Chapter Fourteen

Jack

I wanted to fall asleep with Grace in my arms. To wake her up with my cock buried deep inside of her so she would only think of me and smell me on her skin for days.

How could I think like that? My priority was the company.

A wife.

Jane interrupted my thoughts, pawing at the bed, whimpering as she stared up at us with beady black eyes.

“I should probably get her a water refill. I think she downed that bone,” Grace whispered.

Lifting my head, I looked into Grace’s eyes, but she kept her stare downward. This was more than just about the dog. “Do you really need to get her some water or are you just saying that so you can kick me out of your bed?”

She got up slowly, grabbing her dress and sliding it on over her head before she grabbed the dog’s bowl, filling it with water.

“Do you want the truth or a lie?”

I wasn’t sure.

“Never lie, it’s not who you are.”

My brothers would surely kill me if they knew what I was doing.

But the thought of all of this going south, for her, for the company, riddled my stomach with guilt.

“I don’t regret this. And I know what you need is a wife,” she murmured. “So it’s really not something we should repeat.”

The air whooshed from my lungs.

I didn’t know if I could change her mind.

The part of me that wanted what was best for the company was yelling at my brain that I needed to end this now.

But my heart, the blasted thing, wasn’t going to listen.

I leaned in and kissed her slowly. “Okay.”

“Okay?” she asked hestitantly, wincing slightly.

“Okay. We won’t talk marriage. We won’t talk anything further than this moment.”

For now.

…

I didn’t see Grace on Sunday, though I ached to see her. To have her again. I couldn’t get the damn woman out of my head.

On my way to the office on Monday morning, I spotted a stand selling different candies and one caught my eye. Magic Stars. I didn’t spend much time with Grace in our school days, but I did remember that she had Magic Stars in her bag when she came for the summers. This was ingrained in my memory since most of the other girls I knew wouldn’t be caught dead with sweets.

When I got to the office, Grace was on the phone and barely looked up from the computer. But there was something different about her today. Instead of the stiff white oxfords and long black skirts that she tended to wear at the office, she wore a light floral dress that I remembered from the meeting at the café.

Her face also had more color, and that was probably because she had finally been thoroughly shagged. The thought of her spread across that desk with my cock buried deep inside her flashed across my mind. I had to get a grip, especially at the office.

I did the gentlemanly thing, placing the sweets and coffee on her desk and whispering, “Come see me in my office when you’re done.”

She nodded, her gaze briefly flitting to mine before she returned to her call.

I smiled and then closed the door behind me.

I’d barely opened my emails and taken my first sip of coffee when a knock came at the door.

“Why did you put these on my desk?” she asked.

I frowned. “If my memory serves me, you loved those when we were younger. I may not have recognized you without the curly hair and braces, but I do remember a little bit of the girl who always carried these sweets.”

Her shoulders slumped. “These candy bars were half the reason girls gave me hell in school. I acted like I didn’t give a rip, but when every twig bitch starts making comments during fencing, it takes a toll.”

Shite. I thought I was doing something right, now I was really fecking it up. My shoulders tensed and my jaw clenched.

Standing from my desk, I rounded the corner and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know—”

“You really had no idea?” she asked softly.

I shook my head. “None whatsoever. I just thought you liked them. I saw them on my walk in and thought of you.”

She sighed. “Why do you have to be so nice to me? It makes it hard not to like you.”

I laughed. “Would you rather I be a jerk? I could tell you that the chocolate bar is actually for me and I expected you to bring it when I got hungry.”

She put her hands on her hips, trying to appear tough, but her body shook as she kept her mouth in a thin line, trying not to laugh.

“Really?”

I shook my head, unable to hold back my own laugh. “No. But that was the most arseholish thing I could think of at the moment.”

She sighed, dropping her arms and walking closer, closing the space between us before she leaned against the desk. “You’re a right pain in the arse.”

