Sweetheart.”
Warmth caresses my face as the gentle whir of the remote-controlled shades being raised at the windows echoes in my ears.
“Five more minutes.” I sigh sleepily as I inhale the scent of my lavender pillow spray mixed with the aroma of Griffin on the crisp sheets.
He leans over me from behind, inhaling the same spot as me.
“My bed smells so much better with you in it,” he whispers in my ear, pressing his warm, hard body against my back.
“Good. I’m glad.” I smile, keeping my eyes firmly closed.
“Sweetheart.” He plants soft kisses against my bare skin from my shoulder all the way up to my ear. “We have the filming to prepare for.”
“Mmm.” I let out a half moan, half groan.
He’s right. The crew are arriving tomorrow, ready to start shooting the day after. The Songbird needs to be ready. It’s come around so quickly. The last week has flown by. Since that first night I spent in his apartment, I’ve barely left. We’ve gotten into a routine. Concentrate on business all day. Concentrate on each other all night.
I swear every staff member in the hotel suspects something is going on. But they don’t seem to care. I was worrying over their reactions for nothing. The Songbird is Griffin’s hotel, and I’ve discovered through Harley that he has an open policy about employees dating. I guess when the boss allows it for everyone—so long as work isn’t affected—then it doesn’t raise so many eyebrows when he does it himself.
“Kiss me good morning first.” I turn my face so his lips can reach mine.
He holds my chin between his fingers and gifts me with the softest, most perfect kiss I could ever hope to wake up to.
“What’s that look for?” He smiles at me, his eyes sparkling before he presses his lips to my forehead and kisses me there.
“I was just thinking about how I love waking up next to you.”
“I see.” His voice deepens as I wriggle in his arms, knowing exactly what’s coming.
The same thing that’s come every morning since I came home to his apartment with him that first night. The same thing I crave in my dreams and yearn to wake up for.
“You know how much I love sinking myself inside that pretty cunt when I wake up,” Griffin whispers, nipping at my ear with his teeth. “I guess this morning shouldn’t be any exception.”
I sigh happily, rolling onto my back and wrapping my arms around his neck as he kisses me.
He lines up the head of his cock and then he’s sliding inside me, causing our kiss to stop as we both open our eyes and gaze at one another. The same we do every time he first enters me. Ever since that first night we had sex without a condom, and he looked so deep into my eyes that it was as though he was seeing my soul.
And I was offering it up for him to take.
His eyes search mine, the skin around them softening as I smile up at him. It’s like the removal of the physical barrier between our skin removed the invisible one around our hearts as well.
I’m falling in love with this man.
And the way he looks at me, I swear he feels it, too.
“Griff,” I murmur, stroking my fingers down the side of his face as I look into his eyes.
“I know, Sweetheart. Me too.” His eyes pinch with emotion, and then his lips find mine again and he sinks back inside me.
I let my eyes fall closed and wrap myself around him as he rocks us both to a slow, awakening orgasm.
This.
This is what I love about him.
At night, he fucks me like he owns me. Hard, dominating, unapologetic. Like I’m his plaything, designed for his pleasure. And I love it. I love every toe-curling, hot sweaty minute as he whispers pure and utter pantie-melting filth in my ear and makes me come undone around him again and again.
But in the mornings… it’s different.
That first time his eyes find mine, they always brighten. Lift with an undisguised pleasure that I’m still here. That I stayed to welcome another new day with him. His words are still pure filth and sound so perfect tumbling from his beautiful lips. But they’re always spoken differently. Softer, sweeter. Whispered to me as he holds my eyes in his and makes love to me.
Yes.
Griffin Parker makes love like a God, too.
I am well and truly fucked if this ever ends.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, stroking my hair back from my face as he stays firmly rooted inside my body. “I’m so glad you’re mine. You were made for me, Sweetheart.”
God, this man.
I gaze up at him, pressing my fingertips to the corners of his eyes, tracing the creases there from when he laughs. I stroke them with a featherlight touch as my eyes search his, looking for any lingering doubt he might be hiding.
There’s none.
“I could never be anyone else’s. You were made for me, too.”
He smiles at me, and then his lips are on mine again, his tongue sliding into my mouth as he rolls me on top of him.
“After work tonight. I’m fucking you like this, with your incredible tits on display.”
I laugh as I look at him, my romantic morning Griffin slipping away for another twenty-four hours as domineering Mr. Parker returns.
“If I’m on top, doesn’t that mean I’m in charge?” I flex around where he is still inside me and a groan vibrates his throat.
“You might get to be on top later. But never forget who owns this perfect fucking body.”
He spins us again until he’s hovering over me with my wrists pinned to the mattress.
We look at each other with matching energy buzzing behind our eyes. He’s right. Even when I get on top, it’s always him in control. He always knows just how to hold my hips and lift me like I weigh nothing, dragging me up and down onto him to get us both off at the same time.
That’s him. My perfect, skilled man.
Always in control.
Always gets it right.
“Right, my beautiful girlfriend.” He leans down, kissing me again as he slides out, separating us. “Shower time.”
I close my eyes, pretending to relax back into the pillows. I love the way it sounds when he calls me his girlfriend. He never asked, exactly. But that’s Griffin all over. He decided. His choice. His rules. He called me it one morning, and then made love to me so tenderly that by the end of it my head was spinning as I realized how deep we’d both gotten so quickly. But I’ve adored every second of this journey with him.
