When You Are With Me

  When You Are With Me

  Book Twenty-One of The Forever and Ever Series

  E. L. Todd

  Chapter One

  Clementine

  Working for Sean was the easiest job in the world. He was self-efficient like he claimed and pretty much did everything on his own. He never wanted me to get him food or coffee. He did that on his own. All he really needed me to do was organize his schedule and take his phone calls.

  I was way overpaid.

  When there was downtime, I sat at my desk and surfed Babies R’ Us and Pottery Barn for baby stuff. I needed to get a crib, diapers, clothes…the list went on. It was overwhelming, actually. I didn’t realize how much kids cost until I started counting up the dimes and pennies.

  And my apartment was no place to raise a child. It was a one-bedroom place so it wouldn’t last me long. I’d have to find something else. I preferred a townhouse or something with a small yard. Getting into a good school district was key. If I had the opportunity, I would put my child in private school. But I simply couldn’t afford it.

  I scrolled through the page when I heard a familiar voice.

  “Hello, Clemy.” Scarlet approached my desk. She wore a long yellow dress and her hair was curled over one shoulder. She was always graceful in the way she carried herself and spoke. She reminded me of the Queen of England. I’d actually never met her, but if I did, I would say they had similar mannerisms.

  “Hey, Aunt Scarlet. What brings you here?”

  “My husband,” she said. “And this…” She opened her purse and pulled out a small folded blanket. It was yellow with whales imprinted on it. “I know it’s a little early for gifts but I wanted to give this to you.”

  I took it and felt the soft fabric in my hands. “That was so nice of you…”

  “I made it myself—Sean helped.”

  “You made this?” I asked incredulously.

  “I recently started sowing and knitting.”

  “That’s so cool. Thank you.” I stood up and hugged her. “But you didn’t have to.”

  “Yes, I did,” she said. “I need to start spoiling my grandchild.”

  “Grandchild?” I asked.

  “Well, great aunt. But I prefer grandma.” She gave me a bright smile.

  “My kid is going to have so many grandparents.” Emotion caught in my throat when I thought of my dad. He still hadn’t spoken to me.

  Scarlet read my mind. “I’ll talk to him.”

  “Thank you.” She had no idea how much I appreciated that.

  “So, what’s my husband up to?” She glanced at his door but it was closed. And his blinds were shut.

  “He’s in a meeting right now. You can wait out here with me.”

  “Sounds like a good idea.” She took a seat near my desk.

  “Want some water or tea?”

  “No, thank you,” she said. “I can get it myself if I change my mind.”

  Both Sean and Scarlet were the easiest people to be around. For being extremely rich, they weren’t snooty or entitled. She owned half of this place but she didn’t breathe down my neck and check to see if I was doing my job.

  “Anything new with you?” I asked.

  “No, not really,” she said. “Sean and I have been golfing a lot.”

  “I didn’t know you played.”

  “I’m pretty decent,” she said. “But I suspect it’s just an excuse for Sean to stare at my ass.” She had a teasing smile on her lips.

  Sean and Scarlet hadn’t changed much over the years. They were exactly the same, connected at the hip and desperately in love.

  Mike left his office then came over when he spotted Scarlet. “What’s going on here?” He leaned down and hugged Scarlet tightly.

  “Just stopped by to see Sean.”

  “Does he not know you’re here?” he asked.

  “No,” she said. “He’s in a meeting right now.”

  Mike smirked then turned to me. “I know you’re new so Sean will cut you some slack but he likes to know the second his wife walks into the building—regardless of what he’s doing.”

  I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. “But he told me to hold all his calls and not disturb him.”

  “She doesn’t count.” He patted Scarlet on the shoulder then walked away.

  “Don’t listen to him,” Scarlet said. “You’re doing fine. I don’t mind waiting. Sometimes I feel like I just distract him anyway.”

  She and I made small talk about my pregnancy and if the baby was a boy or a girl. I really had no preference about the sex as long as it was healthy. The only sadness I felt was the fact I wouldn’t have another one right away. I always wanted to have my two kids close in age. Now they wouldn’t even have the same father.

  Sean’s door opened and Sean stepped out with his client. They shook hands then discussed when they would hit the country club. Sean was in the middle of speaking when he spotted Scarlet sitting beside me. “Uh…you know the way out, right?”

  “Of course, Mr. Preston,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve been here enough times.” He walked away and headed to the hallway.

  Sean marched to Scarlet like he was about to head to battle. “Everything okay?’ He actually moved to his knees in front of her so they were eye-level. It was like he worshipped her and the ground she walked on.

  I felt intrusive just from looking at them.

  “Yes, dear,” she said gently. “Everything is fine.” She cupped his face and gave him a quick kiss.

  He clearly wanted more than that because he gripped her around the waist and didn’t seem like he wanted to let go anytime soon. He deepened the kiss and didn’t let her come up for air.

  I turned to my computer because I felt extremely awkward.

  Scarlet finally pushed him off. “Not at work, Sean.”

  “I own this building. I can do whatever I damn well please.” He stood up then looked down at me. “Why didn’t you tell me she was here?”

