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  Chapter 45

  "Judging by all that lipstick on Caleb Foster's mouth, I'm guessing you're now going to the benefit dinner as his date."

  When Clive knocked on my office door a few minutes ago, I'd told Caleb that I had work to do. I do. I need to finish some things before the end of the day and I also need time to absorb what just happened. When dreams finally come true there should be a mandatory adjustment period that comes with them.

  "We didn't talk about that," I say sheepishly. I study a file folder that's on my desk completely oblivious to what it contains.

  "It looks like you didn't talk at all," he murmurs. "This doesn't mean you're abandoning us to go work for them, does it?"

  "At Foster Enterprises?" I chuckle softly as I ask the question. "I'm a Corteck girl through and through. I'd never go to work for Caleb and his brothers."

  He plays with his wedding ring. "You know I wish my wife worked here with us. It's a bone of contention in our marriage."

  "Really?" I lean my elbows on the desk. Lilly and Clive have an exceptional relationship. They may not have started down the rosy path towards bliss with everything working for them, but they managed to jump over many hurdles to find a way to make it work. "I thought you were all for her working with Alec Hughes."

  Alec Hughes is admittedly our biggest competition in the tech world. He runs his own company that is housed just a few blocks from here. Clive and he are old friends and equally old adversaries. When Lilly left Corteck to work for Alec, I tried desperately to get her to come back. I knew it meant a lot to Clive and since Lilly is one of the best programmers in the game today, it's been a loss that all of us have deeply felt.

  "You know that Foster is opening a new line of lingerie boutiques, right?"

  I only know that from getting a Google news alert about it. The boutiques carry high end, designer lingerie. The press release touted the name of the line as Loire. It's a new brand for the family to nurture, which typically means they'll be fighting over which one of them will handle the reins.

  "I read about it." I flip open my laptop cover. "It seems like a smart move on their part."

  He cocks a dark brow. "You think it's a smart move because it plays into the woman's brand they've already established."

  "That," I begin before I stop to lean back in my chair. "It's not only that. The Fosters know how to sell what women crave. They'll create a demand for it and women will rush to have Loire lingerie."

  "You're sure you're not gearing up to be the divisional manager of that?"

  I laugh out loud. "No one has approached me. They're not going to. Caleb knows exactly how much I love my job here."

  ***

  "Rowan Bell?" The dark haired woman repeats my name again. "You work for Gabriel Foster, don't you?"

  Um, no. I do not work for Gabriel or anyone with the surname Foster.

  "I'm here to see Caleb Foster." I look past her to the offices that house Gabriel and Caleb's employees. Normally I'd stroll right past this desk because the woman who generally sits here knows exactly who I am. This woman, who appears to have just started working here, judging by the ultra-tidy desk she's sitting behind, has no clue that I'm an old family friend.

  "You're not here to see Gabriel?" Her lips thin into a frown.

  I fish in my purse for my phone. I could have called Caleb to tell him to come out to the reception area to get me by now. "I know Gabriel, but I'm here to see Caleb."

  "So you're telling me that Gabriel is an acquaintance of yours, but you'd rather talk to his brother?"

  I pinch the bridge of my nose to ward off the headache that is charging at me at full speed. "Can you please tell Caleb that Rowan is here?"

  "Shall I also tell Gabriel that you're here in the event that he has something to discuss with you?"

  I shake my head as I press the call button on my smartphone. I listen to the ring of Caleb's phone in my ear and also in the distance. He's not answering.

  "Are you calling Caleb?" She turns to face his office. "I heard that. You were calling Caleb, weren't you?"

  Who hires the people that work here?

  "Can you see if Asher is in?" I ask knowing that there's a very real, and distinct, possibility that her head will pop off.

  "Wait." She drops the pen she's been holding in her hand even though she hasn't written anything down since I exited the elevator and walked up to her desk. "You want to see Asher now?"

  "Just find me a Foster," I spit the words out. "Any of them will do."

