The Inheritance (Forever Bound #1) (14 page)

He shrugged. “I’m used to putting together a party that requires much more attention than this did.” He walked over to the table and held a chair out for her. She sat down and then looked up at him. “I’ll go grab the food.” He winked at her and disappeared from the dining room. She tried to relax against the chair. He went all out for something that was supposed to be two friends getting to know more about one another and see if they could continue their previous arrangement. This felt strangely similar to a date.

She glanced at her watch. She waited all day to hear from Derek. She was angry that he wasted her time and didn’t have the decency to call and tell her she didn’t have experience enough to work with him. “Did I take too long?” he asked

She looked up at him. “What?”

He laughed. “You were looking at your watch. I was gone less than two minutes.”

She blushed. “Just thinking,” she replied. She smiled at the tray he had carried into the room. The aroma was refreshing, but she silently prayed she didn’t get sick from the taste of food she wasn’t used to. He laid the tray down in the middle of the table and removed the lid from one of the plates. She was grateful she couldn’t tell it was duck from the looks of it. The plate was layered with meat, potatoes, and veggies, along with a garnishment of parsley. He placed the plate in front of her.

“What…no salad?” she teased.

“This is going to be enough food to satisfy you…trust me, but I do have a dessert planned.” Again he winked at her. Her knees shook under the table, she had to place her hands on them to slow them down.
Does he want this to be a date?
It was true that there was heavy flirting coming from both of them on the phone as they texted one another, but as he said it was all in good fun. She didn’t think of this as a date. Or, at least, she didn’t until the meal started.

He brought out a bottle of wine and two glasses and poured her glass. They then started a conversation that took a gentle push to get started. Then things slowly started to pick up. It was refreshing and light-hearted to talk to another human being that didn’t immediately start jumping her bones. She didn’t think she would feel so close to someone as she felt with him. The food was better than she could’ve hoped for and that eased her nerves, alone.

“How have you been, Charity?”

It was a question that made her ponder, before really opening up to him. “Did I tell you I got an interview?” she asked.

“With the Mayor?”

She nodded. “Yep…Tuesday.”

He smiled, taking a bite of his food. “So…how’d it go?” he asked.

“Well, thought I was going to get a call by today, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen.” She took a bite of her duck and smiled as she ate the bite. “This is great, Damian.”

He beamed, but that didn’t stop him from responding to her concern. “Something could’ve come up, and he wasn’t able to make his decision. I wouldn’t worry about it too much. You haven’t heard him say no, then there’s still a chance. Right?”

She snickered, grabbing a bite of two carrots. “You are so right. I will try to remember that. Thanks!”

He shrugged. “That’s what I’m here for, to make you feel better.”

She sighed and continued to eat her food. It wouldn’t help anyone to keep thinking about it or any of her other problems. It was a rough couple of days, but things could be worse. They kept their conversation away from negativity and when the main course was finished, he stood up and cleared the dishes.

“May I help?” she asked, starting to stand up.

He shook his head, coming back to the dining room. “You’re the guest. Are you ready for dessert?”

“What do you have?” she asked.

“Chocolate Mousse.”

She smiled. “Perfect!”

He left the dining room and soon came back with two cups of the dessert. He placed one down in front of her, and she took a bite. She sighed as it smoothly went down. It was amazing. “So what do you think?” he asked.

She took another bite and gave him a thumbs up, so she didn’t talk while eating. When she swallowed, she showed her appreciativeness with words. “Oh my God…that’s amazing. You really are a phenomenal cook, but now that I know your little secret I might abuse your skill.”

He laughed. “Anytime my dear.” They both took a bite of the dessert and barely said a word while they completed the Chocolate Mousse. She couldn’t recall ever having such a scrumptious meal, and when she was finished, she made a point to tell him that everything was delicious. When he had finished clearing the dishes, she wondered if things would turn awkward. Should she stay or leave? Would they have something to talk about? She didn’t want to go, but she also didn’t want to wear out her welcome.

