EricaIt was odd how much I felt like I belonged at the table with Matt and his family. He made sure to pull me into every conversation and touched me in some matter over and over, almost as if he wanted to reassure me that I belonged to him, but did I?Of course I did. Why was I fighting it so damn hard?"I'll clean all of this stuff up," Karen spoke to Kent. "You guys just go have your meeting with Erica here. There is no reason for you to go all the way up to the office.""Sounds good." Kent stood and stretched before glancing down at me and then to Damon. "You guys okay with that?"Bethany and Martha picked up a handful of empty dishes, and I felt odd not helping clear the table."Yep. I'm going to start a fire in the living room and then we can talk. That okay?" Damon got up and moved away from the table."I'll help clean up and then join you guys." I smiled and stood, gathering plates and ignoring everyone fussing around me about me working on the dishes. "Hey. I like being invo
EricaThe meeting with Kent was over by the time Damon walked into the living room, sweaty and huffing like a freight train."We all good?" He panted and lifted his thumb toward us.I laughed, unable to help myself. I'd seen the more playful side of Damon Bryant a few times over the years, but nothing like he was around his little brother. It was comforting and depressing all in the same moment. My brother and I had a horrible, tense relationship. What I wouldn't have given for it to be more playful, or at least somewhat loving."We're good, and I should fire you and hire Erica here. She's the only one among you who doesn't goof off all the time." Kent stood up and glanced down at me. "You want a CFO job?""Not only no, but hell no." I stood up and twisted around, stretching my back."Well, damn. Never mind, son. You're stuck." Kent turned and handed me the final sketch. "I love the last one. Swing it by Mitch and let's get rolling on it. Great job, as always.""Thanks." I bent down a
MattAfter a few kisses the night before, I walked her back to the house and sat down on the couch to watch the fire die out. Where I wanted to sleep with her, I knew better. We were at a turning point. She needed to know that I had control of my hormones, unlike my big brother. His advice to fuck her every chance I got might be something that worked for him, but we weren't the same.I woke to someone popping me in the head - hard."Ouch. Shit." I jerked up and narrowed my eyes on Damon as I tried to come to. "I swear I liked you more when you were depressed.""That stings." He pressed his hand to his chest and frowned.I would have asked what he wanted so damn early on a Sunday morning, but he was dressed to play golf. My father walked in and stopped by the edge of the living room."Are you still sleeping? Get up. Tee time is in forty minutes." He shook his head, turned and walked back out."Hey. No one told me we were playing." I got up and stretched, feeling like I'd slept on a box
Matt"Try," she growled, pressed her hands into the meat of my chest and rolled her hips like a well-trained dancer. "I love how big you are. You fill me up and stretch me out. I want more of you. All of you."Where was this shit coming from? I wasn't sure, but I loved it."And your sweet little pussy takes it so well." I pushed at her shoulder, trapping her as far back as I could as I lifted my hips and pumped in and out of her.The sharp sting of her nails was nothing compared to the flood of wetness that covered my when she cried out and came. Lust like nothing I'd ever imagined wrapped around me, dragging me under its depths and suffocating me.I pulled her close to me and turned us, pinning her to the bed. "I'm falling in love with you, Erica. Did you know that?" I gripped the headboard and fucked her in long, hard strokes as she moaned in tandem with each delicious slap of our flesh."I want that. I want you to love me." She tightened her legs around me and cried out, coming aga
EricaThe weekend in Dallas caused something to shift deep inside of me. Why was I fighting against a relationship with Matt? I needed to talk things out with someone. I sat at my desk on Monday morning, trying to reason through how to force myself past the stone wall of fear that kept resurrecting inside of me every time Matt wasn't around. It was childish and quickly becoming an annoyance.Lanie would be in class, but maybe I'd catch her on her conference time. I picked up the phone and walked to my door, closing it and pressing my back to it."Hey. You okay?" She sounded a little out of breath."Yeah. Just wanted to hear your voice." I squeezed my eyes closed and took a shaky breath."What's up? You don't sound okay. You sound like you're on the edge of tears.""I am." I pressed my fingers to the bridge of my nose and slid down the door until my butt hit the ground. That I had on a skirt and my panties would be showing to the world outside my window was irrelevant. I was on the edg
Erica"All right guys. Great work." I stood up at the end of our team meeting and glanced around at my small think-tank. "I'm proud of you. All of you.""Thanks, boss." Lewis' smile forced him to squeeze his eyes shut a little. It warmed me. "We're going for a drink. You wanna come?""I'd love to, but I'm going for a jog, and then I promised my best friend that I would dust off my paint supplies and work on rediscovering a passion I let fall by the wayside.""Oh, nice! I totally want to see what you come up with." Mandy lifted her eyebrows and the rest of the group chimed in."Thanks. I'll bring it up here when I figure out what it is." I laughed and glanced up as someone darkened the open door of our conference room. "Mitch. Come on in. We were just wrapping up.""Hey, guys." He walked in, his smile warm and welcoming. I liked the guy as a friend and partner in our combined tasks at the firm, but I needed to tell him about Matt. I could only hope that he would respect my feelings. He
MattNot getting to see her most of the week left me with the sound conclusion that my life was shifting from Dallas to Seattle. I'd be letting go of my apartment in Texas before January at the rate things were going, and funny enough, everyone would be thrilled about it. By the time I got on the plane to fly back home on Thursday morning early, I was lifeless and fully depressed.Somewhere along the way of avoiding Erica, I fell head over heels in love with her. Maybe that above everything else scared me. I just needed to have a sit down conversation with her about my mom and dad's relationship and how dicked up it got over time. I couldn't handle handing her my heart and have her throw it in a meat grinder by cheating on me. It wasn't as if I had a choice in either matter, but a 'come to Jesus' meeting would help calm my nerves a little.I walked into M&B around ten and made my way to my office before walking up to see Erica. I figured it would be a little more prudent to stop by an
Matt"We should have dinner tonight and talk through everything.""You ready to do that?" I gripped her hand and pulled it from my dick before stepping closer to her. "I'm ready.""Yeah, I think so. Tomorrow is the big showing. Are you excited?" She leaned in and kissed me one more time before walking back to the other side of her desk and sitting down."I am. The painting is almost done. It's going to be beautiful.""I'm surprised he didn't want it tonight.""He did." I smirked and dropped down in the seat closest to me. "I told him tomorrow morning at seven. I need tonight to add a few highlights.""Don't add this, okay?" She brushed her fingers around her bruised eye.I growled. "I don't like that one bit.""I'll get some thick make-up and have it covered by tomorrow night. I promise.""That's not what I meant. You're beautiful to me no matter what, Erica. I hate that someone put their hands on you.""Yeah, well, let's move to another subject. That vein in the side of your neck loo