Page 57 of Executive Privilege

"Sadie," he says finally, "I'm terrified that if I let you in, really let you in, you'll see everything that's broken about me and decide I'm not worth the effort."

"And I'm terrified that you're so convinced I'm going to leave that you'll push me away before I get the chance to prove I'll stay."

"So what do we do?"

"We take the leap," I say, moving around his desk to stand directly in front of him. "We trust each other."

"I don't know how to do that."

"Yes, you do. You do know how to trust, Nicholas."

He reaches for my hands.

"What's this?" He takes the business card I was holding and reads it.

"Victorial Sterling. Manager, Communications. Hartwell Industries."

I smile. "She was trying to put a wedge between us. And it almost worked. I'm fairly certain she was behind all of this. Trying to gaslight you–and me too this time."

"She's working there? I didn't even know it. Looks like she's dropped down a few notches on the professional scale."

"But she's still out to get you, it seems." I smile. "It's a good thing you have my pattern detection skills in your corner."

Nicholas looks dumbfounded. "No kidding. You're amazing, Sadie."

Nicholas pulls me closer, until I'm standing between his legs and his hands are framing my face. "I'm sorry. For everything. Falling in love with you scared the hell out of me and I went a little crazy."

The confession steals my breath away.

When he kisses me, it's different from every kiss before. Not desperate or hungry or driven by physical need, but soft and reverent.

"Take me to your hotel," I say against his lips.

"The hotel?"

Nicholas's eyes darken with understanding and desire.

The drive to the Four Seasons is charged with anticipation. Nicholas's hand rests on my thigh, his thumb tracing patternsthrough my skirt. In the elevator to his suite, we don't touch, but the tension between us is so thick I can barely breathe. We're both tapping our feet, staring at the doors to open.

The moment his hotel door closes behind us, we're on each other. "I want you," Nicholas breathes against my neck as he backs me toward the bedroom. "God, Sadie, I want you so much it terrifies me."

We strip away our clothes and find the bed. No teasing. No preamble. Just fire.

Nicholas grabs me like he can’t wait another second and thrusts inside me in one hard, claiming stroke. I cry out, my back arching as the shock of pleasure tears through me. His hands dig into my hips, anchoring me as if he’s afraid I’ll slip away.

“Fuck, you feel unreal,” he growls, his voice ragged. “So tight, so perfect. I can’t—” His words break off into a curse as he drives deeper, harder, setting a brutal rhythm that has the headboard slamming against the wall.

My nails rake down his shoulders, clinging to him like he’s the only thing keeping me tethered to earth. “I’m yours,” I gasp, breathless and wild. “Completely yours. And you’re mine.”

“Yours,” he snarls, his control unraveling. “Every damn piece of me.”

He slams into me over and over, every thrust rougher than the last, the bed shaking beneath us as I claw at the sheets, gasping for breath. His grip is bruising on my hips, dragging me back to meet him, filling me so deep it’s almost too much, but I never want it to stop. Every ragged curse, every guttural sound he makes only pushes me higher until I’m breaking apart around him, screaming, and he’s right there with me, pounding throughit like he needs to fuck me into the mattress and make sure I’ll never forget who I belong to.

Another climax rips through me at the thought, my body clenching around him in waves that won’t stop. Nicholas follows with a groan torn straight from his chest, driving into me one last time as he shudders apart.

We collapse in a tangle, our breathing harsh, our bodies trembling from the aftershocks. There’s nothing neat about it—just raw, messy satisfaction that leaves us both marked and utterly claimed by each other.

Chapter 15: Complete Surrender