The Grumpy Boss Cowboy Billionaire

Chapter 14

Victor

When I heard laughter in the kitchen, followed by an unfamiliar woman’s voice, I passed through the archway to find Emma and her friend trying to unwrap the plastic on a charcuterie board. Empty bottles of wine sat on the island. Emma’s brilliant eyes sparkled when she saw me, and the other woman looked up with a wave.

“Hey there." I smiled at Emma. "You look like you've been having a good time.”

Her body language softened as she shifted to face me, rolling her shoulders back, pressing her breasts forward.

My groin instantly tightened, and I looked away, allowing the feeling to subside as I turned towards the other woman. “We haven’t been introduced. I’m…”

“Victor Sullivan, Emma’s boss-slash-secret-lover.” The blond woman gave me a bright grin, offering me her hand. “I’m Ashley Campbell, Emma’s best friend.”

I grinned, wincing as I shook her hand. “Good to meet you.”

Emma, who seemed to be a little more coherent, elaborated. “Ashley and her husband, Karl, live in Scottsdale. Ashley is on spring break right now, as she teaches elementary school.” She hiccupped, scrunching up her eyes before continuing. “She had a few too many cocktails at the bar, so we caught an Uber back here to sleep it off, if that’s okay.” Emma hiccupped again, and Ashley giggled.

“As long as your husband knows where you are and is okay with it, mi casa is su casa.” I pinned Emma with a stare. “This is your place too. You don’t have to ask me permission to have your best friend stay here.”

Ashley giggled, turning to Emma.

“I like him,” she stage-whispered behind her hand.

Emma grinned and returned the gesture. “Me too.”

I felt my face burn with an uncharacteristic blush as both women turned to me expectantly.

“With that, I will go make up a guest bedroom for you, Ashley. You two stay out of trouble.”

Laughter fell behind as I headed upstairs. I folded down the covers on one of the other bedrooms, making sure the bathroom was stocked with toilet paper and a disposable toothbrush.

I headed back downstairs and made my way into the office, leaving the door open so I could hear their shenanigans in the kitchen, available in case they needed my help. After about two hours, things had gone quiet and I ventured out. Both ladies were lying on the couch, heads together, passed out beside a bowl of popcorn. I chuckled, then bent to pick up Emma. Cradling her against my chest, I carried her up to her room, laying her down in her bed. Unbuttoning her jeans, I pulled the pant legs off and tucked her bare legs under the sheets.

Returning downstairs, I collected Ashley, being very careful where I placed my hands and bringing her phone upstairs with her. I laid her on the guest bed, sliding her feet out of her boots, before pulling the covers up to her chin. On the bedside table, her phone began buzzing, the caller ID reading ‘Karl - Hubby’, which I answered. “Hello, Karl, my name is Victor Sullivan. Your wife came to visit my girlfriend, Emma, and they had a bit too much to drink.”

He sounded surprised and amused. “I’m glad you led with that because I would have freaked out about a man answering her phone.”

I laughed. “I don’t generally make a point of answering women’s phones, but since I knew who you were, I assumed you would be worried.”

“You assumed correctly.” He chuckled. “I take it she’s not coming home tonight?”

“We’ve got her set up in the guest bedroom here in Cactus Creek, so unless you’re coming to get her… In which case I can send you the address.”

“Nah, she can stay. I appreciate the update, Victor. Nice to meet you.”

We disconnected, and I returned her cell phone to the bedside table. She fluttered her hand toward me, landing on my forearm. “Hey.”

“Get some sleep.” I patted her hand. "Karl called and he said it's fine."

Her eyelids fluttered open and she blinked, trying to focus on my face. “Take care of her heart. She really is the best.”

I patted her hand and leaned in. “I promise I will.”

She nodded and closed her eyes, rolling back over. I padded across the room and shut off the lights, closing the door behind me.

Popping into Emma’s room, I checked on her touching a kiss to her forehead. She was still out cold as I leaned down, and she shifted towards me.

“Mm, think I love you,” she murmured, eyes still closed, voice heavy with sleep.

