RISE - Part Two (The RISE Series Book 2) (5 page)

I shake my head lightly from side-to-side as I follow his directions. He's not going to let me be the one to lead tonight.

I scream into the bed linens when I feel his hand race over my folds. I'm already wet and the promise of his touch on my core only pushes me closer to the edge I'm already teetering on. I've never been with any man who could pull so much desire from deep within me so quickly.

"I want to eat you." His lips brush against my thigh. "I love the way you taste."

I push my hips towards him. I want him to eat me too. "Do it, Landon. Please."

I feel a smile course over his mouth as he kisses me again, this time it's my inner thigh. "My cock is so hard. It's aching."

I rest my cheek against the bed. My breath is caught in my chest as I wait for his next touch. I'm so tempted to reach back so I can circle my own clit with my finger. I know that I can get myself off within seconds.  I move my hand slightly.

"Don't touch yourself yet." His tongue dips into my channel. "I'm going to fuck this beautiful body."

I sigh at the promise. "Now?"

The sound of the foil of the condom wrapper being ripped apart answers my question. I ignore what he said and reach back to touch myself with the index finger of my right hand.

"I told you not to." His hand catches mine between my legs. "Your orgasm is mine."

I can't control the moan when I feel his hand guide mine over my slick cleft. I shudder when his lips close in over my moist fingers.

"Arch your back." His hand drops mine as he yanks on my hips. "Arch it."

I reach forward to grip the bed sheets in my hands as I feel the swollen tip of his thick cock on my flesh before he rams it into me in one swift, slick motion.

"Tess," he growls my name into the still air. "I'll never get enough of you."

I close my eyes as he fucks me with a passion I've never felt before. I'll never get enough of him either. I'll never get enough.

***

"I
want my mother to know you."

I open my eyes at the sound of the words. The room is filled with the warm light that daybreak brings. I turn towards the clock on the nightstand. It's almost five.

"Your mother?" I pull the tangled sheets onto my nude body. I don't remember falling asleep. I remember Landon fucking me before he drifted back to sleep. I remember getting up to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen and just as I slid back into bed next to him, I remember him sliding down my body to lick me softly and tenderly to another orgasm.

"I have to go to the airport to get her in a few hours," he whispers the words into my cheek. "I wish she was coming here to meet you. I want her to see how beautiful you are."

The confession brings a faint smile to my lips. I don't know Landon's dating history or how quickly he introduced the women he's dated in the past to his mother but it feels like an important step.

"I'd love to meet her."

"I have to tell her about my father today." His voice cracks slightly. "I don't know how to do that."

I wish I could offer anything that would help. I don't know how to do that either. Maybe it's best to just spit the words out with little pomp and circumstance. Or perhaps it's better to spend time reassuring the other person that you'll be there for them before you destroy their world.

"Is there anyone else who can help you tell her? Does she have a best friend?"

"A sister," he offers. "My mother has a sister. They're close. Maybe I should have asked her to come to Boston too."

I shrug as I bring his hand to my lips. "Sometimes having an extra shoulder to lean on can help."

"How did you get to be so smart?" He pulls me closer to his chest. "How did I get so lucky?"

I arch my neck so I can look at him but before I have the chance to catch a glimpse of his handsome face, his lips are on mine, gifting me with a deep, lingering kiss.

––––––––

"G
abriel Foster called me," Ivy smears a pat of butter over the top of her bagel. "He wanted to talk about you."

I literally almost choke on the piece of pineapple I just popped into my mouth. "He what?"

She doesn't look up from the plate in front of her. "He told me that you're doing an event in Los Angeles for him."

I wait to respond, hoping that she'll just keep talking. I even take a large swallow of orange juice to give her more time but all she does is bite off a small piece of the bagel.

"Do you even know him?" I tilt my head to the side. "I've never heard you talk about knowing him before."

"I know he's ridiculously hot." She arches both her brows. "He's not nearly as hot as Jax though, but still, I've seen pictures of the man."

