Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82034 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“Ah,” Fabron murmurs, and I see his attention is on something behind me. “Here he comes now, and he looks none too happy for me to be talking to you so intimately.”
I brace because he means Dane.
Rather than be abashed, Fabron takes the opportunity to step in closer to me and brushes his lips across my cheek. “While romance may not be in the cards for us, chérie, I’m very serious about the job offer. It’s yours, if you want it.”
And then he’s gone, and Dane is turning me to face him. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I say, but Dane just cocks an eyebrow at me. I roll my eyes and lean into him. “Fine. Fabron knows we’re fucking each other.”
Dane’s chin pulls inward with surprise. “You told him?”
“No, I didn’t tell him,” I snap before taking three long swallows of champagne. My voice sounds semi-hysterical when I add, “He said he can tell by the way we look at each other. How in the hell are we looking at each other, Dane?”
A mischievous smile breaks out on his face, and his hand drops down to take my free hand. “Well, if it’s any consolation, all night I’ve been thinking about what I want to do to you when we get back to the hotel, so maybe he’s just seeing that.”
I pull my hand from his and smack his chest. “Stop joking. If he noticed, everyone else probably has too.”
“Avril,” Dane chastises me. “Relax. Fabron was probably just yanking your chain, but even if he wasn’t, so what? I’ve got no problems with anyone knowing I’m fucking you.”
“Well, I do,” I grit out. “I don’t want people thinking I slept my way to the top.”
“You’re already at the top,” he points out. “Were there long before you started taking my cock.”
I want to be offended by his crude words, but sadly, they turn me on. I am taking his cock regularly, and I love it.
What I don’t love is the smirk on his face, so I decide to wipe it off. “He offered me a job. A serious offer. Co-chair of their board and double whatever you’re paying me. He didn’t even ask what you’re paying me.”
I thought my words would just irk Dane to some extent, so I’m not prepared for the dark fury that overtakes his face. “I’ll kill that fucker. I told him you were off limits.”
“Dane,” I say with a nervous laugh. “You can’t prevent other businesses from offering me jobs.”
“He wants more than you working for his company,” he says confidently, and well… yeah, Fabron admitted that. But, because I do like and admire Fabron and I don’t want Dane to beat his ass, I try to soothe his ruffled feathers.
“Relax,” I murmur as I look up into his darkened eyes. “I would never leave Caterva. That company is my life.”
“You better not,” he growls, but his eyes lighten slightly to an olive green. “I’ll hunt you down and spank your ass hard when I find you.”
I snicker and look around at the room, spotting Andrew talking to a group of people who look like research folks. There’s a certain geek vibe coming off them.
“Think we could go ahead and leave?” I ask Dane as my gaze comes back to him. “I’m anxious to see what you have planned tonight.”
Dane’s lips curve upward, and I get a flash of his white teeth. “Let’s go get our sidekick and head back to the hotel.”
“Is that what Andrew is?” I ask with a laugh, thinking the moniker is cute as all get out. “A sidekick?”
“You haven’t fucked him alone since that first time, have you?” Dane asks as we start walking through the crowd toward Andrew.
I jolt slightly with not only this realization, but by the tone of Dane’s voice. There’s something about this fact that is important to him.
“I haven’t,” I admit. “But it’s just because we plan on a threesome but he begs off sometimes, right?”
Dane stops in midstride, and I do the same. We turn to look at each other, and Dane brings up a hand to cup my jaw. Bending down, he whispers, “I love fucking you with Andrew. It’s hot as all get out. But I like my alone time with you, Avril, so I’m not overly bent out of shape when Andrew doesn’t join us.”
Dane’s words hit me like a ton of bricks, sucking all the air from my lungs. I’ve never heard him talk with such emotion, and there’s something about this moment that strikes me deep. Something in my heart shifts, and I wonder if Dane is possibly opening himself up. Could he possibly be lowering his walls a bit?
And if that is the case, how is my heart going to respond? There’s been an adequate distance between us all, and Andrew has been taking all of this in surprising stride. But if Dane were to let his heart become involved, the meaning of that would change everything for me because all I’ve ever wanted for my friend was him to experience what love is.