Page 24 of Royal Bosshole

“No way, buddy,” she pushed the paper away. “I’m not selling my business, and I told you so from the beginning.”

I opened my eyes again and found her standing far too close. Swallowing, I had to gather what shreds of logical thought were at my disposal.

“You’re just being sentimental about it. But this is business. You need the money. It’s a good price.”

“Sentimental, because I’m a woman, right? Is that it?” She crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side, set in her fighting stance.

“No, Jesus, not like that at all. Anyone would be sentimental about a family business.” I rubbed a hand over my face. “I just wish you weren’t so stubborn.” My voice raised a little. “This makes good sense.”

Pointing to the paper, I added, “I don’t know why you would turn away the money.”

“Yeah, you could never understand that, could you, rich boy?” She poked me in the chest, and out of instinct, my hand grasped her wrist and pushed her hand flat against my pec.

We both stared breathless at one another for a few seconds. I didn’t know how long. I’d broken my one little rule. I was touching her.

“Shit,” I said under my breath before I leaned in and kissed her.Hard.

CHAPTER10

JAMES

My mouth swallowed her gasp,but she did not pull away from me. Instead, she wrapped her arms around my neck, and I groaned, turning, and sliding my mouth over hers, my tongue reaching out to stroke against hers.

Christ, this woman was addictive. My hands slid up and down her sides, and then I turned, picking her up and placing her on the table. Our mouths broke apart for a few moments, and after a breathless few glances, I went in again. Only this time, the kiss was slower. I wanted to savor her taste, and I shuddered a little when her tongue moved against mine. I stepped even closer between her thighs.

A little whimper of need escaped her as I instinctively ground against her. I was hard already, imagining a hundred ways I wanted to take her. The smell of lilies surrounded me like a drug. Whatever I’d brought her in to talk about, I forgot, and it was all about Lily. Her feel, her smell, the way she moaned into my mouth as her body pressed against mine. She wanted this too, and it made me feel relieved, and if I wasn’t mistaken, a little happy.

“No,” she said suddenly, pulling her mouth away and pushing me back.

I stepped out of her sphere, looking at her beautifully swollen lips, my heart racing.

“You can’t just kiss me whenever you want to cover up the fact that you’re being a jackass. I’m out of here.” She left then, hurrying out of the door, and shutting it hard behind her.

Shit.

Reality came crashing down upon me, and I slumped against the table and rubbed a hand over my face. Her keeping her business was still a conflict of interest, and the investors might have a problem with it, but I knew she was never going to be convinced. And yet, I couldn’t fire her. Clearly, she was already helping us, but I needed to find a way to get her business and the recipe. If we fired her, then that hope was all over.

Somehow that didn’t hold as much weight as it had before. I was more worried about what she thought of mepersonally.

You’re a sucker.

I grabbed the paper and stomped out of there, determined to not let her know how much she affected me. The end of the week finally arrived, and it had been a few days of cold stares, silences, and both me and Lily keeping our heads down. I left on Friday even before the day was over, afraid that if I got caught with Lily again in the office, I’d want to taste her again, and that would only scare her off.

At home, I drunk myself into a whisky stupor and put myself to bed. After what felt like only minutes, I found myself swimming in heat. I grabbed uselessly at my clothes, my blankets, but nothing helped the terrible heat. Looking around me, I saw that I was standing in a dark room, and the heat just got worse and worse, almost choking me.

This is a dream. You know this is a dream.

It was always the same. I had the same dream every so often for the past five years, ever since saving Lenovia became solely up to me and time started counting down.

I couldn’t escape my fate or the dream. I could never get out of it until it played out before me. With a sick feeling in my stomach, I turned all the way around until I saw what I always saw.

A throne. And it was on fire.

Sinking to my knees, I burst out a yell of help, but I couldn’t move. No one was coming. The throne of Lenovia was burning, and it was all my fault. I saw it disintegrate before my eyes, and the usual ache inside my chest roared through me with a vengeance. I woke up suddenly, the sound of my own yelling in my ears, and then all was silent.

Slowly, I sucked in breaths, and I turned to the window to see that dawn had just crept up on me.

Thank God. It’s over. For now.

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