Love in Fantasy (Skeleton Key) (15 page)

He leans in, his lips close to her ear, and runs his tongue along the shell. “I’ll fill you with food, beauty. Then I’m going to take you to bed and fill you with something else,” he informs her. Iris starts choking on her bite of muffin, her cheeks turning bright red, causing Archer to laugh boisterously.

He fulfilled both promises.

1 . . . 2 . . . 3 . . . swoon

A
pparently, Jenna and Iris have found the loves of their lives. I would have thought my parents would balk at so many cases of “insta-love” among their daughters. Then, I remember a. they met and married in less than two months and b. they are hopeless romantics. I sigh and slide down into a comfy, overstuffed chair by my window, grabbing one of my new books. I crack it open, but my mind wanders to the events of the evening.

Oliver gave me first editions of four of my favorite books. As if it wasn’t a sweet enough gesture, then he told me the men in the stories were incredibly lucky to win the hearts of these women. When a man finds a smart, courageous, independent, unbelievably gorgeous woman, trying to change her, or letting her go, was the stupidest fucking things they could ever do.

Then he kissed me senseless and left.

What did I do next? See chapter title above=.

Damn that man for being so irresistible.

I have eleven sisters . . . six down . . . five more.

But, who is counting?

Who is counting? Me.

The look on Pippa’s face when I left last night was absolutely priceless. I figured it was better to quit while I was ahead, so I kissed the fuck out of her and left her still in a daze.

An arrogant grin has been permanently painted on my face today. I can’t wait to see her look like that when I’m buried deep inside her. I blow out a breath and run my hands through my hair, irritated at not being able to concentrate on getting any work done, and now I’m sporting a fucking hard on. I need to get it together, or next thing I know, I’ll be daydreaming and drawing hearts around Pippa’s name.

I’m saved from my thoughts of losing my man card when Simon walks in and flops down on my couch. I raise a single eyebrow at him. “Something on your mind?” I ask, welcoming the distraction.

Simon’s expression turns dark and he practically snarls when he looks back at the door to my office. Following his line of sight, I just barely catch Abbi scurrying away.
When did this happen?
“No,” he growls in answer to my question. “I simply think people shouldn’t stay out all night with who the fuck knows and then come to work dragging and tired.”

Hmm . . . I wonder if Wilhelm is paying attention. A jolt stings me in my chest, right behind my pocket, and I almost berate Wilhelm for being a little bastard and shocking me. I catch myself in time and avoid indulging Simon’s theory that I’m losing my mind.

“Wilder called. He’s on his way here.” Simon changes the subject. “He’s bringing new contracts.”

“For the new expansions, I presume?” Wilder is an architect and owns an incredibly successful construction company. He’s going to head up the expansion projects on several of my company’s buildings.

“Yeah.”

I nod. “You told him to get with Piper for the interior design?” I confirm.

Simon waves me off. “I told him months ago. He’s already been working with her for a few weeks now.”

At Simon’s words, Wilhelm practically does a little dance in my pocket.
All right, all right, calm the fuck down
. Right, Piper is the next sister on the agenda, I suddenly remember. But the little shit just gets even crazier when Wilder strolls through the door a minute later. He’s dressed in jeans, boots, and a leather jacket, having just come from a job site. I scrutinize him for a second because something looks different. Same brown hair, medium height, brown eyes, and toned muscles from working construction and his MMA training.

“Hey,” he says, striding over and shaking my hand.

“Wilder,” I greet as I take the folders he proffers me. “Take a seat and I’ll sign these now.” Another glance and I realize what it is, he looks a little gaunt and from the weariness in his eyes, it’s clear he is exhausted. “You okay, man?” I enquire.

He scrubs his hands up and down his face and nods. “I haven’t been sleeping well, but the problem should be resolved tonight.”

“Woman trouble?” I guess and give him an empathetic smile.

He laughs. “Not to your caliber, dude. You any closer to putting a ring on your woman’s finger?”

“Any day now,” I smirk.

This gets Simon’s attention as well, and he eagerly asks, “Really? Was it—”

“—Don’t you have work to do?” I cut him off. He shrugs and stays planted on the couch, but keeps his mouth shut.

