by Bonnar King
Goddamn. He was so delicious.
My control was being held by a thin thread, and it didn’t stop my hand from wandering to Robin’s ass. I squeezed those firm buttocks before finally pulling his trunks down his thighs, exposing him below the water. He looked delicious even from there, and my thumb rubbed at his nipples until they were stiff and he was moaning out my name.
That smoky voice should be bottled up and sold. It was just so damn sexy.
My hands drifted down, intending to touch him down there, too. My cock wept for him, and all I wanted to do was plunge inside his omega-hole—right there and then. My fingers were almost to his stomach when I felt tugging at my stomach. I realized it was his hand, and it wasn’t some sort of caress.
He was trying to push me off.
Curses filled my head, along with frustration. But I banked it all down and moved as he wished, then watched with heavy breathing as he got out of the pool in the span of a few seconds. He tugged his trunks up, but not before I got a glimpse of his perfect, perky butt. The water blurred the view, but my imagination supplied the rest.
I groaned in desire. I groaned in frustration.
Robin shot me a look that was part lust, part panic.
“Take me home,” he pleaded shakily.
My cock instantly went flaccid.
I didn’t want to take an omega that was panicking and not fully enjoying himself. That was always a big no-no in my boo, and no way was I about to join the MeToo list!
Realizing nothing was going to happen today, I got out of the pool and did my best to put on my polite face, not wanting to scare Robin with the intensity of my desire. Hell, it scared me, too.
The helicopter ride back home was awkward, but I didn’t let it deter me as I kept repeating in my mind how good and delicious he felt, and how he’d been totally into it until things got heated up too quickly. I needed to take my time with him, and I intended to, even if it got me the worst case of blue balls in history.
“I still want you,” I told Robin when we landed back in the city.
He paused, not saying anything for a long time. Then he nodded.
“I know.”
And right there, I knew it wasn’t over yet.
7
Robin
This alpha was damn hot, yes, but he really was too bossy for his own good most of the time.
Like right now.
“What do you mean I have to wait by the library?”
“My driver will be picking you up,” Nicholas replied.
“For?”
“Something important.”
Right. Way to be detailed. I rolled my eyes over the phone, wishing he could actually see it. “What’s important?”
He made an impatient sigh. “Just be ready.”
“Only if you actually pick me up instead of the driver.”
“Fine.”
Before I could say another word, the phone line was disconnected—something I knew was deliberate. I glared at the phone and suddenly regretted suggesting he pick me up, considering I still wasn’t over my emotions when we were last together.
Automatically, images of our kiss and his hands on my skin flashed though my mind and made me feel hot. That kiss was a week ago, yet it felt as vivid as yesterday. I didn’t want to be as out of control as I was last time, but I had to remember that two weeks had passed and he still hadn’t finalized the purchasing. That had to mean whatever distraction I was providing was working, right?
I stared at the notebook in front of me, where I listed the fundraising campaign strategy I was trying to finalize. If I could get this launched and still keep distracting him, maybe there really was hope. It made me excited, and I dressed up as fast as I could in jeans and a shirt before hurrying over to the back of the library as per usual. Instead of a limousine, I found a beautiful yellow Lamborghini waiting for me, with Nicholas in the driver’s seat wearing blue jeans, a plain white shirt and sunglasses. His hair was windblown, and if anything, I thought it made him look classically handsome.
Nicholas didn’t make any mention of the resort event, something I was relieved about. But his topic had me looking at him in puzzlement.
“What’s your favorite color?”
I shot him a look. “Green. Why?”
“Funny. I thought it would be blue.”
I shrugged. “Blue looks good on me, but I’ve always been a sucker for green. You?”
A smile lit up on his face. “We have more in common than most. Green’s mine, too.”
“Nick, the only thing we have in common is the fact that we’re sitting in the same car right now.”
Which wasn’t true at all. But he did chuckle and changed the topic, keeping hushed up about where we were going and making me anticipate. I had to admit, even to myself, that our last two dates took my breath away in the effort he placed there, but I guess if you’re that rich, it wasn’t difficult. He was a billionaire, after all. Still, he had style. Whatever this important thing was, whether it was a date or not, I was bound to be in awe again.
And to bring up the library.
Right. I needed to set my timing, and now wasn’t the time.
Half an hour later, he stopped the car in front of a boutique with glass windows and gold linings at the edges. He ushered me in, where we were greeted by a salesman wearing formal clothing. Then, to my shock, suits of assorted colors were placed in front of me.
“Nick?” I asked uncertainly.
“We’re attending a party tonight.”
“What party?”
“A business party. These clothes are all yours. They’re all in your size.”
“How on earth do you even know my size?”
The look he gave me was so piercing, I shouldn’t have asked. “I usually know an omegas sizes just by looking at him.”
Great. I could feel a surge of jealousy in me, and that wasn’t good.
