Page 131 of Strictly Business

“I love you,” he whispers against my lips, his words so raw they make my chest ache. “So much, I don’t even know how I functioned before you.”

I suck in a deep breath. “I love you too,” I reply, my arms curling around his neck, fingers tangling in his hair. He groans, leaning in, brushing his lips against mine, pouring everything he feels into this kiss.

Epilogue

Amara

“Where are we going?” I ask for the tenth time tonight, though I know I won’t get an answer. Nicholas has been annoyingly secretive, only telling me to get dressed and that we’d be taking his helicopter. I’m not great with surprises. I need to know or at least have a hint.

He just grins at me, his hand gently cupping my face as he looks down with that twinkle in his eyes. “You look so fucking beautiful,” he murmurs, his lips brushing mine in a kiss that sends my heart racing.

I narrow my eyes. “You think sweet-talking me will distract me from the fact that you’re still not telling me anything?”

A slow grin spreads across his face. “No.”

Before I can press him again, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a strip of black silk. Nicholas twirls the fabric between his fingers, tilts his head. “Do you trust me?”

I swallow hard, heat creeping up my neck. “Always.”With my life.

A slow, satisfied smirk tugs at his lips. “Good.”

He steps behind me, and I stand perfectly still as he ties the silk in place, his fingers brushing the sensitive skin at my nape. The moment my world fades to black, every other sense sharpens. The warmth of his breath at my ear, the featherlight touch of his hands adjusting the knot, the steady press of his palm against my lower back as he guides me forward.

I hear the helicopter door open, feel the shift as he helps me inside and buckles me in, sliding into his seat a minute later.

“The last time you didn’t tell me where we were going, you ended up fucking me in front of an audience,” I remind him, my face flushing at the reminder. We’ve been back to the club a few times since, and the anticipation of returning has my heart knocking against my chest.

Nicholas chuckles as the sounds of flips and switches fill the cabin. “And you loved every second of it, didn’t you?”

Heat floods my cheeks, and I’m grateful for the blindfold hiding my expression. “So… is that the plan tonight?”

His fingers find mine, lacing through them. “Not tonight,” he murmurs. “Tonight, I want you all to myself.”

His words send a flutter through me, and as the helicopter lifts off, my heart starts to pound. The first time I was up here, I was nervous. My hands were sweaty, my breath shallow… but ever since then, whenever we’ve taken Nicholas’s helicopter, there’s no fear, only anticipation.

The flight feels endless. Without the ability to see, every sensation feels heightened, the sounds and subtle tilts of the helicopter invading my senses as I feel Nicholas start to descend.

When we finally land, Nicholas moves first, unbuckling my seatbelt. I hear the door open, a rush of cool air hitting my skin,and then his hands are on me again as he guides me onto the ground.

As soon as my feet hit the ground, the scent hits me.

Peonies.

The air is thick with them, filling the air with the sweet, floral scent.

Where is he taking me?

Nicholas leans in close, his lips brushing my ear with a whisper. “Ready?”

I nod, my heart thudding in my chest.

He unties the blindfold, gently, the silk slipping off my skin, and my eyes blink rapidly, adjusting to the light as I glance around.

The first thing I notice are the skyscrapers, towering over New York City, a view I’ve become way too familiar with during the last six months I’ve been working as a decorator for Blackwood Hotels.

I feel a subtle warmth at my back, and I turn, a gasp catching in my throat when I see hundreds of candles spread out on the rooftop, and peonies scattered on the ground.

I look up, finding Nicholas standing behind me, hands in his pockets, his smile warm as he watches me.

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