Crazy Thing (The Brighton Family #5)

Chapter 44

44

DARIUS

“ I don’t feel good about this.” I frown at the helicopter. Then back at Ziggy. “I’m not sure it’s safe.”

She laughs softly. “Isn’t this the same helicopter that was perfectly safe an hour ago when we got on it?”

“Yes, but…but…that was different,” I grouse.

“Different how?” she challenges.

“It was different because I was there to protect you.” I brush her windblown hair from her eyes. “I could cancel my meetings and travel back with you.”

“You’d cancel those high-profile meetings just to follow me back to Starlight Falls to deal with bureaucracy?”

I totally would.

She rolls her eyes. “You can’t cancel your meetings, Darius.”

“Why?”

“Because all of your business partners are here for dinner tonight. It would be ridiculous to turn around and go back home to search the filing cabinets for missing paperwork.”

The town’s inspectors showed up on my business premises, threatening to shut my operations down at once unless I can produce copies of my documentation. My new office staff are freaking out because they don’t know where to find anything. It’s bullshit bureaucracy. We all know it.

Even still, it’s urgent that I handle this matter immediately because the assholes from town hall aren’t willing to compromise. They seem to have a personal vendetta against me.

“I’ll reschedule whatever needs to be rescheduled here in Chicago,” I declare conclusively. “You and I will come back to the city some other time.”

Ziggy plants a hand on her hip. “So basically, you’re saying you don’t trust me to do my job…The job that you pay me to do.”

“That’s not what this is about,” I argue. But then I struggle to explain myself.

Because the truth is, I was looking forward to spending time with her. I was planning to take her on the ferris wheel overlooking Lake Michigan tomorrow. We’d have breakfast at a private observation deck overlooking the city. I’d take her to the Chicago Botanic Gardens just to watch her in awe at the impressive variety of plants. I’d hold her hand on the busy sidewalks and kiss her at every red light.

That’s why I bitterly resent this emergency that has swooped in out of nowhere and took a shit all over my plans.

“Go!” Ziggy points over my shoulder to where my driver is waiting to whisk me off to my first appointment. “Go to the meeting and do your job, making the big bucks. I’ll go back to Starlight Falls and do mine.”

I grab her hand, nipping at the finger that she’s pointed in my face. “Fine. You’re right. You can handle the town inspectors. I trust you.” I tuck a pastel pink lock of hair behind her ear. Then I kiss her lips and she kisses me back, making my pulse thump painfully. Fuck. I’m so gone for this girl .

My gaze shifts to Cal. “You’d better get her there safely,” I say menacingly.

The man is holding back laughter. I can tell. “You know I will, Mr. Brighton.” He salutes me.

Then I watch as Ziggy boards the helicopter. I’m doubting myself the whole time as the aircraft takes off and sweeps across the sky with my fairy girl aboard.

I don’t like this one bit. But I need to be here to handle my various business commitments. And I appreciate that Ziggy can help me. I know that she is competent and she’s eager to prove that she can handle herself. As much as I didn’t want her to leave my side, I want her to see that I trust her.

I drag my feet to the car and to the first business meeting of the day. Everything sucks. I tour the construction site on robot mode, struggling to give a fuck about Laurier is rambling on about.

My annoyance must be written all over my face because my business associates notice it over dinner later that evening. Watching the guys fawning all over their wives while the seat beside me is empty? It feels wrong.

I push my whiskey tumbler aside and stand from the table. “I’m gonna call it a night,” I say the minute our dinner plates are cleared away.

Cannon Kingston looks over at me with a mix of surprise and annoyance. “So soon?”

“We haven’t had dessert yet,” Sadie protests.

“The strawberry cheesecake at this restaurant is worth breaking any diet plan for,” Xavier laughs.

This frown on my face feels like a thousand pounds so I don’t bother trying to smile. “Sorry, everyone. I’m going to have to pass this time.”

I offer curt nods around the table and I’m so ready to get out of here.

“Well, it was great seeing you again,” Evangeline Silver says from where she’s cozily tucked against Raphael’s side.

“We should all do it more often.” Cannon raises his glass. “It’s always fun to catch up with friends.”

“Colleagues,” I blurt out and the women all share looks.

I don’t care. It’s about maintaining boundaries.

Isla Barre speaks up, wearing a smile. “Next time, be sure to bring Ziggy.”

Reuben chuckles. “Babe, why did that sound more like a warning than a suggestion?”

“Because it was,” the yoga instructor says under her breath with a laugh. “In all seriousness, I want to talk potential collaboration ideas with her. My clients at the wellness center always love discovering new metaphysical shops. I’m sure we could find a way to work together.” She smiles at me, handing over her business card.

