by Mia Carson
Belle rested her hand on his arm, and he stared at it as she said quietly, “No, you don’t.”
“Either way, she wants us over for dinner soon. A sort of official family dinner, I guess.”
Her hand fell away and she nodded, but Greyson noted the sudden stiffness of her posture and the way her eyes darted wildly around the bathroom before they landed on him. “Dinner with the family should be great. Perfect.”
“Belle,” he began, but she pulled away.
“No, I’m serious, really looking forward to it. Who’s going to be there?”
He breathed out heavily through his nose, watching her closely. “Mom, the twins will fly in, I’m sure, and my aunt and uncle who live close by. Maybe a few cousins and their kids.”
Her hands stilled on her hair. She stared at her reflection as she responded, “Sounds… sounds crowded.”
Greyson walked behind her and tucked her wet hair behind her ears as he stared at their reflection in the mirror over her head. “I know you’re not used to a big family, but they’ll love you, I promise, and maybe you’ll enjoy yourself.”
She leaned back into him. “I know, I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s understandable, but I don’t want you to worry about it, and if you’re really not ready, I’ll tell Mom to keep it to just the three of us.”
“No,” she argued and straightened her shoulders, nodding firmly. “I can do this.”
“If you’re sure,” he said.
She nodded again and pushed him away gently with a grin. “Yeah, I’m good. Now go so I can get ready without you distracting me.” She laughed when she said it, but he knew she was serious.
He left her alone to get dressed and debated calling his mom later to limit the number of people she invited. They needed to take it one step at a time, until Belle was ready to meet the whole brood that made up his family.
One glance at his cell as he walked into the large closet told him that, so far, he had no news from Aiden. She thought she had a lead a week ago, but the woman she’d found turned out to be a different Belle Hall living across the country. She was still searching in the dark. She was charging Greyson an arm and a leg, but if she found Belle’s family, it would be worth it.
As he stood in the walk-in closet, he heard Belle humming to herself as she padded out of his bedroom and into hers. A few minutes later, she called out to him. “We have to swing by the dorm soon. I’m running out of clothes!”
He laughed as he joined her, leaning in the doorway of her bedroom. “I do have a washer and dryer, you know.”
“That’s not what I meant. I’ve worn the same four outfits over the past two weeks. People will notice,” she argued, but he held out his hand for hers. “What?”
“Just come here,” he said and tugged her back towards his room. “I don’t know how you manage to catch everything else going on in our lives but miss this.”
He dragged her to the closet and stood her there. “Your clothes? What am I looking at?”
He sighed and turned her head gently from behind to face the right side of the closet. “I don’t think those clothes will fit me, and I’m pretty damn sure you don’t want to see me in a bra. The thong, maybe,” he teased and crossed his arms smugly over his chest when she walked slowly into his closet, running her hand over the new clothes hanging there.
“You bought all of these for me?”
“I notice more than you think,” he smirked. “Everything should fit perfectly.”
“How did you know my size?” she asked with a raised brow, glancing at him over her shoulder.
He followed her in, admiring his choice of off-the-shoulder sweaters, tight fitting jeans, and shimmery black tops. “You went shopping with my sisters. Those stores kept your sizes on file for me. You don’t like them?”
The struggle was plain on her face as she tugged at her piercings and her other hand fiddled with one of the sweaters. “I do, but… this is a whole new wardrobe,” she whispered. “I can’t accept it.”
“Yes, you damn well can, and you will,” he glowered, turning her around as his broad body blocked her in. “You’re going to have to get used to be taken care of, remember? We had this conversation.”
“No, you did, and you assumed I’d accept it,” she argued, but there was no real fight in her words. She pulled the sweater from the hanger and held it up, her eyes lighting. “I’m assuming if I try to take it all back, it’ll just wind up here again?”
He nodded. “They’re just clothes.”
“To you,” she said quietly. “But you’re right, I love them and I won’t give you a hard time about them. But listen here, bear,” she added and poked him hard in the chest, “no more big surprises like this, alright? You drive me crazy enough as it is.”
“That’s my job,” he said with a wink and left her to get dressed, taking his turn in the bathroom to trim his beard and gel his short hair.
Every now and then, he’d poke his head out of the bathroom to see her trying on different outfits and grinning excitedly. She caught his gaze and shrugged, apparently helpless against his charm. She’d broken through his walls—or at least some of them—and it warmed him to see that she was slowly letting him in, too. He reconsidered canceling the dinner with his family then decided some tough love was just what Belle needed. They’d go ahead with the dinner. Maybe spending time with a full family would do her some good, help take the edge off her past struggles to get by.
She hadn’t gone into detail about her time in foster care, and though he wanted to ask, he thought it best to wait. She’d tell him if and when she wanted to. And if not, well then, he’d just be kept waiting.
Before they walked out the door, he checked his office phone to be sure Aiden hadn’t let him a message there, but there was nothing.
“Ready?” Belle called out.
“Yeah, be right there,” he replied and tapped his desk. “Come on, Aiden, find something. Anything.” He hurried to the front door and to Belle wearing one of the black shimmery tops and a deep blue sweater that hung low in the back. “I knew that’d bring out your eyes,” he murmured and bent to kiss her.
