by Parker, Ali
I slid my underwear on before going to my suit jacket and pulling out my phone. I quickly arranged for my assistant to go by my apartment and grab me a change of clothes to be delivered to Hannah’s. I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to have breakfast with her and steal a few kisses.
“You’re up early,” her voice came from behind me.
I turned around and smiled, she had the sheet tucked around her, trailing behind her as she walked down the hallway.
I grinned when I saw her. “You know I’ve seen you naked before.”
She shrugged. “It’s different in the cold light of day.”
I laughed. “I don’t think it is.”
She used her free hand to gesture to my body. “You have underwear on.”
“That’s because I’m going to make you breakfast and some things are best not left exposed. Grease splatters are not something I want to risk.”
She burst into laughter. “You’re right—on all accounts.”
“I know I am.”
She moved her hand and dropped the sheet from around her, smiling as she did it. “There. Now, I’m going to take a shower while you make me breakfast,” she said in a haughty tone as she spun around on her heel, leaving her sheet where she dropped it.
I stared at her fine ass as she walked away. I was seriously debating following behind her and taking a shower with her. Food or shower?
“Damn it,” I muttered.
The adult side of me knew we both needed something to eat. She was going to have a full day at work, catching up on all the shit that had been piling up since I fired her. I felt a little guilty about that, but it was in the past now.
I whipped up some plain scrambled eggs with toast. There wasn’t a lot to choose from in her fridge. When she emerged from the shower, her hair damp and her face fresh, and wearing nothing more than a pretty bra-and-underwear set, I nearly dropped the plate of food in my hand. She was fucking gorgeous. How in the hell was she not someone’s wife already?
“I don’t know if that outfit is appropriate for the office?” I quipped.
She grinned and sat on a barstool. “You don’t think so? I want to make sure everyone knows I’m back.”
I nodded. “Trust me, they’ll know.”
There was a knock at her door. “Uh, who’s that?”
“My clothes.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Are you going to answer it in that alone?”
I shrugged a shoulder. “He’s seen it before.”
“Who?” She gasped, sliding off her stool and racing for the bedroom.
“My assistant,” I called out before opening the door. “Thank you. I’ll see you later,” I said, taking the garment bag and shutting the door.
She emerged a few seconds later. “Does he often deliver you a fresh set of clothes?”
I laughed. “Not often, but there have been situations in the past.”
She shook her head. “Great,” she mumbled, sitting down to finish her breakfast.
I sat beside her and then kissed her on the cheek before scarfing down my own food. “I’m going to jump in the shower if that’s okay with you. The car will be here in about thirty minutes.”
She nodded. “I’ll be ready.”
After showering, I was surprised to find her ready to go. Her hair and makeup were done, and she was wearing a sleek business suit with another pair of killer heels.
“Ready?” I asked.
“Yep. I can’t wait to see the looks of surprise on their faces when I stroll through those doors.”
“No one knows anything. There was a memo sent out stating you were taking a few personal days. If anyone says anything that is disrespectful, tell me and I’ll have them fired immediately.”
She rolled her eyes. “You have obviously never worked in a small office. People are talking and speculating,” she grumbled. “And by the way, I can fire the people who work for me. I am the CEO, am I not?”
“You are. You’re the boss,” I said with a wink.
She nodded. “I am.”
“They’ll get over it. Don’t let anyone walk all over you. No one has the right to treat you like that,” I barked.
“Only you?” she shot back.
“It’s different with me. I am your boss.”
She looked at me and smirked. “So, you can boss me about?”
“Yes. Only me.”
Our gazes locked. We both knew exactly what we were really talking about. She looked away, her gaze dropping to the ring once again. When she looked back at me, she was smiling.
“For now. For now, I’ll let you boss me around. Don’t get too used to it, buddy. I might decide I’m the boss one of these days.”
I smirked. “I don’t think that’s ever going to happen.”
She reached out and cupped me in her hands. “We’ll see.”
I was a little surprised by the action. “Keep your hand on my dick and you’re going to find out sooner than you think,” I rasped.
“You’re the boss. I’m the boss. I think we can be late,” she cooed, stepping closer to me, her hand still rubbing against my slowly hardening dick.
I leaned down and kissed her. “We have to go,” I groaned, wanting her more than ever.
“Fine. I get it. You’re afraid of me dominating you. One of these days,” she whispered before walking away and grabbing her purse.
I reached down and adjusted myself. I was going to be thinking about sex for the rest of the day.
“I’m going to make you pay for that,” I growled when she walked past me, a sexy smile on her face.
She giggled. “I hope so. Will you spank me?”
Fuck me, she was going to make me crazy. This was a new side to her. A sexy, daring side that was going to keep me hard for a week.
“We need to go,” I said in a stern voice.
We walked out together, then climbing into the car. She made it a point to sit far away from me.
I had to chuckle. “You’re safe,” I said to her.
“What?”
