Page 38 of The Naughty List

My eyes drop to the dirty blond hair peppering his chest and winding its way down his defined abs, calling attention to the chiseled V at the base of his stomach.

This man is a walking, talking thirst trap. Every fantasy about a sexy, dominating playboy has come to life before my very eyes, and here I am, kneeling at his feet while he’s practically naked.

“And here I thought Santa was just rewarding me for being extra good this year,” he says with a wry grin.

2

ALEX

I stare down at timid Miss Emmert on her knees before me, a fantasy I’ve had no less than a hundred times since I first laid eyes on her two years ago.

What I wouldn’t give to see her eyes drop down to my lap as she begs me to let her taste it.

“Stand up,” I say; and she scrambles to her feet, her cheeks still glowing. I appreciate her obedience, and I’d love to test the boundaries of just how far it goes. But I know with nothing but a towel covering my cock, I’m about ten seconds from having a serious situation on my hands.

“I don’t really like doing business without clothes on. Why don’t you go wait in the living room so I can get dressed?” I wink at her, and she spins around on her heels so fast that she’s practically already out of the room and down the hall before I can finish the question.

I take my time getting dressed, sliding on a crisp white button-down and a pair of navy dress pants. I walk down the hallway toward the living room to find her standing in front of the bay window, staring out over the lake.

“Now, where were we?” I ask, dipping my hands into my pockets as I come to stand beside her.

“This view…” She trails off, lost in thought, her big blue eyes scanning the horizon.

I take a moment to look at her—really look at her. Her full pouty lips are bare, a natural pink, with a perfect little cupid’s bow that runs up to her button nose. Her lashes are long and dark, accentuating her doll-like eyes. She’s absolutely gorgeous. She has the kind of beauty women pay to emulate with plastic surgery but can never fully achieve. And judging by her timid nature and the way she keeps her head down around the office, I’d bet money she has no idea the effect she has on men.

“Stunning,” I agree, not talking about the view. She turns her head to look at me.

“The contract.” She extends her arm, handing it over.

“Yes, the contract.” Taking it from her, I scan it with my eyes, making sure everything the client and I discussed with our lawyers is addressed before signing and handing it back.

“Thank you, I should head back,” she says, but it’s not very convincing. Her eyes drift back to the view. She steps a little closer to the window, her breath hitching as she anxiously peers over the ledge before stepping back again.

“Are you scared of heights?”

“A little.” She gives me a tremulous smile.

“Here.” I hold out my hand toward her and she looks at it then back up at me. “I’ll hold your hand and stand right next to you.”

“That’s okay.” She blushes but I reach for her hand anyway, gently grabbing it with mine. Her delicate fingers are slightly cold to the touch. She looks down to where we’re joined, and I half expect her to pull away, but she doesn’t. I take a step closer.

“It is a pretty long drop.” I playfully tug her hand and she gasps.

“Don’t do that.” With a giggle, she regains her composure and takes a timid step closer to the window.

We stand together in silence, both peering down over the edge. I’m not usually bothered by heights, but at this angle it does make me a little dizzy.

“I always forget I’m up this high.”

“You forget? With this view?” She sounds unconvinced.

I shrug, realizing I probably sound like a pompous ass. “Mostly because I’m usually in my office staring at my computer, or in the gym. But I should probably take the time to enjoy the place a little more, huh?”

She smiles, nodding her head before taking another step closer to the window. I join her, our arms touching with the proximity.

“You want a tour of the place? It’s pretty spectacular, and since it mostly goes unappreciated by me, someone should enjoy it.”

I don’t know why I made the offer. Maybe because I like the company, or maybe I just don’t want to be alone. I spend most of my life alone. Usually, it doesn’t bother me; I can put it out of my head. But this time of year—around the holidays—it gets harder and harder to ignore the loneliness. The older I get, the more I realize life is passing me by while my dream of having a family becomes an even more distant fantasy. I’m not old, not quite thirty-six, but I don’t want to be that fifty-year-old dad at the park, struggling to keep up with his five-year-old.

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