Page 32 of Royal Bosshole

April added. “Oh, and did you see that he kissed her hand before he left? He went all European on you. My dad used to do stuff like that. And I know you like a bit of old-timey shit.”

My face was getting so red. That had hit me hard. I just hated that I couldn't decide if he was actually an asshole or a good guy pretending to be an asshole.

“All right, all right,” I said before my body exploded from the heat. “I'm going to finish this, and then I'm going to go home because I need some decompression time, especially after my poor performance on stage.”

“Stop it,” Stevie said. “You sang beautifully. I know you get nervous in front of people, though, and I think part of the problem was that James was here in the crowd watching you. So, don't beat yourself up about it.”

“Okay, fine, but can I still finish this and go home?”

“Yes,” they said at the same time.

After I got home, I showered, washing off the caked-on makeup and the sweat after being under the lights on stage. As usual, when I was in the shower touching my skin, my mind went to James. That kiss. The way his mouth felt between my thighs. His commanding tone, his confidence. The way that his voice could cut through me and make a shiver run down my spine.

I wonder if he knew just how much my body reacted to him. And so, I was extra proud of myself that I pushed away from him the other day in the conference room. But in the shower, I didn't have to hide it. I was alone, and I could think of him freely. I still wondered if he looked like he did in my dream. If my hands would trail along his chest and down his abs until they reached his hard dick.

In both of our encounters together, I'd felt it. And I had a feeling it was massive. My body became a throbbing mess in one second, and with his taste and feel in my mind, I closed my eyes and leaned back against the shower wall. My hand slid down my front, grasping my breasts before I moved down between my legs.

It took no time at all, with my fingers rubbing against my clit, my mind firmly on James and what he’d already done to me. My climax came hard and fast, and I had to bite my lip to keep from making a noise. When my orgasm abated, I leaned over with my hands against the wall and tried to breathe.

Shit.

Tomorrow night, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to keep my hands off him.

CHAPTER13

JAMES

My driver parked outsideof Lily’s house. I hadn't expected the ride to be so quick, and I needed more time to calm myself. But it was fucking now or never. After a deep breath, I opened the car door. I pulled my jacket tighter to smooth it as I walked up to the building door and rang the buzzer.

So many things ran through my mind, trying to make me feel guilty. First of all, I could tell she was younger than me, and I worried that there were too many years between us. Second, I had originally asked her to come work at the company so I could steal her information and get a lead in the community. And thirdly, I knew the relationship couldn't go anywhere because I had plans to marry, and once I did, I would keep my vows. I felt like a piece of shit standing outside in one of my tailored suits, acting as if everything was normal. Like I went on dates all the time.

All those shadows that I usually kept locked away were coming out now. They always came out in moments when I felt insecure, but it had been a long time since I’d felt this way. I tried to shove them back in, but the visions of my time in the military kept coming back at me. My breathing started coming hard, and my chest felt tight. I closed my eyes and rubbed a hand over the spot, and I jumped when a voice came over the intercom.

“Hello there, Mr. Boss.” It was a voice I didn't recognize.

“Hi, I'm here to pick up Lily. Is she with you?”

“Yes, she is. Come on up.”

The door buzzed, and I opened it. Taking the steps up to the apartment number she told me about, I knocked on the door, and the blonde friend named Stevie opened the door.

“Hi, welcome,” she said, sounding far too cheerful for welcoming a date not her own.

“Hi.” I reached out to shake her hand. “Stevie, right?”

“That's right. Lily will be out in a sec.” She shut the door behind me. “So, where's your accent from? I've been dying to know.”

“Oh, Liechtenstein,” I lied.

It was better when I gave people a country that most people didn't know about but had at least heard of. That was better than saying mysteriously, ‘Oh, you probably never heard of it.’

“Wow, that’s amazing. So, you speak German, then?”

Shit. I guess she did know a little bit about Liechtenstein. At least I did speak German. So, I wasn't lying about that. In fact, I spoke four languages. But that was neither here nor there.

“Naturlisch.” Wow, I was really bad at this whole conversation thing.

Maybe I should have practiced more with Peter when we were out eating drunken beignets together.

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