The CEO Buys In
Page 43

“Yes,” came the immediate, clear response.
“You weren’t asleep.”
“I was until you started squirming around.”
“Sorry.”
“I’m not.” He released her waist and moved his hand up to her breast. His erection pressed against her bare bottom.
She grabbed his wrist and tried to pull it away. “You need your sleep, and I need to get dressed and go back to work.”
His hand didn’t budge an inch. “You like deals, so here’s one. I’ll let you up if you promise not to put your clothes on.”
“How am I supposed to work?”
“The same way you always do. You sit in the desk chair and you type. Clothes have nothing to do with productivity.”
She snorted. “We haven’t gotten a darned thing accomplished since you unbuttoned my blouse.”
“On the contrary, I’m feeling very accomplished.”
She could hear the smile in his voice, and it undermined her already tenuous self-discipline. “Smug is what you’re feeling.” But she was smiling too.
All of a sudden he rotated onto his back and flipped her so she was lying on top of him, looking down into his glinting eyes. “Stay here with me,” he said.
She levered herself up and braced her forearms on his chest. “I can’t afford to.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t put in for the hours we’re in bed together. I need to work.”
His eyebrows drew down into a scowl. “You will put in for any hours you spend here in my home.”
“Really?” She wasn’t going to back down on this. Her self-respect hadn’t vanished entirely. “You’re going to pay me for sex? That makes me a—”
“Stop!” he snapped. “I’m not paying you for sex. I’m paying you for your time.”
She could see the frustration in his face as he realized he wasn’t improving the situation. Instead of making her angrier, that made her want to kiss him. “I rest my case.”
Taking advantage of his momentary inattention, she scrambled off of him and the bed.
“Damn it, Chloe.” He raked one hand through his hair as he sat up.
“A very persuasive and articulate argument.” She retrieved her bra and panties from the floor, thanking her lucky stars she’d worn one of her few matched sets.
As she bent over to step into the beige lace, he gave an appreciative whistle. “Could you do that again but with your back to me?”
Knowing he was watching her dress made her self-conscious, so she snagged the rest of her clothes and turned toward the bathroom.
“No more comments,” he said. “Just let me enjoy the view.”
She clutched her clothes against her chest and looked back at him. “I’d like to take a shower.”
“Of course. I’m an inconsiderate idiot.” He threw back the duvet and rose from the bed in all his beautiful, uncovered glory. “You’ll find plenty of clean towels. Use whatever soap and shampoo you like.”
She wanted to stay and drink in the gorgeous lines and planes of his body, but he was already pulling on his trousers. Sighing, she continued into the bathroom.
Maybe she was becoming immune to luxury, but the fact that it was twice the size of her bedroom and had a tub you could fit six people in didn’t even make her blink. The exquisite marble mosaics on the floor and walls demanded a moment’s admiration, and she twisted the tops off several shampoos to sniff their perfumes before she chose a tangy citrus scent that reminded her of Nathan. Then she stepped into the room-sized shower and nearly shrieked when she turned the handle and got blasted from all sides by multiple showerheads.
After a fast scrub, she wrapped herself in an enormous, fluffy white towel and gave her hair a quick blast with the blow-dryer before she braided it. A bun was impossible because all the hairpins were scattered in Nathan’s bed and carpet, and she wasn’t going to go looking for them.
Tucking her blouse into her black skirt, she looked at her bare face and decided she needed to go to the guest room to redo her makeup. Otherwise, only her slightly swollen lips revealed what she’d been doing half the afternoon.
Self-respect was overrated.
Nathan plucked another hairpin from the tangled linens and added it to the collection in his hand. The blow-dryer had gone silent a few minutes ago, so he padded over to the bathroom door and knocked.
A neat and tidy Chloe greeted him, fully clothed, a tight braid falling over her shoulder.
“Ah, I see you don’t need these.” He held out the pins on his palm.
She looked at them as though they were emeralds and diamonds. “Thank you for finding them all.” Her fingertips brushed his palm as she took them, and he felt himself start to get hard again.
“I’m going to use the makeup in the guest room,” she said. “Then I’ll meet you in the office.”
So she was going to avoid him. He leaned forward and kissed her, savoring the softness of her lips. “And here I was looking forward to the elevator ride.”
Her breath hissed in and she threw him a look that was half reproof, half arousal. It made him want to toss her back on the bed.
“We’ll ride together on your way out, then,” he said.
She just shook her head and walked past him.
He turned to watch the sway of her hips. Memories of sinking his fingers into the delightful roundness of her behind while he drove into her had his erection lifting his unzipped khakis. A cold shower was in order.