I went to him and kissed his lips before I headed inside to change into my white bikini. I still had a slight tan, which was fast fading. My vacation seemed like it was months past, even though it had only been a few weeks. Austin was swimming in the pool when I came back.
“There’s my girl.”
I scowled at him. We had almost gotten into a heated argument on Saturday evening about dating. I was against it, and of course, he wasn’t. He looked at me and shrugged before he started doing laps. I sat down at the edge of the pool and dipped my legs into the water. Austin swam over to me.
“Can we at least talk about this without arguing?”
I smoothed his wet hair back from his forehead. “You know how I feel.”
“I also know you like spending time with me. Why can’t we date?”
“First it was friendship, and now it’s a sexual relationship.”
“It’s not my fault that you can’t keep your hands off me. You said I was your drug.”
“You are, but that doesn’t mean we need to date.”
“Suppose I don’t want this “friends with benefits” bullshit?”
“Why?”
Austin knitted his eyebrows together. “Because I want you to be mine. I have since I saw you for the first time in the Maldives. You’re everything I want.”
I sighed. “Can we just take it slow?”
His face brightened. “You mean you’ll try?”
“I’m not very good at dating. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“How would you hurt me? You’ve already made me so happy.”
I put my hand on his shoulder. “I can be inconsiderate and selfish. I’m used to being alone and doing what I want. I don’t know how to be a girlfriend.”
Austin leaned his chin against my hand. “But you can learn again. You were once before.”
“I gave Ivan everything, and he took it for granted. I don’t want that again.”
“I would never be like that. I’m not intimidated by your wealth or your position. You’re who you are because of your experiences. I want the whole package.”
I stroked the stubble on his cheek. “What happens when I need to cancel a date because I have an emergency, or come home late because a meeting ran long? Will you want me then?”
“It’s who you are. I can live with it if you can live with dozens of young women buzzing around this good-looking face.”
I frowned. “That’s not funny. I don’t want to compete.”
“You won’t have to. You’re the only one I want to be with.”
“How about we see each other. A date or two a week and see where it goes?”
“Is this exclusive?”
“For me, it is since I don’t date.”
“As long as we’re together, I’ll be exclusive. I don’t want to share you with anyone, and I don’t want to be with anyone else.”
Austin put his wet head on my legs, and I stroked his thick hair. I was starting to fall for this man, and that was dangerous. I was still afraid of losing my edge if love set in, and it wasn’t far off. A month of spending time with Austin made me see what I’d been missing for the past four years. It wasn’t just the sex; it was having someone in my life who cared.
I played with the hair at the nape of his neck. “I should go home tonight. I have work tomorrow.”
He kissed my thigh. “I can get up early and drive you home.”
“Don’t you have a class?”
“Not until ten. Why didn’t you bring clothes for work?”
“I did, but I should go home. My maid might think I was kidnapped.”
Austin laughed, and I felt the vibration of it on my skin. “You were, by me. I can come to your house if that makes you feel better. We don’t always need to stay here.”
I inwardly cringed. My home was my sanctuary, and the only one besides me that had set foot there was my maid. Even my parents hadn’t visited yet. If I invited Austin in, he would be the first person inside.
“Maybe next week.”
He lifted his head to look at me, “Why so secretive? When you got clothes yesterday, you made me wait in the car. Do you have some victims tied up in a closet or something?”
I scowled. “It’s complicated. I’m not used to having people in my home. Before you, I was alone. I don’t have friends. I’m not the touchy-feely type.”
“I beg to differ. You’re passionate and fiery in bed. You’re not selfish or inconsiderate.”
“But I can be. You just haven’t seen it.”
Austin reached up to cup my cheek. “Invite me to your home.”
“Not yet. Forgive me.”
The pinched look on his face told me he was hurt. “Sam, you need to open up sometime.”
“I was open once, and it got me nothing but heartache.”
“I won’t do that to you. Do you trust me?”
I shook my head because I did trust Austin to be careful with my fragile heart.
I slept at Austin’s that night, and though I wanted to, I was too sore to have sex. He held me in his arms while he molded his body around mine. My phone alarm woke us at five.
He grumbled as I reached over to shut the buzz off. “Why the hell are we getting up so early?”
“Because I like to be at the office by seven.”
He pushed my hair away from my neck to plant a kiss there. “You’re the damn CEO. You can go in whenever you want.”
“I need to set an example for my employees. I can’t stroll in the door at nine when I expect everyone at their desks by eight.”
Austin chuckled. “I would hate to work for you.”
“No, you wouldn’t.”
“Why do you say that?”
I squirmed in his grasp. “Because you would be near me all day. I wouldn’t get a thing done.”
“You would love it. I could lick you until you begged me to stop.”
My body heated, and I tried to unwind myself from his arms. “Enough. I need to shower, and you need to drive me home.”
“Am I making you hot? Do you want me to join you?”
“Absolutely not. If we shower together, I’ll be to work late.”
