Page 3 of Be a Good Girl

But Damien shakes his head as his lips curl into a knowing smile. “Come on, Alice. We both know you’re not married.”

I can feel my heartbeat in my ears and fingertips, and I’m absolutely positive my blush is no longer a secret.

That spark inside me has grown and is threatening to overwhelm me as I stare at this mysterious man and slowly lose control over my body. The warmth between my legs continues to grow, along with the tickling sensation, and my eyes move to his hands, as if drawn by some mysterious gravitational force.

“You don’t know that!” I snap. “You don’t know anything about me!”

“Oh, no?” Damien laughs, moving forward slowly, rounding my desk as he advances on me.

I should be backing away, but for some reason, I’m not. In fact, I turn toward him as he moves closer, opening myself to him. “Alice Dupont, Forbes Top 10 Businesswomen of 2024. You were number two. Maybe next year you’ll be number one. If you’re a good girl.”

Good girl!?Did he just say if I was a good girl!?

Anyone else would have been out of here the moment he walked through the door. I know I should be throwing him out right now, but it’s like I’m hypnotized. Those emerald green eyes, the predatory stare he’s giving me–I’m transfixed. I can feel moisture on my panties now. Genuine arousal. This has never happened to me in my entire life.

I feel something hard press up against my butt and realize he’s backed me up against my desk. I hadn’t even realized I was stepping away from him–that’s something I never do. It’s important to stand your ground and maintain a powerful position when you’re a CEO.

“Do you mind?” he asks, leaning his arm past me to my water bottle. “It’s a hot day in the city.”

At this distance, I can feel his heat. I can smell his sweat, and all that does is turn me on even more. I can feel my wetness running down my thighs, so I squeeze them together in an attempt to keep that hidden from him. He leans closer, but all I can do is stand there, frozen like a statue of myself as his lips move nearer and nearer to mine.

My God. Is he going to kiss me?

“You have nice lips, Alice,” he says. “I bet none of the men who work for you have the balls to tell you that, but it’s true.”

He is! He is going to kiss me! And I’m going to let him.

But at the last moment, just as our lips are about to meet, he swerves, leans past me, and picks my water bottle up off my desk. He leans back and takes a deep swig and lets his enjoyment read all over his face. A deep disappointment and anger rushes through me that I have to fight from showing.

After he’s finished, he extends his hand like he did before, and I take the bottle back from him. With a wink, he says, “You would have let me,” then turns his back on me and walks toward the door.

I’m shocked, overflowing with rage. I want to hurl the bottle at him and hit him in the head with it.

“I would not!” I shout back.

He reaches the door and turns back to me. “Le Bernadin. See you at eight.”

So presumptuous! Who is this man?

“I won’t be there!” I snap as he grabs the door knob and twists it. Without turning, he replies.

“Come on, Alice, stop pretending. We both know you will.”

And with that, he walks out the door and closes it behind him, leaving me feeling like I’ve just been hit by a tornado.

2

DAMIEN

I arriveat La Bernadin at 8:25 and find Alice sitting by herself at a table waiting for me. She’s wearing a gorgeous blue dress that somehow saysI’m powerfulandI’m sexyat the same time. I watch her through the window as checks her phone, growing angrier by the second.

She’s antsy. She’s upset with me. She shouldn’t be waiting this long for a date, and she knows it. But for some reason, she’s waiting for me.

Megan, the hostess, comes right up to me as I step through the door. “Damien, how are you, dear? I saw you reserved a table, but it seems somehow we’re all full–”

“Oh, don’t worry.” I smile, pointing over at Alice. “That’s mine right there.”

She turns and sees Alice, and her expression shifts completely. Her lips purse, and her eyes narrow as she shoots daggers at my date for the evening. Megan has had a thing for me since we first met months ago–a thing that’s never been reciprocated. “Well then, right this way.”

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