The Dirty Series 1(23)

The only thing to do now is rest…and make it to 5:00 tomorrow.





Chapter Seventeen





Jax



When Cate knocks softly at my office door, right on time at 5:00, my cock is already hard. The anticipation has dogged me all day. It’s been impossible to concentrate on anything.

I don’t make it a habit to be in my office at Basiqué all day. For one thing, I have far too many business matters to attend to, far too many money management plans to guide, to do that, as much as I’d love to hang around waiting for Cate to find some excuse to visit my office before 5:00.

She won’t do that, though. These meetings will mean release for both of us, but I know it’s the only concession that Cate is willing to make when it comes to testing Sarzó’s temper. I don’t know why she puts up with it. I don’t know why she’s so goddamn blindly loyal. I only know that she is.

Ultimately, it’s probably for the best. This thing between Cate and I, this arrangement—it won’t be permanent. It can’t be permanent. And we both know it. If she gets too wrapped up in things, if it starts to mean too much, then at least she’ll have her job to go back to.

That is—if they make it clear it’s not a waste of my money.

The deal I’ve made with myself is that I’ll keep business separate from extracurricular pursuits with Cate. No matter how things turn out with her, I need to evaluate Basiqué on its own merits. It’s the only way I can be completely sure she’s not influencing me with her perfect body.

“Come in.”

She glides into the room silently and presses the door closed behind her, helping it along despite the fact that it’s designed to close by itself. From the set of her shoulders I can see that she’s nervous. There’s only a hint of her calmly professional self, but she plays it up as much as she can, walking toward me with even steps, never wavering on her sky-high heels.

“Hello, Mr. Hunter.”

She’s brought a stack of notes with her to keep up the facade. Cate never lets any details slip, does she?

Her weight shifts toward her usual seat, but then she reconsiders, biting her bottom lip. Straightens her back. Looks me in the eye.

What a goddamn spitfire.

“Ms. Schaffer.”

I don’t waste another moment, standing up smoothly from behind my desk, not bothering to adjust the hardness pressing against the constraints of my pants. My first steps are back toward the door, and Cate swivels her head to watch me press my palm against the shiny plastic panel alongside the hinges. The lock engages with a barely audible click.

In four steps I’m standing just behind Cate and sliding my palms down the side of her curves, drawing her back into me. She lets out the tiniest gasp when her ass presses up against my erection, but she doesn’t pull away.

I run the back of my hand down the smoothness of her cheek and bend my head toward her neck, planting a kiss at her jawline.

“Is this—” she breathes, clenching the papers in her hands so that the paper crumples, “—is this what you meant when you said you’d make it worth my time?”

“With twenty-six minutes left? I haven’t even started.”

A shiver runs through her body.

“What are—”

I draw two fingers gently over her lips, silencing her. “I’m here to give you something you need, Ms. Schaffer.” She opens her mouth, and I know she’s going to ask me why I’m not calling her Cate. Pressing her lips again with my fingers, I take her earlobe between my teeth and apply the slightest pressure. Another gasp. “Arrangement or not, we’re still in the office.” She nods against my hand, opening her mouth slightly so that she can rest her teeth on my fingers. Her hot breath on my skin makes my cock jump.

“What’s going to happen now…” I say slowly, letting her take in every word while I brush my hand upward from her waist and take a firm hold of first one breast, then the other, squeezing, cupping. Her nipples are hard, begging to be pinched, and I accept the invitation. “…is that you are going to obey my every instruction without hesitation, without question.”

She stiffens in my arms, reacting to the gentle tweaks of her nipples with shudder after shudder.

“Acknowledge that you’ve heard me.”

“All right,” she says, exquisitely, softly.

“Yes, Mr. Hunter,” I prompt.

“Yes, Mr. Hunter.” As soon as I give her an explicit instruction, her voice becomes stronger, more confident.

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I release her, stepping back. “Bend over the desk.”

“What?” She spins to face me, her eyes wide.