The incident had somehow emboldened certain shop owners, Bill and Merry, to think that I wasn't qualified. Bill saidI was going to ruin the town, which only made me want to work harder to prevent anything like this from happening again.
Then there was the infighting. The flood had only seemed to spark more fights between owners about whether we needed a lingerie shop at all. I’d signed Angela to a short-term lease to appease Bill.
Bill had stopped by to mention adding a morality clause to any new leases or extensions. I thought my head was going to explode when he told me that.
The fact was that we hadn't had any complaints from customers. People were used to seeing lingerie stores in malls. What was the difference?
If you didn't want your kids to be inside the shop, then don't bring them in. It was as simple as that.
It was hard to believe my only concern a few days ago was when I'd see Maddox and Sofia again. Now I was running from one issue to the next, never sure when I'd be able to slow down. I'd barely been able to do more than text Maddox at the end of a long day.
Tonight, Maddox had asked that I stop by at midnight again. I wasn't sure what that meant. I thought we'd moved on from our late-night liaisons. But maybe he missed them, or he just missed me.
I worked until I needed to drive to his house. When I arrived, I was still wearing my work outfit: a silk blouse, skirt, and heels. As soon as he opened the door, he pulled me inside with a growl, lifting me against the nearest wall. I wrapped my legs around his waist, content to finally be near him.
He kissed me, grinding his cock against my center. Then he pulled back, freed his erection, slid a condom on, and moved my panties to the side.
His pulsing dick nudged my entrance, and all I could do was let my head fall back. He plunged inside me in one thrust.
"You feel so good," I murmured as his mouth captured mine.
He was uninhibited tonight, ferocious in his desires. He couldn't even wait to get me into his room or his bed.
He set a brutal pace, moving as if he was chasing something, and I wasn't sure what that could be. All I could do was hang on.
We were both almost fully dressed, and I suspected it meant I wouldn't be staying the night.
Then I felt a twinge of guilt because it meant I could get back to work that much more quickly. He bit my neck as he let go.
He braced one hand above my head against the wall, and the other brushed over my jaw. "Thanks for coming over tonight."
"Of course." The rest of the words got stuck in my throat.This was nice. I missed you. I wish we could spend more time together.
Then he pushed off the wall and turned the knob. "But you probably need to get back to work."
"I have a lot to do," I agreed as I stepped onto the porch into the cold. It wasn't lost on me that he'd only managed to move my panties before we fucked. There hadn't been anything else. He'd only needed to stuff his dick into his pants and zip up.
It was quick, and I was grateful for that. But I also felt a little weird about it.
"Night, Eve." He flashed me a smile before closing the door.
I'd been dismissed, and I should be upset, but I had a pile of insurance paperwork waiting for me in my inbox.
Maybe when this flood thing was behind me, the rest of the town was renovated, and the holidays were over, I'd see Maddox more often.
A voice in my head asked if it would be too late, and I pushed it off. He would understand. One of my buildings flooded. Anyone would understand that it was an exigent circumstance. I had to be there for my renters. They were counting on me to get this right.
I'd promised Angela I'd get back into her store as quickly as possible. I still felt like a failure because it wouldn't be possible for it to happen before Christmas.
Bill was calling for a town meeting to discuss the intelligence of letting Angela reopen her shop. I'm pretty sure he was insinuating that I was stupid.
I had so much to do, but stopping by Maddox's house was a nice diversion. It was hot. As long as I didn't think too hard about what it meant. Why had we gone back to midnight meetings? Why hadn't he bothered to take me to his bed? Why did it feel like a booty call when it never had before?
Did he not want a relationship with me anymore? I didn't have time to consider the possibilities.
I drove to the office. Inside, it was as if I'd never been gone. I sat at my desk and opened my email, downloading the necessary documents. I read through the contracts and digitally signed them. Then I went through Hudson's plans to repair the shop and his notes on a few of the other stores.
At some point, my head met the desk, and I fell asleep.
