Chapter 224: Sleep Can Wait

He looked toward the door.

Naomi was peeking inside. "You’re not done?"

Dorian glanced back at the screen, then closed what he was working on. "I think I am."

"Come to bed. I don’t want to go to bed alone." Naomi pushed the door open a little farther. "I put on fresh sheets." She said it as though that were the final irresistible incentive.

Dorian’s mouth curved. "I do hope you will be the one on the sheets this time."

Naomi narrowed her eyes. "I’m setting this house on fire if I find one more stray in my bed."

Dorian laughed softly as he got to his feet.

Considering the events of the evening, he wasn’t entirely convinced she was joking.

"Speaking of houses..." he said as he walked toward her, "the paperwork for the house should come through soon. And you can start setting up Chef Bennett."

"Yeah... I’ll start that tomorrow as soon as I’m done with work here." Naomi paused, then looked at him. "You have everything handled for tomorrow? I mean with fake Adrian?"

Dorian got to his feet. "Yes. A few more people will be getting heat for this, though."

Naomi frowned. "I thought it was just Camille."

"If everything works the way I think it will, one more person goes down."

"Who?"

"My uncle."

"What will this mean?"

"Don’t worry about it, love. Today’s events came with a silver lining." Dorian took her hand and led her upstairs.

When they reached the bedroom, he immediately noticed she had kept her promise.

Fresh sheets. Entirely new bedding, by the look of it.

Dorian smiled privately. He helped Naomi settle into bed before climbing in beside her. The second he was under the covers, he pulled her against him, fitting her back comfortably to his chest.

Naomi yawned and snuggled deeper into him.

"How did it go with the clients today?" he asked.

"It was okay..." Naomi never needed much encouragement to tell a story.

Sure enough, she began explaining everything that had happened at the Hawthorne house, from Clara disappearing before the party to finding the girl hiding inside the catering truck.

Dorian listened, chuckling occasionally as Naomi described their strange little conversation. "You have a way of making people let their guards down,"

"I didn’t do anything."

"That’s usually how you do it."

Naomi kept talking, moving from the party to everything she needed to do with the new Chef Bennett space.

There was equipment to arrange, staff to consider and about a thousand other details already multiplying inside her head.

Dorian listened.

Mostly.

His hand had slipped around her waist sometime during the conversation, and without really thinking about it, his fingers moved upward. Dorian’s palm settled over one breast. He gently cupped it, his thumb brushing over her nipple through the thin fabric.

Naomi carried on explaining where she wanted the prep area positioned.

His fingers continued moving absentmindedly, teasing one nipple before shifting to the other.

Naomi’s voice remained steady for another few sentences, although the pauses between words began stretching slightly. She stubbornly continued.

He cupped both breasts, fingertips moving slowly.

Her nipples began to peak beneath his touch.

Dorian smiled. He had her attention now.

Naomi turned around in his arms and looked at him with tired, accusing eyes. "I’m exhausted."

Dorian’s expression was the picture of innocence. "I’m not doing anything."

"You’re making me horny."

"Am I?" he asked, lowering his mouth to nibble gently at her ear.

Naomi’s eyes closed despite herself. "Dorian..." she whined.

He smiled against her skin. "Just ignore me and go to sleep."

"I can’t."

"Why not?"

Naomi turned her head enough to glare at him. "Didn’t you hear me? You’re making me..."

"Horny... yes, I heard you." Dorian’s hand moved slowly down her body. "I could make it all better." His fingers trailed toward the V of her thighs.

"Oh, you’re wicked."

"You’ll sleep better, I promise." He moved her underwear out of the way and slipped his fingers inside her.

Naomi’s gasp filled the room immediately. Her body tightened against him before relaxing again, exhaustion disappearing beneath the sudden rush of heat.

His mouth moved along the side of her neck while his fingers kept their steady rhythm, dragging soft sounds from her. Her thighs shifted apart instinctively, giving him more room, and Dorian took the invitation without hesitation, slipping one more finger inside her.

Naomi caught his wrist, to hold on for more pressure.

The touch grew more insistent.

She pressed herself back against him, feeling the heat of his body beside hers while his mouth moved from her neck to her shoulder. Every time she thought he might slow down, he changed the pressure just enough to keep her climbing.

The tension inside her built quickly.

Her body began to shake beneath his touch.

He kept the same maddening pace until she finally broke, trembling against him, her body going soft and heavy in his arms afterward.

Dorian pulled her close again, settling her back against his chest. "Goodnight, Trouble."

*****

Dorian arrived at Heathcliffe & Associates the next morning ready for battle. He walked through the doors of H&A, dressed impeccably, his mind already several moves ahead. He had spent enough of the previous night arranging things that there would be very little room for surprises this morning.

Security had Mara Ellison and the receptionist held in a private room already. No one had been permitted to leave.

No one had been told exactly what was happening either. Dorian wanted everyone uncomfortable enough to start wondering what he knew.

Still, there was one person he needed to see before dealing with any of them.

He headed for the partners’ floor.

Instead of turning toward his own office when the elevator opened, Dorian walked straight toward Alistair’s.

Alistair’s assistant looked up the moment she saw him approaching. "Mr Heathcliffe—"

Dorian kept walking.

She wisely didn’t try to stop him.

Everyone at the firm knew the relationship between Dorian and his uncle was frosty on a good day and openly hostile on several others.

Dorian reached Alistair’s office and opened the door without knocking. His uncle had only just arrived and was settling behind his desk.

Alistair looked up. "Dorian..."