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Let Me In No Means No
Xander“Thank you,” she said on a sigh.“No problem. Is that normal?”“With this group, yes.”I looked around at the men talking and laughing. Some had removed their suit jackets and loosened their ties. Others were still buttoned up tight. “They are lawyers?” I asked.“Yes. The expensive kind. They have one of these parties every few months. They always ask for me. Every party is always the same. The married men are on the prowl. They are worse than the single guys.”“What do you mean?” I growled.“They are relentless. They think they are god’s gift to women. They do not understand the word no or what marriage vows mean.”“Assholes,” I murmured. “I’ll make sure they know it is not okay.”She smiled up at me. “I think you being here is definitely going to change things. I’ve claimed I had a boyfriend at past parties and they don’t care.”“They will now.”“There’s one of the partners. I need to talk with him.”“I’ll go with you,” I insisted.Her pretty smile made me very happy I showed
Let Me In Quite the Time
EvieWe carried our bowls of ice cream to a bench that overlooked the ocean. I sat down first, with Xander sitting down beside me. It was a warm night with no wind. It felt good to get off my feet for a while. I took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and let it melt in my mouth. It was my guilty pleasure. One of many. Life was too short and stressful to not indulge in ice cream.“Tired?” he asked.I turned to look at him. He had loosened his tie and undone the top button of his shirt. The gel he had put in his hair was slowly failing, allowing the long layers to fall loose around his ears and forehead. The light from a streetlight nearby cast him in a soft, bluish tone. He looked absolutely handsome. “I am tired. I always like this moment.”“What moment is that?”“The moment the event—whether it’s a party or a wedding or whatever—it’s the moment I can sit and relax without thinking about what I need to do. It’s a chance to go over the event and identify what went wro
Let Me In Not a Zombie
Evie“I know how much you hate wearing the suit and mingling. Some of the events might be black tie. Do you have a tuxedo?”He groaned. “I’m afraid to answer that.”“You do,” I surmised. “A man like you would have to own one. How often do you get roped into benefits and fancy gatherings?”He shrugged. “Not as much as I used to. In the beginning, I was more open to shaking hands with the people I needed to buy my designs. I shook a lot of hands. I couldn’t turn down an invitation and risk coming off as rude or ungrateful.”“But now, you don’t have to?”“No, not really. I still do some because I do like to support a good cause. I just don’t stay all night. I show up, drink some champagne, shake a few hands, write a check, and get the hell home.”“It’s nice that you show up.”“What about you?” he asked.“What about me?”“Do you go to parties and benefits? Ones that you are not putting together. Just as a guest.”I thought about it. I had been to so many parties and big gatherings, they t
Let Me In Always the Planner
XanderI parked my car in the lot of the IHOP where Evie wanted to meet. It was packed, as expected on a Sunday morning. The hostess knew exactly who I was asking about when I described Evie and led me directly to her table. Every time I saw the woman, I was taken aback by her beauty. Her hair was piled on top of her head with little black curly strands hanging loose. She had on another one of those blouses with shoulder cutouts and looked absolutely beautiful.“Good morning,” she greeted with a bright smile.“Good morning,” I said and took my seat at the table. “Coffee, please,” I said to the hostess who was waiting to hear my drink order.“I wasn’t sure you would make it,” she said, taking a sip of her own coffee.“I got hung up on a phone call. I’m sorry.”“Don’t be. I was early. I’m always early.”“And I am almost always late,” I replied.“I’m glad you showed up,” she commented. “Otherwise, I would be eating a lot. I took the liberty of ordering you breakfast. I hope you don’t min
Let Me In The Past is the Past
Xander“You’re joking? Not about your mom. That’s awful. Were you really making dinner at five?”She smiled. “No, not usually. Every night my dad would ask me what I wanted for dinner. I started to pick up on the fact it stressed him out when he didn’t know what to make. I wanted to make things easier for him. I didn’t write, but I remembered I would spend my day with a babysitter or at school and think about what I wanted for dinner. When he asked, I would have an answer.”I was amazed. “Wow. That’s young to pick up on that.”She shrugged. “My dad worked hard, and I wanted to do my part. My mom used to let me help her in the kitchen a lot, so I had a pretty good understanding of meals and cooking.”“I don’t know if I should feel proud and impressed or really sad for you,” I told her.“Don’t be sad. We all have our little hardships. I had mine. I got through it by figuring out how to make things easier. As I got older, I began to see how much easier our lives were when I knew what was
Let Me In Roller Coaster
