Hardwired (The Hardwired Series) (Volume 1) (22 page)

“Who’s the lucky man?”

“Blake Landon. I think you know him.” Perhaps the name would deter him.

He grimaced slightly. “No kidding. I suppose Sophia gave you fair warning on that one. He has a reputation for discarding his hobbies.”

I let the comment roll off me. Blake’s version of the events with Sophia made perfect sense and were well in line with what someone could expect from that kind of relationship and situation. He didn’t always tell me the whole truth, but I hadn’t yet caught him in a lie. Beyond that, I had a hard time imagining someone as cold and calculating as Sophia stealing anyone’s heart.

“How do you know Sophia?” I asked, figuring I’d snatch the opportunity to learn more about her.

“We use her models for various shoots for the publications, and of course she’s a savvy businesswoman, like yourself. You’re wise to connect with her.”

I quartered my saucer-sized ravioli and popped a piece into my mouth to avoid acknowledging his last statement. I bristled and the colors of the room became momentarily more vivid as I pictured her in my mind. If she ever touched Blake, I’d definitely connect with her.

Isaac was pissing me off with all of this personal banter. I needed to get us back on track. Maybe Blake had been right. Having him here would have kept Isaac to the point, though the conversation could have become incredibly awkward too.

I took a steadying breath and tried to steer us back to business. “You mentioned that we might find ways to work together. I wondered what you had in mind.”

He smiled. “Well, you’re the social expert. What did
you
have in mind?”

The tension backed off a little as I switched into work mode. I questioned him on the mechanics of his marketing strategy, the details of which he knew very little, but overall I had a better sense of how his departments were structured under each publication. I could think of a few ways we could dovetail our paid service with their established marketing efforts.

We spent the next hour or so discussing the logistics of cross promoting between his publications using Clozpin’s tools. The plan sounded promising, and Isaac seemed receptive. I agreed to put together a proposal outlining the options we discussed.

Once my personal life was off the table, the conversation was productive, enjoyable even. We polished off the Pinot Grigio and I recommended some other spots in Boston for him to try next time he was in town. A silence fell over the table as we waited for the check to come. I checked my phone for the time. Nearly three hours had passed. Blake would be furious.

By the time we left the restaurant, the sun had gone down and I was more relaxed, thanks to the wine. The air was warm but not stifling. I stepped out onto the street, orienting myself and twisting back to Isaac to ask him which way he was headed. With the movement, I lost my balance and tumbled. Isaac grabbed me and pulled me tight to his chest.

“I had a great time with you tonight, Erica.” His voice was low and gravelly.

The sound might have melted another woman but it raked over me like nails on a chalkboard. Nothing felt right about it, even after ending the dinner on such a positive note.

“Thanks, Isaac, but I—”

He muffled my protest, pressing an unexpected kiss into my lips. I froze as he plunged his tongue into my mouth and grabbed my ass, grinding his hip into me. I shrieked into his mouth as I tried to find my footing and push him away, but he held me firmly in place.

I tried to twist away, alarms going off everywhere. Adrenaline surged through me in a potent rush. My body buzzed with the impulse to fight, to get him off me as quickly as possible. My mind shouted commands, but against every instinct, I hesitated, hoping he’d just leave me be.

“Why don’t we go back up to the hotel?” he said.

“Let me go, Isaac.”
Please. I can’t do this again. Please.

He laughed, a wicked sound that sliced through me. “You think Landon gives a shit about you, don’t you?”

I seethed with anger and prepared to knee him in the balls when he froze.

“Perry.”

The deep voice emerged from behind me. Isaac let me go, immediately creating space between us and backing away toward the stone wall of the building. In a flash Blake was on him, pinning him by the throat to the building.

Isaac sputtered out a string of apologies. “She tripped, I just caught her. It was nothing, I swear.”

“It didn’t look like nothing.”

I glanced up and down the street. Night had fallen and we were alone. I struggled to breathe as the aftermath of the panic racked through me, but I kept reminding myself we were safe. Blake was here, and by the looks of it, Isaac didn’t have a chance. In a matter of seconds, he’d been reduced to a pathetic puddle of apologies while Blake squeezed him tighter, threatening him to make one wrong move.

