A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3)(76)

“Tell me it won’t change you,” William said again in a whisper. Sweat was dripping off him as he struggled to stay in control. Sweat was pooling on me as I struggled to make him lose it.

“I don’t want it, William. I don’t need it. I don’t care about it. I just want you. I’ll sign a pre-nump. I’ll promise you a limb. Anything, please, all I want is you!”

“I love you.”

He sighed as he pulled himself out roughly, just his head buried within, then slammed into me in sweet ecstasy. I made the  p**n  stars blush with my noise, clutching on to William as he withdrew again and came crashing in. My body was screaming with the pent up anticipation that suddenly released in a flood of pleasure so intense I think I blacked out. My body was being racked by aftershocks as good as many of my previous organisms.

William dropped down onto me, shuddering and spent. His weight felt good, natural.

He nuzzled my ear and said, “I will hold you to it. You’ve made a deal with me, and I will hold you to it, or next time it will be worse.”

“I almost want to re-nig to get to next time,” I said in a doze.

We lay there for a while, sweating on each other, but not wanting to separate our bodies. We both knew we would have to get back to the party, which meant we had to remember our loss.

Finally William climbed off of me and helped me up. He hugged me again, holding me against his body. He kissed me on the head affectionately, and headed to the bathroom to clean up. I followed. I needed a sponge bath and some deodorant, pronto.

“What was all that about? With the money?” I asked him. His worry about it was a little unsettling.

“Money is a strange thing. It changes people.”

“It changes greedy people that don’t have a stable life, maybe. But I was serious, William, if you are worried about it I will sign a contract or whatever. I don’t need any of your money. I make a ton now, and your brother is going to make me his advisor whether I want it or not, which means he will probably also make me go back to school for my MBA, and then I’ll demand a small country as payment, so I seriously don’t need you for a rags to riches story.”

“I know, baby. I know all that. Just… remember who you are. Keep your head, okay?”

“I’ve changed my mind. Ring now in hand, I no longer want to marry you. I would prefer to be your finance forever.”

“Shut up,” William said affectionately as he pushed me ahead of him, out of the bathroom.

“You shut up,” I said with a smirk.

A month later I was scheduled into a meeting that Dean Whitaker said I should attend regarding Gladis. William and Lump were supposed to go, as well. Lady had called to say she would meet me there, and that she wanted to sit by me. Apparently the step-kids were going to be there and no one wanted to sit next to them.

We met in Dead Whitaker’s giant, plush office. Apparently this dude was doing okay for himself. Why didn’t he just retire? He was certainly old enough.

Chairs were spread out around the desk and I took one next to Lady as promised. The step-kids and their kids were already there, taking up the other half of the office. Our party got murderous looks and again I kept a wary eye out for knives or ninja throwing stars.

Dean cleared his throat in the already quiet room. “Thank you all for coming. This is the reading of Gladis’s will. I will begin.”

I furrowed my brow and looked at William, who looked a little sick. Lump met my eyes across William with the look that must be duplicating mine.

Next thing I knew, Dean was sprouting a bunch of legal jargon that didn’t mean anything in standard English. Nothing at all. I let my mind wander, thinking of what Gladis might've possibly decided I needed. Maybe some art. She had some great works of art. Actually, she’d probably give me those weird figurines that were ugly but valuable. She’d know I couldn’t give them away, and force me to put them on display in her memory.

That had to be it, the ol’ coot! I could imagine her looking down on me in that moment, laughing and shushing everyone around her, waiting until I heard the punch line.

Dean was going through figures and I looked at Lady, who had a white face. She was clutching the chair with claws. I looked at Lump, wondering if she spoke code, then nearly laughed at her dumb ass. She was lazily staring out the window, deep in a daydream, letting the drone of Dean’s face flow in and out of the air around us. He had a boring, monotone voice that no one in their right mind could pay attention to for too long. It was a fact. Lump and I were proof.

Suddenly the step-kids were standing and yelling. Lump jumped and half stood, ready for a fight, but totally confused as to why. William pushed her back down with one of his big paws, and had the other on my leg. It was abnormally sweaty, which was a little gross, but I didn’t care as much as what the step-kids were yelling at.

William jumped up to talk to Dean, who nodded, then motioned for us to leave the room. Lady followed on our heels.

“Dude, what was that about?” Lump asked, a smile on her face.

“Gladis’s step-children expected more,” William answered with a grim face.

“Oh, did he tell us what she gave us? I missed it,” Lump said in confusion.

“I know!” I couldn’t help laughing. “Your dumb ass was looking out the window! Wasn’t that guy the most boring guy in the world?”