Page 27 of Followed By the CEO

“I’m proud to know you,” she says.

Mills sits cross-legged on the sofa. I reach out and grasp one of her feet, drawing it into my lap.

“So why don’t you tell me about you?”

She laughs. “You heard my stand-up. That’s the whole story right there.”

“I heard the part about your alcoholic stepmom.”

She wiggles her toes as I knead into the sole of her foot. “I noticed you were the only one not laughing.”

“Because all I could see is your pain, Mills.”

“Hey, the best comedy comes from trauma, didn’t you know?”

The light reflects in the tears welling in her eyes. “I didn’t say that to make you cry.”

Her voice is thick and she wags her hands in front of her face as if to ward off tears. “This wasn’t supposed to get so deep tonight,” she says with a watery laugh.

“Stella insists that we make it official so she can go on double dates with us. If you’re gonna be my girlfriend, I need to know the real you,” I explain.

A single tear drips down her cheek. I lean forward and wipe it away.

“I don’t want to talk about any of that right now,” she says. “It’s easier to make jokes about it.”

I kiss her cheek. “Then I’ll come to all your shows and learn everything there is to know about you.”

“I would love that. You might get bored.”

“Not possible.”

I pull her onto my lap, and we’re kissing again, her arms draped around my shoulders and my hands flirting with the edge of her sweater.

“I’ve been thinking about this all day,” I murmur against her mouth.

“Hayden,” she whispers. “Promise you’re not going to murder me.” The last few words come out as a soft laugh.

“That would be a terrible plan for the woman I plan to marry.”

“Don’t say shit like that just to turn me on.”

Her nipples are hard against my chest as she grinds down on my cock. A moan escapes my throat, and I suck in a bit of flesh. I have to mark her as mine so everyone knows she belongs to me.

I let my hands ruck up her sweater, immediately going to the strap of her bra.

Mills pulls back long enough to rid herself of her sweater and her bra.

My breath catches in my throat as I stare in awe.

After some time, Mills breaks this spell.

“Are you still with me, Hayden McAllister?”

I don’t answer with words, only with my mouth covering one nipple and giving it a long pull, kneading it with my tongue until it’s a taut little pebble. She’s so soft and sweet and all for me.

chapter

nine

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