“Thank you.”
I’d barely started to pace in the reception area—which was a misnomer, because this was his executive assistant’s space; she was the second person one had to go through to get to the CFO—when Jenna said, “You’re welcome to head on back.”
I nodded, squared my shoulders and forced myself to keep my steps slow and steady. A set of gigantic double doors loomed in front of me. I palmed the handle, inhaled one deep, calming breath and opened the door.
Brady wasn’t sitting behind his enormous desk in his oversized leather chair with his back to me. No, he was resting his behind on the front edge of the desk, directly in front of the chair he expected me to sit in.
I moved behind the chair, placed my hands on the top of it, putting the piece of furniture between us. “It’s not five o’clock yet.”
“And that concerns you . . . why?”
“I just need to clarify whether I’m here as your employee or your—?”
“You are not my direct employee, Lennox. You don’t answer to me.” The muscles in his jaw bunched as he clenched his teeth. “Is it so hard for you to admit we’re involved?”
“Are we?”
He made a growling noise. “Come here.”
I was such a sucker; that imperious tone did it for me in a bad way. I liked it when he showed me his commanding male side that had driven him to become the youngest CFO in Lund Industries history.
Skirting the chair, I stood in front of him. My mouth had gone dry and I’d started to sweat just from the determined look in his eyes.
Brady’s gaze never left mine. “You’re off the clock.” Then his hands clamped onto my hips and he tugged me between his legs. Despite the advantage of my high heels, I didn’t loom over him. But even if I had, he’d still retain control. He slid his hand away from my left hip, stopping between my hip bones. Then he made a leisurely pass up the center of my torso until he could curl his hand around the back of my neck. He pulled my head down and kissed the living shit out of me.
His mouth . . . God, the way the man used his tongue had me imagining where else he’d expertly tease, stroke and swirl it like that. He kissed me with urgency and a hunger that caught me off guard, because I’d assumed he’d be controlled even in passion.
I had never been happier to be proven wrong.
I sifted my fingers through his hair, loving the soft groan he made when my nails scored his scalp. I kissed him back with equal voracity. The heat from his body intensified the scent of his cologne. I couldn’t take a breath without the warm scent of his skin filling my lungs. I swallowed and his taste permeated my mouth from my lips to the back of my tongue.
By the time Brady slowed the kiss, I was surprised to still be standing.
He nuzzled my cleavage, his breath coming hard and fast across my damp skin, his hands squeezing and releasing my hips. “Fuck, I want you. Earlier in the break room I imagined hauling you to your feet and kissing you so everyone would know that we are involved.” He lightly bit my neck, sending a delicious shiver through me. “Intimately involved.”
Part of me wanted to demand, Then why didn’t you? But the smarter part prevailed and said, “Thank you for your restraint.”
He pushed me back a step so he could stand and loom over me. “Since we’re off the clock, I can admit I wasn’t aware that Anita had mounted a full-scale investigation of your department. I’ll add a disclaimer that rarely do department heads share that type of information with me.”
“I figured that might be the case after that first meeting when you were surprised by the size and workload of our department.”
Brady dropped his hands and sidestepped me to walk to the window. Several long moments passed before he spoke. “I’m trying to find a balance here, Lennox, between being pissed off that you didn’t talk to me about this and being grateful that you didn’t bring it up.”
Say what?
“After lunch I did some checking. The oversight committee has marked off two weeks for a thorough”—was it my imagination or had he sneered that word?—“investigation of the office temps department. I understand why you’d prefer to keep our involvement out of the spotlight.” He looked over his shoulder at me. “But fair warning. I don’t give a damn. We’re not keeping this in the closet. This weekend I’m introducing you to my family as my girlfriend.”
“You are?”
“Yes. The Vikings have a home game and we’ve got a private box, so the whole family will be there.”
A case of nerves hit me so hard that I felt dizzy and had to sit down. But I drew the line at dropping my head between my knees.