Avery let go of my arm, giving us both a pinched expression before she threw up her hand in front of her mouth. “God, Tay, don’t be gross. You know I’m still dealing with morning sickness. I’ve been sick for seven months and, I swear, it feels like it’s never gonna end. So, I have no desire to hear about fluids of any kind, especially yours. I love you like a brother, but I don’t want to think about swapping anything with you but recipes.” She walked over to her stash of crackers on the counter and began munching, still talking through the crumbs. “Speaking of recipes, thanks so much for the chicken salad one, it was delicious, and Jack loved it. Who would have thought of adding pecans and grapes? It’s genius.” She continued munching, and I wondered at the weirdness of pregnancy. How could she go from sick to talking about food in three-point-five seconds?
I was dizzy trying to follow this nonlinear conversation, so I grabbed Connor’s black coffee—So very manly—and my vanilla mocha—Yeah, whatever, this shit’s delicious—and moved to head back to the office.
“Hold up, Houdini, you’re not disappearing that fast.” Taylor took the cups out of my hand, placing them on the counter, then turned back to Avery, “I’m glad you like Nana’s recipe, Ave, and tell Jack thanks, too. She was a fantastic cook. You wanted to know about my ex? My whole life, I was stuffed so far back in my parent’s religious closet, I’m surprised I still don’t smell like mothballs. The honest answer is that Callie and I saved each other. I got her out from under parents even more severe than mine, and she helped me find my true self. If it wasn’t for her, I’d probably still be in the dark. I’ll love that woman forever for everything she did to help me become who I was meant to be.”
I looked over at Avery, and there were tears slowly trailing down her pale cheeks. She sniffed and wiped her cheeks roughly, “Freaking pregnancy hormones,” she muttered, then raced over to Taylor and gave him a big hug. His height dwarfed her five-foot-two-inch frame, and the contrast between her bright blonde hair and his dark caramel skin was striking. “Taylor, that’s so beautiful. I love you so much.” She scrubbed her cheeks again and pulled another breath through her nose to get herself under control. “Now that I’m all emotional, I’m gonna go call my husband and tell him I love him.” With a flip of her blonde ponytail, she walked back to her desk.
Returning all his attention back to me, Taylor leveled his eyes at mine and seemed to peer deep into my soul for the longest time, even though it was probably only a few moments. When he was done and seemed satisfied with what he found, he came to me and gave me a tight hug. “You really like him, I can tell. But you’re conflicted about the whole mixing business with pleasure thing. Plus you’re not sure if he’ll like you for you and you’re scared. I get it, babe, I do, but from just the looks he was giving you in there before I came in, I think he’s really into you, too. You might want to unbend a little and give this one a chance.”
How the fucking hell did he do that? Taylor had looked into the deepest well of my soul and seen everything I had been thinking without me saying a word. I loved him so much, but I didn’t know if I could do what he was asking me to do. I honestly didn’t know if I was capable of unbending at this point. I thought back to my latest dating fiasco with Parker and inwardly flinched. I just couldn’t risk it right now, maybe ever. It might kill me, but I needed to try and keep my professional distance from Connor. There was no way I would come out unscathed if I tried and failed again. I gave Taylor a pat on the shoulder and a grim smile then grabbed the coffees again before heading back to my office.
Nope, no matter how big the temptation, I had to protect my battered soul.
* * *
Connor
Fucking hell,talk about a roller coaster of emotions. I’d only been in Ladd’s office for an hour, and I’d hit emotional highs and lows I’d never felt before. If I already felt like this when we weren’t even in a relationship, what the hell would it be like to actually get involved with Ladd? It would be a wild ride, to say the least, but I had always been a little bit of an adrenaline junkie. This thing with Ladd looked like the most challenging ride I’d ever encountered.
My heart had nearly stopped when he said he had a partner. Taylor had been stunning, all dark caramel skin, sexy dreads, and light golden eyes. He was my complete opposite with his designer clothes and suave manner. But when he’d flirted outrageously in front of his supposed partner, I’d gotten pissed. Ladd deserved better. He deserved to be with someone who would wrap him up and keep him safe, not disrespect him. But then I’d found out the truth, and my relief had been overwhelming. I had actually felt light-headed I was so happy. Damn, I almost needed a nap after all of the emotional shit I was feeling.
But now, Ladd had come back from the break room, and he was much more subdued. I wondered what had happened. He was polite and had a work smile plastered on his lips, but it didn’t reach his eyes. I missed those smiling eyes. He didn’t give me anything butBusiness Laddfor the rest of the meeting. I was back to being confused, not knowing where this ride was taking me yet again.