His large hand grips mine and pulls me up from the bed. My eyes fly open as he pulls me against him.
“Don’t fucking toy with me, Sweetheart.”
A sting flashes over my skin, sending a ripple of electricity following it as Griffin slaps me on the behind. I suck in a breath, my cheeks flushing as he watches me.
“Fuck, get your ass in that shower now.” He palms his now hardening cock as he pushes me along in front of him. His eyes cast down to my ass, where the skin must be reddening. “Why can’t you do as you’re told?”
I glance back at him over my shoulder, knowing exactly what it does to him when I don’t do what he wants straight away. It messes with his control-freak nature and usually ends up with him needing to gain it straight back in the best way he knows how.
“I have to be inside that perfect cunt again,” he growls.
I bite the inside of my cheek to hide my smile as I step under the hot spray of the shower and welcome his mouth onto my neck and his hands onto my breasts.
He’s in control, physically. There’s no doubt about that.
I have no intention of fighting him on it. I know where I crave control, and that’s at work.
But here? Wrapped in the arms of the most brilliant man, naked, with his adoring words pouring out over me, and his earlier adoration seeping from me…
I can’t think of anything more perfect.
“Look what great sex does for your skin,” Harley says as we join the end of the line.
“I’m looking.” Will assesses me with a grin.
We’ve joined the line for coffee at the new deli which has opened in The Songbird’s retail lobby. Harley couldn’t believe Griffin had been keeping it a secret for months while the plans were finalized.
“I can’t believe you knew about this and didn’t tell me.” She raises her brows at me.
“I only found out a couple of days ago. We barely talk about work.”
“No, too busy with your mouth full, I bet.” She smirks at me as I give her a playful look of horror.
“Well, whatever it is. That man has it bad. Were those the third bouquet of flowers he’s sent this week?” Will asks, referring to the frangipanis that arrived at the spa this morning when he was dropping down some paperwork for me.
“Fourth.” I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear as I move along the line.
“Fuck me.” He exhales. “Louis Vuitton and the entire New York flower market. And here’s me thinking my diamond cock piercing was extravagant.”
Harley catches my eye with a smirk. “Van Cleef and Arpels man?”
“The one and only.” Will smiles to himself as we reach the head of the line and order.
Harley gets one for her and Griffin and I take a pen and draw a small bird on his before handing it back to her.
“It’ll make him smile,” I explain as her brows pull together.
“Good. He needs it. He’s driving me nuts barking out orders for the film crew’s schedule. It’s all in hand. Been planned for weeks. But he’s still on the control train making sure it’s all perfect. He’ll have us all out cleaning the sidewalk carpet with our toothbrushes soon.”
I laugh. She’s got it. That’s my man to a tee. Mr. Everything-Must-Be-Perfect.
“Anyway, I better get this back upstairs to him, pronto. Please come blow him under his desk at lunch or something, Maria. Get him to chill the heck out.”
“Bye, Harley.” I grin as she stalks off toward the elevators.
“You getting lots of use out of that gorgeous bag?” Will asks as we walk across the lobby.
“Yes, I suppose.” I smile.
The truth is, I used it once to move my make-up and small items to Griffin’s penthouse that first night, and because I haven’t left, and have grabbed a new outfit for the next day each evening on my way home from work, it’s not been used since.
“Well, make sure you do. Not everyone gets bought a gorgeous Louis Vuitton like that, you know.”
“Who has a Louis?” I turn and find Emily grinning.
“Hi, Em.” I smile back and kiss her on both cheeks.
She drops into the spa so much now that we speak most days. I wouldn’t say we are friends, exactly. But well on the way, perhaps.
“Maria does,” Will says. “And a fine beauty it is, too.”
Emily looks at me, her brow quirked in question.
“It was a gift from Griffin. For all the work I’ve done in the spa.”
I ignore the wide eyes Will’s giving me at my blatant lie and smile at Emily instead.
It’s not completely dishonest. He is very vocal about my work at the spa. Maybe it’s because Emily has known him her whole life, but I don’t feel right telling her about his dating life. The fact that she’s not mentioned the two of us to me yet, despite how many times I’ve seen her, tells me she doesn’t know. And that’s Griffin’s call.
“Oh, I see. Well, that’s lovely. He’s always been so generous. He bought Gwen a diamond necklace after her first month here.”
“Exactly. So generous,” I agree.
My eyes meet Will’s as Emily waves at someone across the lobby. He shakes his head at me, pointing at his neck. I have no idea what he’s going on about.
“Thank you again for all of your help,” I say to Emily.
“What for?”
“The new supplier contracts. I was so grateful to get your call after the gala. It’s all been set up now. It makes me more comfortable knowing you recommended them.”
“Oh. Don’t worry about that.” She waves a hand in the air. “It was nothing. You would do the same for me.”
“Well, I appreciate it,” I repeat as we part, and she and Will head off to the elevator bank together.
I make my way to the spa. The sight of the frangipanis greets me as I enter through the main doors. I walk over and touch a delicate petal.
Should it bother me that Griffin bought Gwen a diamond necklace? I mean, they were dating.
I shake my head as I push the thought to the back of my head. It’s done. It’s all in the past.
I open up my calendar on the computer.
My day is far too busy to even worry about it.
