“A few things, actually, if you’re including that.”
I looked at him curiously. “What?”
“I’m launching a new venture.”
He ticked his head from side to side. I pinned it down with a kiss, but he just smiled through it.
“Well, tell me.” I said.
“Guess.”
“Aw, come on.”
“It’s not hard. You know exactly what I’m doing.”
I took a breath and then I did.
“You’re doing it,” I said softly. “You’re buying Habibi Solar yourself.”
“Just like a certain women suggested.”
My heart beat a million beats per second. I had gotten him to do this?
“Don’t look so horrified,” he said. “You didn’t brainwash me. The deal was solid. That’s why I played my hand.”
“I know,” I said. “But so much money… And it’s truly your own company. You’re certain it’s what you want? I’m not the Yoko to the Stone family am I?”
His strong hands wrapped me tighter. “Not unless you consider Lennon’s solo stuff to be his best work.”
I nodded and snuggled in. Through the lens of my career, this was my biggest victory ever. But Deacon was more than my career. I didn’t want to lead him astray. I didn’t even know I had the power. I'd spent so long worrying about his effect on me. Apparently I had a huger effect on him.
“Stop worrying,” he said.
“I'm not.” But my mouth was still twisted.
“Darlin', it’s out of your hands now. And it's going to work.”
His body almost rumbled with energy. I hadn't changed his course, just set him free to do what he always desired. Just like my father might have pushed my mother down a road she already thought was righteous.
Maybe all we needed in this world was someone to push us towards the things we claimed to want.
“Your mom is not going to be happy with me now,” I said.
“Ah, I doubt you can sink much lower on her meter,” Deacon said.
“You’re sure though,” I said, grabbing his face. “You’re sure that you’re willing to take this risk alone.”
“I’m not alone. I have you. Right?”
I knew what he was asking. He wanted me to work for him. Only now the stakes were much higher. Everything about this held more risk. If Stone Solar failed, Stone Holdings wouldn't come to its rescue. My career might take a nose dive. And worst of all, I'd feel guilty as heck for suggesting then failing to deliver on the idea.
But Deacon wouldn't push me down a dark road. This one held the promise of light, light beyond what I ever dreamed of bringing into this world, even as a little girl, only trying to reach the heaven her father promised.
And I'd be doing it with the man I loved.
That, was a lot easier to believe in.
I nodded. “I'll need a little time, but yes. I'll be there. I'll join your company.”
He sighed, long and seductive. “Thank you.”
He clutched me to him, to his vast and powerful body. Our lips didn't meet, but this was more intimate. His hands moved up and down my back, as if making sure I was real. My 'yes' had never felt so mighty. I had never felt so needed.
“All I've wanted to know today is that the girl I love supported my plan,” he said softly in my ears.
Love. The word dipped my body into a warm pool of water. I could lie in this moment forever.
“It's not the plan I support,” I said. “It's you. Don't get me wrong, you're still crazy. But I love you.”
He gripped my head to his, those gorgeous grey eyes softly on me. His thumbs teased my cheeks. Ever so gently, he pulled my lips to him.
Our tongues flecked across each other. The warmth in me went up to a boil. I nestled into him, surrendered myself to his strength.
I was in it now. No way to go but further into him.
“How about we go to bed,” he murmured, “and seal this partnership.”
I let him lead me down the hall. My mind fused with his. Even caught in lust, it fluttered with worries for him.
“But your family is not at your back,” I said. “Are you really ok with that?”
“It’s ok,” he said. “I’m still CEO of Stone Holdings. I probably won't hold it now, but I’ll still be tied to them for better or worse, for as long as they’ll let me. Now, I just have my own thing.”
“You're ok with letting go of Stone Holdings?” I said.
“As long as I have something else to hold on to.”
He smiled, and I kissed him.
He may be happy, and he had gotten a victory, but it wasn't exactly what he'd dreamed of. I wanted to help him get it all, somehow.
Now I was free to help him in every way.
He scooped me up and tossed me onto the bed. I grinned as he joined me.
We could start with the fun stuff though.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Deacon
“Right there, Mr. Stone. Ohhh, give me that raise.”
“Take it, darlin'. You earn every bit of it.”
Kerry moaned and lashed her head side to side. Her slick, dark hair tickled my face as it flew past. Her hands gripped the ivory sheets tighter at her back.
I sank into her deeper, plunging my hard, throbbing erection through her wet, hot folds, going tighter and tighter. Maybe it was me growing at the sight of her ample, lush body open for me to plow. Maybe it was her inviting me in. Wouldn't put it past this girl to do that.
She'd been living with me a month already, though we'd been going at it hard for the past two months - ever since she left her company and joined my new one.
Two months of mornings and nights like this, of waking up right and going to sleep exhausted. You think missionary might have lost its luster. Still, it was my favorite ending.
I clutched her tight, dripping sweat and rushed into her harder and faster, binding her to me.
A thin sliver of Houston light dashed her face, illuminated the rapture her eyes saw. My cock nearly exploded at the sight, but I wasn't deep enough. I clamped around her, and drew her body up, nearly crushing the mattress in my attempt to enter her fully. Her legs wound around me, the delicate heels of her feet indenting my rear, fastening her pussy to my cock.
Her eyes fell dully on mine, like she were seeing a dream, something unimaginable. It made no sense – unless she was seeing her gorgeous reflection in my eyes.
She'd fallen from the heavens before me and then she'd decided not to run. I'd honor her every chance I got, making sure she knew she was mine. There were more permanent ways to fasten her to me, but for now, there was this.