After the meeting, Ladd was walking me out to the door, and we ran into the owner of the firm, Helen Eldridge. She was shorter than Ladd, but she had a presence about her that filled the room. Elegant and charming were the two words that sprang to mind when she greeted me warmly with a quick handshake and squeeze on my bicep.
“Connor McDaniel, it’s so nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard great things about your work in the past. You’ve been in charge of several large projects recently for your family haven’t you?”
I was shocked that she knew what I’d been doing lately or even knew who I was, so I answered automatically without even thinking. “Yes, ma’am, I’ve worked on quite a few larger projects over the last few years. The last one was in our hometown of Atlanta. The project turned out wonderful, and the building owners were happy, but the scope of the project was huge, and I got a little burned out.
She sagely nodded her head and got a look of sympathy on her face. “So that’s why you’ve come down here to our little neck of the woods then. You needed a break. I understand perfectly.” She looked over at Ladd and got a thoughtful look on her face. “Ladd here is a wonderful tour guide for the area if you’d like to see the sights while you’re here. He’s a fantastic designer, but he’s also almost an expert on the surrounding cities and their history, maybe you two could get out and have some fun while you’re here.” She said all this with a completely straight face like she hadn’t just blatantly thrown her nephew at me in the lobby of their business.
I glanced over at Ladd, and he was three shades of red and about to turn purple with embarrassment. I had to take the attention off of him, so I quickly said, “That might be nice, but I understand from my mom that you two used to work together for a short time years ago.” Helen took the bait and went off in the new direction telling me of the short while she and Mom had worked on a mutual project. During the series of stories and polite conversation, I took a chance and glanced at Ladd one more time. I managed to catch his eyes, and he gave me a huge smile and mouthed, “Thank you.” I smiled back and was happy to have been a help to him.
During the conversation, Helen had nothing but praise for Ladd and his accomplishments, too. She was obviously trying to play matchmaker. He blushed at her compliments and when she bragged about his accomplishments. He was good at his job from what she said, had even won some awards, but he was still humble and waived off her glowing praise. I really liked that about him. As I stood there and listened with half an ear to the conversation, I realized I had been attracted to Ladd when I first saw him, based on looks alone. But now that I was getting a glimpse of the man he was inside, I was starting to like all of him and not just his looks. I was starting to like the man underneath, and I had no idea if he liked me back. I was in so much trouble here.
* * *
Laddand I had talked on the phone over the weekend a few times. We were going to be finishing up the selections for the apartment floors and bathrooms today, and he had wanted to finalize my selections. Now, he was due to come by the building this morning, and I was a little nervous. I had been working with him every day over the last two weeks since our last meeting at his office. We’d finalized most of the details for the kitchen and would start the demolition this week. Today, he had some flooring and fixture ideas for the two apartments we were finishing on the second floor. The previous owners of the building had been in the process of turning the second floor into two luxury two-bedroom apartments when they went bankrupt. The units had been mostly completed, except for the finishes, so we had decided to get them done as soon as possible to check that off our list of projects. I hoped that Lachlan would take one of the units. I had a feeling my baby brother would really love this town as much as I did.
I had been paying close attention to my adorable architect these past weeks. I had been studying him like there would be a final exam, and I had learned a good bit. He was running late again today and time management seemed to be the only thing Ladd didn’t do perfectly. He had distinct quirks that were…unique. He couldn’t let things stay askew. Everything on his desk had to be perfectly placed, and he would meticulously move things if they were in the wrong spot or direction. His blueprints or paperwork always had to be centered on the table with even margins around them if possible. If he was eating or drinking and spilled or dropped crumbs, he had to clean them immediately before he could continue with whatever he had been doing. He seemed to do all of this without conscious thought like it was just ingrained and natural for him. I could guarantee he would blush up a storm and probably bite his lip in embarrassment if he knew I'd noticed and made a note of them. I somehow knew he didn’t like anyone bringing attention to his quirky behavior.
The thing that would probably surprise him, however, was how much I actually liked his quirks. He was unique and different, from his hair to his behavior and his always positive attitude. Ladd was one of a kind, and I was beginning to realize no one else would ever come close to being anything like him. It had only been two weeks, but Jesus, I was already a smitten kitten. I was also completely fucked if he didn’t feel anything for me. He kept everything professional between us, but we’d become friends over the last few weeks. We could laugh and joke with each other, and every once in a while I would catch what I thought was an interested look coming from him, but then he would go back to professional mode. I was confused but still very interested.
