No Ordinary Love (A Modern Vintage Romance #5)

26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Lucas

" W hat's wrong?" Amara asked me as I got ready for work.

It was a week before Thanksgiving, and we were holding the last LPC board meeting of the year. I felt anxious, and in the past, I wouldn't have let Amara see that. But now, we were more open with each other, starting to share our burdens in a way we hadn't before.

I was spending more and more nights at her place, though we were still sexually frustrating the hell out of each other. However, last night, I lost control and ate her pussy until she screamed my name. She'd given me a hand job for the ages, letting me come all over her gorgeous breasts. We were exploring each other's bodies without taking that final step.

As hungry as it made us, it was also highly erotic.

"Hugh is trying to get me ousted as CEO."

"What?" she screeched.

She was working from home for the day as she didn't have classes. She was in yoga pants and a loose sweater. Her hair was up in a loose bun and she looked adorable as hell.

"Is this because you won't date his daughter?" she demanded, and when I shrugged, her eyes sparked with anger. "That son of a bitch. This is unprofessional behavior. Marry my daughter, or I'll ruin you? What is this, the medieval fucking times?"

"You're cute when you're angry." I kissed her nose.

She batted me away with her hands. "You can't let him do that."

"Honestly, Amara, I'm past giving a shit. I've got enough money, and if the board is—"

"Stop." She put her hands on my arms as if holding me still and looked me in the eye. "This isn't about the money. You know, when we met, you told me the best thing about your job and managing LPC was that you employed over three thousand people around the world, giving them a chance to have better lives. That's why you do what you do. You're not some corporate whore."

I wish she'd just admit how much she loved me because she fucking did. My glorious Amara who'd fight the world for me, and I'd do the same for her. I had made mistakes, but never fucking again.

"I know, but I'm tired of—"

"Have you talked to the other board members?" She talked over me.

"I—"

"When is the board meeting?"

"Amara, baby, listen to me—"

"When?"

"Tomorrow at eleven."

She gently pushed me away and picked up her phone from her bedside table. She then sat on the bed cross-legged.

"Rena, hey, so Lucas here tells me Hugh is trying some bullshit to get him fired."

I smiled and watched her go to bat on my behalf. Was there anything sexier than your woman when she was ready to go to battle to defend you?

"You need to talk to the other board members and threaten their asses if they go against Lucas." She paused and then laughed. "I knew I could trust you."

She nodded as she listened to my Grandma and laughed again. "That sounds fabulous. I'd love to be a fly on the wall."

She ended the call and made a face at me. "Why didn't you tell me you already had it handled? Rena said you've strong-armed the board, and Hugh is going to be sorry to take you on."

There were no guarantees, but I was ready to hammer the last nails in Hugh's coffin, maybe even Kath's. I knew she was working with her father to run me out of my own family business with a no-confidence vote from the board. The plan I already knew from one of the board members was to place Kath as the CEO. It was a pipe dream, and Hugh was out-classed. Regardless, it felt damn good to see Amara fight for me.

I kneeled in front of her. "I am so in love with you."

She flushed.

"I want to make love with you tonight."

Both her eyebrows went up.

"Be ready to admit you love me so we can fuck, alright?"

"Someone is feeling cocky."

I grinned. " Tesoro , if Hugh had been in front of you right now, you'd have ripped him a new one. You love me. It's time to let go of your fears."

She nodded and took a deep breath. "I know. But…I don't know if I'm ready."

"Fucking you tonight, Tesoro ." I gave her a long, wet kiss and rose to put on my tie.

She watched me in the full-length mirror. "We're meeting Gemma and Basil for drinks and dinner at Magnolia's."

"Is Jax joining?" I asked.

"Can't. He's out of town—has a charity golf thing in Pebble Beach."

The scene was so domestic, so achingly familiar, and such a relief to experience again that I gave a quick thanks to the universe for helping me get my head out of my ass and win my fair maiden.

I kissed Amara again as she continued to sit on the bed; I knew thinking about what I'd said about her admitting she loved me.

She ran after me as I got to the door. She gave me a long hug and stepped away. "What if I need more time?"

"Then you take more time." I smiled at her. "There's no pressure."

She quirked an eyebrow. " So …you'll fuck me tonight?"

