Romance: Edge of Desire (7 page)

Chapter 19

I assess Brad’s face to determine if he is joking or not. And it appears that he is not joking. This guy is being serious.

“And what would you want with a coffee shop?”

“I want to run it.”

“You? Run a coffee shop?” I laugh. “You wouldn’t know the first thing about coffee shop management. Just because you have run an investment firm, doesn’t mean that you can run a coffee shop. Making money from retail and making money from investments are two completely different things.”

“That’s why I need a good team around me. And I have already started with one of the best.”

I raise my eyebrows, “And who would that be?”

“Nicole.”

“My Nicole?” I question in surprise.

He nods, “Yes. Your Nicole. But she is only half the team I want. I need a manager of the coffee shop.”

“That’s what you came out here for? To offer me a job? That’s it?”

“No. Not at all.”

“Then why Brad? Tell me why.”

“Because you are the most special person I have ever met. I have never met anyone with such beautiful eyes, a beautiful smile and someone with so much wit and strength. You blow me away every time that we talk. I want to talk to you. I want to listen to everything you have to say. I want to be a part of your life. When we are near each other, I never want that moment to end.”

My heart skips a beat.

Is he just playing me? Is that what he is doing?

“Then why buy the coffee shop?”

“Because I thought if you rejected me, you couldn’t reject the chance to manage your own coffee shop in Wall St. Nicole is already on board. And at least if you didn’t want to be with me, than you couldn’t say no to the job offer. And that way, I could still be around you every day.”

“Are you serious?” I laugh.

He smiles, “More than I have ever been.”

I shake my head.

“How did you even find me?” I change the topic of conversation.

“That was easy. Nicole told me the second I stepped back into the coffee shop,” he laughs. “It was almost like she was waiting for me to walk into the cafe.”

Nicole.

I should have known it was her.

Brad’s eyes look directly at mine, “Harper, will you come back to New York City with me?” 

Damn those eyes.

Those beautiful, deep eyes…

“Yes…” I respond almost involuntarily. Then my mind goes back to Brad’s behavior, “…And no.”

He looks at me confused, “What does that mean?”

“I will come back and work for you as a manager in the coffee shop.”

He stares at me, “That’s all?”

“Maybe…”

“Maybe not?” his eyebrows raise in hope.

“Maybe… when I arrive back in New York City, you can ask me out on a date. Maybe I will consider giving you the chance to start again. Maybe.”

“Everything all right?” Rex is standing behind us, his well-used knife gripped tightly in his hand.

I smile, “Yes Rex. Everything is going to be fine…”

Chapter 20

Eight months later

“I’ve learnt a lot over the past few months,” Brad states as he cooks paella in my apartment. “I’ve learnt that life isn’t all about being the best.”

“And who taught you that?” I question as I sip wine, watching his strong arms work the pan so well.

“You.”

“Me?”

“Absolutely. After you left my office, all I could think about was you. You owned my every thought and your beauty danced in my head all day long. I even blurted out your name at numerous meetings. I just couldn’t get you out of my head. I convinced myself that time would force me to eventually let go of you, but that didn’t happen. Even after all this time, you are the first thought that enters my head in the morning and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep.”

I smile. Despite his previous player attitude, Brad has turned out to be the perfect sweetheart. Just the man I need in my life.

“But you still are the best,” I reply.

“At making paella?” he jokes. “I don’t think so.”

After returning to New York City to manage Brad’s coffee shop in Wall St, I said no to the first three times that he asked me on a date.

Eventually, when I was ready, I gave in and said yes.

To my surprise, he didn’t try to impress me with glamour and class. Instead he took me to a small restaurant with a nice cozy atmosphere. When I asked why he chose that restaurant, he said it was because he didn’t want everything else to distract him – he only wanted to focus on me.

That was the moment my heart melted.

That was the moment when I knew that Brad had changed his ways.

For a long time, I was wary. I kept expecting him to wander off and find another model to entertain him.

But he never did.

One night, when we were at another small restaurant, the most beautiful waitress I have ever seen was serving us. Brad did not even know that she was there. He only had eyes for me.

Nancy took the reigns of his investment firm with vigor. She has grown the business even larger than it was before. She is a force to be reckoned with.

Although Brad still owns the firm, and signs off on the major decisions, Nancy is the woman in charge. What an inspiration she is.

Hard, smart and lovely all at the same time.

When I returned, it was like Nicole and I had never been apart. Things went straight back to normal and she is still my best friend in the whole world.

“Taste this,” Brad holds up the wooden cooking spoon with a small amount of rice on it.

I blow on the piece and then take a bite. “Oh wow,” I moan. “That is delicious. Who would have thought that one of the world’s best investment CEO’s could also be one of the world’s best paella cooks?”

“Don’t get carried away,” he smirks.

It took me a long time to consider whether taking the risk with Brad would be worth it. Even now, there is a lingering doubt in the back of my mind.