“Yes, you’re such a fashionista. Can we go now? I’m sure your e-mails are piling up after that deal went through.”
“What did we agree?” he argued, his hand on the door.
She sighed and said as he rolled her eyes, “No worrying about work until we’re at the office.”
“This is not the office,” he reminded her. “Besides, don’t you have mid-terms to worry about?”
“Please don’t use the m-word like that in front of me,” she complained sarcastically. “It's going to give me nightmares.”
“If you need time off, just ask,” he insisted and refused to open the front door.
She shook her head, her wavy brown hair dancing down her back. “No, I’m fine, everything’s under control. Now can we go? Really, I’d like to leave for the office sometime today or I will be behind.”
He eyed her, taking in the twitch to her lip as she smiled, and knew she was nowhere near finished with her mid-terms. That was an argument for another day when they weren’t late for work. When he could drag her back to bed and ensure she was relaxed and ready to face the day, but she was right. They didn’t have time, and since the deal went through with the other gaming company, his office had been a mess. Not only had it created new jobs, it nearly tripled their workload. If Belle had not appeared and agreed to be his personal assistant, he’d be in a six-foot hole with no way out.
He expected her to be on edge with mid-terms so close at hand and graduation just around the corner, but she was the calmest he’d ever seen her. Either she’d gotten better at controlling her anxiety or she hid it better. The whole ride up to the fifth floor in the elevator, they kissed, their lips moving swiftly against each other’s as she backed him into the corner. If only they had a few minutes longer, but the loud ding had them springing apart and straightening clothes as the doors parted an
d Tim greeted them with a raised brow and a wolfish grin.
“Well, good of you two to join us,” he teased, winking at Belle as she hurried past him towards her desk. She smacked his arm playfully, and he laughed harder. “Damn, I never thought I’d be jealous of you.” He nodded at his boss.
“And now?” Greyson asked, smoothing down his button up.
“Jealous as hell. How did you manage to land a girl like that?”
He slapped Tim on the back. “No idea. I take it, if you’re meeting me at the doors, something’s wrong, again?”
“Potentially, but we’re not exactly sure yet. The game development is still on schedule,” Tim assured him as they walked slowly across the floor.
“Then what?”
“Our new partners have arrived,” Tim grumbled, and when Greyson opened his mouth to ask whom, Tim nudged him in the right direction. At the other end of the floor, near the developers’ desks, stood a group of men in stiff suits with looks of discontent on their faces. “I’d say they’re not impressed with our facility, boss man.”
Greyson stood to his full height and told Tim he’d take care of it. “Why are they here?”
“Apparently, part of the deal was they get to stop by whenever they want to check in on their partner and assure the project is running according to plan.”
“We put that in the contract?”
Tim shrugged. “They must have.”
“Right, I need coffee. Tell them I’ll be there in a minute and will show them around the offices myself. Make sure they understand our new timeline for release,” he said. “How is our timeline for release?”
“So far, beta tests are running smoothly. A few glitches, but we’re making note of them.”
“Still on time, then?”
Tim gave him thumbs up. “Like I said, we’re good. Go get your fuel. I’ll deal with the suits.” After muttering curses, he strode across the floor as Greyson made a beeline for his office.
“What’s with the suits?” Belle asked when he reached her desk.
“Our partners checking up on us like we’re a bunch of children,” he growled.
“You sure you’re the best person to chat with them right now?” She glanced down, and he followed her eyes to his clenched fists. “They’re looking after their investment. It’s business. Don’t take it personally, or you’ll get angry and screw it up.”
He forced his hands to relax. “Are you lecturing me on my temper?”
She nodded and pushed back from her desk. “Go cool off. I’ll deal with the suits. Besides, I probably know more about the deal and your business than you do.”
“You think you can make them happy?” he asked in disbelief and glanced over his shoulder at the men from whom Tim failed to elicit even a single smile.
“Yeah, I do,” she assured him. “On one condition.”
“You can’t just do it out of the goodness of your heart?”
She laughed sharply. “Why would I do that when I can get something in return?” She trailed her finger down his chest until he reached up and snatched her hand, heat flooding his body. “Do we have a deal?”
“You haven’t named your price,” he reminded her.
“I’m driving the Mustang the rest of the week,” she said as her grin widened when his fell.
“You sure that’s what you want?”
“Yeah, it is,” she said as she tossed her hair. “Take it or leave it. Oh, that one is scowling at Tim. I think he just pissed them off more.”
Greyson let go of her hand and moved out of the way. “Fine, you can drive, but only if they leave here happy,” he amended.
She took his hand and shook it. “Deal. By the end of the day, you’ll be handing over those keys to me,” she said sweetly, fluffed out her hair, stood so her chest was displayed in its fully glory, and sashayed away from him.
Greyson was helpless not to watch, but when she reached the group of men, their faces instantly softened. In a few short minutes, she had them laughing as she led them away from Tim. He scratched his beard, wondering when the miracles would stop with that woman, and walked into his office.
