Give in to Me (24 page)

Raising the receiver to my ear, I pressed the blinking button on the phone. “Harvey, you got the information Daryl sent over?”

“I did. This firm will take care of it. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not. You never let me down before, Harvey. I know things are going to get ugly before this is over, but I’m prepared for whatever happens. I have something else I need you to take care of too.”

“What’s that?”

“I want to sell my share in a business I’m part owner of. This isn’t part of Stone Worldwide, though. This is a private business arrangement. Can you handle it?”

“Sure. We can talk after our meeting with the Feds.”

“Sounds good. I’ll see you in a little while.”

I hung up the phone and sat back in my chair to look around my office, noticing the bare white walls that surrounded me. After all of this business with Rider was over and Nina and I were back from our honeymoon, I wanted to have her pick out some artwork for this office. It was about time I made this place my own.

Chapter Sixteen

Tristan

Hours later, I arrived home to find Nina pacing the floor in our bedroom. I hadn’t made it two feet into the room before she was peppering me with questions about what happened. I’d hoped Daryl wouldn’t tell her about the possibility that I’d be held responsible along with Karl for the Rider mess, but I wasn’t that lucky. Leave it to that hairy son of a bitch to pick that day for true confessions.

“I’ve been a nervous wreck for hours. You weren’t answering your phone, and Daryl was no help at all. What happened? Can your lawyers get you out of this?”

Loosening my tie, I slipped it from under my collar and threw it on the bed. “One question at a time. It’s been a long afternoon.”

Nina slid my jacket off, draping it across the desk chair. “I’m sorry. I’m just a mess from worrying. Why didn’t you tell me about this?”

I smiled and began unbuttoning my shirt. “Because I knew you’d be like this.”

She let out a heavy sigh and sat down on the bed near me. Tugging on my shirttails, she twisted her face into a fake scowl. “What happened to me being an equal and you not keeping secrets from me anymore?”

Lying hadn’t been what I’d intended, but she was right. Looking down at her, I hoped if I flashed a smile I could lessen her justifiable anger. “I figured one last time I could spare you. I didn’t realize Daryl would suddenly need to bare his soul.”

“Don’t think you’re going to get out of this with that famous Tristan grin. I’m angry at you, Mr. Stone.”

I shrugged off my shirt and flashed her another smile. “Then I’m going to have to figure out a way to make sure you’re happy again, Ms. Edwards. Give me ten minutes and I’ll tell you everything. Then I’ll see what I can do to bring back that beautiful smile I love so much.”

Nina ran her finger along the top of my pants, her nail grazing the skin beneath my boxers. “Ten minutes. That’s it. I’ll be waiting.”

“You could join me.”

Chuckling, she pressed her palm to the front of my pants. “That would only make you think I forgive you already. You’re going to have to do a little more than that to make up for this.”

Her touch thrilled me, making my cock spring to life. Wanting her more than a shower, I pushed my hips forward, causing her hand to slide down the length of me. “Forget the shower. I’ve got a better idea.”

She pushed me away and shook her head. “No way. Now get in there and wash the day off you. I’ll be back in ten minutes so you can tell me everything about what happened.”

“I like my idea better.”

Standing, she kissed me softly and smiled. “Don’t try to charm me. I won’t let you this time.”

“Can’t blame a guy for trying. Get ready for a great night. We’re celebrating being back in our own bed and together.”

“It’s a deal. See you in ten.”

After a quick shower, I dressed in pajama pants and prepared to tell Nina everything as quickly as possible so we could get to celebrating. I had a surprise for her I knew she’d love, but she was nowhere to be found by the time I got out to the bedroom. Thinking she may have gone to the kitchen for a snack, I made my way there only to hear her talking to someone in the entryway. When I turned the corner, I saw her standing with Varo, and suddenly all that jealousy I thought I’d conquered rushed back, filling me with rage.

What the fuck was he doing in my house?