Gabriel is hot. I thought the very same thing the first time I caught sight of him. He's not my type though. Landon is my type. "He is hot but why did he call you?"

"He asked if I was related to you." She grins. "I told him we were cousins."

I smile back. Ivy and I haven't always been close but since I've moved to New York she's taken on a big sister role. I've called her when I've gotten disoriented and it's been her sweet, calming voice that has helped me get back on track. She's not only become a trusted friend but she's one of the biggest supporters I have.

"He heard about my jewelry from Rowan." She nods towards her smartphone. "Rowan showed him some pictures she took at my studio last week of my new collection."

I'm just as proud of her as she is of me. Ivy's work is brilliant and breathtaking. I'm not surprised that Gabriel's sister-in-law is showing her work off. I know they share a close friendship. "Your new collection is beautiful, Ivy."

I watch as a faint blush takes over her cheeks.  "Gabriel said that Liore is going to put out a catalogue. He wants to commission a few pieces for that. He'll give me full credit and he'll link to the Whispers of Grace website from the Liore site."

It's a match made in business heaven. It's also another opportunity for me to work for Gabriel. Launching a catalogue is something the man has more than ample experience with. He's run both a men's and a women's fashion line for years.

I'm not going to let that deter me though. I know I can convince him that an event featuring the models in the catalogue will only amp up the interest in it. I pick up my smartphone and make a note in it to mention Ivy's work the next time I see him.

"Tell me what's going on with you and the pilot." She picks up the teacup that has sat untouched in front of her for more than thirty minutes. I know she likes her tea tepid, but I'm certain it's going to be bordering on chilled by now.

I look towards where I last saw the waiter but he's nowhere to be found. Saturday morning brunch at Axel NY is one of the places to be in Manhattan. When Ivy called me an hour ago to ask me to meet her here I teased her about not having a reservation. It didn't take her more than a scant second to remind me that the owner, Hunter Reynolds, is Jax's best friend.

"I like it this way." She takes a sip before pulling the linen napkin over her mouth. "I asked about the pilot. His name is Landon, right?"

"Right." I nod. "I saw him last night."

"You saw him." She rests her elbows on the table so she can lean closer to where I'm sitting across from her. "Or you saw him."

I can't differentiate between the two so I repeat what I just said. "I saw him last night."

"You said that already." She darts her eyes to the door of the restaurant before she looks back at me. "I asked if you saw him or if you saw him."

I heard the difference this time. The second repetition of the words was followed by a growl. Is she actually asking me if I had sex with Landon last night? If she is, it's beyond coy. It's actually bordering on ridiculous. "You didn't just ask me if I slept with him, did you?"

She winks. That's it. She doesn't follow it up with anything else.

"Did you have sex with Jax last night?" I ask as sarcastically as I can.

"Twice." She waves two fingers in the air. "We did it twice."

"Oh my God," I say through laughter. "I didn't actually want to know that."

"You asked." She takes another bite of the bagel as she shrugs her shoulders. "He's insatiable. He never stops touching me."

I rest my head in my hands.  I had every intention of confiding in Ivy about Landon's father when I accepted her invitation to brunch. I'd left his apartment at the same time he did. He helped me into a taxi before he got into another to head to the airport. Every thought I've had since that moment has been about him and his family.

"Did you do it or not?"

I suddenly feel as protective about my intimacy with Landon as I do about his family. I know Ivy is only trying to have fun, but right at this moment, I know that Landon is dealing with issues that far outweigh anything I've had to face in my life.

Just the thought of telling anyone, including Ivy, about what I shared with Landon last night and this morning makes me uncomfortable. I don't want to feel that exposed right now. He confided in me and in the moments of tenderness that followed, we gave ourselves to one another in a way that was shameless and raw.

"I'm going back up to get more food." I gesture towards the ample buffet that Axel provides to every patron who steps in for brunch. It's literally enough food to fuel me for a week. "Are you coming?"

"I want to try some of the desserts." Ivy pushes her hands against the edge of the table as she stands. "You'll split some with me, right?"

