I turn my head and look at the massive houses we’re driving past, feeling a little guilty for jumping to conclusions.
When he pulls into a driveway with brick walls and an iron gate, I look forward, hoping to catch a peek of the house. He puts in a code, and the gates open. The driveway is long and winding, with big trees and bushes and flowers covering the grounds. Finally, a big, three-story mansion comes into view. It has everything, from the circle drive down to the fountain in the center.
I laugh. “God, do all you rich people pick your houses out of a magazine, or what?”
He grins. “I know, it does look very—”
“Ridiculous?” I finish for him.
He shrugs. “I admit, it is a tad wasteful.”
“A tad?” I ask.
“Okay, so I don’t get any bonus points for the house. I got it.” He opens my door, and I step out.
“I don’t give bonus points for material things, Bennet.”
He closes my door and takes my arm, leading me toward the front door. “Noted.” Even though he doesn’t sound happy, he still smiles and winks.
When he walks me into the foyer, my mouth nearly drops open, and my eyes feel like they bug out of my skull.
“You’re not impressed; don’t make that face, Maddie,” he tells me, dropping his bag on the floor by the door.
I laugh. “I’m amazed, but not impressed.”
“Let me guess, you don’t get impressed by material things either,” he teases.
I don’t answer because he pulls me across the room and down a hallway to the dining room. The table is already set, two glasses of wine poured. He pulls out my chair, and I sit down. He joins me and holds up his glass of wine. We cheers, and I take a sip, wrinkling my nose.
“What’s wrong?”
I place the glass back on the table. “I’m more of a beer girl.”
He holds up his finger as he stands and leaves the room. A second later, he’s coming back with two beers in his hand. “Better?” he asks, handing one over.
I smile and take it. “Much.” I twist off the top and take a long drink.
He shakes his head. “You’re much different than I thought you’d be.”
“How so?”
He takes a drink and sets it on the table, giving me his full attention. “Well, most women, even if they don’t know this side of things, they still try to act like they do. They complement things like the vase in the hallway, something that looks expensive, but still, something they know nothing about it. You,” he points at me. “You haven’t done any of that.”
I take another drink and lock my eyes on his. “Well, first, I don’t agree with the most women comment; perhaps it’s the women you’re choosing. As for pretending, what’s the point? Things and money don’t do it for me, Bennet. Being a good person, treating others with kindness, helping when someone needs help—those are things that impress me. Anyone can have money and act like a rich asshole. It’s those that choose to be a good person that I like. You could be dirt poor, but as long as I enjoy your company, I’d like you just the same.”
He smiles. “I’ve never met a woman like you.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” I hold up my bottle, and he clinks his against it.
As we eat, I can see him loosening up. For the first time since I met him, he lets everything fall away. He doesn’t bring up work or money or boxing or his family. We just talk about music, movies, books, and things we like to do. I learn that he likes to do anything dangerous: rock climbing, skydiving, racing his car at the speed of light. And I tell him that I would love to do all of those things. Well, except the racing part, but I’d love to watch. He asks about where and how I grew up and shows interest in how I got into the field I did. By the time we’re done with dinner and dessert, I feel like I know him on a whole different level, like he’s a friend.
“What do you say to watching a movie and having a few more drinks?” he asks, picking up my hand that’s on the table and holding it.
I look at his hand on mine. “I don’t know. It’s getting pretty dark, and I don’t want to make you drive me home super late.”
“It wouldn’t be an imposition at all,” he insists. “Or you can just stay the night.” His smile grows bigger.
I shake my head. “Really, I should be going.” I place my cloth napkin onto the table and stand.
“If you insist, but I was planning on watching Death Becomes Her.” He grins, knowing that’s my all-time favorite movie because we had just talked about it.
I laugh. “Fine, one movie.”
He holds up his hands, palms facing me.
He shows me to the living room and excuses himself to get the movie and a few more beers. When he comes walking back in a few moments later, he has a small cooler that’s filled with ice and beer.
“You really go all out, don’t ya?” I ask, grabbing a beer and opening it.
He shrugs as he bends down and puts in the movie. “I hate getting up when I’m watching a movie.”
“Me too,” I agree, happy that he’s not the type that wants to stop the movie every fifteen minutes to use the bathroom, get drinks or snacks.
He comes back to the couch and sits down next to me. Suddenly, we feel very close, which is weird because we’ve been closer before. But this is different. This is intimate and relaxing. I’ve already had two beers with dinner, and now I’m on my third. Everything is starting to sound like a good idea, even though, in the back of my head, I know it’s not.
His scent makes its way to my nose and causes me to sink into the couch in relaxation. I can feel his heat radiating off of him. It soaks into me and makes me feel comfortable yet amped and ready to go at the same time. When his hand bumps mine, it feels like it’s been burned, but it’s a burn I love. A burn I’m suddenly wanting to feel more of. But I tell myself it’s just the alcohol, and to focus on the movie.
