Perfectly Pink - An It's Always Been You Romance (Complete)

Chapter 36

The coffee tasted bitter. He could blame the flavour on the fact the dark liquid was the dregs at the bottom of the pot, but Simon knew it was him, not the coffee.

He'd missed another Monday night dinner with his brother. Made the call and disappointed Finn for the second week in a row. Something he swore he would never do again. His brother said he understood, but Simon could hear the disappointment laced in Finn's words. And then there was the promise to Emily.

His sister-in-law had to understand his absence wasn't related to a lack of commitment to be in Finn's life. The last few months had shown him a life he thought only possible in his dreams. The pride in his brother's voice when he bragged to Phillip Montgomery about the various businesses in Simon's portfolio meant the world to him. He was on the road to getting his brother back.

But it hurt too much to go over to the lake house, to sit at the dinner table with her. The truth was, Simon wasn't sure he could make it through a meal with Mary. He'd spent the last week in turmoil over the impromptu barbeque that night she'd returned to Washington with her father and Hunter. The image of Mary in that man's car, him driving away with her at his side, gnawed at Simon.

A knock on the door drew his attention away from the offer on the desk in front of him. He looked up to find Mary leaning against the doorframe.

"You didn't come to dinner?"

"Too busy" Simon clicked off the tablet he'd been staring at all day.

Mary looked down the hallway at the almost empty dining room. "I can see that." She pushed off the frame, stepped into the room, and closed the door behind her. "The look on your face. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were reading an eviction notice."

"Not quite." The tablet held the latest offer from the conglomerate, desperate to buy him out to initiate their gentrification of the waterfront of Bridgetown. The amount of money they offered now ludicrous, double what they'd originally proposed. One signature and he'd have a chance at a fresh start anywhere he liked. Even New York City.

"Care to talk about it?"

The offer surprised Simon. This was a personal question. A deviation from the routine. After their conversation in the study that night, he'd expected Mary would avoid him for a few weeks, let him miss her. But no, here she stood, the tips of her fingers on his desk, highlighting her toned and tanned arms in the sleeveless blush blouse she wore.

With a shake of his head, Simon stood and walked to the other side of the desk. Much as he didn't want to, this had to be done. He'd spent countless hours wavering between resolution and giving in. In the end, the fact he couldn't live like this anymore won the argument.

Mary's eyes danced as they followed his movements, and she turned to sit on the desk when he stopped in front of her. "I have a suggestion on how to take your mind off your troubles." She reached out and stroked his arm.

And so the ritual began. A suggestive comment from Mary, followed by physical contact. The next move was his. The familiar pattern yearned inside him to be fulfilled. Step closer, take her in his arms, press his lips against her, the sensation of her melting into him. His hand would trace her curves down until he found the bottom edge of her outfit. Today's skirt was folds of white material, making it easy to access the treasures underneath. She might not even be wearing any underwear like the time in the library.

Heat would bloom between them. Her fingers would dig into his hair, tugging in that way only Mary managed. He'd taste her, touch her, bury himself in her. The routine would kick in and Simon would take her here on his desk, make her moan until she screamed his name. He'd cover his mouth with hers to drown out her exclamations, drinking in her desire. Then he'd cling to her, arms caging her as they came back to earth, hearts beating as one. He'd hold her, hoping Mary would stay, dreading the moment she'd pull away. Because she always left him.