Beck huffs down the line. “Oh, c’mon, walk faster, girl!”
Giggling, I push past the glass door, make it out onto the street, make sure I am past the visuals, and then let out a small shriek of excitement down the phone line. “Oh my God, that felt so fucking good!”
“There she is, there’s my fun little sister. I knew you’d kill it!”
Inhaling sharply, I lean back against the tall building’s façade. “I have to give notice,” I say, reality creeping back. “I have to tell that asshole I’m leaving.”
“And you’re gonna do it with your head held high. You deserve better than that decaying cock stain, Marley.”
A slow smirk crosses my lips as a motorcycle roars up the street. I look up at Nitro, who is pulling up on his Harley.
“Beck, I gotta go.”
“I hear a motorcycle. Is lover boy there?”
Nitro smiles at me in that way that melts me inside, and every inch of me wants to run to him. “I’ll see you and Sage later tonight for celebration drinks?”
“Fuck, yes! Give that muscle man a kiss from me.”
I laugh, stepping away from the wall and walking toward Nitro. “Kiss him yourself tonight… and thank you for being the best brother a girl could ask for.”
“Oh, I’m gonna tell Cal that I’m the favorite brother.”
“Bye, Beck,” I drone as Nitro steps off his bike, and I end the call even though I know Beck is saying some witty retort, but I choose to ignore him and cut him off instead.
Right now, with the way Nitro is staring at me, I need to kiss the hell out of him.
I step up to him, his arms instantly sliding out onto my hips, pulling me to him. I don’t wait, I lean in, slamming my lips to his, my fingers threading through his messy hair, pulling him closer, and I kiss him for all he’s worth. Our tongues dance in a rhythm that is all our own, my body molding against his as I let out a small whimper into his mouth, my clit instantly throbbing, just wishing we were in my apartment right now so we could celebrate this properly.
But reluctantly, I pull back, only ever so slightly, and his hand slides up, swiping a stray hair away from my face. “I’m so fucking proud of you, my brilliant, talented, soon-to-be Creative Director,” he says, pulling me into a hug that lifts me off my feet.
“I can’t believe this is happening.”
“Believe it.” He cups my face. “You’re talented, Marley, and the execs in there could clearly see that. You wouldn’t have gotten the job otherwise. You deserve this, Small Town.”
“I couldn’t have done this without you, though. You helped me land this job. Whoever your friend is who helped me land this interview, please thank them for me.”
He simply smiles and gestures toward his bike. “You ready to ride?”
“To Derek’s firm?”
“I’ll wait outside, but I’ll be there if you need me.” His jaw tightens. “That asshole doesn’t get to make you feel like shit for choosing yourself.”
Groaning, I nod. “Sure… let’s get this over with.”
He smiles and gently taps my ass with a chuckle. “Good girl.”
He climbs onto his bike, and I slide on behind him, then we take off toward Derek’s firm—a place I will soon not have to set foot in again.
The ride is short, and too soon we’re pulling up to the familiar building that’s been my prison for years.
“You’ve got this?” Nitro asks.
“I’ve got this!” I tell him, suddenly feeling a sense of power I didn’t think I had in me. He leans in, pressing a kiss to my lips, and then shifts up, pressing another to my forehead.
“I’ll be right here if you need me. Just say the word, and I’ll happily come kick his ass for you.”
I chuckle and tilt my head, wondering if I should let Nitro come up with me, but then I think better of it. “I’ll be fine, but thank you. You’re too good to me.”
