Loving Sweetness (Sweet #2) Read online

  Loving Sweetness

  Book 2 in the Sweet Series

  Jude Ouvrard

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Copyright © Jude Ouvrard 2014

  Published by Jude Ouvrard

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Edited by Megan Noelle

  Proofread by Susan Ramsey and Simone Beaudelaire

  Cover Designer: JC Clarke

  It wouldn’t be the same without you all.

  Thank you

  I woke up to the shining sun of summer; Calvin’s spot on the bed had already cooled down. He said he had to be at work at eight at the latest, while my shift started at nine. I sighed. Having him with me this morning would have been appreciated. I needed him right now, as my boyfriend, because later he would be my boss and it freaked me out. This time, it was completely different from when I worked at the gym. This job meant a whole lot. My career depended on him.

  The ring of my phone startled me while I still lay in bed, trying to calm my nerves.

  “Hello,” I answered with a terrible morning voice.

  Luckily, whoever it was couldn’t smell my morning breath.

  “Hey, Sis. I just wanted to wish you good luck on your big day. I don’t know what kind of night you had, but I was restless!” She groaned.

  “It wasn’t a good night for me. I tossed and turned nonstop.” Starting a new, life-changing job had the potential of screwing with my mind and, apparently, my sleep schedule. Hell, it was worth it, though. Especially for this kind of opportunity.

  She chuckled. “I knew it. The magic of twins.” We laughed. “I have to get going. Dad’s waiting for me. Call me tonight and tell me all about it. I mean, tell me all about your hot shot boss.”

  “Rose, please. It’s not like that.” She had read too many books, giving her the wrong idea about Calvin and me.

  “Yeah, right.” I heard the sarcasm in her voice.

  “I’ll call you later,” I said rolling my eyes at her with a goofy smile on my face. I was going to be taking this career completely seriously, but the thought of a little office sexy time was still exciting.

  My sister knew me well. Her phone call was exactly what I needed to start my day on the right path. I showered and got dressed. Krys and I had decided on my outfit last night. This was, of course, after meticulously going through every single thing in my closet. Calvin kept telling me I didn’t have to do this, but yes, I did. His wardrobe could make any businessman jealous. It was filled with tailored suits and shirt. Unlike him, I had plenty of jeans and t-shirts, but that wasn’t work appropriate. At least, not anymore. Gulp.

  My first day.

  My very first day as a marketing manager for Banks Sports Agency.

  Did I really deserve that title? No, I doubted it, but oh my God, this day couldn’t be any more exciting. Krys had spent at least thirty minutes convincing me I could do this. Cold feet syndrome officially began a few days ago when I realized this really was happening. I needed to be confident with my new position. My grey pants matched perfectly with my dark grey cashmere cardigan. I hid my cleavage, kept the style classic. I only desired to be respected as a manager. It wasn’t going to come overnight, I had to work for it. Not everything could be given, trust could only be earned.

  After climbing the floors in the elevator, I reached what would be my new home away from home. The click of my heels on the marble floor, the smile on my face that couldn’t go away, the strong heartbeat promising to break through my rib cage as I walked past Calvin’s office to mine. I had worked hard to get my diploma, and today marked the day I started my dream job. I faced my door and my name had already been placed on the frosted glass. It had never looked so good, and I had never been more proud to see it. Iris Hartwell, marketing manager. Junior should have been included– junior marketing manager. I tried to talk Calvin into it, but he didn’t want to hear any of it. He believed in me and knew I had everything a manager needed to be successful. He had a vision for his empire and said I had to stand next to him.

  Walking into my new office, I gazed at the view of New York City I had through my windows. Breathtaking! I graduated three weeks ago and Calvin had taken care of framing my diploma and hung it on the wall by the door. Chuckling erupted from my lips when I saw it. It was such a thoughtful gesture—I couldn’t get over how amazing that man was.

  “Babe,” he said, knocking on my door. His smiled sent tingles directly to my core.

  “Calvin, you can’t call me babe here. It’s not appropriate.” I reprimanded him, although I loved when he called me babe or… Sweetness.

  “I’ve always called you babe here, and it never used to be an issue.” He frowned.

  “I know, but I’m trying to fit into the mold. I must act professionally. Your staff, I’m almost convinced they hate the fact that I went from the gym receptionist to manager. It doesn’t make sense and it would have never happened…if it wasn’t because we are dating.”

  He sighed and looked directly into my eyes. I had no idea what he was thinking, and it was agonizing. “Alright.” He stepped closer to me. “But we’re much more than dating. I hate the word.” Frowning, he looked disgusted.

  “I love you, Calvin.” I said quietly, while I placed my arms around his waist. “You smell good, by the way.” He only owned one cologne – something wild mixed with a strong, flowery scent – and it complemented him perfectly. I could lose myself in his scent.

  “So do you.” He leaned in and kissed my forehead. “I want you, babe.” His hand, tender against my cheek, warmed me, but I had to keep control of the situation or we would both be naked in less than thirty seconds.

  “Calvin,” I warned him.

  “Iris,” he said, using the same tone.