“You’re wearing pants. I’m good, but not that good.”
She raised an eyebrow and looked down at the pants. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re sitting too far away and you’re wearing pants. I can’t get my hand in your pants, but if you want, I could rub you through your pants. I’m sure I could make you come.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh my God. I wasn’t thinking that at all!”
I shrugged a shoulder. “It’s all I think about.”
She smiled. “Good.”
We sat back, neither of us talking as the car weaved in and out of traffic. I had noticed her looking at the ring several times and had to wonder what she was thinking. She seemed happy, more relaxed and carefree. I hoped it was because of me and our talk. I had a feeling last night and this morning had helped ensure she would follow through with our agreement. She believed I was a changed man. I was the same man, but a little smarter.
When the car stopped in front of her building, I leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. I surprised myself by the action. It had come so naturally, like we had done this exact same thing every morning for years.
“I’ll call you later,” I heard myself saying.
“Okay,” she said, climbing out and then walking inside.
As I watched her walk through the doors, I realized I was going to miss her. I couldn’t miss her. I had a job to do. She had a job to do. We couldn’t hole up in either of our apartments and spend the entire day together. I liked spending time with her. She was easy to get along with. I had been out with plenty of women. None of them were really fun to be around. I usually ignored them until it was time to go home at the end of the night. The women I had dated were generally shallow. Last night hadn’t exactly started off on the right foot. When I made the decision to go to her place, I knew I was probably walking into a minefield. I was expecting her to put up more of a fight. Even if she had been a little cranky at first, I had enjoyed
our witty banter. I loved sparring with her. She was sexy and beautiful and smart as a whip. I loved that she was confident and strong-willed. She gave as good as she got in everything she did.
That made me wonder if the situation with Jack had truly been a huge misunderstanding. I had worked myself up to believe she was conniving, but now I wasn’t so sure. I never once detected anything dark from her. I had to wonder if it was all in my head. Had I made a mistake in judging her too quickly? I took a deep breath and quickly pushed the thought from my head. I needed to keep my guard up. If I started to make excuses and second-guess myself, I would end up right back where I started.
As the car pulled away, heading uptown, I smiled thinking about her. She had gotten serious the second we climbed into the car. She was all-business. The strong-headed business woman persona was back in place. The sterner she looked, the more my fantasy of taking her on my desk evolved. I thought about taking her on the desk, her sprawled out on top of it with my face buried between her legs.
I had a feeling she was telling the truth when she said she had feelings for me. That was a good thing. That was exactly what I needed to happen. My plan was working. She was falling for me even harder. I didn’t mind the work. I was really enjoying the process. I could spend several days and nights with her and not get tired of it. She was a breath of fresh air. The sex certainly didn’t hurt. I wanted her again. I thought about what I could say to get her to go to my place tonight. I didn’t want to send the wrong message. I couldn’t come on too strong.
As I thought more about her, I had to check my feelings. I couldn’t let her get into my head or my heart. I refused to break my own rules. It was like a smoker pretending to smoke without actually inhaling. It was tempting and driving me a little crazy. It would be too easy to fall for her.
Chapter 37
Hannah
I wasn’t really sure if I would call what Grayson and I had a real relationship, but it was pretty damn close. It was hard not to feel a little paranoid, like he was playing a game with me. I mean, deep down, I had a feeling he was, but I felt I could handle it a little better this time around. I knew to protect my heart. I would fight like hell to keep things separated. This was business—nothing more. That didn’t mean I couldn’t have a little fun while I worked.
He had been different. I didn’t want to lie to myself and think it was something real. He was being nice, but I didn’t know if it was real or if he was just playing a game to placate me. I wanted to believe there was a chance for us—a real chance, but that was that romantic side of me. The logical part of me told me that wasn’t likely. Grayson had made it clear he would never love me. There was a little part of me that wanted that to be untrue. I wanted to melt the ice from around his heart and make him truly love me.
In the back of my mind, I kept playing out this fantasy where he fell in love with me. We had a child and lived this wonderful, happy life that was filled with good times. My company flourished, and we worked together to build stronger companies. I sighed, knowing it was an impossible dream but secretly wishing it would come true.
“Mr. Bancroft is on line one,” my secretary announced.
“Thank you,” I said, picking up the phone and pushing the button. “Hey, you,” I said, a smile spreading across my face. I hated how excited I got at the thought of him calling me in the middle of the day.
“Hey yourself. Got plans for later?” he asked.
“No. Why? What’s up?”
“Come over for dinner,” he said in that familiar smooth tone.
“Dinner, huh?” I said with a grin, knowing dinner wasn’t really what he had in mind and I didn’t mind a bit.
“Yes, dinner, I won’t let you seduce me. I only want to share a meal with my fiancée—no funny business.”
I giggled at the thought of seducing the man who was cold as ice. I knew it wasn’t possible. I wouldn’t even try to seduce a man like him.
