Banger: An Office Romance

Banger

ARIA COLE

Cover Design: Sybil at PopKitty Reviews

Editing: CASSIE COX

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written
permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s
imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is
entirely coincidental.

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Introduction

ANGER

ARIA COLE

Meet Tobias Banger...

He's the demanding, dominant, sexy-as-sin CEO of Banger Industries, and he's

used to getting what he wants. Every time. He's built a Fortune 500 company from

the ground up. The last thing he needs is a pretty woman distracting him from his

empire.

Curvy, sassy secretary Ellis Ford isn't just any pretty woman...

Fresh out of college, she's smart, focused, sometimes sarcastic, and trying

desperately to contain the wildfire that licks at her insides whenever Mr. Banger

calls her name.

One forbidden night while locked in a closet, and the office will never be the same...

The chemistry between Ellis and Tobias sizzles until raw passion ignites in a

frenzy of filthy words, frantic lust, and all-consuming basic instinct. He's hell-

bent on claiming her. She's too blinded by his charm to see the ghosts haunting his

dark eyes. Will one night with Tobias be something she'll live to regret?

Warning: This isn't your grandmother's office romance. Tobias Banger has a filthy

mouth and an irresistible charm that drops panties. When he finds the woman he

wants, nothing will stop him from taking her. Grab a glass of wine, charge up the

Kindle, and prepare to get banged by the boss!

Chapter 1

llis

“Look at the way those pants hug his ass. I’ve never seen a man fill out a suit like

that,” my closest friend, Victoria, cooed as the CEO of Banger Enterprises—and

also our boss—walked ahead of us down the long hallway.

I nodded, agreeing with her assessment wholeheartedly. As Tobias Banger’s

personal secretary, I could definitely say that he filled out that suit even better up

close.

“I bet he’s hung,” Victoria mused, and the Frappuccino I'd picked up after lunch

nearly shot out my nose.

“Oh my God, he could have heard you.” I’d only been on the job for a month. I

couldn’t afford to be let go because Victoria couldn’t keep her thoughts to herself.

“Well, I bet it’s true.”

“Afternoon, ladies.” Mr. Banger turned toward us and smiled deeply, making me

almost choke on my tongue.

“Mr. Banger.” I nodded.

His eyes caught mine and held them for an extra-long beat. I had no idea what

he was trying to say with those whimsical azure eyes of his, but I was pretty sure I

could be convinced into doing anything he wanted when he looked at me like that

for too long. There was just something about that man’s eyes that made me lose all

sense of reason. Beautiful wasn’t even the right word for them; they were

intriguing, intense, dominant.

“Having a good week, Mr. Banger?” Victoria peered up at him, her fake

eyelashes fluttering like crazy.

I almost asked if she had something in her eye. Almost.

“Great week, Ms. Young. Thanks for asking.” Mr. Banger held the office door

open for us.

We stepped in, and Mr. Banger’s hand brushed against my thigh as I passed him.

His touch felt like an earthquake convulsing through my body; that small brush of

his hand was all it took to send my body into a craze.

In the month that I’d been in this position, I’d nearly talked myself into

requesting a transfer at least a half dozen times already. Not because Mr. Banger

was unfair in the slightest, but because my body’s reaction to him was. Just being in

the same room with him made my heart beat so uncontrollably I had trouble

focusing and holding a conversation with him.

“Could I have a word with you, Ms. Ford?” Mr. Banger’s words washed across my

skin and sent blazing paths of fire through my veins.

“Of course,” I murmured, unable to even look him in the eye.

When Mr. Banger turned around, Victoria poked me in the shoulder, eyes darting

from me to him before she winked at me.

“Don’t you have work to do?” I whispered.

Her smile only deepened before she buzzed down the hallway, headed for her

desk.

I followed Mr. Banger past my desk and into his huge office. Glass windows

overlooked downtown Chicago, his massive mahogany desk was front and center,

and slick leather couches lined the walls. Mr. Banger lived the high life for sure—he

never wanted for the finest things. His demands were always met, and boy, was he

was demanding.

It had taken me just one day on the job to learn that Mr. Banger had high

standards and expected all of his employees to exceed his expectations. He

expected perfection, and I understood that. It was the reason Banger Enterprises

had risen to a Fortune 500 company in under six years. Tobias Banger was a

business mogul. At just under thirty-five, he was one of the youngest men in the

country with the highest stock prices on the market.

He was a phenom.

And I was his personal secretary.

“Do you have any plans tonight, Ms. Ford?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, wondering why in the world he was asking

me that. “Um, no…”

He nodded, eyes dragging across my form before he turned to his desk. “I was

looking over the numbers you submitted yesterday.” He held up the file folder I’d

left on his desk yesterday afternoon as requested. “Something seems off. Can you

stay late tonight so we can go over them? I’m sorry for even asking.”

I nodded instantly, not even considering the fact that I’d promised Victoria and a

few friends I’d go out to dinner with them tonight. They would understand anyway.

“Of course.”

“Good. I know you have a talent with numbers, but if accounting finds an error

we could have caught, that means more headaches than I want.”

“Sure, Mr. Banger.” I snapped into work mode, shaking off my body’s reaction

to him. I needed this job. I couldn’t let myself get drunk on his magnetic energy.

“Is there anything else you need?”

His eyes flicked up my body, one hand pushing across the dark stubble at his

jawline. God, I wanted to lick it. I wondered what the hard expanse of his chest

would feel like under my palms. His lips…

“That’s all for now, Ms. Ford. Thank you.” He smiled politely, if a little

distractedly, while he held the door open for me.

I nodded, sucking in a deep breath as I passed him and catching a whiff of his

spicy, heady cologne. I’d never smelled anyone quite like him in my life, and it only

made my thoughts more inappropriate.

“Call if you need anything,” I said before stepping out into my small office and

hearing his door shut behind me. I sucked in another cool breath that cleared my

head.

I hoped I hadn’t gotten those numbers wrong. The perfectionist in me wanted to

run back through them again even though I did it twice yesterday. I plopped into

my chair, pulling my phone from my bag, and shot off a quick text to Victoria that

I’d have to cancel dinner.

But we’re celebrating your birthday! she replied.

I groaned. I hated making a big deal out of my birthday, and Victoria had

practically had to beg me to go out for a few drinks to celebrate. I liked being at

home on the couch, cuddled up in my pajamas with my sweet kitty cat.

Sorry, Mr. Banger needs me tonight. I texted back.

Ohh… maybe your birthday will have a happy ending after all. ;)

A smile turned up my lips just as Mr. Banger’s door opened and the topic of

conversation himself came out.

I slammed my phone on the desk and shot up. “Hi, sorry, I was just canceling

plans tonight. Do you need something?”

Mr. Banger paused, his eyes burning up the space between us before he parted

his impossibly full lips. “I thought you said you didn’t have plans tonight. I hate to

make you cancel—”

“No, no, it’s all right. Victoria—I mean, Ms. Young—wanted to celebrate my

birthday, but I’d much rather be here with you.” The words fell out of my mouth in

a tumble.

One thick slash of eyebrow arched before he said, “It’s your birthday?”

I hadn’t meant to reveal that. “Yes, but—”

“Then we should celebrate. You should have mentioned it when I asked.” One

long arm stretched between us, and he swiped his thumb across my temple,

pushing aside a lock of dark hair.

My heart thrummed with his touch, but just as soon as it was there, it was gone

again. An irrational sense of loss radiated through me.

“It’s all right. I don’t like to make a fuss on my birthday. I’d rather just forget it,

to tell you the truth.” I twisted my hands together, feeling wildly self-conscious

under his penetrating stare.

“Forget it? The day of your birth is definitely worth celebrating.” His mouth

twisted up in a one-cornered smile that nearly twisted my panties with its

devilishness.

I had no reply for him. My lips pressed together as I considered the meaning

behind his words.

“I’ve got to run over to accounting, but plan on our meeting later. We’ll go over

the numbers and this birthday business.” His eyes twinkled before he walked away,

sucking the air out of my lungs as he went.

How could he be so impossibly sexy? How did any of the women in this office get

anything done with him around?

I’d never been the kind of woman who fawned over a man. My focus on getting

through college and finding a job had overwhelmed all else. I’d actually interned in

this building during my last semester of college, but when I was offered a full-time

position, never had I expected to be made the personal secretary of the owner of the

company himself.

I sighed, plopped back in my chair, and pulled up Mr. Banger’s daily planner,

synced to my computer to keep us both abreast of meetings and other things that

came up. He had a surprisingly slow week, though we’d planned it this way since

he’d only just returned from a business trip to Tokyo last week. He’d been working

like crazy to land a new account, so when he succeeded, he’d vowed not to work so

many late hours and weekends. Because of that, we hadn't spent much time

together, but apparently that was about to change.

Starting tonight.

Apparently I was celebrating my birthday with my sex-on-a-stick boss.

Chapter 2

obias

I shuffled the papers on my desk, glancing at my Rolex to find it just after five. Ellis

would be in here any minute, that sweet little simper telling me she was available

for whatever I needed.

What I needed was to sink inside her and fuck her until I couldn’t think straight.

Maybe then I could focus and get some work done.

Hiring Ellis had been a blessing and a curse.

She’d consistently reviewed the highest in our intern program, and when my

other secretary had taken an indefinite leave of absence to help her husband, I’d

known instantly Ellis would take her place. I knew that ideally I should have hired a

secretary with experience, but I wanted someone smart and driven. I wanted more

than someone to organize my life. I wanted someone who could work beside me

with fresh ideas and the know-how. So I decided to pull from the interns and make

this position much more than one an administrative assistant could fill.

I wished I had seen a picture of her before hiring her.

Not that I wouldn’t have hired her. On paper she was a dream candidate, but in

person, she was so blindingly beautiful that I had trouble concentrating on a damn

thing other than her. I had never in my life seen a woman that was so engaging.

Had she just been beautiful I would have been fine, but her intelligence, natural

kindness, and the depth of her compassion drew me to her.

I stood from my chair and turned to look out over the city, sun splitting through

the buildings as far as the eye could see. I was on top of the world up here. My

reputation for cold, hard business preceded me, but my life felt empty. All this

success around me, and yet something had always felt missing. The truth was, I had

devoted my life to my business. I spent every waking hour running over market

figures and brainstorming new concepts. I’d never even thought twice about

getting to know a woman better—until now.

A light tap, tap sounded on my heavy door.

“Come in!” I grunted, probably a little too forcefully. Ellis walked in, eyes on my

face instantly. “Sit down.” I sounded harsh, much harsher than I intended, but she

undid me and it was terrifying. I was an asshole.

She sat in the chair facing my desk, one long leg crossing over the other and

forcing her pencil skirt higher up her thighs. Ellis always dressed appropriately, but

the way her clothing hugged her soft curves made my palms itch to touch her.

“Did you have a good day, sir?”

Ellis’s words shot a lightning bolt of fire straight into my balls. I pushed a hand

through my hair. This shit between us, whatever it was, was about to explode. I

couldn't think straight, and I had seen the way her eyes settled on mine when I

entered a room, as if we were pulled together by a magnetic charge.

“Great day, thanks, Ms. Ford.”

“You can call me Ellis.” A soft smile pulled her lips.

I nodded. I’d wanted to call her that for a long time. Whatever was between us

felt personal, as if we’d known each other for much longer than we actually had. I’d

never felt an instant sexual connection before, but with Ellis, I was like a caveman

fighting his instincts to take, brand, and devour.

“Ellis,” I hummed, her name rolling like honey off my lips. I knew what else I

wanted on my lips. “I had a look at the Gelman account. Can you confirm that total

you had down?”

I wanted to get business out of the way. Ever since I’d found out that it was the

dazzling Ms. Ford’s birthday, an idea had been circulating in my head. She’d said

she didn’t like surprises, but she was owed one. I’d checked in often while I was

away and knew she’d worked above and beyond what was required of her position,

always consistently performing well, so she deserved a night off to celebrate her. I

knew I wanted to.

She slid her laptop onto my desk, and her little painted fingertips went to work.

I waited patiently, hovering over her shoulder and inhaling the sweet lemon-and-

lavender scent that seemed to waft off her. She was like a delicious dessert I wanted

to unwrap and savor bite by bite.

“Here it is.” She hovered the mouse over the total.

I compared the number on my sheet then smirked.

“That’s the problem. We only billed Gelman $275,000. Sorry if I didn’t update

you. I gave him a break for the first project. That was a stiff negotiation—I thought

I’d lost him for a minute—but we’ll make the money back on the next project.” I

wrote the new number on my sheet then tucked it back in the folder.

“You ready for that birthday celebration?”

Ellis’s eyes widened a she peered up at me, her lips in the shape of a perfect

little O that I wanted to cover with my mouth. “I didn’t think you’d really—”

“I mean everything I say. I figured you knew that by now.” I pulled my suit

jacket off the back of my chair and tossed it over one shoulder. “Should we get out

of here?”

“But… I haven’t even changed or anything…”

I looked her up and down. The way the tailored shirt tucked into her nipped-in

waist, the curve of those hips beneath that snug pencil skirt, made me want to run

my hands up her thighs and bury my face between her silky legs.

“You look perfect.” I placed a hand at the small of her back and felt a shiver run

up the base of her spine.

“T-thank you.” Ellis lifted her purse over her shoulder when we stepped out of

my office, the buttons on her shirt pulling taut and playing peekaboo with a white

lacy bra.

Dear God, it was a wonder I hadn’t thrown myself from the forty-fifth-story

window yet.

She was the smartest, sweetest, sexiest woman I’d ever seen, and I felt honored

to even treat her to a birthday dinner at my favorite restaurant.

I didn’t know where this thing between us was heading—alarm bells about

office romances were ringing at full volume in my head—but I was sick of ignoring

whatever was pulsing between us.

I’d do anything to get her out of my head so I could focus on business again.

But then again, I didn’t really want her gone. I was too intrigued by her. Too

challenged by her. Too turned on.

Ellis Ford was a mystery I wanted to get to the bottom of.

After our entrees were served and only a half of a bottle of wine remained

between us, I asked, “So why don’t you celebrate your birthday?”

Ellis shrugged. “Getting another year older doesn't seem like something to

celebrate.” But her eyes lit up when the waiter set a decadent slice of double

chocolate cake between us.

“I disagree. It’s a time to reflect on all the things you’ve done in the past year,

and maybe a few of the things you haven’t done that you’d like to.” I pushed my

fork into the rich dessert then held the bite out to her.

Her eyes rose for a minute before she composed herself.

“I’m always a gentleman, and celebrating another year of your birth makes me

happy.”

Ellis took the bite off of my fork. With her eyes closed and her lips wrapped

around that little hunk of metal, my cock throbbed as though it were caught in a

vise. I wanted this woman. I wanted to know her, to be with her, to talk to her, to be

everything for her.

“This is amazing,” she finally said.

“You make it look irresistible.” I shifted in my chair, trying to discreetly shift

my cock in my pants. “I make it a rule to avoid office romance, but you’re changing

all the rules on me.” The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them.

“What?” Ellis’s eyes flicked to mine.

“Since the day you started in my office, I’ve been fighting myself. So many

things I’ve wanted to say, so many times I’ve wanted to touch…” I traced a

fingertip across her wrist.

“T-touch what?” Ellis asked, the pulse in her neck fluttering like a

hummingbird.

“Well, for instance, right now I want to lick the hollow of your neck where I can

see your heartbeat going wild.”

Ellis covered her throat with a palm before dropping her hand into her lap and

licking her lips. Her eyes darted away. “I don’t think this is a good idea…”

“I can’t think of a better one.” I ran the pad of my thumb across her cheekbone.

Her eyes fluttered closed as she shifted beneath my touch.

“I’m not the kind of girl who sleeps her way to the top, Mr. Banger.”

I was shocked by her words—and her insinuation.

“And I’m not the kind of man who expects sexual favors as payment. I don’t

take advantage of women, Ellis. I have the utmost respect for you and all of the

other women in my office.” I needed her to know that I was a man of integrity.

Women weren’t toys to me, they were my equals.

“But…” She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth before looking at me.

“Why me then?”

I shook my head, threading her fingers through my own and giving her hand a

squeeze. “Because you beguile me. Your mind is one of the most brilliant I have

ever come across. You’re loyal, strong, and compassionate. You can put up with my

shit, and I know that’s not easy. I admire all those traits. I have never met another

person who is as amazing as you.” I leaned across the table and whispered, “And I

can’t stop thinking about what your lips would feel like against mine.”

The waiter chose just that minute to interrupt. “Is the dessert to your liking, Mr.

Banger?”

“Yes, flawless, just like my dinner companion.” I grinned, enjoying the warm

blush that crept up Ellis’s cheeks. I loved making her squirm, probably because

every single move she made had me in a constant state of unrest.

“I should get home.” Ellis pulled her hand from mine then rummaged through

her purse distractedly.

“I like that you’re always so dedicated to serving me.”

Ellis’s eyes shot up and narrowed. “Listen—”

“I’m kidding.” I shot my hands in the air in surrender as laughter rolled from

my lips. “I just like the way your eyes do that sparkling thing when you’re mad.”

Ellis’s eyes held mine for a minute before her smile broke.

“There it is.” I held out a hand as she pushed away from the table.

“I didn’t get the memo that you were such a funny guy.” She purred so sweetly

her insult could have been covered in honey.