My heart clenched, uncertain how to respond, so I kissed her forehead and headed to bed. In my own room, my thoughts were busy, wondering if I had jumped into things with her too quickly. I tried not to overthink it, and I realized she was basically unconcious. But the truth was, I was falling for her for real. Was I setting myself up for failure again?

I crawled into bed, trying hard to drift to sleep which took hours. But when the darkness finally overtook me, I was greeted with dreams of Emma and the park. Of everything I hoped the next few weeks would bring. Being so close to achieving what I set out to do, the thought of everything crashing down around me was more terrifying than ever.

I was down in the kitchen the next morning when Ashley came down the stairs, hair askew, face pinched in pain.

“There’s coffee,” I called into the entryway and she crossed the room.

“Thank you,” she murmured, pouring a cup and lifting it to her lips to take an appreciative sip.

I lifted my own cup in acknowledgement and drained the last of it. She had an expectant expression on her face when I lowered the now-empty mug.

“I hope you know she and I don’t usually drink like that.”

I grinned. “I know that. Emma’s been living here long enough, I’ve learnt her quirks—if I ask her to have a drink, usually it’s only one. She obviously trusts you, with good reason.”

Ashley continued to study me, and I shifted uncomfortably, suddenly wondering how much detail Emma had gone into about our relationship. She took another sip, then spoke.

“Please be sure of how you feel about her before you pursue anything serious. She’s been hurt before, and I don't want to see her go through all that again.”

I nodded, feeling my forehead soften. "I would never intentionally hurt her. We're trying to take things slow."

Emma stumbled into the kitchen, groaning and walking like a zombie to the coffee maker. I snickered and scooted out of the way. “I swear, if I put a coffee maker in your suite, I would never see you in the mornings.”

“Shhhh…” Emma shushed, clutching her cup to her lips, eyes still closed. “Your words are hurting me.”

Ashley and I both chuckled, and after a bit more caffeine, Emma opened her eyes and joined in.

Ashley touched the back of Emma’s hand. “I need to get home, but we need to do this again. Particularly while you are here, and so much closer than when you’re in Sedona.”

That twinged strangely in my chest, the sudden recollection that this wasn't permantent and that she wouldn't be living with me forever. I rubbed my thumb across my sternum as they hugged, then Ashley approached me with a hug, which I politely accepted.

“Nice to finally meet you, Victor.”

“Truly a pleasure, Ashley.” She blew a kiss to Emma and waved before exiting the kitchen.

We heard the front door close, and Emma gave me a deer-in-the-headlights look. I gave her a warm smile back and nodded in the direction of Ashley’s departure. “It’s been awhile since you girls were together, huh?”

She shrugged one shoulder, then furrowed her brows at me. “You’re not mad?”

Her question threw me off and I started, confused. “Why would I be mad?”

“Uh, I blew off work to go day-drink with my best friend and passed out in the living room—which makes me think you put us both to bed.”

I winked in confirmation, then shrugged. “So what? You needed to blow off some steam. You didn’t shirk any responsibilities, and you didn’t miss anything. I bet you even planned out today for our schedule.”

She blushed, and my chest filled with pleasure that I had guessed correctly. “I actually did.”

“What’s on the docket for today, boss?”

She stepped over to me, leaning in, breasts pressing into my chest. “I’m the boss now, huh?”

I leaned my face down to hers and murmured. “Only at work. I’m the boss in the bedroom.”

She gave a little shiver, clenching her thighs together, which elicited a smile from me before I lowered my mouth to hers and claimed it in a kiss. We savored each other for several more long moments before breaking and stepping apart, breathing hard.

“I’ve arranged an appreciation day barbecue.” She began when her breath had returned to normal. “I’ve got a couple people firing bison hot dogs and elk burgers…several restaurants bringing over twice baked potatoes, jalapeno poppers, nopales, saguaro fruit. Several bars have donated prickly pear coolers. I figured today could be a test run before the real opening day, have everyone who participated in building the park try it out as a sort of thanks.”

I laughed and gestured towards her. “Brilliant. I don’t even worry that you’ve got it handled anymore.”

She grinned as she poured another cup of coffee. She turned back to me. “Ashley encouraged me to pursue this—thing—between us.”

"Oh?" I set down my mug and stepped over to her, enjoying the way she squirmed at my nearness. “This thing?”

