Out of the Ashes (16 page)

Joking, he was fucking joking with me all morning.  “Oh Ian, I… Why… How could…
” Great now I’ve lost the ability to form sentences, I can’t believe he would do this.  After everything we have suffered through for the last 3 months, how could he ever think this would be funny?  “Ian,” finally recovering my voice, “I just don’t understand how you could possibly think this would be funny?  I have spent the last three months miserable, looking forward to work each day because that would mean that I would get some time with you even though I thought you would never feel about me the way I feel about you.  And if I am to believe you, from your confession last night, you have been living in much the same way.  Yet you think that is funny?”

His hands run through his inky black hair.  “Shit,
Celeste,” he says taking his hands from his hair and pulling me into his lap.  “I didn’t even think you would take this seriously.  I thought last night I made it very clear how I feel about you.  Please,” he trails kisses down my neck.  “Please, love, I need you to know that we aren’t going back there.  We’re moving forward together.  There’s no other way for me.  Just forward with you.” 

His words burn into my hear
t, helping to heal some of the crack which has grown over the last 3 months.  If I wasn’t already in his arms, I would have thrown myself there.  “Celeste, I realize it was cruel and I’m sorry.  I want to be with you in everyway possible and only you.”  With that his hand slips between the sides of the robe to find my wet core.  “Oh, how is it that you are always so ready for me?”  He slips a finger inside and promptly withdraws it, bringing my juices to his lips and licking them off.  “You are so perfect.”  His hand returns to my slick folds and now he has two fingers running in and out of me.  “Celeste,” he captures my eyes and the look I see in his in return is dead serious, “you are mine.  Do you understand?  I don’t share; I won’t share.  This,” he continues to run his fingers in and out of me, pumping them a little harder and faster now, “belongs to me.  There will be no one else, ever.”  He releases the word on a growl as his lips attack my neck.  “Sweetheart, please tell me you understand?  All of this, all of you is mine now and I don’t plan to ever let you go.”

My mind is in such a state; his words and his hand and “Ah, Ia
n, yes.” 

“Yes, what
?” 

“Yes, I understand,” I yell out as his thumb finds my clit and he
pushes me over the edge.  He kisses me as I come down from my orgasm, whispering things against my lips.  “Ian, I want to tell you now when I am not, uh, otherwise occupied that I understand.”  My gaze captures his, “And more than that, yes, I’m all yours.  At the same time, you must also know that I won’t share you either and I won’t allow us to be kept a secret, like we are doing something wrong.”  He looks confused so I continue, “I know that we must maintain our professional relationship along side our growing personal one and it probably won’t be easy.  But just like you want all of me, I want all of you without having to give up my dreams in the process.”

“Celeste, you
’ve had all of me since I watched you dancing that night.  I knew in the moment that I saw you that I was totally lost and you know what?  I have no desire to ever be found.
I want to stay lost in you forever, sweetheart.”

With that, he pick
s me up and carries me through his room into his bathroom.  He sets me down on the counter and turns on all the jets in the enormous shower saving the rainfall head for last.  When they’re all on and the water is the proper temperature, he strips the robe from my body.  After he removes his pants, he carries me into the shower.  I’ve never had anyone take this kind of care with me before.  With Ian, there’s nothing I want to do more than just wrap myself around him and never let go.  So that’s exactly what I do and he takes me once again right there in the shower with the water washing over our bodies.

After we finally
finish our shower and get dressed, Ian and I sit in the living room and go through the meeting schedule.  In addition to several site visits and meeting with potential investors, there are several client meetings that he needs to have while we’re here.  “Oh Celeste, I almost forgot; Saturday night I’ve been invited to the Royal London Hospital’s Charity Ball and I’d like you to attend with me.  Also I’m hoping we can clear enough time on the schedule for you and me to do some sightseeing.  I’m sure there are many things that you would like to see besides the inside of the office and the conference room.”  He says with a smile.

