Page 27 of Love to Hate You

For a long moment, she can’t seem to find the words to respond. “You’re crazy.”

“Crazy for you, baby.”

“We can’t cross that line,” she says.

“The lines are blurring.”

“That’s why we need to stop.” Her gaze drops to my pocket. “Give those back to me.”

“No.”

“I want them back now.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“God, no.”

I sigh. “Okay maybe it’s a little soon for trust. Even a little too soon for you to come home with me right now.”

“I’m not going home with you.”

“That’s why I’m taking these,” I say, hand still wrapped around her thong, hidden in my pocket. “Gives me something to look forward to.”

“You’re completely infuriating.”

“But in the best possible way, right?”

“We need to get back downstairs.”

I offer my arm and she ignores it and heads back to the elevator.Damn. Seducing Charlie Langley isn’t going to be easy. But I’m fucking determined.

Unfortunately, after what happens on the rooftop, she’s just as determined to stay away from me. Days turn into weeks and the more time that passes, the more infatuated and impressed by Charlie I become. She’s so damn smart and the hardest worker I’ve ever met. Once she sets a goal, she pulls out all the stops to make sure it happens. She works like a beast and her dedication to TB Tech is almost fanatical.

We’ve been spending a lot of time working on the presentation for Jordan Lowe’s company and I don’t mind at all. Watching Charlie’s gears turn and listening to all of the great ideas she comes up with is inspiring. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and it’s strange to say, but I feel proud of her.

Today’s been extra busy, so we don’t have a choice but to stay late and wrap up the last bit of the presentation before tomorrow. It’s nearly 8:00 p.m. now and everyone has gone home. Except for the cleaning people who Charlie seems to know pretty well. She’s on a first-name basis with all of them and I love how she takes a few minutes to chat and see what’s happening in their lives. No position is unimportant here at TB Tech and she makes sure they know it.

I push my carton of Chinese food away and eye Charlie. “Ready to get back to it?” I ask. We ordered in and took a quick break, but we still have another hour or so of work to finish, I’d guess.

“Sure,” she says and takes a swig of her ever-present Diet Coke.

All night it’s been harder than usual to be so close to her and hold myself back. I’ve kept focused on finishing the presentation for Lowe when all I want to do is push Charlie down on the conference room table and have my way with her.

Shit.I can’t stop thinking about kissing her, touching her, fucking her. It’s becoming a bit obsessive, and I’ve been carrying her G-string in my pocket since I tore it off her on the hotel rooftop.

“What do you think of this?” she asks and turns her laptop slightly.

I move around the table, lean over her shoulder and the screen blurs as I breathe in that heady vanilla scent of hers. Her hair is in a low ponytail and my hands itch to pull the rubberband out and release all those gorgeous honey strands.

“Do you know how good you smell?” I ask. I’m restraining myself from touching her even though it’s killing me.

Charlie looks up and, dammit, those glossy lips are within kissing distance. Temptation gets the best of me, and I capture her mouth in a heated, possessive kiss. I’ve been dying to kiss her again and when she responds, opening her mouth, I deepen the kiss and plunge my tongue inside.

I’m standing, she’s sitting and, suddenly, we’re both up, grabbing at each other. Without breaking contact with her mouth, I pick her up and set her on the edge of the table as she shoves her hands into the open neck of my shirt. I discarded my tie and jacket hours ago and I’m thrilled that I did. Her nails scratch over my collarbone and throat, wrap around the back of my neck and pull me in closer.

I push her back until she’s laying down, skirt hiked up around her waist, and draw her right up to the edge of the table. Right up against my rock-hard dick. The thin separation between us makes me groan. All I want to do is sink into her and feel how hot and wet she is for me.

As I lean over her and devour her with my mouth, she yanks my shirt out of my pants, slips her hands underneath and begins caressing my back, trailing her nails up and down my bare skin. She also hooks her legs around me, heels digging into the back of my thighs, as she pushes herself against my dick and circles her hips.

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