“You don’t want me to boss you around or be nice. So maybe I’ll just stop talking. How about if I do this instead?” I murmured, leaning into her neck and trailing my lips along her skin.

She sighed, tilting her head to the side, so I could nip and suck the sensitive flesh.

Feck she smelled amazing, her skin even tasted like the sweet scent of vanilla and coffee. I could savor her inch by inch if she’d let me.

“We probably shouldn’t be doing this. But dammit, don’t stop either,” she whispered, but her shaky words didn’t match her body leaning into me and her hands gripping my biceps.

I laughed slightly before my fingers went to her beautiful arse, and I lifted her off the ground and pushed her onto the desk, her skirt rising with her. Pushing between her thighs, the heat of her core pressed against my already aching dick. I moaned as her hands fisted my hair and sweet little gasps vibrated her body.

I’d never had a woman in my office like this, never wanted to take the chance on this fantasy. Until her.

“I don’t have any meetings until later this morning and I can lock the door,” I murmured, sliding my hand up her skirt to her bare thigh, my gaze staying on her gorgeous brown eyes.

She nodded slightly. “Okay.”

Quickly I locked the door then went back to her. My lips immediately tangled with hers again and my hand inched up her thigh.

She spread her legs, pulling me against her as I pushed aside the damp material of her panties, running my thumb along her center.

Watching her body writhe around me was exquisite torture. I’d never be able to look at my desk the same way knowing I watched her come apart on it.

I didn’t hear the doorknob wiggling. But I did hear Connor loud and clear as he pounded on the door and yelled about why I would need a lock.

Blast, the cock block.

“We can pretend we aren’t here,” I whispered, kissing the delicate curve of her neck.

“I know you’re in there, and Grace, too. You two better not be in the whiskey without me.”

Feck.

I pulled back from Grace as she slowly slid off the desk with a frown.

“I hope the entire office didn’t hear that,” she whispered, grabbing some random papers off the desk and carrying them toward the door. I followed her.

“I’ll make sure any rumors are squashed immediately,” I said, placing a light kiss on her cheek.

She nodded but her eyes stayed downward as I opened the door.

I glared at my brother.

Grace kept her head down as she headed toward her desk, her face scarlet. “I’ll get these typed up for you right away, Mr. Murphy.”

Connor smiled, then followed me into the office, closed the door behind us, and raised his eyebrows. “What just happened? Why was her face so red? Is there something more than whiskey that I need to know about?”

“It’s none of your business. We were just discussing some personal matters. And why the hell did you need to pull that scene?” I glowered.

He laughed, shaking his head. “No one was at their desks yet and I knew that would get you off your arse.”

“You’re a right pain in the arse, you know that?”

“Speaking of pains in the arse… I thought you were one to Grace but seeing her scarlet when she walked out of here tells me something else. Is there something going on you want to tell me about? A new sister-in-law in the works?”

I shook my head. It was too soon to be thinking about things like marrying Grace when we were just getting reacquainted. But that didn’t stop my pulse from racing when the idea was mentioned. “It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it? Are you trying to use her to make Lacey jealous?” he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

I frowned. Connor had a way of pushing every single one of my buttons and knew it. “Are you mad? Why would I give a shite what Lacey thinks?”

Is that what Grace thought? Did she think I still had some lingering feelings for the bird?

“Grace, you look flustered, please tell me you aren’t working too hard,” Sean’s voice carried into the room as he threw the door open. He had one tattooed hand on the handle with his head thrown back in Grace’s direction.

“No, work’s fine. I just choked on my coffee a bit,” she sputtered, her brown waves the only thing I could see over my youngest brother’s massive biceps.

Sean entered the room after saying his goodbyes to Grace and Fallon then shut the door, standing between Connor and me.

He ran his fingers through the scruff of his beard and looked between us. “Why do you two look like someone just caught you pissing in the holy water?”

Connor threw his arms in the air. “You take a dare one time in school, and that’s what you’re known for forever.”

