Page 62 of Take Me Under

“Is it?” Leaning over, I captured her nipple with my mouth. I rolled my tongue, pausing only to ask, “How much money do you need every month?”

“Holy Mother of God. Anton, I don’t know how you expect me to talk while you’re doing that.”

“You seem to be doing just fine,” I teased.

She shoved a lock of hair from her eyes, flustered.

“It varies depending on what we need in any given month,” she said.

“I need more details,” I prodded as I slid a hand down between her legs. My fingers found her soaked pussy, and she moaned.

“Anton, do you want me to talk, or do you want sex?”

“I love how you react when I touch you. Can’t we do both?”

“I can’t…” Her breath hitched when I applied pressure to her clit. “I can’t focus on words while you play.”

I chuckled and pulled my hand away. “Alright. Talk now. I’ll own that pussy after.”

She all but purred before letting out a reluctant sigh. Shifting to prop herself up on a pillow, she took a moment to collect herself before continuing. “My project manager will know the exact breakdown. There’s the cost of securing permits, machinery rentals, supplies for excavating, mapping, and recording. If we use aerial reconnaissance to search for patterns, the spend jumps significantly. There’s also the lab where we process findings. Fortunately, the fieldwork team is made up of volunteers and students.”

“How much money, Serena?” I repeated, even if I didn’t particularly care about the cost. She could say she needed ten million dollars, and I’d hand it over without question.

“On average, the dig costs around thirty thousand per month, give or take. Our spend since the start of the project has exceeded five hundred thousand.”

“That’s a lot of money,” I mused, toying with her. “I don’t think I can take things day by day, or week to week. I want a full month commitment.”

“But—”

“A full month and I’ll give you five hundred thousand up front. That should be enough to keep your dig funded for a good long while—and well past the year I originally proposed.” She began to shake her head, but I silenced her with a finger before she could speak. “You know what I’m going to say, don’t you?”

“No.”

“Yes, you do.”

She held my gaze steady, her blue eyes a raging storm of emotion.

After a moment, she nodded.

“Trustfall.”

“That’s right, princess. Take the money and don’t ask questions. Now, where was I?”

Lowering my head, I recaptured her nipple between my teeth. When I slid my hand down to her wet slit, her back arched in surrender, and I smiled to myself.

Tonight, she was mine, and that was enough.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Anton

The bright afternoon sun streamed through the tall windows of my penthouse, casting beams of light across the sleek furniture. The space felt cavernous and silent without Serena’s presence. She’d left hours ago, Zeke driving her to the airport late in the morning, but I could still feel her here. The sound of her voice lingered, and her scent clung to the bed sheets.

I stared at my computer screen, trying to shake the restlessness that gnawed at me. It was why I opted to work from home rather than go into the office. Work at Cornerstone Tower could wait, as well as the meeting I was supposed to have with Kent Leahy, a portfolio manager at Fourth Bank Market Equities. I didn’t have the patience for stock tickers, trends, and spreadsheets today. Thankfully, my assistant had been quick to respond when I’d emailed her earlier.

To: Myla McKinnon

Subject: Out of Office

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