Struggling to get a handle on my emotions, I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall to wait for one of them to realize they were being watched. Nina was talking about something concerning her garden, but it didn’t matter. Varo worked for me guarding Nina. He had no business standing there talking to her about anything.

He saw me first and instantly his body language became defensive. Crossing his arms, he took a step back away from her. “Mr. Stone, we were just talking about the gardener Nina’s looking for.”

Nina turned around and quickly the smile she wore faded. “Hey, that was less than ten minutes.”

“Be in my office at nine sharp, Varo. Good night.”

With a quick nod, he got out of there before I had to say another word, leaving Nina standing in the middle of the room staring daggers at me. “What was that about?”

“What was he doing here?”

Knitting her brows, she frowned and shook her head. “Exactly what he said. I’m hiring a new gardener.”

“Then I’ll take care of it.”

Her disgust came out in a huff, and she stormed past me down the hall. I followed her, knowing what was coming next and wanting it far too much. I found her in our bedroom pacing the floor just as I’d found her a short time earlier. Folding my arms again, I leaned against the doorframe and waited. It didn’t take long.

She spun around and pointed her finger at me. “You aren’t seriously going to be jealous after making me kiss him, are you? I mean, you wanted me to do that and now I have to deal with this nonsense?”

“Nonsense?”

“That’s exactly what it is. You’re jealous and it’s nonsense. Or maybe you’d rather me call it bullshit. Whatever we call it, I can’t believe you’re acting like this.”

“Like a man who doesn’t want his soon-to-be wife hanging out with other men?”

“You’re acting ridiculous, Tristan. So now there’s a problem with me talking to one of my bodyguards?”

“Maybe you wouldn’t mind if I had a conversation with Brandi?”

Her pacing stopped dead, and in her face I saw what I felt. Rage. Jealousy.

“What the fuck are you doing? I did nothing wrong out there and now you’re acting like a jackass. A jealous jackass!”

I knew she was right, but it was like I was standing outside my body and couldn’t stop the words from coming out of my mouth. My heart told me I had nothing to worry about with her and Varo, but my brain so filled with those old demons egged me on. “I’m not in the mood to discuss this, Nina. I’m replacing Varo tomorrow.”

Her mouth dropped open. “What are you doing? Why? He did nothing wrong. If anyone should be fired, it’s West. Varo’s been nothing but an obedient employee, even when you made him pretend to be my boyfriend,” she screamed. “Don’t do this.”

“I didn’t realize you cared so much about what happened to him.”

She came at me like she wanted to hit me but stopped short just inches away to stare up into my eyes, as if the answer to my madness could be found in them. Taking my hands in hers, she pleaded, “Tristan, what is going on? Stop acting like this and tell me what’s wrong. Whatever it is, we can handle it. Just tell me.”

Lowering my head, I shook it, unable to explain why I was acting so stupid. “I don’t know. It was just something exploded inside me when I saw you together.”

She caressed my cheek with her hand and said quietly, “Baby, I don’t know how to convince you that you’re the only man I want. I can tell you a million times, but you don’t seem to believe me.”

I caught her hand and lowered it between us. Looking down at it, I said, “You’re not wearing your engagement ring. Why? Have you changed your mind?”

“Is that what this is about? Look at me and tell me. Is that it?”

I let my gaze travel up to hers and shook my head. “No. I’m fucked up. That’s it. I don’t know why.”

“Well, fucked up or not, you have nothing to worry about. Remember you left me for months? I don’t want anyone else, so let poor Varo have his job and stop thinking I want anyone else on Earth because I don’t.”

“I have a surprise for you.”

Sighing, she asked, “A good one?”

“A good one. Sit down and close your eyes.” She did as I said and I grabbed the box I’d picked up earlier that day. Kneeling on one knee, I opened it and held it in my palm. “Okay. Open them.”

I saw in her eyes the surprise I’d hoped for. In my palm sat a robin’s egg blue Tiffany’s box with a new ring. It was meant as a new start, even though I’d nearly fucked it up with my jealousy just minutes earlier.

