Page 28 of Lovestruck at Sundown
I laughed.
“Do you want anything to eat or drink?” I asked. “Coffee? Tea? Water? I don’t have much, but I have some leftover pizza from earlier if you’re hungry.”
“Pizza and water sound great.”
We got up from the bed and walked out of my room, and as we walked past the foyer, William stopped and stared at the empty gallery wall. “So when are you putting up my portrait on the boyfriend wall?”
“Boyfriend wall?” I crossed my arms at my chest and lifted my brows.
“Yeah, that’s what it is, isn’t it?”
“Eh, I don’t know.” I stared at the white wall, tilting my head. “I think it’s best to wait it out for a few months to see if we have a real future before investing in a large print and the cost of framing.”
“You’re begging to be punished.” William grabbed me by the waist and tossed me over his shoulder, spanking me once. Hard. But he rubbed the spot afterward to soothe the burn. I couldn’t stop laughing as he took me to the kitchen.
“Put me down!” I tried tickling his waist, but it did nothing to him. “You’re going to bang my head against the door frame!” I felt the kitchen’s door frame swish by too close to the top of my head.
“Everything’s been calculated.” He put me down in front of the island countertop and bent me over, lightly pressing my cheek against the cold marble.
“William,” I breathed, feeling his arousal against my lower back and my skin vibrating from his touch. “Okay, I learned my lesson. I’ll put your photo on the boyfriend wall.” I chuckled, hoping to tease him with my comment.
“Oh, you will, baby.” He searched for the hem of my leggings and slipped them down along with my underwear. “But this will teach you to trust me and never doubt me again.”
I knew this was a kinky game he liked to play, but it was inevitably laced with truth. I’d foolishly allowed myself to thinkhe was the one who had ordered his lawyer to send me the documents when he hadn’t. It didn’t make sense to me that he would, but I doubted my instincts and him.
Again.
I knew he wasn’t mad and that he understood how easy it’d been to misconstrue things, but I still wanted to let him know it wouldn’t happen again. Ever.
“I shouldn’t have doubted you earlier,” I said, the last word almost a gasp as he entered me slowly, allowing me to adjust to him. “You know I trust you.”
“And I trust you, älskling.” He gripped the flesh of my hips, digging his fingers into them, and quickly intensified the rhythm to punishing thrusts that made tears pool in the corners of my eyes. “No—matter—what.”
“Always.”
We sat in my dining room as he ate the leftover pizza. This was the first time we had officially hung out in my apartment, and it would be one of the last times too, even if he didn’t know it.
“Were you having issues with Warren?” I asked, trying to avoid making the conversation about myself and how things went with my dad. “You mentioned you should’ve fired him a while ago.”
“Not gonna lie, Warren’s great at what he does.” William took another bite of his pizza and chewed while I waited for him to continue expanding. “He’s one of the best in the industry, but I was growing tired of his style. He’d often make rash decisions without consulting me, claiming to have my best interest at heart. And I was willing to overlook his erratic tendencies when it came to business. But when it relates to my personal life? Ican’t risk it anymore. He meddles too much.”
“That sucks.” I propped my elbows on the table and rested my chin on top of my hands. “So, what are you planning to do now?”
“I’ll call my dad tomorrow and see what he thinks.” He took a sip of his water and grabbed the last slice of pizza from the box.
“And what about his publicist? Or your brothers’?”
“They all have a different publicist. It’s mostly about who makes you feel comfortable. And I’m not opposed to talking to their publicists. I know them. They’re good. But I know a couple of people who have shown interest in the past that might be a good fit for me. So I’ll ask Alice to set up a meeting with them.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” I smiled.
“So when will you tell me how things went with your dad?” William wiped his mouth with a napkin and rested his forearms on the table, leaning toward me. “You’ve been tiptoeing around the subject.”
“I have?”Busted.
“Yeah, and you seem anxious.”
“Oh.” I sighed, feeling defeated, and stopped moving my feet when I realized I was shaking them against the floor.
