The Hourglass (18 page)

In a breathy tone, Luke whispered, “I can’t take this foreplay any longer, I need to have all of you, Savannah.”

My shoulders lifted with a shrug, unimpressed. I figured the quicker I got this over with the better it’d be, so I hopped off of his lap and swiftly discarded any unnecessary articles of clothing, before climbing back onto his now naked lap. Luke hiked my skin tight skirt up so it was around my waist and I was fully exposed to him. Lifting me slightly, Luke took full advantage of the opportunity I’d just laid out before him.

It didn’t take long before he came undone beneath me, his breathing erratic as he quietly groaned into my neck trying to keep the attention off of his office. Luke leaned back against his chair, his hooded eyes gazed up at me. “Babe, you have no clue how amazing that felt.”

After climbing off of his lap, I quickly put myself back together and made my way toward his office door. “Next time let’s see if you can last longer than a few minutes.” I winked at him and opened the door, making my way to the elevator. I hadn’t even made it down to my office when a text rang through to my phone.

If you weren’t depriving me so often I’d be able to last a lot longer. Let’s do that again, sooner rather than later.

Rolling my eyes, I chuckled as I made my way back to my office, awaiting the conclusion of Brooke’s meeting.

My office door creaked open. “Oh my gosh, you have that I just got laid look on your face.”

Glancing up at my best friend I smiled. “What can I say, it may have been all business, but I can’t say that it was terrible.”

With a huff, she sunk into the seat on the other side of my desk. “Do you know how many days it’s been since I’ve had sex? Maybe I should have done it instead of you.”

Laughing at her, I shook my head. “Brooke, be thankful it was me, you wouldn’t have been able to resist his woe–is-me attitude. Luke would have had you eating out of the palm of his hand in seconds. There’s no time for that. We need our heads in the game.”

Scrunching her nose, she agreed. “You’re right, I’m not good at stuff like that. Anyway, like I said, I don’t want the details; I just want to know what our next step is.”

Brooke and I took a thirty-minute break to map out her final solo plan before I took off for the afternoon. She was up to her eyeballs in auction planning and there was nothing I could do to help. I was a photographer; event planning wasn’t my thing. My job was to show up to the events and take pictures, that’s what I did best and Brooke knew it, which is why she didn’t ask me to stay later and help.

Sinking into a hot bath at home, I hummed to the music playing softly over my bathroom speakers as I reminisced over the past few months. How had I been so oblivious to the fact that Luke was playing the two of us against each other? Was I losing my touch or was I simply coming to the realization that a new guy every week wasn’t what I wanted for the rest of my life? Shaking my head, I brushed the thought away. But after we destroyed Luke Wellington, I
would
try out a real relationship. Brooke made it sound so rewarding and I wasn’t getting any younger.
What the hell,
it can’t hurt to try.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Brooke

“AND DONE!”
I shoved my keyboard drawer in and jumped from my chair like it was on fire. The spring issue was a challenge, especially since it was the first real magazine I was responsible for from start to finish. I was exhausted. If I saw one more photo of a model or a celebrity in the new trend of the season I might hurl. Truly.

All of the Hourglass staff was heading to a local martini bar to celebrate being finished. The spring issue was now being printed, no more changes were possible, and then it would be in the hands of millions of readers. As I held the large proof that we had assembled in-house, I stared at it in awe.
I created this.
A young girl, like I once was would see this on her grocery newsstand and be mesmerized by the colorful pages and designs.

Making my way to the bar, I texted Savannah asking her to join me if she could. She had been out of the office all day shooting some photos for an idea I had come up with for the Charity Auction. I was hoping I’d have that all pulled together by tomorrow since it was happening next weekend. Luckily for me, Lisa got the venue booked and much of the pre-planning confirmed with my direction.

We even got most of the catering and items in the gift bags donated since our charity was helping to raise money to clothe local children. Corporate America liked nothing more than their name to be on a great cause that gives back, and that was exactly how I’d pitched it to them. Made them feel guilty to say no, and so they didn’t.

The leather barstool was prime seating for quick service and people watching, scanning the bar area I found an empty seat and planted my butt in it. The Hourglass employee pool was already beyond tipsy and getting handsy, a dangerous combination. Sipping my martini, I swiveled my chair around and watched as the clean-cut, prim and proper people cut loose and made nice. Some a bit too nice, but hey who was I to judge. A guy from the editing department took up the stool next to me.

“Hey Brooke, we haven’t officially met, I’m Aaron. Can I buy you a drink?”

Spinning to face him a bit better, I crossed my legs and gave him my undivided attention. “I’d love another
dirty
martini.” My voice was all sultry as I turned up my flirt, I needed some stress relief of my own.

“So how are you liking Hourglass?” Aaron asked as his hand moved to rest on my forearm.

“Well,” I began just as Savannah came shoving through the crowd to get to me at the bar, looking like a woman on a mission.

“Hey! Hey!” She called, before spotting my guest and giving him a questioning glare. “You – scram. Brooke,
he
is on his way over to have a drink, you’ve got to go. You can’t be drinking when you think you’re pregnant!”

“Pregnant!” Aaron’s shocked voice interrupted us from the seat he was still sitting in eaves dropping on our conversation.

“I said scram!” Savannah yelled flabbergasted that this guy wasn’t obeying her orders.

“With whose baby?” he asked again, unmoving.

“Lucas Wellington’s,” I replied with a shrug taking another sip of my martini, watching Aaron’s jaw damn near drop to the dirty bar floor. Savannah snatched the glass and shoved me toward the women’s restroom with a loud exasperated huff.