The moment he got back in the dining room, he asked her if she was ready for the entertainment. “Entertainment?” she asked with a laugh.

He smiled, reaching for her hand, and pulling her to her feet. “Come with me!” He continued to hold her hand as they left the dining room and entered the living room. “So what’s your pleasure?” he asked, pulling away from her and heading to a cabinet.

“Excuse me?” she asked.

He turned around and smiled, holding up a few CDs in his hand. “Do you like Marvin Gaye, The Beatles, or Johnny Cash?”

She laughed. “That’s a very eclectic variety of music.”

He smiled. “I can be very versatile.”

“I’m not picky. You choose.”

She sat down on the couch and waited for him to put in a CD. A short while later, Marvin Gaye was playing in the background. He walked over to the couch and held out his hand. “You’re not getting away that easy. Let’s dance!”

She raised an eyebrow. “Is that how you get what you want? You could ask you know.”

He smiled. “Fine! Charity, will you do me the great honor and dance with me?”

“Better.” She allowed him to grab her hand and pull her to her feet. He twirled her around, and she found herself pressed against him. His left hand on her lower back and his right hand clenched to hers. The smooth and slow melody played in the background, and they slowly swayed to the music. She was fine in that position until the song
Let’s Get it On
started to play in the background. She looked up into his eyes and felt the embarrassment heavy in that room.

He laughed. “Fitting song, huh?”

She snickered. “Is that why you chose this CD?”

He shrugged. “I just really like Marvin Gaye.”

She smiled and looked away from him. They continued their rhythmic dancing and eventually his hand started rubbing circles along her back, and her breath started to get heavy. Whether it was the song or the heat was already there, to begin with, she couldn’t be sure, but slowly her head started to spin. When she looked back into his eyes, all she wanted to do was to kiss him. He made the first move, and his lips were forceful and passionate as he abruptly made his move. She moved her arms around his neck and his other hand went to her back. The dancing stopped, and they stood there, kissing and holding one another.

“Tell me what you want!” he whispered between kisses.

“I want you!” she breathlessly admitted.

He lifted his hand to the zipper of her dress and slowly pulled it down. When the dress reached her feet, she stepped out of it, then slipped her shoes off. He lifted her into his arms and instead of carrying her down a hallway or up the stairs to a bedroom, he lowered her to the floor. She lifted the t-shirt off of him and flung it to the floor and wiggled herself out of her panties and bra, while he worked on his jeans. She panted, staring up at him, just waiting for him to remove his jeans. Then came his boxers. She grinned when his manhood came back into her view.

She reached for him, but he stopped her. “Wait right here!” He whispered to her.

She stared back at him, but nodded, falling back on the living room floor.
This is a mistake. Go home before you completely fall and get your heart broke again. Don’t stay when you don’t want a relationship.
“Shut up!” she said between clenched teeth to the voices inside her head.

“What’s that?” he asked, reentering the living room.

She looked up to find him standing at the couch. “Nothing!” she replied with a laugh. She glanced at his hand. He held a can of whip cream and a bottle of chocolate sauce.

“I thought we already had dessert,” she stated with a grin.

He snickered. “Can’t ever have too much dessert.” He winked at her and lowered himself to the floor.

He held up the items. “You want the honors, or shall I?” He smiled at her, and she grabbed the grocery items from him.

“Get on your back!” She ordered.

He seemed all too willing to comply. He sprawled himself out, showcasing his massive erection and his deliciously hard body. She shook the can of whip cream and smiled as she squirted a face onto his stomach. She tossed the can down, then dotted the two eyes with the chocolate syrup so it was like the eyes were as brown as his. She let it fall to the ground and moved her lips down to his stomach. She hungrily devoured each eye, running her tongue along his abdomen and sucking hard against his flesh.

His hands slid down her body, landing squarely on her ass and squeezing roughly as she continued to clean his stomach of the ingredients. “Hmm…” he growled. She licked her way around the mess, then lifted her hand to his stomach and slid it around the cream. As she finished removing it from his stomach, she reached over and grabbed the cream, then shimmied up his body and locked eyes with him.

