Unexpectedly Yours Read online

  Drew greets me in the bedroom with a cup of coffee and our bags are almost packed. “My mom wants to see you before we leave,” he says, handing me my coffee.

  A twinge of sadness strikes me when I think about leaving Rose. I’ve barely met her, but I adore her, and I feel sad that both of her boys are moving across the country and away from her.

  He nods toward the door. “Go see her. I’ll finish packing up.”

  I dress quickly and carry my coffee to the kitchen where I find Rose, her nose stuck in her Kindle. “Good morning,” I greet her.

  “Good morning!” She perks right up. “How are you feeling?”

  “Each day gets a little better,” I tell her and take a sip of my coffee.

  “Good.” She smiles at me and sets her kindle on the table. “Come with me.” She opens the back door and guides me outside to the covered terrace.

  We sit down at the outdoor table, and I breathe in the cool Northern California air. My lungs expand with each deep breath and my head seems to clear with each cleansing inhale.

  “Thank you,” she says quietly.

  My brows pinch in confusion as I glance at her. “For what?”

  “For loving Andrew.” Her smile is genuine, but there’s a hint of sadness on her face. “I assume he told you about Melissa?”

  I nod and swallow hard. After getting to know Aaron, it’s almost difficult for me to imagine him betraying Drew in such a terrible way.

  “He was so broken,” her voice breaks and she pauses, “I wasn’t sure he’d open his heart to love ever again, but Grace, the way he looks at you…he’s never been happier.”

  I smile at her. “I love him too,” I admit. I’m not sure I’ve even told him that, but I tell Rose because it’s the truth. I love him.

  She reaches over and grabs my hand. I see a tear slip from her eye and she squeezes my hand as she takes a deep breath. “Be patient with him.”

  I’m not sure what that means, but I nod. “I will.”

  “Good. He’s lucky to have you, sweet girl.”

  I think it’s the other way around. “I’m lucky to have him.” And that’s the truth. Rose and I enjoy a few minutes of quiet with our coffee and we take in the beautiful Napa Valley fall morning before Drew announces that we have to leave.

  Even though we barely know each other, Rose and I say a tearful goodbye. Drew looks at us like we’re crazy. Aside from being sick, this was a much-needed break and I’m so thankful Drew wanted me to meet his mom.

  * * *

  As much as I loved seeing San Francisco and Napa, there’s just something about New York City that calls to me. It’s where I belong; it’s home.

  Tony is waiting for us in the car when we arrive at JFK, and being the efficient driver he is, he has us home before dinner. Drew lights a fire in the outdoor fire pit on the terrace and orders us Thai for dinner. After dinner, we curl up under blankets on the outdoor chaise and relax in each other’s arms. Something shifted in me while we were in San Francisco. I no longer look at this condo as Drew’s; it’s ours. It’s where I belong, with Drew.

  “Thank you for going home with me, even though I know how much you hate surprises.” Drew leans in and places a gentle kiss to the tip of my nose.

  “Thank you for taking me with you. I loved meeting your mom and seeing where you grew up.”

  He’s quiet, contemplative, and I’m curious. “Are you going to miss California?” I know that’s a loaded question, but I also don’t want him to give up living somewhere that he loves.

  He turns his head and gazes at me before shaking his head. “No. I’m not. I’ve got everything I’ve ever wanted right here in New York.” His eyes hold a softness and sincerity in them and my heart swells.

  “So do I,” I say quietly. He pulls me closer and presses a sweet, gentle kiss to my lips. “Sick,” I mumble and pull away from him, reminding him of my flu or stomach illness, whatever it is.

  “Worth the risk.” He smirks at me.

  The weather is cooling off in New York City and it’s the perfect evening to spend on the terrace all bundled up under the blankets. Drew shares his plans for expanding the public relations department into New York City and how that will impact the Los Angeles office. He seems excited to have his brother working alongside him, and nothing makes me happier than seeing him genuinely happy and at peace with Aaron.

  * * *

  This week flies by. Aaron has been back in Los Angeles, tying up loose ends, and Drew has been slammed with new contracts and other acquisition-related meetings.