“Ian, um, I’m sorry… I just…  I didn’t think…  Well, I didn’t bring anything to wear to a formal event.  I didn
’t see any on the schedule and I must have missed the invitation.  Did they send over a guest list?  Who are you planning to meet with?”

“Sweetheart, you didn’t miss anything.  The invitation was delivered just now while you were
getting dressed.  The organizer just found out I would be in town during the charity ball and had it personally sent over with their apologies for not getting it to me sooner.  But I don’t think you understand what I said.  This is not a work event, Celeste.  Yes, I’m sure there will be people there that I’ll want to speak with but this is a date, not work.”

“Oh,” finally understanding
what he’s expecting from Saturday night, “but I still didn’t pack anything suitable.”

“Have you forgotten who my mother is,
love?  She was so very happy to have dressed you for our first event together and when I called her after receiving the invitation, she was more than happy to send a sampling of dresses in your size and tailored to you, sent over.”

I opened my mouth to protest, knowing the cost of those dresses and if they are tailored for me that means I am more than likely the only one that can wear them.  “No, no, I don’t want to hear it.  She has already put them on my account.  And I know from her enthusiasm that one of the dresses she personally designed for you.
”  Personally designed, good lord, she would have to have been working on it for months.  How could she possibly know?  That woman is a giant question mark for me.  “So when they arrive choose the one you want for Saturday and I’ll have the rest of them sent back to your apartment.  Oh, and before you come up with any more excuses for me not to take you out, she’s sending anything else you could possibly need to wear with and under the dresses as well.”

“Ian, you are too much.  If I didn’t l
ov… appreciate you so much I would tell you right where you could stuff those dresses.  But I do LOVE your mother’s designs.  She’s very talented.”  I say in hopes that my diversion would lessen his notice of my slip of the tongue.

“A
nything for you, sweetheart.  I’m looking forward to having a whole night with you and letting everyone know that you’re mine.”  Ian’s face lights up with genuine happiness and he gives me his panty-dropping smile.  Well, you don’t need to ask me twice, I think as I close the distance between us and run my fingers through his hair.

“Why
, Ms. Brooks, are you trying to seduce me?” he leans forward, giving me a kiss.  Oh no, you don’t; this will not be just a brush of your lips for me.  I fist my hands in his hair and pull his mouth in hard running my tongue over his bottom lip. I refuse to release him until I have tasted my fill. With a groan, he opens his mouth and his tongue finds mine.  Pulling back breathlessly, he says “Sweetheart, as much as I would love to take you right here on this sofa or any other surface in this room for that matter, we really do need to get into the office sometime today.  And if I start now, I won’t be able to stop feasting on you until tomorrow.”  I’m pouting.  Go ahead feast on me, I don’t mind really; I think to myself.  But we’re here to work and while our personal relationship, physically anyway, is developing quite quickly we have other commitments we need to keep as well. 

“Okay,” I put on my best pouting lips and give him a longing look.  “I understand and I suppose we do need to work
some while we’re here.”

He gives me another of those smiles and winks “Yes
, we do.  Oh and be sure to wear a skirt as it will probably be a very late evening for the two of us at the office.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re the last ones there.”  Then he leans in a little closer, “And in case you didn’t understand me there, I intend to fuck you on my desk so you should probably just skip the panties as well.”  With another quick brush of his lips, he’s gone to change.  Great, now I have to go through the whole day with this dampness between my legs.

Once we both
change and I’ve somewhat tamed my hair, we head down to the car.  “Good morning, Connor.” 

“Morning, Ms. Brooks, Mr. Jacobs.”  And with a nod he opens the door to let Ian and
I into the car and drives us over to the office. 

Jacobs Enterprises ha
s only had an office in London a little over a year.  With all the overseas contracts they’re handling and then Ian’s real estate development, he thought it would be convenient to have people here all the time and a place that he could work and have meetings when abroad.  Connor drops us off and I hear Ian mention bringing back dinner around 7:00.  So he wasn’t joking about being here late.