“Open your mouth,” she ordered.

His mouth hung open, and she squirted some whipped cream into his mouth. She put it down on the floor and moved in for a kiss, thrusting her tongue between his warm lips. He softly sighed, then she felt him shifting beneath her. Before she could prepare herself, he had squirted her back side. She broke from the kiss, opening her mouth in shock. He wrapped his hand around her neck and pulled her back into a kiss, then ran his hands all over her back, washing the whipped cream all over her back. His erection hung at her leg, and she noticed him inching closer to her. She pulled back.

“Condom…” she gasped.

He groaned, but she rolled off of him and waited for him to get a condom, which he quickly found one in his jeans pocket like he anticipated this very moment. He got back on the floor, and they went back to original positions, but this time she allowed him to enter her. The mess of the whipped cream easily went into her hair, and they got back to reacquainting their bodies. He pulled the clip from her hair, and it fell down past her shoulder. His hands ran through her hair, and he flipped her onto her back. His pounding increased, and she cried out as an orgasm held onto her body and shook her. She dug her fingers into his back and then ran them up and down his body, feeling the coldness from the whipped cream coming in contact between their two bodies. This was right where she wanted to be, connecting with Damian and living in the moment.

Charity opened her eyes when she heard the annoying alarm clock going off. She moved her hands around to hit the snooze button and ended up bumping into the man beside her. She looked to her right and closed her eyes briefly. The previous night was a blur, but slowly things did start to come back to her. The whipped cream, the chocolate syrup, the delicious way his body felt beneath her. The alarm clock continued to ring until she realized it was an Adele song playing on her phone. Her phone was ringing.

She maneuvered herself away from him, grabbed a blanket and covered herself up and walked over to where her purse was. She grabbed her phone and spotted an unrecognizable number. “Hello?” she replied into the phone.

“Hello, Charity?”

She cleared her throat. His voice was undeniable. She glanced at the clock on the wall; it was just after nine o’clock. “Yes, this is Charity.”

“Hey…I’m sorry for calling you on Saturday morning and I’m sorry for calling you so early, but this is Derek Worthington. I was going to call you yesterday afternoon, and I got so busy, and it completely slipped my mind. I apologize for that, but anyway…the reason for the call is I would like to offer you the position of my assistant. If you’re still interested, that is.” Charity’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe this call was serious. She was angry yesterday when she hadn’t received the call, and Damian was right…it was a mistake and here she was being offered the position of a lifetime. “The pay would be a salary position. It pays $60,000 a year. If that is suitable to you, then I thought you could start on Monday.”

The words spun in her head and she never officially accepted the job. She gained her voice and finally responded. “That would be amazing, Mayor…Derek,” she corrected herself.

He laughed on the other side of the phone. “Mayor Derek…I like that.”

She blushed and was grateful he didn’t see her reaction. “Thank you so much for this opportunity,” she continued.

“Not a problem! I look forward to working with you and does Monday work?”

It would be pushing getting the news to her boss, but she had no other choice but make it work. “Yes, that definitely works.”

“Okay, perfect. I will see you at eight o’clock then on Monday morning.”

“Great! Thanks again! Goodbye!” She disconnected the call and squealed feeling thankful that things were starting to improve.

“Babe…everything alright?” She turned back to where he still laid. He rested on his elbow, propped up to look at her.

Babe?
She stared at him, speechless by that one word. Then he smiled at her and she suddenly felt faint and put on a smile. If they could keep things strictly sexual, then maybe it could work. She walked back over to him and knelt down in front of him. “I just got the job!” She ran her hand down his chest and their eyes locked.

“See, I knew you could do it,” he replied with a genuine smile.

There was a heavy pause in the living room, and he finally asked a question he had on his mind. “When do you have to leave?”

