The Holloways (Made for Love Book 3.5) (9 page)

As he crawls up my body, he peppers me with kisses. The heat of his lips can be felt through the thin fabric of my negligee and I squirm with every kiss, wanting more—needing to feel his skin on mine. When he wraps his lips around one of my nipples, I can’t take it anymore. I push him away before I tug the undesirable garment over my head. My fingers are just letting go when his mouth is on me again, sucking my hardened bud as he presses his hard length against my core.

He’s still in his boxers and I whine, aching for his warmth. As if he can read my mind, he pulls away from me, yanking off the last item of clothing between us. He rubs his cock through my folds, grazing my clit as he closes his mouth around mine. I hold him close, sweeping my tongue over his, sucking in a chest full of his minty fresh breath as he penetrates my entrance.

He pushes in slowly, stretching me open and filling me up. My gaze locks with his and my heart swells. He rolls his hips and I whimper, the sound escaping me as I open my legs even wider, allowing him to sink himself deeper. He groans before brushing a soft kiss against my lips, our eyes still open, neither of us ready to look away. Everything else seems to disappear as we both touch and feel, our bodies united as one. Here, now, I feel whole. I feel complete. Connected with my husband, I know I’m where I belong.

“I love you,”
he breathes, his voice barely above a whisper.

My eyes fill with tears I can’t hold back; my body, submitted fully to his, feeling weightless as my second release draws closer.

“I love you, too,” I barely manage, each inhalation more shallow than the last.

With every roll of his hips, his pelvis grazes my sweet spot as his cock elicits a warmth that grows hotter and hotter with each thrust. I know that at any moment, this delicious build will cause me to combust. He feels so amazing, I don’t know whether to hold on to this feeling or to surrender to my ecstasy.

When a single tear escapes, trickling down my cheek, Roman brushes it away with his lips before he whispers in my ear. “Come for me, Mrs. Holloway, my love—my life—
come for me
.”

I obey, freeing my mind and losing myself in his glorious touch. He rides me gently, but I come hard. I lift my hips, needing just a little bit more, hoping to bask in this euphoria for just another moment.

“Oh,
Logan
—babe—
yes,
” Roman grunts as his cock expands and then spills his seed deep inside of me. He pushes himself in and out of me until he is spent and then he releases the weight of his body on top of mine. When his lips find mine, I open up for him immediately, my desire to soak up all of his love insatiable.

His tender affection chases away the remainder of my tears and I marvel at this man—this man who belongs to me.
My miracle.
My partner. My all.

When the alarm clock sounds, neither of us move to silence it. For at least five minutes, we ignore the incessant beeping, our lips locked, our bodies still joined together.

“Okay,” Roman says between kisses, blindly reaching to hit the snooze button. He succeeds and then rests his forehead against mine. “You have to get up, babe.”

“I love my job,” I sigh, reminding myself that leaving this bed isn’t as big of a chore as I’m making it out to be. “I love it a lot, right?”

Roman chuckles before he kisses the tip of my nose and pulls out of me. “Yes. You love your job. You’re pretty good at it, too.”

“I am, aren’t I?” I say with a grin.

He sits up and pinches my side, eliciting a giggle as I squirm. “Get up. Get showered. I’ll make you a cappuccino.”

With the promise of caffeine, I’m up. An hour later, I’m kissing my husband goodbye, with a promise to call as soon as I reach the office.

So protective, my husband. Even a little snow gets him worked up and worried.

My ride to work is uneventful, as I assured Roman it would be. As I walk into the office, my focus directed to the screen in my hands while I pull up my phone app, I’m startled when a pair of hands grip my shoulders, holding me at arm’s length.

My eyes meet his chest first. Somehow I know, even after over a year’s time, I know who this chest belongs to. I gasp when my eyes shoot up to meet his dark gray ones.

“You should really watch where you’re going, Miss Schwartz,” he speaks, his eyes boring into mine.

At first, I’m so surprised to see him that I forget to reply. Then, I replay his words and I step out of his grasp. “
Mrs.
,” I inform him. “I’m
Mrs.
Holloway now. But—I still go by Logan.”

“Well,
Logan
, I still go by Jude.”

I look around, searching for I don’t know what, hoping maybe I’ll spot someone to help explain his presence. But, as usual, I’m one of the first in the office, which makes me wonder even more—“What are you doing here?”

A tiny smirk makes the corner of his mouth twitch. “I see Aunt Eddalyn has decided to surprise you.”

“Surprise me?”

“Surprise
the office
. I’ve been transferred.”

In the blink of an eye, my memory is filled with every moment I’ve ever shared with Judah, followed by every moment I’ve ever spent in the presence of both Judah
and
Roman.

Suddenly, Monday doesn’t feel so good anymore.

She smells positively fuckable.

For a second, I allow my thoughts to drift back to the moment she almost crashed into me this morning. I remember the way her green eyes widened in surprise at the sight of me. I remember the feel of her feminine frame beneath my hands.

And her perfume…

She’s different.

I’ve seen what lies hidden beneath the layers of fabric that adorns her body now; and yet, in her black suit pants, her fitted striped top—clinging to her perfectly round breasts—underneath her wool sweater, I have to concentrate to keep my dick in check. Scantily clad or professionally covered, she’s still unbearably enticing.

But the difference is not found in her attire. Here, now, as we sit in a room full of our colleagues, I don’t see the woman from the gala. Across the table, the ring on her finger is somehow easier for me to overlook than it was the other night, when she was in the arms of another man. Here, now, she is simply a woman—breathtaking in every way.