  Chapter 46

  "I've never fucked anyone in my office before." His hands are above me as he pushes my body against the wall.

  "I once fucked…"

  "Jesus, Rowan." His head dips down so his lips touch mine. "Don't ever tell me about fucking another man."

  I reach up to guide his face so I can seal my mouth over his. He moans into our kiss as his hands reach down to grab hold of the hem of my skirt. I came here to talk to him about the Foster Foundation benefit but I knew the moment he came into Gabriel's office to get me after his meeting, that I'd be lost in his touch before I left the building.

  He'd pulled me into his office before he slammed the door behind us quickly. His suit jacket was on the floor in seconds, followed by his tie. I was unbuttoning his shirt when he cursed under his breath, pinned me to the wall and started kissing me.

  "Do you have a condom?" I pull on his belt. "You have condoms in your wallet, right?"

  "No." His hands inch up my thighs. "I don't carry condoms around with me."

  "You don't?" I don't even try and mask the surprise in my voice. "I can't believe you don't carry condoms with you."

  He's amused. The ghost of a grin that floats over his full lips gives it away. "Why is that so unbelievable?"

  I wrap my hands around his neck, rubbing my index finger on the bottom of his hairline. "I think you buy a lot of condoms. I just assumed you'd keep them everywhere."

  His eyebrows both jump. "Everywhere as in where?"

  "The bedroom, obviously, the kitchen, maybe tucked in a corner of the library if the mood strikes you." I tap my finger against the base of his neck with each place I ramble off. "Also, in the back of that car that drives you around the city, your gym bag, and of course, your wallet."

  "That's a lot of places." His tongue juts out and traces a path over my bottom lip.

  "I know you like to have sex." It didn't sound quite as juvenile as that when I it popped into my mind. "I mean, you were talking about sex with a woman a few weeks ago on the phone when you called me to your apartment."

  Tilting his head he kisses me softly. "I think I was interviewing Ruby on the phone that day."

  I laugh loudly, throwing my neck back so violently with joy that my head hits the wall with a loud thump.” You were not talking to Ruby about sex that day."

  "Oh?" His hand reaches up to rub the back of my skull. "Ruby made it very clear when I hired her that I could use her in any way I want."

  I grimace at both the thought of that proposition and the lump that is now growing on the back of my scalp. "We're not fucking other people, right?"

  "There's no one in this room but me and you." His hands both drop to my skirt again.

  I inch my legs apart, willing his fingers to my core so he can feel how wet I am. "You know what I mean."

  "I don't want you to touch another man, Bell." His lips sweep across my neck. "I don't want any other woman."

  "You're all mine?" I whisper the words softly. "Tell me you're all mine."

  "I'm all yours," he says as he drops to his knees, pulls my panties aside and tongues me until I fall into his arms.

  ***

  "I thought we were going to fuck." I adjust my skirt and blouse.

  He rakes his hand through his now messy hair. "Why does my cock get hard as soon as I hear you say that word?"

  "Fuck?" I don't turn in his direction as I reach into my purse to retrieve my lipstick.

  "When did you start saying that?"
He's beside me now, taking the slender case from my fingers. I stand in silence as he twists the tube, pulling the nude lipstick into view. He carefully applies it to my mouth.

  "I started saying it when I started doing it. I mean I don't say it to men, or any of the men I've been with. Just you." I pucker my lips together. "Do my lips look nice?"

  "Christ." He shakes his head as he drops the tube back in my purse. "You may be the most sensual woman I've ever met."

  "Me?" My hand leaps to my chest and I realize my bra is peeking out of the top of my blouse. "I'm not that sensual."

  He adjusts the top of my shirt, carefully folding the fabric over so it hides the lace of my bra. "That's what makes you so hot, Bell. You don't even know what you do to men."

  That's actually very true. I know the fundamentals of what to do to a man when we're both naked. Outside the bedroom, when it comes to the allure of seduction, I'm like a doe that is lost in the woods. I've always just been myself and that's worked for me.