  Scarlet sighed and rolled her eyes. “She said you were in a meeting and I said I didn’t mind waiting.”

  He ignored her. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He seemed mad.

  I’d never seen him mad. “You told me to hold all your calls…”

  He took a deep breath like he was trying not to yell. “I—”

  “Sean.” Scarlet stopped him in midsentence just by saying his name.

  He seemed to control himself from exploding. When he spoke again, his voice came out gentle. “I should have told you this before and I apologize for that.” He cleared his throat. “The second you know my wife is in the building you need to tell me—immediately. I don’t care if I’m in a meeting. Even if the President of the United States is in my office, I don’t care. My wife doesn’t wait for anything. You understand me?”

  Damn, he was psychotic when it came to Scarlet. He was so calm and laid back about everything else. I even printed out the wrong contracts and made him sign all of them just to make him do it again. I wasted two hours of his time. But he didn’t care at all. But with this, he was a stickler. “I understand.”

  Scarlet sighed like she was embarrassed. “People think you’re crazy, you know that?”

  “And when have I ever cared?” He gave her a serious look. Then he grabbed her hand and pulled her from the chair. “Let’s talk in my office. Clementine, hold all my calls.”

  “No.” Scarlet turned to me. “Clementine, you patch all those damn calls through. You understand me?”

  Sean glared at her.

  Scarlet seemed to call all the shots in their relationship so I decided to listen to her. “Yes, Mrs. Preston.”

  “Thank you.” She walked into his office.

  Sean followed her, and I was pretty sure he star
ed at her ass as he did it.

  ***

  “I’m sorry I…flipped out earlier.” Sean rubbed the back of his neck as he stood in front of my desk.

  “It’s okay,” I said with a forced smile. “No harm done.”

  “I should have told you before and that was my fault.”

  “It’s really okay.”

  “So, we’re okay?” he asked tentatively.

  “Yeah.” I gave him a nod for assurance.

  “Okay.” He handed me a folder. “Could you go to Ward’s office and ask him for the chip files?”

  I had no idea what the chip files were but it was easy enough to remember. “Sure.”

  “Thank you.” He walked back into his office.

  I knew this would happen eventually. Ward and I would cross paths and there was nothing I could do about it. I had to be mature about this. Ward clearly despised me and hated to even look at me. To him, I was just a stupid, stripping whore. And that made me feel terrible. The last time we spoke, he made me feel small and pathetic. The night ended with me slapping him hard across the face before I slammed the door on him.

  I took a deep breath and gained my courage before I walked down the hall and migrated to his office. His secretary didn’t pay me any attention since she knew who I was, and his door was cracked slightly so I stepped inside. “May I come in?” I knocked on the door just to be courteous.

  Ward looked up, and eyeglasses sat on the bridge of his nose.

  I never knew he wore glasses.

  He took them off and set them on his desk. His jacket hung over the back of his chair, and he wore a white collared shirt with a gray vest on top. His Rolex shined on his wrist, and his body looked sculpted and defined, even through his clothes. I wished I didn’t notice his charms anymore. I wished I could look at him and feel nothing.

  There was a look of irritation in his eyes but he didn’t give voice to it. “How can I help you?” He turned back to the contract he was reading.

  “I didn’t know you wore glasses,” I blurted. I don’t know what possessed me to say it. How did that not come up in our yearlong relationship?

  “Now you do,” he said coldly. “Would you like to know what brand I prefer too? I don’t think we discussed that either.” His eyes were as black as coal.

  Would it be like this every time we interacted? Would it always be a battlefield? “You know, for a man so professional and intelligent, it’s a pity you’re acting like a teenage boy whose just hit puberty and hasn’t figured out how to relieve his newfound stress.”

  His eyes narrowed in annoyance.

  “We’re going to be working together for a long time, so I suggest you grow up and start acting like an adult. We broke up. Big deal. Get over it, Ward.”

  Steam was coming out of his ears. “I wish I could get over it just as quickly as you did.”

  “I thought you were over me?” I challenged.

  “But it took me much longer to get there.” He rose to his feet, looking threatening. “Now what the fuck do you want?” Hostility radiated from every pore of his body.

  “You’re seriously going to keep treating me like this?”

  “You’re seriously going to keep thinking you’re a rebound to Skye?”

  I was getting so sick of this. “I didn’t do anything wrong! You were the one who fucked it all up, not me.”

  “Me?” His hands balled into fists. “You never gave me a real chance. You never trusted me from the very beginning. I offered to give you whatever you wanted but that was never enough for precious Clementine.” He breathed hard like his body would break from all the rage deep inside. “Maybe you haven’t figured this out yet, but you’re never going to find a guy like me. Keep searching, and you’ll realize I was the only man who actually cared about you. I just hope you stop working at strip joints.”

  “You’re an asshole.”

  “And you’re a bitch,” he hissed.

  I tried not to cry. I wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

  “And your bastard of a child will say the same thing.”

