Page 127 of Strictly Business

“Goddamn, I love you,” he murmurs, breathy and so fucking sexy. “I.”Thrust. “Love.”Thrust. “You.”

Pressure builds inside me until it’s so intense and…Oh god.

“Nicholas. I’m gonna—”

“I know. I can feel you.” He kisses me, his tongue brushing against mine as his thrusts become deeper, harder, faster, my nails digging into his skin. “Fuck. That’s it. Squeeze your pussy around me, baby. Come all over my cock.”

My head lolls back as the orgasm floods me, my legs shaking as he continues to thrust inside me, his cock hitting the spot that makes me see stars.

Nicholas groans, gripping my breast in his hands and a few seconds later, I feel him spill inside me with a groan.

He drops onto the bed beside me, his cock slipping out and grips my waist, pulling me into him, his lips brushing mine. “No more contract,” he whispers against my lips. “No fake engagement and no more pretending.” When he pulls back, his eyes bore into mine and he brushes my hair out of my face. “It’s just you and me.”

“For real this time?” I ask.

He smirks. “Forever, baby. Until we’re old and gray and have a bunch of grandchildren.” My heart soars as he kisses me again, soft and pure andreal. “Does that sound good to you?”

I smile, feeling my heart flutter and my stomach settle. “It sounds perfect.”

Chapter forty-two

Nicholas

Istorm into Alexander’s office, slamming the door so hard the walls rattle. The sound echoes through the room, cutting through the heavy silence.

Alexander doesn’t flinch. He doesn’t even look up. He’s slouched in his chair, feet propped on the desk, scrolling through his phone. His tie is gone, his top buttons undone, his hair slightly disheveled, as if showing up was effort enough.

When he finally glances up, he smirks lazily, tossing his phone onto the desk. “Nicholas,” he drawls. “To what do I owe the displeasure?”

“I know about the recording you sent Amara.”

His lips curl into a mocking grin, and a dark chuckle escapes him. “Ah, I see.” He leans back, crossing his arms. “So, the fake engagement’s over, then? My condolences.”

My hands ball tighter, my nails biting into my palms. “You’re wrong,” I bite out. “What I feel for Amara isn’t fake. Your pathetic attempt to break us apart didn’t work. And whateveryou’re scheming with the board won’t work either. You can keep trying to undermine me, Alexander, but you’ll never succeed. I’m the CEO. Not you. And there’s nothing you can do about it.”

The smirk vanishes. His feet hit the ground with a thud as he stands abruptly, slamming his hands on the desk. “I’m the eldest. It should’ve been mine.”

“You think you deserve it because of your age?” I snap, stepping closer. “While you were jetting off to islands, getting wasted out of your mind, I was here. Every weekend. Every late night. I worked for this, Alexander. I earned it. You treated this company like a backup plan.”

Alexander’s jaw tightens, his hands gripping the desk until his knuckles turn white. “You think that makes you better than me?”

“This isn’t about being better,” I fire back. “This is about doing the work. About respecting Dad’s legacy. You tried to sabotage my career, ruin my relationship, destroy everything I’ve built. And I’m done letting you get away with it.” I lean forward, my hands flat on his desk. “You’re fired. Effective immediately.”

The silence that follows is deafening. Alexander doesn’t move, doesn’t even blink. I can almost see the gears turning in his head, his mind scrambling to process what I’ve just said. I expect him to shout, to argue, but he’s quiet, quieter than I’ve ever heard him before.

The color drains from his face. “You can’t do that,” he stammers. “I’m your brother.”

I feel a pang of guilt—just a flicker of it—but it’s quickly drowned out by the anger bubbling under the surface. He’s my brother, yes, but that doesn’t mean anything when he’s tried to destroy everything I’ve worked for.

“Being my brother doesn’t give you immunity,” I shoot back. “You’ve crossed every line, and now you’re out of chances. I own this company. Which means I own you. I told you ifyou kept pushing me, you’d find yourself without a job. Well, congratulations, Alexander. Welcome to unemployment.”

His face flushes with rage. He steps around the desk, pointing a finger at me. “You’re going to fire your own brother? You don’t have the guts.”

I step closer, unflinching. “You didn’t think about family when you went behind my back, when you tried to humiliate me in front of the board, when you tried to ruin my engagement. You don’t care about family, about this company, or about Dad’s legacy. You only care about winning. Well, guess what? You’ve lost.”

His mouth twists into a snarl. “I still have the recording. I can convince the board you were talking about Amara. They won’t trust you after that.”

I take a deep breath, forcing calm into my voice. “Go ahead. Play it for them. Hell, I’ll tell them myself. Because unlike you, I don’t hide behind threats and manipulation. I don’t need to.”

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