"I will." I smile. "We can try one of everything."

––––––––

"H
ave you spoken to Landon recently?"

I look up from where I'm sitting in front of Gabriel's desk. "I saw him on Friday."

"Friday," he repeats quietly. "He left a message for me on Saturday evening."

I don't pry. It's not my place to ask what details the message contained. I'd waited all weekend with baited breath hoping to hear from Landon but I didn't. It's Monday morning now and as soon as Gabriel's assistant called asking me to come to his office, I'd showered, dressed and sprinted across town in record time.

Work has been my solace the last forty-eight hours. I'd spent much of Saturday afternoon working on a game plan for the gala that I'm organizing for Corteck. It's an important event for me and if I can impress Clive the same way I've impressed Gabriel, I might just have two major corporations as clients.

I had focused completely on the Liore event in Los Angeles yesterday. I'm set to fly there this week and I want to have everything in order before I meet with my contact there.

"Did you and Landon have a falling out?"

A falling out?

Is Gabriel actually asking me if Landon and I broke up? Or maybe he's wondering if we had a lover's quarrel.

"A falling out?" I parrot back. "Why would you think that?"

He dips his chin towards his desk as his dark eyes skim my face. "On the message he left, Landon mentioned that he wouldn't be available to pilot the jet on Friday. I've replaced him."

I feel a rush of heat over my cheeks. I shouldn't feel embarrassed by the fact that I didn't know that Landon would drop out of the trip. I assumed he would when I thought about it but I also assumed he'd tell me first before mentioned it to Gabriel. I know he's dealing with a lot though so giving me a heads-up about something that trivial, doesn't register as important.

"I'm going to send Gianna with you." He taps his long fingers against the edge of the desk.

"Your mother?" I don't take a moment to digest the words before I respond and I instantly regret the surprise in my tone.

He gives me a curt nod. "Is that a problem?"

I inch forward on the chair I'm sitting in. "Of course not, Mr. Foster. I'd love to see your mother again."

He leans back in his own chair.  His hand adjusts the watch on his left wrist. "She'll join you on the flight to California but she won't accompany you on the flight back."

I know I should ask if she's going to be peering over my shoulder while I plan the event, but I think I've mildly offended him enough for one day. It's not my place to question why he's sending his mother to Los Angeles with me. I need this job more than I need any explanations.

"I contacted your cousin last week." He opens a tablet on his desk. "My sister-in-law showed me some pictures of Ivy's work. It's very good."

It's better than that but I'm not one to correct the man who is single-handily keeping my event planning business afloat at the moment. "She's excited to work with you."

"With us." He circles his finger in the air between us. "I'd like to work out a deal to showcase some of her work in our boutiques."

Ivy hadn't mentioned a partnership beyond the catalogue. Having some of her pieces in the Liore boutiques could help grow her business even more. "I'm sure she'd be on board for that."

"I'll have someone contact her regarding including her work in the Los Angeles events." He picks up a silver pen and jots something on a note pad. "I imagine the two of you work well together."

I smile at the statement. Since I've been in New York, it's always been Ivy helping me. This is the first time well be working shoulder-to-shoulder and I couldn't be happier.

––––––––

"M
y mother is staying with me for a few days." He rests his left elbow on the small circular table. "I took the week off from work to deal with everything."

Landon had called me just as I stepped onto the sidewalk after leaving Gabriel's office. I was anxious to talk to him and even though I wanted to touch base with Ivy, I craved the sound of Landon's voice more than anything.

I had rushed to the café he asked me to meet him at and as soon as I walked through the door, he smiled at me. I'd fallen into his arms when he stood to greet me and I'd rested my hands against his chest when he kissed me softly.

After I sat down, he'd pulled another wooden chair close to mine so he could sit next to me with his hand resting in my lap.

"My brother gets in later today." His eyes dart to the large clock that hangs above the doorway. "My mother doesn't want to be there when I tell him. She hasn't handled the news about my father very well."