She tilted her head and smiled at him. “I should probably leave now,” she whispered. “Otherwise…” her words were cut off when he captured her lips with his. His tongue soothingly entranced her, and she gave into all of her doubts. She moaned into the heated kiss. “I just have to leave to turn in my notice,” she breathlessly replied. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her down on top of him. “Oh God…” she whimpered. She opened her blanket and tossed it away from her as she slowly glided over his hard body. His mouth left hers, and he started kissing her shoulder. She tediously sucked on his neck, devilishly leaving her teeth marks behind. His hands wandered all over her body, and she groaned with every touch. “I’m gonna need a shower before I leave,” she moaned.

Like a switch that shut them off, he cut off the kiss. She fell down next to him, and he got up and stared down at her. She looked up at him in disbelief. She opened her mouth to argue that they didn’t have to stop right away, but his grin was undeniable. “What are you waiting for?” He reached down and grabbed her hand. He pulled her to her feet, and they ran up the stairs. They reached a bedroom, and he let go of her hand. He hurried over to a dresser and reached into the top, digging around, until he finally brought out a condom. He turned around and smiled. He motioned with his head for her to follow him.

She walked into the bathroom, and he quickly turned on the shower. She walked over to him, and he turned around and captured her lips back against his. When the water had heated up, they entered the shower. He pressed her against the cold tile. His tongue ravished hers and with one hand holding her back and his other hand sliding on his condom, they were immediately backed to where they left off… her needing him and him proving that friends with benefits could work.

***

Derek opened his email on Sunday morning and was hit with an email from Calvin Peterson. It only read two words…
call me.
He didn’t waste any time making the call but received only his voicemail. After listening to the voicemail message, Derek left a response.

“Hey, Cal, it’s Derek. I just received your email and wanted to give you a call. Hope you have good news for me. Call me when you get this message.”

He went about his day, busying himself at his computer, eating a brief lunch, and then doing more work in his den. Just before two o’clock, he received a callback. He answered it quickly.

“Hey, what’s up?” Derek asked.

“I just wanted to give you an update. I’ve done some searching and not having any luck with locating the Bradshaw family.”

“No one?” Derek asked.

“Not a one. Not currently anyway. I just got a lead that Victoria might be in some sort of rehab in Mexico.”

“Mexico?” Derek asked.

“Yep, that’s what it appears. I’m going to take a trip to Mexico tomorrow morning and see if I can figure out more information, but that’s about all I have. It’s like they wanted to disappear.”

“Strange,” Derek mumbled. “Well, keep me posted as soon as you know anything.”

“I will. Talk to you soon!” Calvin hung up the call, and Derek let his phone fall from his ear. None of it made any sense. As he sat there and pondered his next step, Jenna’s face kept popping up in his head. He had that one phone number that went to her answering machine. He was sure it was her. He picked his phone back up and thumbed through his contact list until he landed on her name. He hit send to dial her number and waited until her answering machine came back on.

This time, he didn’t hang up. He waited for the message to play all the way through and then gritted his teeth and left her a message. “Hello, Jenna…this is Derek. I know this will come as a shock to you to hear my voice, especially since it’s been so long ago, but I really need to talk to you. I believe you’re the only one that can help me out at this point. Please return my call. I look forward to hearing from you. The number is 874-5213. Thanks, Jenna. Take care!” He hung up, releasing a rush of air through this mouth. It was up to her to call him back. He just hoped she would, because all hope was dwindling.

***

“Don’t go!” he begged her. Trying desperately to hold her in place and kiss her with tenderness all over her body, expecting that to change the inescapable. She couldn’t deny the fact that he was doing a pretty damn good job, but she had to leave.

“I can’t stay,” she reluctantly stated. She pulled from him and got out of his bed. He watched her as she slowly got dressed. After Damian and her finished their shower, she got dressed in the previous night’s clothing, then went home and changed. She needed to be presentable to quit her job, and that meant not wearing a dress and pair of heels into the Diner. She went to the Diner and broke the news to Bill, then after everyone said their goodbyes she got Jamie to cover her shift for the evening and found herself heading back to Damian’s place.

