Homewrecker Incorporated (11 page)

She went in for a hug and my blood heated. Grey stopped her by extending his hand for a formal shake. I exhaled my relief while mentally chastising myself for having that obnoxious and unnecessary reaction yet again. Her expression was one of confusion with perhaps a touch of hurt. She looked at me and all the softness and vulnerability in her expression morphed into disdain.

Chad's expression was apologetic as he mouthed "sorry" to his brother before turning to me.

"Who's your friend?" he asked, stepping closer to me, his eyes moving down to my legs, then back up and pausing on my breasts before finally coming to rest on my face.

"Claudia Winston, this is my brother Chad Michaels. Ms. Winston is replacing Janet as Gregory's assistant."

Grey stepped closer to me. I was glad to see he'd gotten past the notion of hiring me as his assistant instead.

"I haven't gotten the job yet." I smiled at Grey, but his expression remained tense. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Michaels."

I extended my hand but instead of shaking it, Chad Michaels pulled it up to his face and pressed his lips to my knuckles just like Grey did the first time we met.

"Knowing my brother, I'm guessing you're a shoo-in for the gig," Chad said with a smirk.

If Grey and Chad's responses were any indication, I wasn't going to have any trouble catching Gregory Michaels's attention when I finally met him officially.

"We were just leaving," Grey said. His tone bordered on irritation. It seemed the jealous feelings worked both ways, a fact which made my smile a bit brighter.

Chad, who was still gripping my hand, reluctantly let it go and nodded to his brother. It seemed there was a bit of sibling rivalry between them.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" the blonde said, stepping toward Grey again. He sighed without looking at her.

"Claudia, this is Ashley Slade, an old family friend. Her father is the former CFO of G&G."

"Wow, just an old family friend? I guess that's what five years does," she said. I couldn't quite figure out her tone. It was as if she was mad, hurt, and self-satisfied all at once.

"Yeah, something like that," Grey replied dismissively. "Shall we?" He inclined his head toward the exit.

I nodded and grabbed my purse from the back of my chair.

"It was nice to meet you both," I said to Chad and Ashley as I passed.

"I look forward to seeing you again, around the office," Chad said with a wink. 

Ashley responded by glaring daggers at me. I flashed her my sweetest smile.

"We can grab lunch and catch up next week," Chad said to our backs. Grey waved without looking back.

"What was that all about?" I asked when we were out of earshot.

"Just some old family bullshit I don't want to drag back up," he responded, effectively shutting me down. I understood the impulse all too well. Family bullshit was the worst kind. Still, I was curious why he'd gotten so worked up seeing Ashley.

Grey placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me around the corner to the entrance. His fingers teased the skin exposed by the opening in my dress.

"Shit, it's raining," I said when we reached the door. "My car is parked a block away."

He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "You won't need it tonight. I promise to get you back to it safely, tomorrow."

It was as if the awkward exchange from a few moments ago never happened. Grey was back to his confident, sexy self.

I opened my mouth to protest, there was no way I was staying with him that long, but all rational thought flew out the window when he slid his tongue down my ear and planted soft kisses on my neck. I shivered, squeezing my thighs together as the tension that'd been building all night took on new life. The movement made me acutely aware of the desire pooling between my legs.

I groaned softly when he moved away. I'd never been a fan of PDA. It hadn't really ever been an issue because the only men I saw were married but God help me, with the way he kissed my neck I would have let Grey do whatever he wanted.

A driver appeared in the doorway, umbrella in hand.

"Thank you, Vince," Grey said, his fingertips returning to my back. We walked out and slid into a black town car.

The door hadn't even fully closed and he was climbing over me, or maybe I was pulling him onto me. I couldn't be sure who was doing what. My head banged against the side of the car behind the window. I didn't care. I guess four vodka and sodas and a couple of glasses of superb wine will do that, or maybe it was finally getting to run my tongue over those gorgeous, wine-stained lips.

I grabbed Grey's face and pulled his plump bottom lip between my teeth, biting down just a little before I slid my tongue against his. He tasted like dark, sweet fruit and something else I couldn't quite identify but whatever it was, I wanted more. Grey groaned against my mouth and pushed my legs apart with his knee. My dress rode up over my thighs as he moved his leg forward until my black lace thong was against the denim of his jeans.

I moaned as he moved his leg against me. He slid one shoulder of my dress down, taking the strap of my bra with it. Rather skillfully, he freed my breast from the formfitting material and pulled my hard nipple between his teeth. I sucked in a breath, bucking against the intense sensation as his tongue worked its magic, and he continued to move his knee against my throbbing pussy.

And then, as quickly and wildly as we'd begun, with me ready to let him fuck me right there in the backseat of the car, Grey released my nipple, moved his leg away and gave me a sweet, gentle peck on the nose as he pulled my dress and bra back up. He flashed a devious, satisfied smile, but his eyes gave away the lust and desire he was feeling. I gaped at him, completely stunned as he moved over and sat back in the seat.

He reached over and brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. "I'm sorry, baby, but there's no way our first time is going to be in the back of a car like a couple of reckless teenagers. I'm going to take my time savoring every bit of you. We'll be at my place in just a few minutes, but we need to make a quick stop first."

Grey opened the divider and instructed the driver to stop at the nearest drugstore. I'd been so wrapped up in him I hadn't noticed or cared whether or not Vince could see us. Modesty wasn't really my thing anyway. When the car came to a stop, Grey gripped the front of his pants and adjusted what looked to be a rather impressive erection before hopping out into the rain. Vince jumped out after him, attempting to get the umbrella open to escort him in, but Grey waved him off and walked in alone.

