Fighter in Lingerie (Lingerie 14)

She was out.

Her chest rose and fell deeply, the sound of her breathing slightly audible. Her entire body was relaxed like she’d been sleeping for the last few hours.

I lay beside her, naked because I assumed I would get some action before bed. I could still get it anyway if I wanted it, but seeing her sleep so soundly pulled at a heart I didn’t have. I lay beside her and stared at her back, watching her hair stretch across her pillow and reach onto mine.

I moved closer to her and spooned her from behind, my chest pressing against the t-shirt across her back. My arm hooked around her waist, and I pressed my face into the back of her hair, breathing in her scent mixed with mine.

She shifted slightly underneath me, getting more comfortable even though she was fast asleep.

I closed my eyes, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

I was awake before she was.

I usually woke up with the sun regardless of how late I went to bed. I’d never been a big sleeper, something that drove my mother crazy when I was growing up. I didn’t consider myself to be an insomniac; I just didn’t need sleep like everyone else.

I made breakfast then used my laptop to check on a few things. I was meticulous about my security, making sure all my accounts were properly managed and the security footage from the night before was clean. I hired men to take care of that, but I also micromanaged my world, making sure they didn’t overlook anything. Whenever someone missed their membership dues, there was no grace period. If anyone didn’t pay on time, their membership was permanently revoked—no exceptions. To this day, I’d never had a problem with someone not paying, so the system worked pretty well.

Her bare feet tapped against the floor as she came into the kitchen. I left half of my breakfast in the pan if she wanted to eat it, but when I heard the cupboard open and shut, along with the fridge, I knew she’d decided to have something else.

She joined me at the kitchen table, carrying a bowl of cereal. She looked tired because she didn’t get a full night of sleep. Her hair was still a mess, and she wiped the sleep from her eyes.

I watched her, ignoring all the invoices on my laptop. Whether she was caked in full makeup or she wore nothing at all, she was still hypnotizing. Other women could never pull that off, but she did it flawlessly. I shut my laptop because I decided she was far more interesting than work.

She ate a bite of her cereal before she looked at me. “I’m not eating fish again.”

The corner of my mouth rose in a smile. “Not everyone is crazy about seafood.”

“No, I love seafood. Just not for breakfast—every day.” She dug into her bowl and kept eating. “I need carbs. How do you work out and function without them? I’d be sluggish all day.”

“You get used to it.” It was all worth it when Carmen pulled me deeper into her, coming around my dick while her nails sliced into my muscles. She loved my body, was as obsessed with it as I was with hers.

“I’ll pass.” She kept chewing, eating the processed cereal along with the milk.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had cereal. It was probably when I was a child. “Did you still want to do that contract?” I was a man of my word, so I wasn’t worried about upholding my end of the bargain. It didn’t make a difference to me whether we did this or not. It was completely up to her.

She looked down at her cereal again. “Yes.”

I wasn’t sure if I should be happy or annoyed. “Alright. Ronan will do it.”

“When?”

“I’ll talk to him tonight. See if he’s available.”

“You have to work again?” she blurted, her head rising to meet my eyes.

I detected the disappointment in her voice. When a woman was needy, it was the most annoying thing in the world. But coming from her, it was the sexiest thing ever.

She quickly looked away, trying to hide her confession. “You don’t normally work two nights in a row…that’s the only reason why I’m asking.”

“No, it’s not.” I called her out on her bullshit. “And I’m glad it’s not.”

She flicked her gaze up to meet mine, and just like she usually did, she adopted her brave look, her fire burning to the surface to combat my coldness. Anytime she was challenged, she rose to meet her enemy. She did the same now, hiding her embarrassment instantly.

“Yes, I’m working tonight. Come with me.”

“To the casino?” she asked, like that was the craziest suggestion I’d ever made.

“Ronan can do the contract in my office, and I can show you around.” I could have her on my arm, wearing a beautiful skintight dress so she would look like a trophy I’d earned. Wearing my diamonds and heels that cost ten thousand euros, she would look like the queen that she was.