Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

He was becoming a stalker.

No other way to state it. Phillip accepted he had officially begun stalking the woman who occupied all his focus.

Gwen “Fyre” Parker.

Which made the was becoming a had become.

These days without seeing her at his place had become hell. To alleviate that, he had gone into town and hung around just to catch a glimpse of her. She was a drug to his system and it craved more.

So much more.

He walked back into his house in a foul mood, having seen her walk into Mr. Caulfield’s business. His one consolation was that she still wouldn’t go out to Caulfield’s home to do the books like she would for him.

Still didn’t set him at ease. Not even with the fact that Damon and his brothers were there to protect her.

Moody, he worked, ate, and sat slumped behind his desk as the day began to end when Keating knocked on the door.

“What?” He frowned at his butler. “Did I not say I wanted to be left alone?”

“Miss Gwen is here to see you, my lord. She was hoping you had a moment.”

Fire licked his blood and his cock jumped to attention. “Send her in.”

God, he hoped he sounded like an earl and not a boy about to get his first woman. He would bet his entire estate that Keating smirked knowingly before he nodded and backed out of the room.

Moments later she was in the room. He stayed seated, aware his hardness would be visible if he stood.

“Miss Gwen.”

“Thank you, Keating,” she said with a smile. “I appreciate you seeing me without any notice, my lord.” A small curtsey.

His butler was gone and seeing the door close behind him was all the prompting Phillip needed. He was up from his seat and striding over the floor to where she stood, holding a bag by her side.

The fact she was wet from the rain that still hadn’t let up didn’t deter him in the slightest. Phillip reached her and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her flush to him as he conquered her mouth.

The first swipe of his tongue along her lips and she parted them with a cock-swelling moan.

One hand drifting to the curve of her ass, he sank the other into the hair at the nape of her neck, beneath the bun that had come undone slightly. A wriggle of his hand and it was down, sending her damp hair cascading around his hand as it tumbled.

A thump as her bag hit the floor, then her arms were around him as well, anchoring them tight. Pressing her full breasts into him. She matched him stroke for stroke and he growled as her taste was reintroduced to his system.

Turning them, he backed her to the desk and lifted her to sit on the edge while he pushed his way between her legs, digging his erection into her softness. Her whimpers were going to kill him.

“Fuck, Fyre. What I want to do to you.” His words were growled along her lips as he held her gaze, smirking at how hazy her eyes were with pleasure. “Hi.”

Her full lips curled up. “Hello.”

Another fleeting kiss. “Phillip. For fuck’s sake, call me Phillip.”

“Hello”—a pause—“Phillip.”

“I love the sound of my name rolling off your lips, Fyre.” He flexed his hips and captured her resulting moan in his mouth again.

“I did not come here for this,” she panted when he allowed her up for air.

“What did you come through the rain for?”

He skimmed his hands up and down her sides, swiping his thumbs along the outsides of her breasts as they passed.

“Books,” she gasped, her body arching closer to his.

“Books?”

He slid a hand beneath her dress and smoothed it up the outside of her leg.

“Oh!” She shifted on the desk. “You should not be doing that.”

“What books, Fyre?” He wasn’t going to let her think much about the reasons this shouldn’t happen between them.

“Yours. I…I finished the copies.”

“So fast?”

“I did not want to keep them longer than necessary.”

“You could have brought them to the party.” God, the top of her thigh was so fucking smooth, he wanted to taste her skin here. “I cannot wait until you let me lick you from head to toe.”

She trembled in his arms and he inched his hand along her thigh to the inside.

“I am not coming to the party.”

“You are.”

“I did not receive an invitation.”

That was jealousy and hurt in her tone. He stopped his hand scant millimeters from her core and lifted his head to hold her gaze.

“I will have them write one for you, Fyre. I thought you knew how much I wanted you there when I asked you on the picnic. You know, as I touched you through your skirts.”

Her hands gripped him tighter. “You are under them now.”

He grinned. “Yes, yes I sure as hell am.” He dragged a finger along her outer lips, eyes focused on her expression.

Phillip shifted his left hand to resettle it against the nape of her neck. He continued to tease between her legs. Light touches on lips that grew wetter as he continued the strokes.

Holding her gaze, he watched myriad emotions dance over her features.

“I thought you only said the words.”

He frowned.

“And what, I only said it to get your assistance to fix the books?”

