Page 15 of Wrapped Up in You
“Fuck, this isn’t what I had in mind when you came over, Serena.” He doesn’t sound the least bit perturbed. I’d say he likes how he’s able to make me lose my mind very easily.
“And what did you have in mind?” I smile at the look he sends my way. The five-o’clock shadow, the wetness to his lips, and the mussed hair on top of his head.
“Show you around my place, sit on the couch, and tell you my intentions. Maybe have a glass of wine and somehow manage to convince you to spend the night with me.” He guides me through the foyer, his arm staying near my hip, and we bypass the kitchen and living room.
“I’ll take the talk and glass of wine. As for spending the night, I think you’ll have to be a heck of a lot more convincing than what you’ve done so far.” He opens the doors to the balcony, and I’m astonished by the view. “This sure makes up for the lack of yard space.” It’s like we're on top of the trees, hovering near the clouds, the soft whooshes of the noises from cars driving by down below.
“Designed this place. My first big project, seeing it through from start to finish.” I can tell by the clean lines and symmetry. Working with Crew this week, there’s always a slight nuance to any type of artist, whether it’s digital, drawing, or the like.
“It’s beautiful, especially out here.” I walk toward the concrete railing. Between each baluster, there’s glass to not obscure the view. I look over the edge, and Crew comes up behind me, hands going to my shoulders.
“Not as beautiful as you.” His chest rumbles with laughter. “Christ, that was fucking cheesy. Not a lie, though.” I look over my shoulder, wanting to see his eyes. They hold me captive, a lot like everything else Crew does.
“Thank you, even if you feel like it’s cringey. I’ll take it as a compliment all the same.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Come on, let’s sit down. I’ve already got a bottle of wine ready.” Crew’s thought of literally everything. The view caught my attention before the furniture he has situated out here, oversized to fit his big, able body, comfortable looking like you could sink into it. The tall heaters are already illuminated to ward off the chill from the slight breeze since the weather has a bit of a chill to it.
“A man with a plan. I can’t say I’m surprised. I’m still not spending the night. I have a lot to prove. The last thing I want is to walk into the office tomorrow looking like a cat got dragged in. A woman needs her beauty sleep. Plus, I’d have to stop by my house to shower and change, and I don’t even want to think about the probability of my mother popping in, asking a million and one questions. Then I’d be late, and I think the boss would probably look down on me being late,” I say with a light laugh.
The couch greets my back. I kick off my shoes, happy to have the forethought to put on socks, and tuck my legs beneath me. Crew sits down beside me, placing my legs on his lap and massaging my calves, one after the other. My eyes close, and I enjoy the moment.
“I’m pretty sure your boss would let it slide. As for your mom, does she stop by often? Am I going to have to bob and weave until we figure out how to bring this up to Todd? And as for youproving something to people, I think it isn’t necessary. Still, I get it. I’ve been around my friends’ women long enough, along with my mom, to know when to choose and when to fight their battles.” He picks up the bottle, pours a small amount in both of our glasses, hands one to me, and I take a sip. The red wine explodes on my tongue as notes of cherry, oak, and pomegranate invade my senses.
“You’re a smart man, so why are you drinking something you don’t like is beyond me.” I noticed the wince on Crew’s face when he took a sip.
“There’s no one else in this world who could make me try something I wouldn’t otherwise choose. The same goes for a certain woman who has me breaking my rules.” He abandons his wine, and his hands go back to me as a sheer look of fierce protectiveness crosses his face. “Only you, Serena. Only you.”
His statement settles deep in my soul when he continues. “You’ve knocked down every wall, climbed through a forest of trees, and somehow managed to climb so deep inside in such a short amount of time.”
“Oh, Crew.” I place my glass on the coffee table in front of us and launch myself into his arms. This time when I kiss him, he allows me to take the lead, and I find that while it’s nice at first, I much prefer Crew dominating my body morning, noon, and night.
11
CREW
Christ, never in my life did I think Todd would turn a simple meeting into a dinner where he continued to talk about the most mundane subjects. It started with new projects, spiraled into where he sees Serena in the company, and I got it, I did. Especially when he admitted that he’d like to retire in the next ten years and would like to see Serena step into his role.
It made sense once he brought up the fact that his niece is like the child he never had, since he and Val couldn’t have kids. I heard the whole life story, and while I soaked up every last bit of information I could about Serena, it didn’t help the fact that time was ticking by and the opportunity to get to her house was closing rapidly.
By the time he wrapped it up and we said our goodbyes, Todd going in one direction and me going in the other, I didn’t even bother calling or texting Serena to see if she and Mackie wanted to come over or for me to head to her place.
Now, I’m walking into my front door, kicking off my shoes and breathing out a sigh of relief to be done with today. Last night, true to her word, Serena headed home after trying to return my key and gate remote. I told her to keep it. Any time shewanted to come over to enjoy the view, whether I’m here or not, the choice is hers.
Where every other night I’d enjoy the quiet, tonight that isn’t the case. I move through the house, flipping on a switch in the living room to allow some light besides the one coming through the floor-to-ceiling doors. I tug at the tie around my neck, loosening it further. Truth be told, I should have taken the damn thing off hours ago, except then I’d lose more of the scent of Serena than I’d care to admit. My cock thickens thinking about the way she takes me in her hand. I’ve thought of nothing more since the first time I got her off. Feeling and seeing her jack my cock in my office makes me want a repeat performance every hour of the day.
I walk through the house, noticing the borrowed hoodie she wore is on the back of the couch where she left it. A hair tie is on the coffee table as well. I like the small pieces of her in my home.
“Fuck it, man up and call her instead of staring at her things like a pussy.” I finish snatching off my tie and attack the buttons at my throat while I walk further into the house. The minute I clear the doorway, I take my shirt off, reach for the undershirt, and drop the clothes in a pile on the floor. I slip my phone out of my pocket, go through the motions of pulling up Serena’s contact information, and instead of hittingCall, I do one better. I FaceTime her, wanting to see more of her. I know our time working together is dwindling down, where she won’t be with me as much as she is now. Damn, I should have slipped moving Serena up to our floor into the conversation with Todd tonight. A missed fucking opportunity. And who knows when I’ll be able to bring up her name while not making any waves?
“Well, hello, there, handsome,” she answers on the first ring. She’s in bed, comforter tucked beneath her arms, and the lack of straps is cluing me in that she may be naked.
“Hey, sweetheart. You’re in bed early.” I take a seat in the chair near the head of the bed. Serena props her phone up on a pillow and moves around in a gingerly sort of way. My ears might be deceiving me, but I’m pretty sure I hear a light buzzing noise in the background.
Fuck.
“Well, someone’s worn me out this week,” she teases. The sheet drops an inch, showing me more cleavage. I have to readjust how I’m sitting to give myself more room in my pants. My cock grows with every passing second, wondering what exactly she’s doing beneath the sheets.
“Is that so? Seems to me like you might be doing something I’d like to do or, at the very least, watch.” Her eyes close, neck arching back and hand going beneath the sheets, allowing it to drop even further, too.