My thrusts grew harder. I hammered her into the dark, heartwood headboards. Her eyes flew shut, her brow wrinkled in concentration. A thin moan escaped her lips.
“Come on,” I said, kissing her and curling in deeper. “Just a little more. Show me you're ready to handle what I've got.”
“Oh god,” she cried out. Her spine arched and she writhed. The wail broke into a squeal. Her nails purchased my skin. The pinpricks just made me throb harder.
“Fuck yes, baby.”
“Do I get the bonus?” she managed to squeal out.
“It's only for you.” I grunted. “Take everything.”
She snapped under me, then bucked like a bronco. One heave, and I was coming too.
Her voice broke high against my groans. Her juices fought mine, but it was no contest. I shot hard and deep into her, giving her every drop I had.
“Phew,” I said, when I finally tumbled off. “That's just the thing to clear my head.”
“You emptied mine,” she said, gasping for breath next to me.
“Good, now maybe I can be half as smart as you.” I kissed her burning cheek.
“We haven't even been together half a year,” she said. “At this rate, I'll have the mind of a ten year old by our first anniversary.
Anniversary. The world tickled down my spine, raising hairs up and down my body. A year of her? We'd met ages ago, it seemed, but the time flew by. A year would be upon us sooner than imagined.
And every day, I grew more certain that I wanted to ensure its arrival.
Despite how late for work we both were, I held her a moment, felt her breakneck pulse lob in sync with mine.
“That would be amazing,” I said. “You'd be far easier to manage as a ten year old.”
“Don't count on it,” she said. “It took a lot of discipline for my father to keep me in line. I don't think you're up for it.”
“Oh, just say the word, darlin' and I'll unleash on you as never before.”
It might have been a dangerous thing to say in the early days, but now, her monster was dead and buried, in real and in her heart. She just smiled and nudged my cheek with her fist.
“Speaking of ten year olds, who's the one running off to meet their mommy?”
I crushed my eyes shut. “Do you have to remind me?”
“You should be at the airport by now.”
“Good thing about a private jet is that it's not allowed to leave without you.”
My elation was quickly dulling though. I had no idea what I'd been summoned to discuss – privately, no less. My mother was pissed about my headlong dive into my new company, but she could hardly punish me with both Stone Solar and Stone Holdings hitting record profits.
But who knows, she didn't exactly need reason to have me step down as CEO. I'd made my peace with that for a while now. Let Jesse have Stone Holdings. I had the things that mattered to me.
Still, I
was
going to see here wasn't I? Why was I dancing to her tune if I didn’t care. My peace hadn't gone more than skin deep maybe. That would take time. Hopefully, all she wanted was to hoist some more abuse on me. That'd speed the process up.
“You shouldn't keep her waiting,” Kerry said.
“Is she working through you, too, now?” I asked.
“I don't think she even considers me a real person.”
“Perhaps I should show her a tape of our morning routine. Let her see how real you are.”
“Please don't.”
I kissed her firmly on the lips, then sat up and gazed sadly at the sheets. Once, I'd flown the world on a whim. Now, even flying away to Dallas seemed hard. It was hard enough leaving Kerry in the morning, even when we were just going to different offices in the same building.
“I'll be back for dinner,” I said.
“With an appetite, I hope.” Her brown eyes glittered in the sunlight.
“With all sorts of appetite
s
,” I said. “That's a guarantee.”
She grabbed my arm, her fingers gentle. “I love you, Deacon,” she said.
I kissed her hand, and gave it a squeeze. “I know.”
“Ugh, don't Solo me.”
I chuckled then bent in for a kiss. “I love you, darlin',” I said solemnly. “More than anything in this life.”
“I believe you.”
Her eyes, warm and tender, told the truth. I couldn't see a trace of the doubt that had once been so strong there. Still, I wouldn't be satisfied until I eliminated it altogether.
But first, I'd go take care of this.
****
Mother's butler led me to her sitting room. That's what she actually called it, and certainly there was ample opportunity to live up to its name.
Light spilled in through sheer lace curtains, dimmed and scattered. It fell across the various ornate wood and white cloth sofas laid out, not quite facing each other. An antique wooden coffee table in the center held a pot of steaming tea.
For a woman who took pride in our Texan legacy, she took an awful lot of inspiration from Europe.
“You're late,” my mother said.
She sat in a wing chair, sipping at a porcelain cup. She wore a loose grey pantsuit and had her legs crossed neatly.
“I got distracted,” I said. “New business takes up a lot of attention, you know. Or no, I suppose you wouldn't.”
“Charming,” she said. “I imagine things are going well with your Arabs, then. You're as rude and surly as they are.”
“Oh, how I wish I had a recording of that to play to the Saudi King the next time you broke bread together.”
“Tea, sir?” the butler said, professionally deaf to the stormclouds moving in.
“Bring me a coffee, if you could,” I said. “Cream, no sugar.”
“Right away.” He whispered off against the expensive Persian carpet.
“How
are
things recently with your new company?” my mother asked.
“We've got a major new contract with Qatar.”
I beamed. Kerry had been instrumental in selling that. It'd be a double pleasure to stick it back at my mother.
But she didn't flinch. She sipped calmly. “How big?” she asked. “Billions?”
“Eight figures. That's major for the sector.” I frowned. “Why the sudden interest in our well-being?”
“I didn't much care when you squandered your own money on it. But you couldn't resist naming it after our family, could you?” She shook her head. “Stone Solar.”