A Gentleman's Agreement (13 page)

His mother hovered over
him, but allowed Eunice to nurse him. “Get him some water, Tucker.”

“I’m fine,” Blake said,
finally finding the strength to sit up.

“Let me help you up,
son.” His father extended his hand for Blake to take. “One monkey don’t stop
the show.”

Blake grimaced when he
put pressure on his knee. Ignoring his own pain, he cradled Eunice’s face
between his hands. Tears streamed down her face. “Are you okay?”

She nodded, then shook
her head. “No.”

He cocooned her in his arms, and she
sobbed into his chest. This was all his fault. He’d do whatever he needed to do
to make it up to her.

Before they’d left to return
home, Eunice had a private conversation with Mrs. Farrington. There was no way
she could’ve left Norfolk with the woman who’d treated her like family angry
with her. Especially since now she really was dating her son.

To Eunice’s surprise,
Mrs. Farrington held no ill will toward her. Why had she expected anything less
from the warmhearted woman? She’d also owned up to being a bit overzealous when
it came to her sons and claimed to understand why Blake—who’d tried to take all
of the blame—had done what he’d done. In the end, it’d all worked out. She’d
even talked him out of pressing charges against Sasha—her good deed of the
decade for as difficult as it was.

With her head resting
on the soft leather, Eunice watched the clouds dance outside the jet window.
Yes, she was thrilled to be traveling home, but also concerned. Now that they
were no longer surrounded by the magic at the Farrington estate, what would
happen? Her feelings for Blake wouldn’t fade, but would his?

She rotated her head to
face him.
Poor thing
. He gnawed at his nails and bounced his leg in
rapid succession.
Some people should just stick to trains and automobiles.

Stopping suddenly,
Blake perked in his seat. “Did you feel that?”

“Feel…what?”

His eyes roamed the
cabin. “Vibration.”

It’d probably been his
own frantic leg movement he’d felt. “No.”

Just then, the pilot
sounded over the intercom, announcing their landing in approximately twenty
minutes.

“Did he sound strange
to you? Was his tone shaky? Like he was trying to hide something. You don’t
think there’s a problem, do you?
Nah
,” he said, answering his own
question and relaxing against the cushion. A beat later, he jolted forward
again. “Surely, he’d tell us if there was a problem, right?”

She waited a moment to
see if he’d answer himself again. When he didn’t she said, “I’m sure he would.”

Blake crossed his ankle
over his knee, uncrossed it, and crossed it again. “He looked awfully young to
be a pilot. How many actual flying hours do you think he has?” He made a move
to stand. “Maybe I should ask him.”

“Down, boy,” she said,
restricting his movement. “Look at me, Blake.” When he did, she said, “We’re
fine. We’re okay. Believe.”

Eunice watched some of
the tension release from his shoulders. He nodded. “You’re right. I’m tripping.
I’m sure that man has thousands of flying hours.” He reclined his head and
closed his eyes, but opened them again. “Are we okay?”

“This aircraft is not
going to plummet from the sky. Trust me.”

“Not that.” He shifted
toward her. “Are
we
okay? I never meant for you to get caught up in my—”

She pressed a finger to
his lips. “We’re good. Like your father said, one monkey don’t stop the show.”

They shared a moment of
needed laughter.

She eased her head onto
the headrest and stared into Blake’s eyes. “Will things change, Blake?”

“What?”

“When we return to life
as normal. Will things change between us?”

Blake mimicked her,
resting his head against the cushion. “We’re already in life as normal. When
I’m with you, I feel more
normal
than I ever have.”

“What happens when
we’re no longer able to hide our relationship?” For some reason, a swollen
belly popped into her head. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that
when they’d made love in the laundry room, they hadn’t used protection.
Damn
you, temptation
.

“Why should we have
to?”

She hadn’t expected
that as his response, but the words made her smile. “You
want
to tell
people about us?”

He kissed the back of
her hand. “I want to tell the world about us. But if you’re concerned, I’ll
respect whatever decision you make.”

Her real concern at the
moment was Sasha. What if the woman showed up and out Monday morning, ranting
to whoever would listen that she’d stolen Blake from her. Had Blake even
considered Sasha pulling a stunt at his office like the one she’d pulled at his
parents’ house?