I open the first folder and take the papers out of the pocket. Wilhelm shocks me again.
Ouch. Knock it off, jackass.
I sign the papers and am returning them to the folder when it hits me. Wilhelm seems to want to go with Wilder instead of Piper. That’s new. I mentally shrug and while Wilder and Simon talk, I drop the key into the folder.

I convince Pippa to go to dinner with me and we go to a romantic little restaurant. While we are there, we witness an elaborate set up for a man to ask his woman to marry him. It makes me realize, a romantic proposal could only help my chances.

Dropping her off, I leave her with a scorching kiss and drive home making plans for when my twelve days are up.

After tonight, there will only be four.

But, who is counting?

Meanwhile. . .

Wilder’s Fantasy

W
ilder walks into his office and tosses the folders onto his desk. Something small flies out of the bottom one, hitting the wall behind his desk and falling to the floor. He walks around the furniture and bends at the knees to pick it up. It’s a key, a skeleton key. It’s like nothing he’s ever seen before and he scrutinizes it as she stands back up and sits in his chair. Where did it come from? He’d taken the contracts to Oliver, then he’d left them in the car while he checked out three different active construction sites.

He was supposed to meet with Piper, Oliver’s recommended interior designer for his projects. Normally, he doesn’t let the client dictate who he works with but, he trusts Oliver implicitly. Of course, he did his due diligence anyway, and Piper’s portfolio is extremely impressive for being so young. It had only taken one minute in her presence to know she was his. And after spending more time with her, he became even more captivated. She was sweet, smart, and she made him laugh. And, she was insanely hot. Let’s not beat around the bush, he was completely and irrevocably, in love with her. But, circumstances had kept him from pursuing her. Until now.

The corners of his mouth turn down in a frown as he thinks about her. She’s also been very dependable and she’d missed their appointment, worrying him. Do to trouble at one of his projects, he called and texted her, asking to push the time of their meeting. He’d never heard back. Picking up his cell phone, he calls her for the fourth time and still no answer, prompting him to leave a fourth message. He shot off a text to her, as well. He hadn’t wanted to worry her family if it was nothing but, if she didn’t get in touch with him soon, he’d see if she contacted them.

As he stares at his phone, it pings with an email. Tension seeps out of his shoulders when he sees the final payment from a client who’d been the biggest pain in the ass. Not only did she change her mind at every turn, but she blatantly came on to him every time he was forced to see her, despite him turning her down repeatedly. She’d started asking his opinion on every decision she was given, which wouldn’t necessarily be unusual, but for the fact that it was literally
every
time. She’d make offhand remarks about it being important that he liked the house, too.

She’d made him so uncomfortable, it was why he held off asking Piper out. He didn’t want her on the crazy lady’s radar. Finally, unable to wait until the job was done, he’d handed her off to his partner, Phoenix, for which he still hadn’t been forgiven. Phoenix told him he was being a coward, that Piper wouldn’t appreciate the fact that he hadn’t slain his own dragon. He’d snorted, ignoring the first part, but agreeing she was definitely a fire-breathing dragon.

The job is done now, and he doesn’t have to deal with her anymore. Wilder stands, the key still in hand, and absentmindedly slips it into his pocket. His office resides in a renovated, sprawling ranch house not far from town, and it had a separate door to his office from the back where he’d put a parking lot. He came in through it and he wants to make sure the rest of the floor is cleared out of employees before he locks up.

He grasps the handle and tugs. When it doesn’t open as expected, gravity throws him forward and he almost goes head first into the door. Trying the knob again, he isn’t able to turn it and even though it supposed to lock from the inside, he isn’t able to find the mechanism.
What the hell?
He scratches his head and looks around as though he’ll find the answer somewhere else in the room. His eyes eventually fall to the clock on his desk. It’s just after midnight. He’s been up since five in the morning, so he chalks it up to being overtired. Facing the door again, he gives the handle one last twist and tugs. Nothing. Frustrated, he rests a palm on the door and almost falls on his face when it pushes open. He starts to wonder if the universe is intent on getting its kicks from seeing him break his neck.