I loved her, I thought, so fucking much. "Will you tell me you love me?"

"Argh!" She pushed me out of the door and I was laughing as I walked to my car in her driveway.

I wasn't amused when I got to work when my assistant told me that Mercer Haller was on the phone and said it was urgent. Mercer and I went to business school together. We used to be good friends. Kath's betrayal had hurt more because it was with someone I knew and not some stranger.

"Covington here."

"Thanks for taking my call, Lucas."

This wasn't the first time he'd called my office, but the last time was several years ago.

"Ah…Gene mentioned he talked to you."

"Yeah, he did."

"I didn't mean to sleep with her, Lucas. We were drunk, and…it was stupid. But then she told me she was pregnant and…fuck! It was a mess."

I realized that I had no feelings whatsoever about Kath leaving me for Mercer or Mercer leaving me for Kath. I didn't give a shit.

"You got a reason for this call, man?"

"Yeah. I wanted to tell you I'm sorry."

"Accepted."

There was a pause. "Just like that?"

"Sure. Look, now that I've spent time with Kath without lust and youth blurring my eyesight, I feel like I owe you Cubanos, and thanks." I stood up and walked to the windows as I spoke into my earpiece. "It was a shitty thing to do, Mercer. But I'm past it."

"You think we could be friends again? I'd love to introduce you to my—"

"Nah, man. Not going to happen," I told him honestly. "I may be over what you did, but the truth is I'm also over you and Kath."

I could hear him breathe deeply, and I listened to a woman in the background.

"By the way, congratulations. I hear you're going to be a father."

"Yeah. It's awesome," he said softly.

"Good for you. Look, Mercer, I've got to go, okay?"

"Thanks for talking to me."

"Take care of yourself."

After the call ended, I wondered why I had held a grudge for so many years. It wasn't worth it. Or maybe because I was so fucking happy that Amara was giving me a chance, and I was, as she said, getting cocky about my chances of winning her over that I couldn't give two fucks about Mercer, Kath, and that drama.

Since my day was not sufficiently fucked up, my mother decided to show up to work.

"We need to talk about the holidays."

I took a deep breath, counted to ten, and exhaled slowly, hoping to tamp down my temper.

"Mama, I'm not in the mood to discuss the holidays with you."

She gave me a hurt look. Patsy Covington had made an art out of emotional blackmail. I'd spend my entire life trying to give her what she wanted to keep the peace. But I was outta fucks!

"Thanksgiving is in just a few days."

"And you've invited the Bellamys," I pointed out, "I'm not interested in seeing either Hugh or Kath socially."

She gasped. "They're your sister's family, Lucas; you can't avoid them."

"Watch me." I sighed. "Mama, this is my place of work, and I'm busy."

"Am I losing you, Lucas?" There was a wealth of disappointment in her eyes. If there had been genuine hurt and not just outrage, maybe I'd have felt some guilt—but I knew Mama and knew that after a lifetime spent manipulating everything and everyone around her, I didn't think she knew what an honest emotion looked like.

"Did you ever have me?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Mama, you had a version of me, the one you wanted to see—and the one I thought I could be for the world. That version is more Covington than Lucas."

She looked at me, puzzled. "I have no idea what you're talking about. You're not making any sense."

I sighed. "Mama, I'm more than a Covington."

She laughed uncomfortably. "Well, yes."

"The man I am now and the one I want to continue to be will not be spending my holidays with you if you choose to spend them with Hugh and Kath. How about that? Is that simple enough to understand?" I stood up, tired of this nonstop nagging. No wonder my father drank like a fish—right now, I was tempted to head straight to the nearest bar.

"That just won't do," Mama said primly.

"Okay," I shrugged. "I'm still not going to be at your dinner table on Thanksgiving or Christmas."

"Where will you spend the holidays then?"

I smiled broadly then. "With Amara and her father."

"Lucas," my mother cried out and stood up so quickly that she dislodged the leather chair she was sitting on, causing it to wobble a little. Admirable, considering the sturdiness of that chair, I thought as I waited for the hysterics.

"Grandma told me she was going to leave after the board meeting tomorrow for Hawaii. Maybe Amara and I could go there for Christmas," I said thoughtfully.

My mother's face dropped. "Rena is joining us for Thanksgiving Dinner, and she has not said anything about not spending Christmas at the estate."