That mouth.

Those lips.

She had me wrapped around all her pretty little fingers already.

After I took care of the check, we stepped out of the restaurant, and the cool

breeze whipped around us before we ducked into the back of my car. She slid across

the leather seats, and I got in after her. Suddenly, the air between us felt charged

with some sort of unseen energy.

Ellis rattled off her address to my chauffeur, and I was surprised to learn that

she lived only a few blocks away—from here and work. Close enough for a quick

lunch break at home… or to stop by when I was on my morning jog.

I imagined her soft and sweet in the morning, hair in a wild mess all over her

pillow and silky camisole riding up her thighs.

Damn, I wanted to get my hands on her.

But I was supposed to control myself because of our company policy. When

relationships ended, it was nearly impossible for lovers to be civil and work

together. But I’d put that rule in place for other employees, not myself. I didn’t let

go of the things that belonged to me, and if Ellis was mine, I’d make sure she’d stay

that way.

I was a confident and capable man with the gift of achieving whatever I sent my

mind to. I’d just been telling myself that Ellis was off-limits. Off-limits until now.

She was quiet on the ride. I kept looking at her, and the more I looked, the more I

kept wanting more. I could have spent forever and a day analyzing the sweet

contours of her face and never get tired. If Da Vinci had seen Ellis first, it would

have been her face that was hanging in the Louvre, not the Mona Lisa’s. Every

angle was another burst of irresistible radiance. I was already at a point where I

would have left the entire world behind just for a taste of her.

The car pulled up outside of her building and stopped at the curb. I opened the

door and slid out, holding it for her. When she slipped her palm into my hand, I

almost dropped to my knees and begged her to let me come upstairs with her, but I

was a man with plans, and I needed her to know that she was my end game.

I gestured for the driver to wait a minute before we took the few steps up to her

door.

She pushed her key in the lock then turned to me. “Thank you for an amazing

dinner.”

I nodded, wishing I could pull her into my arms in the soft lamplight and get lost

in her body.

“Happy birthday, Ms. Ford.” I placed a kiss on her forehead, barely containing

the urge to push her up against the wall and shove my tongue past those pretty

pouty lips.

With her hand on her doorknob, she looked back at me. “Thank you for a

wonderful birthday... Mr. Banger.”

“Tobias. Call me Tobias.” I caught her hand and weaved my fingers through it

before placing a delicate kiss on the underside of her wrist. “See you tomorrow

morning, beautiful.”

Chapter 3

llis

I glanced in the mirror, straightening the neckline of my blouse one more time.

Maybe it was a little too revealing to wear to work today. After last night’s surprise

birthday dinner with Mr. Banger—Tobias—I felt thrust into a whole new world. I’d

always dressed nicely for work, but now every skirt felt a little too short, every top a

little too tight, as if his eyes would constantly roam my form as he waited to eat me

like a wild animal.

The alarm on my phone rang, signaling that it was time for me to run out the

door before I was late. I had a tendency to lose track of time, so I preferred to live a

pretty scheduled life. If I wasn’t out by 7:52 a.m. at the absolute latest, I couldn't

get to my office in time even though it was only a few blocks away.

I sped down the sidewalk, bag over my shoulder. When I turned the corner, I ran

right into the arms of someone impossibly tall, impossibly strong, and impossibly

delicious-smelling.

“Oh,” I said when Tobias’s warm palms stopped me in my tracks.

“Late for work?” His beautiful eyes twinkled at me, and I thought I lost myself in

them for a moment.

“I might be late now.” I stepped away to put some distance between us.

Admiring him from across the room was one thing, but with his hands on me,

sensations of wild lust overwhelmed my system until I thought I might faint.

“Let me take that for you.” He smiled warmly as he took my oversized bag,

which contained my laptop and files, and hoisted it onto his shoulder before using

an arm to gesture that I lead the way. “Have a good night last night, Ms. Ford?”

I turned, catching his gaze before I replied. “A great night, actually. I curled up

with my kitty on the couch and watched a movie.”

Tobias’s eyebrow arched just as I’d figured it would. “Tell me more about this

kitty.”

I laughed as we stepped into the empty elevator, and Tobias pressed the button

for the top floor. The elevator whirred up, leaving me lightheaded—or was that

from his close proximity?

I shut my eyes for a second, wondering what it would be like if this elevator

stopped and we were stuck in here all day. What kind of trouble could we get up to

then? I thought of popping the buttons on his jacket, smoothing my palms down

the curve of that massive bulge…

“Your kitty, Ms. Ford?” Tobias had leaned over and was whispering in my ear.

I sucked in a shallow breath. “I thought we agreed on Ellis? And my kitty doesn’t

like strangers.”

Tobias’s laugh filled the small elevator, his full guffaws landing straight in the

core of my stomach. Being trapped in this elevator, or anywhere, with him would be

a disaster.

The way he made my stomach dance, he’d probably charm the panties right off

me.

“You’re quite the comedienne, Ellis.” His lips brushed across the shell of my ear

with his last word.

The elevator doors slid open, and like a deer frozen in the headlights, I paused

when I saw Victoria standing there, a coffee in each hand.

Her mouth dropped when she saw Tobias leaning against me.

“Lovely having this conversation with you,” Tobias teased then walked out of

the elevator, nodding to Victoria as he brushed by her. He deposited my laptop bag

at my desk before walking into his office and closing the door.

He’d taken the goddamn air straight from my lungs.

“He’s beautiful in the morning.” Victoria’s eyes were wide and glistening. She’d

been caught up in his spell too.

“You’re crazy. He’s moody and gruff and—”

“And it looks like he got under your skin.” Victoria arched one pretty eyebrow.

I snagged one of the cups of coffee she held. Our favorite coffee place was on her

way to work, so she brought in our morning drinks and I bought lunch downstairs

in return.

“He’s not under anything!” I huffed, taking off toward my desk.

“Oh, but I bet you want him to—”

“Ellis!” Tobias took that moment to swing his door open, and he looked

surprised to find Victoria standing with me.

“Yes, Mr. Banger?”

“Can you make a copy of this and deliver it to the design team?” He held out a

sheaf of papers.

“Sure thing.” I snagged the papers as Victoria grinned and walked away.

My phone buzzed a moment later with an incoming text.

First name basis, huh? Sure sounds like he’s under something to me…

I shook my head. Best friend or not, Victoria was officially on my shit list.

“Oh, Ellis?” Tobias called. “Could you come see me when you’re done?”

My stomach fell.

I didn’t know if I could get through the rest of the day, listening to his achingly

sweet voice say my name like that.

I didn’t know why he wanted me, but I liked that he did.

I nodded at my handsome boss before pressing the papers against my chest as I

walked away.

This job was a challenge to be sure, and the biggest part was tall, dark,

Chapter 4

obias

I shoved a hand through my hair as I looked out over the city, wondering not for the

first time today if I was in over my head with Ellis.

Scratch that. I knew I was.

Wanting her was probably the stupidest thing I would ever do, but that didn’t

stop me. Not when she had come to consume my daily thoughts and now my

nightly thoughts as well. Ellis was a huge asset to my company, and losing her

would be a blow to my own daily schedule. But even more than that, risking a

relationship with someone in the office who could so easily walk away… scared me.

I’d never been scared of anything. Conquering the top echelons of the Chicago

business world hadn’t fazed me, but Ellis Ford had. She’d entered my life out of

nowhere and now meant the entire world to me. She’d touched some deep part of

my soul, awakened desires I’d buried, and made me feel happiness I hadn’t even

known existed. I hadn’t been truly alive until her.

At that moment, she walked through the door, and it felt like the sun had finally

risen. “Ready, Mr. Banger?”

I nodded, standing from my chair and gesturing for her to close the door.

“Thanks for coming in.”

“Sure, what can I do for you?”

Bend over my desk to start with.

That was what I wanted to say, but instead, I did the professional thing and

offered her a seat then a drink. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks.” She beamed at me, so eager to please. God, I loved that

about her.

“I wanted to talk to you about the charitable giving program I want to start. It’s

something I’ve been considering for a while, but I know I can’t take it on alone. I

need the right person, someone I can trust, to handle all the details.” I watched her

watch me. “I think you’re the perfect person for the job.”

Ellis didn’t blink for long moments that felt like arrows piercing my insides.

Why the hell did my stomach twist around her? This was more than being near a

beautiful woman—I’d been around plenty of beautiful women and never spared

them a passing glance. But I could have started fires with the passion I felt racing

through my veins when she walked into the room.

“It will be a lot of work.” I stepped closer, itching to touch her in some way. “A

lot of late nights. At least in the beginning.”

Ellis shifted, her eyes trained on me before she nodded. “I would love that.”

“It’ll only be the two of us working on it, at least until it’s been fleshed out. And

I want to be hands-on. Every decision, we discuss together.”

Her doe eyes fluttered for a moment, her rosy lips curving into the smallest of

smiles. “I look forward to it.”

Her words nearly fucking undid me. I had to restrain myself from pulling her

into my arms and pressing my lips to hers, threading my fingers through her wild,

lush locks and delving into the depths of her soul.

Ellis chose that moment to stand and lean across my desk, brushing against my

body as she reached for a legal pad and pen. “Maybe we could get started tonight?”

My eyes landed on hers, my heart hammering like a fucking freight train in my

ears before I did the very thing I’d been desperate to do again.

I touched her.

Her entire body quaked, her breath a little ragged as I splayed my palm across

the dip of her back. Like lightning bolts shooting straight to my balls, frantic

energy pulsed at that spot where we were connected. Visions of her in my bed,

beneath me, her hair across my pillow as I kissed her, fucked her, loved her

throttled my thoughts.

“I’d love to get started tonight.” I slid my palm up her spine, enjoying the

shivers that tore through her body. “You’re so responsive.”

She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, eyes darting to my lips before I

couldn’t control myself a single moment longer. Before I could think twice, my

hands were in her hair and she was pressed against my body.

“I don’t know what you’ve done to me, but I can’t think straight around you, and

at the same time, when my mind is running out of control like a tornado, the

thought of you seems to bring me peace.” I murmured before we kissed. Her lips

pressed to mine felt like waves of thunder crashing between us.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” She whimpered then clutched at my hair before

pressing her lips to mine again.

I kissed her back, our tongues twisting together as I tried to understand why

everything about this felt so right. “I’ve been looking for every excuse to stay away

from you the last few weeks.” I slid a palm down her body, loving the feel of her

soft curves. “But I can’t control myself with you anymore…”

“What if someone finds us like this?” she asked, her words ragged and so

fucking erotic.

“Seeing you like this, knowing I put this little smile on your face…” I dusted a

thumb across her lips. “You’re worth the risk.”

The office phone rang on the desk beside me, and I cursed the fact that I had a

phone call with the financial department to get to.

“This”—I cupped her cheeks and brushed one more soft kiss on her lips—“is to

be continued.”

Ellis’s dark eyes burned before she nodded. “Let me know if you need anything,

Mr. Banger.”

I grinned as the phone kept ringing, and my heart kept pulling me back to Ellis.

“Tobias.” I twisted a lock of her hair between my fingers. “I’m trying to convince

myself that it wouldn’t be a good idea to cut out of work and take you home to my

bed.”

I watched desire course through her body, her thighs shifting and her little

nipples budding to attention beneath the tight fabric of her shirt.

I brushed my lip across the shell of her ear. “I love the shade of pink that creeps

up your body when you're turned on.” Ellis shifted, her gorgeous tits brushing

across my chest. “Your scent draws me in. Makes me crave the taste of you.”

She sucked in a quick breath, her chest heaving.

“I… you should…” She seemed speechless. Maybe my hands on her body did

that to her.

“At a loss for words, darling?” I curled my fingers around her neck as my cock

bit at my zipper, anxious to get out and into her.

“I’ll make up a list…” She stumbled when my thumb brushed the sensitive flesh

at her throat. “I’ll put some charities together…” She closed her eyes and took a

breath before opening them again. “You should get the phone.”

A lopsided grin turned my face before I dropped my hand from her body and

stretched an arm behind me. “Banger here.”

I winked as she backed out of my door.

“Just a minute.” I interrupted the head of the financial department and pressed

the receiver to my chest. “I look forward to seeing you later, Ellis.”

Her devastating smile twisted, her eyes trailing up my suit-clad body before she

breathed. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”

I almost hung up and dragged her right back to where she belonged—in my arms

and against my body.

Once I truly had her, I wouldn’t let go.

Chapter 5

llis

I left Mr. Banger’s office—Tobias’s office—and headed straight past my desk and

down the hall. Heat blistered my skin, and arousal soaked my thighs. What did it

feel like to be touched by my boss? So phenomenal I was sure the evidence of it

colored my face.

Head down, I darted into the ladies’ room and checked the other stalls to make

sure I was alone before I headed to the mirror. There, I saw my wide and dilated

eyes, the flush on my cheeks, the way my breath was still racking my chest.

I was more turned on than I’d ever been in my life.

I shifted again, remembering the feel of his heavy hands warming my skin.

Every fucking piece of me wanted him.

This was wrong. All so wrong. How could I expect this to lead to anything but

disaster? The man who made me feel these things, these feelings, also had the

ability to destroy me. I’d worked for too many years to get a job at a firm like this,

keeping my focus on school alone. I couldn’t let him derail me. I wanted a husband,

a family at some point, but not now. Not with my boss. Not with the man who could

fire me. And what about the company nonfraternization policy? I didn’t remember

seeing that specifically when I’d signed my contract, but I was sure it was in there.

Weren’t all companies doing that these days?

But Tobias Banger was the boss. He’d created that contract. He could just as

easily destroy it. I knew men like him didn’t play by the rules. Men like him, with

more wealth and privilege than I could even begin to imagine, wrote the rules. I

didn’t know anything about Mr. Banger’s history, and the staff around the office

was surprisingly mute on the topic, so I was left to my own assumptions. But

digging into the boss’ personal life wasn’t in my best interest.

I’d worked my fingers to the bone to get this job.

No way could I risk that now.

I dampened a paper towel and wiped it across my chest and neck, trying to cool

my body after its overwhelming reaction to his touch. Staying away from him was

impossible, especially since I’d just agreed to develop an entirely new department

with him. Controlling my body’s reaction to him was equally impossible, and

impossible things made me uncomfortable. I liked control, balance, stability.

I finished in the ladies’ room and took my time walking back to my desk,

wondering if I should find a way to tell Mr. Banger that we couldn’t do this. I

couldn’t let myself be taken in by him. It wouldn’t be good for either of us.

Visions of an office romance gone horribly wrong flashed through my mind.

And deep down… I didn’t feel good enough for him. Mr. Banger intimidated me.

A Park Avenue debutante would have looked better on his arm than a frumpy girl

with too-big hips and an accent that indicated a working-class background.

Mr. Banger and I were a horrible mismatch. So why did it feel as if I was trying to

convince myself of that?

I sighed and slumped into my chair, opening my laptop to get started on

researching charities that Mr. Banger may want to donate to.

Throwing myself into work would be my only respite from the overwhelming

sexual tension that chugged between us.

I spent the next few hours researching and taking notes on dozens of different

charities to show Mr. Banger.

Around one, my phone rang.

“Tobias Banger’s office?”

“You worked through lunch?” Mr. Banger’s growl sent a shiver down my spine.

“Uh, yes. I’ve been researching some charities—”

“Order us something to eat. I’m starving.”

Us. He’d said us.

“S-sure.” I scrambled for the list of his favorite takeout places.

“Get whatever you like, Ellis.”

The way he said my name made my insides melt. How did just the power of his

voice do that to me? Made me think of things I really shouldn’t, like our bodies

tangled together in his sheets.

I sighed. The phone went silent as I sat there, aroused and upended all over

again.

An hour later, I was in his office, my heels kicked off and my legs tucked beneath

me on the slim leather couch that sat against one wall.

“I like this one.” Mr. Banger tapped one of the charity pages I’d printed out. “I’d

like to help underprivileged kids. I’ve always donated to a few charities personally,

but I’d like to take it bigger scale. Really make an impact. Get community centers

built in some of these inner-city neighborhoods, fund after-school programs,

update the technology and get better supplies to low-income schools. I’d even like

to sponsor an entire class of kindergartners from the public school I went to and

pay for their college tuition... can you look into that for me?”

“That sounds... incredible. Everyone says they want to help underprivileged

kids, but you have real ideas. I grew up in Evanston, which isn’t exactly a rough

neighborhood, but it still deals with a lot of underage crime. These kids need a place

to go,” I said, feeling much more comfortable in his office, and in his presence,

now. Ever since I’d made the decision that whatever was between us couldn't go

further, I’d released some of my anxiety about being with him. Sure, he was

devastatingly handsome and filled out a suit better than any Armani model, but he

was also charming, a great listener, and so interested in people. He really cared

about people, and that was something that connected us.

“I grew up on the east side.” His eyes shot up before they moved back to his

plate. “The part of town no kid should have to grow up on.”

My eyes grew wider than saucers. I’d just assumed he’d grown up with wealth he

wore it so well. His poise and manners were two of the first things I’d noticed about

him.

“I know firsthand how badly those kids need a safe place to go.” He stood and

strode across the room. The way the fabric of his suit pants hugged his ass, the

muscles taut and flexing with each measured movement, made my mouth water.

He really was walking, talking sin.