“All right, I guess I can do that. Should I bring anything?”
He chuckled low in his throat and I knew his mind had gone straight to the gutter. “No. I’ll take care of everything.”
“Okay, I’ll see you tonight.”
I couldn’t stop smiling after I hung up the phone. Things were so much easier this time around. If the rest of the fake marriage and whatnot was like this, I could cope with that. I could see living in a home with him, assuming we managed to get along like we were at the moment. He hadn’t mentioned Jack again, which was a huge relief. I dreaded the first family gathering when the three of us were in the same room together. That was something I hoped to put off for a long time. I knew Jack and Grayson worked together and wondered if they had talked since the big blowup. It wasn’t a topic I was ready to broach as of yet. I was waiting for him to bring it up first.
I managed to get through the rest of the day without my mind falling into the gutter in anticipation of what was to come that night. I missed him and his beautiful body. It had been a few days and I craved his kisses and all the rest of him. I wondered if he thought about me even a fraction of how much time I spent daydreaming about him. I felt a bit like a schoolgirl with a crush. I was surprised I hadn’t taken to doodling hearts around our names on my notebook.
“You look happy,” Amber said, walking into my office.
I glanced up at her and smiled. “I am.”
“Why? Did something good happen?”
I laughed. “Not yet,” I said with a wink.
“What does that mean?”
“It means Grayson called and invited me to dinner.”
She rolled her eyes. “I hope you are being careful. I don’t want to see you hurt like you were not even two weeks ago. He could be stringing you along to get what he wants.”
“I’m sure he is doing exactly that. I’m going in to this with my eyes wide open. I know it isn’t the real deal, but there is a slim chance it could eventually evolve into something different,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound like a complete fool.
She sat down in the chair across from my desk and shook her head. “You thought that a couple weeks ago as well. I don’t trust him, and I think you need to be careful. Can’t you stick to your arrangement without really getting in too deep? I mean, maybe spend less time together. Having dinner with him does nothing for your arrangement.”
I nodded. She was right, and I knew it, but I also knew being with him made me happy. “I could, but I don’t want to.”
She groaned and looked up at the ceiling. “That’s what I’m afraid of. You like being with him.”
“It’s different this time,” I defended my reasoning.
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes. I know it isn’t real. I know we are only in this thing so we can both get what we want. I know it and I’m okay with it.”
She sighed. “Oh, sweetie, I don’t think you are. I mean, you are right now because he’s treating you right, but you told me what he said to you at the club. That wasn’t cool. He shouldn’t have talked to you like that. It was completely out of line.”
“I know it was, but I have to accept him for who he is. He isn’t going to be my real husband. When I’m ready to find a man who loves me, I’ll walk away from him.”
“You need to make sure he knows that.”
I nodded. “I will. I will make sure it is in whatever contract he wants me to sign next, because I know damn well there is going to be a hell of a prenup.”
She laughed, shaking her head. “It is really the weirdest scenario ever. I can’t believe you are planning your prenup to your fake husband.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Me neither, which is why I choose not to think about it all that much.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it. Be careful please. I worry about you,” she said in a soft voice as she stood to leave.
“I will be careful.”
Her talk was what I needed to hear and helped pull me back from that ledge I had been balancing on. I couldn’t let myself fall for hi
m. After her talk, I decided to leave work early, so I would have time to go home and change as well as pack an overnight bag. No more walk of shame for me.
When I arrived at his place, the smells coming from the kitchen were amazing. I loved that he could cook. He was exceptional at everything he did. It was a little irritating.
“What did you make this time?” I asked with excitement.
“Spaghetti and meatballs,” he said with a smile, wiping his hands on a towel before leaning forward and kissing me.
I held up my bag. “Just in case.” I winked.
He laughed. “You’ll need it. That’s a guarantee,” he said, his tone becoming serious.
I nodded. “I’ll just put this in your room.”
“I’ll be in the kitchen. Dinner will be done soon.”
I walked into his bedroom, looking around the large space that was at least twice as big as my own room. The man liked his comfort. After putting my bag near the closet, I headed to the kitchen to find him standing at the stove, stirring a pot of sauce. It was the sexiest thing I had ever seen.
“It smells good,” I said.
He turned and smiled. “Want some wine?”
“I do.”
He put the spoon on a holder and moved to pour me a glass of wine from the bottle sitting on the counter. He handed it to me, his eyes roaming my body.
“Thank you,” I said, before sipping the wine.
I went back to watching him cook, enjoying the view as he dished up our plates.
“We can eat on the patio,” he said.
“I’d like that,” I said. I grabbed the bottle of wine and then the basket of bread, following him out.
We enjoyed our meal, the patio heater taking the chill out of the night as we dined. I heard the gentle sounds of water boiling.
“Hot tub,” he said, answering my unasked question.
“Oh,” I said and glanced off to the left to see the hot tub in the shadows.
