"I'm sorry, Luke. But I'm sure it's not personal."
"Fine. I have someplace to be. Do you think you could--" I motion for him to leave.
But he stays put. "Don't you have a consult in twenty minutes?"
"And I have twenty minutes of work between now and that. So, a little privacy maybe?" It's as polite as I can make it.
He shakes his head. "If you want to stay in this firm, you need to listen to what your clients want."
"Yes, we established that Mrs. Pike prefers whatever it is that you promised her. If you don't have anything to add, I have things to do."
"I hope you have more planned for this consult than a little flirting."
"I've got it covered."
He plants his palms on my desk like it's his. "I don't want to clean up any more of your messes. And I don't want to have to take any more of your meetings or counsel any of your clients."
I unclench my fists. It would feel great to punch Ryan in his smug face, but I have something much better waiting for me. I offer him my most polite smile. "It sounds like you should agree to dissolving the firm."
Ryan looks at me with pity. "You'll never survive alone. Your charm gets you far, but it's not enough."
"And it won't be your problem anymore."
Ryan looks at me closely. I could swear there's something human about him. Something vulnerable.
"I'd still be happy to buy you out," he says.
I say the unthinkable. "I'll consider it."
It won't kill me to let Ryan win this one time.
Not if I have Alyssa.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Alyssa is reading in the bedroom, of course. Her dress is hiked up her thigh. The straps are falling off her shoulders. She acts like she doesn't hear me come in, even as she shrugs her straps completely off her shoulders.
"I didn't realize you loved your Kindle that much," I say.
She smirks, turning to look at me. "We do this kind of thing all the time." She puts it aside, and clears enough space on the bed for me.
She shifts again, her dress sliding down her body, clinging to her. Fuck, she's not wearing a bra, and the fabric sticks to her skin, creating a perfect outline of her breasts.
She nods to a neat pile on the floor--her bra and panties.
I swallow hard. There's nothing under that dress but Alyssa.
She shifts to her side, trailing her fingers over the curve of her hips. Her eyes are on fire. She looks like she wants to devour me, like she's never wanted anything more than she wants me.
"I had an idea." She reaches for a jar of honey on the bedside table.
Dammit, that's an idea I can get behind.
Any doubts I had are gone. Right now, I don't need to talk. I need to feel her and taste her and put my mouth to every part of her. I need her in every way I can have her.
A warmth spread
s over me as blood flows to my cock. I'm on fire. I need all of her and I need it now.