Home > Trouble(4)

Trouble(4)
Author: Tia Louise

This. Is. Insane.

The hand on my back slides lower, gripping the silk of my skirt, drawing it higher until his fingers slide against the bare skin of my ass.

“You are so gorgeous.” It’s a low growl rumbling in his throat as his lips move to my jaw. “I have a room in this hotel. Let me fuck you all night.”

Fuck me.

All night.

Yes.

No.

God, what am I doing?

I struggle through the fog, the heat of what he’s doing to me, the gnawing ache between my thighs I know for certain he can satisfy. I’m breathing fast, my breasts rising and falling, and I flatten my palm against his chest and step away from the inferno of us.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.” My chin drops, and I don’t meet his eyes. “I have a boyfriend.”

“Dump him.”

“I can’t do that.”

He studies me, not smiling. He’s gorgeous in this moonlight, hazel eyes full of lust, lips even fuller, pinker from consuming me. Fuck me all night…

He doesn’t move, and I’m sure he’s waiting to see what I’ll do next.

I know what I’ll do next.

I’m doing it. “Goodnight, Spencer.”

I turn on my heel, ready to run all the way home. I might be stubborn and impulsive, but I always do the right thing. No wickedly handsome CEO will change that. No matter how fantastic of a kisser he is. No matter how much I want what he could do to me. No matter how much of a douche my boyfriend is.

I don’t do trouble.

 

 

Chapter 2

 

 

Spencer

 

“Antiques Now.” My partner Miles snaps from where he stands behind his polished mahogany desk.

I’m standing in his well-appointed, corner-office at Antiques Today, and he’s holding an oversized iPad, swiping repeatedly. “He has an exclamation point in the title. It’s like a disaster film. Earthquake!”

“It’s Zoomer nonsense.” I take a seat in the leather chair across from him, unimpressed. “Is this why you called me in here? To discuss an unaffiliated scrub on the Internet talking about antiques?”

“What are we going to do about this, Spencer?”

“About what?” I straighten the cuff of my crisp white shirt inside my suit coat, and he turns the screen to face me.

“Link Sherlock. He practically stole our name.”

“Please tell me you’re joking.” I study the shaggy-haired man-child with a beard in desperate need of shaping, dressed in sloppy jeans and a tee. He’s the disaster. “Ignore him.”

Miles’s brown eyes narrow. At five-seven, what he lacks in stature he makes up for in theatrics. “He’s got this… YouTube and TikTok. The man has more than a million followers.”

“He is not a man.” I find it difficult to take anyone seriously who can’t be bothered to wash themselves.

It brings to mind a gorgeous redhead I know, who recently described antiques dealers as old men with crumbs in their beards and moth-eaten wool coats. Nothing like me, she’d said, swiping a silky wave of fiery hair off her ivory shoulder. She was gorgeous, full breasts, hips, tiny waist.

I’d occasionally thought of her since the day we met in Daisy’s store, but that night at the wedding. That kiss… I’d wanted to explore every inch of her perfect figure with my mouth, learn her sweet spots, make her moan, but she ran.

She said she had a boyfriend, but what man in his right mind would let her out of his sight? I’d expect her to demand better of a man. She’s fully capable. Is it possible she lied? Either way, she seems to have taken up residence in my mind ever since that night, like some unwelcome, redheaded Cinderella. Sin…

“He’s courting Brimfield and Skinner.” Miles is still going on about the kid, and I file away my lusty thoughts. “Grafton was on his last episode.”

“What does it matter?”

“It matters because when he puts them in front of millions of viewers, they’ll go to him first with their acquisitions. He’ll have first look at their catalogs.” My diminutive partner is apoplectic over this guy, and I try not to antagonize Miles when he’s having a moment.

Inhaling slowly, I hope someone in heaven takes note of this. It proves I can be kind—when I have to be, which thankfully isn’t very often.

“Let’s look at this from another angle.” I lean forward and place my forearms on my knees, clasping my hands. “This… Link Sherlock, despite the ridiculous name, is presenting the world of antiques to a new generation of buyers and collectors. They’re taking their first sip of coffee milk or venturing into the livestock shows in Branson.”

Miles lowers his shaggy brow. “I’m not sure I follow…”

“Mr. Sherlock will whet their appetite, but we own this field. We’ve made collecting antiquities an art. He’s a barker at the county fair. We’re the auctioneers at Southeby’s. They’ll come to us when they’re ready for class.”

Miles leans back, stroking his short beard. “Class…” He lowers himself slowly into his leather desk chair and his lips pucker as he contemplates my words. “I like it, but how will they find us?”

“The same way anyone finds anything of value. Word of mouth.” Pushing off my knees, I stand, ready to get back to my office and set up my next trip to Manhattan.

“And Brimfield? Skinner?”

“They’re smart to court his attention. He’ll bring a new audience, freshen the market.”

“I think we need to remind them we’re here. Remind them we’re still top of the line, ready when they need us.”

I’m not sure I like the sound of this. “How will we do that?”

“A gala.”

“Gala.” My lip curls. Large social events are not my cup of tea, and I despise party planners. They’re usually pushy, loud women with ideas I don’t like. “I don’t think that’s necessary. I’ll do my usual rounds, pay them all a visit—”

“Don’t get me wrong, friend, but you’re hardly the warmest cookie on the platter.”

“I’m not sure I follow that metaphor. Still, I have established relationships. It’ll be fine.”

“It’ll be old-fashioned. People want new things.” He’s on his feet, pacing the large, oak-paneled office. “We can go all out, maybe something outdoors, on Lake Murray. Luxury accommodations, a video montage of us through the years, SWAG bags…”

“SWAG bags?”

“Stuff We All Get. You know, robes and iPads.”

“I’m aware of what SWAG is. How will robes and gadgets sell antiques?”

“They’ll show we care.”

“Here’s how we show we care. I have a meeting with Grafton in a few weeks. I’ll do a quick tour of our Vermont and Pennsylvania locations—”

“I’ll save you the trip. We’re bringing them to us.” He smiles, and I can tell there’s no talking him out of this idea.

Miles is five minutes older than me in this company, and even though we’re partners now, he still likes to pull rank when he gets an idea I hate. Sometimes it’s easier to let him win. With a sigh, I sit in the chair again.

Hot Books
» House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1)
» A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire
» From Blood and Ash (Blood And Ash #1)
» A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime
» Deviant King (Royal Elite #1)
» Den of Vipers
» House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2)
» The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #
» Sweet Temptation
» The Sweetest Oblivion (Made #1)
» Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels #6)
» Wreck & Ruin
» Steel Princess (Royal Elite #2)
» Twisted Hate (Twisted #3)
» The Play (Briar U Book 3)