But even with all of that, the thing that really pushed me over the edge of attraction into a borderline obsession was the way he dressed. He was always dressed impeccably. Starched shirts, dress pants or starched and tailored jeans if he was on a job site, and always those sexy as fuck bow ties. He would play with them throughout the day to always make sure they were straight and perfectly tied.
I had never realized I had a fetish before, but goddamn, I had one now. I loved those fucking ties. Pink, yellow, polka dots or plaid, didn’t matter, I loved them all. I had even had a vivid dream last night involving one.
I was just drifting off, somewhere between awake and asleep when I heard the door to the loft quietly open and close. When I opened my sleepy eyes, Ladd was standing over my bed. I was naked under the sheet and immediately turned rock hard when I saw him there in nothing but his favorite pastel plaid bow tie and a smile. All of that beautiful creamy skin was on display and all mine to lick and caress. I reached out and ran a hand up his side in awe of the smooth texture. I moved higher and traced one finger around his left nipple just barely touching it. I felt his shiver as it skated down his spine. I loved the idea that I had that effect on him. I let my hand drop down, and he leaned over ghosting a kiss over my lips. I tried to move for a deeper connection, but he pulled back just far enough so I couldn’t reach, shaking his head. He took my hand that was now wrapped around his hip and raised it up to his neck in silent demand. I slowly untied the strip of silk, letting the ends trail down Ladd’s smooth hairless chest. Without breaking eye contact, he gripped one end of the tie and slipped it off. The faint, luxurious slide of the silk against the smooth skin of his neck sent a shiver down my spine this time. I was caught in his blue gaze and couldn’t move. He moved closer again, and the feel of his breath over my own lips was a tease that felt better than any real kiss I’d ever experienced.
Once the tie was in his hand, Ladd ever so slowly pulled the sheet down revealing my naked torso and cock, which was now standing straight up and hard as granite. He leaned in and began placing light as air kisses on my skin, starting at my neck and working his way down. He laved my nipples, and when I felt a not so gentle bite, I jerked and moaned at the exquisite torture. His hands followed his lips, and he spent a good bit of time petting my chest hair and following the trail of hair leading to my groin. When he got down to my cock, finally, he looked down and noticed the bead of precum on my tip. Reaching out with his middle finger, he swiped it up and sucked his finger into his mouth, closing his eyes and moaning like the taste was better than the finest dessert. “Fuck, that’s hot!” I whispered at the look of pure lust that entered his eyes once he leveled them back on mine. He got a mischievous smile on his face and picked up the tie again. I thought he might tie me up, and I was totally on board with that. I was not prepared for what he actually had in mind.
Ladd took his bow tie and began reverently wrapping the silky fabric around my cock. Fucking hell, that was the hottest thing I had ever seen. He used all of his concentration to wrap it precisely—as only Ladd would—then tied it in a bow as perfect as it had been at his throat.
When he was through, a lot more precum had made its way to the tip, and it had started to glide down the sides, turning the silk a darker color. Ladd licked his lips, leaned over and licked just the exposed tip of my cock, moaning with his own pleasure at the taste again. I felt that wet heat and my vision went dark as my balls pulled up immediately. I bit my own tongue to stop myself from coming from the glorious sensation.
When Ladd was finished licking my dick like it was his favorite ice cream cone, he glanced up at my face with a smile and proceeded to blow my mind. He grabbed the silky material in his hand and started to slowly pump my cock in a leisurely up and down motion. The picture of that pastel plaid silk wrapping my dick like a present was obscene. The feeling had me gritting my teeth to hold back because there was no way I wanted this to end too soon.
Ladd moved a bit closer, sitting on the bed by my hip, and got a better grip on my silk wrapped cock. Once he was settled, he began pumping me faster which had me groaning and moaning like a whore in no time. I wanted to close my eyes and throw my head back just to enjoy the exquisite feeling, but I refused to miss one single second of the vision before me. Ladd increased his tempo even more and leaned near me, nuzzling his face along the scruff on my jaw. I wanted his kiss, his touch, anything he would give me. Breathing heavily in my ear for a moment, he finally spoke for the first time as he whispered, “Come for me, Connor.” And at that moment, Ladd Eldridge owned me, body and soul. I came so hard it felt like I left my body for a minute. Everything went black before stars burst behind my eyes. It was the most incredible feeling I had ever experienced. And then I woke up.