  "Back to my original comment," I say before I bend over to adjust the strap of my shoe. "Why didn't you make love to me?"

  "I want the next time I make love to you to be in my bed." He looks down at his watch. "Say, in three hours? Does that work for you?"

  "It works." I glide my hand down his cheek. "I'll be there."

  Chapter 47

  I arch my back just as his teeth bite into my nipple. The mixture of pure pain and pointed pleasure pulls a deep moan from within me. I'd promised myself before I got to Caleb's apartment that I'd enjoy every single sensation. I want this night to last forever. It's the first time I'm going to sleep with him. He had insisted on the ride over to his place, from mine, that we'd fall asleep in one another's arms.

  He moves slowly across my chest, kissing the soft skin between my breasts. He cups the tender flesh in his hand, rolling it within his palm. "Your breasts as so beautiful. I love how they feel."

  I love how he's vocal about my body. I crave the knowledge that it's everything he wants it to be. "Kiss my nipple, Caleb."

  His hair tickles my skin as he lowers his mouth to the swollen bud. He kisses it gently at first, before pulling it between his lips. He sucks it, loudly and carefully. I squirm from the feelings it creates in my core. I'm already wet and wanting. I was that way as soon as we'd finished the dinner he'd ordered in for us.

  "If I could spend all of my time in this bed with you, I would." He rests his head between my breasts. "I don't need anything in the world but you."

  I weave my fingers through his hair. I want to repeat back what he just said but I'm scared. I'm fearful that the promises he made aren't grounded in his real emotions. I'm terrified that when he fucks me tonight, that he'll pull back after just as he did before. My heart can't find the truth in that fear but it's my mind that clutters every thought I'm having.

  He moves his head again, this time lowering it over my stomach. He trails his lips down my belly, stopping when he reaches my core. He looks up, locking his dark eyes with mine before his tongue darts out and expertly licks at my outer folds.

  "I love the taste of you." He nuzzles his face into my wetness. "I need it."

  I push my legs apart, not feeling any vulnerability with the movement. I don't care that I'm completely exposed to him. There's no shame in my desire for him. I arch my hips towards him as he dives in and eats me with a fury that screams of the desire he feels for me too.

  I open my eyes just as I feel the climax bearing down on me. I crash into it as I see his dark head, moving frantically between my thighs, intent on giving me pleasure. He's focused only on what I need, pushing his own cravings aside.

  He reaches for the condom package he had thrown on the bed when we walked into the room. He rips it open quickly and silently. He sheaths his thick cock as his eyes settle on my core.

  I cling tightly to him when he inches forward a touch to rub the spongy, wide crown over my clit. He moans when he feels my body tense and he calls out my name when he pushes inside me.

  "Rowan," he whispers. "You're everything to me."

  I feel the tears burn my cheeks as he finds his rhythm. His thrusts are slow, measured and delicious. He's taking his time. He's pulling as much from this as he's giving.

  I whimper when I feel my release. I pull his head down so he can kiss me and he rewards me with a groan wrapped into a sigh.

  I come in heated waves; one tormented ripple after another reverberates through every part of me. He stills to watch my face. He stops to hear my cries.

  He rolls his hips as he plunges deeper with each heavy thrust and as he finds his own release, tears stream from his eyes and fall onto my chest. My name escapes from between his quivering lips and when he's pumped everything he has into me, he kisses me with a hunger I've never felt before.

  Chapter 48

  I walk back into the bedroom after going to find some juice in the kitchen. He'd clung tightly to me after he came. When he finally rolled off me to tie up the condom and toss it in the wastebasket next to the bed, the silence that filled the room was heavy and measured.

  I needed to breathe and I needed the hope that would come with hearing him tell me he still wanted me. I'd left to search for a drink to give him time to gather his emotions. I'd witnessed him sob. I'd felt the tears as they hit my skin. I'd wanted to comfort him, and hold him, but he'd brushed his hand across his face and the moment had passed without a word.

  "My beautiful Bell is back."