I must have been in hell.

He grabbed a file from a drawer before tossing it on the table between us. “Those

are the charities I’ve been donating too. I’d like to give more to them too.”

I flipped the file open and found a list of at least half a dozen charities, including

the Boys and Girls Club and other inner-city safe havens. “These are great.”

He nodded, rolling the crisp white sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows and

revealing colorful, intricate tattoos that crawled around his forearms and

disappeared beneath the fabric.

The sight of them surprised me, and they only added to his mystery. What did

they mean? When had he gotten them? And sweet Jesus, were there more?

I’d never been a fan of tattoos, but seeing them on him, so unexpected, like they

seemed to reveal something hidden about his life, changed my opinion. Tobias

Banger would not have put ink on his body without a reason for it. I struggled to

make sense of the design, but I didn't want to spend too long staring.

“I’ve had them for years,” he said, probably catching my glances.

“Are there more?” I blurted before thinking twice.

He nodded, his gaze trained on mine. “I’ve got a few.”

“They’re beautiful.” I moved closer and trailed a fingertip up what looked like

the twisting tail of a dragon wrapped around his forearm. “The colors are

incredible.”

“I’ve thought about getting them removed.”

“What? Why?” I asked, suddenly sad at the thought of him without them.

“I’m not the same person I was when I got them.” He shrugged as if it were no

big deal, yet it seemed like the biggest deal. It sounded as though he wasn’t proud

of the person he had been.

“I think they add to the mystery of you,” I said, surprised by my own words.

One deft eyebrow arched. “I guess they’re worth keeping then.”

His crooked, confident smile made me burn. “Mr. Banger—”

“Tobias.”

I wanted to smack the smile right off his mouth. Or kiss it. I really wanted to feel

the heat of his lips against mine again.

“I've been thinking…” I struggled for the right words. “We shouldn't get

involved in anything… personal. I just don’t think it’s smart for either of us.”

“I don’t care what’s smart. I care about what's right, and you in my arms felt

more right than anything ever has in my life.” His beautiful eyes held mine.

“But the things you make me feel — it’s just bound to end badly. And I really

need this job—”

“If you ever think I would put your job here in jeopardy—”

“You say that now, but what if—”

“What if what, Ellis? We can ‘what if’ all day, but I’m more concerned about

what happens if I don’t do this. If I don’t do everything in my power to have the

only woman on the planet who has ever made me feel like I can’t breathe without

her.”

The air between us felt pregnant. Taut, as if we were held together by invisible

silk threads.

“Mr. Banger—”

“Tobias.”

“Stop interrupting me!” I seethed, finally frustrated with all his sexy charm and

insistence on turning my world upside down.

“But you're so beautiful when your eyes crinkle together and your lips purse like

that. Makes me want to kiss you until you’re out of breath.” One finger dragged up

the inside of my arm, sending electric jolts through my system.

“But what about the ‘no fraternization’ policy?” I said, a little breathless.

“There isn’t one.” He sounded a little cocky.

“Then what if—”

“What if I slip my fingers between your thighs and make you cum so hard you

scream?”

I sat stupefied, every stubborn nerve in my body begging him to do it.

Say yes. Let him put his hands on you again. Let him take everything you have.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, my nipples tightening painfully as if

lightning had replaced the blood in my veins. “We should pick a few charities and

get in touch with them.”

His smirk deepened when he realized he’d gotten to me. Damn him.

I inched away, breaking the spell between us and returning my attention to the

paperwork spread out in front of us.

“I like the way you think.” He grinned, and I knew his words meant so much

more than he’d let on.

Tobias Banger was driving me insane, one slow, sexy smile at a time.

Chapter 6

obias

“That color highlights the creamy shade of your skin.” I rested a hip against my

desk and crossed my arms. My eyes followed the curve of her hips to her ass cheeks

stretching that tight pencil skirt. Pain radiated through my balls. The need to drop

to my knees, push my hands up that skirt, and fuck her with my tongue was strong.

What would sweet little Ellis say when I slid a finger through her hot pussy? I made

it my mission to find out.

She turned and nailed me with her gaze. “I’m sure that’s exactly what you

meant.”

“Would you like to know what I wanted to say?” I crossed to her in a few short

strides. “I meant your ass looks great in that pencil skirt. But your ass looks great

every day, and I’m beginning to think you wear these tight skirts, shirt tucked in

and buttoned up, to drive me crazy. Makes me want to push my hands into your

hair”—I threaded my fingers through her dark curls—“and fuck you with my

tongue until your lips are bruised.”

Ellis’s fingers clutched at my shoulders before her eyes fluttered closed. “I’m

going to make copies of these.”

She dropped her arms and reached for the file on the table.

“You are determined when you set your mind to something, aren’t you?” I

commented.

“You don’t know the half of it.”

“Well, darling, I may not know what sets your fire, but I know how to stroke the

flames.” I hummed the last word in her ear.

Little goose bumps popped up on her skin before she tightened her jaw and

turned toward the door.

“Ellis?”

“Hmm?” She whipped around, eyes wide and hair floating around her shoulders.

“Could you stop in the file closet and bring me the folder marked ‘Donations’

from last year? You shouldn’t have too much trouble finding it. No one ever goes in

there, so it’s probably right on the top shelf where I left it.”

Her hand twisted the doorknob before she nodded and slipped out.

I sat back in my chair, enjoying every minute of torturing her. Being in the same

room as her was nearly goddamn torture for me.

I’d have to continue to rub one out in the shower every damn morning if I was

going to work with her like this.

But I was anxious to work with her. She had a head for numbers, and I knew that

I could count on her, more than anyone else in this company, to run my business.

She knew exactly how I liked things. From day one, we’d somehow fit together as if

we’d been partners for years and slipped into a familiar routine.

I thought back to the way she’d responded when I touched her, the taste of her

lips on mine, the wild visions of her in the throes of passion beneath me. I’d

abstained from the pleasures of the flesh for many years. I’d found them too easy

to get lost in, an addiction best left buried, but Ellis brought feelings out in me I’d

never quite felt before. I’d had my fair share of women as a selfish, out-of-control

teenager, using them until they hadn’t had a drop left to give before I grew bored

and moved on. But that was then.

It hadn’t taken me long to learn that those reckless decisions were a result of my

childhood. I was lashing out. I was bitter and thought I had something to prove. But

the only person I’d needed to prove a damn thing to was myself. It’d taken me

years to learn that, but I finally had, and I didn’t think some people ever did. I was

one of the lucky ones.

I was a totally new man now.

Life changes a man, and I’d lived more than a kid ever should.

I'd come too far to get to this place, and I was proud of the man I’d become.

I checked the time on my Rolex, thinking Ellis had been gone for more than a

few minutes. I stood, figuring I’d meet her on the way back from the copy room, but

I wanted to check on her anyway. It wasn’t like her to take this long. Detours

weren’t her thing, and she’d seemed excited to work on this project.

I stepped out of my office and walked the long hallway. I loved the sound of a

silent office. I could get my best work done without phones ringing or interruptions

from employees with deadlines and project inquiries. I stayed here some nights. If

it was too late to make it worth going home, I’d grab a few hours of sleep on the

couch in my office with the spare blanket and pillow I kept in the closet. A shower

at the company gym on the first floor in the morning and I was like new. This

company was my world. I lived it and breathed it, so tasking Ellis with starting the

charitable donations department wasn’t a decision I took lightly.

“Ellis?” I called when I turned the corner into the copy room. Nothing.

I backtracked, heading back down the hallway and around the opposite corner to

the file closet I’d asked her to retrieve the folder of old donation receipts from. I

turned the knob and pulled the door wide. I found her huddled on the floor, a

folder’s worth of paperwork spread out at her feet and one red heel in her hand.

“Jesus, are you okay?” I rushed into the room and crouched at her feet, taking

her foot in my hand.

“No! The door!” she squealed, trying to scramble up and catch it before it

slammed with a loud thud.

“What’s wrong? Is your ankle okay?” I felt the tender flesh of her foot again.

She sucked in a violent breath before looking at me. “The door locks from the

outside.”

“What? I just had them changes the locks on it because the old one—”

“Didn’t lock at all. Yeah, I remember. And now this one locks from the outside.”

Ellis pressed her hands against her forehead.

“You mean we can’t get out?” I stood and pulled on the doorknob.

Nothing.

Not a goddamn thing.

“Fuck.” I slouched against the door.

“Double fuck,” Ellis agreed.

“Do you have your phone?” I asked hopefully.

She frowned, shaking her head as she looked up at me from her spot on the

floor. “You?”

“Left it on my desk. Why didn’t you tell me not to close the door?” If we couldn’t

get out of here, it would be her and I, alone, in this closet all night together. No way

could I trust myself so close, so tempting, all damn night.

“I didn’t have a chance to say anything before you freaked out and rushed in

here like there was a madman on the loose!” Ellis’ words echoed off the four tight

walls around us.

“I saw you on the floor and thought you were hurt! I couldn’t think straight.” I

refused to apologize for the way my heart had dropped from seeing her crumpled

on the floor and looking so helpless.

“I broke my heel trying to pound on the door.” When I looked askance at her,

she shrugged. “I was angry. I dropped the folder when I realized the door was

locked.”

“And you thought puncturing it with your heel was the best idea?”

“It was more for anger management purposes than practical ones.” She slipped

the other heel off her foot and set it beside its broken mate. “Maybe if we keep

banging on the door Jenny will finally hear us.”

“Jenny just left.”

“Really?” she whispered, looking worried.

I wanted to pull her into my arms, stroke her hair, and calm her fears, but I

didn’t think now was the time.

“Really.”

I decided to do exactly what I wanted to do and pulled her into my arms. She

hooked her hand at my waist and snuggled into my chest.

“We’re not really going to be here all night, are we? There’s got to be a way…”

I tried to fathom some way to get out of here. I had a security company on call,

but there was no way to alert them that we were up here. The cleaning crew would

be in in a few hours, but they had no reason to come into this closet.

I didn’t even have a single person in my life who would worry when I didn’t

come home. “Will anyone miss you?”

“What?” Ellis looked at me, clearly confused.

“When you don’t go home tonight, is there anyone who might notice?”

Chapter 7

llis

“Age when you lost your virginity?” I laughed, laying my cards out between us.

Mr. Banger squinted as he laughed. “Too young.”

We were playing poker with an old deck of cards we’d found at the bottom of a

dusty box. Whoever lost the hand had to answer a question—our own mashup of

twenty questions and poker.

“How young?”

His gaze connected with mine before he pushed a hand over his face and

mumbled, “Fourteen.”

“Fourteen!” I’d been prepared for a low number, but I wasn't prepared for that.

“You were still a kid.”

“Yup. I went through a lot as a teenager. A kid left alone with a lot of free time is

bad news. What about you?”

“Nuh-uh.” I shook my head. “That’s not the way the game works. You lost fair

and square, buddy.”

“Well then, I’ve got a new rule.” He grinned, shuffling the cards as he watched

me. “If the loser doesn’t answer the question, they’ve got to take off their clothes.”

I shook my head. “That sounds like a terrible game.”

“Well, I’m the dealer, and the dealer make the rules.”

“That is bullshit. I’m going to have a word with HR about you,” I teased.

“Well, I’m in luck because HR answers to me. It pays to be the boss.” He winked

as he dealt out the next hand.

“You’re not much of a rule-follower then, huh?”

“Not when it comes to you.” His grin warmed my insides. “Whatcha got?”

I shuffled the cards in my hands, putting them in the right order, only to find

that I had nothing. I frowned before remembering I had to keep a poker face.

“Not good, huh? Guess I’m going to learn a lot about you tonight.”

I cast him a quick glare.

“What are the rules if I fold?”

“You answer a question.”

I huffed, resigning myself to my fate. To a shit hand and the night spent locked

in the closet with him. “Fine. I’m going to kick your ass next round though.”

Mr. Banger laughed as he tossed his cards on the floor between us. “I didn’t have

shit either, just so you know.”

I shuffled the cards, dreading the question I knew was about to come out of his

mouth.

“So how old, Ellis?”

I busied myself with the cards, agonizing over what to tell him. “Well…”

“Yeah…?” He leaned in a little closer, rocketing my anxiety up another notch.

“I’m…” God, I hated these words. “I’ve never been with…” I glanced at him,

catching his wide eyes as he waited for my final words. “I’m a virgin.”

“Excuse me?” he asked, leaning a little closer.

“You heard me.” I swiped at his shoulder, trying to lighten the mood.

“I heard you. I just don’t believe you.”

His fiery gaze heated my insides.

“What? Why not? And I'm pretty sure I should be insulted by that.”

“No insult.” He shook his head. ‘You’re just too beautiful to be untouched. I

mean, I have a hard time believing no one has come along and stolen you for

himself.”

“I don’t take well to getting stolen.” I averted my eyes, wishing this entire

conversation would end.

“I’m sure you don’t. You’re kind of a hard-ass, aren’t you?” His thumb stroked

my cheek.

God, why was he always touching me, always making me feel things out of

control, wild, reckless? For the first time ever, I felt desirable.

“I have to be a hard-ass if I want to succeed in this business,” I said.

“That’s true, but there’s something more… there’s something at the heart of

you. Why do you push everyone away?” His words were at my neck, his breath

washing across my skin in currents of pleasure.

“I-I don’t push people away.”

“Bullshit.” He pulled away.

I swallowed, knowing his words were true whether I liked them or not. I hated

that he got me, could see into my soul as if he had a damn magnifying glass.

“You drive me crazy.”

“I’ve got a secret—I like you a little crazy. Now where’re my cards, dealer? I’ve

got a game to win.”

I dealt our cards, my stomach shifting as I thought about what other personal

questions he might ask. Maybe it was true and I wasn't an open book, but who said I

had to be? I kept my heart closed because I didn’t like to be vulnerable, but who

did?

“How’s it lookin’ over there, darling?”

“Like I would tell you.” I moved my cards around to find another poor hand. But

damn if I was going to tell him that. “Yours?”

He arched an eyebrow, taking this game much more seriously than I ever would

have thought. He was adorable when he shed the businessman veneer. “I've got

some good things happening over here. I’ll take two cards though.”

I dealt him the cards then watched his eyes flick over my face.

He grinned wickedly before nodding. “You drawing?”

“Mhmm.” I pulled three new cards from the deck, hoping like hell I’d draw

something better than the random stack of shit I had.

“Ready to call it?” he asked.

I sucked in a breath, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Sure.” I set my cards in front of me.

His eyes ate up my cards before his smile deepened and he laid out his hand: a

pair of jacks and queens. Damn. “So I’ve got a question for you.”

I groaned inwardly, thinking no matter what it was, I was sick of this game.

“Shoot.”

“Last time you went on a date?”

My stomach twisted, and I squirmed before swallowing. “I’m not answering

that.”

“What? You won’t answer that one?”

I shook my head fiercely, avoiding his eyes as I swiped up the cards and shuffled

them into one neat pile.

“Wait—have you never…?”

“I told you I’m not answering.” He didn’t need to know my most recent dating

history.

“Well, you know what that means: an item of clothing...”

I twisted my face into a comic frown before smiling and popping the buttons on

my shirt, one slow movement at a time. “I follow the rules. Always.”

His eyes widened again when I reached the bottom of the shirt, unbuttoned the

last button, and pulled it out of my waistband. I smiled brightly when I shrugged off

the shirt to reveal a delicate, creamy-white lace-scalloped camisole underneath my

button-down shirt.

“I think we’re going to need an addendum to the rules about underclothes.” His

throaty tone made me really damn glad I’d worn this cami. Lingerie was one of my

favorite things.

“I may be a virgin, Banger, but I’m not a prude.” I felt his eyes heating up the

space between us as they crawled across the newly exposed flesh of my shoulders

and chest. “Ready for another hand?”

“How the hell am I supposed to concentrate now?”

“Sounds like a personal problem.” I shrugged, passing cards between us.

“It’s a personal problem that’s about to become a very public one.” He shifted,

and I caught him adjusting the erection tenting his pants.

Sweet Jesus. If that bulge was any indication, he was blessed in length and girth,

and never in my life had I wanted to confirm that more than I did right now.

“I’ve got a rep to uphold, so you’d better bring your A game,” I bantered.

“I bring my A game every day.” His throaty words pummeled my mind as he

swiped his stack of cards, brushing my hand in the process.

I lifted my own cards, peeking at him over my hand as I watched him frown.

I actually had a pretty decent hand this round, but I’d have to make him think it

was even better than it was to get him to believe it. “You’re toast, playboy.”

Mr. Banger’s laugh echoed through the small space. “I’ve got shit. I’m not even

going to try to defend this hand. I think it was a bad deal.”

He tossed his cards between us, faceup, showing his random bunch of playing

cards.

“Bad deal or not, you know the rules…” I threw down my cards, smiling at my

pair of kings and nothing else.

“Ask me any question.” He threw up his arms. “I’m an open book.”

I worked over the many questions I had in my head. There was so much I wanted

to know, so much mystery around him. The tattoos, the childhood, the women—

but those were all obvious questions. I wanted to know something he didn’t tell

anyone else…

“Well?” He smirked, resting back against a shelving unit.

“Tell me about your parents,” I blurted.

His eyes rose before his jaw tightened and he glanced away. The air hung thick

between us before he answered. “No.”

