Forty-five minutes later, I smile at Vincent. “I think we’ve covered it all. I’m sure someone will come up with something to add in the next couple days, but I’ve no doubt you can handle the adjustments.”
“Right you are.” Vincent stands, holding his hand out for me as he steps around the desk.
Without thinking, I take it and rise. The feeling of his fingers twining with mine is so natural.
“Umm, what are you doing?” I ask when I realize he’s leading me towards his couch and not the office door.
“We have some time.”
My steps slow. “Vincent, I don’t want to have sex with you.” He gives me the most knowing look and I return it with a slow blink. “I don’t want to have sex with you, in broad daylight, in your office, with Brent sitting on the other side of the door.”
“Brent!” Vincent shouts. “Go away!”
I burst out laughing.
“Uh, what?” Brent’s question is muffled by the still closed door.
I quickly slap my hand over Vincent’s mouth.
“Nothing!” I call out.
Vincent nips at my palm before dropping bodily onto the couch.
“Seriously, Vincent. I’m not having sex here.” I put my hands on my hips to emphasize my point.
“As adorable as your little stance against me is, I’m not asking you for sex. I just want to sit for a few minutes. Together.”
He sounds like he’s telling the truth, but I still don’t understand what he wants.
“Good lord, woman. Why are you stubborn about everything?” Vincent says a second before reaching out and pulling me to him.
I expect him to yank me onto the couch next to him, but instead he grabs my hips and pulls me down so I’m sitting across his lap. My butt on his muscular thighs. My feet hanging off his lap. My shoulder pressed against his warm hard chest.
Vincent wraps one arm around my back, keeping my body snug against him. His other hand drapes over my thighs, fingers toying with the material of my dress.
“There.” He murmurs, his breath fanning against my forehead. “This is better.”
I hum my agreement. He’s right. This is better.
Tucking my hands under my cheek, I relax into his body. Feeling the rise and fall of his chest.
“You were right.” Vincent strokes a hand down my thigh before continuing. “What you said in your apartment, you were right. I could give you a list of motivations for my previous asshole behavior, but they would just be excuses.”
I try to sit up to look at him, but his grip around my back tightens. “I appreciate the sentiment, Vincent. But what are you talking about?”
“Us. I’m talking about us. About being a real couple. About being in a relationship. I don’t want to try and hide my feelings for you anymore. I want this to be official.”
Warmth pools in my chest at his words. “Are you asking me to go steady?”
He pinches my hip, making me squeak. “Keep being a smartass, see where that gets you.”
This time when I try to push up, Vincent lets me. I don’t put much space between us, just enough so I can see his handsome face.
Vincent holds my gaze. “I’ll probably suck at being in a relationship, but I’ll figure it out. We’ll figure it out.”
These are the words I’ve been waiting for him to say and I feel them in every inch of my body. He told me as much last night when he demanded that I tell him I’m yours. It was hot as fuck, but having him say this in the calm of the day, it means even more.
“Vincent, I want that too. I want you. I probably shouldn’t, since you’re nothing but trouble, but it hasn’t stopped me yet.”
“Good.”
He leans in but I press a hand to the center of his body to hold him still. “But we can’t.”
Vincent’s eyes narrow. “Why not?”
“Because I could lose my job.”
“Who cares.”
“I care!” I say, exasperated. “Here, in the world of reality, people need jobs. You know, to pay for things like rent and food.”
Vincent doesn’t break his stare. “I’ll give you whatever money you need.”
For a moment, all I can do is stare at him. “You’re insane. You know that?”
He shrugs, the movement shifting my body with his. “What? I have the money. It would make no difference to me.”
I bite down on a snarky reply. This man is impossible. “No. Not going to happen.”
“Sasha.”
I shake my head. “I’m not looking for a sugar daddy, Vincent.”
His huff reminds me so much of Annie I have to stop myself from smiling. If I do that now, he’ll think he’s won.
“Sasha.” He says again, this time in a gentler tone. “I just… I don’t want… I don’t want you to go to your next project, working for some other rich asshole, who’ll inevitably drool all over you.”
My jaw drops open. “What on earth are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you being out there. Away from me.” He gestures to the window. “I’m warning you right now, I’m going to be a shit boyfriend. I’ll be needy and jealous and I’ll rip the arms off anyone who tries to touch you.”
“Vincent, out of the two of us, I’m going to be the jealous one. I’ve already witnessed women throwing themselves at you just for a second of your attention. And I don’t even want to know where we compare on the number of ex’s.” I can hear it when my tone turns pouty.
Vincent’s eyes stay in mine. “That’s easy. I have zero.”
“Zero?” I raise my eyebrows at him. “Am I honestly to believe that you were a virgin when we met? Annie was conceived by immaculate conception via your godlike powers.”
Tilting his head, Vincent gives me a don’t be dumb look. “Obviously not. But I’ve never had a girlfriend. There’s no one that I would consider an ex, as you put it.”
“Seriously?” I ask.
“Seriously.”
“Not even in college? High school?” I press.
He smirks. “There might be a few girls that would argue with my statement, but nothing was ever official. Never in my life have I referred to a woman as my girlfriend.”
“Huh. That’s… kinda sad.”