“She’s mine, Perry. And if you lay another hand on her, you won’t have hands. Is this clear?”

“Yes. Yes, definitely.” He loosened his grip just enough to slam him back, causing Isaac to cough, clawing at Blake’s hand around his throat.

I’d never seen him so angry, not like this.

Blake finally released him. “Leave,” he ordered.

Isaac disappeared down the street toward the Plaza. Blake turned to me, his face cold as stone.

I followed Blake down the street to where his sleek sports car was parked. How long had he been stalking me? How had he even known where we were meeting? His uncanny knowledge about my whereabouts was unsettling, but I wasn’t about to bring it up now.

He opened the door for me, a mere gesture I guessed because he didn’t say a word to me as he joined me in the car and sped the few blocks back to the apartment. We stepped out and I stopped him at the entryway.

“Are you angry with me?” I asked.

“I’m not happy about finding you in a lip lock with that fucking guy, if that’s what you mean.”

“He just—I
didn’t
want that.”

“I know that, but you wouldn’t have been in that situation if you’d listened to me.”

I cringed, hating that he was right. The whole situation embarrassed and ashamed me. “He caught me off guard. I could have handled it if you’d let me.”

“Would you have had Max go with you, as an investor?”

I tapped my toe on the pavement. This was a trick question. “Blake, it’s not realistic for you to be with me for every business meeting. Let’s not go there.”

“Answer me.”

I hesitated. “Maybe.”

“That’s what I thought. I’ll fund the business. I’ll call Max and let him know the deal is off.” He dug into his pocket.

“No, stop right there. This is
my
business. I make these decisions, not you.” I’d barely stopped shaking from Isaac’s advances. Now the threat of Blake calling Max under these extreme circumstances had ratcheted my panic to a whole different level. My mind raced, frantically trying to stay ahead of wherever Blake was going with this.

“Right. And you need two million dollars to continue running it and maintaining the lifestyle which you currently enjoy,” he said.

I stilled. “Are you threatening me with the apartment? Say the word, and I’ll pack my things right now. You’re the one who forced me into it.”

He ran his hands through his already tousled hair, his breath whistling through clenched teeth. “Just take the money and we can forget about all this.”

“Blake, we have a relationship, or at least we did twenty minutes ago, which I think you can agree is complicated enough. I’m not taking your money, so let’s just forget it.”

He paused, holding me in a penetrating stare. “You don’t trust me.”

The words cut me to the core. Not because he felt that way, but because they were true. I trusted Blake on many levels, but keeping the business on my terms was imperative.

Unable to formulate a convincing response, I pushed through the doors of the building and nearly ran into Cady and Sid walking into her apartment. Blake barreled in after me.

I offered a quick hello and goodbye before climbing the stairs up to the apartment. Blake followed me all the way to the bedroom. I didn’t argue.

“Clothes, off,” I ordered, directing him with my index finger.

My mind was an epic jumble, and I could think of no better cure than to fuck Blake straight to oblivion. As it was, I’d thought of little else for the better part of the day.

His eyebrows arched. “Shouldn’t we talk about this?”

“Did I stutter? Clothes. Off.” I cocked my head, daring him to argue.

He paused another minute, then undressed completely. As the last garment hit the floor, I stared in awe at the specimen at my mercy in front of me. Every sliver of flesh stretched tight over the sculpted muscles beneath. My fingers itched with the urge to run my fingers all over them, to feel them flex beneath me, above me, inside me. My anger slipped away, rapidly replaced with the craving I’d been staving off for hours.

The longer I looked at him, the harder he got. His expression was calm, but the longing that flashed behind his eyes reflected my own. I snapped into action, giving him a little shove onto the bed. He reached for me but I stepped back, stripping down, taking extra time to remove my white lacy bra and panties that I had chosen just for him.

I climbed him leisurely, systematically kissing his throat, his chest, nibbling the dark disks of nipples as they hardened under my touch. I finally turned my attention to his cock, tonguing his length and licking off the drop of pre-cum at its tip, savoring his flavor before gliding him into my mouth, deeper until he hit the back of my throat.

