Her green eyes flare with a heat I can’t wait to ignite the second we leave the building.
With my soul on fire, I return to my desk and type out the proposal with Dakota in my lap the entire time. Her ass teases me, pressing my hardness, bringing back memories of when I took her in this very office.
When I finally press print, my lips are on her neck again, my fingers pushing through her hair.
“You’re coming home tonight,” I whisper, digging my teeth into her bottom lip so she knows it’s not an invitation.
It’s a demand.
“I know,” she whispers back.
I turn her in my lap so I can see her face. I’ve made a big decision.
“I mean permanently, Nevermore.” I take a deep breath. “We should go to your place first and get your stuff.” I may have lost it but I don’t care.
Her eyes become two jade moons, wide and bright.
“Wait, you’re saying I’m moving in with you?”
“I said you’re coming home, didn’t I?” My lips cascade up her throat again, stopping to nip at that sweet spot just under her ear.
“But—”
I shrug. “No buts. You don’t want to move in with me, fine. I’ll stay at your place.”
“My shoebox apartment?” She presses a hand to my forehead. “Do you have a fever? Linc, you can’t be serious...”
“When it comes to you, I don’t joke. I also don’t give a single solitary shit where we’re living, as long as it’s together. My place has a lot more room, but if you don’t trust me enough for that, I’ll—”
“Lincoln?” She waits for me to go quiet. “Shut up and kiss me.”
Agreed.
Just like that, her lips find mine, sealing our fate.
She kisses me frantically, and I swipe my tongue across hers until I’m fucking dizzy. Her hands grasp at my hair.
If we didn’t have business to tend to, I’d throw her on my desk, open her legs, and take her right here.
Shame that has to wait.
I’m rasping when I pull away, cradling her to me, pushing a hand up her skirt. She’s so drenched I shudder when I squeeze her pussy through her panties.
“Hold on, Nevermore. Just a few more hours, and I’m reclaiming this tonight. This time, forevermore.”
We sit side by side at the conference table, our hands joined under the table.
Ida, my HR head, meets my eyes, scans the room, and looks at me again.
“Mr. Burns, I don’t think anyone here quite understands what you want us to do. Can you walk us through it again to make sure we’re all on the same page?”
“Sure. I’d like to make Dakota a very well-compensated independent contractor under her own LLC. She’ll help with copywriting and marketing part-time for Haughty But Nice, according to our needs and her heart’s content. The rest of the time, she’ll be freed up to pursue her poetry career. I’ll remain CEO—mostly for insights and branding—but since everyone in this room is extremely talented, I’ll be delegating a lot more to my executives and managers. While I was out, you’ve all proven you can rise to a challenge. That means I’ll be working from home at least a few days a week. Thoughts?”
Dakota squeezes my hand so sharply my breath almost catches.
“It’s workable and sensible,” Jane says.
We talk among ourselves with a few other executives I’ve pulled in from sales and legal. While Dakota looks on, we draft up a blueprint for how Haughty But Nice will be run in the future with the personnel balance it deserves.
By the time we’re out of the room, her hand smolders mine, holding on like her life depends on it.
Honest to God, it does.
With everything in place, we have a new freedom I’ve never imagined.
It’s cavernous, honestly. A life teeming with possibilities and dreams.
Without this woman, I know how lost I’d be.
That’s why I push my fingers through hers, matching her grip with my own, ready to march into our future together.
I barely make a fuss loading her bike up in the trunk of the town car.
“I still hate you biking all over town,” I tell her.
“Why?” Dakota stands behind me. “It’s healthy. We should get one for you.”
I snort. “What if you get hit by a car?”
“Our ride could be crushed by a semi on our way home, too.”
“This vehicle has airbags.” I open the door for her, contemplating how pissed she’ll be if I buy her a ride with four wheels.
She climbs in. “Since when did the big bad Marine get so concerned with safety?”
I get in beside her and shut the door behind me before I answer.
“Since you, Nevermore.”
That shuts her up. Her eyes dance when she smiles.
“Lovesick fool,” she mutters.
She has no idea, but she’s about to. I grab her soft legs and pull her onto my lap.
“Told you I’m bewitched. I must’ve been under somebody’s spell when I hired a damn bird guy to apologize.”