“Another ring? Why? I loved the first one,” she said as she lifted the box up to examine it. “It’s beautiful, Tristan. But why?”

“Maybe we had bad luck the last time. And the time before that. I want this time to go right, so I bought this ring hoping that maybe this can change our luck. Marry me.”

“Of course I’ll marry you. You didn’t have to buy me another ring, though. I’d marry you even without one.” Leaning down, she kissed me sweetly on the lips and whispered, “You do this proposal thing pretty well, Mr. Stone.”

I pressed my forehead to hers as a sense of relief flooded over me. “Third time’s a charm. Isn’t that what they say? Put it on.”

Holding her hand up, she wiggled her fingers to show me how perfect it looked on her and grinned broadly. “Is it me?”

“It’s all you.”

“What are we going to do with the other ring?”

“I don’t know. Donate it to a charity. Get it reset in a necklace. Save it for our kids.”

Nina stroked her fingertips over my shoulder and down my arm. “I like this proposal best. You’re already half naked and on your knees.”

“Mmm…is that a proposition from you?” I teased as my hands slowly made their way over her thighs. Making quick work of the button at the top of her jeans, I tugged them and her panties off her body in one pull, leaving her wide open for what I planned to do.

“I like the way you think,” she said with a moan as I slid my finger through the folds of her wet and ready pussy.

“Lean back,” I ordered. She whimpered a tiny noise at the first touch of my tongue to her clit. Sucking it gently, I eased my middle finger inside her tight cunt. Her body clung to me as I slowly added a second finger.

I stared up into her face and watched a look of pleasure settle into her features as I finger fucked her, loving the moans that flooded my ears as I inched her toward release. I wanted to make her forget my stupid mistake from before so all tonight would be in her mind was the night I showed her how much I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

“God, Tristan…don’t stop. That feels incredible. God, don’t stop!”

Arching her back, she angled her pussy toward my mouth and I obliged, running my tongue up to her swollen clit. She moaned my name, and I thrust my fingers into her hard as I flicked my tongue over her tender skin, wanting her to come apart under my mouth. Her cunt tightened around my fingers, and I quickly pulled out, replacing them with my tongue thrusting inside her.

“Yes…yes! Oh, God…yes!” she cried, pulling on the back of my head to hold me as she rode the tremors of her orgasm.

When she finally finished, her thighs quivered uncontrollably against my jaw. Turning my head, I placed a light kiss on her left leg, loving the feel of her soft skin against my lips and the knowledge that I’d made her tremble.

She lay there, eyes closed and biting her lip as she waited for me to get rid of my pants and rejoin her on the bed. I hovered over her and rolled my hips forward to slide the full length of my cock through her drenched pussy, loving how her eyes rolled back in her head when it skimmed her clit.

“Mmmm…you just love to tease me, don’t you?” she said with a sexy grin.

“I love watching you come. You are so fucking sexy when I’m between your legs lapping your pussy.”

Nina giggled, and a blush covered her cheeks. “Mr. Stone, you have a dirty mouth!”

I placed a light kiss just below her ear and slowly pushed my hips forward again. “You love it.”

Nodding, she said whimpered. “I do.”

“Good. Now be a good girl and open those legs for me. I’m not anywhere close to done with you.”

“Are you going down on me again?” she asked with an innocence that made my cock stiffen to rock solid.

Sitting up next to her on the bed, I dragged my finger slowly down her swollen slit. She bit her lower lip again and moaned as I lingered there watching her. “I might. Then again, I might pin you to the bed and fuck you long and hard, or maybe slow and easy. I don’t know.”

She opened her legs wider, but I lifted my hand away, receiving one of her all-too-sexy pouts in return. “You are so mean. You make me wait for hours and then you tease me like this. Downright cruel is what you are.”

I bent my head down and captured a nipple in my mouth, flicking my tongue over the pebbled flesh. Nina’s fingers pressed into the back of my head, urging me on, but I pulled away and sat up.