Hooking - Kristine Allen Page 0,85

myself what the right thing to do is, I keep circling back around to you. I can’t stay away. I tried, and it was miserable.”

“It wasn’t so fucking hot on my end either,” I said through my clenched teeth as I continued to glare.

“I know it sounds like a cop-out, but I told you I’d probably fuck shit up. Let me make it up to you. Let me do better. Let me be the man you deserve. Please?” He held out his hand to me.

I crossed my arms and tapped my foot.

“Sydney. Please?”

“Why should I?”

“Because I’m begging you,” he said, sighing before he palmed his mouth and watched me.

Though I had been extremely angry at him, I didn’t want to be. The anger ate at my soul, and I hated it. Deciding to see what he had to say, I took the first step forward.

Like a moth to a flame, I found myself standing between his spread legs. His hands slid up from behind my knees to my outer thighs and up my skirt. He looked up at me with those hypnotizing blue eyes and those sinfully thick eyelashes as my hands found their way into his hair.

“What are you doing?” I sighed as I found myself leaning into him. Remembering where I was, I stopped.

“I’m sorry I’ve been scarce. I was an idiot. But since I pulled my head out of my ass, I’ve had someone looking into some things,” he said vaguely.

“Okay?” I gave a breathless laugh. “About?”

“Us.”

“What about us?”

“I’m tired of pretending I don’t want you. I’m tired of hiding this. I’m tired of avoiding each other out of fear for what could happen with your job or mine. So I have someone going through both of our employment-slash-contract stipulations.” He bit his lip in an oh-so-sexy way as his eyes flickered back and forth with mine. My heart was racing so fast, I experienced a momentary dizzy spell. He held me tight.

“How the hell did you get my employment contract?” I pushed back further to give him a narrow-eyed stare.

“It might be better if you didn’t know that.” He appeared chagrined, and I hated to ask. Matter of fact, I really didn’t want to know at all.

“Wow. Um, okay, but what if they find that we can’t be together? You know this job is important to me. I love what I do with the foundation.”

“I know you do, which is exactly why I tried to stay away. But what I’m asking you to do is not worry about that right now. We’ll continue to be careful until I get my answers, but I want you to know something. Something you need to keep in mind regardless of what the outcome of my little search is.”

My head tipped inquiringly as I waited for him to continue.

“I love you, Sydney.”

I gasped. “What?”

That sent my heart tripping and stuttering as my stomach fluttered wildly. It was the absolute last thing I expected him to say at that time.

“I’m not telling you that to pressure you. It’s not a ploy to get what I want, and I don’t need you to say it back. I just wanted you to know. So you know this is more than me trying to figure out how to be able to fuck you. Though, that’s definitely part of the draw.” His grin was wicked and beautiful as he moved closer, lifted my blouse and trailed the tip of his nose over my skin.

Words escaped me as my body tingled in anticipation. My hands framed his face and stopped his movement. “This is a very bad idea. What if someone comes to the door?”

“Pretend you’re not here.” He begged with his eyes as he looked up at me and tugged my panties until they fell to my feet.

“I’m at work. You know, the place you don’t want me to get fired from?”

“I’ll be quiet as a mouse. I swear,” he whispered. For about two seconds, I lost myself in the feel of his hands on my bare skin. It didn’t take long before I grabbed myself by the lady-balls and stopped his movements.

“I’m not fucking you in my office. That’s non-negotiable.” I shook my head. Though I stayed firm, inside I seriously didn’t want him to stop touching me.

“Okay. I respect you, baby.” He pressed a kiss to my abdomen, then laid the side of his head against me as he held me quietly.

“We’re going to figure this out. I promise. One way or another.