Choice Matters (Southern Heat Book 1) (15 page)

Point by point,
Apolo
made his
presentation. He informed his executive personnel about the governor’s upcoming
appointment. How things would change. Finally finished with that section of the
meeting, he took questions. They were the usual. Had the board of directors
been informed and did they approve of his choice to head the company while he
was in Washington? Then, he introduced Henry Scott, and I knew what his final
strategy of this meeting today would be. Leave and let Henry get started.

The mood in the room was positive, and it appeared everyone
was excited and happy that
Apolo
had accepted the
position. Don, who had been quietly sitting, taking in the news, seemed to
delight in the fact that someone else at the table had the same thing on their
mind as him. Me. “What was my position so soon after he had promoted me?”
someone asked.

As always,
Apolo’s
reply was
smooth as silk.

“While Caitlyn will not be resigning her position, her
duties will be more redirected to other matters more appropriate to this
change. I’m sure you’ve all heard the rumors, so I’ll simply make it official.
Caitlyn and I are a couple, have been for quite a while. She is accompanying me
to Washington, where she will not only be by my side, she will be heading up
some projects as well, as assisting me on some other ideas. She will be back
and forth until we get settled in.”

“Isn’t that a conflict of interest?” Don asked smugly.

“Not at all, Don. What she will be assisting me with or
heading up has nothing to do with Choice Enterprises. Not directly. Which
brings me to the next part of our meeting.”

He leaned back in his chair, tapping his two forefingers
together. He then pushed his chair back and stood. One hand absentmindedly
scrubbed his beard as he began, but not before we exchanged one last look. “I’m
sure you all read my press release, so you know where I’m going with this. Some
of what I wish to accomplish has to do with disabled people, of which I am one.”

“Shouldn’t you have disclosed that to us, Mr. Choice, before
now when you’re becoming a senator?” someone asked.

“No, because it’s been no one’s damned business. It does not
affect the running of my company. I’m no different than any of you, other than
the fact that I have a disability. If I hadn’t decided to come forward with the
information, you’d still think no differently of me.”

“What is your disability?” Don asked.

“I lost one of my legs in a tragic accident some years ago.
What happened, or how it happened, is in the past where it can stay. I don’t
believe in dredging up the past. Nothing can be done to change it. What
happened
happened
, and I’ve made the best of it. Now,
with Caitlyn’s help, I intend to help others.”

“You are to be commended, Mr. Choice,” Renee added.

* * * *

If
Apolo
felt uncomfortable as we
exited, leaving Henry Scott in charge of the remainder of the meeting, he never
showed it. After shaking hands and accepting well wishes from his top staff, he
guided me from the room, his hand on the small of the back. I’d gotten a lot of
congratulatory well wishes myself, but always in conjunction with
Apolo
.

Catching a glimpse of Renee, I thought I saw her discreetly
give me a thumbs up. Our pairing met her rigorous approval. She had for years
been the keeper to
Apolo
Choice’s inner sanctum. Now,
she was releasing his well-being to me. We understood each other.

Leading me out and away from the bank of elevators,
Apolo
stayed silent as we made our way through the empty
lobby and out the front door one of the security guards was stationed at. Just
down the steps the Bentley sat parked, Jacob standing at the vehicle’s side. He
opened the door quickly, and we slid in. Any paparazzi roaming around hoping
for a peep wouldn’t know what hit them.

“Where to, Mr. Choice? The house?”

“Yes, that’s fine, Jacob.” He turned to me with a look that
could only be described as one of having a huge burden lifted off his
shoulders. Handsome, wide shoulders, I might add.

His graphite gray eyes, however, told another story. Having
made public a portion of his past he had managed to keep hidden all these
years, his eyes were still intense, smoldering. Eyes that led right down into
Apolo
Choice’s soul. He would always guard himself, his
past, and those closest around him.

“Feel better now?” I inquired, patting his thigh. His larger
hand reached down and took mine, lifting it to his lips and kissing the back.
The sensation of his mouth and his hot breath on my skin had me shifting my
hips on the black, leather seat.