Turns out, what I focus on is the beer, because before the movie is even halfway over, I’ve had two more. My vision is starting to blur around the edges, and everything is funny. When his hand bumps against mine again, I turn and look at him. He’s engrossed in the movie, so for a split second, I get to see him. Just him. No walls up, no expectations to meet, nobody to impress. It’s just him, carefree and laid back. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this relaxed.
“What?” he asks, noticing that I’m staring at him.
I smile and shake my head. “I’ve never seen you so laid back. For once, it looks like you’re not carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
He looks at me with heavy eyes. “It’s because I’m with you. For the first time, I don’t have to worry about meeting expectations, or being a certain version of myself. I can just be me: the me I hide from everyone else.”
Something about his honesty calls to me. Maybe being with him wouldn’t be such a bad idea. I mean, we both know we’re not looking to settle down. We’re just looking for someone special to share things with, be with.
Without saying a word, I crawl into his lap. He watches me with unsure eyes, but he doesn’t say anything. Slowly, I lean forward and press my lips to his. He kisses me back, soft and slow. Then pulls away and looks into my eyes.
“Do you do this with all your friends?” He tries to keep a straight face but fails.
“Nope. Guess you’re special,” I whisper, moving back in for a kiss.
This time, he’s much more prepared, and he kisses me back, hard and fast. His hand squeezes my hips and slowly moves up and down my back. I reach down in between us, grabbing his shirt and pulling it upward. Our kiss breaks for only a second until he’s free of his shirt, and then our lips are back, moving along with each other.
With his shirt now gone, he lays me back on the couch, covering my body with his. His lips start moving down my jaw and then to my neck. His hands on my hips start moving upward, pushing my shirt up my body as he goes. Every muscle tightens when his hands find my flesh. They’re warm and
strong, not too smooth but not too rough. You can tell he likes working with his hands.
I’m completely lost in the way his body feels against mine, so when he pulls away, I’m shocked. He sits up and shakes his head, rubbing his eyes.
I sit up. “What’s wrong?” I ask, breathless, my heart still reeling.
“You didn’t want this earlier.”
“I know.”
“Why now?” He looks at me, and his green eyes are practically glowing.
I shrug. “I don’t know. It just felt right. I’ve gotten to know you better, learned why you are the way you are. And you’ve shown me that there’s more to you than just work and boxing. I got to see you let your guard down. I just feel closer to you.”
He nods, and the seriousness on his face eases away. “It has nothing to do with how much we’ve had to drink tonight? Because I want you, Maddie. I do, but not this way.”
I lick my lips. “If I said the alcohol had nothing to do with it, I’d be lying. But I wouldn’t blame it on being drunk either. Yes, it’s loosened me up some. It helped me to let go of everything that was holding me back earlier.”
“As much as I want this, I think we should get you home. I like getting what I want, but I don’t want to cheat to do it.” He stands and adjusts himself before holding out his hand to me.
I place mine in his, and he pulls me up. “It isn’t cheating, Bennet. But I respect your decision.”
He places his hands on either side of my face and pulls me against him. I think he’s going to kiss me, but he just locks his eyes on mine. “I want you, but I want you to want me back when you’re sober. I don’t want you to need a few drinks in to loosen you up. I want you to want me every moment of every day. And I’ll wait as long as I need to until that happens.”
I smile at his words. “Okay,” I agree.
He closes the small gap between us and gives me a soft, slow kiss.
“Come on. I’ll have my driver take you home.”
He releases me, all but one hand, and he leads me through the house and into the garage where we climb into the back of a blacked-out town car.
As we wait for the driver, he takes my hand in his and holds it between us. “There is a function that I have to go to for work. It’s a formal event, and I need a date. Would you like to go with me?”
“I thought we said this was just an outside-of-work thing? I don’t want it get—”
“Nobody from work will be there. Nobody who knows you anyway,” he interrupts. “As CEO of the company, I have to make an appearance for a charity event. It will be a bunch of old board members and stuffy rich people.” He smiles.
I look over at him in the darkness. “Would I be going with you or with Mr. Windsor?”
He moves his head from side to side. “I guess a little of both. I can be carefree when it’s just you and me, but out there, I have a reputation to uphold.”
I nod and offer up a small smile. It’s too bad that he thinks he can’t be himself around anyone else. It must get tiring to constantly pretend to be something you’re not.
“I’d love to go with the both of you,” I joke.
6
Bennet
My driver pulls up to the curb at her apartment building, and as she prepares to leave the car, I pull her in for one last kiss. I hate myself for stopping us earlier. There’s nothing I want more than to slide deep inside her. But I want her to want it as badly as I do. I want her to need it. And I’m more than willing to wait. Something about her calls to me in a way no other woman has. I’ve never had to work for women before, and the fact that she’s making me work for it is a turn-on in itself. I want her. But I want to deserve her. And I know that I don’t yet.
Her lips move softly against mine, and her tongue teases my senses. I have the urge to pull her on top of me and take what I wouldn’t earlier, but I force myself to let her go.
“Goodnight, Madeline,” I whisper against her lips.
She smiles. “Goodnight, Bennet.” She climbs out, and I watch her until she gets into the building.