I slipped out of his grasp and headed for the bathroom, locking the door behind me so he wouldn’t make me late. Austin was dressed in a pair of slacks and a sweater when I came out; his hair damp from a shower.
I raised my eyebrows. “You showered?”
“I have six bathrooms. I don’t need this one and since you chose to lock me out…”
I smirked. “I’ll make it up to you. Why are you wearing a sweater?”
“It’s chilly. I knew we wouldn’t have those nice warm temperatures forever.”
It was the end of January, and sometimes Los Angeles had a warm snap, but usually, we barely reached the low seventies. I got dressed in the black business suit I brought with me and buttoned my white blouse up to the neck.
Austin scowled. “Why do you do that?”
“My cleavage is a distraction.”
He crossed his arms. “To who?”
“It’s better I don’t reveal anything. You can’t imagine the assholes that I encounter. You would think they were the CEO.”
“I thought your reputation preceded you?”
I checked myself in the dresser mirror. “It normally does, but sometimes I meet some dickhead scriptwriter or hotshot producer who thinks I can be charmed. I want their eyes on my face, not my breasts.”
Austin came to me, stroking my long sleek hair with his hand. “I wouldn’t be able to talk if I sat opposite your gorgeous face.”
“You seemed to do just fine when we first met.”
“That’s because I sat in front of the mirror for two hours saying hello to myself.”
I gaped at his reflection. “You did not.”
“I did. You had me tongue tied, and that’s hard to do.”
“I’ll bet. How many young women cream their panties from your handsome face?”
Austin pu
rsed his lips. “I wouldn’t know. I’m not interested in any of my students.”
“But I’m sure they don’t know that.”
He raised his voice an octave. “I’m at USC to teach.”
“You’re going to tell me that no young woman over the years has tried to charm you?”
“They’ve tried, but I keep it strictly professional. My door stays open during office hours, and I limit my contact with female students outside of class.”
I turned to him. “Have you ever been accused of wrongdoing?”
He wound my hair around his finger. “No, but a professor friend of mine was when he lived in Boston.”
“Was it true?”
Austin nodded. “It was, but the student was in her thirties, and he married her. They live in New York now and have three children.”
“At least it had a happy ending.”
“It almost didn’t, and he was a mess because of it. It turned his life upside down. Gavin had to go to a proceeding and was suspended. I would never want to go through something like that; it’s not worth it.”
“Suppose I was your student?”
He let my hair go, smoothing it out. “Then I would wait until you weren’t and ask you out. Can we stop talking about this?”
“Sure. I need you to get me home anyway. The car service will be at my door by six thirty.”
“I could’ve driven you to the office.”
I stroked his face, trying to calm some of his agitation. “It’s better you don’t.”
“So you’re keeping me a secret?” Austin growled.
“You’re my personal life. Why do I have to advertise my boyfriend?”
“You don’t, but I don’t want to be a secret.”
“If we work out, eventually you won’t be. Have patience.”
“I’m counting on it. I want this to work out.”
“And I don’t?”
“I’m not saying that, but sometimes I’m not sure.”
I dropped my hand from his scruffy cheek. “Can we go?”
Austin drove me home and kissed me passionately before I got out of his car. “Are we seeing each other this week?” he asked.
“I need to check my schedule. I might have some late nights.”
“And it begins,” he said under his breath. I ignored it, but my life was hectic, and if we dated, he would have to put up with late hours and sometimes days of not seeing each other. I knew I was kidding myself because I wanted to see him even if it was only for a half hour.
I rose from my seat. “I’ll talk to you later. The car should be here soon.”
“Text me when you get a chance. I only have two classes today and should be out by one.”
Thank God, Marina was back. I couldn’t take another mistake by Crystal.
“Good Morning, Miss Stone,” she said as I passed by her desk.
“Are you feeling better?”
She nodded with a smile. “Much, thank you.”
“I’d like to see you in my office when you get a chance.”
Marina’s smile left her face as I walked in my door. I heard the phone ring, and she put a call through from Hassan Jindal.
I settled in my chair before I picked up the receiver. “Hassan, it’s early, and you’re up.”
“You want to tell me about Star Productions?” His voice had an acidic edge.
“Tell you what?”
“I have a former colleague who told me they were making you an offer.”
I stifled a laugh. “That’s news to me since I haven’t had any contact with anyone from Star.”
Hassan’s voice softened. “So it’s just a rumor?”
“I told you I would come to you before I decided to leave Spotlight. I haven’t spoken to anyone about leaving. Is there a problem?”
He cleared his throat. “Why do you ask?”
I drummed my fingers on the desk. “Usually I don’t hear from you for weeks unless there’s some type of issue.”
“I might as well tell you. We’re considering a purchase.”
I sat up straight even though Hassan couldn’t see me. “Purchase of what?”
“Sunny Sky Studios. Of course, it has to be approved by the board, but it would help us branch out into animation.”
“I wasn’t aware.”
