Page 31 of After the Fall
That was it. I was rock fucking hard. “Alright everyone, we have a plan.” I didn’t stand. With the red moss in my body, my erection had to be at least ten inches, and if I didn’t undo my pants in the next three seconds, the damn zipper was going to split. “Now get the fuck out.”
FIFTEEN
HARPER
“Areyou sure you need to go into the office today?” I reached up to brush the collar of Wyatt’s navy suit jacket as we said our goodbyes at the front door the next morning. For a brief moment, it felt like we were a normal couple, something I knew we’d never be.
“Trust me, there’s a million things I’d rather be doing…” his voice got huskier, “like a particular blond I happen to be especially fond of.” His beard, extra scruffy that morning, tickled my ear as he whispered into it. I giggled, glancing behind me to see if anyone was listening. But the guards stood silently a few feet away, doing their jobs.
“I’ll see you tonight.” He smacked me on the butt and I yelped from surprise. To my right, one of the guards readjusted his stance.
Wyatt opened the door and sunlight streamed into the hallway as a large black van pulled into the circle, coming to a stop in front of the door. It looked out of place next to the fancy cars lined up along the driveway and in the ten-car garage. “Right on time.”
“Tell me that’s not extra guards you’ve hired for today,” I groaned.
Wyatt chuckled. “Fiona’s more than enough. She’ll take you out in the Range Rover.”
A tall, muscular man stepped out from the driver’s side. He glanced at a clipboard, using his other hand as a visor to squint against the sun.
“I’ve got it, Boss.” Tank jogged down the stairs and out the front door. The air felt ten degrees colder as he passed, and I shivered.
Next to Tank, the man looked miniscule, his van a toy car next to the beefy sasquatch.
“It’s the equipment I ordered,” Wyatt explained. “I’m installing a home gym so you can go for your runs.” He rubbed my bare arms and frowned. “And make sure you dress warmly today.” He fingered the black silk of my blouse. “Although this looks very sexy on you.” His brow raised seductively and I swatted his arm, laughing.
“I will. And thank you for the gym, that’s very thoughtful. Though it doesn’t change how I feel about being trapped here.”
“Hopefully it will all be over soon.”
Wyatt was heading into the Grandview headquarters to keep up his image as CEO. If we were going to infiltrate the Carders’ gala, we needed him to be in full-on Wyatt Westwood mode. And I needed to look the part as his date, which is why Fiona was taking me shopping, one of my least favorite activities. There were better ways to spend my time, like looking for my dad. But I’d promised Wyatt I’d stay out of the woods, and for once, I intended to keep my promise.
“Four more days,” I sighed. “Now get out of here, Mr. Westwood. Your credit card is the one in dire need of a workout.”
“What about this one?”I twirled in front of the gilded full-length mirror. The sequined tulle sparkled in the light of the crystal chandelier.
Fiona wrinkled her nose as she sipped on a glass of champagne from the velvet sofa. “The color gives me a headache.”
I laughed. “Me too.”
Against all odds, I was actually having fun with Fiona. Maybe it was the fact that we both hated shopping and would rather be outdoors.
“Emerald is the ‘it’ color this season. Trust me.” The blond salesperson wore a name tag pinned to her white blouse that said Chloe. “And these…” she brushed the sequins, “are Swarovski crystals.”
“I don’t know. It’s just so…”
“Green.” Fiona and I spoke at the same time, then burst into a fit of laughter.
The strapless bodice felt tight against my rib cage. “It’s so hard to breathe. I feel like a mermaid out of water,” I joked.
After an hour, I could tell that the saleswoman was frustrated I still hadn’t picked a dress. She crossed her arms and sighed wearily. “I don’t know what else I can show you.” She waved at the rack stuffed with gowns, all of which Fiona and I had found something wrong with. “We’ve already gone through both our fall andwinter collections.”
I picked up my champagne flute and took a small sip, returning to my reflection in the mirror. The stores I was used to shopping at didn’t offer this kind of service. Wyatt’s money definitely had its perks.
“Maybe it’s not so bad,” I murmured, giving it another twirl.
Fiona snapped her fingers. “You know what the problem is? You’re too, I don’t know, nice and sweet for all this dark, moody winter crap. You need something bright and sunny to match your personality.”
Her compliment was unexpected and I felt my cheeks redden.