  I have had three different potential client meetings, and I pitched new ad campaigns to two existing clients. This is what I live for. The craziness of the advertising business. The thrill of the pitch and relief of the catch.

  All three potential clients have agreed to come on board with AM Global and I could not be more excited and proud of this achievement. Jamie was a godsend in helping me get my pitch prepared, even though she has her own client needs. She stayed late with me every night and listened to my proposed pitch for all three different client campaign strategies multiple times. Her feedback gave me the confidence I needed to land these clients. Of course, I also couldn’t have done it without the support of my favorite graphic designer and the design team, as well as the media department. Together we make a strong team. Everything was top notch, professional, and on target. We were all on our A-game and it showed in our presentation.

  Of course, Drew was always nearby, but he kept his distance, allowing me the space to do my job independently. I knew he was listening, yet he gave me the courtesy and respect to do my thing. I knew if I needed him, he’d be there to help me, but this was something I wanted—no, needed—to do on my own. I needed to prove to myself I could do this alone, and I did.

  Now that the week has come to an end, Drew made me promise that tonight I’d leave the office no later than six o’clock. Of course, I’m exhausted and want nothing more than to spend the evening sleeping, but I promised Drew we’d celebrate over dinner tonight, and that’s what we’ll do.

  At five forty-five, Drew saunters over to my desk and, without a word, reaches across me and hits the power button on my laptop. I watch my monitor flicker and then go dark before I turn and look up into Drew’s piercing blue eyes. His lips are twisted into a smug grin and he’s leaning back, resting his ass against the side of my desk with his arms crossed over his chest.

  “What did you do that for?”

  “To get your attention.”

  “You got it.” I cross my arms across my chest to mimic his stance.

  “Tony will be here in ten minutes and we have dinner reservations for eight-thirty.”

  “Okaaaaay?” I question, glancing at the clock on the wall. It’s not even six yet.

  He leans over and whispers in my ear, “I want to do all kinds of dirty things to you before dinner, so we need to leave on time.”

  A chill runs down my neck and through my spine, stopping at my core, which suddenly throbs in anticipation. Even though I’m still not feeling one hundred percent better, my body craves Drew and his touch.

  I tilt my head, my eyes holding his. “We’re not going to have time.” A mischievous smile tugs at my lips and I take a deep breath as an idea pops into my head. “With traffic, we’ll be lucky to make it home, clean up, and get out the door on time to make it to our reservation.” His eyes fall from mine to my chest and I see him lick his bottom lip.

  “Then we’ll eat fast so we can have dessert at home.” He rubs his hands together as if he’s solved world hunger.

  Only I have a better idea. “Or maybe we’ll have dessert before dinner.” I quirk my eyebrows and push my chair back, putting some distance between us. He leans back, resuming his previous position, his eyes watching me intently, not understanding where I’m going with this. On my desk sits three large cardboard campaign displays I used for my client pitches this week. I pick them up and stand, walking over to Drew. Now I lean into him and whisper
in his ear, “Meet me in your office, Mr. McPherson. I have a proposal you need to see.”

  His eyes widen in surprise and he swallows hard, his Adam’s apple rising in his neck. Thank God most of the office staff is gone and Jamie isn’t at her desk. She’d never let me live this down, and she’d totally dog on Drew for not picking up the hint I just laid down. I walk away from my desk and down the hallway, glancing back over my shoulder to see Drew following me, leaving a casual distance between us.

  His eyes scan the office, taking note of who’s still here, but I feel him shortening the distance behind me. Thankfully, Sue isn’t at her desk right outside of Drew’s office. I walk right into his office and drop the display boards on his desk before turning around and leaning against it. He enters a few seconds behind me, closing his door.

  “Is there something you want to show me, Ms. Morgan?” He grins, damn well knowing where I’m going with this now.

  I walk back over to the office door and twist the lock on the handle before sauntering back over to him, reaching for the belt loops on his dress pants. I pull myself into his firm chest where he stands next to his desk, one hip propped against the side as he watches me intently. I slowly work the leather strap out of his belt buckle with my fingers, unbuttoning his pants.

