Trace of Innocence (No Control Book 3)

Chapter 45 - part i

(No Control - 45. Up All Night, first part)

I wake up the next morning before Jess, and tempted though I am to poke her with my morning glory, I get up and make us a cup of tea, and bring it back to bed. I switch the TV on as she stirs, and leave the music channel on that she loves. It's playing the current Top 40.

I check my phone and see I have a text from Niall.

Worn your dick out yet? I fell over on TV today. Most embarrassing moment of my life.

I remember he was caddying for Rory McIlroy at the Masters tournament, and I chuckle. I must remember to look this up later on.

Jess gives me a sleepy smile and reaches over to lay her arm across me.

"Hi," I whisper, and she gives a soft murmur in reply. "What do you want to do today?" I ask her.

"How dressy is this place tonight?" she asks, and her voice has that just-woken-up sound to it. It's sexy as hell.

"Dressy-ish," I reply.

"I might need to get a new outfit," she says, with a smile that says she doesn't really need a new outfit, she just wants to go shopping.

"OK," I smile back. "Why don't we go out for breakfast and then hit the shops in West Hollywood?"

"Hollywood," she repeats. "I like the sound of that."

"Great," I smile, happily. "There's a cup of tea there for you. I'm gonna jump in the shower."

I'm ready about half an hour before she is and I wait downstairs in the kitchen. I'm all prepared with a sarcastic comment as I hear her coming down the stairs, but when I look up as she enters the kitchen my words die in my throat as the sight of her literally takes my breath away. She smiles obliviously as I fluster inside, and comes over to the counter to pick up her bag. She rifles through it and I can't stop myself walking up behind her, brushing her hair over her shoulder and kissing her neck softly.

"Mmm, Harry," she whispers, and I feel a tingle flush through my body.

I kiss her shoulder and I'm just about to press my growing erection against her back, when her phone beeps, and I can see the message preview on the screen.

From: Sarah: Work emails

"Work emails? What does that mean?" I ask, my lips still brushing her skin.

On it xxx, she types back.

"It means, go and have a look at your work emails because there's something juicy kicking off that you'll be sorry you missed," she says to me.

How does she get all that from just two words? Girls are weird.

"How do you know?" I wonder out loud, but she doesn't answer as she scrolls through her phone.

"Fuck," she says suddenly.

"What's up?"

She's silent for another moment as she reads the screen, and then she says, "A company I wouldn't insure because their accounts were shit have gone into Administration, but some numpty high up in Customer Relations knew the owner so I was overruled and now they owe us shed loads of money. Dickheads. I told them they weren't financially stable."

I nod, pretending that I understand this jargon.

She opens another email and I sneak a peek over her shoulder.

Hi honey. This is what happens when we get overruled. Seem to remember us saying these weren't creditworthy?! More chance of me whisking you off on a swanky date than recovering this money. I'll get my lucky pants on. Col xx