ll need something to relax her.

“Argggh.” She growls as she flies through the door to the kitchen and flings herself down on the nearest chair. “Laurel, he’s going to make me go crazy.” She screams out in frustration.

“Who, chick?” I ask blankly.

“Brian. Tell me again why Blake’s company couldn’t do this?” Brian’s the project manager for the company in Manchester we’ve hired to do the shop-fitting for the new store, which means there’s another problem. Bloody builders.

“He’s got another project he’s working on. What’s Brian done?”

She slaps a hand on the table and dives at the coffee I’ve put in front of her.

“They’re asking for another five thousand. Something about the work they’ve got to do to fit in the stockroom upstairs instead of at the back like originally planned.”

“That’s rubbish. James’ plans are fine, and Blake has already spoken to him and talked him through the new changes. The extra two thousand we already shook on was enough last week. Nothing could have changed over the weekend. He’s taking the piss.”

“I know.” She shakes her head, and visibly shudders. “I hate talking to him. He gives me the creeps. He’s so smarmy.”

“Yeah. But I know exactly how to deal with that. Give me five minutes.”

I pick up the phone, and dial his number.

“Brian, darling. It’s Laurel.”

“Of course.”

“Jess tells me we have a little problem, but I told her you and I could come to a compromise.” I giggle into the phone and Jess rolls her eyes.

“Well that will certainly help.” I gasp and feign surprise.

“Oh, but that wouldn’t leave us any money at all for the fabric. I don’t know how I would cope.” I try my best innocent damsel in distress voice.

“You’d be doing me such a
big
favour.” I drop my voice low and breathy, and he reacts just the way I’d hoped.

“Oh darling, that’s amazing. Thank you so much.”

“How’s everything else coming along?”

“Uh, huh. Sounds fantastic. I
really
appreciate it.”

“I’ll be up there in a few days.”

“Will do. Bye.”

I disconnect the call and feel myself itch all over. Yuck. But it worked.

“So, he understands my predicament and is sure that if he changes this and that, he can do us a big favour and just charge us the original quote.
Blah, blah, blah
. Am I great or what?”

Jess rolls her eyes again, but smiles and I get up and throw my arm over her shoulder.

“Come on, our first appointment should be here soon. Her name’s Amy and I went to school with her. She’s an utterly pampered princess, and you know what that means?”

“Marchesa.” We both say at the same time and giggle until we struggle to breathe.

Two hours later and we called it. Amy ordered an ivory Marchesa Chantilly lace and satin gown which costs way more than I would ever dream of spending on my own wedding dress, but we have very different views on the world. And money.

“She was interesting.” Jess says as she slumps back against the arm of the sofa while we have a breather in between appointments.

“Mmm, she’s still the same as she was ten years ago. So, I’ve got to go back to Manchester to do interviews. I’ll be gone for a couple of days. There’s a trade show in Birmingham I’ll have to miss though. Did you want to go? The girls will be okay on their own for the day.”

Jess sits up straighter, and nods excitedly. “Wow, I’d love to. But it’ll be my first one on my own? You’re sure?”

“Of course. I trust you. You’ve been here helping me for so long. And you’ve got a great eye. That Castigliano you chose has been one of our bestsellers.”

She looks thoughtful, then shifts uneasily.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.”

My stomach drops and I get a sinking feeling. If she’s going to tell me she’s leaving I think I’m going to have to be prepared to keep her hostage. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without her.

“Go for it now. We have time.” I take in a breath and prepare myself for the resignation speech. I’ll throw some more money at her if that’s what it takes. I need her. She helps me run this place with her eyes closed.

“So, I absolutely love working for you Laurel. You’ve taught me so much, and although I have a lot more to learn, I’m confident I could do that under your guidance. But, I’d love to have more responsibility and as you run this store, now we’re expanding there’s a great opportunity for me to run my own. There’s nothing but Proposals keeping me in Stamford.”

I stare at her, shocked into silence. It didn’t even occur to me she’d want to move away from here. But I know one thing, I’d be damn lucky to have her running our next store.

“You want Manchester?” I clarify, just to make sure we’re on the same page.

She nods uncertainly, and I sit back in the chair, sucking on the pen and thinking about all the plans I had for the store happening exactly the way I wanted them to with her support. There’ll always be a probationary period anyway.