I adjusted my dress before Vince climbed back in. Checking my phone, I found several messages from Jessica and one from Grace. I didn't bother reading any of them, opting instead to survey my appearance with the camera. My cheeks were flushed and my hair was mussed with several pieces having fallen loose while Grey and I wrestled around. I smiled with my kiss-swollen lips and pulled the pins from my hair, letting it fall in loose golden waves around my shoulders.

Grey slid back in beside me with a plastic bag in hand, sucking in a breath when he saw me.

"You are so fucking sexy." He tossed the bag on the seat before he shifted, groaning as he tried to adjust his erection again. My gaze followed the motion of his hand, and I bit my lip as thoughts of tasting the silky hardness he was wrestling with invaded my mind.

I grabbed the bag, noticing a condom box through the semitransparent material as I pushed it out of the way and slid closer to Grey. It was surprising a man like him didn't walk around prepared. I imagined opportunities for casual sex fell into his lap regularly, a thought which reignited that pesky sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Then I wondered if it was just a ploy to gain my trust. It wouldn't be the first time a manwhore tried to pull a fast one on me. Of course, they'd always been marks, so I was the one pulling a fast one. This was unfamiliar territory.

He grinned sheepishly at my eyeing the bag as I slid over to him.

"It's been a long time for me, so I haven't had to worry about keeping these on hand."

I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes slightly as I examined him for any hint of a lie. I saw none.

The sense of relief his confession gave me was disconcerting. I had no business caring who or how often he fucked. Our night together was going to be a onetime thing, and we would go our separate ways as soon as it was over. Grey took my hand, rubbing his thumb lightly over my knuckles as his gaze moved from my eyes to my lips and back to my eyes. I should have pulled away; the action was intimate, too intimate. He touched me as if we were a real couple, not the one-night stand I was determined we were. Instead I pushed forward, pressing my lips against his as he smiled against my mouth. Running my tongue over his lips, I pushed my fingers through his thick hair before he pulled me onto his lap.

As we kissed, a little voice in the back of my mind told me this was dangerous, but I ignored it, convinced I was in control. I told myself again the attraction I felt to Grey was purely chemical; I needed to fuck him once to get him out of my head so I could focus and move on with the job at hand. Between the drinks and the making out and all the emotional shit I had going on in my personal life, I needed release. I needed to be fucked good and hard, so that was exactly what I intended to get.

❖

"We're here," Grey said, breaking our kiss.

I smiled and moved off his lap to fix my clothes as I looked out the window. My heart pounded as the car turned onto the long winding driveway that led to Grey's home. My emotions swirled below the surface as the house came into view. The elegant and inviting property wasn't exactly what I expected for a bachelor. The lawn and landscaping were tasteful and well manicured. The house, while quite large, wasn't flashy or overbearing. It looked like a home.

Holding my hand, Grey helped me out of the car and led me around to a side door, stopping briefly to tell Vince he wouldn't need him again until the morning. I should have stepped in and told the driver to wait because I wouldn't be staying that long. Instead I remained silent and followed Grey into the house. I would call a cab after I'd gotten what I needed.

"Wow," I said, stepping into the kitchen. It was set up much like I imagined the kitchen of a professional chef would be. Top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, tons of cabinet and counter space, and a variety of cooking gadgets built in all around. And the smells. I'd stuffed myself at dinner, but the scent of cinnamon and vanilla in the air made my mouth water.

"I told you I like to cook," he said, pulling me along. Good, he wanted to get down to business, which was exactly what I needed.

We entered a large family room and he took me over to the couch. I guess that was better than the bedroom--less personal.

"Give me a minute," he said as I sat.

"Okay, where's the restroom?" I wanted to freshen up after our twenty-minute make out session.

He led me back toward the kitchen, pointing around the corner before he pressed a gentle kiss on my swollen lips and walked away. I watched him stroll back across the room and disappear down a hallway, plastic bag in hand. I slipped into the bathroom and took a moment to survey my appearance in the mirror above the vanity. I was surprised by how I looked. Based on how I was feeling, I expected to be a mess, but I looked as good as I had walking into the restaurant hours before, maybe better with my hair hanging in loose heavy waves. With no need to reapply my makeup, I splashed a little water on my face and ran a hand through my hair.

I slipped out of the bathroom and back to the family room. Grey was nowhere to be seen, so I took the time to explore the room. I stopped to admire an oil painting of a mountain landscape on my way to the fireplace. Landscapes were my favorite. I loved seeing the different perceptions of nature's beauty artists captured. A slight scent of burnt wood tickled my noise, which was surprising considering most people I knew opted for gas. I appreciated the realness of it.

The expansive mantle was lined with photographs that spanned many years. There was one of Grey and his brother when they were boys with a beautiful young woman I assumed was their mother. The twins couldn't have been more than two or three in the shot. Even then Grey had a smile to kill for. His hair was lighter, but the big golden hazel eyes were the same. I moved down the line of photos, which appeared to be arranged chronologically with various shots of Grey and his family. A wedding photo of his parents revealed the source of his good looks. He and Gregory looked a lot like their father, except for the eyes. Those were definitely their mother's. Chad, on the other hand, was like a masculine clone of her, just with lighter hair. There was another wedding photo, one of Elsa and Gregory. I immediately felt a twinge of guilt looking at her smiling face.

What the hell was I doing? I was supposed to be getting her answers about her husband, not fucking his brother for my own selfish reasons. Seeing her was almost enough to make me leave. To run home and confess my mistake to the girls so we could forge a new plan of attack. Almost.

Instead, I lingered as another picture caught my eye. It was of Grey's whole family, except this one included the blonde from the restaurant, Ashley. Grey's arms were draped around her from behind, the two of them looking as happy as any couple I'd ever seen. I had a sudden urge to vomit, followed by a strong urge to break something.

"That was a long time ago."

I jumped at Grey's unexpected presence behind me but didn't turn around.