“I know,” I said honestly. I wouldn’t be able to regret anything where he was involved. “What did you have in mind?”
“I’m starting my own company,” he said, then frowned before he shook his head. “Not starting, building. I was involved with a few start-ups back when I was still me and not a corporate slave to my father’s whims. They’ve all been on the back burner, but not anymore.”
He released me but kept his hands on me as he explained. “I’m going to consolidate a few of those and add a couple of ideas I’ve had over the years. Essentially, it will be a new company.”
“Sounds expensive.” I wondered how far we could get on our savings. Mine would probably cover little more than rent for a small office for a month and maybe some basic furniture.
Jeremiah nodded, but he didn’t look concerned. “It will be, but I have the money to fund it. I’m tired of lining my father’s pockets and messing around with things I don’t care about. With you by my side, I know we can build an empire of our own.”
“Personally, I don’t need an empire,” I said, reaching up to run my hands through his silky locks. “But if you want to build one, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted to hear,” Jeremiah murmured before pulling me in for another deep kiss.
My entire body tingled with the feel of his lips on mine. Despite how many times we kissed, my reaction to him remained the same. My fingers grasped his hair, twining themselves into the softness.
His kiss was more persistent than the one this morning. More determined and forceful. I matched him stroke for stroke, letting his confidence and his determination seep into me.
We were going to do this. We were going to build a company together. How crazy was that? I knew nothing about what it took to start a company, aside from theoretical knowledge about what was required.
With Jeremiah, pushed against his chest and locked in his arms, it wasn’t as scary as it should’ve been. The prospect not as daunting. It felt like anything was possible when we were together.
Jeremiah released a low groan into my mouth, hauling me closer to him. His gear lever was pushed halfway into my leg, but I didn’t care.
He noticed when he ran his hands down my thighs, lifting me to help me get across the center console and onto his lap. “I’m buying a car with a back seat tomorrow.”
“That would be useful,” I whispered. In the confines of his tiny sports car, my head hit the roof as we kissed, and I knocked against the side panel.
It wasn’t the most comfortable place I’d ever made out in, but it was functional, and it had tinted windows. Rolling my hips instinctively as we kissed, Jeremiah hardened beneath me.
We were both breathing faster, and the little car was starting to steam up. His hands moved from my ass to my thighs, lifting my skirt along with them as we kept kissing.
When the backs of his fingers brushed against my panties, I was already soaked. Hot bursts of pleasure shot from my clit as he stroked over it again and again. It was too soft to get me anywhere but pretty effective in driving me crazy for him.
“You said you had plans for today?” I panted, breaking our kiss in the hopes of hearing him say his plans included going back to his penthouse and staying there for a couple of hours.
His heavy, glazed eyes focused on mine. “Really? Now?”
“Let me rephrase. Do the plans include you and me in your penthouse?”
“They didn’t, but now I’m thinking they should’ve,” he said, blinking a few times as he dragged his hands through his hair. “Fuck, Steph. I want you.”
I ground my hips against him again and watched as his eyes closed and his lips parted on a groan. A super sexy sight I planned on seeing as often as I could. I would never need any other image in my spank bank. “I want you too, baby.”
“We’re going to have to wait until tonight.” He kept his eyes closed, his features contorted into an expression that looked a lot like pain. I knew exactly how he was feeling.
But I climbed off him and back into my own seat, my panties wet and the smell of our lust in the car with us. “We’ll never get any work done if we give in to those urges all the time.”
“Believe me, I know.” He turned the air conditioner in the car up high and shifting his hips to get comfortable. “Considering we have a company to build, I guess it’s time we got started.”
“Let’s.” I lowered the sun visor to access the small mirror inside. My lips looked like they’d been stung by bees, my hair was a mess, and my cheeks flushed. “I look like I’ve just been very thoroughly fucked. I don’t know what you wanted to do today, but please tell me we don’t start by having to meet with other people?”
“Nope,” he said, his engine purring to life when he pressed the button. “And I wish you had just been very thoroughly fucked.”
“Me too,” I said wistfully, then glanced over at him. “My question stands though. You want to get started, but where do we start?”
Flicking down his turn signal, he drove out of the parking lot and onto the street where we joined the light traffic. “We already have enough employees to get everything off the ground. We still have a couple of key positions to fill, but I have a few ideas for those.”
“The employees from Williams Inc.?” I asked. “Don’t they have clauses in their contracts that prevent them from working for a company in competition with your dad?”
He nodded. “Their noncompetes only stand if the company is in the same industry and in direct competition with Williams Inc.”
“We’re not going to be his competition?” It struck me then that I didn’t even know what industry he wanted to build a company in. I was going to have to dust off more than business textbooks if I was going to be any help.
Jeremiah gave his head one fast shake. “We won’t be in competition with him. I want to venture out on my own and stop relying on my family name to get me by.”
I totally understood that, supported it. “Okay, boss. Lead the way.”