This weekend, the tides turned. I’m no longer pursuing her because she’s Kevin Palmer’s daughter, the conglomerate heiress that is the key to my future.
That pursuit took a turn the minute she peeked through her door, stepped into our hallway, and offered to help me.
I should walk away, be the asshole I am and leave her behind. I have all I need.
Dammit! Why does the thought make my heart seize tight and send my anxiety spiking?
Because I can’t walk away. Greer Palmer has wrapped her golden hands around my cold, black heart.
•8•8•
My eyes stay locked on Greer as she sashays out of her room. The aroma of garlic and lemon from dinner fills the space of her apartment, but my mouth waters for a different reason.
That reason being the blond-haired, green-eyed woman wearing skin-tight black jeans and a red sweater with a cut so deep the swells of her tits are exposed. She’s oblivious to my glare, muttering to herself as she slips her phone into the small bag she’s carrying.
“Greer,” I call.
“All I need is my shoes and I’ll be ready.” She avoids looking at me, turning back to her room.
“Greer, come here,” I say a little more roughly.
She looks up, scrunching her nose in confusion. “Why?”
“Because I want a kiss.” Her face softens and she comes my way.
When she’s within reaching distance, I tag her around the waist and drag her across my lap, caging her in with my other arm. She curls into me naturally, her hand going to my cheek, her thumb and forefinger running across the frame of my glasses.
I lean in and nibble on her bottom lip, sucking it into my mouth. Her tongue darts out, skimming my upper lip, and I groan, kissing her hard. She rubs her chest against mine, meeting me stroke for stroke, and my dick hardens instantly. We stay like this for a few minutes, until she breaks away, scraping her fingernails lightly on my cheek.
“Lawson, are you okay?”
“Yes, why?”
“Something seems off tonight.”
I sigh, tightening my hold on her waist. “I had a weird day at work. Things are starting to pick up on a project I’m assigned to.”
“Would you like to talk about it?”
“No.”
Her fingernails stop tracing my face, and she tips her head back, the hurt evident in her expression.
“Greer, for the first time, I came home from a day at work and had a beautiful woman waiting for me with one of the best meals I’ve ever tasted. Let’s not ruin the mood talking about my bullshit at work.”
She grins, but it doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Hey.” I slide my fingers through her hair, feeling the silkiness of each strand. “It’s nothing for you to worry about. It’s only business. Walking in here after a twelve-hour day helped ease the stress of everything.”
“You seem so closed off when it comes to your job. I don’t even know where your office is. You’ve seen my office and met my friends. I don’t know much about you.”
I caress her scalp and can’t miss that her eyes are swimming with questions. For the first time in my life, I want to open up and share. “My main office is downtown, but I occasionally find myself working on-site. It’s a family run company owned by my grandfather, uncle, and dad. You already know I have one brother, and next time he’s in the area, I’ll introduce you. Last Friday when I told you about my mom was the first time I’d spoken about losing her since her funeral.”
She inhales on a shaky breath, and her eyes fill with sadness. “Lawson—”
“Understand something, Greer,” I cut her off. “This is all new to me. I’m not one to talk much about myself. Any type of relationship I’ve had in the past has been casual and uncomplicated with no interest in going below the surface. Meeting you has changed that.”