I wake in the morning and get to the office quickly. I respond to emails and phone messages for the first hour, then decide to look for Maddie. I walk out of my office, and Sarah looks up at me from her desk.
“Sarah, could you please tell me where I can find Madeline Strickland?”
She nods. “Of course, sir.” She sits down and starts tapping around on her computer. “Third floor, room three-seventeen.”
“Thank you,” I say, pushing forward.
I get in the public elevator and push the button for the third floor. It stops on the fifth floor, and someone else gets on. At first, he pays me no mind, but then it dawns on him, and he gives me a double-take.
“Excuse me,” he says.
I look up and meet his eyes. “Yes?”
“You’re Mr. Windsor, right?”
I nod. “I am.”
“It’s nice to meet you, sir. I’m Kevin. I’ve worked here for about four years now.”
I shake his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Kevin. What is it that you do here?”
“I work in HR,” he tells me just as the elevator doors open on the third floor.
I point out of the elevator. “This is my floor. It was nice to meet you, and thank you for all your hard work.”
“Thank you, sir,” he says excitedly as he steps back for me to get off.
As I leave the elevator, I think back on that conversation, and for the life of me, I can’t remember ever having a conversation like that before. I’ve never met the majority of my employees. Hell, I use a private elevator to avoid them. Why do I do that? Why am I so insistent on following in my father's footsteps? Maybe spending all this time with Maddie is changing me. She said she likes good people. Maybe I’m changing for her. But I don’t feel as if I’m forcing myself to do so.
I walk into room three-seventeen and find Maddie sitting at a computer. Across the room from her is another man, Brian, who usually provides me with my quarterly analytics.
“Ms. Strickland?” I ask, getting both of their attention.
Her head pops up, and her eyes lock on mine. “Mr. Windsor?” she asks with a smile playing on her lips.
I turn and look at Brian. “Would you excuse us for a moment?”
He nods. “Absolutely, Mr. Windsor.” He stands and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.
“How’s your day?” I ask, walking across the room.
“Good. How’s yours?” She stands up behind her desk.
“Much better now,” I reply, leaning in for a kiss.
But instead of kissing me, she places one finger on my chest and pushes me back. “Why is Bennet here? Where’s Mr. Windsor?” She quirks an eyebrow.
I laugh. “He left with Brian,” I tell her, reaching for her, but she steps back.
“We can’t do this here, Bennet.”
“Why not? Nobody will know,” I try.
“I bet they’re all out there right now, talking about how Mr. Windsor gave me such a big promotion and now he’s in here alone with me.”
I wave my hand in the air. “Who cares what they think?”
“I do. I have to work with these people,” she says, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Alright, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were so serious at work.”
She smiles slightly. “At work, you’re Mr. Windsor, and I’m Ms. Strickland. The end. Got it?”
I nod. “I got it.”
“And if you need something from me, call me to your office. Don’t come to mine,” she insists.
“Okay,” I agree, standing up straight. “I do have something to show you, though.”
“Okay, I’ll be up after lunch,” she says, sliding back into her chair.
I’m left a little speechless. I’m used to getting whatever the hell I want, especially when it comes to women.
I nod as I walk out of the room, a little confused. Though I like that she’s strong-willed and
doesn’t melt at my feet.
Lunch rolls around, and I want to ask Maddie to join me, but after the talk she gave me earlier, I’m a little afraid. Instead of asking her or going out alone, I have Sarah call me something in. I sit at my desk and eat my salmon salad while watching boxing matches on YouTube. It makes my muscles burn to get back to the gym. I feel like I haven’t worked out in a week. Training Maddie is a lot less strenuous than my usual workout. I think tonight, I’ll go early so I can get my workout in before she gets there.
At one o’clock on the dot, my doors open and in walks Maddie.
“Sorry to come in unannounced, but your secretary wasn’t at her desk.” She points toward the door behind her.
“She’s still on lunch. She takes an extra twenty minutes. She needs it, putting up with me all this time.”
She laughs. “That poor woman needs more than twenty minutes. She needs a paid week-long vacation!” Her eyes grow wide, and it makes me laugh.
“Yeah, yeah. Come here,” I tell her, loading the screen on the computer. “This is our new company site.”
“What? You did it?” she asks, excited that I listened to her advice. Her eyes are lit up, and her smile is wide.
“I did. Check it out.” I stand and let her take my seat.
She sits down and scrolls through the page, clicking on certain things. She looks over her shoulder at me. “I can’t wait to get back to my desk to compare the numbers. This is exciting!”
I laugh. “I think you’re the easiest woman in the world to please.”
Her smile is still in place as she nods her head up and down. “This is great. I’m going back to my desk.” She stands. “Do you want me to send you the numbers when I’m done? They’ll be super preliminary since this is a new change. I’d recommend at least thirty days of data to truly start measuring the metrics.”
“Absolutely,” I say, grabbing ahold of her wrist to stop her from walking away.
I pull her to my chest, and our eyes meet. “Nobody can see what we’re doing now,” I point out.
Billionaire With Benefits: Make Her Mine-Book 2 Page 5