“Have her call me.” Lexi gives me some sort of brochure. “I recently had a new shipment of gowns at the shop. I’m so looking forward to helping Ziggy’s sister find a wedding dress.”

I feel a spark of pride in my chest, knowing that my girl is appreciated in this circle. “I’ll make sure to get these to her,” I promise, brandishing the business cards in the air.

After finishing up with the goodbyes, I’m trudging to the car that will take me back to my hotel when my phone rings. I pounce on it, expecting it to be Ziggy.

But it’s not her. It’s Robert Ross on the line.

My feet halt on the sidewalk. I stand straighter. “Mr. Ross,” I say to the waterfall owner in greeting. “It’s good hearing from you.”

“Brighton,” he responds. “Sorry to call at this hour, but I hear that you’re in Chicago.”

I clear my throat, nodding at the driver who opens my door. “I am. Until tomorrow.” I settle into the back seat.

“Great. I’m in the city as well,” Ross is saying. “Any chance we can meet to finally hash out the details of this waterfall agreement?”

My attention perks up. “Definitely,” I say, already mentally rearranging things in my calendar as the car pulls away from the curb.

Now that my sightseeing plans for Ziggy have fallen through, I just want to get back home to her as soon as humanly possible. But if I can square things away with Ross once and for all while I’m in Chicago, I’ll jump at the opportunity.

As the car cruises back to my hotel, Ross and I negotiate the deal. Our agreement is pretty straightforward. We put our lawyers in touch to collaborate on drawing up the requisite documents.

“Good,” the man says once we’ve figured out the logistics. “I’ll have my assistant send the details to yours.”

But an idea forms in my head. I sense an opportunity to score major points with Ziggy. “Actually, have your assistant communicate with me directly.”

“Perfect. We’ll get this all sorted tomorrow,” he says conclusively.

I end the call with the biggest grin on my face. This is it. This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for to prove myself to Ziggy. Finally.

The minute I step inside my hotel room, I toe off my shoes and jump into the shower, eager to wash this long, annoying day off of me and call my girl.

But as I hustle out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist, I hear my phone ringing with a voice call. A smile zips across my face when I see Ziggy’s name lighting up my screen.

I drop onto the mattress, hitting the green button to accept the call. “Hi beautiful.”

“Hey, there you are.” There’s a smile in her voice, too. It makes my pulse quicken.

We’ve exchanged a few text messages throughout the day but I haven’t gotten to hear her voice since she left in the helicopter.

The whirr and rattle of a printer in the background catches my attention and concern flashes through me.

I ease up onto my elbow. “Why are you still at the office?” I ask her, hating the thought of her alone over there, especially at this time of the night.

She tries to stifle a yawn. “Just packing up to leave now.”

She gives me a rundown of the drama that unfolded at the office today.

“So basically, these building inspectors randomly showed up to review our documents…” I summarize a moment later.

“Yeah, they said that they were there to ensure that all local by-laws are being respected and complied with.” Ziggy pauses. “They claimed it’s all routine procedure. But I won’t lie, something was weird about it.”

“Weird, how?” I question her.

“I don’t know. They were sort of pushy and I just got a weird vibe from the whole thing. I feel like they were fishing for incriminating information. But I did what Frank told me to do. ”

“Which was?”

“I showed the inspectors our occupancy permits and invited them to follow up with our lawyer for anything further.” She pauses before blurting out, “I hope you don’t mind but I contacted Rivers. I asked the private investigator to look further into the situation. I can’t shake the feeling that something deeper is going on here.”

She’s right about this. I have a feeling that someone in the town government is trying to sabotage me. I’ll get to the bottom of it once I’m back in Starlight Falls. For now, I’m just grateful that she was able to step in for me today.

“Good thinking. You did good, Ziggy.” I settle back against my pillow, finally relaxing a bit. “You did so good today.”

“Thank you,” she says quietly. “How was your day?”

I smile to myself. “Ross and I have officially struck a deal.”

“You struck a deal for the waterfall?!” Ziggy excitedly interrupts me. “How am I always out of the loop? I’m your assistant, Darius!”

I wince. “Sorry. In all those months when I was struggling to hold down a good assistant, I sort of got used to handling a lot of stuff on my own,” I explain. “Anyway, we had a phone call just a few minutes ago. I will pay the back taxes that he owes to the town of Starlight Falls. Then, once that’s settled, he will sell the property to me. The rich bastard will make a profit off the arrangement, and I’ll own the property. But most importantly, Edison won’t get his hands on the waterfall.”

“And everybody goes home happy.” Ziggy breathes a sigh of relief.

“Exactly.”