EvieMy stomach felt funny. It had nothing to do with the breakfast. It was him. He made me feel all wet and gooey. He’d been so flirtatious. It was fun. With any other man, I probably would have dumped my orange juice in his lap. With him, I wanted to climb onto the table and beg him to have his way with me.“I’m paying,” he insisted when we got to the ticket booth.“No, this is my idea.”“I’m paying,” he said again and left zero room for argument. He handed a credit card over and bought the passes that gave us unlimited rides.“I was thinking we could visit some of the attractions first. Let our breakfast settle a bit before we go on anything that will give us the milkshake treatment.”He smirked. “Yeah, I’m not sure why we had a big breakfast if this is what you had in mind.”“Because there is plenty to see and explore while we let our breakfasts settle,” I told him. “I suppose I should have asked if you were afraid of heights?”He gave me a look. “I’m not afraid of heights.”“What
Let Me In Don't Stop
EvieI had wanted to ask him about his mom, especially since he talked about her in the past tense. I stopped myself from pushing. It was none of my business, and if he wasn’t ready to talk about it, I wasn’t going to pick the scab off a festering wound.“I’m sorry. Death is sad no matter the situation.”He nodded but said nothing more on the matter. “Is this another one of those things you do often? To decompress?”I laughed. “No, definitely not. I don’t know if this is really decompressing. The fun does rejuvenate me a little though. It’s exhausting but it feels good to scream and just kind of let loose. Don’t you agree?”He smirked. “I suppose. There are other activities that can lead to screaming and letting loose.”He was so different than he had been before our outing on the boat. I was convinced I was getting to see the man behind the mask. “Yes, I suppose there are.”“I’m sorry,” he said, looking away.“For what?”“I’m being an ass.”“I don’t think you are,” I assured him.“I
Let Me In Set in His Ways
XanderMy jet landed just after one my time and four Miami time. The car I hired for the duration of my time in Miami was waiting at the airport for me. It was moments like these I appreciated the wealth I had made. It was a hell of a lot easier than navigating a busy airport and trying to hail a cab. I leaned my head back against the headrest and closed my eyes.The difference in weather was night and day. I would never get used to the humidity in Florida. We had our days in San Diego, but Florida gave humidity a whole new meaning. I shrugged off the suit jacket I thought I would wear to the meeting. I wasn’t going to wear it. The other engineers I was meeting with could think what they wanted.I unbuttoned the top few buttons of my shirt and aimed the AC vent directly at my face. The car stopped in front of one of the many Miami high-rises. I climbed out and headed inside. The driver was going to be delivering my luggage to the hotel while I got through the first meeting of the week
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Let Me In Epilogue Part 2
XanderLaughter floated out of the ballroom behind us. I was glad everyone was having a good time. It was the culmination of a lot of hard work over the year. Every person in there deserved to celebrate their success, including Charlie’s crew.“What kind of business?” she asked. “Are you guys cooking up another scheme to make ships even faster?”“No. I think I’m good for a while now. I have more important matters to focus on.”She touched my cheek. “I better be one of those matters.”“You are. You absolutely are.”“My dad is pretty excited to be a part of all of this,” she commented.“He should be. He made it possible, which is why I gave him a check for his cut of the profits.”Her mouth fell open. “You did what?”I shrugged. “Without him, I never would have gotten those first few ships to try out the new hardware. He offered suggestions that made it work even better. He deserved—no, he earned—that money.”“Wow. Did he accept it?”I laughed and nodded. “Oh yeah, he did. His name is a
Let Me In Epilogue Part 1
XanderOne year laterPride. That was what I felt in that moment. My ships were heading out to sea. Everyone else was already making their way back away from the dock. I couldn’t leave just yet. I watched the ships navigate out to sea one at a time. I didn’t have children, but I imagined what I was feeling was similar to what a proud papa would feel.I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Charlie next to me.“This is a big day,” he said.“It is. You pulled it off.”“You pulled it off.”“What do you think?” I asked him. “Is it going to work? Do you foresee them falling apart halfway around the world?”He shook his head. “My guys did excellent work. That shit is solid.”“Good. Those test ships seem to be holding up.”“Of course, they will. My team is the best. Your idea wasn’t half-bad either.”“Thanks,” I said, watching as one of the ships cleared the harbor.“You know, you could have made a lot more money with that plan,” he lectured.“I could have but I already have a lot of
Let Me In Shaking Things Up
Evie“I’m going to make love to you all night,” he promised. “This is just the beginning. This is to tide me over until we get home. I want you in my bed. I want me inside you.”“Yes,” I gasped, my head dropping to my chest as he slid in and out of me. Every stroke touched new places. Every stroke sent my body into a wild tailspin of desire and need. “Please. Please. Don’t stop.”He didn’t speed up his pace. He kept moving in that slow steady rhythm, sliding in, grinding his hips, and then gliding out and leaving just the tip inside me. The spasms rocking through me made it difficult for me to remain standing. I wanted to crumble in a heap at his feet with him still inside me.“This is just the first,” he said, his voice strained. “I can’t hold back. Your body is milking me. You are too tight. Too hot. Too fucking wet.”“Don’t hold back,” I told him. I needed his release. I could feel mine hovering just out of reach as if my body refused to give in until it had his complete surrender.
