Page 18 of Ivory Obsession

I put my hand on her back and it took everything in me not to slide it lower.

“You have big plans,” she said.

“I have a lot of money,” I replied. “That helps.”

“Yeah?”

I nodded. “Once we’ve got the legal side buttoned up, nothing will stop us,” I told her, conviction steeling my tone. I had to do this. She didn’t know it yet, but I would move heaven and earth to make sure this happened.

Walking her to the threshold of my bedroom, I motioned toward the plush space. “You can get dressed in there,” I said, doing my best to keep my tone professional despite the intimate undercurrent. “Your blue dress from last night is still hanging up.”

“You hung it up?”

“Well, yeah,” I replied. “I wasn’t just going to let it get wrinkled on the floor.”

“Alright,” She responded, disappearing into the room without a second glance. As I turned away, I caught sight of her silhouette through the thin fabric of the door. It was tantalizing, yet all I could concentrate on was the weight of the stolen keycard pressing against my leg.

A few minutes later, Jade returned, looking as stunning as she had the previous night. The fitted blue dress clung to her curves in all the right places, and her dark hair cascaded down her back in soft waves. The sight was enough to weaken any man, but I forced my attention back to our partnership.

Reaching the elevator, I pressed the call button, the soft ding echoing in the hushed corridor. The doors slid open with a whisper. But instead of ushering her inside, I pulled her close, my arm snaking around her waist, and claimed her lips with a hunger that betrayed the control I typically wore like armor.

Jade gasped, but she didn’t pull away. Instead, she melted against me, her curves pressing into my growing desire. My hand found hers, guiding it down to feel the effect she had on me. The raw need coursing through my veins demanded satisfaction.

“You want this?” I breathed against her lips, seeking confirmation, craving her surrender.

“Yes,” she whispered back, her hand gripping me through the fabric of my trousers.

“Good.” I kissed her again, harder, sealing the promise of what was to come. “But first, dinner,” I said, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes, smirking at the flush spreading across her cheeks. “Even I’m not uncivilized enough to skip wining and dining you first—though believe me, Jade, I really want to fuck you.”

Before she left, as the elevator dinged, I grabbed a random business card and scribbled my name and my personal phone number on it. This was a direct line to me, not one my underlings or my father could intercept.

“Use this if you need anything,” I said, my voice low. “Day or night.”

She took the card, her fingers brushing against mine, sending an electric jolt up my arm. Her eyes locked onto mine for a moment, filled with a mix of emotions—curiosity, excitement, maybe even a hint of fear. Then she tucked the card into her purse without breaking eye contact.

“Thank you, Dante,” she replied, her voice steady despite the charged air between us.

“Jade.” I paused as the elevator doors began to close. “I’ll call you soon.”

“Because of work.”

“Sure,” I replied, smiling at her. “Because of work.”

She nodded, and then she was gone, swallowed up by the closing metal doors and the building beyond. I stood there for a second longer, staring at the brushed steel as though I could still see her face reflected there.

Back in my study, the weight of our interaction—and all its implications—settled over me. I poured myself a drink, the amber liquid catching the light as I swirled it in the glass. It was too early to drink but I didn’t give a shit.

I sank into the leather chair behind my desk, the one that had seen too many late nights and difficult decisions.

Dr. Jade Bentley. She wasn’t just brilliant; she was fucking stunning. And now, she had a direct line to me, to my life, which was something I never gave out lightly. I trusted few people, and for good reason. In my world, trust could be exploited, turned against you in ways you couldn’t anticipate. Yet with her, it felt different. Dangerous, but necessary.

“Fuck,” I muttered, downing the drink in one go. My father would have my head if he knew what I was getting myself into. Hell, Marco would probably laugh himself hoarse before warning me off. But this wasn’t about them. It was about me and Jade, and whatever the hell we were starting.

If I played my cards right, maybe I could prove to my father that this was worth it after all.

The risks were high, but the rewards...

If we both played this right, the rewards could be higher than either of us had ever dreamed.

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