She shrugged.

Phillip dragged his finger between her pussy lips. “I want you at the party.” He circled her clit. Hot, slick and hell on his control.

He focused his eyes on her face, noting every nuance. “Make no mistake about it.” Another brush of his fingers. “That is the reason I am throwing the damn thing. Why I invited people I do not really want to know.”

She opened her mouth but he kissed her to keep her silent.

“Let me finish.” A plea? Most likely.

Phillip pushed one finger into her wet heat, his cock throbbing and uncomfortable.

“Fuck, you are tight, baby.” Her legs fell open, allowing him even more access, and it took everything he had to not take more advantage.

“I invited your family, other business owners, even Mr. Caulfield. One reason. I want you under my roof.” Finding out the one screwing with him and her about his books had suddenly become secondary.

Fyre whimpered, pressing closer. His finger dipped deeper and he was so ready to experience her channel around his dick.

“And if that is what it takes to accomplish that, then so be it.”

Lowering his mouth to the spot where her neck and shoulder met, he inhaled. Her scent was unlike anyone else’s, and he would always recognize it.

Another whimper left her.

“I promise, baby, I will take you there, but I want to make sure you understand I want you to come. I have a room I think you will like.”

“I understand.” She moved against him. “Phillip, please.”

His name.

Her lips.

Pure fucking heaven.

Pumping his finger slowly within her, he smiled into her skin.

“You aching for me like I do you?”

“Yes.”

A single response, breathy and needy. He had to know.

“Since our picnic, have you touched yourself like this?”

Her hips rocked faster.

He pulled back to take a look at her face.

Dark skin flushed with need.

“Baby?” Thumb on her clit, he continued the slow pump.

“Yes.”

He heaved a sharp breath. “God, I want to watch you do that.”

She grasped his wrist, grip hard and tight. “Phillip!”

“Tell me yes.”

He didn’t know why he was dragging this out, he wanted her to shatter for him, allowing him to feel it this time.

She put her gaze on him and swiped her tongue over her lower lip.

“Only if you let me watch you, too.” He jerked at her words, his fingers thrusting and pushing her over the edge.

Because of her words and how perfect her pussy felt rippling around his finger, he came in his breeches.

Hard.

* * * *

The warm pan of bread wobbled in her hand as the knock on her door startled her.

“Coming.” Setting it on the counter, she placed the towel over one shoulder and went to the door.

Her brother, Cara and the kids stood there. It had been a few days since they were there last and she’d not expected to see them until the party at Hawk’s Cove.

“Aunt Fyre!” The unanimous cry from her favorite trio in the world had her smiling.

She hugged them, then stepped back to let them all into her place.

“This is a surprise.” The grin the children had pulled from her faded as she faced her brother and his wife. Her brother had a hard time meeting her gaze. She waited.

“We need some money.”

Four words blurted out from her brother that were both a surprise and yet not.

“How much?”

Her response shocked them, and she knew this when they shared a “You are not going to ask why? Or how it happened?” look.

“I would assume it has to do with the fact you still spend money like you have three-quarters of my pay to use.” A pointed look. “You do not.” Fyre didn’t even try to hide her irritation.

“You owe us.” Cara’s tone rubbed her wrong and she didn’t even look back at her.

Elonne shushed his wife. “Things are tight.”

“Maybe Cara should get a job.”

He frowned. “I provide for my wife and family.”

Refusing to back down, Fyre crossed her arms. “Yet here you stand before your sister asking her for money.”

“We housed you.”

“Yes, Elonne, you did. Do not pretend it was all because you loved me. I had to work and hand over most of my money. Plus cook and clean as I took care of your children. I was a housekeeper who had to give my money away. Your money problems are just that, yours. They are not mine. This is a one-time thing.”

“Who do you think you are, talking to me like this?”

Tears burned her eyes. “Your sister. Not a servant and not a slave.”

“We took you in.” Cara’s voice grated against her hypersensitive feelings.

“And I paid for it.” She looked at her brother. “Tell me how much and to whom.”

The price he gave made her legs weak, and not in a good way like when Phillip did.

“Just give him the money.” Cara crossed her arms.

“No, because he would give it to you.”

“I am his wife.”

She ignored Cara. “Elonne, leave the amount and to whom by the door when you leave. I will not do this again.” Wiping her hands off on her towel, she sighed. “You can always pick up more work with Mr. Caulfield.”

