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“You’re right. You are an idiot.” Alexander moved toward the door. “Just be sure to keep it professional at the office.”
“I’m over the shock. You know me, A. I’m a Kingsley and we’re all about our business.” Brice turned on the game.
“And that’s what I’m afraid of, little brother. Later.” Alexander walked out the door.
Brice hit the mute button. He laid his head back and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to drift back to a time when he’d tried to watch his brother KJ’s game but Brooke had had something else planned...
* * *
Brice was in the living room sitting on the blue suede extra-long sofa that Brooke had insisted they needed, with his legs stretched out before him. In a gray T-shirt and a pair of long shorts, he was ready to coach his brother’s team to victory from his new sofa. He sat back, watching the TV, when Brooke shouted down from upstairs, “Honey, you ready?”
“For what?” he replied. Hearing no response, he said, “Sure, call in whatever you want to eat, as long as they deliver.”
Brooke laughed. The sound made him happy. Her laugh was one of the many things he loved about his new wife. “Cute,” she said as she descended the steps, stopping halfway down. “What are you doing?”
Hearing the surprise in her voice but oblivious to her appearance, Brice called out, “Watching the NBA’s preshow. KJ’s game starts in thirty minutes.”
Brooke reached the bottom of the stairs and stood staring at him in silence. Brice’s eyes shifted from the TV to his wife, who was standing there wearing a short black cocktail dress, strappy heels that showed off her sexy legs, and her hair and face made up like she was ready for a night of partying.
Brice’s mind raced. He was trying to figure out what he’d missed. It’s not date night. Brice’s body responded to the gorgeous sight before him and he quickly got to his feet. “Where are you going?”
“I thought we were going dancing.”
“Tonight? KJ’s playing.”
Brooke placed her hands on her hips. “You made these plans, remember?”
Brice quickly searched his mind and recollection of their brief conversation reared its ugly and badly timed head. “Oh, baby, you’re right. I’m so sorry. I completely forgot.” He picked up the remote and turned off the TV. “Give me fifteen minutes to change.”
“Never mind.” She walked farther into the living room.
“Sweetheart, you’re all dressed up and ready to go. You look beautiful too.” He started to move toward her.
“Thank you, but please sit back down.”
Brice complied, expecting an argument would soon follow, only to receive the most pleasant surprise. “It’s no big deal,” she started to explain as she kicked off her shoes. She gifted Brice with a sexy smile. “I really wasn’t in the mood to go out. However, I’d like something else from you.”
Brice smiled up at his wife, waiting for the request that his body already knew; the front of his pants had tented. Brooke’s eyes dropped to his crotch and she bit her lip. “Exactly.”
Brice reached for Brooke, but she stepped back out of his reach. “I’m in control,” she stated emphatically.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Brooke reached behind her and lowered her zipper. It was a feat Brice always found fascinating to watch when all she had to do was ask for his help. The dress fell to the floor, revealing the black lace bra and panty set she wore beneath it. “When does the game start again?”
“Wh-what?” Brice had lost his ability to think. He’d seen Brooke in similar things but this was different. Her erect nipples were peeking out through two holes in the bra that were clearly made for that purpose. From his vantage point, he could see the panties were crotchless.
Brice was harder than he’d ever been and it took everything in his power not to take her where she stood. “My goodness, baby.”
“When does the game start?” she repeated. Brice could hear the humor in her voice.
“What game?”
“Good answer. Take off your shirt,” she ordered, and he quickly obliged. “Shorts next, please. I want to see it.”
Brice held her desire-filled gaze as he followed her instructions. He lowered his shorts to his thighs while he remained seated and his shaft made its grand entrance. A slow wicked smile spread across Brooke’s face and the anticipation for what was about to happen had Brice silently praying for a less horny teenager-like response and a more controlled man-type one. He soon found that that wasn’t at all what Brooke wanted.
Brooke dropped to her knees, gripped his thighs with both hands and parted his knees. “Oh damn...”
Brooke used her nose and closed mouth to play with his substantial erection. Brice’s mind was racing; she was driving him crazy. While Brice loved what she was doing, he wanted to be inside of her mouth. He reached for her head, only to have his hands swatted away. “I’m in control.”
“But, baby...”
“But what?” Brooke asked before her tongue began circling his shaft from the base to the tip. After several passes, Brice moaned Brooke’s name and he knew how desperate he must’ve sounded but he didn’t care. It must have been some type of trigger because Brooke took him in her mouth. She sucked and pulled on him as if she was determined to relieve him of some sweet elixir.