I touched a kiss to her neck, grazing a hand over her breast, down her belly, and brushing my knuckles against the front of her jeans.

She narrowed her eyes at me coyly. “That, and all the other stuff that goes with that.”

“Mhm,” I agreed, bending my head down to claim her mouth.

She wrapped her arms around my back, pulling my body tight against hers. We broke the kiss after several moments, then she laid her ear on my chest, closing her eyes. After holding that for a minute or so, she straightened and gazed up into my eyes.

“If I learned anything in this life, there are no guarantees. So I won’t promise you any. But I care about you, Victor.”

Warmth filled my chest as I nodded, feeling giddy and lightheaded. She excused herself to go shower, and I popped into the office to check email and confirm some of our purchase orders. By the time she was dressed and ready to head over to the park, I was eager to head out.

We ascended the grandstand at the front entrance like we did every morning, to address our staff, engineers, construction workers, and vendors. “Good morning, everyone.” I addressed the crowd with the microphone, hush falling over everyone. “And now, a word from your Project Manager, Dr. Emma Pierce.”

A handful of cheers and woops sounded as she stepped up to the mic.

“As a thank you to each and every one of you and your contributions, Victor and I have decided to make today an unofficial soft opening—and appreciation barbecue. We will have food, drinks, appetizers, and desserts available in the main arena, and we encourage you all to take part. Ride the rides, play the games, use the apps, and please give us honest and productive feedback. Have fun, everybody!”

The crowd dispersed, murmurs of excitement and pleasant surprise rolling through our employees. I wrapped an arm around her middle and hugged her to me. “That was a bit of brilliant leadership, Dr. Pierce.”

She laughed and pushed me away. “What happened to keeping this quiet?”

“Hey now, I hired you long before I slept with you.”

She chuckled and together we walked into the park, hands brushing at our sides. We returned to the mining cart ride first, this time without incident. Emma complimented Bruce and his team on their coordination of the animatronics, the audio, and the physical effects. We made another trip to the laser tag stage, this time to try out the cooperative program—which I found to be far less sexy than the first round as I didn’t have a reason to hunt for Emma—but interesting and engaging nonetheless. Her praise left Brian glowing, and possibly uncomfortably aroused.

Not for the first time, I completely understood how he felt. Every moment around Emma was like a hit of some wonder drug that made me feel invincible, believed in, supported, cared for, and wanted.

We visited Notah and his horses, giving Emma a second trip in the saddle, which she showed much more confidence as she turned her horse in small concentric circles within the arena. She milked a goat and collected eggs at the homestead exhibit, something we had coordinated with our local 4H group for the summer.

Emma beamed, lacing her fingers through mine, as we headed over towards the food tents. I was just about to tell her how perfect everything was when a scream drew our attention to the carousel. At first, we couldn’t make heads or tails of what was happening, save for the undulating waves of bodies making widening circles around an orange light. That was until I saw the smoke.

“Fire! Okay, everyone! Fire protocols!” I hollered, trying to be heard over the panicked din of the people around us.

Emma let out a sharp whistle, effectively silencing and stilling everyone. “Fire protocols, now! Get the kids away from the rides and do a headcount. Security, call the fire department and EMTs, and get everyone to the front parking lot! LET’S MOVE, PEOPLE!” She bellowed.

Everyone moved swiftly. Emma dragged me by the hand toward the fire, diving for the extinguishers at the safety station. She tossed me one, pulled the pin, and ran towards the blaze. I followed her lead and unpinned my own.

We reached the carousel and assessed as flames licked up the side of the ride.

“Aim for the base! I want to try and keep it out of that electrical,” She yelled to me before she let loose on her stream of foam. I pointed my nozzle at the base of the flames and squeezed the handle, oscillating back and forth as the flames began to decrease.

We heard the wail of a siren approaching, bathing us in blue and red lights as the fire engine screeched to a halt beside us, the firefighters taking swift action to unroll their hoses and add to the spray. Within minutes, the fire was out, and I took what felt like my first breath in minutes.

