Page 45 of Buying Time

The action felt so depraved I had no idea what to say. Worse, it felt like a nudge, telling my body to get ready for round two.

However, after finishing his work, after devouring every trace of wetness from my fingers, Hayden released them with one last teasing lick. He showed no signs of releasing me, of talking, of doing anything.

And no matter how uncomfortable it felt at first, I quickly relaxed in his embrace. The steady beating of his heart, the warmth of his skin, even the place where his still-hard cock nestled against my back, it all eased me.

Before I knew it, my eyes closed and I fell asleep against him, his words echoing in my head.

If this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up from it just yet either.

Chapter Nine

Char

Kenz didn’t have much of a poker face. Normally, that annoyed me. It felt like looking at an open wound on someone. I could take advantage of it, and often did, but it still set my nerves on edge.

Maybe bringing her along had been a bad decision. Usually, I worked alone. At the rare times when I needed someone else, I’d hire someone expendable or trick a person if they didn’t need any real information.

However, with everything going on, I didn’t want to risk either of those options. There was far too much in the air—I didn’t need any other potential problems by bringing in new people.

Which meant instead of something easy and uncomplicated, I had Kenz at my side, a notebook in her arms as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. She looked nice in the suit—a knee-length black skirt that hugged her curves, paired with a crisp white button-up shirt. No jacket, though, because I didn’t want her lookingtooprofessional.

“Mr. James is ready to see you,” the receptionist said, her smile far too suggestive.

She seemed the type who had taken this job to gain access to rich, successful men she could get her claws into. It explained the way the top few buttons on her shirt sat undone, the way she leaned forward when speaking so I could see right down her shirt to the lacy black bra beneath.

I glanced to my side, to Kenz, and had to stifle a laugh at how different she appeared. She didn’t play those games, didn’t have that come-hither look, didn’t draw a man in the same way. The receptionist was a black widow, ready to devour men in whatever way she could. Kenz, though?

She was the kitten I liked to call her. Even when she had a fit, it amounted to little beyond her baring her little teeth and swiping with her tiny claws.

So why was it that I couldn’t seem to get her out of my mind?

Instead of worrying about it, I rose and nodded at the receptionist, heading toward the office door just past her. Kenz’s heels clicked against the tile as she followed, looking like an uncomfortable shadow behind me.

Which was the exact part she needed to act.I could have picked something difficult for her, but it made more sense to play to her strengths.

“Mr. Ulysses,” the man who sat on the other side of the desk said in greeting as we entered the office. A huge window sat behind him, overlooking the city. That showed the advantage of having an office on the upper floor of a huge building like this.

Dirty money sure buys nice things.

Hadn’t I seen that, though? It was why people did the things they did, after all.

“Thank you for taking the time to see me, Mr. James.” I shook the man’s hand, keeping my expression blank.

Then again, sliding into a personality made me feel safe and comfortable. It didn’t matter what person I was being.

The friendly, charming best friend? The seductive playboy? The guy women take home to meet their parents? The bad boy with a heart of gold? Or this guy—a hard-ass business exec who would do anything to get what he wanted.

Whatever job I had, I just had to find the right person to become to make it happen. And Mr. James here was the sort to respect power, making this personality the perfect trap for him.

“I’m afraid I’ve had a very busy week,” he said as he gestured for us to sit. “When it rains, it pours, right?”

I sat in the chair closer to the door while Kenz took the other seat. Her fingers clutched the notebook tightly, the telling action making it clear how nervous she was.

It annoyed me, in a way. Did she think I wouldn’t be able to keep her safe? Did she worry like this when out with Hayden or Tor?

I’d been underestimated a lot in my life, and used it to my advantage, but I didn’t much care for Kenz seeing me that way.

I pushed that away, focusing instead of the plan. “I’ve heard as much. It is one reason I asked for this meeting. Given the stability issues in your company right now, I’m not sure this is the best time to get into business with you.”

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