Brice was lost in the moment. He buried his hands in her hair and his hips matched her stroke. All he could think about was how much he loved and needed her. Brooke lifted her eyes as she caught him staring down at her. She released him, kissed her way up his stomach to his chest, following the fine line of hair. Brooke straddled Brice, lowering herself onto his sex until he was deep inside of her. Brice was thankful Brooke was on the Pill because if he had to stop and go find a condom he just knew his head would explode.
Brooke gazed into his eyes, whispering how much she loved him. She brought her knees in slightly, gripped the back of the sofa and rode him like she was on a horse in the Kentucky Derby. Brice’s hands cupped Brooke’s behind and he took her nipples into his mouth. He sucked and pulled on them hard just the way he knew she liked it. Her moans of satisfaction, orgasms and declarations of love ignited uncontrollable passion.
When Brooke’s walls started to grip him with each thrust, Brice found himself thinking about math equations, chess moves, anything he could think of to keep him from reaching completion before Brooke. The two orgasms she’d already experienced were clearly the appetizers for the meal she was after. Soon, he could no longer distract himself.
“Brooke...baby...” Brice yelled as he exploded.
“Yes...baby...yes,” she screamed, having reached completion with him, collapsing into his arms.
* * *
Brice’s eyes popped open and he sprang forward, releasing a string of profanity. He saw that the game had started but he looked down at his erection that needed to be handled first. “Damn, so much for not acting like a horny teenager. Back in a little bit, bro. Right after a long cold-ass shower,” he explained to the TV.
He walked into the small three-quarter bathroom, stripped and walked under the overhead spray, hoping the cool water would calm his raging desire that thoughts of Brooke had invoked. Unfortunately, it only suppressed his passion, not quelling it. He decided there was only one way to do that; only he had no idea how he was going to make that happen.
Chapter 6 (#ue6cc7da0-edd9-51fe-8c4e-a47008de4e4c)
Three days had passed since Brooke finally accepted the fact that her life as Brice Kingsley’s wife was over. There would be no more long walks in the park, getting lost in museums for hours on the weekends, intimate dinners or him loving her...making love to her. She missed his touch desperately. Brooke found herself struggling with how to keep her emotions in check whenever Brice was around. He, on the other hand, had clearly moved on. The few times she’d seen him over the last few days, he was nothing but professional and extremely polite. It was making her nuts.
Brooke was staring down at the spreadsheet she had been trying to make sense of for the last hour when she felt a tap on her shoulder. “Excuse me, Brooke.”
She flinched and looked up. “Damon, you startled me.”
“Sorry. I called your name twice. You must have really been concentrating on those numbers. Find anything interesting?”
I was concentrating all right, only on the wrong things. “Not at all. What did you need?”
“I just want you to know I’m going to take the final first-quarter summaries up to Mr. Kingsley for review.”
Brooke finally noticed the red folder he held in his hand. She rose from the chair, slipped her feet back into the red Prada shoes she’d paired with a red-and-white print short-sleeve dress and presented her palm. “I’ll take them up.”
Damon’s eyes cut to Lori, and Brooke watched the corners of Lori’s mouth rise as she sat back quietly in her chair. Brooke hadn’t noticed the exchange. “Oh... Okay.”
“You want to check your makeup too?” Lori teased.
“Don’t be silly.” Brooke walked toward the door.
“By the way, you have a couple of messages here—” she held up two pink notes “—from some woman who refused to leave her name.”
Brooke frowned. “What?”
“She said, you’ll know who it is.”
Brooke walked back over to the conference table and looked at the messages. She read the number, recognizing it instantly. “Nope, I have no idea who this is,” she lied, hoping her face wasn’t as red as her outfit.
“What do you want me to do about them?”
“Trash them.” Brooke walked out of the conference room. She was curious but Brooke didn’t have the strength or the inclination to deal with old demons when she was still fighting present-day ones.
Brooke took the elevator up two floors and walked down the hall to Brice’s office, passing several curious onlookers; she smiled and acknowledged their interest. Brooke reached Brice’s open door and stopped. She didn’t want to interrupt the friendly exchange he and Amy were having. What she really wanted to do was run and hide. Brooke knew if Brice ended their conversation the same way he used to end his conversations with her—with a passionate and often handsy kiss—she’d lose it; but for some reason, she couldn’t turn away.