  The words collapse me from the inside out. I feel my knees buckle beneath me and the glass of orange juice that I'd carefully poured is now spilled all over the floor mixed with the shards of broken glass.

  "Be careful." He's on his feet, scooping me up in his arms. "You'll cut your feet."

  "I should clean that." I mutter against his chest. "I can get something to clean that up."

  "I'll do it." He sets me on the edge of the bed. "I'll go get another glass of juice and then I'll clean it up."

  He turns to go and I pull on his elbow to stop him. "No. Don't go."

  "I won't." He smiles at me as he tucks my legs beneath the blanket that we just made love on. "Your feet are chilled. You should get under the covers."

  I stare at him. I drink in the sight of his flushed skin and the muscular smoothness of his chest. I've always thought of him as the most attractive man I've seen, but now, in the light of the bedroom's lamps and in the glow of my orgasmic high, I see something more. He's not only beautiful to look at. He's kind. It's there in his eyes and in the smile that he reserves for only me.

  Caleb Foster is ruthless when it comes to business. He'll take on anyone who threatens what he has built for his family. I've never seen him back down from anyone, but tonight I see traces of the boy who used to tease me endlessly.

  "I stole one of your sweatshirts."

  "I don't have sweatshirts." He tips his chin so his forehead touches mine. "Do I look like a sweatshirt kind of guy to you?"

  I tap him on the shoulder. "I'll bet you have sweatshirts. I'll check out your closet."

  "You stole some dude's sweatshirt," he teases. "Why the fuck would I let you look in my closet? Do you know how expensive the suits are that are in there?"

  I pull my hand over my mouth to stifle the laughter. "You got those suits for free. You own the company that makes them."

  "Good point." He furrows his brow in a mock scowl. "Now, back to the clothing that you've been stealing. What's up with that?"

  I stretch my legs beneath the sheet, pulling it up higher to cover my breasts. "When we lived next door to each other, I took one of your sweatshirts. You left it hanging on the railing of your stoop."

  His breath catches as he brushes his lips over mine. "Why? Why did you take it?"

  I kiss him harder before I pull back to rest my cheek against his. "I wanted something of yours for me. I wanted to have it when I slept. I still have it."

  "We wasted forever." He strokes his hand over my hair. "We fucking wasted forever." />
  ***

  "I can't believe you got me a ticket." Graham waves the embossed invitation in the air as if it's the golden ticket to a chocolate factory raffle. "I'm actually going to a Foster Foundation Gala."

  "You are." I turn to flash him a smile. "We're both going to sit with Fosters."

  "You'll introduce me to all of them, right?" He adjusts the bow tie of the tuxedo he rented. "You do know all of them, don't you?"

  "Most of them." I half-shrug as I point to the back of my dress. "Can you zip me?"

  I'd chosen a dress from one of the Arilia boutiques. Caleb has no idea that I'm wearing a dress fashioned by one of the company's designers. I paid for it myself because I want to surprise him. I may not see myself working for his family, but I can support them. Wearing this dress to this event is going to show him just how much I treasure my life long connection to him.

  "That dress fits you like a glove." Graham motions for me to twirl. "Let me see the entire thing."

  I twist around slowly, wanting to make certain he catches me in every angle of the royal blue dress I picked for tonight. "Do you like?"

  "I love." He brushes past me. "There's a sapphire necklace in your jewelry drawer. I'm going to grab that."

  I don't stop him. I want to look as perfect as I can. Tonight is the night I get to enjoy being Caleb Foster's official date.

  Chapter 49

  "Do you work for Gabriel?" He holds out his hand to gently take mine.

  I need to check my social media profiles. Apparently, someone has hacked into them and listed Gabriel Foster as my employer. "I work for Corteck, but I'm an old family friend of the Fosters."

  The corner of his mouth slides into a grin. "I'm a Foster."

  "No." I laugh nervously. "I'm an old friend of Gabriel, Caleb and Asher."

  He points towards where Asher is standing next to his mother. "Then you're a friend of my cousins. I'm Ben."