  Now he went too far. My body shook in anger and I wanted to rip his eyes out. I marched to his desk until I was an inch from his face. “Give me the chip contracts so I don’t have to stand here for a moment longer.” I controlled my tears and didn’t let them fall. But my eyes were built up with moisture. I hoped he didn’t notice.

  Ward didn’t move.

  “Now!”

  He continued to stare at my face as he opened the drawer and pulled out a folder. Then he tossed it on his desk.

  I sniffed then grabbed them, turning around as quickly as possible so he wouldn’t see the emotion on my face. I refused to let him see how much he hurt me. He could say whatever he wanted but it would just bounce off me. He didn’t need to know how far the bullet went.

  Chapter Two

  Slade

  “Have you talked to him?” Trinity asked the second I came home from work.

  “No.” I tossed my belongings on the counter then sighed as I walked toward her. “He won’t respond to my text messages or phone calls.” I moved to the couch beside her.

  She immediately moved close to me and rubbed my shoulders. “Go by his apartment.”

  “I already did,” I said in frustration. “He must be shacking up with Skye to avoid me.”

  “Wow, he must be really mad.” She moved her fingers into my muscle.

  I yanked my shirt off then tossed it on the ground so her fingers would be on my bare skin. “I don’t see why. Who cares if I hang out with Arsen? I’m not allowed to have other friends? I know he has other friends. This is stupid.” I rubbed my temple in agitation.

  “Maybe there’s something more. Don’t assume anything until you talk to him.”

  “If I could talk to him…”

  She moved one leg to my lap then kissed the muscles of my back. Her lips moved to my spine and then to the back of my neck.

  Somehow, she was making me forget about Cayson altogether. When she kissed me like that I couldn’t think of much else. A quiet moan came from my lips because I enjoyed her beautiful touch.

  “I know what my man likes.” She moved to the back of the couch then straddled my hips. Then she kissed my neck and my chest, still rubbing me as she did it. Then she slid to the ground and undid my jeans. When they were loose, she pulled down my boxers until my cock came loose. When she licked her lips, I knew what would happen next.

  I gripped her neck then guided her onto my dick. I used my other hand to grip her and I let my head roll back as I thrust gently inside her. My dick was long but she didn’t have a problem getting it down her throat. It felt so good to come home from a long day and have my cock sucked like this. Why was I so scared to get married? It was awesome.

  Trinity was pleasing me because she knew I had a bad day. She wanted to make me feel good, to forget about the struggles going on outside our apartment. She always put me first, making sure I was happy and satisfied. But it made me want to do the same to her. I loved her and appreciated her and I never wanted her to leave. How did I keep the most gorgeous woman in the world in my life? It wasn’t by taking advantage of her.

  I pulled her head back until my cock came out with a noticeable popping noise. “You give great head, baby.”

  She grabbed the base and licked the tip. “I’ve had a lot of practice.”

  “But you know what you do better?” I scooped her from the ground and pulled her to my chest.

  “What’s that?” she asked as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

  “Make love.”

  Her eyes softened as I carried her to our bedroom. “Yeah?”

  I kissed her neck as I laid her on the bed. “Definitely.” I pulled her clothes away, taking my time. When we were both naked and wrapped tightly around one another, I didn’t enter her. Instead, I held on and kissed her passionately. Sometimes this was all I wanted to do with her, to kiss her and never stop. It was the best kind of foreplay, and sometime
s I thought it was more intimate than sex. “Don’t ever leave me,” I said as I kept kissing her. “No matter how much I drive you crazy.”

  “If I’m still here you have nothing to worry about.”

  ***

  I went by Skye’s apartment the next day. I was sick of Cayson avoiding me and refusing to take my calls. There was nothing worse than having a best friend who refused to speak to you. I wasn’t even sure what I did to piss him off so much.

  Skye opened the door with a guarded expression. “Yes?”

  “I need to see Cayson.” I tried to step inside.

  “Whoa, hold on.” She shut the door on me but left it open by a crack. “I didn’t invite you inside.”

  “And you think that matters?” I snapped. “Just let me talk to him.”

  “He’s not here.”

  “You’re so fucking full of it.” I pushed the door open again.

  “I’m naked!” she blurted and kept most of her body behind the door.

  “Gross…” I cringed and stepped back. “Why would you answer the door naked?

  “I…thought you were the pizza guy.”

  “That still doesn’t make sense.”

  “Well, I got to go. Talk to you later.” She shut the door and locked it.

  I sighed and wondered what my next move should be.

  ***

  “Yo, Dad.” I slapped the counter as I leaned over it.

  He was making notes on a clipboard. “Yo, son.” He didn’t meet my gaze and he spoke in a bored voice.

  “Have you and Cortland ever fought before?”

  That caught his attention. He put down the clipboard and looked me in the eye. “Why are you asking?”

  “He’s your best friend, right? Like, your best best friend?”

  “I guess,” he said.

  “So, have you ever had a fight before?”

  “Like, a physical brawl?” he asked.

  “No, like he got mad at you or something.”

  He had a blank expression on his face. “Why would he be mad at me?”

  “I don’t know,” I snapped. “So, he’s never been mad at you?”

  He shook his head.

  “Have you ever been mad at him?”