Satisfied 2X

She looked at Drew first before seeking Hunter’s permission.

She hadn’t been allowed to leave without an escort from HiTech, the mansion, or either of them.

Hunter poured a cup of coffee. He was relaxed and cocky as usual.

“I don’t see why not. You can take my car. I’ll ride with Drew.”

“Are you serious?” She stared at him.

He nodded. “Take it. It’s fast. I think you’ll like how it feels.”

“I just need to get to the office. I don’t care if I drive a pickup truck.”

Drew muffled a laugh. “I’d like to see you in a truck, Alison.”

She shot him a frantic glance. “So I can go? You aren’t going to drag me back?”

Hunter winked. “The keys are on my dresser. Take it. We’ll see you in the office in an hour. Proposals are due on my desk at ten.”

She nodded. “Thank you.”

She rushed from the dining room and climbed the stairs to the second story. She had tried to stay away from the guys’ bedrooms, but she had no doubt where Hunter’s bedroom was. He was the last door on the left.

Sometimes at night she thought she heard him pause outside her door, but she was never sure. They had respected her boundaries.

She barged into his room and snatched the keys from the dresser, but not before she noticed the pictures tucked into the mirror. Alison paused.

She had never thought before about what kinds of things mattered to Hunter. She had been too busy either hating him, or trying to keep her distance from his smoldering stare. The last two weeks of work had given her an escape.

But now, she absorbed the photos he had saved.

He had his arm around a woman with wisps of gray in her hair. It must be his mother. There was a picture of him and Drew. She stared at the collection of art museum shots. He had been to every impressive collection in the world. She couldn’t believe it.

Alison fought the burning interest in her belly. She had to get to the office. Today Hunter wasn’t a hot sexy man who might have a side she’d like to get to know. No, that couldn’t happen. Today, Hunter was the man who decided her fate. That was all that mattered.

Ten

Hunter

He took a look at the three leader portfolios in front of him. Hunter pushed away from his desk and walked to the bar to pour a drink. He filled the rocks glass with bourbon and leaned his heavy frame against the marble surface.

He knocked back the first swallow. If he chose Alison’s design, she would be free. He took another sip.

It was the last thing he or Drew wanted. Two weeks with her had changed him. He didn’t know how to admit it, or face it, but it was the fucking truth.

She had a smile that could bring him to his knees. She had a smart mouth that he wanted to kiss every morning and every night. Her voice. Her laugh. She had invaded every part of him when he wasn’t looking. The thought of letting her go was ludicrous.

But he had made a deal and he wasn’t going to break his word, even if it cost him the one thing he wanted more than anything.

The elevator in his office dinged. The doors retracted and Drew stepped inside.

“Have you made a decision yet?” he asked.

Hunter shook his head. “No. I haven’t even opened them.” He nodded at the presentations on his desk.

“You know Alison is a nervous wreck waiting on your answer.”

Hunter frowned. His brows almost touched with the scowl.