A deep chuckle escaped his throat as he lowered my hand.
Slowly, he began to massage the back of it with his thumb. He knew exactly what
his gesture was doing to me, and he was delighting in it. “Quite. I thought
perhaps you might want to go out and grab something, or we could stay in. I’ll
leave it up to you.”

“How about we eat at the house? It’ll be one of the last
times we’ll be able to do so. At least for this next week. I’m sure I can find
more than enough in that monster you call a kitchen for brunch.”

“The house it is, then. I’m sure we can find more than
enough to tempt us.” That deep laugh again. The man was relentless. Not that I
minded. In fact, I loved sex with him. He was like an addiction. I couldn’t get
enough.

The chirp of his iPhone meant it was back to business as
usual. Even on Sunday. But then, this wasn’t any Sunday. It was our last before
a new chapter in both our lives began.

Shaking his head,
Apolo
seemed momentarily
to pause, as though he was deciding whether or not to take the call. “Anthony,”
he mouthed.

I knew this talk among the two brothers would be
interesting. Anthony, I imagined, was probably eager to find out if
Apolo
had made his part in the accident public knowledge,
or if he was safe from the scathing remarks that were bound to come. Should
Apolo
ever change his mind. Anthony’s secret was safe, at
least for the moment.

“I’m going to text him and tell him I’ll call him once I get
home.”

“You spoke with him, I don’t understand…”

“It simply Anthony looking after Anthony, that’s all.”

“I don’t suppose you can put him off until tomorrow?”

“No, not Anthony. If I don’t call him back, he’ll simply
show up on my doorstep, and wait until he gets the answers he’s after.”

“Nice guy.”

The Bentley made a turn off the main road and onto the long
drive. As the car neared the mansion, I heard
Apolo
cuss under his breath. He sat up abruptly, patting my hand before giving it
back to me.

“And it seems baby brother was here waiting after all.”

“He’s persistent. I’ll give him that much,” I replied as I
gathered my purse and placed it on my lap.

“Damn nuisance, that’s what he is. Come, Caitlyn, the
quicker I deal with him, the quicker we’ll have our day to ourselves.”

Not waiting for Jacob to come around and open the door,
Apolo
was quickly out of the car, his hand extended to assist
me out of the back. Taking hold of my hand, he led us at a brisk pace to the house.
It was all I could do to keep up with his long strides in the heels I wore.

Anthony stood there right by the door. Just like a vulture. “About
time you got here. I was beginning to think you’d gone out somewhere to eat or
some nonsense,” he said, eyeing me as though I was an interloper as I passed in
front of him.

“If you checked your phone, you’d notice I sent you a text
stating I was en route. Now, what the hell is so urgent, Anthony? I thought we’d
been over all of this and everything was settled.”

Making our way into one of the drawing rooms he liked to
frequent,
Apolo
stood protectively next to the chair
I picked. He was most definitely not happy with this unscheduled visit from his
brother. Not only was it not in the order of his neat, meticulously scheduled
day, but he clearly thought he’d dealt with the issue.

His grey eyes were darkened and a muscle on his right cheek
was twitching. It wouldn’t take much to send him off, and I had the feeling
Anthony was about to.

“I want to know what you said,
Apolo
.
What you told your executive staff.”

“You do know I don’t have to tell you squat about what I
discuss with MY executive staff, don’t you?”

“You owe me.”

“You have that all wrong, Anthony. I owe you nothing. Not a
damn thing. I would have thought you would have gotten that through your thick
head after all these years. It’s actually you who owes me.”

“What did you tell them?”

“I told them the truth—that my brother knowingly meant to do
harm to anyone, including me, who ventured near his fortress. I told them you
were responsible for the loss of my leg.”

“Don’t play coy with me,
Apolo
, I
know you’d never tell them the truth.”