My stomach sank as I looked back at the carousel. Several animals had been completely destroyed, and almost half were covered in black and soot. Black burn marks streaked all the way up the center post, covering the mirrored wall. The fire had overheated and burst a number of the bulbs along the ceiling. Tears burned the backs of my eyes as I hazarded a glance at Emma, who shared a similar look. This hurt to see.

One of the firefighters approached me. “Are you the owner?”

I gave a tired nod. “I am.”

“You did good, containing it with the extinguishers.”

“That was all her doing." I pointed at Emma. "I was just taking orders.”

The firefighter nodded in approval at her. “If you guys hadn't taken steps to slow things down, we wouldn't have been able to do much to help.”

I blew out a breath, struggling to feel anything besides defeat. He glanced back at Emma, giving her a thumbs up before turning back to me.

“The fire’s out, but any work that is being done here will need to wait for fire inspectors.” He glanced back at the ruined carousel. “I’m no expert, but this looks like it could be more than an electrical malfunction.”

I furrowed my brows, shaking my head at him. “What are you saying?”

He frowned, eyebrows knitting together as he met my stare. “I’m saying this may not have been an accident. You’ll need the investigators to confirm it, but I believe it may be arson.”

Emma’s head snapped toward him as the words left his lips. My chest felt numb as I realized the implications of what he was saying.

We had a traitor among us. The only people who had been here at the park today were trusted, vetted, contracted, and loyal, or so we thought. My stomach clenched. Emma’s fingers found mine and I squeezed her hand tightly. We finished up with the fire crew and headed toward the dining hall where people had filed in from the parking lot.

The EMTs reported no serious injuries, but several people were transported to a nearby hospital for smoke inhalation. We walked through the dining hall, offering comfort and a kind word to whoever needed it—this was not the time, nor the place, for suspicions. I moved in a blur, mechanically, numb, held together by the certainty in Emma’s grip on my hand.

When we finally headed back to the mansion, it was well after dark. I smelled of smoke, fire retardant, and sweat, and my heart was filled with dread. Emma led me upstairs and seated me on the bed, easing my feet out of my cowboy boots.

"You okay?" She frowned.

I nodded as she unbuttoned my jeans and pulled those off too. "I'll be fine. It's just... Just a lot to process. Everything was going so well. I thought for sure we'd made it."

She unbuttoned my shirt, sliding it down off my shoulders, then drew my boxers down off my legs.

I would have been incredibly turned on by the whole process had I not been paralyzed by apathy. After getting me disrobed, she pushed me into my en suite bathroom, a blazing shower already pouring into the steam shower. She shoved me into the shower, pulling the door shut, and leaving me to the hot water.

I could feel the sensation returning to my body, hot water thawing through my numbness. After what seemed like an eternity, I heard the bathroom door, and the shower swung open, admitting a bare-skinned Emma.

Desire swept through me as she bent, soaping up her hands and straightening, rubbing down my hands and arms, covering my chest and shoulders, then moving to clean my back. She pushed me back into the spray, suds running down my body in undulating streams.

Her hands found my face and she lifted my gaze to meet her eyes. “Are you still with me?”

I gave her a soft smile and nodded, turning to kiss her palm. Searching her face, a lightness filled my chest and all I wanted to do was kiss her. Wrapping my arms around her body and pulling it flush against mine, I bowed my head. She met me half way and gasped against my mouth as I rubbed my length against her, now rigid and erect. She wrapped her arms around my neck as I lifted her, her legs hooked on my hips, my tip grazing her opening, and I pinned her back against the wall, holding her there.

My eyes met hers, asking a wordless question.

She licked the droplets of water from her lips and nodded. “I have an iud.”

My chest flooded with desire and anticipation as I positioned myself, then slid deep inside her. We both groaned, the water cascading down our bodies as I pulled back, thrusting into her again. I kissed her deeply, passionately, her tongue twining with mine as I drove into her repeatedly.

Her breathing became more ragged as I increased the pace, and her moans filled the bathroom. My breath hitched and I felt a rush of pleasure as I slowed. I could hear the unhappiness in her growl in my ear as I drew myself from her, then shut off the water. I touched my thumb to her sensitive spot and she hissed, grinding against it.

“Not yet.” I smiled, leading her by the hand out of the shower.