"Well, I'm sure her assistant will let you know. I'd make it a point if I were you to ask her." I was running out of patience. "Mama, I am busy."

"Stop it," she yelled. "Just stop it. That horrible woman is breaking up my family."

My office door opened, and I sighed. Who else was going to fuck up my day today?

"Stop screaming, Patsy, the whole floor can hear you," Grandma admonished as she walked in high heels and a bright red pantsuit. She looked at me and smiled. "I spoke to the last board member who you couldn't reach, and we're all good for tomorrow."

My mother glared at Grandma. "Did you know he's not spending Thanksgiving with us?"

"Who is this us ?" Grandma asked, tilting her head. "Did Jamie not tell you that I will not be able to attend either Thanksgiving or Christmas at the estate? I'm going to be at the house in Kauai."

"Rena, we always spend it together as a family." Mama was horrified.

"What family?" Rena threw back. "The one where you've been trying to manipulate your son into marrying Hugh's daughter? Just because you're fucking the man, Patsy, doesn't mean you have to do his bidding."

Now, it was my turn to gape. Not in a million years would I have thought my mother was sleeping with Hugh.

"Does that make Kath and me step-siblings?" I mused, knowing that Grandma outing her like this was freaking Mama out.

"Rena, this is very unseemly, and I have no idea what you're talking about." Mama crossed her arms.

Grandma sighed. "Patsy, everyone knows, hon, that you and Hugh are an item. I don't care. You're young and healthy, and you should be enjoying the company of a man if you please. I wish you'd chosen better, but that's none of my business. What I'm saying is that Hugh isn't a Covington, and your loyalties as of late seem to not be with the family."

"How can you say that?" Mama yelled, and I felt a headache start to form at the back of my head. "After all that I have sacrificed for the family! Your son was—"

" Your husband," Rena cut her off. "And you chose to stay married to him even when he was busy dipping his pen, so to speak, in every inkpot he could find. That was your choice."

"Mine?" Mama looked at Rena and then at me. "Can you believe her?"

I raised both hands. "I'm Paul. This is between y'all." I picked up my laptop. "I have a meeting, which I will take from a conference room. Feel free to use my office."

"Lucas." Mama stepped in front of me. "Don't break up our family."

"Mama, you're welcome to spend Thanksgiving with Amara and me at her place. In fact, Shelby is also welcome, and I guess we'll put up with Flynn even though that man is gearing to get his ass kicked."

"But that's absurd. We have Thanksgiving Dinner at the estate."

"I'm inviting you to where I will be. So, if it's family you care about, we will all be together, well, except for Grandma, who will be in Hawaii," I pointed out.

I walked to Grandma and kissed her cheek. "Thank you for taking care of the vote for tomorrow."

Grandma grinned at me. "You can count on me, son."

As I closed the door behind me, I heard my mother scream at Grandma, blaming her for leading me astray. I looked at my assistant and shrugged. She kept her face emotionless and merely nodded at me.

I went into an empty conference room and dialed into the meeting I was supposed to have joined ten minutes ago. My phone beeped as I was halfway through the meeting.

Amara: Emily and Ace will be joining us at Magnolia's tonight.

Me: Sounds good.

Amara: I miss you.

I grinned, and my heart expanded with joy.

Me: I miss you too, Tesoro.

Amara: I…also…ok?

I shook my head, amused.

Me: You want to cum. You'll say the three words.

Amara: You're going to use sex to get me to tell you I love you?

I took a deep breath as I read her message twice.

Me: Yeah .

Amara: Fine. I love you.

I muted myself on the Zoom meeting and called Amara. "What was that?"

"I'm busy, Lucas and—"

"Amara," I growled.

"I love you, okay? Can I go now?"

"Say it again, and this time nicely. Next time you say it, I want you to be naked."

I heard her laugh. "I love you, Lucas."

"If we were into spanking, I'd take my hand to your ass for not saying this in person to me and doing it, like a coward, over text and then the phone."

There was a long pause.

"I could be into spanking."

My dick heard that and went from half to full hard. "We've never done that."

"Maybe…we can try?"

"Anything you want, Tesoro ."

"Lucas, this is going to work, right?"

"When you and I are together, Amara, we can move mountains," I promised her.