“What I told them was exactly what I’m telling anyone who
asks. That it was a horrible accident that happened in the past. Nothing more,
nothing less. Push me, however, and I may be tempted to rethink my position and
tell the world the entire sordid mess.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“Wouldn’t I? The only reason I don’t is to spare our
parents. I could care less what it would do to mar your reputation or life. Now,
I suggest that if you don’t want me to reconsider and put a call into my media
people you get the hell out of my house and off my property. Now.”

Anthony, cocking his head in my direction, flicked me a
devilish grin. “I don’t know how you put up with him, Caitlyn. Lord knows no
woman has stayed with him because of his nasty disposition. Must be the sex…”

I started to answer, but one look at
Apolo
assured me I better not. I would simply be feeding into Anthony’s imagined
power struggle. I remained in my chair as he escorted his younger brother to
the door.

Shaking my head, I slipped out of my heels and made a
beeline to the bar. Bending down, I spied a bottle of scotch and grabbed it,
putting it on the top. As I began to unfold myself with the two crystal glasses
I had in my hand, something told me to look toward the doorway. Standing there
was
Apolo
. Leaning against the door jam, a huge,
naughty grin on his face.

“Like the view?” I chuckled as I flicked a grin back in his
direction.

He was, by now, walking in my direction in long strides. His
brown hair now tosseled from him having run his hand through it. A piece had
broken away and was laying on his forehead. By the lustful look in his gray
eyes, I knew what was on his mind. I uncorked the bottle and made a futile
attempt at pouring a glass by the time he reached my side.

His hand took the glass from mine and placed it on the
chest. He then took me in his arms, his lips covering mine. It was one of those
kisses, full of passion and need. How we had made it through one night without
sex escaped me. But we had. He had been too keyed up and focused on this
morning’s meeting.

Now, it was different. Now here stood the lustful, sensual,
sexual, needing
Apolo
I knew. His hands were already
exploring my body as though he needed to memorize every part of me. He shifted,
and I felt his hardened cock against me. I knew what we both needed. Right then,
no delays.

As his hands began to push my dress up to my thighs, I broke
the kiss. “
Apolo
, hang on. Let’s go somewhere more
private. Not here,” I whispered in his ear then kissed it, my hands roaming up
and down his back, needing to feel his skin.

“Caitlyn, it’s Sunday, angel. I have no staff on Sunday,
remember? Not even Jacob.” His hands continued pulling my dress up until he was
satisfied with where it had ended up.

As our lips met again, I unzipped his slacks and urgently
pulled them over his hips and throbbing erection. His underwear was next as I
took his cock in one hand and began to stroke him. I heard him moan.

He
backwalked
me to a small,
decorative chair, some of which lined the perimeter of the room. He
repositioned us and sat on the fabric seat as his hands reached around,
unzipping my dress in the back. He pulled me up on to his lap. I repositioned
myself, legs wrapping around his waist. As he was doing that, I unbuttoned his
shirt, exposing his muscular chest and a light smattering of hair, which was a
huge turn on for me.

I gripped his hair, fisting it in my hands as his lips found
their way to my neck then my shoulder. Fumbling with the front clasp of my bra,
he reached down and cupped one of my breasts. I caught myself moaning as his
fingers pinched the already hardened nipple.

Feeling his hands on my hips, I helped him to what we both
needed. Without pause, he sunk deep inside me. Wanting him deeper, I tightened
my grip around his waist, feeling him as he began to increase his pace. “Oh God,
Apolo
,” I moaned.

His hands were tightly in place on each of my butt cheeks as
we rocked together. Before I knew what hit me, my body lunged into spasms of
ecstasy as I came hard. His release followed right behind mine. “Baby,” he
cried out as he thrust himself hard one last time, his hands pulling me tightly
against him.

We sat there like that, wrapped around each other as our
breath slowed. I felt him shift under me, still now allowing us to separate.
The man was still hard, I could tell, as I squeezed my muscles around his cock,
causing him to groan.

“Hmmm, that’s nice, angel. Do it again, and I’ll have you on
the floor.” He chuckled in my ear, kissing the shell then sensually running his
tongue along the outline. “However, I am very hungry, and I believe you
promised me something to eat.”