Striping Hot

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

REX

Rex sat at his desk, watching the phone ring. Three lines were lit up, and they were all sent straight to his main phone line. He had secretaries, supervisors, and department managers to answer calls for him, and they only got transferred through if it was a vital problem that only he could solve.

He picked up his coffee and took a long, slow sip. He glared at the phone as if daring it to keep ringing. He knew the issues with the company demanded his constant attention, and putting out tiny fires … relocating stock, updating order details, or approving new materials … were the important things that kept the company moving and, ultimately, making money.

But today, he just couldn’t do it. He didn’t want to talk about profit margins and how to get a lower rate on shipping costs. He wanted to be with Gianna.

Looking into her eyes, listening to her voice. Imagining the soft sweetness of her skin…

The power of his thoughts made it seem as if she was in the room … as if he could conjure her if he just focused hard enough. He put down his coffee and closed his eyes, letting the phone ring.

There will be some pissed off businessmen today, but so what? It’s my damn company. They can afford to lose a few million.

Behind his eyes, she was even more real. The world slipped away. He put his hands on the desk and allowed himself to fall into his mind and let it go where it desperately wanted to visit.

He played out all the moments they’d shared.

Dancing together, talking … kissing, touching, and more.

He lingered there, remembering her firm curves under his hands, the way her large breasts pushed against his chest, and her hot, eager mouth. He groaned and squirmed as his imagination took the thought and ran with it, escorting him into a perfect fantasy where he could rip off her clothes and do her right there with the fierceness of a tiger.

He opened his eyes slowly. Five lines were blinking now. He continued to stare at them without any intent to answer. Now that he had admitted how badly he wanted Gianna, he had to deal with how alien this situation was to him.

Just a couple of days ago, the idea of dating had been utterly unthinkable. He didn’t have any trouble finding women to date or asking them out, and if he wanted sex, he had no trouble getting that either.

Gorgeous women had come and gone in his life, and he’d had strong feelings for all of them, whether it was for only a day or for a month or more.

But when it ended, they had left his mind without a whisper of memory to echo their passing. Ultimately, they’d meant very little to his heart, even if his body and mind had been momentarily captured.

Over the past few years, no one. He had not dated, and, even though his sexual urges were strong, he had shied away from even shallow physical contact. He couldn’t forget his grief long enough to be truly captured in a sensual moment.

Even though he might need the release, holding out against the urge became a perverse pleasure … another way of punishing himself.

Yet, here Gianna was, crashing into his life like the proverbial bull hitting the china shop and shattering every last well-formed idea into crumbling shards.

He couldn’t live without her. Before she came into his life, he saw his future dragging out ahead of him as long, lonely, and dark. Now he was building castles in the sky, inventing years of wedded bliss and happy children. He almost didn’t recognize himself.

This conflict in his mind was short-lived. She was his fated mate. He had never thought seriously about love before because he didn’t know what it truly was. He knew Gianna was going to haunt him for the rest of his life, whether he got to keep her or not. This made it vital for him to make sure she knew how he felt.

He felt a stab of true fear at the idea of her leaving town. He couldn’t let it happen, not until he had figured out a way to show her how he felt. A twisted ball of anxiety rose in his stomach, giving him butterflies.

He resisted the idea of sweeping her off her feet even as he embraced it. Somewhere, deep inside, there was a place Rex refused to look, a place where his fears were slowly eating him alive.

I don’t deserve to be happy.

The thought was a whisper, too soft in his heart for even him to hear. The phone began to buzz even louder, forcing him to look at it.

Why can’t the real world just take a break for one fucking day and leave me alone? Nothing can be that urgent.

He groaned softly as his mind automatically jumped to the next problem. He had no idea what Gianna thought about him. If he was in love and hem-stitching dreams of their future together, was she? Surely not if she planned to leave. Her reasons for staying in town didn’t sound like they had much to do with love either.

Was she looking for dirt on me, the ultimate story?

The thought made his blood run cold. He couldn’t believe he’d almost revealed himself in front of her. The nightmare was terrible … not just because it had left him shaken and wounded, but because Gianna knew he was hiding a dark, painful secret.

Surely, this event would make a great story for her. He could see the headlines now … “Billionaire Responsible for the Death of Young Woman.”

He shook his head, digging his fingers into his scalp.

Gianna isn’t like that.

He had read her stuff, and she didn’t write for cheap grabs from the media. Her work was thoughtful and relevant, not mindlessly shocking.

He decided he had to be careful to guard his secrets but still be open enough, emotionally, to woo her. He couldn’t leave her alone. He knew that. Walking away was simply not an option, so he would have to juggle his doubt and his affection without compromising himself.

Yeah, that sounds easy.

He laughed softly, still reeling at finding himself stuck in this position. It could be worse, though. At least he had a shot with Gianna, and he wasn’t going to let it slip away.

The intercom buzzed, making him jump right out of his chair. He slapped the button, annoyed that the real world had finally found a way to break through his daydreaming.

“Yes?” he snapped.

“There’s a woman here to see you, sir. Shall I let her in?”