“You want Manchester chick, you got it.” I say with wink and a smile that’s so wide its hurting my cheeks already.

“Seriously?” She asks, eyes watching me closely.

“Of course. You’d always be my first choice. I just didn’t even realise you’d want to move up there. But don’t think I’m going easy on you. I know exactly what you’re capable of, so there’ll be no excuses.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She shakes her head and splutters her astonishment.

“Congratulations, Jess. Proposals Manchester is your baby now. Forget about the trade show in Birmingham. You’re coming up with me and we’ll do the interviews for the rest of your team and go apartment hunting, okay?”

“Oh my gosh, Laurel. I’m so excited.”

“Take it all in, and work hard for me, Jess. And for yourself. I want a flagship in London next year and I’ll need a manager who’s ready to take on a whole new level of busy.” Her eyes widen and she nods slowly, the smile still plastered all over her face.

“I will. I promise. Now, do you want to take the next appointment or shall I?”

“I’ll do it.” I nod, finishing writing a list of things we need to get done today. I don’t know how to survive without lists.

“Great, I’m going to put the rush order in for Kate’s Ian Stuart and steam the dresses I laid out in the stockroom, they’re looking a bit creased now. Then I’ll write out Meg’s appraisal objectives and process this month’s payroll. Let me know if you need anything out here.” With that she turns on her heel and disappears into the office. I knew she was good, which was why I decided to give her Manchester, but as I look down in shock at my rapidly diminishing list, I shake my head and a smile spreads across my face. With staff like her Proposals is going to have a whole chain in no time.

My high only gets higher throughout the rest of the day. Jess and I have accomplished so much, and by closing we’ve also arranged interviews for her own supervisor and team of sales assistants so I tell her to go home and I’ll tidy up. James walks through the door, and if my happiness levels could spike even more, they do at the sight of his cut biceps and the t-shirt that’s clinging to his body like it was made for him. It sends my heart pumping into overdrive.

He notices me staring and I have to lean back against the desk to steady myself. His knowing smile tenses my thighs and clenches my stomach in anticipation. But I really need to pull myself together because we’re supposed to be stopping by my mum’s first and telling her about moving in together.

“Hey beautiful.” I shiver at the sound of his voice; low, sexy, playful. He’s right in front of me now and my mind dives headfirst into the gutter thinking of wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs round his waist.

“Hi.” Even saying a two letter word feels like a huge effort, and I wince at how needy it sounded. His smile gets wider as he hooks an arm round my waist and pulls me close to his body. Of course I have to stop myself stumbling, so my hand immediately grabs hold of his bicep. A move I know he gets turned on by too. Apparently it’s a reflex action for me just before I come.

He ducks his head and kisses a path from my collarbone to my ear, another involuntary shiver sending goose bumps to my arms.

“Is my girl having dirty thoughts about me again?” He whispers, lips hovering against my neck.
Yes. Oh God, yes.
But that is not the reply that comes out of my mouth. When he moves both hands down to my ass and pulls me flat against him, it’s a little desperate moan that falls out and I want to kick myself for turning to a pile of mush in his arms. I lean my forehead to his chest and try to control my heavy breathing, but all I can think about is his arms wrapped around me, and one of his hands that’s making its way under my top and stroking the skin of my back.

“Look at me, Laurel.”
Shit, he said my name.
That one simple word gets to me like nothing else; I hardly ever hear him say it. He knows the effect it has on me too. I told him one night after a few glasses of wine, and now he says it when he wants to watch me squirm. I lift my head and try to pull myself together long enough to have a conversation.

“What are you thinking about?”

I gulp hard as he walks me back slowly so my butt hits the back of the desk again and his body cages me against it. His hands reach out to gather my hair back and he pulls it to the side, one still tangled in it as the other moves the collar of my blouse to the side and he bends to kiss my neck once. He doesn’t take his eyes off mine as he undoes the first few buttons with his free hand and pulls the collar off my shoulder, baring my bra to him. His hand fists tighter in my hair, and his eyes flash with hunger when he pulls the cup down revealing my breast spilling over the top. He drags the strap down and kisses his way from my neck to the nipple that’s peaked and straining to reach his mouth.