Ian ke
eps a slight distance between us as we walk through the lobby towards the elevator.  The red head at the reception desk gives him an approving look and licks her lips.  Her eyes clearly invite him to come over and I don’t think talking is what she has in mind. But he just smiles and continues to the elevator.  “So the red head seems to have a thing for you.”  Good thing I look good in green.  I have a feeling it’s a color I may need to get used to wearing.

Once the
elevator doors close, he steps over to me so that there’s no space between us.  Running his hands through my hair, he tilts my head up toward him and brings his lips to mine.  A searing heat rages between my thighs; my nipples are immediately erect and press uncomfortably against the lace of my bra.  Ian’s hand reaches up and he rubs his thumb in small circles over the hardened nub.  This is Ian reminding me that he’s all mine, no one else’s.  At least for now.  I push the thought out of my head.

He step
s back and arranges his tie and jacket just as the doors open.  Oh!  This is not a fun game.  I take a few moments and try to arrange my hair and pull on my jacket so my arousal is not so evident.  Meanwhile, Ian grins at me looking completely cool and unaffected.  Just you wait, mister.  Two can play at this little game.

His office is on the 23
rd
floor with the other executive offices.  It is nowhere near as large as his office in the penthouse but since he’s only here a few times a year there’s really no need to have that kind of space.  Though considerably smaller, the office is no less plush.  He has a large mahogany executive desk, a seating area with beautiful camel colored suede sofas, a small bar in one corner and then an area much like my space in his office in New York.  “I had them set this up for you, but there is a separate area just outside the door for my assistant if you would prefer not to share the office with me.”  He teases me. 

“Yes, Mr. Jacobs I think separate areas might be just what we need this trip,
” especially if you expect me to be able to get any work done; I want to continue but keep it to myself.  I pick up my purse and bag and turn toward the exit when I feel his hand on my arm. 

“Celeste, you’re not really going to work out there are you?”  His eyes are
sad. 

“Don’t tease me,
Mr. Jacobs
, if you can’t take it.  I think by now you would know I will give just as good as I get.”

His smile is back, “Oh, sweetheart
, I would have to say that you definitely
give
as you get.”  He licks his lips allowing his tongue to run very slowly across the bottom one.  My knees go weak and I run my tongue over my bottom lip mimicking him.  “Tsk, tsk, tsk.” He clicks his tongue at me.  “Ms. Brooks, we’re never going to get any work done if you stand there staring me with that look on your face.  Then I’ll be forced to fire you and find a new assistant.  Then I’ll probably fall for her and where will that leave you?”  He tilts his head and grins at me.

“Oh really, well let me remind you, Mr. Jacobs
.  I’ve had another job offer and I’m sure they would be more than happy to have me.  In fact, I
personally
know that one of the partners would greatly enjoy
having me
.” 

His eyes widen and the humor is gone from his face.  “Which one?”  He says through gritted teeth. 

Oh, Mr. Possessive.  “Settle down, Ian.  Wasn’t it you who just threatened to fire me and fall in love with your next assistant?  I’m just teasing you.”

“Sweetheart
, there’s no way I could fall in love with anyone else because you have my whole heart.  And I’m sorry for my reaction, I don’t want to smother you but I truly can’t even think about another man wanting you, not too even mention one touching you, without seeing red.”

I wrap my arms around his neck and give him a little peck.  “You know I never thought I
’d be one to say this, but your possessiveness is so cute… sometimes.”

“Okay enough of this.  We need to get to work.  Why don’t you get settled and make sure everything is ready for the 4:00 p.m. meeting with the
architects.  I think we might need to make a few changes to the owner’s suite so I want to take some time going over the plans.”  He says as he makes his way to his case, pulls out the blueprints and lays them across his massive desk.