Her voice cracks with emotion when she speaks again. “This is such good news, Darius. Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“It’s the right thing to do.” My chest fills with gratitude. I’m grateful that I’m in the financial position to do this for my hometown. And for Ziggy.

“I’m so proud of you,” she says, her words shaky. I hear her sniffle over the line.

I don’t want her to cry. Not even happy tears. Especially when I’m not there to wipe them away.

I divert the conversation and give her the praise that she deserves. “I’m proud of you, too, baby. You took so much off my plate today and you held your own against those asshole building inspectors.” I pause. “I just wish you were here with me right now.”

Her voice goes low and sultry and flirtatious. “Oh, you do?”

“Yeah. I want to have you beneath me tonight.” I don’t care how desperate I sound.

“I miss you so much,” Ziggy purrs, her words breathy in a way that sends awareness down my spine.

“How much?” I question her. “How much do you miss me?”

She pauses for a heartbeat. “This much.”

My phone dings with a message notification. I open it to find a photo of my girl.

“A little something for your Ziggy Stash.” She giggles. How does she even know about that?

Now’s not the time for asking questions, though. Because she’s lying atop my massive desk, wearing a lacy camisole and a skirt that’s hiked up around her waist, revealing miles of pale, toned thighs. My eyes zero in on the damp spot at the crotch of her pale blue panties.

I feel a knot in my throat. “This is definitely one for the Ziggy Stash,” I mumble.

Ziggy Beaumont spread out on my tabletop with that wanting look in her eyes is the hottest thing I’ve seen all day. My cock tingles, coming to life as blood rushes in that direction.

I hit the videocamera button, requesting that she turn on her camera. A moment later, a notification box pops up on my phone screen, informing me that she’s declined my request.

“Turn on the camera,” I demand, my voice strained.

“Why?”

“I want to see you spread out on my desk.”

I hear the playful lilt in her tone. “That wouldn’t be appropriate, Mr. Brighton.”

Oh, she doesn’t get to use the ‘professional boundaries’ card now.

“Ziggy. Don’t play games with me.”

“Games? Who, me? Never.”

“Turn. On. The camera.”

“Fine,” she pretends to grumble, like I’m being unreasonable or something.

The screen blinks and there she is, perched on top of my desk in all her blue-eyed, pink-haired glory.

I glance over her shoulder, making sure the blinds of my office are closed. This show is for me and only for me. I don’t want any passersby getting an eyeful of my girl. Especially with what we’re about to do.

My full attention settles on Ziggy. “Fuck. Even sexier than I remember.” I hiss through my teeth. “Take off your panties.”

For a moment, Ziggy hesitates, even as her eyes twinkle with lust. But I hold her gaze, confident that she wants this as much as I do.

On a shaky inhale, she props the phone against my pen holder. Then she leans back on her elbows. “Sir! This call is being monitored for quality assurance purposes!” She fake-scolds me. As she speaks, she’s slowly slipping her cotton underwear down the length of her thighs.

My cock bobs, tenting the bath towel that’s wrapped around my waist. I chuckle. “Quality assurance?”

Ziggy nods, dropping her panties to the floor and spreading herself wider for the camera. “To ensure that you’re getting the best possible customer experience.”

Fuck. Look at those pussy lips. Those pretty pink petals. Glossy from her arousal. Pulsing and throbbing with need.

I fling my bath towel to the floor, curling a fist around my dick. “Don’t tempt me, Ziggy. I’m tempted to come home right this minute and give you a quality assurance experience you’ll never forget. Now, play with your pussy for me.”

She breaks out into a fit of giggles as her fingers trace along the seam of her pelvis. But the moment she circles her clit, the laughter falls away, replaced by an abrupt whimper.

“Shit…” I groan, refusing to even blink as wetness gathers at her opening, making her fingers slick.

“Like this?” she asks, locking her hooded eyes on mine.

“Yes, Ziggy. Just like that.”

“Are you touching yourself, too?” she asks me, now slowly flicking her bud back and forth. “I can’t see anything.”

That’s when I realize that I’m not giving her the best view. I place a pillow in the middle of the bed and prop my phone against it.

“There. Is that better, Fairy Girl?” I hold my cock at the base while my other hand moves up and down my length. “Do you see how hard I am? Do you see what you’re doing to me?”

A pink flush colors her cheeks. “Oh god…” she mutters, he r breasts arching upward as her spine curves. “Yes, Darius.”

She’s absolutely gorgeous like this. So wet. Dripping. Making a mess all over my desk.

“Use both hands,” I command her, needing more. “Touch yourself with both hands.”

Ziggy smooths her palms along her thighs, from her knees to her center, opening herself wider. With the fingers of one hand, she spreads her nether lips apart as her other hand continues to stroke her clit.

My brain is throbbing. My heart is beating inside my ballsack. She’s so fucking hot.

