Page 36 of Playing By His Rules

I had a great time tonight. Rick is definitely a keeper. I think you should marry him.

Her chest tightened at her sister’s joke. Marrying Rick was nothing but a fairytale. No matter how hard she might be falling for him, their time together was ticking away, and in a few days he’d return to San Diego where he worked and lived with his friends and family . . . and she’d be back to a life without him in it.

Chapter 16

God, the man looked like pure sex in a suit,Madison thought, openly eying Rick as he walked out of the bedroom and into the living room area, where she was sitting at the dining table still grazing over breakfast. Rick had barely touched his bacon and eggs while typing away on his computer before heading into the other room for a shower and to change for his ten o’clock meeting that morning with the board of directors of Reign.

“Stopping biting your lip like that” Rick said, his tone a low, shiver-inducing growl as his gaze narrowed in on her mouth.

Grinning, she stood up and walked toward him wearing one of the hotel’s plush robes, unaware that she’d been doing so. “I can’t help it. You look so hot and sexy and completely fuckable in this suit.”

He laughed. “Naughty girl, saying something like that when I don’t have the time to do anything about it.”

She shrugged unapologetically, knowing he was to blame for her change in behavior when it came to sex, and she was going to miss this seductive dynamic between them. “By the way, good luck with your presentation today, though I doubt you’ll need it.” She smoothed her hands along the lapel of his jacket and lifted a few inches on her tiptoes to brush her lips across his. “But just in case, here’s a good luck kiss, too.”

“Mmm.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, his body relaxing against hers as he playfully licked and nipped at her bottom lip until she moaned.

When he lifted his head, his mouth curved into a wicked smile. “If I remember correctly, I woke up to you sucking my cock, and when I asked what you were doing, which was admittedly a stupid question, you said it was a good luck blow job for my meeting today, so I think I’m pretty well covered.”

She grinned at him. “Then consider the kiss an added bonus.”

His hand slid from her waist down to her ass. “Tonight, you and I have a date in the playroom, since you passed out on me as soon as we got into bed last night after the few hours we spent at the pizza place.”

“I was tired from all the fun we had,” she said with a light laugh, then batted her lashes at him in a repentant manner. “Do I deserve another spanking . . . Sir?”

His eyes went dark and hot. “Among other things, especially with you tempting me right now with something I can’t have or I’m going to be late.”

“Yes, you do need to get going,” she agreed, stepping away from him.

Rick glanced at the time on his cellphone as he picked up his attaché case, which held his laptop computer and other important files. “My presentation is about forty-five minutes long, and I’m sure that the board members will want to discuss the entirety of the proposal privately afterward, so I’ll probably be back to the room around eleven-ish, with me possibly going back in the afternoon to see if they have any other questions for me before we move forward with a contract.”

She watched him head for the door. “I’ll be here waiting for you.”

“I like the way that sounds.” He glanced back at her and gave her a wink. I’ll see you in a little bit.”

Once he was gone, she put all their breakfast dishes back on the delivery cart for housekeeping to take away when they came to clean the suite, then decided to take a long, hot shower—taking her time to wash and conditioner her hair. By the time she finished drying her hair, applying a light layer of make-up, and putting on a cute knee-length summer style dress that had been a part of the hotel boutique’s delivery, it was fifteen minutes until eleven. Just as she decided to grab her cellphone from where it was charging on the nightstand, then settle on the couch and read a book from her Kindle app until Rick returned, a knock sounded at the door.

She knew it wasn’t Rick since he had a key card, and suspecting it was housekeeping, she automatically opened the door . . . and felt her stomach churn with unease when she saw William standing there. Though he stood casually with his hands in the pockets of his trousers, it was the smirk on his lips and the crude way he dragged his eyes down the length of her body that made her blood run cold in her veins.

She had no idea what he was doing there, or how he’d even known what room she was in. But whatever his reasons for standing out in the hallway, she knew it couldn’t be anything good, and her instincts were screaming at her to shut the door.Now.

With her heart racing in her chest, she quickly pushed it closed, but William was faster and anticipated her move. He wedged one of his shoes in the crack before the door could close, effectively using his foot as a barrier, then shoved the door back open, hard, causing her to stumble back a few steps on her bare feet from the unexpected amount of force he’d used.

He stepped inside, and behind him, the door clicked shut. Madison tried not to panic as William slowly advanced toward her. She took an unsteady step back for each one he made forward, and for as much as she wanted to bolt back toward the door, she knew he’d catch her before she got there.

He tsked-tsked, and shook his head in disappointment. “Now, Madison, is that any way to treat a Penthouse client?”

He continued to stalk her like prey, and she lifted her chin, refusing to back down or cower in front of this man. “You’re not my client, so you need to leave before I call security.”

He just laughed at that threat, the sound arrogant as well as contemptuous. “The security—hell, the entire hotel staff—is on my father’s payroll, so that won’t do you much good.”

She tried to make sense of what he was saying, but her mind was too filled with fear—while trying to figure a way out of this situation—to puzzle through his words. “Rick is going to be back here any minute,” she said, grasping at straws and hoping it was true.

“I think he’s going to be busy for a while,” William said, unconcerned. “I just saw him in my father’s office with the rest of the board members, which gives you plenty of time to make up for how rude you were to me Saturday night.”

She shook her head in confusion, ignoring his crude suggestion for something else that grabbed her attention. “Your father’s office?”

“He’s the CEO of this resort, and therefore I’m pretty untouchable,” he said, and the smile that curved his lips was almost sinister. “And what I want, I usually get. And what I want right now is a piece of what should have been mine Saturday night. Clearly, you’re willing to fuck a client, after all. You’re just like every other whore at The Penthouse, and I don’t like to be told no.”

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