“That’s it? Just no?” Hadn’t he just said he was an open book?

“No way.” His fingers worked the buttons of his dress shirt until he was

shrugging it off and throwing it into a heap on the floor next to us.

“Uh… okay.” I felt awful for ruining the bubble of banter we’d been living in the

last few hours.

“You know, being locked with you in this closet isn’t easy for me either.”

“Really?” He growled, and before I knew it, he was hovering over me, his broad

shoulders and wide biceps caging me against the file cabinet. “Does it feel like a

thousand tiny bolts of lightning zapping through your bloodstream? Does it feel

like you’re getting too close? Like you want to open up but something inside you

just won’t quite let you? Does it feel like the only person you've ever wanted in your

entire life wants nothing to do with you?”

His heavy breaths washed across my face, his lips hovering over mine as we

shared the oxygen between us. I felt suffocated and wildly aroused and incredibly

excited. He was my perfect storm, a heady concoction of lust and charm wrapped in

one addictive package.

His head dipped, and his tongue slid in one decadent stroke up my throat.

“Everything about you makes me crazy.”

Chapter 8

obias

Her body shuddered beneath my touch.

Goosebumps raced along her skin when I dragged my tongue up the delicate line

of her neck. A small moan escaped her lips when I caught the bottom of her earlobe

between my teeth.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Ellis’s fingers pushed through my hair, sending currents of need racing through

my body. For the first time in my life, I could feel. I’d spent so many years with a

wall around my heart, but after just one look from Ellis, a few hours in the presence

of her generous heart and her radiant smile, I was hooked.

“I shut my eyes at night, and I see your smile. I’m a fucking crazy man, thinking

about what you’d feel like under my hands.” I slid my palms up either side of her

body, slipping my fingertips under the creamy straps of that thin excuse for a top.

“I can't stop wondering what noise you’ll make when I taste you.”

Ellis’ eyes fluttered closed, her fingers clutching at my hair before I crushed her

lips with mine.

I pressed my lips to hers in a kiss that was meant to say one thing—I owned her.

Her body softened, and her lips parted, and I plunged my tongue inside hard and

fast, tasting her and desperate to show her she was mine.

“You're all fucking mine, Ellis.”

Soft gasps racked her body, her lips bruised and calling for more. Our mouths

met again, tongues twisting together as I slowly pulled down the zipper of her skirt.

Ellis pulled away, wriggling her skirt past her curvy thighs and revealing her

gorgeous body to me for the first time.

“Jesus, I'm gonna explode.” I palmed my cock jerking painfully against my

zipper as she lay on the floor beneath me, only her scrap of a thong separating her

sweet cunt from my mouth.

Pulling her thighs apart with my hands, I nestled my hips between her legs and

ran my palms up the soft dip of her stomach, pushing her thin top up her skin and

enjoying the blush that crept up her chest and neck. I pulled the scrap of fabric over

her head and dropped it, my hands at her neck as I kissed her again. I couldn't get

enough of her fucking taste, her touch, her everything. Ellis intoxicated me.

“I can’t wait to feel you.” Her hand slid between us, palming the ridge of my

cock and driving me goddamned insane.

“I’m going to fuck you so deep you’re gonna feel me tomorrow morning.” I

grazed my thumb across her tender nipple and watched it pebble and darken,

desperate for more of my attention. “Are you ready for that?”

Her stunning eyes slammed closed before she caught her bottom lip between

her teeth and nodded.

I caught her chin with my hand. “Look at me.”

Her eyes shot open, holding my gaze intently.

“Now tell me you want to feel me,” I ordered.

Her eyes burned with something dark, sexy, uncontrollable. “I want to feel you,

Mr. Banger.”

My heart hammered when her fingertips popped the button on my pants and

slid down the zipper. My cock flexed eagerly. The brush of her knuckles drove me

fucking insane.

“Tell me, little one, are you on birth control?”

Fire burned in her eyes before she opened her pretty mouth. “No, sir.”

An uncontrollable growl tore through my throat as my hands instinctively

sought her flesh. “Good. I want my cum buried deep inside your pretty little

pussy.”

I slid a finger between her sopping folds. “You ready to cum for me, kitten?”

Her eyes flicked up my body, her grin deepening as she pushed my pants and

boxers down my hips. I kicked them off then settled my aching cock, thick and

heavy, between us.

“I want to taste you first.” Her eyes were wide as she watched how her words

almost killed me. I sat up on my knees, devouring every smooth movement she

made as she leaned towards me and wrapped her little fists around my dick, almost

driving me over the edge with her slow strokes. Her tongue ran up the base of my

cock, and she smiled at the tip.

“Jesus, Ellis.” I threaded my hands through her long hair, holding her gently as

she sucked down the length of my cock, her cheeks hollowing, then she licked and

swirled again. “God, you can’t do that anymore.”

She froze, glancing up at me as though she’d done something wrong. “Why?”

“Because if I don’t taste you, I’m going to lose my mind, sweetheart.” I gripped

her hips and flipped her around, my palms covering the curvy ass cheeks I’d been

dreaming of. “You’re fucking irresistible.” I slid a finger along the fine thread of

fabric that ran between her cheeks. “It’s a goddamn good thing I didn’t know you

were wearing this little thing under those skirts.” I pulled the fabric of the thong

tight across the lips of her cunt, enjoying the way her arousal soaked the fibers.

“Everything about your body wants me. I can smell you begging me to take you.”

“Oh God.” She groaned and wiggled her hips as my cock throbbed.

“Am I the first man to taste this sweet cunt, Ellis?”

“Yessss, Tobias,” she said once I’d slid the panties from her legs.

My palms on her ass, I kneaded the flesh. I was desperate to claim every last

inch of her.

“That’s a good girl.” I fisted at the globes, my fingertips working closer to the

center of her puckered bud. “Then I assume I’ll be the first to have this too.” I

swiped a knuckle at her ass, enjoying the way she shuddered and gasped with

shock.

“I want to own every piece of you, Ellis. No exceptions.”

Her head whipped around, a current of dark hair flying across her creamy

shoulders before her eyes met mine. “I can’t wait for you to own every inch.”

“Fuck,” I growled, unable to control myself a second longer.

I ducked and slid my tongue up the seam of her soaked pussy, enjoying the way

her thighs quivered and shook against me. I curled my tongue around the bud of

her clit and flicked, refusing to let up until her cunt flooded my face and my tongue

lapped up her juice as if I’d been dying of thirst for her. With pleasure, I slid one

long finger into her wet pussy, her tender muscles shaking as her pussy sucked me

in. Slowly, with delicate strokes, I primed her, allowing my fingers to stretch her

open so my cock wouldn’t be such a shock.

Pulling my finger from her body, I slid my slick index finger over the rosebud of

her back entrance. “I can’t wait to feel you here, but we’ll save that for another

night.”

I nestled my cock between her thighs, and slid my thumb inside her cunt,

thrusting in slow strokes to get her ready for me.

“I’ve been dreaming about this.” Ellis locked her arms around my neck then,

kissing up the hollow of my throat until her lips were against mine, our hips

moving in rhythm together.

I pulled my thumb from her body and dragged it against her puffy pink lips

before planting a kiss against them, sealed with her desire. “Your dreams are about

to turn into reality.”

Chapter 9

llis

I moaned into his mouth as he leaned me back, his tongue delving deeper as his

long and ridiculously thick cock pushed between us. His hips danced against mine

as I clutched at his back, preparing for his first intrusion. My heart hammered as I

thought about him, about us, right here and right now. He was every walking,

talking fantasy I’d ever had and never dreamed existed. He was pressed against me,

wanting me, and I was desperate to give him every last piece.

“Relax, baby, we’re going to do this slow.” His breath washed across my skin

and sent tingles exploding through me.

I willed my breath to slow as I trailed a hand over his bicep, my fingertips

following that intricate dragon tattoo. The ink had been etched with thoughtful

precision, wrapping around his elbow and down his forearm. He was so beautiful,

so different from anything I’d expected and so much better.

I nearly chuckled when I thought of the man I’d interviewed with, in his navy

suit, crisp button-down, and elegant striped tie. He was so intimidating. The way

he dominated a room sent butterflies crashing around my rib cage, but this man...

this man with the filthy mouth and the tattoos and the tongue that did… that, he

was raw, like a wild animal, starving and desperate to devour me.

“I’ll take you any way I can get you, but tomorrow night, I want you in my bed.”

His words pooled like honey in my stomach, doing their job at relaxing me into his

embrace. “And once I have you in my bed, I may never let you leave.”

I shuddered when he kissed up my neck, his palms kneading my thighs and

relaxing me just as his cock pushed past my entrance. I sucked in a quick breath,

but I didn’t have a chance to react before his tongue was past my lips, his kiss slow

and generous as he pushed inch by slow inch into my body. He wound his hands

through my hair, holding my head to his as he thrust with controlled strokes. My

muscles adjusted to his size, my nerves tingling with lust and desire after the initial

pinch wore off.

“Tobias, you feel…” I struggled for words, pulling his lips against mine and

working my hips more frantically.

“Tell me, beautiful, tell me how I feel inside you,” he mumbled, his thrusts

speeding up.

“Full, I feel so full.” I grasped his biceps, desperate to feel more. “It’s amazing.”

“God, you feel better than I could have imagined. So hot.” He gasped as he

thrust. “So silky.” He thrust again, his thumb swirling at my clit. “So fucking

tight.”

Serrated groans shredded my lips as another orgasm tore through me.

“I own all your orgasms, beautiful girl.” His thrusts sped up, his face tightening

as his own orgasm loomed. “Every last drop is mine.”

The orgasm tore through my body as he held me close, his thighs rigid and

quaking as he emptied himself into me. My muscles relaxed, and my breathing

slowed as our bodies melded together in an overwhelming moment of raw emotion.

“I take care of what’s mine, Ellis.” He pulled out of me, the slow drag of his cock

rubbing every deliciously raw nerve I had. He curled me into his chest and laid us

side by side in our nest of clothes on the floor. “And you’re mine now.”

His hand dipped below my waist and swirled the wetness dripping from between

my legs, a mix of him and me, before he rubbed it across my belly in slow, tender

strokes.

“I want you pregnant with my babies.”

His words slammed into my stomach, making it twist and turn with a mix of

emotions. Surprise, fear, excitement. Unbelievable excitement.

“Do you want kids someday, Ellis?” His throaty voice crawled up my body,

lighting me on fire.

“Yes,” I murmured, weaving my fingers through his. Love. This was what love

felt like. Warm and comforting, safe and satisfying on a soul level.

“Good, then that’s settled.” His reckless grin launched rockets through my

nerves before he pressed my knuckles to his lips and kissed them one by one. “Now

for a ring.”

“Tobias!” I laughed, pulling my hand from his grasp. “Moving a little fast, don’t

you think?”

“Not when I’ve been waiting a lifetime to feel the way you make me feel. From

the moment I saw you, you have never left my mind. I want to roll over in bed at 2

in the morning and find your lips. I don’t want anyone else to have you in their

arms, because you will be too busy being wrapped up in mine.” He said the words so

simply they swept the breath from my lungs.

“I think you’re amazing, this is amazing, but—”

“No buts between us. I told you you’re mine, and I know it more now than ever. I

know you're new at this—”

“New? I was a virgin when I fell into this closet!” I laughed.

“I’ll spend every moment of every day making you happy, Ellis. And I can make

you very happy.” One fingertip danced around my nipple as he spoke.

I grinned, wanting desperately to fight him just because I liked to get him riled

up too, but there wasn’t a thing I could say. He could see right through me. He

knew I liked the things he said; the blush on my cheeks and the smile on my face

only confirmed it. I wanted to be his. I wanted to have his babies. I wanted to wake

up with him every morning and curl into his warm body every single night.

Suddenly a whole lifetime next to Tobias Banger was unfolding, fear melting

Chapter 10

llis

I woke the next morning curled into Tobias’s hard, warm body, his hand tangled in

my hair as he held my head close to him. Wrapped around him like a pretzel, I’d

never felt so protected, so whole, so unbelievably fucking happy. I’d been waiting

for this moment, that down-deep-in-my-gut, can’t-live-without-you moment.

Looking at Tobias now… it was him. It was now. I was sure.

Tobias hummed in his sleep, pulling me closer to his body, pressing my head

against the steady thump of his heart. I sighed, unable to keep a blinding smile

from tearing across my cheeks. I adjusted again, my back stiff from sleeping on the

closet floor.

Tobias had done his best to make a nest out of our discarded clothes, but it’d

been a pretty uncomfortable night sleeping on the floor, even if I did have the most

beautiful man to ever fill out a suit curled up next to me.

“Morning,” Tobias murmured, his lips caressing the shell of my ear.

“Hi,” I whispered, my eyes holding his.

“You’re even more beautiful first thing in the morning. How do you do it?” He

slid the pad of his thumb across my lips and smiled.

“Maybe it was the exercise last night.”

“I think it’s because I look good on you.” He dipped his head closer. “Or in you.”

One palm slid down my body, cupping between my thighs and sliding two digits

through the damp flesh of my pussy. “Everything about you calls to me.”

“Tobias…” I groaned as he hooked two fingers inside me, his thumb swirling

frantic figure eights around my clitoris until an orgasm built hard and fast in my

core. “Oh my God…”

Tobias’s hand sped up as I clamped down on my lip, watching his gaze eating up

my writhing form. My muscles tightened, and a thousand bolts of lightning shot

through my body in delicious waves. My heart thundered and racked my chest when

he crushed his lips to mine, his hands shoving into my hair as his tongue fucked my

mouth so furiously I knew I was owned.

Tobias fucked me hard and fast in every way. And when I’d least expected it,

he’d stolen my soul too.

“I love making you purr first thing in the morning.” A rogue grin turned up one

corner of his mouth.

“You’re such a cocky bastard.” I pressed my thumb against his soft lips before

planting my mouth there, showing him everything I couldn’t yet bring myself to

say.

Suddenly, the sound of voices tore us from our bubble.

“People are here,” I said.

Tobias’s eyes hovered on mine. I couldn't quite place the thoughts flying behind

his eyes, but the emotion that burned in them was intense. “We should get dressed

then.”

But he didn’t move, our bodies still twined together.

“Yeah.”

“Thank you for the best night of my life, Ellis.”

“The best?” I expected a rakish grin or a cocky wink. But he was serious, the line

of his jaw tight, the look in his eyes so hungry I felt as though it ate up the oxygen

between us. “I had a good time too.”

Tobias finally pulled away, taking time to redress me. He slid my bra straps up

my arms and a shirt over my shoulders, his hands tender and attentive as if he was

savoring every moment.

“Take the morning off, okay? Go home, get some rest, something to eat, then I’ll

call you.”

I nodded once he’d finished the last button, then I stood, sliding the pencil skirt

up my legs. His eyes stayed on me the entire time.

“I’ll shower in the office, get a few emails out, probably cut out early.” He

swiped the scrap of my thong from the floor and pushed it to his nose. He sucked in

a breath before shoving my panties deep into the pocket of his pants. “These are

mine.”

“Do you always take a trophy to commemorate your conquests?” I asked.

“No conquest, Ellis. You’re the trophy. I’d just like the reminder of what you

smelled like the night I took your virginity.” He stood and pulled his wrinkled white

shirt over his shoulders, his grin oozing charm and confidence. “I’ll call you later.”

His palms wrapped around my neck, his thumbs grazing the line of my jaw as he

held my face and kissed me. I ran my hands through his hair, so calm and at peace

in his embrace.

Tobias was my everything, and it’d taken just one night to prove it.

“Should we start banging on that door?” I finally murmured.

“I have to tell you I really don’t want to.” He caught my lips again. “I want to

stay in here with you all day, fuck until we’re exhausted, then do it all over again.”

His fingers threaded through mine, and he placed delicate kisses on each wrist.

“You've got a way with words, Mr. Banger,” I teased.

“You've got a way with my heart.”

His words hung heavy in the air, filling me and thrilling me with their promise

of things like love.

“You need to eat.” He tipped my chin and planted a soft kiss on the tip of my

nose. “You need sustenance for what I have in mind for you later.”

My heart dropped between my feet, and I couldn't help the silly smile that

pulled at my cheeks. He wanted to see me again. Tonight.

“Leave your phone on. I'll go insane if I can’t get ahold of you.”

“Okay.” I grinned again before he placed one final kiss on my lips then turned to

the door.

In three resounding thumps, he broke the bubble we’d found ourselves in for the

last twelve hours.

Within a minute, the door knob was rattling, then the bright light of day was

streaming into our little eight-by-eight slice of unexpected heaven.

Jenny’s eyes widened in shock when we stepped out, Tobias’s hand locked with

mine. Her eyes darted from it to our faces then back again.

“See you later, sweetheart.”

Tobias placed a kiss on my knuckles, giving me a quick wink, before he let go and

sauntered down the hallway toward his office.

“Well… looks like you had an interesting night,” Jenny said, eyebrows in her

hairline.

“Yeah…” I sighed. “To say the least.”

I walked back to my desk, swiped my purse and phone, and headed back for the

elevators and home.

Everything about last night was surreal, from his touch to his lips to his words.

In the bright light of day, making us work suddenly felt a thousand times more

impossible.

But apparently he wasn’t willing to hide anything that had happened. Tobias

was all in.