As I finish the bit of rice, Brad leans down and kisses me with his tender lips.

Oh wow…

The chemistry in the kiss is electric.

Wow.

As he draws away from the kiss, so do all my doubts. There can no longer be any doubts about us. I have to let that go now.

I can take the risk.

Brad can have my heart.

He gave it all away for me – that means more than anything.

He leans down and kisses me again…

Oh…

The longer the kiss goes, the more the passion intensifies. 

It doesn’t take long before the room is filled with passion and lust. No matter how many times I have seen this body, no matter how many times my hands run over his chest, I am still taken by it.

His strong hands grip tightly on the flesh of my behind.

As he presses against me, I feel his firm cock press into me.

Oh…

Just the thought of his cock makes me wet.

Desperately, my hands fumble with his belt, and rip open his trousers. His large, hard cock jumps out at me, pleading for me to take it.

My hands run up and down his hard shaft, and it grows in size… oh yes…

I need it.

I drop to my knees and his cock pulsates with enthusiasm.

Kneeling down, I take his hardness in my mouth, licking around the top of his piece. I moan seductively as I suck on his strong manhood.

Using my tongue, I lick up and down his dick, and run my tongue around his tip. He deeply moans with delight.

“Suck it hard,” he whispers as his strong hands run through my hair.

My head bounces on his member, jerking back and forth. Unable to control himself, he pushes his hips with his cock still in my mouth. When my neck becomes tired, I hold the head of his cock in my mouth and passionately rub his shaft hard with my hand. He moans loudly, echoing through the room.

As my jaw starts to hurt, I raise my head and look at the huge smile on his face.

I need him inside me.

Grabbing his hand, I lead him to the lounge room of my apartment and quickly whip the panties out from under my skirt.

“Fuck me,” I moan as I bend over the edge of the couch, sticking my wet pussy out for him.

“Whatever you want,” he smiles.

I want him. 

I need him.

Leaning forward, my wet pussy points out to him - waiting for him to take me. 

I feel his member touch me… and then slide deeply into my pussy. 

Yes!

Fuck yes!

He is inside me.

Where he should be.

This feels right…

So right…

As he holds himself deep inside me, I moan.

He fills me up like I never thought possible. I have never felt so full.

With his hard cock deep inside me, he holds his hands on my back.

“What’s wrong?” I ask as I wait for him to start pounding me. Turning around, I see the enormous smile on his face.

“Nothing is wrong,” he smiles. “Everything is so right.”

He slowly withdraws and then slides back into me again. 

I want more.

I need more.

Gradually, he pushes himself deep inside me and holds it there again. 

With rhythm, he starts to thrust his cock into me, sliding in and out of my pussy. His constant rhythm sends my head into a spin. I start to moan and he starts to pump harder. 

Yes!

His hands grip tightly on my back, holding me still and letting me know that he is in control. 

Suddenly, his thrusting turns primal.

He pounds me with aggressive lust. I can feel the desire pulsate through his member.

Oh yes!

He slams deep, deep inside me, pushing all the right places. My pussy loves his cock. It fits perfectly.

And then, he withdraws from inside me.

No!

I need him back.

He moves over to the couch, sits and waits for my pussy. 

With his hard cock pointing upwards, he waits for me.

Slowly, I climb on top of his hard cock, my hands resting on his firm body. Gently, I slide his dick back inside my pussy.  

Yes… 

Beginning to thrust myself back and forth on him, I can’t resist it. 

I hold him around the back of his neck and begin to bounce with my thighs. Oh, that feels good… fuck yes….

As I moan, he begins to thrust upwards into me. His hands grip my thighs still and he continues to thrust into me with strength. 

Yes!

He thrusts hard and then…

I feel him come inside me. 

Panting, I lean forward into his strong, firm body.

We remain there for a few moments, catching our breath from this unexpected romp.

Once I have caught my breath, with a smile drifting across my face, I look up to Brad. 

“Are we… a thing now?” I ask.

“A thing?” he questions.

“Yeah… I mean, can I call you my boyfriend now?”

He laughs, “I would have thought after six months of dating, you would already be calling me that.”

I shrug my shoulders, “I’m a slow mover on those sorts of things.”

He smiles with tenderness in his eyes, “Yes, Harper. You can call me your boyfriend.”

“Do you call me your girlfriend?”

“I have since the first date you and I went on six months ago.”

“Oh,” I smile. That though makes me happy.

“Nothing makes me more fulfilled than you, Harper.”

As my lips land on his again, I realize I have found what I was looking for.

My man.

The End

Other titles by bestselling author Kelli Sloan:

Romance: Housekeeper for the Billionaire

Romance: The Billionaire’s Lust

Romance: The Billionaire’s Secrets

Romance: The Billionaire’s Desire

Romance: Working for the Billionaire’s Pleasure

Romance: Her Billionaire Boss

Romance: Her Billionaire

Romance: Her Boss