Vanilla On Top(71)
“You knew, all this time?” I think back to my sleepless nights this week, waking up in a cold sweat, fearing I’d never see him after today. He’d often sense when I was awake and slowly make love to me, soothing my tense body back to sleep in his arms.
“Well, I didn’t know for sure. But I strongly suspected.”
“And you weren’t angry?”
He scoots his chair closer and wraps an arm over the back of mine. “Hell, no.” His seductive caramel gaze pins me to my chair. The golden depths of his eyes hold a strong emotion. “I was proud you were doing what you could to save a company that matters to you.”
Tears cloud my vision as I fight to keep my composure. “So, what does this mean? Where will you work? What about us?”
He leans down, capturing my mouth. His tongue seeks entrance and I open my lips, uncaring who might see us. Heat spills into me, flushing my face. He breaks the kiss and cups my cheek with one hand, staring into my eyes.
“I plan on focusing on my buildings…and us.”
“Us?” Elation sings through my veins. There really is an “us”.
“Is that so hard to believe?” He gives my hand a strong squeeze. “I’ve had enough of the corporate run around. It didn’t make me happy. You make me happy. I want to support you in your high stress dream job while I do something a little less tense for a while. I’ve got plenty of money saved and invested—plus the rents from the finished units in Hoboken bring in thousands each month.” He kisses me quick and hard, pulling back with a wild look in his eyes. “Two weeks may be too soon to say the ‘L’ word, but I know without a shadow of a doubt I haven’t felt like this with anyone. We have something strong and I want to see where it leads.”
My heart beats so loudly the noise drowns his voice. Did I hear him right? He thinks he might be in love with me but doesn’t want to speak the word too soon? “Where it leads?”
I realize I’m parroting him, but for the life of me, can’t think of anything coherent to say. All my dreams are coming true. The job I thought would never go to a woman is mine, and a man is falling hard for me—maybe as hard as I’ve already fallen for him.
He rubs a rough thumb over the back of my hand as he nods. “You matter to me, Heather. More to me in two weeks than everything I thought I wanted for the past ten years. I’d be a fool to let you go.” A wicked grin spreads across his face at my flustered expression. “Even if you did hide things from me this week.” When my eyes widen he quickly adds, “Considering the situation, you really had no choice.”
I nod, relieved he understands why I couldn’t tell him what the board was planning.
Heat burns deep in his eyes. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” His voice is husky with a sensual timbre. “What you make me feel? Surely, you didn’t think we were done, did you?”
An answering fire fills me when I see the growing bulge in the front of his pants. Oh no, we’re nowhere near done.
We may not be ready to say the “L” word out loud, but I have no doubt in my heart what I’m feeling for this incredible man is real enough to last a lifetime. A flash of inspiration brings a grin to my face. “I think you’re naughty for letting me be a nervous wreck all week long.”
He smiles, a devilish tilt of the lips. “Really? I kind of liked the desperate lovemaking in the middle of the night when you were worried and stressed.”
“Ohh…you’re going to get it, now.”
“Am I?” He rises and pulls me out of my chair.
“Let’s go upstairs. I have a paddle with your name on it.”
He dips down and kisses me once more, sliding a hand down to cup my ass and haul me close. “Yes, ma’am.”