After a long, hot shower that relaxed away the sore muscles and washed away the

scent of Tobias, I lay in bed, checking Facebook and Twitter on my phone and

unable to get a single moment’s peace. My mind raced with thoughts of Tobias,

memories of our night together, obsessing over what he may have planned for

tonight. I loafed around the house for hours, every muscle in my body aching with

the remainders of his palms pressed against my skin. His lips sucking on my

nipples. His teeth… everywhere.

Tobias Banger had me caged and consumed, and never in my life had I been the

girl who fell easily. Tobias had charmed his way into my heart with that reckless

twinkle in his deep eyes, the way his lips twitched with amusement when I made a

sassy remark. Escaping Tobias’s touch would be all but impossible. As if I even

wanted to.

Restless, I finally settled in front of my computer and answered a few emails I’d

been putting off.

I CC’d Tobias and hit Send on an inquiry letter to one of the charities we’d

selected, anxious to get the charitable giving program off the ground.

My phone dinged with a text message almost instantly.

You should be resting.

Tobias.

I grinned as I typed out a message. Stop hovering, bossy pants!

Hovering is my job. I love bossing you around. See you in ten. Came his reply.

Leaving? Tobias, it’s 3pm! I texted back.

And waited. Nothing. I began to wonder if I’d misunderstood his meaning. He

had no reason to come to my place. I’d been silly to think that was what he’d been

referring to.

Just as I was preparing to send another email, the buzzer at my front door rang.

Oh God.

I padded out, released the lock on the door and waited for him to come ambling

down the hallway. I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorjamb when he

came into view.

“I need to stop underestimating you.”

He wore a new suit, a thin navy tie contrasting against the crisp dress shirt. He

looked delicious enough to eat.

“The day I stop surprising you is the day I fail at being everything you deserve.”

He dropped a kiss on my lips. “Now get ready. We’re going out.”

I smiled against his lips when he tapped at the curve of my ass with one warm

palm. “Yes, sir.”

A raw growl was his only reply. I spun, giggling when Tobias’s fingertip slipped

under the waistband of my pants, threatening another assault with those deft

fingers.

“On second thought, I like you better naked.” In a swift move, he pushed my

pants over my hips and down my thighs.

“Tobias!” I squealed, kicking them off, then I backed away, enjoying the hungry

way his eyes inspected my body like a predator watching its prey.

I really liked being Tobias’s prey.

I grinned when I reached my bedroom, then I darted around the corner and

landed in the mountain of blankets in my bed. Tobias's heavy body followed me.

His hands trailed up my waist, palms kneading my breast beneath my shirt, fingers

sliding against the heat of my pussy through the thin fabric of my panties.

“I want to sink inside you right now,” he said at my ear, his chest pressed

against my back and one hand between my legs.

“What’s stopping you?”

His hand swirled, and my legs turned to jelly, my breathing ragged and

desperate.

“Mm…” he hummed, pulling his fingers from my body and slipping them into

his mouth. “Feeding you.”

“Tobias…” I groaned, the orgasm fizzling away just as quickly as it’d come.

“Patience prolongs the pleasure, beautiful girl.”

“Patience is agony.”

His laugh filled the room. “That means I’m doing it right then.”

I grunted, spinning around in his arms, and planted a fierce kiss on his lips,

Chapter 11

obias

“You look absolutely fucking edible tonight, Ms. Ford.” I slipped her hand in mine

and escorted her from my Porsche Spyder.

“I’m glad you approve. My incredibly demanding boss picked out this outfit for

me,” she shot back, eyes twinkling in the evening light.

“He’s a man of good taste.” I landed a kiss across her knuckles before closing

the door behind her and sliding my keys to the valet.

“Welcome home, Mr. Banger.”

I nodded, pressing a hand against Ellis’s back as I escorted her through the

opulent lobby of my building. I hadn’t brought a woman home with me ever. In

fact, other than the odd business dinner here and there, I made a practice of not

dating period. I’d learned early in life that things like love and lust could fuck with

your head, derail plans, and leave you high and dry.

The day I’d turned nineteen and woken up after an all-night bender with three

beautiful college girls I didn’t know, I’d bailed hard and fast, and I hadn’t been with

a woman since. More than fifteen years had gone by. I’d thrown myself into

building one of the fastest growing startups in Chicago, and I’d never spared a

woman a second glance. Until Ellis Ford came to work under me.

“So why the fancy dress if we’re just going back to your place?” Ellis pulled me

from my thoughts.

I nudged her into my body, punching the elevator arrow before I responded.

“Because seeing you in this dress makes me want to tear it off you with my teeth.”

Ellis’s eyebrows shot into her hairline, her cheeks burning a sexy shade of red.

The elevator door whirred open, and I escorted her in with me.

“That’s what I like to see.” I stabbed at the button for the top floor as the doors

rushed closed. “You look like a woman with a secret, and I’m the only man who

knows what put it there.” I slipped my fingers under the hem of her dress. Arousal

was coursing down her thighs already, and the pad of my finger found the tight bud

of her clit and swirled with deft pressure.

Her little hands clutched at my suit coat, tiny whimpers falling from her lips as

her thighs spread slightly.

“I want to sink my cock into you right in this elevator.” I growled, pushing her

against the cool mirror at her back and fisting her hair.

“Don’t tease me.” She panted, one thigh already hitched around my waist, her

fingers clutching my shoulders as though she was desperate to ride me.

I glanced back at the panel of golden numbers and registered that we were on

the fourth floor with thirty-seven more floors to go. I’d never been so goddamn

thankful for the slow elevator showing up before the fast one.

“I’m a man of my word, Ellis.” I pulled the zipper on my pants, freeing the hot

flesh of my rock-hard cock.

She sucked in a breath when she caught a glimpse of it, throbbing and hard

between us.

“I’ve never been so fucking hard. That’s for you, baby.”

Gripping her thighs, I hoisted her around my waist and, without warning, slid

my cock straight into the damp heat of her beautiful cunt. “You’re so fucking

beautiful. I look in your eyes, and I see everything.”

Her lips met mine in a crushing kiss, my hips thrusting into her so fiercely her

body slid up the cool glass of the floor-to-ceiling mirrors surrounding us.

“Look at us.” I caught her attention. “Look at your beautiful face while you’re

impaled on my cock.”

“It’s…” Her eyes grew wide, taking in our reflection. My dark pants were around

my knees, her dress riding around her waist as I fucked her in deep, reckless

strokes.

“We’re fucking something.” I grunted before catching her lips between my

teeth and fucking her faster, pushing one palm behind her back and sliding my

fingers along the heavenly crack of her ass cheeks.

“Oh God.” She jerked when my fingertip massaged at the tender bud of her ass.

“I can’t wait to have your beautiful ass wrapped around my cock.”

“Tobias…” She moaned.

I fingered at the tight muscle, probing the tender flesh as her pussy tightened

around me.

“You like the thought of riding my dick, pretty girl? Your pussy is dripping. I

think that means you do.” I moved my thumb to her clit and pinched softly before

her pussy burst off in pulsing waves, sucking and massaging my cock inside her hot

body.

“Fuck, Ellis…”

My orgasm burned through me, crashing in frantic torrents and sending stars

dancing across my vision. I collapsed against her, holding her safely and resting my

damp forehead against the cool mirror.

“Oh my God,” she murmured, her lips tickling the fine hair on my neck and

sending more waves of pleasure coursing through me. “That was the best sex I’ve

ever had.”

I chuckled, unable to help myself, before slowly pulling out of her sweet, wet

heat and letting her slide slowly to her feet. “To be honest, considering it’s only

your second time, I don’t think the bar is too high yet.”

Ellis giggled, her cheeks still pink from my cock defiling her in all the beautiful

ways I’d been dreaming of. “I guess I have to get a lot of practice then.”

I laughed, pulling the zipper up on my pants just as the elevator came to a slow

stop. “I’ve got my work cut out for me.”

I pulled Ellis against me, planting a kiss on the top of her head before the doors

slid open and the neighbor I shared the top floor with nodded at us.

His gaze landed at Ellis’s and my hands locked together before he averted his

eyes.

“Evening, Larry.”

The old man nodded swiftly, waiting for us to pass before stepping into the

elevator and punching the button.

“You think he can smell the sex in there?”

“Tobias!” My girl shrieked, slapping my arm before bursting into a fit of giggles

when the elevator doors slid closed. “You’re so dirty.”

“Yeah.” We strode down the long hall, hands locked again. “But something tells

me you like me dirty.”

Her pretty face turned down in an adorable frown. “I plead the Fifth.”

“You would.” I grinned, stopping at the door at the end of the hallway and

waving my card in front of the lock.

“What does that mean?” Ellis replied before her mouth dropped open as we

stepped into my penthouse suite overlooking the Chicago River and all of

downtown. “This is where you live?”

“Been here for a year now. I custom designed all of it. The windows.” I gestured

toward the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the entire sunken living space.

“Kitchen.”

She walked across the dining room and into the state-of-the-art kitchen.

“This is beautiful.”

“Thank you.” I itched to tell her that I hoped one day she’d live here with me.

She would fit in so perfectly. And if she wanted to remodel the entire damn place,

I’d let her do that too.

“How many bedrooms is it?” She tilted her head, looking down the hallway.

“Four. Plus a library. Three and a half bathrooms. Why is this all of a sudden

sounding like a real estate deal?” I threaded our fingers together and pulled her

against me. “Enough with talking shop. I want to get you undressed.”

Ellis’s sweet smile deepened before she pulled away. “You’ve got a library?”

I laughed, nodding before flicking on the light and pointing down the hall. “First

door on the right. I'll get dinner started.”

“You’re cooking dinner?”

“Cooking, heating up, something like that.” I shrugged out of my coat, watching

her eye me in my home. I loved having her here.

“I can’t wait to sample the culinary skills that come out of this kitchen.”

“Trust me, it’s hardly used.” I pulled a heavy tray of prepared food from the

fridge and set it on the oven. Then turned, surprised to find Ellis hovering right

behind me, her silky hair falling in waves over one shoulder, her scent crawling up

my skin and lighting me on fucking fire.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” I murmured, cupping her neck in my palm and

murmuring against her lips.

“I’m so glad you invited me.” Both of her palms snaked up my chest, cool

fingertips landing at the hot skin of my neck and leaving something akin to her

own searing brand. I’d yearn for Ellis’ touch every day for the rest of my life. “I’ve

never been very good at trusting people. My parents were so good, so kind and

gentle... I grew up sheltered to the evil things in this world.” She paused, eyes

burning up at me. “I trusted too much when I was young. I know this sounds silly,

but I was with my high school boyfriend for two years before he dumped me out of

the blue one day to and started dating the captain of the cheer squad. Everyone said

she put out, that’s why he wanted to date her, but it didn’t matter. It hurt. I’m so

glad I didn’t give in to him the times he tried to push me into sex. Imagine if I’d

given my virginity to an asshole like that.”

Ellis stopped, clamping down on her lip in that adorable way she did, as if

desperate to keep any more secrets from tumbling out.

“Hey,” I clasped her hands in mine and brought them between us. “I’ll never

take advantage of your heart.” I rested my palm over her chest where her heart

thundered erratically. The rhythm matched my own. “I know how precious it is.”

Ellis’ eyes lit up before she pressed her lips against mine in a slow, soul-binding

kiss. Our hearts were wound together, and breaking hers would only shatter mine. I

could never, and would never, give her any reason to cry over me.

I wanted her happiness.

I wanted her laughter and her smiles.

I wanted her heart every day of forever.

“I trust you, Tobias.” She breathed against my lips, making my heart swell a

little fucking bigger than it already was. “I trust you with my heart.”

Her words swept the breath from my lungs. She’d caged her heart just like I had

my own long ago, and now here she was letting me in. I couldn’t have loved her

when I was younger, fighting to make it on the streets or fighting to drive my

company to the top. But I could love her now. I could love her with every fiber of my

soul. In that moment, I knew I wanted all my lasts to be with her.

Ellis swiped at a soft tear on her cheek before sniffing. “Enough of the heavy

stuff. I’m starving, and I hope you’ve got something to drink in this big, empty

kitchen.”

Her radiant smile was back, stealing all my heartbeats. My eyes had seen many

priceless things in my life, but nothing was as cherished as her.

“Let’s check out the library. I’ll throw this stuff in the oven and pour us some

wine.”

Ellis’s eyes flicked from me to the windows then back to the kitchen. A small

smile tipped her lips, something genuine and content that warmed me from the

inside out. She finally whispered, “You’re kind of incredible, you know that?”

I pulled a bottle of vintage merlot from the built-in, shaking my head. “I think

you’re the first person to say that.”

“Well”—Ellis’s hand brushed across my chest, fingering at my collar before she

slid the pad of her thumb across my lips—“I’m saying it. You’re an incredible man,

Tobias Banger. Your parents must be so proud.”

My stomach turned to cement at her last words. I sucked in a quick breath,

fumbling with the wine. I hated the reminder of my past. Like a cancer, it haunted

me, and now that Banger Enterprises was joining the world marketplace, more and

more reporters digging into my past were coming out of the woodwork. I’d have to

face them all eventually, but tonight, I was determined to show Ellis a good time.

Determined to own her.

Determined to set her free.

Chapter 12

llis

Red wine warmed my throat as Tobias’s hands set fire to my skin. “Thank you for

dinner. I didn’t expect your reheating skills to be so on point.”

Tobias chuckled as his hands dipped below my waist and into the crystal-clear

water of the heated infinity pool on his rooftop. Tonight had been a dream, and we

weren't even close to being done yet.

“This swimsuit fits you like it was made for you.” He slipped a finger under the

strap at my hip that held the creamy white fabric together.

“You’re too generous. I could have brought my own.”

“I wanted one for you to keep here. Stopping at La Perla for you was a pleasure.”

He pulled the tie at my waist. “I picked up a few strappier items too.”

My pussy hummed as the fabric fell from my hips. Water surged between my

thighs as Tobias pressed himself between them.

“I don’t know why you bother spending the money. You have a tendency to

undress me just as soon as I get clothes on.” I teased and hooked my legs around

his waist, riding the ridge of his heavy cock and shuddering in a torrent of

sensation.

“I like unwrapping you.” His lips burned against my skin as his fingers pushed

between my slick folds and slid into my body.

I sucked in labored breaths and clutched at his tousled hair.

“I like making you purr.” His thumb swirled, his fingers hooking inside me and

hitting a delicious bundle deep inside my body. “I like making you mine.”

“Tobias.” A slow orgasm rolled through me, my body warm and relaxed as he

sucked at my earlobe and his cock fucked me through the fabric of his trunks.

“Tell me what you want,” he whispered as he untied the other strap of my

bottoms and tossed the suit behind him in the water. His hands were at my breasts,

pulling them from the cups of my suit, and he sucked a nipple between his lips.

I moaned, arching and digging against him, anxious to feel him buried deep.

“I want you… everywhere.”

My words launched him into action. His hands tugged down his trunks,

revealing his beautiful thick cock. He fisted the flesh at the root and lined up the

tip, sliding it between my pussy’s lips before inching in with agonizing slowness. I

groaned as my body stretched around him, nerves burning up my skin and tensing

my muscles until he was seated deeply at my womb, his cock twitching and

throbbing inside me as he held steady.

“Fuck me, Tobias,” I whispered, pleading.

“Mm…” His hands fisted at my hips, clutching so tightly I hoped he’d leave

bruises. I wanted to wear his mark on my skin. He was already imprinted on my

heart like a tattoo, so why not show the world his brand too? “I could fuck you every

day for the rest of our lives, and it still wouldn’t be enough time with you.”

Tobias’s lips crashed against mine, sucking my bottom lip between his teeth

before he spun me around, wrapped his palm up in my hair, and yanked my head

back to him.

“I’m taking every piece of you tonight.” His tongue trailed up the arch of my

neck before he sucked on my earlobe tenderly. “You ready for me?”

I nodded quickly, unable to form words.

“You gotta tell me, sweetheart. Say the words.” He pulled a small dark bottle

from where it’d been sitting on the towels and pressed it between us.

“I…” I struggled for words. “Take me. Take all of me, Tobias. I’m yours.”

A low groan rumbled from his broad chest. “You’re just what I need.” His lips

caught mine in a soft, probing kiss before he pulled away again. “I’m going to lube

you up first, baby. I want this to feel good for both of us.”

He flipped the cap on the bottle and squirted a generous amount of liquid into

his palm before he tossed the bottle back onto the towel and slid his palm into the

water, his gaze hovering on mine, dark and inviting.

I sighed when his lubricated fingers pressed against my heated flesh, probing

my back entrance and preparing my body to take him. With his other hand

tightening in my hair, he twisted my neck and landed his lips on mine, pounding

his tongue into my mouth and fucking me in the way only he could.

“You’re mine forever, sweetheart.” He nudged his cock between my cheeks, the

tip pressing at the tight ring of muscle. His heavy erection pressed against my ass,

my body relaxing as the warm water pulsed and pushed around us, easing my

muscles and loosening my nerves.

Tobias’s hand dropped between us. One long finger pressed at the bud before he

applied pressure, swirled, and massaged, then applied more pressure.

“Oh God.” I groaned and arched against him, desperate for more of that

delicious feeling.

“Slow, baby.” His words were like honey. “We've got time.”

He eased one finger inside, burying it in my body up to the first knuckle before

he paused, waiting for my body to acclimate to his intrusion.