He’d barely sat down when his cell went off, and he recognized Aiden’s number. “Aiden,” he answered.
“Morning to you too, hot stuff,” she purred.
“Do you have any new information?” he snapped.
“Touchy this morning, are we?”
“Aiden, I’m busy, so you better have something or I’m hanging up.”
“Fine. Fine, right to business. I have a potential lead I’m following up on. I should have some more information by the end of the week,” she told him, all playfulness gone from her voice.
“The end of the week?”
“Hey, these things take time,” she argued. “Expect a call by Friday.”
He circled Friday with a pen but didn’t put anything else on it. Belle was in his office as much as he was, and he didn’t want to tell her he’d hired one of his ex-lovers to track down her real family so she could get some closure. In this situation, he’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission. She would’ve shut him down the second he mentioned looking for her birth parents. He wanted it to be good news, but he wasn’t even sure what would count as good news in this instance.
“Friday, then,” he said and disconnected before she could speak.
He watched from his office as Belle led the suited men around the floor, and all of them had smiles on their faces. She talked animatedly, her hands moving with her words as they headed to the elevators. He assumed she would take them to the basement where the real work was being completed at the moment. He stood, ready to follow, but she saw him and waved him away. Frowning, he sat back down and let her go.
“I think I’m going to lose this bet,” he mumbled to himself and got down to work, unable to hide the smile on his face.
Chapter 19
Another week flew by, and March eighteenth barreled down on Belle. Spring break was next week, but for someone who took online classes and worked mostly on large-scale projects, that didn’t mean much. She wanted to take time away from the office but hated to ask Greyson. He needed her, even if he wouldn’t admit it, and she knew the second she stepped away, he’d fall apart.
By Friday evening, she could barely see straight. Greyson was a sound sleeper and never heard her get up in the middle of the night to get some much-needed work done.
Saturday morning, she rolled over in bed, but it was empty. Her brow furrowed, she propped up on her elbows and glanced around until her eyes landed on the clock. Her eyes narrowed, trying to read the time and knowing it had to be wrong, but when she rubbed her eyes and looked again, she cursed and leapt out of bed. She grabbed her robe to cover her naked body before she went to the bathroom, threw her hair in a ponytail, and darted out to the kitchen.
“Why didn’t you wake me up?” she stormed at Greyson sitting at the kitchen table and holding a newspaper in one hand and a coffee mug in the other.
His warm laughter flowed over her as she made a cup of coffee and turned her annoyed glare on him. “You clearly needed the sleep.”
“It’s two in the afternoon! I have work to get done,” she stammered as the list of everything she planned to get done this weekend rushed through her mind. Not only did she have four mid-terms to miraculously finish, but there was a stack of paperwork she’d brought home from the office to finish before Monday for Greyson. Sleeping with the boss might have its perks, but slacking on the job was not one of them.
Greyson sighed as he stood and gripped her shoulders when he reached her. “You need to slow down before you hurt something,” he said in the commanding tone that she loved and hated.
“I have a lot to do,” she reminded him, but he didn’t let go.
“You really think I don’t notice you getting up at all hours?”
Her face flushed with guilt, and she shrugged. “I’m staying on top of everything.”
“Yeah, and now you’re going to t
ake a break,” he ordered. “You’re not going into the office next week. Take the time to finish your mid-terms so I can have the stress-free Belle back.”
“I can’t,” she argued, but he placed his large hand over her mouth.
“As your boss, I’m telling you to not come in, and as your boyfriend, I’m saying you better listen or you won’t like the stubbornness I throw at you,” he warned.
Her tongue darted out and licked his palm, but he didn’t back down. The worry in his eyes touched her, and she sagged, nodding once, and he removed his hand. “You sure you can handle everything for a week?”
“I managed before I had an assistant,” he reminded her.
“You went through three before me,” she argued. “And before that, your office looked like a war-zone most days. Those suits will be back on Wednesday to ensure the timeline is still good since they agreed to take over the marketing.”
He bent down and held her gaze. “Belle, seriously, I’ll be fine. I’m a grown man, so from today until next Saturday, you are not to do any work, got it?”
The grown man comment made her laugh quietly, but she nodded. “If that’s what you want, then fine, but don’t you dare pay me for next week,” she warned. “I’m just like any other employee taking a week off.”
His hands crept up to the fold of her robe, and he tugged it apart, slipping a warm hand inside to cup her breast. She let out a sigh as he held the heavy mound of flesh, licking her lips as his other hand pulled the belt free and the robe parted, revealing her naked body. His jaw clenched when he gripped her bare hip and drew her closer so his lips could cover hers.
“I thought I was going to get some work done today?” she mumbled against his lips.
“Did I say Saturday? Sunday. You can do your work starting tomorrow,” he whispered roughly before his mouth devoured hers.
Belle’s back arched, and her breast pressed harder into his palm, the hunger for him insatiable as she let him conquer her body. He lifted her easily onto the counter, and her robe fell away as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His hand slithered down to her thighs, and they parted in anticipation of his touch when his cell rang shrilly.
