TerranI was a new man as I walked down the hall toward my office. I had Hailey, and I would keep my company. Life was good.“Good morning, Lena,” I said in a cheery voice.She looked up at me, weariness in her eyes. “Uh, good morning. Are you here to stay or are you just passing through?”I grinned. “I’m here to stay.”She relaxed her shoulders. “Thank God. You have a lot of catching up to do.”I nodded my head. “I know, I know. I’m ready.”“I’ve made a list of appointments that are urgent and need to be done today. I’ll get on the phone and start calling the others that have been rescheduled.”“Thank you.”“One more thing,” she said in a voice full of dread.I stopped moving and looked at her. “What?”“That man is here.”“That man? Can you be more specific?”“The one you had barred from the building,” she said. “He is now sitting in your office.”I groaned. “Great. Thanks.”“I’m sorry. I called security, but they said their hands were tied.”“Of course, they are.”I walked to my off
TerranI shrugged. “I don’t see it like that at all. My father did the best he could raising me as a single parent. I don’t know, Lance. Look at the two of us. Who turned out better?” I smirked.He jumped to his feet, and for a fleeting second, I thought he would drop of a heart attack. He quickly regained his composure. “Say what you will. You’ll be sorry you ever spoke to me this way.”“What is it you think you are owed?”“Everything! I was always the second-best brother. He’s gone. I deserve to be the top dog now.”“It doesn’t work that way, Lance. My dad was smart and driven, and he knew how to talk to people, all qualities you lack.”He furiously shook his head. “I’ve changed. I’m ready to take over the helm. It’s my turn to shine.”“Then go start your own company. No one is stopping you.”“I can’t!” he said, waving his arms around.I shrugged. “I guess you can’t. You can’t because you don’t have the drive. You are going to get exactly what my father felt you deserved.”“What?” h
HaileyI felt so official. I was at my first table read with the people I would be in the movie with. I was a little starstruck. When I met my co-star, I completely fan-girled. He was handsome, but Terran was hotter. He seemed like a good guy and wasn’t nearly as stuck up as some of the other actors that were sitting around the table. I had a feeling some of them were pissed I got the job. They saw me as a nobody who hadn’t earned my stripes and was undeserving of the chance to get the part as the star in a feature film.“Let’s take five, everyone,” one of the producers announced.I felt like we had just gotten started, but clearly, the others were ready to take advantage of the catering that had been set up in the room. I made my way over to the drink station, feeling out of place. Everyone else was chatting and asking about houses, films, and who’d been to Ibiza for the summer. I quietly got my drink and made my way to the back of the room to take my position as the honorary wallflo
Hailey“Yep. Things are better, and I feel I can trust him.”“You’re sure he wants you for you and not the money?” she asked.I nodded. “I am.”“How can you be sure?” she asked, skepticism written all over her face.I took a deep breath, hoping she wouldn’t think I was a complete bitch for what I had asked him to do. “When he gets his money, I asked him to give it all to charity. If he doesn’t, then I know he doesn’t really want the marriage, just the money.”Her mouth dropped open. “Hailey!”“I agreed he should keep his company, but he doesn’t need a big fat inheritance. He makes plenty of money from the company. I needed to see if it was a greed-driven proposal or true love.” “And he agreed to do it?” she asked, slightly out of breath.I nodded. “Yes, he did. He didn’t even hesitate. Well, not really. It did take him by surprise, but then he agreed to it.”“Were you naked at the time?” she asked in a dry voice.“No! It was before we got to any of that.”“Wow. I can’t even. I don’t
TerranNerves tore through me over the interview, but I had a feeling we would both pass with flying colors. Jim would be meeting us at Lance’s attorney’s office where the interviews would be held. My stipulations for doing the interview were still being protested. I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to give Lance everything he wanted. Agreeing to do the interview in the first place was all I was willing to concede to.I knocked on Hailey’s door, heard her yell to come in, and went inside. I was really going to have to talk to her about her security, especially now that she was going to be a far more public figure. I wanted to ask her to move in with me. My building was safer and had better security. I was going to wait until after I knew how things were going to work out before I asked her. I could very well lose my condo.“Please tell me you’re dressed,” I said, walking through the door.“I am, just finishing my makeup,” she hollered from the bedroom.I walked to the door and watched her
TerranHe stopped asking questions and went silent as he jotted down notes on a piece of paper.“Anything else?” I asked, wondering what was running through the man’s head.“I think we’re good,” he said, closing the file he had in front of him.“Already?” I asked.He nodded. “Yes. I don’t have any more questions.”“Well, thank you for your time and respect,” I said, moving to shake his hand.He looked at it, then me. “I was hired to do a job. Period.”I smirked. “Okay, then. Thanks.”I stood, grabbed Hailey’s hand, and we turned to leave, meeting Jim in the lobby.“How’d it go?” he asked nervously.“Good. How do you think it went?” I asked Hailey.“Piece of cake,” she said with a smile.I leaned down and kissed her. “I thought so too. I can’t believe he thought he was going to trip me up with this. The man is tenacious. I’ll give him that.”“When do we find out?” she asked. “Is there a scorecard? I mean, how does he decide?”I shrugged. “His gut instinct apparently.”Jim smiled. “I th
