Thrive: A Friends-to-Lovers Standalone Romance (Stonewood Billionaire Brothers Series)
Thrive: Chapter 25

Lesson of the Day: Sometimes you should be selfless. Other times you need to be selfish.

Mikka

Bob called while Jay was lying next to me, running his hand up and down my arm. Completely naked.

I’d turned into the worst PA.

And, for once, I didn’t care.

“Hello?” I shoved his hand away to try to maintain some semblance of professionalism. Jay rolled over to get out of bed.

Bob bellowed into the phone, “Director’s requesting another test. Seems he’s actually feeling pretty good about things, though. The paparazzi didn’t follow you there and there’s been no news, which is good news.”

I heard Jay rummaging and sat up to see him in my suitcase, looking for something I was sure I didn’t want him to replace. “Yes, um, it’s great. Everything’s great here. I’ll get the test for you right away.” I wriggled over and tried to shove Jay away from my things without losing the sheet wrapped around my body.

“He seem like he’s recovering, okay?” Bob sounded concerned as Jay whipped out my purple mini wand like he’d found a freaking treasure.

“Uh, yes. He’s doing well. He runs every morning and has been very healthy.”

Jay pulled the sheet back and slid onto the mattress.

“I’m just concerned. That boy is like a son to me.” I heard the vibrator turn on, and Jay licked his lips as his eyes roamed up and down my body. I shoved him, but he didn’t falter at all. He pulled back the sheet and kissed his way down my stomach.

I hissed at the contact, my body so sensitive already to his touch. I pulled at his hair, but he didn’t come up for air. Instead, he inched down farther and rubbed the wand up my thigh.

“You okay, Mikka?” Bob’s voice sounded far away. I’d almost forgotten about him.

“Yes. I…I’m so good.” I dragged out the word, arching when Jay slid the wand up so that it shook right at my entrance. “I should go if you want this test completed.”

“Oh, no rush. Director wants it by end of day. I’m also thinking we should schedule some interviews with TV shows and see if Lela’s PA can work with you to put some couple events on the calendar for them. You have your planner on you?”

The answer should have been yes. I used to have that leather book bag stuck to my side. I was the best at what I did, but Jay was the best at what he was doing.

The mini wand slid in and out of me, and he sucked on my clit like it was his favorite piece of candy.

“Bob, I can’t…” I gasped. “I’m going to have to call you back.”

I hung up.

On my boss.

Then, I wrapped my legs around Jay’s neck and rode his mouth and that wand like I was an equestrian. I screamed his name and wondered if I’d ever had this much fun with a toy before.

I hadn’t.

When I finally came down from the ride, he slid the wand out of me and waved it around with newfound love. “Well, this little device is useful.”

“I can’t believe you did that,” I huffed. “So unprofessional.”

“Would it be unprofessional of me to tell my PA I want to fuck her after I piss in a cup, too?”

I groaned. “You’re hopeless, Jay.”

“Nah, just honest.”

“Back to our ground rules?”

“They were damn good ones, woman. Now, get up and get ready. We have to make an appearance downstairs.”

I searched the room for my clothes and slipped into jeans and a sweater. “Why? Have you gotten a text already saying they heard we’re trying to conceive up here?”

“No. But I’m sure that’s coming. I need the cup too.”

I grabbed a drug kit package from the closet and handed it to him. “Bob said he doesn’t think the director will ask for many more.”

He shrugged. “Don’t care if he does.”

“Can I ask you something?”

He tensed before he crossed over into the bathroom, cup in hand.

“You don’t have to answer, but does it get easier? Do you still have the craving?”

“I miss the habit of the partying scene, Meek. But I like to think I wasn’t that bad.”

I didn’t know if he believed it, if he knew what bad meant. “There’s bad in everyone, right? And maybe a little addiction too.”

“Right. But I stumbled a little farther down that path than most. So I did my time, and I’ve got a better handle on things now.”

I believed him. Who wouldn’t? He was Jay Stonewood. He could charm anyone into believing anything.

He closed the bathroom door and emerged a minute later with the glorified cup that held his results.

I took a photo and sent it to Bob. “I need my planner to—”

“No planner for the month. We already discussed this. Your plan is to hang out with me.”

“I have to plan past this month, Jay,” I whined.

“We do? For what?”

My jaw dropped. “You’re baiting me, right? You can’t honestly think we’re going to wing this whole movie premiere. You have to get on Good Morning America; you need to be seen out with Lela and the crew. You need to schedule radio interviews, more talk shows, and we’ll need to ramp up your social media.”

“Mikka, you had that all planned months ago. Your planner is filled with shit we’re doing all of next month.”

He was right, but the more I talked about it, the more I felt the need crawling its way back in. “I need my planner!”

“Or what?”

“Or I’ll hold out for the rest of the time we’re here,” I blurted, like I could hold that over his head, like he couldn’t just go get some from someone else.

“Woman, you couldn’t hold out if your life depended on it.”

“Excuse me?” I narrowed my eyes. I wasn’t thinking about the book bag anymore. All I saw was the dare he’d thrown at me.

He walked up to me and pushed his chest into mine. He cupped my cheeks and peered down at me. “I’m not betting on it. I want you too much and you’ll make it your mission to prove you can.”

“I can,” I retorted.

He chuckled and pecked me on the lips. “I know, Meek. You can do anything you set your mind to. Should we go bother Lorraine with our presence?”

I shrugged, not sure I was completely happy with the turn of events. “I still don’t have my planner.”

“And you won’t until the end of the month. Lela and the film crew will be here next week. It’ll be our last week here. We should enjoy this, little one. We won’t get the time back.”

It was true. Time would be against us. It would whittle away at our little bubble and remind me that we were only here to work temporarily in this small town where I didn’t belong anyway.

I sighed and nodded.

We both deserved a moment of peace, a place to rest our heads, and a safe haven for our bodies. We’d treated them poorly for long enough. And it wouldn’t be long before the movie released, before we parted ways so that Jay could be larger than life again.

Larger than this small town and definitely larger than being with me.