“Christ, Erica.” He sucked in a sharp breath.
 

I reveled at the small victory. He was much better at the self-control game, never letting on that I was tormenting him with my touches until now. His thighs were taut with restraint when I released him, sliding him out of my mouth with slow retreat.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

“Come here, and I’ll show you.” His eyes were half-lidded and dark with lust.

My body hummed. I positioned myself above his cock and inched onto him slowly, giving my body time to adjust to his length.

A wave of heat rolled over me as I sheathed him completely. I rose, and he grabbed my hips, slamming me down onto him, reminding me of the place inside me that only he could satisfy. I threw my head back and cursed. I stilled, overcome with how well we fit, how no one else had ever come close to this.

He grasped my hips and tried to flip me, but I angled away so he couldn’t.

“No,” I said firmly.

He stilled and loosened his hold. “We should probably talk about safewords.”

“That
is
my safeword. When I say no, trust me, I mean it.”

“Okay,” he said quietly.

“I’m going to fuck you until my legs turn to jelly and I can’t remember my name. And then you can be in charge, all right?”

“Whatever you say, boss.” He swallowed hard and laced his fingers behind his head, a self-imposed restraint.

I circled my hips, rising and dropping down with measured impact until I found a rhythm. My breasts were heavy and tender. I tugged on my nipples to quell the deep ache to be touched. Blake’s hands never strayed but his eyes never left me. His hips lifted, meeting my strokes and hitting me deeper with each one. The climax coiled inside me. I quivered, biting my lip until it was numb, trapped in an orgasm that kept climbing to its peak.

“I want to hear you,” he said. “Now, Erica.”

The damn broke and a strangled cry left me as I came hard. Breathless and losing steam, I fell forward, threaded my fingers with his, and kissed him passionately.

Blake sat up with me, took one nipple in his mouth and then the other, and drove himself deeper into me. I whimpered. He cupped my face with one palm and circled my waist with the other, bringing me tight against him and kissing me—a deep, penetrating kiss that spoke volumes. I could taste the need on his lips. I was more than ready to let him take control.

“It’s okay,” I said.

He turned us over with measured control, covering my body with his before lunging hard. I arched, welcoming everything he had to give me. With each thrust I unraveled, hours of wanting him coming to a peak, to this pinnacle of a moment where I could lose myself in him.

I kissed him frantically, caught between anger and love and passion. My nails scratched down his back as we climaxed together, slick with sweat.

Blake buried his face in my neck. “You’re mine,” he whispered.

I squeezed my eyes shut and held him close. He had no idea how true that was.

We lay, breathless and sated, on the bed, side by side. I admired Blake’s amazing body stretched out before me. I trailed my fingers lightly over the raised flesh on his back where I’d dug into him harder than I meant to.

“I got you,” I whispered.

“If you keep touching me like that, I’m going to get
you
.”

I giggled and rolled to my back, mesmerized by the moment and unable to take my eyes off the beautiful man in my bed. He propped himself up and stared at me.

“That was incredible, by the way,” he said. He tucked my hair behind my ear, tracing my curves, as if he were committing them to memory.

“Why is that you can trust me with your body, after everything you’ve been through? And while I’ve built and sold dozens of businesses, you won’t trust me with yours?”

I groaned and closed my eyes. He wasn’t going to let a little fucking get in his way. In fact, he’d likely use it to his advantage.

“The business is everything to me.” I cringed as the words left me, but in some ways, it was true. “That’s not what I meant. The business, it represents years of effort. Not just the time I spent building it, but the years I spent putting myself through school and becoming who I am.”

“Yes, and…”

“When we’re together it means something to both of us. I do trust you, more than I’ve ever trusted anyone. But what about when something happens between us, or you get tired of my little business venture? What if it becomes a drain on you, or fails?”

“The amount of money you’re asking for is inconsequential to me,” he said. “It’s unlikely, if not impossible, that it could ever become a drain. Plus, I wouldn’t let a business I was involved with fail.”