Sean grinned.

I sat down at my desk. I could still smell Grace on me.

I wasn’t complaining.

“Is there a reason you two are here unannounced?” I asked, trying to clear my mind.

“Well, since you’ve been ignoring her calls, Lacey has been messaging me about the Poppy Wines deal,” Connor said, ambling toward my desk before propping himself on the edge.

“Never liked Lacey. She was always a bitch, not just to me but to Grace as well. For that alone, I’d say ‘feck her’ on the deal. Though I did hear Grace took the piss outta her during the meeting. I wish I could have seen that,” Sean said with a laugh, plopping in the leather chair across from me with a loud thud.

Shaking my head, I let out a breath. “Let’s say ‘feck it’ with the Poppy deal. No matter what they’re offering. We don’t need their wines. I looked over Grace’s points from the meeting and she’s right.”

Sean scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. “Since when do you take this much advice from an assistant?”

“Probably since he’s been crushing on the bird,” Connor said, smacking the wooden surface next to him.

Sean’s eyes went from curious to menacing, the dark black of his pupils taking over his entire eye. He stood up, his fists clenched tightly at his side. “You and Grace? I thought you two hated each other?”

“Sometimes things change. We all have grown up. Grace is brilliant, funny, and bloody hell, I do really like her.” My ears burned, all the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. I’d never said my feelings out loud for her and admitting anything caused a flutter in my chest like never before.

“So why aren’t you getting down on your knees, or well one knee?” Connor asked.

“It’s not like that with us, and you can’t just propose to a girl you just met.” I scoffed.

He shook his head. “First off, you’ve known her since we were kids and, second, if it’s real and there’s a ticking time clock of an inheritance clause, you can.”

“You’re absolutely mad, has anyone ever told you that?” I asked.

“All the time.” He laughed.

“Are you really that into Grace?” Sean asked slowly, his dark eyes locked in a glare.

“I’m not saying I’m going to propose right now, but I have been spending more time with her. I really was a shite when we were younger, and I guess I’m trying to make up for that now.”

Sean shook his head. “I never thought I’d see her with you.”

“And who did you expect her with, you?” I asked, wondering what I would do if my little brother did say he had feelings for her.

He pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose and let out a deep breath. “No. I never saw her like that. I always thought she’d find someone, and I’d be there to give the guy shite and probably hate him. But thinking of you with her…well…”

“Yes?” I asked, leaning forward.

He blew out a large breath, his barrel of a chest puffing beneath his shirt. “I don’t know. It’s strange. You’re so into your work and with the inheritance clause… What if this all comes down and crashes and burns? Then where does that leave us? Without the company? With her family hating us?”

“I don’t want that to happen either. You have to believe me, I’ve thought the same things, but I also can’t stay away. I’ve tried, believe me, but I keep going back. She’s everything I didn’t know I wanted or needed at the same time.”

Connor laughed. “Sounds like someone’s getting ready to propose and now we just need to find a girl for Sean. Still flirting with Fallon’s American friend via text?”

He replied by shaking his head. “You’re all mad—you know that? I came here to talk business and now I’m probably going to be late for practice because you two want to gossip about girls.”

He stood up straighter, his full height looming. “Jack. If you really are going to start something with Grace, make sure you finish it.”

“Don’t worry, Sean, I’m not a quitter, and I’ll be good to her.”

For however long we can make whatever this is last.

“You’d better,” he grumbled. “But I’m not saying I like this idea of the two of you together.”

He ran his hand down his face, his fingers getting twisted in his beard. “Don’t feck this up, okay? Grace is one of my best mates and I don’t know what I’d do if you hurt her.”

I nodded. “I promise. Right now, we are just seeing where this goes.”

She wanted nothing to do with marriage and had told me that, multiple times.

I needed a wife and not a fling, or whatever this was.

But I couldn’t stop now.

And this would either be the biggest mistake I ever made, or the best.