I protested at first, telling him I didn’t need him buying me anything, and he argued back that it was a gift. We went back and forth until I realized that he wasn’t going to budge, and we were wasting our time. So I reluctantly accepted the gift this time and thanked him, and he left to get his own fitting before telling me what time the limousine would be picking me up.
It was overwhelming. The suits he got me were indeed my size, but they looked so expensive that I was nervous to wear them. The salesman was very helpful and assured me how comfortable and durable they were, and I fitted each and every one of them until I found the one suit that had me gasping as I looked at myself in the mirror. Coincidentally enough, it was emerald green in color with just enough sparkle to attract, but simple enough and just hugged every inch of my body.
I knew I would look great in it—and for some reason, I wanted Nicholas to see.
So I chose it and asked the salesman’s help regarding haircut. A few hours later, I was ready.
“Don’t be nervous. You look absolutely gorgeous.”
Nicholas’ words soothed me. I knew what he thought, because I saw the look in his eyes when I stepped out of the limousine earlier. I wasn’t any different upon seeing him in a black tuxedo, looking so dashing. It felt like a fairy tale, especially when we stepped inside the party venue in the hotel.
It was so luxurious—champagne everywhere, golden balloons on the floor and a red carpet. We were given our seats, and I was seated beside a hotel heir who complimented me on my outfit and looked at me and Nicholas curiously, though he didn’t ask questions. Our conversation was cut off when plated food arrived in front of our table, and it was the most amazing meal I had ever had.
I realized later on that this was some sort of annual banquet event, and Nicholas had paid for our meal with the proceeds going to charity. Again, it surprised me to see this side of him, when what he showed me often was the ruthless businessman who wasn’t swayed by anything.
Many people knew him, and again, to my surprise, many people were nice to me. I often thought of wealthy people as snobs, but the
y proved me wrong as they seemed genuinely interested in me as a person and asked whatever questions they could. I was shy and cautious at first, but Nicholas was there nudging me and assuring me that it was okay to open up—and so I did, and pretty soon I found myself getting comfortable and even enjoying the attention.
There was no denying that Nicholas was the star of the show, though. Everyone wanted to talk to him, and he was polite and pleasant to them all, giving his time to everyone no matter their status. It fascinated me enough for any nerves I was feeling to disappear, just taking the sight of him in as he charmed everyone with his wit. I wondered how many omegas he used that charm on. Again, a wave of jealousy surged inside me, and I didn’t know what to make of it. Sure, I was attracted to the alpha, but I didn’t want to be in a relationship with him, or to even take it further.
Did I?
After dinner, the desserts and the mingling, a band played slow-dance songs, and some couples went to the dance floor immediately. Nicholas pulled me, too, something that made me panic because I wasn’t a good dancer at all. But he placed his hands on my waist and urged me to place mine on his shoulder, and the way he guided us to a slow swaying had me smiling. My high dress shoes put me almost at eye-level with him, something he seemed to appreciate thoroughly as he only had to look down a little bit to meet my gaze. His gray eyes were colored with humor, and I found I wanted to bask in that humor for a little while.
But I also needed to bring my game on.
I took a deep inward breath. Then I dove right in.
“Nick, I want to talk about the library.”
The humor was still in his gaze, but it dimmed considerably. His hand tightened around my waist, his palm so warm.
“What about it?”
“You know what I want.”
“And you also know what I want,” he murmured. His warm breath touched my ear, and I shivered in response. But I pulled back and stubbornly looked him in the eye again.
“Nick, I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
Frustration started welling in me. “Nick, you know I’m not giving up.”
“On?”
I glared at him now. “On trying to save the library whether you like it or not.”
“And I’m not preventing you from doing the saving.”
“I’m going to do what I can to make you change your mind.”
“Like what?”
“Like kiss you,” I shot back. “Or seduce you.”
It was the wrong thing to say.
I watched his gray eyes darken into the color of coal, smoldering with so much heat that it singed me on the spot. At the same time, tingles shot up my spine, so strong that I had to stand still to keep my knees from shaking.
“You shouldn’t have said that,” he murmured.
Then Nicholas was tugging me out of the dance floor and pulling me as subtly as he could away from the main area. My heart pounded in my throat as I allowed him to pull me into another hallway, my mind working a mile a minute as I tried to think if I should be rebelling against my body or not—
We arrived in a narrower, darker hallway, and he pushed me against the wall. Then Nicholas’ mouth was on mine, and whatever rebelling I wanted to do disappeared from my head like a puff of cloud.
This kiss was just as glorious as the one in the pool, just as sensual as the one in the limousine. I found myself drowning in it all over again, clutching on to his shirt for support. Then clutching was no longer an option as I found myself unable to resist from caressing that long, hard body—and his answering groan only urged me on.
The kiss changed from slow to fast in an instant, and his body molded against mine. I could feel his erection even through our clothes, and I moaned in response when he ground his hardness against me and made my cock throb. He swallowed the moan and slid his mouth down my throat, sucking softly on my pulse point.