“Like this?” she groans, her eyes momentarily squeezing tight.

Breathing raggedly, I cup my balls and give them a squeeze. “Fuck yourself with your finger.” I croak out the request.

Her eyelashes flutter as she obeys me, entering her tight cunt with a single digit.

The strap of her camisole has slipped down over the delicate curve of her shoulder. Her jaw hangs open. Her hair is a sexy mess. How is it possible for any woman to be so beautiful?

“Another finger,” I command her.

She stuffs herself with a second slender digit. All the way to the hilt. I watch her liquids coat her hands. My desk is drenched. Ziggy is sitting in the shiny pool of her arousal gathering on the mahogany tabletop. That only makes me grow harder.

“Taste yourself, Ziggy. Tell me how good you taste.”

She holds her breath. She brings her hand to her mouth. She clasps her lips around her fingers and sucks. “Mmm,” she moans softly .

I grit my teeth against a primal growl. “Say it. Out loud.”

“Good,” she breathes out, her pupils flared with arousal. “It tastes so…good.”

We watch each other, moaning and writhing and enjoying each other’s bodies despite the hundreds of miles between us.

My eyelids are heavy and my body is humming and sparking like a livewire. “Now, show me how you make yourself come. When you’re all alone. Thinking about me.”

Ziggy scoffs. “Who says I think about you when I—?”

“Show me,” I say firmly. Because I’m not in the mood for games.

“ Grr . Fine.”

One delicate hand reaches beneath the hem of her camisole top, roughly squeezing her breast. I watch her other hand slither between her thighs once more. She plucks her clit between her thumb and forefinger, playing herself like a guitar.

Her delicate features pinch with pleasure and I just know she’s right at the edge. Hell—so am I.

A feral growl leaves my chest. “ Fu-u-u-u-ck . You’re so sexy. The minute I get home, I want to be balls-deep in that pussy.”

“Darius…” she whimpers. When the back of her head drops against the desk and she calls out my name, I fucking lose it.

“Goddamn,” I grunt as I completely lose control of my body.

Heat rushes through my chest. My balls go tight. There’s an explosion inside my head. I fall back against the mattress, ropes and ropes of come spraying my torso.

Ziggy is still moaning and panting and gasping as her own orgasm runs its course. Her desperate sounds are music to my ears.

The second I’m done emptying myself, I reach for the phone with one hand and the bath towel with the other. Her body is motionless aside from the harsh rise and fall of her chest. “You still there?”

Her pretty head pops up, a shy but satisfied smile on her face. “Hi.”

I mop up my sticky chest with the towel. “That was…beautiful,” I say, still struggling to breathe.

Ziggy rises up onto one elbow, her grin widening. “It was. Gosh—that was so hot.” She sits up completely, still in a daze as she slips the strap of her camisole back up her arm.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I’m good. Just a little lightheaded.” She laughs softly.

While she straightens her clothes, I check the clock on my phone. “Baby, it’s time for you to leave the office. It’s not safe for you to be there all by yourself at this hour.”

She rolls her eyes. “You do realize that I was perfectly capable of looking out for myself long before you bossed your way back into my life?” She grabs a roll of paper towel from the break room and wipes off my desk with some cleaning spray.

“That was before. I’m here now, so you’re gonna have to get used to me looking out for you. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

Ziggy pauses. She stares at me, vulnerability on her face.

I repeat myself. “I’m not going anywhere, Ziggy. I’m not leaving you. You’re mine now.”

This girl is it for me. I know without a doubt, there is no one else on the face of this earth I want to share my life with. Even if I get on her nerves .

“I’m yours.” A smile slowly curls across her lips, swelling her cheeks. “And you’re mine.”

I lift a shoulder. “Always have been.”

I stay on the line as Ziggy gathers her things, locks the office and heads out to her bus. She sets the phone on her passenger seat and I ride shotgun with her as she drives back to my house.

At first, she insists that she’d be perfectly happy sleeping in her bus in the yard. But I let her know how much seeing her in my bed would turn me on. So she punches in the security code I give her and she creeps inside, crawling between my sheets.

“That’s better,” I say contentedly as she grins at me, her pink hair fanned out on my white pillow cases. “Pretty as a picture.”

I want to stay on the phone with her all night but Ziggy won’t stop yawning. That’s my cue to let her get some rest. We say good night and I return to the shower to clean myself off.

I’m standing under the cool spray, grinning to myself at the idea of my woman sleeping under my roof, making my sheets smell like her.

Tomorrow can’t come soon enough. I can’t wait to close this transaction with Robert Ross. This is my big opportunity to redeem myself with Ziggy. To seal the most important deal of my life.

Once and for all.