  “We can’t do this, I want to be respected.”

  He closed his eyes and reopened them only for me to see him hurt. “Screw them, I want you. We did this before. It never caused a problem. Do you want me to refresh your memory?” He kissed me and sucked on my bottom lip. “Besides, we have to christen your office.”

  “Calvin, I’m saying no. Not now, it’s my first day. Please,” I begged him. “You have to understand, please. Tonight, we will. I promise.” I pulled away from him, just a little.

  His lips barely touched my forehead. That wasn’t a kiss. He stepped away and turned around, heading for the door. “Have a nice day, babe.” He slammed the door and I sat at my desk, lost, frustrated and aroused.

  Maybe I pushed too far. Maybe I could tolerate to be called babe. Maybe not. I was twenty-three years old and I was supposed to have this under control. Except, I didn’t.

  A few days ago, we celebrated my birthday. Calvin spoiled me rotten. I insisted we stay home, or at least in the city, because I already felt the stress of the new job settling in, and I wanted to be mentally prepared. Travelling like he had first proposed didn’t appeal. He bought me a beautiful bracelet with a letter ‘C’ pendant. I
loved it and promised I would never take it off. He invited Danielle, Justin and Krys for a dinner out in a very nice restaurant and made sure the champagne was flowing. We had a blast. He kept it simple and that was what I loved about it.

  Someone knocked on my door, taking me away from my birthday memories.

  “Come in,” I said loudly.

  “Iris, good morning.” Candice smiled. Calvin sure knew how to pick his assistants. She was a mix of Cameron Diaz and Charlize Theron. Tall and skinny, she could rock a pair of heels like a model on the catwalk. Her off-white knee-length skirt kissed each of her curves and her deep V-neck blouse didn’t leave much to the imagination. She looked like a professional woman. I looked like a wannabe professional woman who played dressed up in her mother’s wardrobe. I had to fix this. Today.

  “Candice.” I forced a smile.

  She came closer to my desk and rested a hand over my forearm. For some unknown reason, I didn’t like it. “How’s your first day going? Calvin’s so happy to have you here. He’s been planning this day for weeks,” she gushed.

  “I’m okay. I have a lot on my plate.”

  She gave my arm a small squeeze. “He sent me to help you. You have to set up your computer, your email signature and he wants me to go over the marketing plan we organized for you.”

  I hated when she said ‘we’. Calvin was mine only.

  That was when I realized he had done all this for me – made up a plan to get me started – and I had pushed him away. He planned everything to make me feel at ease, and I put a stop to his excitement. I wanted to talk to him, but I couldn’t, not now. Knowing I hurt him was going to weigh heavily on my mind, but I promised myself I would make it right later.

  “Thank you, Candice. I appreciate it.” Adjusting my leather chair to be comfortable and starting up the computer, I’m found myself ready to start my day. On a piece of paper, I had a temporary password and login name. My password was babe69, of course. How appropriate. My cheeks grew crimson at the sight of his shameless choice, especially knowing Candice had likely seen it too.

  Candice sat next to me and helped me through the email signature, my voicemail message and the direct messaging program.

  Hi, Calvin. Testing.

  Message received, bab… Iris.

  “Well, it seems to be working just fine.” Candice closed our instant messages and opened up the marketing plan from my mailbox. The way she looked at me made me feel like I stood three inches smaller, so little and insecure. In the past, Candice had always been nice, but something had changed the second she knocked on my door.

  “Are you ready for this? It’s quite a big change from receptionist to manager. Calvin must have seen something in you.” Her glorious smile hit me like a slap in the face. She was testing me.

  “I’m ready.” I decided to ignore her comments. Being rude to her wouldn’t do any good. Calvin had been working with her for quite some time now. Together, they had accomplished a lot. The agenda of the company was completely organized by Candice; she knew it all.

  There was a good chance he had fucked her already—more than once. The way she kept saying his name sounded like he was hers. She might be a good assistant, but I couldn’t trust her, not yet. Something was off, I simply didn’t know what yet.

  The plan they had created together surprised me. They had thought of pretty much everything. Which company I should contact for sponsorship, which athletes I should keep an eye on, and the list kept going. Now, I had to figure out how to make all of this happen. After locking my computer, I made my way down the gym for my lunch break.

  As soon as I set foot inside the all-too familiar place where I began my career with this company, the tension and pressure lifted from my shoulders.

  “Hey, Danielle,” I sang.

  “Hey, girl, what’s up? Missing me already?” Walking up to me, she gave me a quick hug. I loved that girl. Danielle had to be one of the sweetest girls I knew.

  “Yes. Actually, I do.” I rolled my eyes. “I need to kick some butt.”

  “It’s only your first day and there’s already trouble in paradise?” She crooked her eyebrow at me, looking worried.

  I laughed. “Not trouble. Tension, maybe. Not to mention—my day is filled with Candice.” I paused, thinking I wasn’t sure if I had a valid reason not to like her. “Well, she showed me so many things, my brain fried.” I decided to leave out just how much she intimidated me. After all, I had to give her a chance. She had to adapt to me working in the office, as well.