“I want you, Robin,” he rasped, hand sliding inside my suit to touch my thigh. His palm was like a brand, scorching me. “Come home with me.”
“Not until you give up on the library,” I said.
I thought he would dismiss it, just like he always did. But Nicholas surprised me when he pulled away abruptly, as if burned.
Then he began cursing.
8
Nicholas
He really wasn’t going to let up, was he? I knew Robin was stubborn, but I guess I didn’t realize that he was as stubborn as a mule.
And I needed to set his straight.
One thing about me was that I never really lied to people. Sure, sometimes I led them on with their own assumptions and didn’t correct them, which was what I did to Robin in the beginning—and I shouldn’t have done it. It was unfair on his end, and it didn’t really do anything to this already frustrating tango going on between us.
It was the most difficult thing to pull away from him when my body rebelled viciously, wanting to sink into his soft skin. But I did it, and I looked him in the eyes to let him know the frustration I was feeling.
“Why are you so damn obsessed with the library?”
Shock brightened his blue eyes. Then he lifted his chin up, much like he did during our first meeting.
“I am never giving up on the library.”
“And I am never going to sleep with you in exchange for backing out of the deal.”
“I never said that!” he exclaimed.
“You were damn well thinking it.”
The fact that he didn’t contradict me told me how partly true that was, even if he didn’t realize it. Shame flashed on his face, and suddenly I was the one feeling bad. I cursed again. Then I ran a hand through my hair and tried to find the right words to make him know my stand on the matter.
“Robin, listen, and listen well.”
He didn’t speak, merely looking at me as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. I wanted so much to go over there and kiss him all over again and lose myself in his taste, but I refrained from doing so until I got my point across.
“I want you, and you know that,” I said. “And anyone would be blind not to feel that this thing between us is reciprocated and off the charts. Just because I’m attracted like crazy to you and want nothing but to touch you doesn’t mean I’m just going to drop my principles and hurt my business like that.”
“But you know that business you’re referring to is the place I work in. I’m the head librarian there.”
“Yes, and I’m pretty sure you’re brilliant at it. But it doesn’t change the fact that you can get another job easily, and so could your co-workers. And it doesn’t change the fact that the library is unsalvageable, no matter what fundraising scheme and hoops you jump through. The decision has been made, and you should know when to back off and call it quits.”
There was silence on his end now, and I continued.
“You and the library aren’t the same thing—at least, not in my mind. I still want to keep seeing you, and I still want your stubborn ass. But you have to stop this nonsense about saving something that can’t be saved. If I don’t buy it, someone else will.”
“You’re cruel,” he whispered.
“I’m not cruel. I’m just seeing reality as it is. Business is business, Robin, and the world goes on.”
Silence followed my statement. I knew I was harsh, but this was the way I was when I wanted someone to understand where I was coming from. In the first place, setting incorrect expectations and continuing to lead him on was more cruel than most. He didn’t deserve that.
I expected a sobbing mess, as most omegas I was this brutally honest to couldn’t take it. But Robin showed me how different he was again by lifting his head up and looking me in the eyes, his gaze never wavering.
“Is Stan still around?” he asked, referring to my driver.
I nodded. “Why?”
“Because I want Stan to take me home.”
“Fine. Is that your solution, then?”
Robin nodded his head firmly. “Yes. We’re thr
ough.”
Just like that.
I couldn’t deny that something in me ached and protested at the thought of not seeing him again. But I never chased omegas too hard, and I wasn’t start now. Still, rejection like this wasn’t something I was used to, and it was hard to take. My voice was cold when I spoke, and I couldn’t control it even if I tried.
“Fine,” I finally replied. “Wait in the lobby. He’ll pick you up.”
Robin nodded stiffly, the earlier desire in his eyes gone. His cool façade was back, and he used that to shoot me one more look before finally walking away, leaving me there with my muddled thoughts and the frustration of my own want. I watched his butt sway as he walked, and I had to fist my hand to prevent myself from chasing after him.
The desire ran all over my body despite our not-so-good ending, and I realized Robin had just given me the second case of blue balls since meeting him. I was torn between being so angered and so impressed, and in the end I just ended up leaning against the wall and sighing, trying to gather myself before I joined the crowd again.
Ten minutes later, I decided to screw it and went home.
“He’s busy, Mr. Chambers. Here’s his list of activities based on research.”
I thanked my secretary and contemplated over the file he left at my table. Finally, I reached for it.
Robin and I hadn’t talked since the party, and I had done my best not to contact him. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to check out what he was doing so far. I had given him a few days to recover and maybe vent, before I set up another meeting with David to finally get the library deal over and done with, then schedule the demotion. Maybe Robin would find another job. Maybe he would cry over it, then get over it just as quickly.
He certainly seemed to get over me quickly enough.
As I read up the file, my brows raised. A smile came to life on my face. Then the smile turned into a grin, and soon I was chuckling under my breath as I realized Robin wasn’t moping. In fact, that was the last thing he was doing.
