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IT’S THE MIDDLE OF the afternoon and I’m daydreaming in my office. I know I’m daydreaming, and I should be replying to the mountain of emails that are sitting in my inbox waiting for updates and designs. But I can’t get my mind off of Emi and the way she fell apart in my arms yesterday afternoon. I’ve had plenty of sexual experiences over the years since I’ve been on my own, but never anything as fucking hot as Emi was yesterday. She was putty in my hands, her moans filling my soul with longing and devotion knowing there isn’t anything that I won’t do to make her happy and hear those sounds from her every day for the rest of my life. My heart now beats for her moans and purrs. The sweet juices that flowed over my tongue are now the elixir of my life and I’ll require a sip every day in order to sustain my existence and quench my thirst.
I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that I would never be able to get enough of her. And I was right. Once will never be enough. Even now, I’m sitting here harder than I’ve ever been in my life and there’s nothing I can do about it. I have another meeting in a few minutes that I should be preparing for, but I can’t get my mind off of my sweet Kitten long enough to do anything. At this point, I don’t even know if I’ll be able to move from my desk. My God damned dick is so hard, I’m surprised I’m still conscious. All the blood in my body is pooled into my cock leaving nothing left for my basic functions and decision making. Yet, I expect myself to be able to run my company wisely knowing that there’s nowhere I’d rather be right now than buried between Emi’s legs.
Fuck, what am I supposed to do now?
As much as I want to cancel the rest of my afternoon and go back home to her, I can’t. I have a meeting with my foreman, Rob, in about twenty minutes that he says can’t wait. He’s having issues again with someone on his crew and he wants to talk to me about it before he makes any final decisions. As much as I want him to manage his own crew, I can’t fault the guy for wanting council with me. It’s hard to make tough decisions where someone’s livelihood is concerned. No one should have to make those decisions themselves and I’ve always prided myself on being open and honest with my employees. I like to support their growth and potential but some of them need a little more push than others. Rob is good at his job, but he definitely needs that extra push when it comes to making decisions.
Picking up my phone, I send a quick text to Emi. I feel my lips curling into a smile at knowing that she’s only a quick text away now. I should have gotten her a phone when she first started staying with me. Better late than never I suppose.
Me: Hello, Kitten. How is your day?
Thankfully, I don’t have to wait long for a reply. I find myself smiling again when I see the three dots appear almost immediately.
Emi: Great. I’m learning the new photo software on the laptop you got for me. I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate the gifts you got for me.
Me: I’m glad you like them. I knew you’d make good use of everything.
Emi: I still think it was too much.
Me: Nothing is too much for you, Kitten.
We napped for only a few hours yesterday before I woke up to the amazing fragrances coming out of my kitchen. Apparently, Emi had found an electric pressure cooker that I didn’t even know I had in my pantry. She had set it to cook a pot roast while we were out practicing her driving so it would be ready when we got back to the apartment. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to go driving but I’m not complaining. She had wandered out while I was still sleeping to open the other gifts I brought home for her and was in tears when I wandered out to the living room.
“What’s wrong, Kitten?” I kneel down next to her on the floor, pulling her into my lap and wrapping my arms around her. It’s an amazing feeling, my chest swelling with protectiveness and pride that I’m able to be this open with her. That I can finally touch her without her pulling away from me. She reaches out and swipes her hand over the laptop sitting on the coffee table and I think I know what’s wrong with her. She’s so overwhelmed with emotion, I don’t think she knows how to process everything.
“I can’t believe you did all this.” She sobs against my chest and my brows lower in confusion.
“I told you already, Emi. I want to support you in any way I can so you can follow your dreams. You don’t have to worry about anything else stopping you. You want to pursue photography? I want to help you do it.”
“It’s too much, Landon. You shouldn’t have done all this.”
“It’s not too much, Kitten. Nothing is too much for you.” She doesn’t say anything else, just closes her eyes and fists her hands in her lap. Pinching her chin between my thumb and forefinger, I turn her to face me before lowering my lips to hers. I kiss her softly and sweetly before kissing the tears away from her cheeks. “Nothing will ever be too much for you.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“Just say thank you.”
“Thank you, Landon.” Her forehead rests against my chest and I rub soothing circles across her back.
“You’re welcome, Emi.”
I shift my seat on the floor, so my back is against the couch, settling Emi between my legs. I reach my arms around her to adjust the coffee table close enough to reach from our position and open the laptop. I had plugged it in at work earlier to make sure the battery was fully charged for her to use right away.
She reaches for the box containing the camera and its attachments and pulls it closer. She grabs the camera and the USB cable to connect it to the laptop and I sit back, keeping my hands on her hips, as she works with the device to upload the pictures she took earlier. She clicks the files one at a time to view the photos and I’m in awe of the images displayed on the screen in front of us. They’re practically perfect, no editing needed as far as I’m concerned. I’m immediately impressed and anxious to see what other kinds of pictures she intends to take in the days to come.
The next photo she clicks to is of me and I’m surprised. I had no idea she had even taken it. She got me in perfect profile, my elbows resting on my knees as I sit on the rooftop waiting for her to finish taking her photos. I watch as she clicks a few buttons on the computer and changes it to a black and white portrait. She stands and steps away from me and I miss her warmth immediately, but I watch her curiously to see what she’s going to do. She grabs the printer from behind the laptop and carries it over to the entertainment center. I watch her as she plugs it in and loads the photo paper into the pullout tray beneath it. Walking back to the table, I wait for her to sit with me again, but she doesn’t. Instead, she presses another few buttons on the laptop and I hear the printer whine to life before it shoots out a printed picture.
Grabbing the paper, she skips the few steps back to me and settles on the floor between my legs. “I think I want to frame this one.” She holds the portrait up in front of her and tilts her head as if admiring it on a gallery wall.