Let Me In Making Love in the Park
EvieI was being terribly irresponsible. I was not the girl who got naked in the park and had sex. Unfortunately, when I was with Xander, all bets were off.And he loved me. The words echoed through my mind over and over. He loved me. I would follow him into the fires of hell knowing he loved me. I didn’t realize just how badly I needed to hear those words from him.He loved me. I loved him. I didn’t know what that meant for the two of us, but damn if I was going to pass up the chance to find out. The way he was kissing me was different. Maybe it was mind over matter, but I could practically taste the love on his tongue. It was in the way he touched me. The gentleness of his hand on my cheek, holding me steady while his tongue plundered inside my mouth.“Over here,” he said as he broke his mouth away from mine.I felt a little dazed. His kiss made me feel drunk on lust. Again, I was ready to follow him anywhere if it meant I got more kisses like that. He took my hand and led me away f
Let Me In I Love You
Xander“Xander, I want to believe you, but I’m hesitant.”“I know. I expect that. It isn’t just the memories of Kade that brought me back. You. Memories of being with you. Thinking about this place and our time together. Those are all really good memories. I want more memories like that.”“You are saying all the right things,” she said with a smile. “You know I can’t resist you.”“I’m counting on it.”“I’m glad you are back,” she said.“Me too. Does this mean you will entertain the idea of having a relationship with me?”“I could be convinced,” she said.“I am going to work very hard to convince you,” I vowed.She sipped her wine. “How are you doing? Like really doing?”“I’m doing a lot better thanks to you.”“Thanks to me?”“You are a sneaky little lady,” I told her.She raised her eyebrows. “Me? Sneaky?”“I got a call yesterday.”“Congratulations.”“Oh, you’re cheeky too.” I laughed. I opened the picnic basket and pulled out the small cheese tray and peeled back the plastic. “You ho
Let Me In Forgive Me
XanderI was so close to losing her. I sensed it in her voice. I wasn’t expecting her to jump at the chance to see me, but I wasn’t expecting such resistance either.The sense of urgency I felt was making me anxious. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. It had taken me way too long to realize how I felt about her. Anytime I thought about my life in a month or a year or in ten years, she was there. I wasn’t sure how it happened, but I knew she was a person I wanted in my life. It wasn’t even a want. It was a need. I needed the woman like I needed air.I was prepared to chase her down if I had to. I would do whatever it took to make her hear me out. I knew there was still a chance she would kick me to the curb. I wouldn’t blame her if she did. I had fucked up. A lot. I would spend the next year trying to convince her to give me a chance. I couldn’t explain when things clicked but they had.It was like the light went on. I hated that I was so ignorant for so damn long. I hated to thin
Let Me In Our Spot
Evie“I don’t know,” I answered. “I didn’t take the call. I was in a meeting. And it wasn’t the kind of meeting that allowed me to answer my phone.”“Did he leave a voicemail?”“Nope.”“I hate that,” she groaned.“Me too. If it was important, he could leave a message. The guy has fallen off the face of the earth again. He hasn’t called or texted and now he blows up my phone? I’m not interested.”“Liar,” she shot back.“Okay, I am interested but I don’t want to make it too easy.”“You know you’re never going to be able to think of anything else if you don’t call him back and find out what he wants.”“Won’t that make me sound like I’m desperate for his attention?” I asked.“No. The man called you. Calling him back is just polite.”Truly, I was looking for her approval. She had given it to me and now I was anxious to call him and find out. “I’m going to do it.”“Let me know,” she said and hung up.I held the phone in my hand, tapping it against my forehead. I needed to mentally brace mys
Let Me In What Does He Want?
EvieI pulled up the images from a sweet-sixteen party I had planned about six months ago before I turned my laptop for the new client to see.“Oh wow, that is stunning!” the mother exclaimed.“I don’t want pink,” the spoiled princess pouted.I smiled, remaining calm. “You don’t have to have pink. You can choose any color you want.”“No,” the mother quickly interjected. “We are not having black.”The girl scowled. “I wasn’t going to say black.”I kept my smile in place. The affluent family had reached out to me last week. Initially, I didn’t want to do it. I was in no mood to deal with a spoiled teenager.“What colors were you thinking about?” I asked.“Purple,” she answered. “I want several shades of purple.”“Oh, that’s very regal,” her mother said with a relieved smile. “I like it.”“I was at a party you planned for my friend like a year ago,” the young girl said. “She said you were really good. My party has to be better than her party.”Ah, teenage envy. “We will do our best.”“We
Let Me In Go Fix It
Xander“No, I don’t suppose it was. You did it for yourself. You made something of yourself. I’ve kept my head in the sand, trying to ignore what you’ve been doing. I did a little research. You have changed the world, just like you said you were going to. You really did something remarkable. Your mother used to show me newspaper clippings with your name. I know I didn’t say it, but I’m proud of you. I’ve always been proud of you.”I put the bottle of beer down. I could not continue to drink it if he was going to send me into coughing fits every time he dropped one of his little bombshells. “You are?”“I am. I should have told you before. You are my son. I’ve said some pretty shitty things. I don’t know how to make them go away but I was hoping we could try and start over.”I felt like I was being pranked. Maybe I was dreaming. In thirty-two years, my father had never believed I was worthy of his last name. “You want to start over? I’m sorry, Dad. This is all coming out of left field.