  “Why don’t you take the Boot Camp Cardio class? It starts in five minutes.”

  “That’s the plan.”

  I went to the ladies’ lockers room and changed into my gym clothes. My phone had been silent all morning. I checked one last time before leaving it in my locker. Nothing. At that moment, I knew Calvin wouldn’t talk to me until I reached out to him. Without meaning to, I had pushed him away and ruined our day. I sighed, feeling defeated.

  I joined the boot camp class and within ten minutes, sweat had drenched everything I was wearing. I gave it my all and kicked ass. At one point, Calvin sauntered by, dressed in his gym clothes. There was no doubt he did that on purpose, just to let me know he was here too. It was a safe bet to assume he was heading to a kick boxing class. It always had been his thing when something didn’t go as planned. Calvin craved control and this morning, I completely side-tracked him. I tried keeping up with the instructor showing us the moves, but my eyes drifted toward the entry, where I could see Calvin.

  The truth was that I missed him already.

  When the boot camp ended, I crashed on the floor. I sat in the middle of the room with my legs crossed, catching my breath. I could feel my pulse on every inch of my skin. My face had turned burgundy red and the roots of my hair were completely saturated. As soon as I could walk again, a shower was obligatory.

  “Iris.” I lifted my eyes at the sound of his voice.

  “Baby,” I said unable to add more.

  “Are you okay?”

  I nodded and tried to take deep breaths. I had been training here for a couple of months, and I still had no cardio strength. I really sucked at this.

  He walked closer and sat right in front of me, our legs almost touching.

  “Take your time. You killed it. I watched you.” He smiled, unashamed.

  “Do you… Are you still mad?” The words came out of my mouth like a Formula One racing car. Before I had time to think, I had already said them.

  “A little,” he said, not meeting my eyes, and it hurt me. “You never said no to me before this morning, and you don’t want me to call you babe. It’s like you’re trying to break who we are. Us.”

  He was wrong. So terribly wrong. I took a few seconds to think about what to say. I couldn’t stand to hurt him. I had to make it right. “You know how much I love you, how grateful I am that you’re offering me this job, but you have to see it my way for a minute. I’m twenty-three years old, with no experience for the job, and you gave me a promotion to a title that normally takes years to earn. You gave me my dream job. I know I don’t deserve it, but I’m too selfish to give it up. I have big shoes to fill, and I need to be taken seriously by your staff. If you start calling me babe when we’re both in the office, it’s not going to make me look good.”

  “Why did you push me away when I wanted you?”

  “For the same reason, Cal. We can’t do this during business hours. What if Candice walks in, or anyone else for that matter?”

  “I can and will have you when I feel like having you. That’s why there’s a lock on your door and my own. I would never let anyone see you while we’re intimate. Never.”

  I smiled. He had thought about everything. “Was the door locked the first time?”

  “Always.” He took my hand into his. He was warm and sweaty too. “Now, will you let me have you?”

  “I really need a shower.” I wet my bottom lip with my tongue before biting down on it.

  “Me t
oo.” He helped me up and led the way out to the ladies’ locker room. I got my clothes and followed him to his private restroom.

  “Calvin, slow down.” He kept my hand firmly in his until the room was locked. The tension between us kept building and we hadn’t even touched each other yet.

  “You drive me crazy, babe. I thought about you in more than one inappropriate way since the second I left your office this morning. Thoughts about taking you on your desk, mine, or on the wall. I dealt with my hard on for hours so don’t ask me to slow down because I really need to take what’s mine.”

  He pressed his chest against mine and slowly pushed me toward the wall until it reached my back. I could feel his erection on my stomach. I didn’t think I could hold it together any longer.

  “What do you want now, babe?” He smirked, knowing the effect he had on me.

  I pointed my finger at him and mouthed ‘you’.

  “I want to hear you say it, babe. All I can hear in my mind is you saying no to me. I want, no, I need to hear you say you want me.”

  “I want you, Calvin.” I whispered against his chest in between kisses.

  “Turn around.” I did. He pushed down my shorts and underwear. The sounds of it convinced one or the other tore.

  With his foot, he pushed apart my legs. Both of my hands flat on the wall, I wished I had something to hold on to. He pulled my hips toward his and a second later, he pushed inside me. He groaned while kissing my neck; his fingers on my hips were trembling. He slid out and let out a heavy sigh before slamming back into me. My breasts pressed against the wall with every thrust. Calvin wasn’t being gentle. He was frustrated and needy.

  “Tell me you how much you like feeling me inside you, Sweetness.”

  “Calvin…” I couldn’t say more because I couldn’t think clearly.

  His hands slowly danced their way to my breasts, he pulled up my sport bra and caressed my nipples. I felt my insides tightening around his cock. My peak, my climax, my paradise was near. My back arched even more to take him as deeply as possible. His cock hit my spot repeatedly until everything became electrifying. His hand covered my mouth to stop the moan from coming out too loudly. I felt his warm seed inside me before he pulled out and turned me back around. His mouth was on mine, kissing me hungrily. Calvin devoured me, touched me and claimed me like he never had before.