Bidding For Her Curves - Flora Ferrari Page 0,39

wrapped around my waist, and I’m kissing her and stumbling to get to something soft enough to lay her on as quickly as possible.

We’re both breathing heavily, laughing, and gasping by the time I start to unbutton her jeans.

“See?” she tells me, rolling her eyes with an ‘I told you so’ look.

“I’ll have you barefoot and pregnant in no time,” I promise her, watching her eyes widen and then we both stop for a second, thinking about what I just said.

The sound of someone clearing their throat from the doorway of my office startles us both.

“Nicholas!” I exclaim angrily. “What the fuck, man?”

I slowly get to my feet, making sure I put myself between Jules and Nicholas. I don’t want anyone seeing her anywhere near undressed or on her back except me.

And in my own fucking house too.

I’m surprised, to say the least, but what surprises me more is the look in his eyes. He’s not sorry or even ashamed to be in my office, in my house without my permission.

“I thought you were on holiday?” I growl, moving forward, but he holds his ground.

Once I notice my laptop and desk computer glowing behind him, I start to realize he’s not just catching up on some work.

“You didn’t return my calls. You didn’t even follow my email instructions. What have you been doing Nicholas?” I ask, my voice getting lower and my hands starting to knot into fists as I get closer to him.

But still, he won’t budge. He won’t even say a word.

One of his brows finally goes up, and he can see past me now, he frowns once his eyes scan Jules up and down. I can sense she’s standing now, probably wondering what the hell all this is about.

“Jules… this is Nicholas. Nicholas, this is Jules,” I introduce them, just in case either one is wondering.

I stop a foot away from Nicholas, he looks tired, exhausted. If it were any other day, under any other circumstances, I’d be worried about him.

I’d care.

But not today, not after this weekend.

He sighs loudly, sounding more annoyed than apologetic, and stepping to one side he ushers me into my office.

Ushers me into my fucking office.

I give Jules a serious look, motioning for her to stay put, she gives a nod and takes a seat.

At least I can trust one person in this building.

I close the doors to my office gently, and mustering some professional calm, I take my seat at my desk.

From his body language, I can tell Nicholas would prefer to stand.

He has a ‘fire me’ face, which I’ve seen in dozens of people over the years, but something in his features changes, as if he’s just remembered something.

“I’m sorry, Mason,” he says, which has me doing a double-take. In the twenty years, he’s worked for me, he’s always called me Mr. Thorne. Never Mason.

“Sorry?” I ask, staying seated if only to wait for my arousal to simmer down. “Sorry!”

He looks at me impassively.

“You ignore my instructions. You disappear right when I need you the most, then I come home and find you in my office, in my house, snooping,” I snarl, my voice growing louder and angrier by the second.

“Snooping?” he asks and stifles a guffaw, which only makes me angrier than I already am.

“I did come back as soon as I could,” he say, more contempt than anything in his voice. It’s like he’s a different man, like the old Nicholas has been possessed or he has an evil twin.

“I was in your office, arranging things that needed doing, and I only went into your rooms to try and find you. Your phone’s been on silent this afternoon,” he says calmly.

I fish my phone out of my pocket, tossing it in front of me, not buying his story.

Not buying his attitude.

“Why didn’t you email every executive for tomorrow’s meeting like I asked? Why didn’t you forward the purchase proposals through to the investors like I asked? This needed to happen straight away, Nick, not whenever it suits you, and certainly not with you creeping around here when I’m not home. When I’m-”

“Entertaining?” he asks with a sly smile, interrupting my own train of thought.

I feel my eyes narrowing, not wanting to waste any more time playing games.

“Where are we at then? Is the meeting set?” I ask him pointedly. “The investors, are they gonna take the more than generous offer I spelled out?”

He studies me for a moment, looking like good old Nicholas for just a second until