His gaze sharpened. “What did you do?”

“I no longer work for him.”

Elonne growled and stepped closer. “I told you to work for him.”

“You also told me to stay away from him because he wanted me for something else.” An indignant sniff. “Just because you want me to marry him to help you makes no difference. I will not marry him.”

“I am the man of the family—”

“Then tend to your family and stop having to come to the disappointment of the family for help.”

“Aunt Fyre.”

Ashamed she had let her emotions get the better of her with the kids in earshot, she smiled and turned to Carlo.

“Yes?”

“Does this mean you will not be at Lord Edais’ party?”

“I will be there. My note came yesterday.” She made sure to give each child affectionate touches as she went back to her kitchen. “Have a great day and please close the door on your way out.”

She remained facing the oven as what had been her only family left. Refusing to let the tears fall, she got back to enjoying her day off.

After a light lunch the rain picked up once more. Settling down in her chair, she began to work on her sewing.

* * * *

There were no visits to see Phillip until the following week. Her disappointment was huge when he wasn’t there but out on his property, and she found it was a struggle to keep her emotions under control.

Despite having more accounts of Phillip’s to keep track of with his newest ventures, the work did not take her that long. Immediately after she finished, Fyre gathered her things to leave Hawk’s Cove to head home.

Keating appeared as she closed the door to the office behind her.

“Miss Gwen.”

“Have a nice evening, Keating.”

“He would want you to stay.”

“And that is hard for you to say.”

He gave a small frown, to which she gave a very unwomanly snort.

“Worry not. You can tell Lord Edais you offered as he instructed, but I declined.”

She walked away, not bothering to look back. Thunder rumbled as the rain picked up. Only allowing herself one sigh, she stepped out on the porch then down the steps into the deluge.

* * * *

Before Fyre was even halfway home a carriage came up from behind her. One horse, wet and decidedly unhappy, pulled the covered ride. Fyre couldn’t get any farther off the road without being in the ditch and the water it was collecting. She had no desire to be in there. There had been times in the past she had been run off the road by someone on horseback or driving a coach. She really hoped this wasn’t going to be one of those times.

This one stopped. Well, slowed enough to keep pace with her.

Nerves kicked up for an entirely new reason. She kept her narrowed gaze on the road ahead of her.

“Miss Gwen.”

She wiped off the water that streamed down her face and squinted up at the man in the lantern’s flickering light.

Archer.

“Why are you out here?” She pitched her voice over the wind and rain.

“Taking you home.” He shook his head to—she assumed—stop her instinctive refusal. “I will put you in here if I must, Miss Gwen.”

Taking him at his word, she scrambled up as fast and as best she could, her wet skirts, combined with the mud on them, not making it easy. She landed on the seat beside him with a grunt.

That was not ladylike.

Archer didn’t comment on it and, as soon as she had regained her seat, he snapped the wet leathers and got them moving again.

Exhaustion set in and her teeth began chattering, even though it wasn’t all that cold. As if he knew, he asked the horse for a bit more speed, even while making sure to keep them as safe as he could.

She could barely keep her eyes open by the time he stopped before her house.

“Thank you, Archer.”

“I like you, Miss Gwen. I would hate for you to get sick or injured. Get some sleep but make sure you dry off first and have some tea.”

She paused in disembarking from the coach. “Tea?”

“My mother was an herbalist. She always gave us tea on nights when we were out in the elements.”

“Sounds like she was a smart woman.”

“Never let us forget it either. Go on. I will wait until I see a light on inside.”

She hurried off, knowing he wasn’t lying and not wanting him out in the bad weather longer than he had to be. Where he and his brothers were staying while they kept an eye on her, she didn’t know.

Once inside, she swiftly lit a candle and opened the door once more to make sure he could see. The flame flickered and bent in the howling winds, making her trip out there short. Heaving a sigh once she shut the door again, she made short work of stripping off her soaked clothing and drying off before sliding on warm, clean clothing.

She heeded his advice and took the time to fix herself a cup of tea. Seated in her chair, she enjoyed the heated brew while she relaxed and did a bit of sewing as well, determined to finish the quilt she was working on.

Spreading it out on the back of her small couch, she ran her critical eye over it, thinking of the other colors to add in order to make it worthy of the person it was going to be given to.