“Okay, I can help you find a listing agent, and when the time comes, I can handle the closing with you.”
“Thank you so much, Mr. Schwartz. If that was it, I do have to get back to work.”
“Oh, yes, of course. I only have a few more papers to go over and then I’ll see myself out.” He’s already looking down and scribbling in his notepad.
Once back at my desk, I type Manhattan realtors into my computer search engine. I’ve been putting this off for too long. It’s time to settle it.
IT’S OFFICIAL. By the time my desk clock says five, I’m bouncing off the walls. Sydney and I bolt out the door and head home. He should be there soon. My stomach is a ball of knots, as are my shoulders and the muscles in my back. Just as Sydney opens the door, my phone vibrates in my pocket and I jump to retrieve it. Sydney pads down the hallway and I head to my room and check my message.
Preston: I’m outside your building in the illegally parked Range Rover.
Me: There in one minute.
I grab the tiny carry-on bag I packed last night and make my way to leave. When I start walking to the door, I hear Sydney call my name.
“Escaping without saying good-bye?”
“He’s downstairs.” She nods.
“Be safe, okay? And if you need me, no matter when, call.”
“Okay.”
She pulls me into a hug and then lets me go. I turn my back and head for the door. Biting my lip, I enter the elevator, and swallow hard as I make my descent.
My heart rams in my chest with each step that brings me closer to the outside world, and by the time I see his parked car, I fear it might explode. Am I making the wrong decision?
But then my world stops and my question is answered. No. I’m not.
The late afternoon sun reflects in his eyes, twinkling crystals and sapphire specks dance across the distance. God, those eyes. He pulls me toward him. His mouth brushes over mine and my lips part on a gasp. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he deepens the kiss. His tongue fights mine in a frenzy of passion and desperation. Of hunger and need. As our mouths collide, it’s as if he’s fighting for ownership of me. To possess me.
But what he doesn’t know is there’s no need. The moment I saw him, I was his.
“I shouldn’t have done that in public, but when I look at you I lose all reason,” he mutters as he pulls away from me. “Here, get in the car before someone sees us.” He opens the door for me before slipping around to the driver side and getting in.
“So, where to?” I ask as I fasten my seatbelt and he pulls away from the curb.
“Ever been to Rhode Island?” A grin tugs at his lips.
“Can’t say that I have.”
“Good.” He smirks.
“That’s it. That’s all you’re telling me?”
“Yeah, it’s more fun this way.” I playfully swat at his arm and he gently encases my hand in his, then places our entwined hands on his lap. It’s an intimate gesture that makes me fall a bit more than I want.
As we drive out of the city, my shoulders uncoil. The idea of spending a few days with Preston is exhilarating. Soft music plays throughout the interior of the car and I get lost in the skyline vanishing into the horizon the farther we get. We sit in comfortable silence. Preston’s fingers trace circles on my own as we continue to our destination.
“How was work today?” He finally breaks the silence and I turn to him and smile. He looks away from the road for a brief second, his eyes soft.
“It was okay.”
“Just okay?”
“Well, I was a bit anxious to get away, so the day dragged. Then Richard’s attorney came to speak to me about the apartment.”
“Have you decided what you want to do with it?”
“I’m going to sell it.” His hand squeezes mine. “Other than that, the day was good. Just working on a new campaign I landed.”
“That’s amazing.”
“Thanks.” My lips split into a smile. It was pretty amazing. “What about you?” Although his face is forward and turned toward the road, I see his lips pucker. “You don’t have to tell me about your day if that makes you uncomfortable.” He nods and I can see him let out a big exhale. “How about you tell me something about your family.”
“I can do that.” His lips tip up in a smirk. “What do you want to know?”
“How about everything,” I blurt out, eliciting a hearty laugh from him.
“Okay, everything. Hmm. Well, for starters, I’m one of three. I have an older brother named Jace, you already met his twins. Jace works at my father’s hedge fund, and then there is Madeline, my younger sister. She actually works in fashion. You would love her,” he says before he catches the implication and frowns. Getting to know her isn’t in the cards for us right now. He knows it and I know it. There’s too much for him to lose. After a brief silence, he shakes his head and appears to right his thoughts.
