Page 99 of The Refusal

Janus groans at this. “No.”

“We’re not talking about what I was doing while he proposed either,” I say, my smile getting impossibly wider.

And Janus’s eyes pop wide, and he makes an outraged face at me before screwing his face into a scowl. Fabian’s laugh echoes around the kitchen.

“I can guess,” he crows.

“Don’t,” Janus says loudly. “Anyhow, more importantly, how’s it going?”

Fabian laughs again. “I’m glad you think the company is more important than getting married.”

“I’m changing the subject here; I don’t want her overthinking her answer. She’s only marrying me for my money anyway,” he says, and I shake my head at him and point at his cock. He gives me a knowing grin, reaching out and pressing my nose with this thumb and I snap my teeth trying to bite it, but he just laughs.

“I don’t want to hear any more,” Fabian says. “We’re doing well actually. They seem to have backed off for now. I’ve come out of their systems, and hopefully we have enough information now for a boatload of ways in. Whether we can do that or not remains to be seen. The whole of Jo’s team is in here, plus twenty of your tech guys, Janus, and they’re working on reconfiguring your system and protecting it. We’re not far off finished actually.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah. James sorted it all out. He made the call that we needed more people on it, so he brought all your team in, Jo, and he got the Janus Industries CTO involved from your end, Janus. I mean there’s a lot of long-term work to do, but short term we’re good.”

“Nice,” Janus says. “Can I poach James to work for me?”

He’s looking at me as he says this, and now I make an outraged face at him.

“In fact, Fab, how aboutyouwork for me?” he adds.

Fabian snorts. “You couldn’t hack it, man. I’m a disrupter, not a team player.”

Janus nods and smiles ruefully, staring unseeing at the bench as he leans over the phone. Why do I get the impression that this is a regular conversation?

“Anytime you want to change your mind, I’d have you in my business like a shot.”

“Maybe in mine?” I say, smiling at Janus sweetly, and he frowns at me.

“Don’t listen to her, Fab, there is no way you’re allowed to help her if you won’t work for me.”

Fabian chuckles on the other end of the line. “It’s nice to be wanted, you guys. I’ll let you know if I ever need a job. Come in when you’re ready.” And the phone goes dead.

Janus raises his eyebrows at me. “He always hangs up like that.”

I move into him, wanting to curl around him, and he grins down at me as I slide my hands around his waist, bending down to nuzzle my neck.

“You always smell amazing,” he says. “Have you showered?”

“Yes, it’s your shower gel.”

He laughs. “You haven’t changed your mind yet, have you?” he says.

I beam up at him, looking at the small frown marring his perfect features, his thick lashes, and brown eyes. “I’m never going to change my mind.”

Epilogue

Two Months Later

Itake in the sheeting rain and my blue velvet frock and wonder if it will survive this downpour. I don’t want my first official pictures with Janus spoiled by the fact I resemble a drowned rat, or I unexpectedly discover my dress is see-through when wet. The driver of the limousine pulls up outside Janus’s apartment block, and he dashes through the thunderstorm, umbrella tilting in the gusts of wind. I have seconds to register how outstanding he looks in a tux before he dives into the car, water sparkling all over him, but his smile disappears as he gets his first glimpse of what I’m wearing.

“Holy cow, Jo,” he says, scanning the velvet material, “you look amazing.” His hand lands on the split in the dress that goes up to the top of my thigh, and, as he leans over to kiss me, I instinctively pull back.

“Lipstick,” I say, but he growls at me and keeps on coming, parting my lips with his tongue. My whole body heats up, and I’ve still not got used to this, how obsessed I am, how I want him all the time.

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