“What does she want? Which company is she from?”

“I don’t know, sir. It’s Gianna Lee. Does that ring a bell?”

Rex stared at the intercom for a moment. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It was as if his daydreams had been so powerful that they actually called the object of his affection into his presence. Even as he pushed the button, he felt this must be some kind of dream.

“Send her in,” he said.

He watched the door as if it could be a swirling wormhole to another dimension. He wouldn’t be surprised if he was hallucinating. Having her show up when he was thinking about her was just too much good luck.

The door opened slowly, and she came in hesitantly. He stood immediately. He knew something was very wrong. His senses calculated and weighed everything carefully but with a lightning-fast appraisal as he moved toward her.

Tousled hair. Wide eyes. Smudged makeup. Disheveled clothes. What the hell happened to her?

“Gianna?” he cried, reaching for her. “Are you all right? What happened?”

She moved toward him, arms out. When she melted into his embrace, he knew something was really wrong. She clung to him, falling against his chest and hooking her fingers around his arms to hug him close.

“I’ve done something stupid,” she sighed. His heart twisted in his chest as if she had reached through his ribs and squeezed it. He looked down into her face.

“Tell me, please.”

She sighed. “I broke into someone’s office today. His name is Agrippa. I saw him at the charity ball with Voren. I wasn’t just there to do a puff piece on fashion and goodwill.”

He stepped back a little, holding on to her shoulders. He was shocked and concerned for her, but he was getting mad and suspicious, as well.

“I was there to track Voren, specifically. I know he’s doing dirty deals, and I thought that finally, I’d get a chance to nail his ass to the wall. I followed him and Agrippa the night of the party. I took a few pics. Both of them chased me down with guns. Then today, I broke into Agrippa’s office for more intel.”

“What the fuck?” he whispered, shaking his head. She blinked those big blue eyes at him, and she looked so miserable that he couldn’t get upset. He was angry, though, both at her disregard for her own safety and her shady actions.

“Well, I got into Agrippa’s office as planned. I got some evidence that will really make a difference to the story. But I got attacked again. Whatever they are doing, they are willing to kill to protect it. Now, I think … I think I might be in real danger.”

She looked up at him again, and he wrapped her in his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. Conflict arose in him as his body responded to her scent. She was his mate, the love of his life, but there was a terror rising in his chest that matched his love.

Does she think I’m involved?

Maybe that was the only reason she agreed to date him. Things would be so much easier if humans felt the mate bond in the same way. Confusion raged through him for a few seconds as he thought about what to do.

“I know you’re not in on it,” she whispered very softly. Her fingers stroked his chest, and she did not try to pull away. It was almost as if she could read his thoughts, and that wasn’t such a crazy idea … fated mates were very attuned to each other, body, mind, and soul.

“Gerri told me to stick to you because it was how I’d get close to Voren. She knew he was going to try to shake you down. I also think she wanted me to protect you, though. She knows you aren’t part of it.”

Rex sighed so hard that he groaned. The news fell on him like a piano on a doomed cartoon character. She looked up into his eyes, her face a mask of worry. He understood the courage it had taken for her to come clean. He also understood that his suspicions had been grounded in fact … she had been using him. He just needed to find out how much.

He could see that she was almost trembling in anticipation. No doubt, she was afraid he was going to unload on her. He took a step away and ran a hand through his hair, finally sitting on the edge of his desk. All this was shocking, and he was reeling from it, but there was still only one thing on his mind, one thing that was more important than anything else.

“Gianna, what do you know about shifters and fated mates?”

He saw shock run through her, her face paling at the unexpected change of topic. She shook her head.

“Almost nothing, I’m afraid. What does ‘fated mates’ mean?”

“All shifters have a perfect match. Someone who is compatible with them on every level. Physically, they have very healthy babies. In my case, they would automatically be alphas. The fated mates are also tuned in mentally and emotionally. They are truly one, and, once they’ve come together, nothing can tear them apart.”

He kept her eyes on her, watching her big blue eyes darken with understanding. She was a smart woman. She was halfway there already.

“What are you saying, Rex?” she asked softly. He crossed the room and put one hand around her waist and the other on her cheek.

“You’re my fated mate, Gianna. I knew it from the first moment I saw you. That means that I am yours, and you are mine. I have to support you and follow you … do whatever it takes to make you happy because you are my world.”

It was such a relief to say the words out loud. It was like pure pleasure running through his veins, relief, and release in one. Her eyes shimmered with the promise of tears she did not shed. He kissed her briefly, softly.

“I’ll do anything for you, my darling, my love,” he whispered, kissing her again. “Even going after Voren and his pal Agrippa to find out what they’re up to. I am bound to protect you from all harm, and I will never let either of them … or anyone else … hurt you.”

He leaned down, stroking her cheek. She was shocked, but he could smell her excitement, as well. She was powerfully turned on. He smiled as he leaned down for another kiss.

He fell into her arms and her lips, sealing the promises of the words he had just said. It was a sacred moment of affirmation, and the spark of their future together burned strong inside him, beginning to heal him from his heart all the way to his soul.