“I think I want to keep
it under wraps. Just a little while longer. I’m not really ready to be the
focus of office gossip. The rumors. The whispers. The scowls.”

“Scowls?”

“Yes, scowls. There’s
not a single woman in the building who wouldn’t love to be spending their
nights with Blake Farrington. That tall, dark, gorgeous, sexy bachelor,” she
said, repeating things she’d overheard.

He flashed a confident
smile. “Even you?”

She smoothed a hand
over his stubble. “Especially me. You’ve made me a target.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll
protect you.” He leaned in close. “Now kiss me, woman. I need something to take
my mind off the fact we’re thirty thousand feet off the ground.”

Eunice pressed an index
finger into his lips. “I have to go to the bathroom.” She stood and started
away. Over her shoulder, she said, “You should come with me.”

A roguish smile spread
across his face. “It would be my pleasure to
come
with you.”

On the way to the
bathroom, Blake captured her around the waist and rotated her to face him. “For
the record, anyone who even fixes their mouth to say one sordid thing about you
will be fired on the spot.”

The stern expression on
his face suggested he was dead serious. This made her want him even more.

The second they entered
the polished bathroom, Blake heaved her onto the vanity and smashed his lips to
hers. She could taste the lingering sweetness in his mouth from the apple juice
he’d drank earlier. His kisses trailed along her jaw line, down her neck and
along her collar bone.

Moans of pleasure
escaped when he nibbled at her taut nipple through the sweater she wore. Beating
him to the punch, she lifted the clover green fabric over her head. Blake claimed
her mouth again. In a greedy manner, his tongue explored every inch of it.
Damn, she was glad Tucker and Vivian had decided to stay in Norfolk a few extra
days.

Planting her hands in
his chest, she shoved him away. When his eyes steadied on hers, she smirked at
his quizzical expression. Snatching a handful of the black button-down shirt,
she yanked him back between her legs. Anxious hands explored his sculpted chest.
The man was truly solid as an oak tree.

“How much was this
shirt?” she asked.

“Two twenty—”

She pulled the two ends
apart until the first button popped off. He didn’t flinch, appearing to harbor little
regard for the expensive shirt she was destroying. They sustained gazes as she popped
the next button, then the next. Buttons shot around the room like hot popcorn
kernels.

When she was done, she
pushed the shirt off his shoulders. “Mr. Farrington,” she said, using
unnecessary formality, “remove your white tee.” He’d had his turn taking the
lead. Now it was hers.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Easing her lips to his
pecs, she kissed him tenderly, then ran a stiff tongue over his nipple. The
bulge pressing against her thigh let her know he was ripe for the picking.
Locking lips with him again, her hand traveled to the swell in his pants. The
more she massaged, the harder he kissed her. Against his mouth, she said, “Take
your pants and boxers off.”

Not only had he wasted
no time with the request, he didn’t stop there. Taking the initiative, he
undressed her as well. Just like that, he’d regained the upper hand. Oh, how
this man loved being in control.

After stripping her
bare, he returned to the position between her legs. His hands rested against
the vanity on either side of her and he dipped close to her mouth. But instead
of kissing her, he stared at her for a long, heated moment.

“What do you see?” she
asked.

Instead of supplying an
answer, Blake lowered his head to the crook of her neck and kissed her
delicately. He planted delicate kisses along the column of her neck, then jaw, until
he was at her ear. “I see a picture of the possibilities,” he whispered.

He certainly knew how
to tantalize her with his words.

From somewhere, he’d
gotten protection. Clearly, he’d recalled their err in judgment, too. It could
have been from one of the several tiny doors inside the vanity. Her brain
wasn’t processing anything but the need to have him inside her, delivering
long, hard strokes.

When he yanked her to
the edge of the icy surface, she gasped from the unexpected move. He inched the
tip of his shaft inside but didn’t deliver the thrust she longed for. Her
entire body shivered with anticipation.

Blake positioned his
mouth inches from hers and dragged a finger along her cheek. “Do you want—?”

“Yes.” When he inched
inside of her a little deeper, she moaned.

“Does that feel good?”

“Yes, but I want more.”

He offered her another
half-inch of himself, then pecked her gently. “Have you ever made love in the
air before?”