  “Graaace.” He hisses my name when I unzip his zipper slowly and reach inside his pants, pulling his long, thick cock free from his boxer briefs. He’s hard and warm, and without hesitation, I drop to my knees in front of him. Drew’s hand twists in my hair and he holds my head steady as I pull him into my mouth. Just the tip. I swirl my tongue around the soft head and suck gently. He groans as my tongue glides around him again and again before I finally slow, pressing my tongue along the underside of his head. He pulls my hair harder when I do this.

  “Jesus, Grace!” he grumbles and thrusts his hips when I finally take his full-length in. I take him as deep as I can, feeling the soft head of his cock press deep into the back of my throat. I tighten my lips around his shaft, feeling the tight, rigid skin with every glide back and forth, his hips thrusting to match my glides. “You’re going to make me come,” he groans softly as his fingers tighten in my hair and he tries to pull out of my mouth.

  I grip his hips and work him faster with my tongue before squeezing his balls softly with my hand. I roll the tender skin gently in my fingers, offering a gentle squeeze as I suck him off. I feel him hardening even more. I want Drew to come in my mouth, I need to taste him and take this from him. I love him more than I thought I could ever love anyone. With one last groan, he denies what I wanted. He yanks his hand free from my hair and grabs both of my arms firmly. In one swift movement, he pulls me up from my knees just as I release him from my mouth.

  I gasp, trying to catch my breath as his pulls me up and lifts my skirt all at the same time. He’s aggressive with need and I stumble and fall forward onto his desk, my arms catching me as he bends me over. Before I register what’s happening, Drew pushes my panties aside and slams his length into me as I yelp in a mixture of pleasure and pain.

  My mind races as he grabs my hair at the nape of my neck and pulls my head back, twisting it to the side. Leaning in, he presses a kiss to my mouth as he thrusts fast and hard, in and out of me. Our breathing is loud and our bodies slick with each other’s juices.

  He pulls my hair and I gaze at him over my shoulder. “God, you’re so wet, Gracie.”

  I groan in pleasure at his words, but also at how he works my body as I feel my climax building. “I want you in my mouth,” I manage to get out between gasps and he slows his pace, his eyes holding mine, those blue eyes so possessive and piercing. He releases my hair and my head falls forward while my hands grip each side of his desk to hold myself in place.

  He continues to thrust in and out, hard, almost completely pulling out of me with each glide. Drew hits that spot inside me that drives me wild and my body shudders around him. He knows exactly where to find it and uses that to his advantage.

  “Drew,” I mumble his name as he slows to long, languid strokes. My entire body hums in delight as he hits that spot over and over again and my knees shake beneath me. I muster up the strength to stand up as he does his best to hold me in place, only I win this time. Freeing myself from him, I turn and drop to my knees in front of him, his length bobbing in front of me as he groans. When I reach for him, he humors me and grabs my head before sliding himself into my mouth again. I look up at him and he looks down at me as I work his cock in slow circles before moving to long glides.

  He tips his head back and moans and I can taste the saltiness of myself on him. Normally, it would be a distraction, but my focus is solely on his pleasure at this moment. He moves his hips slowly, matching my long strokes as I take all of him in. His hands find my head again and he holds me in place as he thrusts slowly in my mouth, pressing himself to the back of my throat.

  “I’m going to come, Gracie,” he warns, giving me a chance to release him. Only, I want this. I want him. All of him. My hands grip his hips tightly and he suddenly stops thrusting as his cock tightens in my mouth. I smile around him when I feel the warm spurts of semen hit the back of my tongue and throat. As I swallow around him, he groans in pleasure before pulling himself completely from my mouth. He grips my arms and helps me up before placing a long, soft kiss directly to my lips.

  “I fucking love you, Grace Morgan,” he says when he’s done kissing me. “More than you’ll ever comprehend.”

  And I love him too.