Yet, the difference lies deeper still. I cannot take my eyes off of her. When she speaks, I know that I am listening to a woman of worth; a woman of taste; a woman of intelligence; a woman who knows beauty intimately and understands and appreciates the significance of what it is that we do here.

She has grown since I last saw her. If it is possible, she is even more exquisite than I remember. With every breath I take, I am consumed with an undeniable desire for
more
. It is as if time has done nothing to dull what I once craved. If she was a challenge before, she is an obstacle now.

By rule, not by chance or circumstance, but by
rule
—I do not allow women to tell me
no.
I am not one to be manipulated or used, for I am not weak—neither my body, nor my mind. I am the master of my fate, unwilling to surrender my control into the hands of
anyone
. By all intents and purposes, the ring on her finger makes Logan off limits.

I’ve fucked the matrimonial whore before and to call it unsatisfying is insultingly understated.

Yet, Logan somehow seems…
different.

“Now, to address the elephant in the room—my nephew,” Eddalyn says, interrupting my thoughts. I force a smile, looking in her direction. “As I am sure you are all aware, our client list has grown a significant amount over the past year. Judah, our newest managing partner, has been working with me on a plan of expansion for Eddalyn’s Interior.

“For the past few months, we have been working diligently to fill our Denver office with the appropriate senior staff so that Judah could relocate. I believe that his expertise is needed here. He will be stepping into the role of managing director, taking on our more
demanding
clients whilst serving as an extraordinary resource and offering exceptional guidance to all of you. So, as we adjourn, let’s everyone welcome Judah as a more permanent fixture to our team.”

The room fills with the claps of the seven employees that make up the office and I nod as I stand to my feet. “Your applause is certainly not necessary,” I assure them. “I look forward to working with all of you and to establishing a new home base.”

“Alright, shoo-shoo, we’ve run a bit over,” says Eddalyn with a kind smile. In spite of her lighthearted temperament, they are all quick to comply. Their response is neither surprising nor unwarranted. I know
exactly
how they feel. Aunt Eddalyn has always had a way of getting exactly what she wants without being a complete bitch. It is a gift, I’m convinced.

“Oh, Logan—please stay behind. Judah and I have something we’d like to discuss with you.”

I don’t hesitate to take advantage of the excuse to look her way. As Logan slowly descents back into her seat, the apprehension on her face makes me smirk.

I see that some things haven’t changed. At times, her lack of confidence is a paradox.

“Um, what’s this about?”

“A promotion,” Eddalyn replies with a knowing smile. “You’ve been a junior associate here for almost two years now. Quite frankly, this matter of business is long overdue; however, the way this office is staffed, it was hard to move you. Now, of course, in our efforts to expand, we’re extending our first promotion to you. This means that you will be taking a leading role on more projects, so be prepared, alright?”

“Yes! Yes, of course,” she beams, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Thank you—thank you
so much!
”

“You’ve earned it, dear. I’ll have the paperwork with the details drawn up before the day is through. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a lunch with a client I must rush off to. Congratulations, Logan.”

I watch Logan as she watches Eddalyn leave the conference room. She pulls her bottom lip between her teeth, fighting a grin, and my dick twitches as I imagine what it would be like to have that lip pulled between
my
teeth. I clear my throat, pushing my thoughts to the back of my head, and Logan looks at me, her startled gaze implying that she forgot she wasn’t alone.

“Uh, thanks, again,” she murmurs as she stands, heading for the door.

“Wait, Logan—” I call out, rushing to meet her just outside of the room. “I’ll take you to lunch.”

She hugs her legal pad, filled with the notes she scribbled down during the meeting, eyeing me cautiously. “And if I said no thank you?”

“I would insist,” I answer with a lopsided smile. “It’s never too early for champagne.”

Her mouth falls open and I fight the urge to reach out and run my thumb across her full lips. She is most definitely a woman that deserves to be touched, appreciated, explored…

“Hold on a second. What just happened?” she begins to say, pointing toward the room we just vacated. “Was that
your
idea or Edda’s?”

I tuck my hands into the pockets of my pants and shrug. “I fail to see the significance of the answer.”

“Right,” she mutters. “So, are you telling me this has nothing to do with—I mean, this isn’t some
ploy
to—”

I clench my jaw, drawing in a deep breath as her incomplete questions take on meaning. “Are you questioning the integrity of my decisions?”

She huffs out a sigh, shaking her head at me. “So this
was
your idea? Your
first
decision as managing director is to give me a promotion and then take me out for another
champagne
lunch? Look, Judah, it hasn’t been so long that I’ve forgotten our
work
history. I’m not interested in playing your games. If that is the cost of my promotion, than I do not accept.”

She turns away from me and my anger ignites, causing me to act before I think. I grab hold of her arm and she sucks in a sharp breath, looking down at my hand before looking up into my eyes. “Your promotion was presented to you based on merit,
Logan
. I don’t know who you think I am, but I take my job
very
seriously. I have seen your work, I appreciate your designs, and I want your talent to be a bigger contribution to this office.

“As for our
work history
, I’ve never taken what you didn’t reciprocate. Let us not forget
that
.”

She opens her mouth to speak, but before she can utter a word—

“I’m going to say this
one
time.” Logan gasps and we both jerk our heads in his direction. “Keep your damn hands
off
my wife.”