“Come on now, come for me.” I massaged her faster, still driving into her. My body was on edge and I felt like I couldn’t hold out. I didn’t want to slow, so I gritted my teeth and prayed she’d come. And she did.
Her body collapsed to the bed, and I followed her, thrusting faster and feeling her convulse around me. We were both damp with sweat from the workout. The spasms of her pussy around me coaxed me to release, and I growled out my satisfaction as my balls drew up and I exploded. What I wouldn’t have done to feel her slick moisture against my cock instead of this damn condom, but neither one of us wanted a surprise later on.
As I slid in and out of her a few more times, she sighed contentedly and pushed the hair out of her face. I pulled out and collapsed beside her, and she curled up against my chest, resting her head on my shoulder. We let the relaxation sink in for a moment before either of us said a word. When she did speak, she reminded me of how she felt.
“I wasn’t just saying I love you to get you to sleep with me.” Haley twirled her finger around one of my chest hairs and looked up at me. I kissed her forehead.
“I didn’t think for a second that was the reason you said that.” Internally, I wrestled with the idea of her moving to Los Angeles. I didn’t understand why she couldn’t see that we were perfect for each other. Instead of lying here wondering why she’d take a job out of state, I decided to put it all out there, even if it was a risk that she wasn’t ready to talk to me about it. “Haley, I know about the job opportunity at theGlobal Gazette.”
I stared up at the ceiling waiting for her to respond. I fully expected her to be upset with me or think I was spying on her. I sort of was spying on her at one point, but I had good reasons. Or I thought they were good reasons. Everything had gotten messyin my mind when I heard she wanted to go elsewhere. What I feared about her leaving the job had been a projection of my own desire to keep her here and build our relationship.
Haley propped herself on her elbow and pulled away from me slightly. The way it cooled me as her body separated from mine was uncomfortable, but I recognized that the way we were lying didn’t allow us to make eye contact. I scooted back and mirrored her posture, anxious for her to speak.
She didn’t respond to me. She just stared at me. I couldn’t take it. I had to say something else. “I’m really sorry I was distant on the trip and that I haven’t been that engaging. I had a lot to process, both from an employer’s standpoint and also from a relational standpoint. Haley, I’m in love with you. It took a knock to the head from a very close friend to make me see how important you are to me. A woman like you only comes around once in a lifetime, and I am an idiot for almost blowing it. Please forgive me. I want you in my life for a long time.”
She smiled softly. “You do?” Her hand slid across the comforter and touched mine.
“Of course I do. I’m sorry I led you to believe otherwise.”
“Is that why Mr. Green offered me double my salary and a promotion to the head of a department?” She raised an eyebrow at me and hid a grin. I had told Tom to do what it took to keep her, and he did the best he could with my instructions. I would have given her the position of CEO if it meant she’d stay, but that was my heart talking and not business. He knew better than me exactly how to run things, which was why I kept him on when I purchased the paper.
“Well…” I laced my fingers through hers. “I’m not going to say that was my idea, but I did tell him to do what it took to keep you.”
“Keep me?” Her eyes darted around, searching my face. “You mean at the paper or in your life? Because there seems to havebeen some confusion on my part too.” Haley sat up, sitting cross-legged in front of me. She had a serious look on her face. “I have been over and over this in my head, Parker.The Vinehad been my home for a few years now, but Global would offer me a much broader audience. The chance of receiving a Pulitzer would be higher there.”
My heart sank at the words. I knew they were true.The Vinewouldn’t be able to offer her that reach for a few years yet. At least not until we got our new marketing strategy in place. All these smaller presses we’d been purchasing meant branches ofThe Vinein cities all over the US. That meant a much broader reach than Global. And when our online presence finally took off, we’d be unstoppable. We were a rising force, but it took time. Time I didn’t have.
I sat up and faced her, one leg stretched out across the bed and the other curled up in front of me. I took her hand and kissed her fingers one by one. Loving someone who lived in a different state would be hard, but it wasn’t like she was moving to Australia or anything. We’d be a few hours’ flight from each other. At this point, all I wanted was for us to be together again and for her to be happy with that.
“I understand. And you’re absolutely right. It’s an amazing gig. You can’t pass it up. I just hope that one day whenThe Vinereally takes off, you’ll come back and help me run it. And I?—”
“Parker.” She squeezed my hand, interrupting me.
“Yeah?” I was waiting for the punchline—that she didn’t want me anymore either. That this sex we’d just had was actually goodbye sex and she was moving on with her life entirely. I was way too old for her. She still had her whole life ahead of her.
“I’m not taking the job.” Her eyes locked on mine, and shock hit me. I couldn’t believe I just heard her say that.
“What?” I was confused. Why wouldn’t she take it?
“I’m not taking the job, babe.” It was her turn to kiss my hand. “Even if they offered me three times my salary and two months of vacation time, my heart is here.The Vineis my home. You are my home. I am in love with you. I don’t want to move to LA. I loved the city, but I love you more.”
“But…”
She smiled. “Yeah… It’s true, old man.” Her snicker lifted the weight of the world off my shoulders. I pulled her toward me and held her in an awkward hug until she straddled me. Straightening my leg, I let her settle across my lap. The moisture lingering between her legs spread onto mine, but I didn’t even care.
“Tell me I’m not crazy. Tell me you’re actually staying?” I kissed her chest just below her collar bone.
“I’m staying.” Her voice was soft and sweet, and she held me as I lavished kisses across her creamy skin.
“You want to be mine?” I asked her, already knowing what her response would be, and this time, I wasn’t wrong. I felt such relief.
“Yes, I want to be yours.” She laughed and jerked as I squeezed her, inadvertently tickling her side. The force of her reaction made me fall backward, and she sat on top of me, staring down at me. Nothing had ever felt as right as this moment with her, hearing her tell me that she wanted me as much as I wanted her.
“And you’ll help me buildThe Vineinto something extraordinary?” I rested my hands on her hips, pressing my thumbs just inside her hip bones. She laughed again and grabbed my wrists.
“I guess if you let me keep the doubled salary and the promotion to head of national news.” Her coy smirk made me grin.
“Babe, you will never want for anything ever again. You don’t need the pay rise. But if you want it, it’s yours. And the promotion too.” I grabbed her arm and pulled her until she was lying on top of me. “Now, kiss me quickly before it strikes midnight and this old pumpkin turns back into your boss.”
