Page 120 of Playing Mr. Perfect

Clare is absolutely beaming.

“You got the job! Congratulations.” I hug Clare and see Ben heading over.

“I can’t thank you enough for connecting us,” Clare says.

“I’m glad it worked out.”

“Mom, you got the job?” Ben asks excitedly.

“Yes—” Clare barely gets the word out before Ben throws his arms around her and spins her around, shouting, “My mom got the job!”

Ben’s friends converge on them, cheering.

I take Pepper’s hand, pulling her off to the side and into my arms. “Look how happy they are. You have just changed their lives for the better.”

“She’s amazing, Clay, and I think she’s a really good fit for our office. Did you know Trina has epilepsy?”

I glance at Trina, chatting animatedly with everyone, and my heart goes out to her. As I watch Ben’s friends joking with her, something else occurs to me. Trina has a lot of people watching out for her. She has what I didn’t know I was missing. Community. My teammates are my brotherhood, but in Jersey, I don’t have community. I’m finding that here with Pepper, and I’m glad Ben and his family are part of it.

“I didn’t know that. Is she okay?”

“Yeah. They’re figuring things out. I texted Amber and introduced her to Clare, so she could ask her questions and get a sense of what it was like for Amber to grow up with epilepsy.”

“That’s great, sweetheart. I’m sure Clare appreciates it.”

“She appreciates everything. She is ridiculously underpaid. I like knowing that soon she’ll be earning what she’s worth.” Pepper gazes up at me, her eyes brimming with emotion. “But it’s you who changed their lives. I meant what I said last week. I never would’ve thought to talk with her about the job if it weren’t for you. You’re teaching me to get my head out of the office and open my eyes to the people, and the beautiful world, around me.”

“And I never would have met her or Ben if it weren’t for you. We make a good team, Montgomery.”

As I lower my lips to hers, cheers ring out, and Ben hollers, “Get it, Coach!”

“Benjamin!” Clare chides.

I gaze into Pepper’s smiling eyes and cock a brow. “I guess we shouldn’t give them an encore and show them just how crazy about you I am.”

“Probably not, but I like hearing it.” She kisses the center of my chest, and in a voice meant just for me, she says, “I’m kind of crazy about you, too.”

“Kind of?” I crush her against me. “Guess I need to up my game.”

Chapter Thirty

Pepper

I wake to the feel of Clay’s warm lips moving down my neck. “Morning,” I say sleepily.

“It’s not morning yet.” He nips at my lower lip, and I realize it’s dark outside. “I just couldn’t wait another second to taste you.”

Thrills skitter through me like we didn’t leave a movie early last night to ravenously devour each other. We barely made it into the house before tearing off each other’s clothes and getting frisky with the silk scarf he bought me in Paris. It’s hard to believe that was only a little more than a month ago. I swear time moves in a blur when we’re together. We’ve done so much in the week and a half since I hired Clare, it feels much longer. Clay’s working hard on moving forward with his foundation and practicing with Ben and the other guys, and I watched my first Super Bowl, beat Clay in his video game fair and square, and although I didn’t get the funding for the migraine device, MS Enterprises is still considering funding the hands-free mouse alternative. Life is good, and while I know my work stands on its own, I also know the incredible man who is currently looking at me with emotion that feels a lot like love is the reason behind its wonderfulness.

“Then don’t let me stop you,” I say sassily. “Carry on.”

He makes a gruff, appreciative sound and does just that. I revel in the feel of his hot hands caressing my breasts, his talented mouth nipping and kissing along the swell of them. He lowers his mouth over one nipple, rolling the other between his finger and thumb, and I bow off the mattress. “Clay—”

He smiles against my skin, then does it again, drawing a loud moan from my lungs. I push my hands into his hair as he drags his scruff along that sensitive skin, sending prickles of pleasure radiating outward from my chest, down my limbs to the tips of my fingers and toes. His hand skims my ribs as his mouth blazes a path south, obliterating my ability to think about anything other than the desire growing hotter with every touch of his lips.

He teases me, kissing my inner thighs and all around my sex until I’m drenched with desire, squirming and begging for more. When he finally lowers his mouth to where I need it most, the first slick of his tongue nearly sends me over the edge. But he’s become a master at making me want, holding me at the verge of madness until my entire body pulses with need. He pushes my legs open wider, continuing the exquisite torture. I dig my heels into the mattress, my fingernails into his shoulders. “Clay, please—”

He takes my clit between his teeth and pushes his fingers inside me, masterfully finding that hidden spot that has my toes curling and my breath hitching. He does something incredible with his fingers, sending electricity arcing through me. My hips shoot off the mattress as pleasure explodes inside me like rapid-fire missiles. I cry out, and he pushes my hips down, devouring me as incoherent sounds fly from my lips. I’m pretty sure I’m speaking in tongues, but as I surrender to the pleasure bowling me over, I don’t care.