“That was my favorite shirt,” he said, amused.
“Stupid of you to wear it today,” she murmured.
Growling under his breath, he braced himself with his knees on the desk over her and slowly stroked down her full breasts, beneath the lacy fabric of her bra, until the only sound she could make was a moan.
He unhooked the front clasp of her bra and pulled the fabric off her body, tossing it to the floor. “Beautiful,” he breathed again, cupping them in his hands, and she arched her back against the desk, straining to bring him closer to her. He lowered his head to taste her breasts. Then abruptly stopped.
Wondering why, she looked down and saw that a small trickle of milk had escaped her left breast. She felt a squirm of embarrassment, then defiance. She was a nursing mother. She wouldn’t, couldn’t, be ashamed of it. But still...
He raised a dark eyebrow at her, then lowered his head and slowly licked the other breast with his rough tongue. She sighed with pleasure. She gasped as he lowered his head between her legs.
He worked his tongue with agonizing slowness, spreading her wide to taste the very heart of her. The full thickness of his tongue seemed to touch every nerve-ending of her body, leaving her quivering and taut with longing.
Gripping his hair with her hands, she stared up at the ceiling, knowing she should make him stop, that she should pull away, but she couldn’t. She was naked in his office, her thighs spread wide on his mahogany desk, and her boss—the playboy desired by women far more beautiful than she—was lapping her with his tongue until she thought she would explode.
And then she did. She heard a loud cry and realized it had come from her own mouth. For a few seconds afterward all she could do was breathe, and Nikos took her in his arms, holding her close as he whispered endearments. Anna realized that he wasn’t even all the way naked. But he was all the way hard. She could feel that through his tailored pants, pressing against her. And yet he wasn’t trying to make love to her.
Why not?
She started to stroke him through the fabric, but he caught her hands. His eyes, looking down at her, were vulnerable. “Marry me, Anna. Be my wife.”
Yes.
Yes.
God, yes.
“I can’t.” It felt horrible to say. Ungenerous and so, so wrong. And it wasn’t what she wanted. Especially when it made him abruptly pull away. “We can raise our son together, but I can’t marry you, Nikos. It would never work.”
“So you say.” He pulled away from her and without even looking in her direction started to put on his shirt.
She sat up, still naked, feeling dizzy. “Don’t you understand? We’d never be happy together.”
“No, I don’t understand. I see only a spoiled woman who is determined to toss away happiness with both hands.”
“You don’t love me—” she started, praying he would argue.
Instead, he cut her off with, “And you don’t love me.” His face, so warm and loving just moments before, now expressed icy contempt. “But we both love our son. I am trying to do what’s best for him. I wish you would do the same.”
“I am!” she said, stung.
“Right.” He rapidly buttoned up his shirt. “What have I done to make you hate me, Anna? What did I do that was so horrible? What have I ever done except try to take care of all of us? One of us has to take responsibility for the family we’ve created. Especially since you obviously don’t give a damn.”
“Wait—that’s not true—you know it’s not true!”
His lip curled as he turned to go. “I’m going to go find Sinistyn and handle him once and for all. Before he talks his way into becoming Michael’s stepfather. Because apparently you have a problem telling him no. Unlike me.”
“I’m not trying to hurt you. I just don’t want you to get involved.”
“Too late.”
“It’s not your problem, it’s mine. I should be the one to—”
“My God, you really don’t trust me at all, do you? No matter what I do or say, you won’t accept my help. You’d rather fight me. You’d rather put both yourself and our son in danger.” He stopped in the doorway. “I always admired you, Anna. A pity the good sense you have as a secretary is lacking in you as a woman.”
His words struck her to the bone. His face was in shadow as he added quietly, “Look through the résumés, Anna. Find me a new secretary. When I come back, give me a name. I’m done fighting with you.”
* * *
Nikos was grim as he rode in the back of his limo, poring through documents about the last-minute details of the Singapore land lease bid as his chauffeur drove him back to the casino.#p#分页标题#e#