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“You are so beautiful to me,” Declan sang. “Did you know you’re the most beautiful girl here?”
I giggled. “Oh, Dec,” I sighed, smoothing my hands over his tuxedo as we danced together at his best friend Callum’s wedding reception. I liked seeing Declan outside of the jeans and shirts he wore every day.
Declan said, “No one holds a candle to you here. So thin.” His large hands clasped my waist. “Well, you were,” he teased.
I rolled my eyes as I glanced down at my silvery gray baby doll dress. A little snug at the waist. “I thought you said it was a sign of happiness.”
He held on to me and kissed up my neck. “I’m just messing.” He kissed my lips. “You’ll need that extra weight when we start our family.”
My eyes widened. “You asking me to marry you?” I blurted out.
He squinted. “Soon. When I know I can provide a good life for us.”
I nodded and looked away. Two years. My heart heavy. “I don’t care.”
He shook his head. “Nope. Your father does. And I’ll show him just how wrong he is about me.”
I averted my eyes. “My father likes you. He doesn’t talk bad about you.” Not really all bad.
He kissed my lips again. “I don’t care if he does. He’s not in control anymore, and it bothers him. I can understand that. He loves you. You were his little girl, now you’re mine.”
My chest warmed and I beamed at him. “Oh Dec. I….” I looked down.
“I love you, Princess,” Declan said. “I know I don’t say it, but I do. I always have.”
I threw my hands around his neck. He loves me! “I love you too, Dec.”
My chest throbbed as the memory lingered over me. Callum had only just met his girl and they were married in less than a year. Two years to finally hear “I love you” back.Never again will I waste my time pinning for those words to be said back to me. My mood had soured as I leaned on my elbow and turned my attention to the announcements Gregor had sent me to work on. I threw myself into my tasks to distract the dark places my mind was headed.
At five-thirty, I pressed the busy button on my phone and grabbed my handbag off my desk, then headed straight to the bathroom. Standing before the row of sinks, I rinsed my mouth with mouthwash, removed the chignon from my hair and fluffed out the waves. I wasn’t sure which way Jonas liked it. I groaned.Silly me. Already thinking about pleasing a man that was more of a new friend than lover. No good getting hung up on a man that doesn’t want a commitment.My heart panged as I scolded myself. Sighing, I adjusted my grey pencil skirt, making sure there were no runs in my nylons. My phone beeped and I took it out, looking down at the message.
Take off your panties before you arrive.
My body heated as waves of desire coursed through me. Did I want to play his game? I looked down at my pencil skirt. It reached just above my knees and I would be wearing my winter coat. Only the two of us would know.So why not?I thought mischievously. I slipped in a stall and quickly removed my panties, tucking them in my handbag. As I smoothed my skirt back in place, I instantly felt too naked. Still, my mind and body were focused on sex and the next few nights, just as I believed Jonas wanted me to be.Easy. How easy he had me still made me uncomfortable. I didn’t even last a day before I was naked in his bed. And the thought of what he did to me inflamed me. Shamefully, I couldn’t wait for it to happen again. After following his explicit orders, I was practically desperate for it.
After freshening my lip gloss, I walked out of the bathroom and put on my coat, then headed down the stairs to the lobby.
Once there, I walked outside and gasped as a bite of wind caught my breath. The sky was heavily clouded and reminded me of Quincy right before a new snowfall. I clasped the top of my coat tighter around my neck and joined the other office drones grouping down the sidewalk of East 44th. Busy. Suits, the homeless, and tourists looking up at the skyscrapers all made navigation difficult, but I managed to zig my way across Bryan Park to the Clift Hotel. The adrenaline buzzed through me as I made my way inside, the modern chic mahogany wood and pastel furnishings were appealing, signs for the conference posted throughout the hotel garnered my attention. There was one outside the Velvet Room lounge that displayed,Generation Y Business and Beyond, with equally large billing being given to the star guest speaker,Jonas Crane. There was a standing room only press event taking place. I eased my way through the crowd and found a spot along the wall that fortunately provided the least obstructed view of the front of the room.
As I settled in my spot, my ears singled out a familiar baritone voice coming over the microphone. My gaze shifted to the front of the room and the man seated at the center of the large table dressed in a white shirt and eloquently cut gray suit.Jonas.The sight of him stole my breath away and quickened my already racing pulse. He was the epitome of physical perfection. I was mesmerized, staring in awe of him.
When I managed to tear my gaze away, I noticed I wasn’t alone. Everyone in the room was spellbound by his presence, hanging on his every word. Even the reporters were charmed, filtering all their questions to him. With the rapid flickering of the flashing cameras, I’d imagine being under the spotlight was too much. But no one would have guessed from the way Jonas handled himself. He was effortless, not a tremor or hesitation. He was in his element. Standing there, I was amazed at his self-confidence. I wondered what it would feel like to have a fraction of what he seemed to have in abundance.
The thunderous applause woke me from my melancholy, and the present pressed upon me as the room started to clear out. I edged closer towards the front. The closer I came, the more dynamic Jonas seemed, until I felt as if I was an ant before a mountain.
His gaze peered out and connected with mine. A jolt of electricity went through me, flaring our contact, our connection. He started to move with purpose away from his business harem and over towards me, like a predator ready to strike. My heart thumped hard within my chest the closer he came, until a staccato filled my ears. I remained frozen to the spot like prey, my eyes wide and ready to be taken. And I had no doubt he would take me. Once I stood before him, his hands rose, cupping my face and tilting me up to him. His piercing eyes connected with mine, and my heart pounded against my ribcage, as his gaze penetrated me.
“You’re tense?” Jonas smiled.
My cheeks warmed as I tried to form words under his intense gaze. “Yes. A little, I suppose.”
“We’re having dinner at Koi Restaurant with a friend of mine tonight. Wish I could take you back to the Astoria right now, but I need this meeting before I leave town,” he said.
I half-lidded my eyes. “It’s fine.”
“It will be.” He clasped my hand and walked us to the front of the hall. My brows lifted. “Koi’s in the other direction, Jonas….” He didn’t answer, just walked us around the panel table and behind the curtain. He stopped us in a small, dimly lit hallway near an exit. He placed my coat on top of his briefcase, then held his arms out wide.
“Come here, beautiful,” Jonas purred. He gripped my hips hard, then captured my mouth in a kiss. He immediately deepened it as his tongue licked along mine, filling it with a fresh taste of mint. I met his kiss with my own demanding, feverish strokes of my tongue as I melted against him. When we broke away, we were both breathing heavily.