  Twenty-One

  I wake to the sounds of Grace laughing and then a sudden bang, which sounds like a pan dropping in the kitchen. I step into a pair of pajama pants and go find out what’s going on, but it’s clear the second my feet hit the floor that Aaron is back from Los Angeles. I hear his exuberant voice echoing through the condo, and I can’t help but wonder what he’s doing here at eight o’clock on a Saturday morning.

  “Morning, sleepy head,” Gracie says with a giant grin, opening her arms for me as I approach. I slide right into her waiting arms and press a firm kiss to her lips. Her hair is down and she’s wearing torn jeans and a Grateful Dead t-shirt. She always looks more beautiful in casual clothes than when she’s all dressed up.

  “Morning,” I respond after peppering her lips with kisses. She bites her bottom lip and I glance at Aaron, who stands with an eyebrow cocked, watching us. “What the hell are you doing here so early?” I grumble, wrapping my arms around Gracie’s waist. I rest my hands on her stomach and she leans back into me.

  “Well, nice to see you too.” Aaron smirks before taking a sip of his coffee. “Just took the red eye in from L.A. and wanted some of your lady’s muffins, only she’s holding out on me.” He winks at her. I swear, if I suggested it, Aaron would move into one of the spare bedrooms just to annoy the hell out of me and beg for Gracie’s blueberry muffins. “And I also wanted to talk to you. I was afraid if I went to the hotel and fell asleep, I wouldn’t wake up until late this afternoon.”

  Talk to me about what? My face twists in confusion, but I nod at him and release Gracie before reaching into the cabinet for a coffee mug. I’m going to need caffeine before there’s any chatting with my brother.

  “Here, let me get that.” Gracie takes the mug from my hands and tinkers with the coffee machine. Aaron must have finally showed her how to work it because she turns knobs and pushes buttons just before some piping hot coffee begins to fill the mug.

  Aaron walks into the pantry and comes back out holding a container of oats. “Is this what you wanted?” he asks Gracie.

  She nods. “Yes. Set it right there next to the pan.” There’s a small Dutch oven on the stove that has water that’s just begun to boil.

  “What else do you need?” he asks, propping his hip against the kitchen island. I find it interesting he’s not asking what I need, because I know I’d be a smartass about it and tell him I need him to get the fuck out of my apartment and let me snuggle my girl in peace.

  Completely unawa
re of my grumpiness, Grace answers him. “Salt, brown sugar, and there’s some fruit in the fridge. Can you rinse the berries?” She pulls a measuring cup from the cupboard and pours the rolled oats into it.

  “What are you making?” I ask, feeling left out. Aaron is fetching the items she requested and I’m simply an observer, sipping my coffee.

  “Just some oatmeal. I used to eat this all the time as a kid.” She turns and smiles at me. “Except now it’s not just plain oatmeal. We can spruce it up with fruit, and syrup, and things to make it taste delicious.”

  “And it’s fiber!” Aaron pipes in, and Grace laughs.

  “Spoken like an old man, bro.” I smirk at him.

  He throws a raspberry at me and I duck, the berry narrowly missing my head. This is the shit we’d do as kids and it would drive our mom crazy.

  Gracie stirs the oats into the water and covers the pot. Aaron rinses a strainer full of strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries as Gracie takes the strainer from him and dumps the berries in a kitchen towel. She gently wraps them and rolls them around to pull the excess water off of them.

  “You two go talk,” Gracie insists, nodding us toward the living room. “I’m going to go lie back down for a little bit.” She holds her hand over her mouth and gives her head a little shake before she starts again. “In fifteen minutes, shut the burner off. The oatmeal will be ready. You two eat without me.”

  Aaron looks at Gracie with concern before looking to me.

  “I thought you were feeling better,” I ask, reaching out to touch her forehead.

  “I was.” She smiles like there’s nothing to worry about. “Just a little nauseous all of a sudden. I’ve been so tired lately, I think I just need a day to sleep and let my body rest.”

  I press a kiss to her cheek before she dumps the berries back in the strainer and leaves Aaron and me alone. Aaron grabs his coffee and nods toward the kitchen table. I follow him there and we take a seat across from each other.