“Brooke... Brooke Kingsley?”
Brooke turn toward the sound of her name and smiled. China Kingsley, her soon-to-be ex-sister-in-law, was standing there wearing a straight blue dress with a white collar, rubbing her large expanded stomach with her right hand, looking as beautiful as ever. Pregnancy certainly agreed with her. It was just what she needed to break away from her obsession with Amy and Brice. Although, the last time Brooke had seen China, it helped her make the decision that changed everything.
China pulled Brooke into her arms. “I’m so happy to see you,” she stated, smiling.
“Me too. You look amazing.”
China gave a nonchalant wave. “Thanks, but I feel like a cow.” Both women giggled as they moved to a small waiting area and sat down. “You look great yourself, but you could stand to gain some weight.”
Another unwelcome gift from MS. “I know and I’ve tried. You’re due pretty soon, right?” Brooke questioned, changing the subject.
“Yep, in about a week and half.” China looked down and placed her hands on her belly. “I can’t wait to meet this little stranger.”
“I’m sure. You still don’t know if it’s a girl or boy?”
“Nope.” A wide excited smile spread across China’s face. “Although, Alexander seems to think it’s a boy.”
“Good morning, ladies,” Amy greeted as she passed the two women heading toward the elevator. Brooke plastered on a fake smile and gave a quick nod to Brice’s assistant as she walked into the waiting elevator.
China’s forehead creased. “You’re still not worried about Amy and Brice, are you?”
Brooke shrugged and shook her head. “Don’t be silly. Brice can do what or whomever he wants. It’s no longer my business.”
China folded her arms across her chest and gave Brooke the side-eye. “Oh, really?”
“Yes, really. We signed the divorce papers Monday,” she informed her.
China adjusted herself in the seat. “I heard but that’s just paperwork. I know it’s none of my business—”
“But—”
“But whatever it is that made you run, you can talk to me about it. No matter what some piece of paper signed by any judge may say one day—” China reached over and squeezed Brooke’s hand “—you’ll always be family to me.”
Brooke fought back tears. Having a family that loved and wanted her was all she’d ever really wanted and she thought she’d finally found one. Brooke often wondered about the teenage mother that had dropped her off at a fire station when she was four years old. She could never bring herself to try and find her. As a kid, Brooke figured, why should she? Brooke thought she would have her own family one day, which would make up for her loss. Too bad life had something else in mind. With a shy smile, she replied, “I’ll remember that.”
“There you are, Mrs. Kingsley,” a gray-haired woman said as she approached with a worried look on her face.
“I’m fine, Mrs. Rogers,” China replied, sounding somewhat put-off.
“Thank goodness. I leave to get you lunch and when I get back, no one knew where you’d gone,” the flustered woman explained.
“And yet you still found me.” China turned to Brooke. “Brooke Kingsley, meet Mrs. Rogers...my nanny.”
“You’ve hired a nanny already?” She offered her hand, which the older woman shook and quickly dropped. “Please to meet you.”
“No, I haven’t hired a nanny for the baby yet.” China shook her head and explained, “I’m still debating if I really need one since I’ll be working from home for about a year or so.”
“A year, wow, that’s nice. So, what gives?” Her eyes shifted to the woman who was hovering over their shoulders.
“My husband, the whole family for that matter, felt it was best that I have my own Mary Poppins this last month or so.”
Brooke giggled. “Why? Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine. Everyone’s just being extra careful.”
Brooke opened her mouth slightly and nodded. “First grandbaby.”
“Second.”
“Second?” Brooke frowned.
“Did you hear that KJ and Mia got married?”
“I saw that online. I knew who she was but we never met.”
“KJ adopted Mia’s four-year-old son. Colby James Kingsley is Victoria’s first heir and she’s ecstatic. Victoria’s already talking to a specialist to ensure he has everything he needs to continue to thrive.”
“Thrive?”
“Yes, Colby has Down syndrome,” China informed her.
“Wow, I had no idea.”
China rubbed her belly. “Nothing but the best for the Kingsleys, and I’m not just talking about resources. You should keep that in mind.”
“Excuse me, Mrs. Kingsley—”
China held up her hand, stopping the coming lecture. “I better get back before Alex sends out security to find us, if you don’t mind giving me a little push while Mrs. Rogers pulls.”
Brooke laughed. “Sure.” After helping her friend up, she gave her a hug and watched as she was escorted to the elevator, feeling envious of China’s happiness.