“Where does she work?”
“She’s the merchandising director for She.” I recognize the name instantly—She is a cutting edge fashion line that’s carried at all the high-end department stores and upscale boutiques in the city.
“Are you close with your siblings?”
“Yes, very. We speak on the phone almost daily and we try get together every week for dinner. Well, not this week. But typically.”
“That’s so nice.” My voice betrays my emotions. I might see my mom every week, but we would never have what he has with his family. It just isn’t possible to get that from her. Needing to let my mind drift from my own dysfunctional family, I continue to drill him about his own.
For the rest of the drive, we talk of everything and nothing. Mundane details that for most would seem unimportant, but for me, getting these tiny glimpses of the man who makes up Dr. Preston Montgomery is everything. I love hearing him talk about his parents. Married for thirty-seven years, they are still madly in love. And when he speaks of his siblings, it makes me smile from ear to ear.
As we pull off the highway, I’m giddy with excitement. Two days alone with this man . . . I can’t wait.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
EVE
WE PULL down the long peninsula in Newport, Rhode Island. With a sharp inhale of breath, my mouth hangs open. Castle Hill Inn. It’s everything I’ve ever imagined perfection would be and more.
Perched high up on the hill is a beautiful white-shingled mansion that overlooks the ocean. It’s one of the most magnificent homes I have ever seen. Preston pulls the car into the circular drive and we depart with the little luggage we have. The air is crisp, as most of the bitter winter has passed, making its way into spring.
After checking in, we proceed to the quaint cottage set on the beach. Preston has secured a private residence for our weekend on the property.
Before the door fully closes, he’s on me. Lifting me into his arms and sweeping me over to the giant canopy bed set in the center of the bedroom. Once I’m lying there, he lowers himself over me. I feel the pressure of his lips as my eyes shut with a moan. His mouth probes my own. His tongue tastes my tongue. In a haze, I feel his hands lifting at my blouse. He pulls away and I open my lids. He lifts my shirt above my head, then with slow, precise steps removes all my clothes. Lying on the bed naked, a shudder runs through my body as he undresses as well. His tall frame is long and lean. Each muscle well defined. This is the first time I’m seeing him naked.
He’s perfect.
Mesmerizing.
He looks wild with lust and it lights me on fire. I want him to touch me, but he just stares down at me. Like a predator stalking his prey until he finally pounces.
I position my legs further apart to allow him to cradle between them. When he aligns himself with my core, I lift my pelvis. Every part of my body quivers with anticipation. With need. My skin is a live wire. Ready to be set ablaze. He brushes against my entrance and a moan escapes me. He continues to tease me, running his length back and forth against my heat.
Sweet
torture.
“Preston,” I cry out in a desperate plea. Our eyes lock. The blue of his irises is completely gone behind the black of his dilated pupils. He looks at me is as if he wants to devour every single inch of my body. Slowly, he pushes inside me. He cups my face and peers into my eyes as he enters me inch by inch. The movement of his body stills, and with one swift lift of my hips, I close the space separating us until he is fully seated. Preston holds his body still until my muscles stretch to accommodate him, molding completely around him.
“Please,” I moan, pleading with him to move. He silences my cries by covering my mouth with his and rotating his hips in a painfully slow circle. When I think I can take no more of his sweet torture, he retracts his body from mine and hovers again on the brink of entry. Then slams back in.
Over and over again.
Each time driving harder and harder.
Deeper and deeper.
He thrusts in slow strokes, in long ones.
I welcome each pull and drag of his body.
I cling to him, bracing my hands against his shoulders, my nails gripping and scratching across his sleek skin. He keeps me on the edge of my climax.
Torturing me.
With each move he makes, I hang on the precipice of bliss.
Until I finally fall over the edge. Just as I return from my haze, I hear a fierce growl escape his mouth as he claims his own release.
We lay panting, each of us needing to catch our breaths. Preston’s body is heavy on mine. His heart beats erratically against my own. They beat in tandem. As if we are one, and at the moment we still are. After a minute, he lifts up and places a soft kiss on my swollen lips.
“That was amazing.” He kisses me again and I smile against his lips. He runs his tongue along the seam of my lips, and then pulls away.