Wrapping my arms around her shoulders, I kiss her temple softly and watch her eyes flutter closed. “That looks amazing.” I make a mental note to pick up a frame for her after work tomorrow. I’m amazed at the difference in the picture just making it black and white. It gives it more depth and meaning than it had originally. Rather than just looking like someone waiting patiently on the sidelines, I look like a man deep in thought. Possibly contemplating all the mysteries of this woman sitting in front of me.
“You need some photos in here. Your walls are a little boring. This can be the first one you hang on your wall.” She turns her head side to side as she looks around my living room. I’ve never taken the time to bother hanging anything on the walls in the four years that I’ve lived here. I don’t know why, it was always something that my grandmother believed. She said, ‘a house is not a home until you’ve hung something on your wall’. I should have hung something years ago.
“There are boxes in my bedroom closet full of pictures that came from my grandmother’s house. You’re welcome to go through them anytime and see if you find anything else worth hanging up.”
“Really?” She turns and looks at me excitedly. “You don’t mind me peeking through your things?”
“I have nothing to hide from you, Kitten.” I move a stray hair from her face with my fingertips and tuck it softly behind her ear. “And I would love for you to take more photos that you want to hang up. I’ve been here for four years, and this apartment has only recently started to feel like a home.” I chuckle when her brows furrow with confusion. “I think it’s because you’re here.”
“I love being here, Landon. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt safe anywhere and I feel safe here. With you.”
“I’m glad,” I tell her honestly. There are more words that I want to say to her. More reasons why I want her to stay here with me forever. But we’re not there yet, it’s still too soon. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about those words slipping out because her stomach rumbles loudly. Another thing to be thankful for, her appetite has definitely returned. “Come on.” Standing, I pull her to her feet and watch as she sets the photo on the coffee table. “Let’s eat.”
“Mister Strong,” my assistant Melodee’s voice brings me back to the present. Looking up I see her standing in my doorway.
“Yes, Melodee?”
“Rob is here. Should I send him in?”
“Yes, please.” Standing, I wait for Rob to step into my office. I extend my hand as he approaches my desk which he shakes before sitting. Nodding my head in greeting, I sit and fist my hands together over top of my blotter. “What can I do for you today, Rob?”
“Mister Strong,” he begins but I hold a hand up to interrupt before he can continue.
“Rob.” Pausing, I shake my head slowly side to side. “You’ve been with me for four years. I think it’s okay for you to call me Landon.”
“Of course, Landon.” He swallows audibly before continuing, trying to calm his nerves. My own nerves begin firing erratically in his stead as I imagine what drama he’s about to reveal on the job site this time. “I wanted to talk to you about one of my crewmen.”
“Right.” Sitting back in my chair, I move my hands to my lap and swipe my palms over my knees a few times to remove the sweat that has collected. “Is this the same one that you’ve been having issues with?”
“It is. But he’s getting worse.” Cocking my head, I lower my gaze to his knee that has started to bounce quickly. It’s a nervous habit that I recognize as one that I’ve seen Emi do repeatedly since moving in with me. Something that she’s developed over the years of living on the edge of fear. It makes me wonder just what this crewman has been putting Rob and his other workers through and I’m suddenly anxious to get to the bottom of it so Rob can make the decision that he’s so hesitant to make.
“Worse how?”
“He’s more agitated lately. I mean, he’s always had an attitude. But lately, he’s been getting mouthy with everyone on the job site. He appears unkempt like he hasn’t been sleeping. He comes in hungover and late every day which is a risk in and of itself. He doesn’t care anymore when I send him home, I can’t let him work on the site when he’s hungover. He’s a danger to the entire crew.”
“You’re right.” I move forward in my seat and rest my elbows on my desk. “So, what is it that you need my help with. Why haven’t you let him go?”
He blows out a long breath as his gaze lowers to his lap. “I wasn’t sure if you knew him. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t stepping on any toes, sir.”
“I don’t understand. Why would I know him?” Yes, this is my company and I try to make it a point to interact with everyone in my office. But I leave the hiring decision of crewmen to Rob since he’s the one that will be working with them directly.
“He’s from your hometown. I know Independence is a small town and generally everyone from small towns know each other.”
This is new information, and my curiosity is suddenly very intrigued. “What’s his name?”
“Charlie Tillman.”
My brows lower as I search my memory of anyone by that name but coming up blank. “I can’t say that I do.”
“Right.” Rob seems to relax in his chair, his knee finally stops bouncing. “He is a bit older than you. He would have graduated probably ten or so years before you did.”
There’s only one Charlie that I’ve heard about recently. It would fit, honestly given the age. But it couldn’t be. Could it? “You said he’s escalated recently?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Does he say anything when he comes to work agitated?”
“Quite a bit, sir.”
“I’m assuming you’ve been documenting everything?”
“Of course. I wanted to make sure we were covered if he were to pursue an unemployment claim.” Good thinking on his part. At least he’s thought to cover his bases.
“Anything that I should be aware of?”
“Not really. I guess he had some girl at home doing things for him, cooking his dinner and taking care of the house. Says he didn’t do enough to keep her in her place, and she took off. Plans to teach her a lesson if he ever finds her. Things like that.”
My blood turns cold, instantly freezing in my veins, as the reality of the situation reveals itself. I guess this Charlie could very well be the one that Emi is running from. Time to teach him that lesson. “Let him go.” I growl out between clenched teeth. “Send me a copy of your documentation, everything you have on him. And Human Resources. I don’t want him to have a chance of filing for unemployment.”
“Got it.”
“Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Rob.” He nods once before standing and walking out of my office and I’m ready to be done with this day.