Page 41 of Beneath the Hood

“Alexander Wells went missing ten years ago, on the eve of his engagement to the oil heiress, Olivia Sanderson. He has never been found.”

“Fan of politics?”

My stomach jumps as I spin, noticing Blakely in front of the reception desk, her arms crossed over her chest.

I shrug, grinning. “I’m always a fan of knowing what’s going on in the world.”

She nods, her eyes perusing the length of my body. “Yep. I see that for you.”

My brows rise as I set down my coffee and walk toward her. “Do you?”

She waves her hand in my direction. “You have that whole ‘worldly’ vibe going on.”

I smirk. “Do I?”

The prettiest shade of pink dusts across her cheeks as I stop in front of her, my fingers reaching out and trailing down her arm, the urge to touch her too strong to resist.

“Ye-yeah,” she stutters, the grin slipping from her face. Tension sneaks its way through the air, pulling tighter with every touch of my hand.

“And what do I look like now?” I rasp.

She swallows, and the motion makes my stomach clench, my cock lengthening as I wonder what her throat would feel like massaging my shaft.

Take it slow.

“Like you want to eat me whole,” she says.

Pushing a strand of hair behind her shoulder, my lips brush against the shell of her ear. “Accurate.”

She drops her head, glancing at me from under her lashes. “Can I tell you a secret?”

My teeth grind as I stop myself from wrapping my palm around her waist and dragging her into me. “You can tell me anything, princess.”

She rises up on her toes, leaning close. “No one’s ever done that to me before,” she whispers.

Her breath sends shockwaves down my spine, her confession sending arousal rushing through me like river rapids—the idea of being the first man to taste her making my knees weak and my mouth water.

The phone rings, making us jump apart, and she shakes her head, giving me a small smile before she saunters to her desk and answers.

I follow, reaching over the high counter, grabbing a notepad and pen from the desktop. Her eyes follow my every move as I write, curiosity shining through her gaze.

Holding up the paper, I wait.

Will you go out with me tonight?

The most beautiful smile blooms on her face, scrunching her nose and puffing her cheeks. It’s so damnreal,and my heart slams against my chest cavity, wanting to find a hundred different ways to make sure it stays.

She twirls the phone cord around her finger and nods, her free hand coming up to stifle her grin.

I cover my heart with my palm as I walk backward before spinning around to leave. I’m sky high, floating in the clouds of my crush, and maybe that’s why I don’t notice Karen watching us from the hallway until I’m almost at the doors.

My stomach shoots to my throat as our eyes meet, her brows furrowed and her mouth partially open. I paste on a smile and wink, tipping an imaginary hat, hoping that she hasn’t been there long. That she hasn’t seen just how gone I am for the boss’s daughter.

But as I walk back into the garage, there’s a sinking feeling in my gut that knows she saw it all.

21

Blakely

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