Taking my time, I toweled us both off, drying her hair, kneeling before her to dry her legs and feet, my face level with her delicious center. I leaned forward and touched a kiss to her, which made her whimper, continuing to dry her with the towel. Standing, I scooped her up beneath her thighs and hauled her out into my bedroom, the cool air from the open windows drying the last of the water from our bodies.

I set her on the edge of the bed and stepped away. Her eyes were hungry and pleading as she watched me. I knelt in front of her, lifting her legs and placing them over each shoulder before wrapping my arms around the backs of her thighs. I leaned forward and licked one long stripe up the center of her, causing her to curl and moan.

Holding her in place with my hands, I used my tongue to press her open, dipping inside and tasting her sweetness, swirling the tip of my tongue around her nub. She arched, moaning, rewarding me with a surge of wetness, which I eagerly lapped up, increasing the speed and diameter of my swirls. She cried out, and her walls clenched, her thighs gripping either side of my head. She was close, and I was eager to taste her. I increased the pressure on her clit and pressed two fingers deep inside, crooking them to stroke the inside wall, and she shattered.

I smiled against her body, sliding one leg and then the other off my shoulders as I dragged myself across her. I pressed my tip into her opening once more and angled myself to slide in.

"Wait..." Her chest heaved as I paused. "My turn."

She smiled, gently putting a hand on my chest and guiding me to roll onto my back. Leaning her beautiful face forward, she touched a kiss to my belly, then dragged her tongue to my inner thigh on the right. She moved to my left thigh and nipped the sensitive skin there. I yipped and lifted my leg, which she pushed back against the mattress. She lowered her face to my shaft and touched a kiss to the head, my length surging into her hand.

Her gaze was scorching, as she lowered her mouth over my tip, teeth grazing the underside of my head. I arched, hissing, and thrusting upward. It felt too good, too much, after the day we'd had. She sucked me deeper, tongue teasing along the underside of my shaft as her fingertips grazed my balls. My release built as I thrust deep into her willing mouth, her lips sucking eagerly. I drew her up onto my chest, my tip finding her opening like a magnet.

I tangled my fingers in her hair, pulling her face down to mine as I stroked my length, pumping myself ever closer, while still holding myself just inside her. My lips found hers and I groaned as her body clenched and tightened.

“Do you know how much I want to let go, right now?” I whispered fiercely.

“Show me,” she replied.

My hands found her hips and I pulled her down onto my length hard, burying to the hilt. She moaned as I lifted her again, She swirled her hips as she sank back down on me, grinding, drawing us both closer to our release.

“Emma, I’m going to come,” I muttered, trying to hold back.

“Come inside me,” She moaned into my mouth.

That was all the invitation I needed. I shouted as I buried myself in her, arching up into the air, holding her tight against me as she cried out, rewarding me with a gush of wetness. We clung together, shaking, for several minutes, trying to recover.

“I read somewhere that’s called a ‘We-gasm’,” she murmured, almost like reading my thoughts.

“Whatever it’s called, it’s addictive.” I mumbled, eyelids suddenly feeling incredibly heavy.

Emma shifted off my length, drawing a shiver from me as I slid from her, and she laid on the bed beside me.

“That was…something else.”

“I agree.” I sat up and touched a kiss to her lips, then rolled to my feet and padded to the bathroom.

Locating a washcloth, I ran it under warm water, wiping my length and face clean before rinsing it and heading back out into the bedroom. Emma hadn’t moved from where she lay, and I hooked under her right knee, swiping the cloth gently over her sensitive flesh. Tossing the towel into the laundry bin, I returned to the bed and drew back the covers. I scooted her under the blankets, crawling in beside her. I leaned back to the table lamp and shut off the light. Wrapping an arm around her middle, I pulled her against me as she nestled into my shoulder.

“I could do that for the rest of my life.” She murmured sleepily.

“Me too,” I whispered into her hair.

She didn't respond. Within minutes, her breathing evened out and I knew she was asleep. I closed my eyes and tried to follow, but instead, all I could see was the charred ruins of the carousel and the devastated expressions on the faces of everyone who worked here.

My heart ached, and I didn't know what the morning would bring. But for the first time in a very long time, I wasn't afraid to face it.