“More,” I said, wiggling my ass again.

I could almost hear the grin in his voice. “Eager, huh?”

He pushed the finger in a little farther, taking the time to move slowly and

massage as he went, relaxing my muscles further. Gone was the small pinch of

pain, and I was flooded by overwhelming, mind-bending pleasure.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for you. I’m so ready for everything you have.”

Tobias’s finger sank another knuckle deeper, my hips squirming on instinct and

my craving for him increasing with every gasping breath. His broad chest grazed

my back as he caged me beneath his broad body. “That’s what I like to hear when

I’m taking this beautiful ass for the first time.”

Tobias’s other hand snaked under my body. His fingers kneaded at the flesh of

my breast in furious strokes. His thumb grazed my nipples as he added a second

finger to my bottom, stretching the muscles farther than I thought they could ever

pleasurably go. I arched and hummed, pushing back against his hand, loving the

way his palms owned all the sacred parts of me.

“You’re everything to me, Ellis,” he said softly before his fingers were gone and

his cock was slick and nudging at my back entrance.

One of his hands slid between my thighs from the front and swirled at my clit

before sliding three fingers deep in my pussy as the tip of his dick pressed harder at

my ass. He wrapped a palm around my neck and turned my head to meet his lips.

His tongue slipped into my mouth just as the tip of his cock breached the sensitive

muscles. I gasped, his talented mouth catching my breath and breathing life into

me. His cock inched more slowly into me, the hand at my neck falling to my back

then gripping at the rounded cheek of my ass, kneading the muscles and relaxing

my body to his steely intrusion.

“Tobias…” The word slipped out of my mouth, my eyes darting closed as I

enjoyed the full sensation of his cock filling my ass. My nerves hummed in waves of

euphoric pleasure.

I gripped the edge of the pool, my fingertips pressed against the rough tile as

Tobias’s lips attached to the base of my neck. He sprayed loving kisses as far as his

lips could reach before his hand returned to my clit and his thrusting sped up. His

hips slapped frantically against my ass, water splashing in erotic waves around us

that only took these incredible feelings to a new level of sublime.

“Look up, sweetheart.” His palm urged my chin gently up.

My eyes slid open slowly, as if I were drugged and too blissed out to care, and

focused on the city lit up in a riot of light below us. Looking out over rooftops, dark

skyscrapers, and the pulse of the city, Tobias Banger claimed every last piece of me.

“All of it is ours. We’re unstoppable together.” His honeyed voice sliced through

the haze in my mind, his fingers melding softly to my clit as bursts of sunlight

exploded behind my eyes.

My oxygen-starved lungs gasped as my muscles bunched and spasmed, waves of

pleasure crashing over me, taking me under, sweeping me away.

Tobias’s lips met mine, his tongue fucking my mouth as his hands gripped my

hips and his muscles clenched in violent shudders. His chest slammed against

mine, our hearts beating a frantic rhythm as fierce waves of blinding sensation

overtook us.

My muscles loosened, my body soft and languid beneath him, before I felt the

curve of his arms around my body, tucking me close. Along with the delicious

fulfillment of his cock still buried deep inside my body, his heartbeat reached into

the deepest, darkest places of my soul.

Chapter 13

obias

I woke to beautiful Ellis snuggled soundly next to me, the soft dips and rises of her

chest as she breathed like a balm to my soul.

I’d never felt this way. For a long time, I’d thought I could never feel this way.

Life had burned me one too many times throughout my childhood and adolescence.

But I was here, I liked to believe I was at least a little damn stronger for my past,

and I’d found her.

If she was the reward, all the fighting to get here was worth it.

I sighed, reaching for the phone on my nightstand and opening my emails to

confirm I had the appointment I’d asked Jenny to make yesterday.

It had surely taken her by surprise, but if the calm that washed over my body

was any indication, Ellis was the right girl for me, and I didn’t take kindly to

waiting. When I settled on something, I wanted it now. And I very often got it.

I swiped through the new emails in my inbox, surprised to find one from the

Chicago Daily News titled “Shady Connections.”

I frowned, opening it suspiciously and reading off the first few lines.

My vision blurred.

My head pounded.

What the fuck was this?

After all these years?

I grunted, fingers shaking as I dropped the phone back on my nightstand and

slipped out of bed, trying not to wake Ellis but too fucking pissed off to contain

myself a second longer. I sped across the room, launched down the hallway, and

stormed into my office. I pushed open my laptop and forwarded that email to five

people who could figure out the who, what, where, when, why and how.

I’d buried this story, left it dead in the ground decades ago. Damn if I’d let it all

come back to rip away everything I had away now. Especially Ellis.

God, not Ellis. If this came out, what would she think of me?

My fingers twitched with anger, my heart rattling violently before I heard her

soft footsteps behind me.

“You okay?” she asked, hands on my shoulders.

I looked up. The sight of her wrapped only in my sheet, hair cascading in waves

around her shoulders, made my chest ache.

She was too fucking beautiful, too damn good for me.

Much too good.

“Will you tell me about this tattoo?” she asked sweetly, fingertips trailing across

the eagle wings etched across my shoulder blades.

I shook my head, burning with too much fucking emotion for me to handle right

now, before I slammed the laptop closed and stood.

“We’d better get in to the office.”

I placed a kiss on her forehead before twisting her fingers in mine and pulling

her back down the hall.

I had to hide her from this shit.

I’d been too blinded by primal goddamn desire to realize that her getting

involved with me could cause problems for us both. I wasn’t just a nobody anymore.

I’d worked my way up to becoming one of the most eligible businessmen in the city,

and with success came vultures.

People looking to tear you down and eat you up.

“Are you okay? You don't look well.” She pressed a palm against my forehead,

eyes furrowed with worry.

“Yeah, just I’ve got some unexpected shit to deal with today.” I pushed a hand

through my hair, forcing a smile for her. “Should we get in the shower?”

She nodded, smiling at me as though she was completely smitten.

Breaking her heart was off the table.

I’d just taken her virginity. She’d given everything of herself to me, and I’d

fallen a little deeper into her.

I couldn’t give her up now, but would she want me after she knew the truth?

Chapter 14

llis

Worried, I chewed on my finger while watching Tobias through the glass door that

opened into his sparkling office. High above the clouds, the man who’d stolen my

heart was on the phone, hair wild from pushing his fingers through it all day, a

permanent frown etched on his face.

I’d never seen him like this.

I’d popped in at lunchtime, asking if he wanted me to order anything, and he’d

only shaken his head and picked up the phone again with an irritated expression.

My heart had fallen a little.

I’d never thought he’d be the type to ignore me after… especially after I’d…

I’d let him fuck my ass! I’d loved it. I’d loved the way he’d eased me into it and

been so gentle, so loving, so aware of my every single response.

But he’d woken up agitated, and he’d barely glanced at me in the shower. Maybe

I had been foolish to hope for shower sex, but he’d never before shied away from

my naked body. Or my clothed body. He’d never passed up the opportunity to have

his hands on me, and I’d practically begged him to do it with the way I’d brushed

against him in the shower. My nipples had been rock hard and aching for the swirl

of his tongue, the pinch of his fingers, the dark heat in his gaze that sent my

hormones into a barreling mess of molten lava.

I shot up a few minutes later when Tobias stood, shrugged on his suit coat, and

swiped his briefcase and phone. His eyes cast across the room and found mine

through the thick glass. He watched me intently before taking measured steps

through his office and out the door.

“I’m leaving early today,” he murmured. “Been a long one. Please, take the rest

of the day off, Ellis.” He moved a little closer to me, his words oddly pinched, his

face weary from stress. “I’ll call you later?”

I nodded, unable to form words and unable to figure out why I had a stubborn

lump lodged in my throat. “Good night, Mr. Banger.”

Tobias blinked, pain burning across his irises before he pulled me close, planted

a kiss on my lips, then rested his forehead tenderly against my own. “I’ll call you

later. There’s just one thing I’ve got to do.”

I swallowed that stubborn damn lump then nodded. “Okay.”

I forced a smile, but my heart was thundering as if a stranger was holding me.

Gone was his warmth. The tenderness seemed staged, the thoughtfulness now an

afterthought.

“Good night, sweetheart.” He squeezed my elbow before he pulled away,

nodding once before spinning for the elevators.

I watched the broad stretch of the gray suit across his shoulders as he left. The

muscles were taut and pulling at the fabric, and his dark hair lay a little messy

across the collar.

He was heartbreakingly beautiful.

My own America's prince come to life. So why did it feel as if something haunted

him?

After a quick dinner of ramen noodles and peanut butter and jelly, I curled up on

the couch, sadder than ever that I still hadn’t heard from Tobias. The way he’d left

the office earlier, so despondent, made it clear something was on his mind. I was

worried. I’d thought about picking up the phone half a dozen times already, but

something had told me not to push him. My mother’s warnings looped through my

head. Men like him don’t like to be chased. Men like to do the chasing.

My stomach hurt as I thought of all the things we’d done together in the last few

days, all the ways he’d taken me, all the ways I’d begged him to take me.

This couldn't have been a one-night stand, could it? His words about me being

special only a farce?

I picked up my e-reader and nestled it on my lap as I tried to will my brain to

focus on the baseball player with the troubled past and the nerdy girl next door who

loved him.

My intercom buzzed.

I launched off the couch, e-reader crashing to floor, and sped to the front door.

“Who is it?”

“Me. I need to see you.” Tobias. My stomach sprouted butterflies.

I buzzed him in and waited against the doorjamb as he barreled up the stairs,

hair messy and heartbreakingly sexy.

“I tried to stay away from you.” He caught my hand and pulled me to him. He

pulled me up his body, wrapping my legs around his waist as we stood in my

hallway, him in a suit and me only in panties, socks, and a tank top. We were such

an unlikely pair, and everything about him was so unexpected and thrilling.

“Please don’t stay away from me anymore.” I breathed in his comforting, spicy

scent.

“But I have to tell you something.” His words were thick with anxiety again.

“God, just spit it out, Tobias. You’ve been driving me nuts all day with your

broody looks.”

His eyes flicked up, shining and doing that twinkling thing they did right before

he burst into a laugh. He shook his head, chuckling as he carried me into my

apartment. He shut the door with his foot before settling me on the couch in his

lap.

“I got an email this morning.”

I arched an eyebrow.

“From a reporter at the Chicago Daily News.”

The Chicago Daily News was a rag mag. They were always the first to write

scathing exposés on the movers and shakers of Chicago society.

“They dug up a story about me,” he continued.

“Okay…” I linked my hands with his, urging him on.

“I’ve had my lawyers on it all day. They're trying to get the judge to sign off on a

cease and desist, but…”

“But?” My stomach was sinking fast.

“The story is true. Everything about it. I don’t know how they got their hands on

it—the records were supposed to be sealed.”

My stomach ached.

“Records? Court records?”

Tobias’s eyes shot to his lap, his beautiful face twisted into a devastating frown.

“I got into some trouble as a kid.” His thumb worked small circles at my wrist as if

he was pulling strength from the tiny gesture. “It was just my mom and I growing

up. My dad left when I was three. I hardly remember him, but my mom was my

entire world. She worked a lot, but no matter what, she always made sure she was

home to meet me after school. We’d have dinner together, and she always asked

how my day was. She cared. Life was hard. She did her best to keep me away from

the gangs that were slowly taking over our neighborhood. But then she got sick.”

Tobias paused then, his eyes glistening with the memory and sending a knife

into my stomach. This was the painful part. Whatever was coming had changed

him forever.

“She battled leukemia for two years, slowly getting sicker. She had so many

appointments she was fired from her job, but it didn’t matter. Within a few

months, she was too sick to work anyway. But I was old enough to work. I knew I

could take care of us. So I hit the streets, but no one is willing to hire a kid under

the legal working age. There was only one place for me to go. I did a lot of bad

things, Ellis. I made a lot of money, and I gave it all to my mom for bills, to put food

on the table, to cover her medical expenses. There were so many medical expenses.

But it was the only way I knew how to make enough money to keep us afloat. I

witnessed some horrible shit. I was never involved with the violence, never, but

then one night, it all went wrong. The cops showed up, and we were all arrested…”

Horror flooded my veins.

“What happened?”

His eyes shut closed, and I could tell this was where his demons lay. Whatever

had happened had scarred him for life.

“Someone was murdered.”

The words roared in my ears, my hands shaking and tears burning in my eyes.

“Tobias…?” I shook my head, the reality refusing to settle in.

“The wings on my back are for him… the kid who lost his life that night,” he

muttered, eyes glazing as he fell back into an awful memory. “It wasn’t supposed to

happen. The guys said he just needed a tune-up—the kid had stiffed them on a few

deals gone wrong. I didn’t know they had a bat, Ellis. I swear to you I didn’t know. I

wouldn’t have gone if I’d known… I would have found a way to stop them if I’d

known…”

“Shhhh…” I linked my arms around Tobias’s neck and pulled him close,

nuzzling his hair as he spoke.

“The guys had already kicked him so many times the kid was coughing, then

they pulled out the bat. I screamed as one of them landed his first swing. By the

second, red and blue lights were flashing all over the park. Someone must have

seen us out there and called it in. We were all taken in. I was only given six months

in juvenile detention, and the judge promised to seal my records since I was

underage, but the kid lost his life. He was only fifteen.” Hurt radiated through

Tobias’s voice as I wrapped him in the tightest hug I could manage.

“My mom passed away while I was in juvie. She was already in hospice when I

was sentenced, but they didn’t even let me see her before…” Tears hovered in his

dark lashes. “I was only allowed to go to her funeral. I used to wonder if what I’d

done, gangbangin’ and getting in the system was too much it, that maybe... it

pushed her over the edge. I was so fucked up after that. I came out of juvie with

something to prove. It took me five years to get my shit together and stop fucking

everything up.”

His words, so harsh, so callous, broke my heart.

“Tobias… how old were you when that happened?” I asked cautiously.

His gaze darted up to me, and I could feel the remorse, the pain, the agony

pulsing through his eyes. “Fourteen.”

“God…” Tears streaked my cheeks as I wrapped my arms around him again,

desperate to soothe away his pain and feeling so helpless that there wasn’t a thing

in the world I could do.

He held me for a long time, his palms working circles on my back before he

spoke again. “When I got that email this morning, I flipped. I was just a kid back

then. I did a horrible thing, but I don’t want it to haunt me now. I’ve worked so

hard to get past my mistakes.”

“I know, baby.” I pushed my hands through his hair. “I’m sure the lawyers will

squash it. No one can hold what you witnessed at fourteen against you now.”

“You don’t know these people—they’re a cutthroat crowd. That’s why these

charities mean so much to me. Kids deserve to know they matter. They need place

to go to keep them busy and teach them that they’re smart, worthy, and can

achieve more than their wildest dreams. I was that kid, Ellis, and I don’t want any

kid to live the same life I did.” His words burned with helplessness. “That’s why I

need you in my life more than ever. You keep me sane, grounded, and on my toes.”

I snuggled into his neck, breathing in the heady mix of all things Tobias Banger.

“Come home with me tonight?” He pressed his lips to my knuckles.

“Every night,” I whispered before kissing his lips, thankful that he’d come clean

First Epilogue

obias

“I think we need round two in the closet.” My hands slid up her curvy thighs,

thumbs brushing across the heat between her legs.

“You already had me once this morning.” Her dainty fingers trailed up my

biceps and sent shivers shooting through my balls.

“And it wasn’t enough.” My hips pressed against her, my cock throbbing

between us. “Give me five minutes.” I slid a hand between her thighs and hooked

my thumb in her panties.

She shuddered, her fingertips clutching at my chest as she sighed. “They’re

waiting on us.’

“Let them wait.” I pulled aside her panties and sank two fingers inside her, nice

and slow, watching her twist with pleasure.

“Oh, Jesus.” Her body arched into me like a dancer’s, her tits full and pressing

against my chest.

I nipped at the peaked little nub stretching the fabric of her dress, enjoying the

mewls that fell from her lips

“Tobias, baby…”

“Just keep singing my name. Let them hear you.” I fucked her with my palm. I

wanted every goddamn man in this building to know she’d been claimed by me, but

I also wanted to keep her sweet sounds to myself.

I was jealous, possessive, refused to let her out of my sight for a single second. I

was afraid she’d realize she was too goddamn good for me and leave me wrecked.

There was only one way to fix that.

Claim her for mine, claim her for good.

Sink my seed inside her precious cunt and put my baby in her belly. I dreamed of

her round belly, the blush on her cheeks as I sang to our son or daughter. I wanted

to make her the happiest woman that ever walked the face of the earth, and I didn’t

have much patience.

I pushed my pants past my thighs, not giving a fuck that the entire office was

down the hallway at a party, waiting to celebrate the founding of our charitable

giving division.

My cofounder was creaming all over my hand at that moment.

“Tobias, oh my God.”

I shoved my cock deep inside her just as the first wave of an orgasm fluttered

through her body. Her pussy clenched around my cock, sucking me in farther and

stealing my mind a little more.

“This is all I need, you and me.” I caught her lips in a forceful kiss, enjoying the

way her lipstick smeared.

Her heavy black eyelashes fanned across her cheeks with every erotic breath. I

stroked the curve of her throat with my tongue, kneading at the flesh of her tit and

swirling one roughened thumb around her nipple.

