Page 105 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

While we waited, she looked him over, and right as the bell dinged, indicating its arrival, she said, "You should lose the mustache. You'd be a million times more handsome without it."

It wasn't often the big guy was rendered speechless, but that certainly did it.

With a wink and a sassy wave, she was gone, leaving me laughing my head off in Max's face.

Twenty-Seven

Max

Annalise's laughter was infectious, and shaking off Venus' parting words, I turned to look at the woman beside me. She was an absolute goddess. Watching her work, and do it so competently, was the biggest turn-on ever.

She shocked me by throwing her arms around me and giving me a huge hug, clinging onto me, her body quivering with spent adrenaline.

"We did it. We fucking did it," she said, the words muffled against my chest.

Closing my eyes, I enveloped her in my arms, savoring every bit of her body against mine. God only knew if I'd ever get to feel this again.

She pulled back slightly to glance up at me. "Sorry. I just... I just..."

"Don't ever apologize for hugging me."

Her smile lit me up inside, something uncharacteristically sweet and vulnerable about it.

There were loud noises from the other side of the office, and I let her go. Clearly, a party was going down without us.

"Come on,Dee. I think you're about to be celebrated."

Taking her by the elbow, I led her back to the conference room where the vultures had descended. Everyone was raidingthe ample food that had been catered, the champagne popping, sounds of revelry all around. Bringing Venus La Fleur on board was the biggest accomplishment that Insight Ink had ever seen.

The CEO in me was beyond proud, and seeing it firsthand was more than I could have hoped for. But I only had eyes for one person in the room. And that washerof course.

Veronica gave a toast. Then Annalise gave a toast, thanking everyone, especially me, for helping her, and cheers went up all around. The conference room became the scene of a pre-party, everyone deciding to go out for a Friday night on the town together to celebrate.

I made sure to discreetly notify my assistant to have Max Sterling extend congratulations to the team and let them know to expense the evening's celebration to Echelon. And more cheers around the room after that news was announced.

Annalise beamed at me from her seat across the table. Yeah, I could get used to that look from her.

Fuck.

Eventually, the room cleared out, everyone leaving behind a big mess that Mona grumbled about.

"I've got this," Annalise insisted. "I need to do something, move around, clean up, process this, before I go out tonight."

Mona shot her a look, assessing and observant. "Okay. I get it. Just don't be too long." She glanced at me. "And no shenanigans in the conference room."

"What?" Annalise gasped. "Of course not."

Well, damn, I hadn't been thinking of that. But now that she said it, I couldn't get it out of my mind. Annalise spread out on this sleek table, naked, maybe with a chocolate strawberry on her bare stomach. I'd trace her body with it, following every inch with my tongue.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Sterling," a sharp voice said.

Annalise was glaring at me, her hands on her hips, her eyes alight. We were the last two remaining in the room, and I was desperate to go to her, grab her to me, and kiss the hell out of her.

But I didn't. I shouldn't. The ball was clearly in her court, and I didn't know if she'd ever return it.

She picked up a few empty flutes and set them off to one side. There was still some food left on the end table, and I filled up a big plate, sitting down and hoping she'd join me.

Grabbing a champagne bottle, I topped us both off, pushing her glass toward her. "Can't let this go to waste, right?"

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