Page 23 of Sutton's CEO

My body brushed against his hard one as I crossed in front of him, and I held my breath so that I didn’t make any embarrassing sounds that I would come to later regret.

A moment later, Mr. Williams returned with a glass of his own and the bottle.

He motioned to my now empty cup. “Would you like more?”

Hell yes.I raised my glass, and he filled it up again before sitting beside me and filling his own.

“Sutton, we need to talk,” he started slowly, and I knew a lecture was right around the corner.

“Was it that big of a deal if I have a drink?” I blurted out. “I don’t have a drinking problem if that is what you are thinking. Just because I work in a bar…”

His eyes flared. “Worked—past tense, and I don’t think you have a drinking problem.”

My head tipped to the side. “Then why did you make such a big deal of me not having the champagne?”

“Some new fliers get motion sick despite the meds you have already taken. When you add alcohol it only increases the chances of nausea. I only wished to protect you from that.”

“Oh.” I felt my cheeks pink. “I never get sick! I have been on the Tilt-A-Whirl eight times in a row and didn’t even walk funny.”

He looked at me like I had just started speaking in Mandarin.

Sighing, I continued, “What I meant to say was that you should have asked me before making the decision first.”

“Interesting you should be so defensive when I try and protect you, but you allow the idiots of Otterville Falls to dictate who you are and the place you hold in their town.”

Heat and embarrassment washed over me. “I don’t expect someone like you to understand someone like me, Mr. Williams. We come from two different worlds.”

His eyes sharpened. “Indeed, we do.”

“I don’t need to defend myself.” The words dropped hotly from my lips.

“I didn’t ask you to,” he said just as sharply.

I hated how calm he was. Especially when I felt like he was judging me. Mr. Lofty-Tofty Williams was looking down on the poor peasant and picking out all of my flaws.

I unbuckled my belt again. “This was a mistake!”

“Where are you going?” he snapped.

“For a walk,” I replied just as we went through some real turbulence. Suddenly, I lost my footing and toppled over. I would have hit the corner of the table had Mr. Williams not acted.

He pulled me against his hard chest. His heart was racing as rapidly as mine was.

“I don’t think poorly of you, Sutton.” His words were a harsh whisper in my ear. “But I think that you think poorly of yourself, and it infuriates me.”

I struggled to break free, but his arms tightened around me.

“There is no place for you to go.”

I stilled, not sure what I wanted. I loved being so close to him, and yet my brain didn’t function as well when all I could think of was his delicious body. I tried to buy some time. “I just need a moment to think.”

The next words seemed to be wrenched from him. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Is this an apology, from Mr. Williams?

“Thank you,” I whispered back.

The plane went through some more turbulence, and I clutched onto his suit jacket.

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