HaileyI wanted to eat the man alive and knew right where I was going to start first. I pushed him against the wall, dropping to my knees and pulling his pants along with his boxers down as I went. I heard the door slam beside me and knew he had closed it.“Hailey,” he growled as I used my hand to cup his heavy balls before gently tugging on them.My mouth pulled his dick inside, lapping at it before sucking hard, running my hand up and down the length before cupping his balls again. I was so hot, I could feel my panties growing damp without him even touching me. I reached my hands up, grabbing his ass and squeezing hard. I heard the growl a second before his hands were reaching for me, pulling me up and bodily spinning me around, pushing me against the opposite wall.“Don’t move,” he growled against me.“Never.” I whimpered and listened to him move around. He had to be after a condom. Such a good guy. My body tightened at the very thought.He moved back behind me and put one of his h
HaileyThat was exactly what he gave me—a fraction of an inch. I whimpered, feeling my pussy spasm, trying to pull him in deeper.I shivered with pleasure. He pulled his dick out, leaving me whining.“I said don’t move.”“I won’t move. I promise. Please, come back inside me. I want to feel you inside me.” He moved the head of his cock to my opening, his full penetration blocked by the knuckles of his hand he had wrapped around his dick. He bounced it against me before pushing a tiny bit inside my body. I wanted to cry in desperation and frustration.“Please,” I begged, willing myself not to move.He moved his hand back and pushed in a little deeper, the engorged head of his cock brushing over those desperate nerves, begging to be touched.“Do you want more?” he growled.“Yes, yes!”I felt him move a little deeper. I didn’t move. I tried desperately hard not to move but couldn’t stop the shiver of delight from creeping down my spine.“Fuck,” he grunted when the shiver turned into a fu
HaileyI laughed nervously. “A whirlwind, really. I was doing the modeling thing one day, and the next, I got the call I had landed this part. I am so grateful to my husband for putting me in touch with Gabriel, my agent. It was like everything fell into place at the exact right time.”“What is this foundation I’ve heard you are working with?” she asked from the preselected questions Gabriel had given her.I smiled. “It’s a foundation to help those kids who tend to fall through the cracks in the foster care system. So many kids are on the streets today because there is a shortage of quality foster homes that are capable of dealing with some of the issues kids are facing.”She smiled and nodded her head. “You were never in the system?”I shook my head. “No. My mother raised me by herself, working two jobs to keep a roof over our heads. It wasn’t easy. I hated how much she struggled, but she taught me that life isn’t about how much you have or what your zip code is. She taught me love i
HaileyOne Year LaterI was more than a little nervous as I sat in the chair assigned to us in the second row. Terran put his hand on my knee and squeezed. I looked at him and smiled. When Gabriel had called to tell me I had been nominated for best actress in a feature film, I had nearly passed out. Our film had barely met the deadline to be nominated for anything.“You look absolutely stunning,” Terran said, staring at me with eyes full of love.“Thank you,” I said, smoothing down the long fitted black gown I was wearing. Terran had bought me a new diamond necklace to go with the dress. My hair was piled on my head in a fancy updo, leaving my neck exposed and the necklace fully visible. I loved telling everyone on the red carpet that asked that my husband had given it to me as a gift for my nomination. I had made more than one of the female reporters green with envy.“You’ve got this,” Terran whispered in my ear.“I’m freaking out,” I gushed, my finger twirling the wedding ring on my
HaileyI had my legs spread wide, his knees clamping down on my bent knee when I moved to close my legs, hoping to rub them hard enough together to get the relief I was absolutely desperate to have. His hand slowly moved over my stomach, stopping to rest on my pubic bone, inches away from where I needed him to be.I whimpered in frustration.“Shh, I’m here,” he whispered.I felt a tear slip down my cheek. I loved him so much. He had my body taut as a bow by simply loving me and worshiping my body. When his index finger slid down my center, spreading my pussy lips, I cried out in earnest. It was the lightest touch over my clit that sent me over the edge. My body arched off the bed as a violent, earth-shattering climax tumbled me into a place with a million shooting stars overhead. I felt as if I had been electrocuted, every muscle in my body tensing as his finger slid inside me.He held me while I moaned and spasmed against him. When my body finally spiraled downward, he climbed on top