“No.”

His lips lifted into a
crooked smile. “So I’m your first?”

She nodded, wanting the
questions to cease and wild, hot sex to commence.

“Welcome to the Mile High
Club.”

She cried out when he drove
himself deep inside her. He’d been gentle with her the first time they’d made
love, but clearly, he wanted her to know he had multiple settings. The powerful
strokes hit all the right spots. She dug her nails into his back as the tight
grip of an orgasm clutched her.

No, no. Yes
…
“Faster,” she whispered.

He obliged, tipping her
over the edge. Her mouth dropped open, but nothing would escape. The sheer
intensity of the orgasm stole her cries before she could release them. Waves of
pleasure ripped through her, and she welcomed every shred of gratification it
left in its wake.

Blake’s palm slapped
against the mirror behind them. “Don’t cross the finish line without me.” After
two or three more clumsy strokes, he released a growl powerful enough to down
the aircraft.

***

The first thing Blake
had done when he arrived in the office that morning was inform security that if
Sasha stepped foot into the building she was to be escorted out promptly. His
biggest concern was that the nut would try and come after Eunice. He wasn’t
about to let that happen.

The second thing he’d
done was contact the legal department to have them axe the no fraternization
policy, labeling it archaic. No explanation was given and no questions were asked.
Being the boss had its perks.

The third thing, a
staff meeting. He’d enjoyed the time away from the office—especially the time
he’d spent with his family And especially, especially the time he’d spent with
Eunice. But now, it was time to get his head back in the game.

Luckily, nothing
pressing needed his immediate attention. One of the good things about his
staff, they were extremely capable of extinguishing fires, and typically did so
before they burned a trail to his door.

After thanking everyone
for their time, he dismissed them. Well, not everyone. “Eunice, I need to see
you in my office.”

“I have a meeting
with—”

“Now.” He exited the
room before she could further object.

The second Eunice
entered his office, Blake slammed the door and pinned her against it. The iPad,
cell phone, and additional belongings she’d been carrying plummeted to the
floor with a
thunk
.

“Was that convincing
enough?” he asked.

“Yes, but—”

He quieted her protest
with an untamed kiss. She didn’t hesitate to welcome his searching tongue. An
instant erection tented his pants. A desperate need consumed him. “I want you.”

Hell, he’d wanted her
from the second she’d brushed by him in the conference room wearing that fitted
charcoal dress that screamed to be ripped off her beautiful body. A great deal
of his time in the meeting had been spent fantasizing about making love to her
in the middle of the conference table. Damn, he just couldn’t get enough of this
woman.

Her hands searched his
chest. Breathlessly, she said, “We can’t, Blake. We agreed to maintain a level
of professionalism while at the office, remember?”

“You’re right,” he
said, his body still firmly pressed against hers. He cupped her breasts and kneaded
her taut nipples through the thin fabric. “But surely we can make an exception
this one time. Your body seems to be in favor.”

When her breathing grew
clumsy, he knew she was feeling the same rush he was experiencing. A beat
later, he had confirmation.

“
Ugh
. Damn you,
Blake Farrington,” she said, tugging his shirt from his pants, then fumbling
with the button.

He captured her hands
and pinned them above her head. “I’m going to take you against the door. Then
again on my desk. And once more in my shower.”

“That sounds like it’s
going to take a lot more time than either of us have.”

“We have all the time
in the world.”

With that declaration,
his office phone buzzed.
Shit, shit, shit
. “Yes?”

His assistant’s voice
danced over the speaker. “Sorry to interrupt, sir. Mr. Kyro Reed with Reed
Unlimited Athletics is on the line. He says you’ve been expecting his call.”

Yes, he had. “Two
minutes. I have to take this,” he whispered against Eunice’s mouth, then stole
a quick kiss. “Send it through,
Rose
.” He winked at Eunice, then moved behind
his desk. “Mr. Reed.”

Although Blake had a
good ten years on the young buck, he showed the man the respect he was entitled.
Kyro Reed was a titan in sportswear. His North Carolina-based company had
started in his parents’ garage, but had grown into a multi-million dollar
empire. He was in negotiation with Reed to sign two of his clients as spokesmen
for Reed Unlimited’s new line of compression wear.