She squealed and sighed as my thrusts grew frantic and our bodies slapped

against the door.

The one that separated our work spaces.

I made a mental note to rectify that first thing tomorrow morning. I didn’t know

why I hadn’t thought of it before. I’d move Ellis’s desk right in here next to mine,

hire a brand new secretary, and make Ellis the head of charitable giving full time.

We’d work side by side every day. I could wait on her hand and foot, make sure she

was eating enough, and kiss her whenever I damn well pleased.

“I’m going to need a week off just to enjoy this body the way I want to.” I slid a

hand behind her back, trailing it between the round curves of her ass cheeks before

my fingers made contact with the bud of her ass. “I want every tight hole you have

tonight. And tomorrow night. I want to fuck you raw so everyone will know I’ve

been here.”

Her breathing hitched, her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip, and her pussy

fluttered with fresh waves of release.

“Christ, baby, the way you squeeze my dick makes me lose my mind.” I steadied

my thighs, fisting at her ass cheeks as an orgasm shot through me. Long jets of

seed coated her insides, making me the happiest goddamn man alive.

“That’s it, pretty girl.”

I pulled my cock from her body and pressed a hand between us, swiping at the

juice coating her thighs. I mixed us together and slid my digits back inside her cunt.

“I want everyone to know you’re off-limits.” I slid my fingers soaked in our sex

around the neckline of her dress and up her neck, leaving a sweet, glistening trail.

“I hope they smell me on you.”

Her eyes fluttered closed as I pushed my finger into her mouth. Her tongue

twisted around my fingers and sucked the taste of her off me.

“You like the taste of your cunt?” I grunted, replacing my fingers with my lips.

My tongue pushed past the seam of her mouth and fucked her. “It’s my favorite

flavor.”

Her breathing picked up, and her nipples puckered with my words.

“Such a naughty thing. We’re going to have so much fun.” I tapped a finger

against her lips then pulled her skirt down past her thighs. I tucked her panties

into my pocket, saving them for my stash like the dirty old fucker I was, then I

placed a hand at her back.

“Ready to party?”

“I’m ready to do a lot of things, but sharing you with anyone else isn’t one of

them.” She huffed, her lips turning in an adorable pout.

“Aww”—I caught her chin with my thumb—“you look cute when you’re

desperate for my cock.”

Her eyes narrowed at me before she pursed her lips and planted a kiss on my

lips. My heart ached, it was so damn full, and that was something I’d never felt

before. Ellis, and Ellis alone, had brought out this man in me that I’d never even

known existed.

I pulled the office door open, and with a palm at my girl's back, I escorted her

down the hall to the conference room where drinks and snacks and sweets were set

up.

Jenny came speeding out as we approached, but she halted instantly when she

laid eyes on us.

She arched an eyebrow with a grin. “‘Another quickie in the closet?”

Ellis’s mouth dropped in a sweet O, and my laugh must have echoed off of every

wall on the top floor.

“You’re a dirty bird, Jenny,” I said.

Jenny’s eyes twinkled. “Call it like I see it, and the blush on that girl’s face says

it all. I can hold them off for a few more minutes, but much longer and they’ll be

diving into that cake you insisted I order.” Jenny smiled then spun, pushing

through the double doors into the conference room.

Chitchat filtered out, and my heart leapt as I fingered the box in my trouser

pocket. I didn’t want to ask the one question burning in my mind in front of a

hundred other employees.

I didn’t know what I’d been thinking when I’d arranged the party other than we

had so much to celebrate between the charitable giving division opening, an official

letter from Forbes congratulating me on being selected as one of the Top 40 Under

40 successful American businessmen, and my lawyer finally succeeding with the

cease and desist on the Chicago Daily News. Waiting on that last one had meant a

torturous ten days.

And now her. Us.

Not thinking twice, I pushed her a few steps back until her back rested against

the closet door we’d first come together in. I pressed a hand to her neck, enjoying

the shivers that raced through her body as my fingertips traced the line of her

throat down to her collarbone.

“I love you, Ellis,” I murmured, my eyes holding hers before I dropped to one

knee.

I dug the small leather box from my pocket and flipped it open.

Four carats of crystal-clear pavé diamonds curled around a center princess-cut

that would announce to every man, woman, and child that Ellis was mine.

“I didn’t know what happiness was until I saw you. Didn’t know what love was

until I touched you. Didn’t know how much I needed you until you breathed life into

me. Let me be your husband, and I’ll spend every day of eternity showing you how

happy you make me. Marry me, Ellis.”

She blinked back tears before stubborn ones finally fell in soft tracks down her

cheeks. She nodded instantly, a hand at her throat as her left hand warmed my

own.

I sucked in a deep breath and slid the ring onto her finger, joy piercing all the

dark layers of my heart before I shot to my feet, held both of her cheeks, and kissed

her until neither of us could breathe, much less think straight.

“We should duck into this closet and celebrate some more,” I said between

kisses, not giving her a chance to answer before plunging my tongue past her lips

again.

“Tobias, you’re wild and crazy and so unexpected. You’re everything I didn’t

know I was dreaming of.”

I dropped my forehead to hers as heaving pants racked both of our bodies.

“I love you so much. I feel like you’ve been through hell and back with me

already, and I can’t live another day without you as my wife.” I swiped the pad of

my thumb across her cheek, drying a tear before pressing my lips to her again in a

slow kiss.

“Oh…!” Jenny’s voice pulled us from our bubble. I looked over as she threw the

conference room door open and clapped outrageously.

“She said yes!”

“Tobias!” Ellis swatted my chest. “They knew?”

“Well, when I asked Jenny to order an engagement cake, I think she got the

hint.”

“An engagement…” Ellis peered past me into the room. “You were that

confident I’d say yes?”

I grinned, sliding our fingers together, and walked us through the double doors

before holding her left hand in the air. The entire room cheered, the blush on Ellis’

cheeks darkening with every passing second.

I kissed her knuckles again. “I'm a brave man.”

“Or a crazy one.” She laughed before swiping a piece of cake off the table next to

her and dabbing the frosting on my nose.

“Crazy for you, baby. Only for you.”

Second Epilogue

obias

“Hey, Daddy.” Ellis sweet voice hummed against my ear.

“Mm…” On instinct my hands wrapped around her waist and pulled her soft

warm body down onto the couch with me. “I can’t wait for some me and you time.”

Ellis’ soft chuckle whispered across my neck as her hands twisted in my hair, a

slow kiss probing past my lips. We’d been married for five years now, gone through

so much together, all of it good. And it kept getting better. “You're not off the clock

yet.” She pulled away and whispered. “Someone wants you in the other room.”

I grinned, knowing exactly what she was talking about, before pressing one

more kiss against her lips, enjoying every moment I could steal with her.

Ellis’ hand was wrapped in mine a moment later as we walked down the long

hallway and turned into one of the extra bedrooms.

The bedroom in my apartment—our apartment—now converted to a nursery.

For twins.

“Kiss g’night, Daddy!” My daughter’s joyful shriek echoed around the room, her

little brother turning over with sleep-filled eyes and humming in agreement.

“Good night, sleep tight, sweet Charlotte.” I wrapped my thirteen-month-old

daughter in my arms, soaking up the scent of her hair, the soft dark curls that ran

in ringlets down her back. “I love you to the moon and back.”

“Love you.” Charlotte snuggled deeper into my chest, her little arms giving me

an extra-tight squeeze.

“Okay, time for sleep, sweetheart,” Ellis purred, resting a hand on our

daughter’s head.

“Me! Me!” Ethan piped up, his chubby little hands waving in the air.

I burst into a fit of laughter before crossing the room to wrap him in my arms,

his warm little body an instant comfort to my own.

It had taken us years to get here.

Ellis and I had never stopped loving each other, every day, oftentimes multiple

times a day. We couldn't keep our hands off, and we’d never once used protection.

After six months, Ellis had started to worry. By a year, we’d seen the best

fertility specialist in the city, and after a battery of tests and two exploratory

surgeries, we’d discovered that Ellis had a condition that made it difficult for us to

have children.

We’d both been devastated. Especially my sweet Ellis.

I’d instantly tried to rally her, promised we’d keep trying and one of these day it

would happen for us. We’d even decided that if at some point it still hadn’t

happened, we’d adopt kids out of the foster care system.

Turns out, after almost five years of trying, we hadn’t needed to adopt.

But I secretly still hoped we could someday. I wanted an entire brood of kids, and

seeing Ellis as a mother to our twins had only confirmed that.

She was everything I’d always knew she’d be as a mother—patient, loving, kind,

so many of the things I loved most about her.

“It’s time to close your eyes, honey.” Ellis rested a palm on Ethan’s sweet,

cherubic cheek.

“I’ll make pancakes in the morning. How does that sounds, guys?”

“Mm! Mm!” My boy grunted then shoved his thumb between his lips and fell

back onto his pillow, turning over and squeezing his eyes shut tightly, pretending

he was asleep.

“He’s got your sense of humor.” Ellis laughed, twining her fingers in mine

again.

“And thank God they got your good looks,” I huffed, smiling deeply as we

watched their sweet little faces from the doorway.

“Oh right.” Ellis smacked my bicep. Before she could pull her hand away, I

snagged it, pulling her wrist to my lips in a soft kiss.

“Thank you for giving me life. Darkness was all I knew before you.”

“Tobias…” my beautiful wife sighed, tears instantly hovering in her eyes.

“Thank you for giving me them. I didn’t know my heart could get any fuller. I knew

we would be happy if it was just the two of us for the rest of our lives, but seeing

them…” Ellis shook her head, her smile growing impossibly wider. “They’re

magic.”

“Our love is magic.” I hummed at her earlobe.

“Our love created them.”

“And they’re perfect. We’re perfect. I love you, Mrs. Banger.”

“I love you even more. People search their whole lives to find even one fraction

of what I have with you. I love our family Ellis, but you, my love, you are the ember

that fuels its fire. Thank you for letting the embrace of your arms be my home.”

Ellis pressed up onto her toes, hands locking behind my neck as she planted a kiss

on my lips.

Lifting her by the thighs, I crushed her against my body and walked us out of the

room the few short steps to our master suite before pushing her back on the bed

and peeling off her shirt.

“Now it’s mommy-daddy time.”

Third Epilogue

llis

“Can you believe we did it?” I hummed, looping my arm in Tobias’ as we settled in

our stadium seats.

“You know,” he paused, the soft crow’s feet at his eyes a reminder of all the

laughs we’d shared, all the love we’d had. “I kind of can’t believe it.”

Tobias took my hand in his and placed a soft kiss on it, just like he’d always

done. My husband’s warm eyes turned back to the center of the stadium, rows and

rows of chairs set up, waiting for our high school graduates to fill them.

Ethan and Charlotte were graduating high school today, and every piece of this

day felt surreal.

As the time had gone by, I’d found myself looking back at all the times we’d

shared. Never could I have known the day I’d walked into Banger Industries as an

intern that I’d come out with a husband, a family, and love. So much love.

I huddled closer to Tobias, the cool May breeze washing across my face. Today,

outside, in the bright sunlight, my children would start the next step in their lives,

and somehow it didn’t feel like very long ago that I was doing the same thing.

Charlotte was headed off to Northwestern and planning to major in journalism. She

was enamored with the foreign correspondents reporting all over the world, and

despite everything I’d said to dissuade her from getting herself into dangerous

situations, her quest for information drove her. She was so much like her dad in

that way—focused, giving, independent.

And then my sweet boy. He had a tender heart, lacked the fire that often drove

his sister, but his compassion was just as deep. He was enrolling in pre-law and

hoped to be a public defender someday. He wanted to stick up for the little guy—

this was something he said to us often. And whenever Ethan set his mind to

something, it was achieved, often bored in school because the curriculum wasn't

challenging enough. I was overwhelmed with pride for both of them.

And even more pride for my husband.

A glint of sunlight caught a sliver of salt and pepper hair at his temples,

something that only added to the handsome, distinguished businessman aura that

he still emanated. Tobias had wrapped me up and kissed me so hard it left bruises

more times than I could count. Tobias had this unbelievable way of making my

heart happy.

“I love you.” I murmured, squeezing his hand in mine.

Tobias’ eyes caught mine, a slow smile curling his lips and twisting my stomach

sinfully. He still had that charm, no doubt.

“Ellis Banger, I am a boy who likes playing with fire, and you are my perfect

match. You and our children have been the biggest joy of my life. You, my love, are

my today and all of my tomorrows. I can’t wait for our next fifty years.”

His hand cupped my cheek, and right there in a sea of parents, we kissed like we

were teenagers.

I loved this man.

The more time passed, the deeper our love grew until it had blossomed and

taken on a life of its own. I hadn’t married a man I could live with but the man I

couldn’t live without.

“I think they’re coming,” Tobias murmured. The music started, and we turned

our attention to the parade of graduates coming into the stadium.

“Look, there they are!” I pointed to our twins in the crowd.

Tobias nodded, swiping a hand at his cheek before mumbling. “They’re going to

do incredible things, Ellis.”

“They definitely are.” I paused, letting the reality of an empty nest sink in.

“Can you believe all the mommy-daddy time we’re going to have now?”

I laughed, wondering what I’d ever do without Tobias Banger in my life. “You’re

crazy, Tobias Banger.”

He winked. “Crazy for you.”

THE END

The Long Ball

Cash

“S

top being a whiny bitch, Greenwood! Bottoms up!”

My best friend and resident troublemaker of the team smacked me on the back.

His boisterous laugh and booming voice took up all the space around him. I loved

many things about the man, but the thing I loved the most was that in his

presence, I became invisible. Since the age of 16 I’ve been recognizable. Once you

were a star athlete with a future and the hope of winning a championship, you

became a commodity, something shiny. And being simultaneously a slugger and a

pitcher was a combination so rare that those with it, like myself, were priceless.

It hadn’t taken me long to learn that being invisible keeps you safe.

“We have to meet that analytics chick in an hour. I don’t want to reek of alcohol.

Coach will kick our asses.” I didn’t like to drink. Most days I couldn’t even stomach

the smell of it, but for the sake of keeping up appearances I usually nursed a glass

in my hand and always offered to be the designated driver so no one suspected

anything. Rod was really good about covering for me when needed, chugging back

the drinks people often bought for me, acting like the cocky best friend he was.

“It’s still technically the off-season. Another one won’t hurt.”

“Another always hurts, particularly in the form of a hangover the next

morning,” I replied.

“You sound like a dodgy old fuck. Where’s the guy who used to party with me all

night long? I want him back.”

I chuckled, thinking about all the times we’d been in trouble. I prided myself on

how well I blended into the crowd and let him take the attention. Rodriguez and I

had been buddies since our rookie year. We’d grown up together on this team, cut

our teeth on the ins and outs of playing professional ball, but as time passed I found

that faking it seemed to exhaust me more and more each day. I was tired of it all,

and the only thing that still made me feel something was the game. Everything else

was endless noise that passed by with no true meaning or intention. I felt like I was

walking in a blur, just waiting for time to pass.

“I’m not twenty-one anymore. Coach said any more stunts like that one you

pulled at warm-ups and we’re both benched. And you, motherfucker, are not

getting me benched.” The idea of sitting out a game was unbearable. Rod and I were

thick as thieves, and Coach knew that if anyone could reel him in, it would be me.

But what the coach didn’t know was that the idea of losing baseball in any way was

like a noose around my neck, tightening until all the oxygen was ripped from me.

“You're my wingman, buddy, and ya gotta admit, spiking the water cooler was

pretty genius.”

“And landed us in a shit load of trouble. Frankly, I’m just too old for this shit

anymore. Let the rookies have at it. We had our fun.”

“You make thirty sound like a death sentence. Not for me. When I turn the big

3-0 next year I’m going big. I want my feet in the sand with a drink in my hand and

a pussy on each arm. Fuck it, a limo full of pussy. I am gonna get more ass that

night than a toilet seat.”

“Yeah, I bet you do.” I’d never liked how Rodriguez embraced the cliché ball

player persona. He played ball hard—out on the field he was a beast. But he partied

even harder, a revolving door of girls after every game. I was always up for a few

drinks, but the groupies that surrounded Rodriguez always made my stomach turn.

It was so obvious they wanted him for his status and money—his staggering salary

was very appealing to bunt bunnies. I had absolutely zero interest in them.

All the women around ball players didn’t have much to offer, and my life was so

messed up that I doubt any woman wanted anything to do with it when she found

out. The only kind that would stay would be one that would hope for a staggering

payday at the end. I had enough people standing by with their hand out, so I wasn’t

interested in a woman who wanted that, too. Besides, I only had a few more years to

play this game, and I wasn’t going to squander them for some chick. These women

didn’t care about the men. They cared about the limos, the big ticket items the ball

players paid for, and the thousand-dollar dinners. Rodriguez made hundreds of

millions, just like so many of my buddies, and just like the other ball players, he

had no issue living like a king. But that lifestyle didn’t interest me in the least.

This life wasn’t for everyone, I wasn’t even sure it was for me sometimes. I

rarely liked to go out, and the women did nothing for me. I lived and breathed the

game, so much so that I couldn’t imagine what else I would be doing if it wasn’t

this. I had one single focus and that was to win the World Series. I had been playing

ball for eleven years with the MLB, and that was the only thing that eluded me. I

was known as the best player in the entire league and yet I didn’t have that World

Series title under my belt. My years left playing ball were dwindling—a ball player

was gettin’ some age by thirty—but it was the one dream I hadn’t yet attained.