“Stay here!” she ordered. “I’ll text you when he is here, then we will figure out how to get you out or something. Crap, Brooke, and flirting? You’re lucky it was me and not him, because if you blew it after I took one for the team I’d have been pissed the hell off.”

Looking into Savannah’s eyes, I could see the anger lighting a fire behind her hazel eyes. It was so hard to rationalize the old fun, non-committing Savannah with this new one, and despite her protests Lucas had really done a number on her. I was worried this would turn her off to being open for a relationship after we disposed of the trash.

“I’m sorry,” I softly said, resigned and feeling bad.

Savannah shook it off, bringing the light back to her eyes and a smile to her face. “Okay stay in here, I’ll be back.” Standing in the bathroom waiting for my rescue felt like the longest time ever. A few girls from Hourglass came in and looked at me like I was a total creeper. I even started rotating between hiding in a stall, flushing the toilet, and washing my hands. I can safely say my hands are the cleanest they’ve ever been and even got a bit pruned.

The bathroom door swung open and Savannah came in dancing.

“Having a good time are we?” I asked in irritation.

Stopping mid-twirl Savannah finally looked at me, stunned.

“Do you realize how hard it is to stand in a public bathroom this long and not look like a freak? I can only imagine what they’ll be saying at work tomorrow.”

“Oh please, they probably saw three of you and aren’t sure which is real. Luke is over by the pool tables so we can sneak out the back door, so let’s go ho.”

Laughing, I followed Sav out, and we hailed a cab to get us back to our condo. We went to my place first, since I had actual food. We ate dinner laughing and enjoying our time together, and thanking the fashion gods that the spring issue was done.

“It’s always crazy at crunch time, why is that? We have three months to get our shit together, yet we wait till the last minute to run around like we have all gone bat-shit crazy,” Savannah ranted as she took the dishes from our chicken piccatta to the kitchen. “Hey do you not have any chilled bottles of wine?”

The couch creaked as I pushed myself up and followed the sound of her voice to the wine fridge in the kitchen. “If there’s none in there, then nope. We probably drank my last bottle the other night.”

“Okay, well time for a venue change. Let’s go to my place!” Savannah gathered her purse and shoes and we hopped an elevator to her place. She tossed her keys on the entry table and bee-lined for the fridge, standing back up with a dew-covered bottle in her hand. “Thank heavens, wine!” Savannah cheered holding the bottle of our favorite zinfandel. She poured us each a healthy glassful then we made our way to the couch to take a seat and put on a chick flick to enjoy together.

The next day at work was boring as all get out. With the spring issue hitting stands we were all anxious to see numbers come in but really had no work to speak of, not really ready to get in a summer mood yet. Deciding to go visit Savannah, I made my way to her office, enjoying the overall calm that had taken over Hourglass. A ton of people had even called out due to the hangovers brought on from last night’s festivities.

Just as I turned to walk into her office I caught the rumble of a masculine voice that made panties fall to the ground. Lucas was with Savannah. Pausing at the doorway I listened in, desperate to know what was so important he would risk being in her office.

“Thanks for coming to my office Luke, I just need your opinion on which photo we will use for your auction portrait. I really feel like this one will woo the ladies,” her voice was all business with a touch of flirt.

“Yeah I agree, I think this one is the one to go with.” Curious, I peeked in trying to see which one they were picking, because I knew which one I wanted from the proofs I had seen earlier of all the men up for auction. Savannah looked up and caught me peeking in, smiling as she shook her head.

“Are you excited for the auction?” Lucas asked, his voice lacking any emotion. I couldn’t get a feel for what his hopes were for this event, making him impossible to read.

“Actually, I won’t be in attendance, Monica has me on a photo shoot with a new designer in Miami. Swimsuits.”

“Nice, can you take me with you? Sounds like heaven. I’m sick of this cold blustery weather.” Lucas let out a carefree laugh, the tense bundled muscles and nerves he’d been the other day, a thing of the past.

Savannah looked around and back at her computer, trying to find a way out I guessed knowing her mannerisms well enough. “Will you excuse me just a second? I need to let the editing department know you picked this photo so they can get it moving.” Lucas nodded and Savannah moved toward the door, giving me a discreet nod. Pulling out my phone, I decided now was the time to drop the final ball. The next week would be insane with auction planning that we most likely wouldn’t see him again. It was now or never.

Sav, I really need to talk to you.
I’m late. I don’t know what to do.

Savannah looped around the office and came to stand behind me as I watched Lucas lean forward and read Savannah’s phone.
And they say women are nosey, ha!
Watching as he typed out a response, I looked to my phone desperate to see his reaction in words, although reading his tense posture seemed pretty black and white.

What do you mean late? –Sav

Seriously how dense is this man? Tapping out a reply, and pressing send I watched and waited for him to receive it.

Late, as in I think I may be pregnant.

Lucas slumped back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. When he moved to push himself up and out of the chair I knew he was coming for me. Spinning around, I ran straight into Savannah still crouched behind me. I dodged her and dashed to my office, where I took my seat, grabbing a board to look over that already had a stamp of approval.

“Hey,” Lucas’s voice called as he knocked twice on the door. “Can we talk a minute?”

“Umm, yeah of course,” I said, motioning to a seat on the couch. My stomach knotted up and making me nauseas. My body recoiled and I quickly covered my mouth, afraid I would, in fact, throw up. Watching all my movements, Lucas just stared at me speechless. I could see his thoughts twisting in his head, trying to make sense of it all. Desperately trying to form words.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Umm, I’m okay I guess. You seem like you have something on your mind Lucas,” I stood to move next to him on the couch. “Talk to me.”

Lucas stood and began pacing. “I… well I just, Dammit. If something was up with you, you would tell me right?”