HaileyI was happier than I had ever been in my life, riding a high that just seemed to be getting better and better.“I’m going to jump in the shower,” I told him, heading toward his bedroom.It had been a long, busy day, and I was ready to unwind with the love of my life and a good bottle of wine. But first, I wanted to feel clean. I stripped off my jeans before turning on the hot water of his magnificent shower that was big enough to hold a small party in. The jets on the sides and the rainfall shower head made it a very enjoyable experience to shower in his bathroom. I thought about the house we had just visited and regretted not checking out the shower situation closer. I had been so overwhelmed by everything else, the shower slipped my mind.I stripped out of my clothes and stepped under the hot water, letting it cascade over my body. Suddenly, the room was filled with beautiful jazz music. I grinned, knowing that had been Terran. A few seconds later, I felt a cool blast of air
Terran“It’s okay. If I had been honest from the start, I could have saved us a lot of heartache. It was never about the money for me. I wanted you, and I wanted to keep the company intact, even if that meant I had to step away from it.”She nodded her head, fresh tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I should have believed you. I’m so glad you came back and made me listen. I love you.”“I love you, and I would have walked through fire to get you back.”“I’m so glad you did.”“Thank you for showing me this. You’ve really opened my eyes. I think we can do a lot more good together. I want to do more of this.”She was smiling. “Good, because I plan on giving a large chunk of my salary for the movie to charity. I think we should decide where it goes together.”“What about here?” I asked.She burst into laughter. “I think that check you gave them is going to go a long way. There are plenty of other charities and organizations that are desperate for funding.”“Maybe we could start a founda
TerranI took her hand in mine as we walked into the bank. I had her sit on one of the chairs in the center of the lobby while I spoke with one of the people sitting at an open desk. I rejoined Hailey, who was nervously looking around the huge bank with big black columns supporting the ridiculously high ceiling.“What are we doing here?” she asked.I smiled. “You’ll find out soon enough.”It wasn’t long before a man wearing an expensive suit was striding across the marble floor toward where we were sitting.“Mr. Maddox, it’s good to see you. I’m Con Steven, the manager here. I understand you have some business you need to take care of?”I stood and shook his hand. “I do. This is my fiancée Hailey Hollis.”He shook Hailey’s hand and then led the way to his office. We sat down in the chairs opposite his desk. He tapped on his keyboard, pulling up my account.“Okay, I see you have a large deposit made recently. What can I help you with?”“I would like to have a cashier’s check drawn up f
HaileyWe talked with each of the kids for a little while before it was time for them to have their outside time. When Mandy left to take the kids to the playground, Terran turned to look at me. “That was crazy.”I laughed, picking up scattered crayons and scraps of paper. “It usually is.”“They all know you, and love you,” he said with awe.“I like to come by and help out. Mandy has a lot of kids to contend with, and with budget cuts, she doesn’t have a lot of help. I come in when I can. It lightens the load so the other aides and caregivers can focus on other stuff.” He was nodding his head. “I see.”“Terran, I brought you here because I wanted to show you why I’m so passionate about giving money to charities. This place is funded by the government, but that barely keeps the doors open and the lights on. They have to fight to get every dollar they can. I know it’s like that for a lot of other organizations.”He nodded his head. “I’m not opposed to giving money to charity. Not at al
HaileyI wasn’t surprised to feel the bed empty beside me. We’d stayed at his house last night, as usual. We’d gone straight to bed, both of us tired after a long few days. Terran had tossed and turned all night. I had a feeling he was a lot more anxious about giving away the money than he was letting on. I had to assuage my own guilt. I walked into the living room to find him pacing the floor, his phone next to his ear as he talked about his schedule for the day.When he hung up, I smiled at him. He smiled back, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes as it normally did.“You didn’t sleep very well,” I said, walking to him to kiss him good morning.He shook his head. “No, I didn’t. I have a lot on my mind.”I nodded my head in understanding. “Was that the office?”“Yes. I was clearing my schedule for the day. I still need to do a conference call, but the rest can be taken care of from home. What about you?” “I’m free. I mean, I’m supposed to be learning my lines, but I don’t have to be
Terran“I mean, I would not blame you for wanting to keep some or all of the money for our own future. I know you’re a genuine person. You don’t have to prove anything to me. It’s a lot of money to give away.” There was a skeptical look in her eye. “Are you saying that because you don’t want to give it away?”I shrugged a shoulder. “I won’t lie that I haven’t thought about what I could do with that money. I could expand the company, set up trust funds for every one of the seven children we’re going to have.” I winked, trying to make her laugh.“You don’t want to give the money to charity?” she asked.“I’m not saying that at all.”“But you’re regretting telling me you would?”I shook my head. I could see the wheels turning in her head. She was jumping to conclusions and letting the thoughts run away. I could see the anger and hurt in her eyes, and I grabbed her hand again.“Hailey, I regret nothing. I told you I would give it away if that was what you wanted. I will do anything to mak