“Let’s head over, man. Don’t want to piss off Coach.”

Rod slammed his shot glass down on the counter, his eyes shining with

excitement. “Wanna place bets on how fast I can get up the analytic girl’s skirt?”

“You haven’t even seen her yet.” We walked out the doors of the corner bar,

afternoon light heating my skin as we walked the short block to the stadium. Today

we had a meeting with what would be the new official star analytics firm for the

club, before opening day tomorrow. I’d been waiting months for this day, the time

between playoffs and opening season always left a pit of dread in my stomach. If I

could play twelve months of the year I would.

We pushed through the stadium doors and made our way down the dim hallway,

headed for the conference room next to the locker room. I nodded at Coach when

we walked in and greeted a few of the other guys as the entire team settled on

benches around the center of the room.

“I don’t want to take up much of your time, so I’ll cut right to the chase.” Coach

looked around the room. “A few of you have been fucking off, so we need focus if

we’re going to have a good season. I don’t expect miracles, but I do expect you to

listen. No more antics. Stay focused. I expect each of you to improve your averages

by the end of the season. “

“Like it or not, stats are down, guys. We need all heads in the game if we’re

gonna improve and have a shot at going all the way this year. Delilah Grey from

Lionsgate Analytics is here to help us do that. She’ll be with us—every game, every

day—all season. She’ll be sending me the stats throughout the game, and I want

you guys tuned in to your averages. Push yourselves every night.” He glanced

around the room, pausing for a moment on Rod. “And please treat Delilah with

respect. She knows we need some help, but she doesn't need to know you’re all a

bunch of animals.” God, I loved Coach. So steady and calm. He was the reason this

team was great. Without him we’d all be a bunch of animals on the field.

Coach swung open the locker room door and in walked a fucking vision.

I noticed the heels first. Sexy stilettos with leather cutouts that made me want

to get down on my knees and slip them off her feet one at a time. My eyes devoured

her creamy, toned calves, and not even the conservative pencil skirt could hide the

full curves of her hips.

“Jesus,” Rod said under his breath.

I nudged him, for the first time in my life irritated by his overt appreciation of a

woman. Looking at Delilah, the hairs on my arms stood to attention. As did

something else. Damn, she was stunning, I’d never seen a woman so radiant in my

entire life. She had dark silky hair cascading down her back in loose curls, so damn

soft-looking that my hand itched to brush up against them. I, Cash Greenwood, for

the first time in my life, had a desire to brush up against a woman’s hair.

“Hey guys, I’m Delilah Grey.” She nodded, her spine rigid as she leafed through

a handful of papers in her arms. “If you could pass these around, I’ll tell you a little

about me, then we can chat individually.”

“Individually?” Rod chimed, his horny grin sending anger racing through my

stomach.

“Yes, that’s how I prefer to work. Deal with each player’s specific issues before

we bring the whole team together.”

“I’ve only got one issue.” Rod shifted in his seat, his hand brushing over his

crotch. My nostrils flared. Why was he such a dick? At that moment I hated my best

friend so much I wanted to pound his face into the ground. The thought made me

feel ashamed and idiotic. I knew Rod, he was a joker, more talk than action on most

days, but the fact that he was being crass to this woman upset me beyond all

reason. I didn’t have an explanation, but I did not enjoy the idea of Rod looking at

her like she was a piece of meat. Not one bit.

Delilah’s deep chocolate eyes narrowed in a flare of anger for a moment before

she turned back to her paperwork. If one paid close attention to her, as I was doing,

one could see the patch of red forming on the back of her neck. “I started Lionsgate

Analytics nearly three years ago. I want you to be the best players, on and off the

field, and excelling in this world isn’t just about home runs and fly balls. It’s also

about measuring, distance, velocity, and spin rates.” Her eyes flicked over the team

again. “I’ll be hanging out at all the games, laptop open and watching just how

consistent everyone is, and hopefully it won’t take us long to get an average.

Anyone have questions for me?”

“Yeah, got plans tonight, sweetheart?” That was Rod, and I nearly shoved my

fist in his gut for that one. I watched as Delilah’s jaw ticked. She was tough, I could

tell. I liked that. I liked that she wouldn’t take anything sitting down. I had had

enough of women taking things sitting down, so the fighter in me was drawn to the

fire in her.

“Let me make one other thing clear: if anyone calls me sweetheart, toots, doll,

baby, or any other demeaning term of endearment again, I can’t promise you won’t

feel my high heel in your balls. I don’t play well with men who act like animals.

We’re here for one thing and one thing only—to get this team in shape to win this

year. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make an ass out of yourself in the process. Have I

made myself clear?”

Fire blazed through my veins when she spun and exited the very door she’d

come from. Well damn, after thirty years I finally found a woman who could make

me take notice, make me want to chase. And not only chase, but tie her up and hold

her against me, bind her to me in every way possible.

“Well, glad that went well.” Coach pushed a hand through his graying hair.

“Cash, you go first.”

I followed her out of the room and into the smaller suite next door. When I

entered she was already seated at the small desk, a few papers spread out before

her, arms crossed over her chest as she waited. I licked my lips when I saw her.

God, she was something else, all hard and edgy but yet so soft and delicate at the

same time. She was wearing a crisp, white, button-down shirt under her blazer,

and although she wasn’t showing any skin, I knew that the pretty packaging was

nothing compared to the delectable gift of her flesh. She had her shirt buttoned

almost to her chin, but that only made me want to pop those buttons with my teeth

and peel the fabric off her body, exploring every inch of her with my tongue as I

went.

I shook my head to clear the images of her naked body displayed before me, a

wonderland waiting for me to enter, and I sat down, rather uncomfortably, in the

seat across from her.

“Cash Greenwood?” She held up a sheet of paper, my black-and-white team

photo printed across the top.

“That’s me.” I crossed my arms, relaxing back into my chair as I watched her

with an interested eye.

“Why do you think Coach asked me to sit down with you?”

“Because he asked everyone to?”

Her eyes flickered at my smart reply. She sucked in a quick breath, her chest

heaving with the movement and stretching the fabric across her round, sexy tits. I

wondered if she was wearing a push-up bra, but then figured there was no way tits

that beautiful could be a slight of hand.

“Because you’re the pitcher. The pitcher tends to be the natural-born leader,

and according to these stats…” She glanced down at the sheet of paper. “You’re the

star hitter, too. You have any idea how rare your talent is?” She arched an eyebrow.

“So is there anything you want to start with, beyond a smart-ass remark?”

A deep grin pulled at my cheeks as I held her eyes, letting the silence stretch

between us until she started squirming in her chair. I made her nervous. I bit down

on my bottom lip as my eyes flicked up and down her body before I finally spoke.

“Maybe I was hoping you could teach me a thing or two.”

Why the fuck did I just do that?

I wanted to kick my own ass. I sounded like a waste-of-space asshole jock, one

who thinks he can do whatever and act however just because he plays baseball. Like

some instinct kicked in, I’d wanted to protect myself, and acting like a dick meant

that no one would try to penetrate the shell I had set into place so very long ago.

Delilah’s cheeks flamed, the crimson crawling right up her neck and making me

wish I could see what the rest of her looked like when she blushed. I liked the idea

of her being flushed red based on something I’d said. I wondered if her nipples were

the same shade as her petal-pink lips, and what the weight of her heavy tits in my

hands would feel like. Jesus, I sounded like Rod, because this kind of thinking sure

as hell wasn’t me.

“You may be used to girls fawning all over you, pulling up their skirts with one

cocky grin, but save your breath, hot shot. I’m not that girl, and I never will be.

Now, if you’re done with the eye-fucking, can we get on to business?”

Her reply swept the air from my lungs. She certainly wasn’t that girl, and that’s

exactly why she’d caught my interest. She wasn’t impressed by any of the talent on

this team, including mine, but I’m a man who likes a challenge. And Delilah Grey

was one hell of a challenge.

“To answer your question, no, there isn’t anything I want to say to you. I’m not

the guy who should be in this seat.”

“And who do you think is?”

“Coach called you in after Rodriguez fucked up. Look, he’s my best friend, I’m

not going to bullshit you. He isn’t a bad guy. He means well. He just likes to have

fun. Every team needs that guy, and Rod is that guy. He keeps spirits up. I know

you’re here because Coach thinks the partying has slowed us down, and I think it’s

a great idea. Get the guys focused on their stats, challenging themselves and

bettering their game. I think it’s a good plan, but don’t be too hard on Rod. His

heart’s in the game. That’s the part that counts.” Sometimes he drinks too much,

and that affects his game. I didn’t want to share that with her, but it was obvious

that’s what was going on. Rod’s drinking was out of hand, but at least he showed up

to practice and never lost his temper. He wasn’t an angry drunk, and that at least

was something in my book.

Delilah leaned back in her chair, eyes burning up the space between us before

she swept her long dark hair over one shoulder. It fell down past the full swell of

her breast, and the only thing I could think of was getting a look at all those dark

tresses against the creamy flesh of her naked body.

“So if you don’t think you need me, why are you here then?”

“Because you interest me.” I was unable to keep the wide grin from my face.

A wry smile cut across her full lips. Fuck, I wanted to bite those lips. I wanted to

trace her curves under my palms and push my hands in her hair, kiss her so fucking

hard that when we’d finish we’d both be gasping for air. “Well, I’ve got news for

you, Cash Greenwood. I hate ball players. You couldn’t pay me to date one. You’re

all the same, and I have no desire to get swept up in your bullshit. I’m here to help

the team out, and I guarantee I’ll be gone just as soon as my job is done. Just

between you and me, I refused this job three times, but your coach begged me, so

here I am.”

“Christ, you’re beautiful when you’re angry.” I couldn’t believe I’d just said

that. I’d wanted to say something witty, but all I could think about was how her

beauty took my breath away, so I’d said it. I’d called her beautiful.

Her mouth opened and closed, shock lacing the features of her pretty face.

“Excuse me?”

“I said you’re beautiful when you’re angry. I didn’t know a person could be, I

usually just think of pinched faces and ruddy cheeks, but the way your nose crinkles

—”

“Okay, stop.” She stood from her chair, sending it sliding on the floor behind

her. Her eyes were wild, the fire burning bright behind her irises, her chest heaving

with exasperated pants before she put a hand on one hip and pointed to the door

with her other hand. “It’s been a pleasure, Greenwood. Send the next caveman in,

if you could.”

“Caveman?” I stood, hands planted on the desk in front of me as I leaned across

the table, shortening the distance between us. “I can’t speak for the rest of the

guys, but I’m definitely not a caveman. Give me a little time and you might even

find I surprise you.” The fact that she lumped me in with all men bothered me. I

didn’t want her thinking that I was one of these assholes who used women like they

were nothing, then disregarded them.

“Doubt it.”

“I don’t.” I paused, eyes riveted on her pretty deep brown ones. The air hung

heavy with a heady mix of arousal and irritation.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Greenwood.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

“I’m not.”

“Ya know, for a girl who hates baseball players so much, I find it odd you’re

spending the next few months living and breathing it.”

Her jaw worked back and forth at my words, her eyes falling to my cocky grin,

then back to my eyes. “Yeah, well, it’s complicated.”

I waited, hoping she’d elaborate. I was desperate to find out why she had such a

chip on her shoulder. Hell, I was desperate to spend more time with her, period.

“Enjoy the rest of your night, Ms. Grey.” I winked when I pushed off the table,

her frown deepening as her thighs shifted back and forth beneath that sexy power

suit. I left the room with two thoughts running through my head: what would it

look like if she was wearing nothing but those heels, and how would they feel

digging in my back?

“Man, Grey has a stick up her ass,” Rod commented as we left the clubhouse nearly

three hours later. Apparently Delilah had lain into him, not that he didn’t deserve

it.

“I think it’s hot.” And I did. I was used to these women who would do anything I

said whenever I said it. This one, though, was a hard ass. I liked the embers that

burned in her, the inferno under the librarian get-up and cold stance. This girl was

a fighter.

“What?! Fuck that, I don’t like working for my dinner.”

I shook my head, shoving my hands in my pockets and fishing out my keys. Rod

and I had driven together because we lived in the same high-rise.

“Since when have you ever liked the idea of any woman?” he scoffed as we

approached my car.

“Just because I don’t eat up the chicks that fall all over you doesn’t make me

blind. It makes me selective. I don’t want a Big Mac when I could have a filet

mignon.”

“Pussy is pussy. No one is looking at the mantle when they’re poking a fire.

You’re a Timberwolf, man. Enjoy the spoils.” Rod humped the air in a juvenile

gesture. Some days I’m shocked that he’s my best friend.

“Delilah wasn’t wrong when she called you a caveman.” I shook my head.

“Caveman? Fuck, she’s a barracuda. I’m a great guy! Do you know anyone who

doesn’t think I’m the life of the party?”

“Aside from every woman you’ve ever met?”

“No, people that really know me.”

“People don’t really know you, man. You put so much noise out there—”

“Hey, whose side are you on here?” Rod cut me an irritated look.

“I’m not taking sides. Just not feelin’ the young, drunk, dumb, and full of cum

vibe anymore.” That statement wasn’t fair. Rod had been there for me whenever I

needed him, no questions asked. He had his faults, but the man was loyal, and I

knew that if I needed him for anything he would be there. But just like everyone

else, he had his own demons.

“Oh, look at your holier-than-thou ass. Spare me, Cash. Spare me.”

I shook my head as we pulled out of the parking garage, heading for our building,

where I could thankfully drop his ass off and enjoy my last night alone for a long

time. After this it was all double headers and late nights for me.

“Wanna order pizza tonight?”

“Nah, I’m gonna get some rest.” I pushed a hand through my hair, my thoughts

still on Delilah Grey and her long dark hair. Would it be inappropriate to invite her

to my place for a one-on-one session? Because I really fucking wanted to. I didn’t

know what had gotten into me, but as soon as I saw her, I’d tucked my balls right

into her purse. Now I just had to figure out how to get her to give me the time of

day.

No one had ever made me feel the things she’d made me feel down deep in my

gut when she’d walked into the room. I’d wanted to haul her off over my shoulder

and steal her back to my place. Sure, I had caveman tendencies, but I did a pretty

good job at keeping them to myself. Until now. Until her.

“Maybe Gina is around tonight.” Rod pulled out his phone and tapped out a text

to his long-standing on-again-off-again fuck-buddy. Gina was a good girl. She

really liked him, I could tell, and Rod liked her, too. He may want to deny it, but Rod

had found the one. I just hoped he could get his shit together before she walked

away.

“You should be good to her, man. Take her out or something.”

“Nah.” He shook his head adamantly. “Gina’s too good for me. I’d never tie her

down with my bullshit.” Rod’s demons held him in place. He was so scared to let a

woman in that he just pushed away every girl he could possibly care for. He didn’t

think he deserved someone kind or decent. If he didn’t stop, he was going to push

the only girl that he cared about right out the door.

“Maybe cut the bullshit. She likes you. I don’t know why she likes you, but she

does.”

“I'm too busy to be tied down.” He was typing again. The dumb fool wanted to

be tied down, but his past just kept him running away instead of toward something.

We had a similar past, except mine kept me closed off, and his kept him too open

but never invested. “Sweet, Gina’s coming over in an hour. If you hear screams,

don’t be alarmed.”

I shook my head, finding my best friend completely fucking hopeless, and yet

still he managed to make me smile.

“And that’s why you’re a caveman.”

Rod rolled his eyes as I pulled the car into my reserved parking space.

“At least this caveman gets laid once in awhile.”

“Once in awhile? I’m surprised your dick hasn’t fallen off from overuse. How

you don’t have a fucking STD is beyond me. I hope you wrap that dick up before you

use it.”

“Not this dick, man. I’ve got some serious endurance. And yes, asshole, I always

wrap up little Rod. Big Daddy takes care of his little man.” Rod grabbed his cock,

grinning like a moron as we stepped into the elevator.

“Jesus, what the fuck does Gina see in you? You are a fucking moron. You are

twenty-nine and just gave your junk a nickname. Tell her I say hi and she should

dump your ass.” I punched the button for the penthouse.

He paused for a minute as the elevator whirred up eighteen floors. “Join us if

you get bored. Loads of pizza, and Gina says you’re sweet, not like the other

buffoons on the team, so you’re welcome anytime. Just don’t touch her, man. She is

off limits.”

I laughed at the vehemence in his voice, Rod may have wanted to deny it, but

Gina had him by the balls.

“Thanks, man. I think I’m in for the night, though. Leftovers and a baseball

game.”

“You know, you really should find yourself a girl, Greenwood. Someone to go

home to at night instead of spending all that time alone. Or better yet, a hot piece

of ass that will come on over and just fuck your brains out.”

I nodded, turning his words over in my head. I did want that. I wanted a good

woman and kids running around under my feet. But I didn’t want what I’d had as a

kid. No way did I want that for any kid of mine. “Thanks for the advice, caveman.”

He nodded, the doors sliding open once we’d come to a stop. “Later, bro.”

“Later,” I called as the doors whirred closed. Never had I been so thankful to be

alone in my life. I realized, though, that I longed for her company. I’d be more than

happy to spend time with Delilah Grey any day of the week.

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