They spent the rest of the weekend completely caught up in this new bond they had going on. However, when Sunday night hit her, she had to say goodbye to him. “You’re killing me…you know that?”

She laughed, looking down at him and kissing him softly on the forehead. “This is killing me, too, but I start a new chapter in my life tomorrow, and I need rest and as few distractions as I can possibly have. You, my friend, are a distraction.” She laughed, winking at him and pulling away from the scent he lingered. “A good distraction, but a distraction nonetheless.”

He groaned. “When will I see you again?”

She thought about it and smiled. “Tomorrow after work? We could celebrate with a bottle of Chardonnay and a little dessert.”

He seemed eager for it, but his face fell. “I work tomorrow until late and then I’m sure you will say it’s too late because you have to work the next day.”

She nodded. “We’ll find a time…soon.” She picked up her cellphone from his dresser and slipped it into her pants pocket. “Besides, we always have texting.”

“It’s not the same!”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her back down to the bed. Their mouths met, and his tongue dashed between her lips. His hand rubbed circles around her back as she started to succumb to him. “No…it’s not,” she whispered, forcing herself to get off the bed. “It will just have to do.”

He sighed, and it took every ounce of her willpower to move closer to the door. “I’ll call you later!” she replied.

“Is a promise?” he asked with a teasing grin.

She nodded. “Bye!” She heard his pitiful response of goodbye and then she walked out of his bedroom. She hurried down the stairs and grabbed her purse. Looking back once and spotting him at the top of the steps and looking down at her, she almost raced back upstairs and took him one more time. She waved to him and continued to walk forward, out the door, and to her car. She looked up at the house as she got into the driver’s seat. Then she started the car and pulled out of his driveway.

She blared the stereo in her car to drown out the rampant thoughts in her mind, and when she got to her apartment, she forced herself to go inside and make her way to her own bedroom. She got undressed with the intention of going to sleep and possibly having a dream or two of him, then waking up and heading off to her job. That was until she got a text message right before she got in bed. She glanced at the phone, and a smile fell on her lips.

Damian: Miss you already!

Charity: I’m supposed to be getting rest.

Damian: You said we could text. Just ten minutes?

Charity: Fine! You win!!

Damian: Don’t I always? ;)

Charity: LOL…true! Oh and I miss you, too!!

Damian: Good to know! You have no idea how much I wish you were lying next to me right now!

Charity: Oh…I have a pretty good idea.

Charity smiled as she put in the response.
What will be his response?
When it came through, she giggled, feeling like a horny teenager looking to have sex with the most popular kid in school.

Damian: What would we be doing if you were here right now?

Charity: I said we were going to text…not sext!!

Damian: Come on…appease a lonely guy, will ya?

Charity couldn’t believe she was even considering it. She’d never done anything like this in her twenty-five years of age. Even Joe and she never got comfortable enough to do something so private and intimate, but the thought of being so free to do this…made her instantly crave the idea and so she decided to give it a shot.

Charity: You would lick my body from head to toe, sending shivers up and down my spine and causing

me to scream out your name repeatedly.

She blushed, looking down at her reply. It was so corny and surely he would find her immature, but

it was already out there and she couldn’t go back.

Damian: Hm…I do love the sound of my name on your lips. Then what?

Charity: Your head would be buried between my thighs as you relentlessly slide your tongue in and

out of my

She froze before typing the last word
.
For a second she wondered if she was even cut out for this type of activity. She bit her lower lip, then quickly typed in the word,
pussy.
Her racing heart continued to beat heavily against her chest as she anxiously waited for his answer. It was clear he’d done this before, as he was quick to respond.

Damian: Taste. So. Sweet! Your clit vibrates against my tongue. I flick my tongue in and out of your

pussy so that I can taste your juices. Cum for me baby! Cum for me!

Charity touched her forehead. It was soaked with sweat. She was wet and dripping with need. Then calmness took over and she was no longer embarrassed by it. She wanted to show him that she, too, could be sexy.