Yours Truly (Billionaires and Brides 2)

She was not shy in following his lead. After going first for his tie, which now hung loosely around his collar, she used one hand to grip his belt while the other tugged at the soft fabric of his shirt. Her hand ran up and down his torso, varying between a stroke and a tight grasp. Her touch was making the ache in his groin grow unbearable. It was as if they were still back in his hotel room, back in that lost morning that should have been. For all the feeling she was stirring up inside of him, it was as if the two weeks of not having her number had never happened.

The beep of the intercom startled him. It was wired with the office phone that sat on the desk behind him, though it sounded louder than he remembered. Kat jumped at the noise and she pulled away.

He let go of her breast but kept one hand on her waist as he leaned back and pressed down on the green button on his desk phone. His shirt was wrinkled and untucked.

“What?” he growled into the speaker.

“Sir, the lawyers are on the line again,” his secretary informed him. “They really aren’t taking no for an answer. I can’t stall them for much longer.”

AJ’s head dropped as if it were too heavy for his neck and he let out a sigh. He used his middle finger to apply pressure on his temple and rub his right eyebrow. He needed to stop what he was doing right now.

His hand fell from her waist and he took a step back. It was like his secretary was intervening with an omniscient, parental-like premonition. He would be wise to listen if he wanted to avoid ruining his company further.

This is has to stop, he thought to himself. She was an employee. His employee. A subordinate. This is the path that Paul went down, and as much as he wanted to kiss her again, he needed to think of what was best for his company.

“Sir? What should I tell them?” his secretary asked through the intercom. “They keep saying this is your responsibility...”

It shouldn’t be my responsibility, he thought angrily. It should be Paul’s. It was Paul’s fault he was in this mess. It was Paul’s fault that he felt guilty about wanting to kiss the beautiful woman standing in front of him right now. He turned and pushed the green button.

“Hang up on them.” His evident frustration had provoked a commanding tone that he rarely took with staff. “I’ll call them back myself when I’m done.”

AJ closed his eyes and centered himself before turning back to face her. Her lips still looked fresh from their kiss. They were as enticing as they had been moments before his urges had taken over. He wanted to forget the lawyers, forget the board, forget everything and give into her one more time. The consequences of another embrace seemed far away. They were buried beneath her warm taste that still sat on his lips.

She was still only an arm’s length away and stood playing nervously with her hands. He had expected her to be looking away but her beautiful eyes were studying him intently. She was taking in him and the situation completely.

“We can’t do this, can we?” she asked softly. “Not with what’s going on.”

“Screw them,” he said, and he meant it. It was an instinctual reply, but his stomach began to knot when he heard the words out loud. There’s no doubt that an office relationship would bring his integrity into question, and furthermore, the integrity of the company.

“You say that, but I saw your face just now. The mess with the company isn’t going away. And you being with an employee...” She trailed off and then punctuated her sentence with a shrug. “It’s the exact opposite of what you need.”

“But it’s not what I want.” What he really wanted was to rip her clothes off and resume what he had started until she was moaning in his arms again.

“It’s not what I want either.” She bit her bottom lip and looked up at him.

He didn’t speak. Silence felt like the only appropriate reply. He turned and looked out the big office windows, wishing that he could fly free like a bird right out of them.

“So, what do we do?” she asked. “How fast do you think those lawyers can get a settlement and everything out of the papers? Maybe we can just wait until then.”

“Not soon enough.” The lawyers on both sides were getting paid by the hour, so naturally neither party was inclined to move quickly. Realistically, he knew it would be months before they finished.

Even if the lawsuits were settled tomorrow, the press wouldn’t forget it so soon. His publicist had stressed that this was going to last for at least a year. Maybe more.

Her big eyes drew her in. Desire still flickered in green depths and her lips were moist with their kiss. He couldn’t wait a year. Someone else would see how beautiful and wonderful she was and would steal her away. He couldn’t ask her to wait a year for him.

“I want to see you again,” he said and waited in anticipation for his stomach to turn, but it remained calm.

“I’d like that.” Her face loosened with the hint of a smile. “But I don’t want to jeopardize your job.”

He got a devilish smirk on his face. “We’ll just have to keep it quiet.”

“I completely understand,” she replied softly and then bit her lip. It was almost as if he felt the biting tingle more than she did. It made his pulse race. He loved when she did that. “I mean, are you sure? It’s a big risk for you. I’m not really all that special.”

God, she really is amazing, he thought. An uncontrollable smile grew on his face, and he made no effort to tame it. She was unlike any girl he could remember. Most women were far too captivated with his success, only seeking an opportunity to get into his pockets and take advantage of his wealth. But not her. She was undaunted by any sort of selfish anxiety. Her concern was for him.

“Liar,” he said. She was special. He’d known that from the moment he saw her. He could tell that he caught her by surprise, but she quickly smiled. Her face was warm and zealous again, and he was glad.

“How do you want to do this?” she asked.