Page 111 of Strictly Business

Ethan whistles, his eyes twinkling as he meets my gaze.

I’m struggling to think of reasons why I shouldn’t punch my best friend of twenty years.

I ignore him and meet Amara’s confused gaze. “I did.”

She narrows her eyes, trying to make sense of it. “Ethan just said you hired one only a few months ago.”

I lift my shoulder in a shrug. “That was before you.”

Her frown deepens. “Nicholas…” She whispers my name like a question, and everything inside me breaks.

I swivel out of my chair, all the words I’ve been holding back rushing to the surface. I can’t fucking hold them in any longer. “I wanted you to do something you loved,” I admit. “My penthouse was just a place for sleeping before you stepped through the door, but now it’s a home. Our home, and I wanted you to decorate it any way you wanted to.”

Truthfully, I wanted her to turn it into somewhere she would have hated to leave.

I wanted her to want to stay.

I wanted those things months ago, before I realized I was in love with her, before I had even tasted her.

And I still want those things.

Want them more than anything.

“I wantedyouto do it. No one else. You.” I cup her face, glancing down at those gorgeous eyes I love so much. “You’re amazing, Amara, and you shouldn’t have to wait another month to finally do what you love.”

Her eyes fill with tears. “Nicholas…”

Ethan’s sigh drags me out of the moment, suddenly remembering he was still in the room. “Welp. That’s my cue to leave.” He stands up, reaches into his jacket pocket, and pulls out a condom, tossing it onto my desk with a smirk. “Stay safe, kids.”

The door closes behind him, leaving just the two of us.

M thumbs brush over her soft skin as she breathes in sharply, her eyes wide, searching mine.

“Nicholas.Why would you—”

And then I kiss her.

I don’t think, don’t question it. I kiss her to stop the words, to stop the thoughts of how this is all going to end in a month.

It’s not gentle. It’s not careful. It’s raw, needy, a desperate attempt to keep her, to not face the fact that in just thirty days, everything will be over. I need more. More of her. More of this. It’s everything I’ve been holding back pouring out all at once.

Her gasp vibrates against my lips, and I feel her hands clutching at my shirt, pulling me closer, like she can’t get enough, like she doesn’t want to let go either.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” I ask her, frustration and desire laced in my voice.

Her lips part, her breath hitching as she looks up at me. “I—”

I don’t let her finish. My hands grip her hips, pulling her flush against me as my mouth crashes back down on hers.

I guide her backward until her ass hits my desk. She gasps as I slide my hands down her thighs, lifting her skirt just enough toexpose the tops of her tights. With a sharp tug, I rip them open right in the crotch, the sound tearing through the room.

“Nick,” she breathes, her voice a mix of shock and arousal.

“Fuck. Call me that again,” I groan, lifting her leg to hook around my waist.

Her moan is soft, but needy as her nails dig into my shoulders when I thrust against her, my body heating up.

“Nick. What are you doing?” she asks, hooking her arms around my neck, her lips parting on a soft moan when I grind against her pussy. “Someone could come in.”

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