His smirk is still in place. “Don’t feel bad for me, sweetheart. I had plenty of company.”
“Uh, gross!” I smack his firm abdomen.
“Do that again.” He growls leaning into me.
“Oh my god.” I shove him back into the couch cushions. “This doesn’t change anything, Casanova. We can’t just go around making out in public. And my boss is going to be at Marie’s House with us, so you can’t be all Mr. Grabby Hands.”
“Mr. Grabby Hands?” Vincent’s deadpan delivery has me choking on a laugh.
“I’m serious.”
“Sasha, I’m not going to pretend that there’s nothing between us.”
I take a deep breath, hoping for patience. “Do it for me. Just until my contract with Mazzanti Enterprises is over. We have the shoot at Marie’s House in a few days. Then another week until the gala. Then I’m done. After that, you won’t be my client anymore. You won’t be a client of Minnesota Relations anymore. At which point, I can no longer get fired for having a romantic relationship with you.”
Vincent looks unmoved by my speech. “You don’t know that she’ll fire you.”
“I’m almost certain.”
“I’ll tell her not to.” The arrogant ass states.
“Um, no. That’s not how the world works.”
“Then if she fires you, I’ll just hire you. You can do the same exact work, but as a Mazzanti employee.”
He’s so serious, so oblivious to the issue, that I smile. “That’s a sweet offer, but no.”
“Why?”
“Why? Oh gee, I don’t know. I get fired for sleeping with you. Then you hire me. Then all my coworkers here know that I’m sleeping with the boss. Not just the boss, but The Boss. No one would respect me. And everyone would be afraid that I would take any work problems directly to you. It’s a hard no, Vincent.” How does he not get this?
“I’ll tell everyone to be nice to you.”
If I roll my eyes any harder, I’m going to strain them. “Oh, well that’ll clear it up.”
He scowls. “I know you’re being sarcastic, but I think it would be fine.”
I pat his cheek. “You’re adorable. But the answer is still no.”
He stays silent for a long moment, eyes staring over my shoulder, and I start to worry about whatever plan he’s concocting in his mind. With him distracted, I take a moment to just take him in. Those nearly black irises so focused. So piercing. When they’re directed at me, I feel like he can see all of me, and I feel like I can see all of him.
I know he’s serious, about everything he’s said. This large, hard, potent man wants me to be his. Me. Sasha Clark. I have decent self-esteem, but I’m nothing special. And beyond being just plain hot, Vincent has power. And I don’t simply mean monetary or business power. But raw power. The sort he exudes from every pore. He carries himself like he lives on a different plane of existence. He walks through a crowd as if he’s a king striding past his court. It’s heady. It’s addicting. And I don’t think he even realizes he’s doing it.
My gaze travels across his face. The dark stubble gracing his cheeks and wide jaw. With the sun streaming in behind him, I can see traces of grey in his dark locks. He almost looks like an angel, but I know better than that. Fallen angel, perhaps.
“Keep looking at me like that, and I’ll be canceling my next meeting.” Vincent’s arrogant tone halts my pursual.
I smirk, not ashamed of getting caught. “I’m okay with just looking.”
His hand tightens on my side and he pulls me harder against his lap. Rolling my hips, I can feel him hardening beneath me.
Both feeling the pull, we lean into each other. Our lips meet halfway. Mouths gliding together. Later, when I’m alone and my hormones aren’t out of control, I’ll realize that this is the first time we’ve ever met in the middle. The first time we’ve ever really been on even ground.
His taste is exotic yet familiar. His body warm, yet hard. His hands gentle, yet claiming.
The logical part of my brain doesn’t want to believe what he says. It wants to question his sincerity. But his touch does what his words can’t. His touch removes all remaining doubt. I know he wants me. I’ve known that since our first night in Vegas. But this, I think I’m finally getting it. Finally understanding it. He needs me the same way that I need him.
Breaking our kiss, Vincent rests his forehead against mine. The move is familiar and comforting.
“Come home with me tonight.” His voice is deeper than usual. Thicker.
I inhale the scent of him around me. “I can’t.” I slowly exhale. “I want to, but I can’t. The longer I wait to go back to my apartment, the more I’ll build up the break-in in my mind, and the worse it will be.”
He hums in understanding as one of his big hands runs up my spine. “I could come stay with you.”
I give a small shake of my head. “No, we’ve disrupted Annie enough already.”
His hand stops on the back of my neck. “You don’t have to go back at all. You could move in with us.”
It takes me a long moment to process his words. I can’t tell if this insane man is serious or just saying what he thinks I want to hear. I won’t let myself read into it. I can’t. It’d be absolutely crazy for us to move in together so soon. Right?
“Vincent…” I don’t know what to say.
“Or I’ll buy you a new condo. Whatever you want, sweetheart. But you don’t have to go back there if you don’t want to.”
Choosing to jump over that tangled mess, I drag my hands across his shoulders. “Thank you. But I need to do this. I can’t run away.”
“I understand.” I believe him. Vincent is so headstrong that I’m sure he does understand. “Remember that I’m just a phone call away. Eric will be there with you, but if you need anything, anything at all, promise me that you’ll call. No matter the time.”
I press my lips against his. “I promise.”