“It’s in the exploratory phase. I want to make sure that you’re set on sticking with Spotlight. If you leave during the middle of negotiations, it could blow the deal out of the water.”
Anger caused my features to tighten. “You should’ve told me that yesterday. I don’t like being kept in the dark.”
My tone was not only accusatory but hostile. I’m sure there were plenty of rumors going around, and I hadn’t been privy to any of them. I usually had my ear to the ground, but this one got ahead of me, more than likely because I spent the weekend with Austin. This was one of the reasons why I was reticent to start a relationship. It was a distraction, although a delicious one.
“As I said, we’re in the exploratory phase. We’re examining their finances before we move forward.”
“For now on, I would like to be included in all negotiations.”
“I’ll see to it moving forward.”
We hung up, and I was thoroughly annoyed. A knock on my door redirected my thoughts. “Come in,” I called.
Marina entered, looking like a beaten dog, her mouth turned down with worry. “Have I done something wrong? I was sick.”
“I’m sure you were. I need to discuss your role here. Please sit down.”
She quickly took the chair in front of my desk. “Am I being fired?” she said with alarm.
I put my hand up to stop her. “Absolutely not. Just the opposite. I would like to expand your role and give you a raise. I appreciate everything you’ve done over the past few years.”
Marina slumped in her chair and smiled. “I could use a raise.”
“I’m prepared to offer you a bonus as well. I might be spending less time in the office, and I need you to be more involved in things. You would be my eyes and ears, so to speak when I’m not here.”
She leaned forward, gripping the arms of the chair. “Is there something wrong? Are you sick?”
“No. Why would you think that?”
“You said you’ll be in the office less. Ever since I’ve worked for you, you’ve always been in at seven and worked until at least six.”
I shook my head. “I need a break. I can handle some of my duties from home. I’ll have HR draw up your new role and the increase in salary unless you have a figure in mind.”
I waited for her to speak. I knew she was underpaid for what she did, but I planned to make that right with this offer.
Her voice was confident, and she sat up straight. “I’d like to see what you expect of me before I comment.”
“Fine. Thank you. I have a call to make.”
Marina rose from her chair, and I could swear she was humming as she exited my office. My body was vibrating with happiness, and I picked up my phone to call Austin. It was only seven thirty, so I knew he didn’t leave for school yet.
“Miss me already?”
I chuckled. “Smug bastard. Suppose I do?”
“Then you should’ve let me fuck you this morning.”
I sighed. “I didn’t have time. What are you doing?”
Austin let out a loud rumble. “Relaxing on my bed. I love the smell of your pillow.”
I opened my laptop, hitting the power button. “It’s not my pillow; it’s your pillow.”
“Merely semantics. It’s my pillow, but you slept on it.”
“You got it bad.”
“I do, and I wish you were here right now.”
“That’s why I’m calling.”
“You’re coming here?” Austin said with surprise.
“No. I want you to stay at my place tonight.”
“You’re inviting me to your home? Are you sure? I don’t want to disrupt your sanctuary.”
I rolled
my eyes. “Shut up.”
His voice was full of excitement. “I get out at one today. What time should I be there?”
“I hope to be home by six.”
“Six? An early day for you.”
“I might work less in the office.”
“Are you doing this for me?”
I nodded, even though Austin couldn’t see me. “I’m doing it for us.”
“Then, I appreciate it. So easily melted.”
“Quite teasing me or I’m going to tease you.”
“Tease me? How will you do that, darling?”
I lowered my voice. “I want you to shove that big cock of yours inside me when I get home.”
“Fuck! Now I’m going to be hard the rest of the day. I have an instant erection just thinking about it.”
“Good because I’m looking forward to it.”
Austin laughed. “I need to jerk off before I leave for class.”
“You’re crude.”
“But you love when I am. I’ll see you tonight.”
6
“Damn, I can’t get enough of this pussy.”
Austin slammed into me three more times before he grunted, and I felt him spill his hot semen into me. I sank from my knees to my stomach and buried my face in the pillow as he climbed on the bed next to me. I couldn’t get enough of him either, and each hour we spent together had me falling deeper into the chasm.
He ran his fingers along the ridges of my spine and kissed my shoulder. He’d arrived at my home a few minutes before me, and we went right up to my bedroom to make love. Austin caressed my ass and ran his finger over a dark bruise on my outer thigh. It hurt, and I flinched.
“What’s this?”
“From my workout today.”
Austin’s face was filled with concern. “I thought you just did the treadmill and weights. How did you get this?”
I buried my head in the pillow. “Jay mixed it up today, and we did some kickboxing.”
Austin stroked my leg, avoiding the bruise. “Did he kick you?”
“No. The heavy bag swung into me, and I went down on my side.”
“Are you alright?”
“It’s a little sore, but I’m okay.”
“You should take a break.”
I turned to look at him. “Are you kidding? He worked me like a dog after vacation. I need to keep up my stamina.”
Sweetest Obsessions - Anthology Page 170
