His Sweetest Sin

Her phone beeps, and she presses a button. “Yes, Nancy.”

“Mr. Pentonie and Mr. Tyson are here.”

“Good, thank you. Please put them in the Monroe conference room.”

She stands. I see she’s wearing a black pant suit with the pants large and roomy, moving almost as it were a skirt. Her silk blouse is dark red under the long, thin, silky blazer. Her long beautiful hair is shiny as it flows down her back. I cannot wait to wrap the silky strands around my fist as I fuck into her.

Clearing her throat, she runs her hand through her silky hair, looking in the mirror. Then she turns to me, and I wonder where the hell the other Amelia went. Her eyes are different, a dark golden brown and hard. “This is how it’s going to go: they are going to insult us. I’m going to demand an amount that will make their asses go tight. They’ll come back with something a little less insulting. I go with a last final offer. They squirm because I have them by the balls, then cry uncle. It’s how these settlements go. The most basic rule is: You never take the first offer, and your first offer is never your best offer.”

Her voice has deepened, her face is smooth, not a single muscle moving. She’s about three inches taller than when I came in the room. She starts to move toward me, and without thinking, I open the door to her office then wait while she walks through it. I follow in her wake, her back straight, her shoulders back, her body sleek and agile. Goddamn, she’s making me hard.

The walk to the conference room isn’t long, it’s the large glass room along the hall near Ethan’s office. When I open the door, the jackass who sold me the building and a pasty white guy with too much self-tanner stand as Amelia enters the room. They are facing into the room, a notepad and pen are waiting for her across from them. I pull out the chair where the notepad is, and she nods her thanks as she sits. She crosses her legs then leans back in the chair like she’s a fucking queen, benevolently giving an audience to these idiots.

“Gentleman, I appreciate you agreeing to the meeting this morning.” A pause screams she doesn’t appreciate shit—of course this is happening on her schedule. “Mr. Baldwin is a busy man, as am I. It’s best we start off by making it clear this need not be a time-consuming issue for either Mr. Baldwin or Mr. Pentonie.” Her tone dares them to waste her time. “My client and I are listening.”

I bite my lip to keep from laughing at the way the smug expression leaves Raymond’s face as he looks to his lawyer. The lawyer only nods. If he hasn’t met Amelia before, it’s obvious he’s not as surprised as his client. “Ms. Bishop, Mr. Baldwin, thank you for finding the time to settle this quickly without undue inconvenience to either of you. Your client needs to take some responsibility for not doing his due diligence. However, my client is willing to own up to his error. My client is willing to offer a settlement in the amount of three hundred and fifty thousand cash, wired to Mr. Baldwin Monday. We believe the offer to be fair.”

Oh hell, no. She was right, it’s insulting. I look to Amelia, she meets my eyes without saying a word or moving a muscle in her beautiful face. Her expression is bored. “However, you left off a few zeroes. Your client needs to take some responsibility for his history in this. Pentonie Properties has paid two point nine million in fines and penalties in the last six years, with settlements totaling eleven point three million. I do believe this means your client hasn’t learned from his mistakes.

“Pentonie Properties took in over thirteen million in the last six months, not including my client’s purchase of the property at issue at six point eight million. A property your firm held for two years, purchased at four point nine million, under bankruptcy. We are willing to settle for three point eight million. Your firm has the money; give it to us, or we take it.

“You can settle now or watch your company swim in negative press, fines, and you’ll still end up paying us in court. You fucked with the wrong man—his face generates one million clicks a week worldwide in the off-season. We’ll take this into the season and your company will be synonymous with trying to fuck over a darling of Chicago sports royalty, and the fines will triple from the last time you pulled this shit. Let this be a lesson, for you to do your due diligence before selling to Mr. Baldwin under false claims, and the stupidest mistake of all, fucking with this firm’s client.”

“Three million?! Are you nuts? I’m not paying three million. Tell her, Tyson!” Raymond is so pissed he’s frothing at the mouth, and spittle flies across the table. I can’t take my eyes off her. I’m hard as a fucking rock.

Tyson grabs Raymond. “A moment if you will, to conference with my client.”

Amelia nods as the guy barely waits to drag Raymond out of the conference room. They move away from the glass wall, out of sight. I’m fighting to get my body under control when I hear Amelia gasp. I look to see her eyes locked on the table, the glass table, where she can see my cock tenting my pants. Her eyes are wide as she jerks her head away. I chuckle. “Sorry, sugar, I’m beginning to think all those men who worry about their women outshining them just never saw them in action. I’m impressed, usually it takes a woman being naked to get me in this state.”

Her face is buried in her hand, and it sounds like she’s crying. Shit. I go soft instantly, then I realize she’s laughing. Rich throaty laughter fills the room. Ah damn, she’s making me hard all over again. Those eyes of hers have turned a soft, pretty hazel. I can’t stop smiling, I could look at her all day long. She blushe

s as she shakes her head. “If nothing else, thank you for the confidence.”

Something about the way she says it is off; what does she mean? I don’t have time to think about it before the door opens to Raymond, still red in the face while his jaw tightens again and again. The lawyer nods as he sits. “We apologize. Pentonie Properties would like to respectfully counter with two five.”

Amelia laughs with a single shake of her head. “Three five or the offer is off the table. We’ll see you in court.”

I can hear Raymond swallow in the hushed silence as the two men look at each other. Raymond nods, but it’s the lawyer who speaks. “We accept. I trust your firm will handle the paperwork. Messenger it to us, we’ll sign then wire the money by Monday.”

With a smile, Amelia stands. “You’ll have the paperwork within the hour. Gentlemen, have a good day.”

The men smile limply before shuffling out of the room. I watch Amelia as she runs a hand through her hair, front to back, though not a hair is out of place. I’m noticing she does it to soothe herself. “When is Ethan due back again?”

She blushes. “The thirteenth.” Clearing her throat, she moves to the door. “I’ll have the paperwork sent to your home for your signature. Once I get it back from them, you should have it by noon.”

“No need, I’ll come in to sign it when I pick you up for lunch today.”

A shake of her head, she doesn’t look up. “Our business is complete.”

I’m up, taking my time to get to her, the craving for her inching up with each step. No. Not even close, sweetheart. My jaw tightens to stop me from saying it, from reaching out to touch her. “Amelia.” She shivers. Not even close, for either of us. “I’ll be here at noon to pick you up for lunch.”

Then the woman who interrupted us the first day is outside the door, her eyes intent on me before opening the door. “How did everything go?”

The change in Amelia is instant, back straight again, shoulders back as a half-smile appears. “They settled at three five.”

“Excellent, are you satisfied, Mr. Baldwin?”

I would be, if she left. “Very.”