More Than Hate You, page 13
“Always. Anytime you want,” she purrs as she licks her way up his cock. “I can do him, too, for extra.”
“Fuck that.” He shoves her back on his cock. “Your mouth is mine tonight.”
The one licking his nipples straightens up with a smile. “Where’s the bedroom? I brought the restraints. I’ll hook them up.”
“Down the hall,” Shane supplies as he absently sucks on the pussy in front of him.
In the bedroom I’m sleeping in? “But I’m staying here.”
“Not anymore. Get your shit and leave. I’m firing you myself.”
“You don’t have that authority. Your father still owns the company.”
He scoffs, then moans when his fluffer takes a long draw on his cock. “Not for long. I’m going to put the old man out to pasture and handle this shit my way.”
Fuck, Shane is a raving asshole. “The way you’re handling it now? You’re on the brink of bankrupting the company.”
“No. There’s still money in the bank.”
“It’s less than the amount needed to make payroll next Friday.”
“Shut up,” he snarls. “I’m here to have a good time, and you’re harshing my buzz. Get the fuck out.”
“At this pace, you’ll be selling Reservoir for pennies on the dollar in a handful of weeks.”
“So? I’ll still have a lot of money, and I won’t have to hear another word about boring-as-fuck data storage or listen to blowhards like you anymore. Get your shit and go.”
I stop rolling the video and shove my phone back in my pocket. Shane is too busy pouring booze on the pussy in his face and getting sucked off to notice.
Shaking my head, I stroll into the bedroom, gather my things, and pack quietly, ignoring the brunette with the pigtails and the see-through tank fastening restraints to the bedposts.
Rolling my suitcase behind me, I grab the Indian food off the hall table and open the front door, just in time to see Shane toss back his head dramatically for his big finish.
And there goes my appetite.
As I exit the building, I trash my untouched dinner, walk away from the complex, and dial Sloan. Maybe I can make this shit work to my advantage…
“Sebastian? Whatever it is, couldn’t it wait until morning?”
“I walked into the apartment to the unwelcome sight of Shane with three hookers, whiskey, and cocaine. They’re planning to spend the night in my bed.”
“Ugh. That son of a bitch.”
“You’re being polite. I’m walking around downtown with a suitcase and a scowl. That’s not earning me any sideways glances at all.”
Sloan heaves a long sigh. “I’ll find you a hotel.”
“They won’t feed me.”
“And you think I will?”
“If you want me to work, yes. And I’m a princess, remember? I won’t survive if you leave me to starve.”
She groans. “Fine. You can stay with me until Friday. But if you’re the kind of royalty who can feel a pea under ten mattresses, I don’t want to hear about it.”
“I’ll keep my whining to a minimum.”
She hesitates, then she sighs in surrender. “I’ll be there in ten. Where exactly are you now?”
I give her the closest cross streets, eyeing some people loitering a few blocks down who look less than lawful.
“How did you get there?”
“I must have wandered farther from the building than I thought.”
“In that case, I’ll be there in five. Don’t make any new friends.”
She hangs up, and I pocket my phone. Waiting even a few seconds gives me time to think about my options and the choice I shouldn’t make…but I already have. I’m forming a plan even now. Shane inadvertently helped me out tonight with his BS, and Evan should appreciate my innovative approach to this crisis…eventually. Sloan? She’ll be furious. And since I know she gives as good as she gets, I’ll have to stay one step ahead.
But she’ll be worth it.
All I need to do is wait for the right time.
I’d ask if your balls are bigger than your brains, Shaw, but I already know the answer, Nia drawls in my head.
This may be the ballsiest thing I’ve ever done—and that’s saying something. If I play my hand right, though, I’ll win big.
Sloan pulls up a few minutes later and stops at the curb, ignoring the honking people behind her long enough for me to climb in. The second I shut the passenger door, she floors it and sends me an unblinking stare. “Three hookers at once?”
I shrug. “I don’t know what Shane’s plans were precisely, but apparently me hearing his oral pleasure over the phone wasn’t enough. He thought I needed to see it, too.”
Sloan wrinkles her nose. “I won’t ask if you’re serious.”
“He’s such a peach, you should know better. Have you already eaten?”
She shook her head. “I was too tired to cook and too tired to go out.”
“If you’ve got food in your fridge, I’ll cook as a thank you for rescuing me. See, princesses really do need their knights in shining armor.”
“Ha ha. I’m taking you up on that.” She turns my way with a frown. “Wait. Can you cook?”
“Of course.”
“Frozen dinners don’t count.”
“I don’t eat that trash. Trust me, what I make will be good and healthy.”
“I’ll settle for edible. Listen, my apartment isn’t huge. You’ll have to sleep on the sofa.”
Not my first choice, but… “It’s better than bunking down with Shane and his three hookers.”
She flips me a saucy stare. “Just so we’re clear, you’ll be getting zero action from me.”
That sucks, but I didn’t expect anything different.
After a few minutes of traffic, Sloan pulls into an assigned parking spot in a new, upscale apartment complex. Her unit upstairs is small but tidy, decorated in tans, earthy oranges, and dark woods. It’s warm and cheerful. “This is nice.”
“Thanks. Help yourself to whatever you need in the kitchen. Poke around the fridge. The pantry is in that corner.” She points across the room. “Pots and pans are under the stove. I hate anything with bell peppers, not that I have any in the house. Just about everything else, I’ll eat. Call me when it’s ready.”
“Sure.”
Three minutes later, I hear the shower running, and my focus on cooking something edible evaporates. All I think about is Sloan naked, about peeling off my clothes and joining her under the spray before sliding our bodies together and sinking deep inside her.
I wish like hell I’d turned on a damn light the night she got naked in my hotel room. At least I’d know what I’m missing. But I was too cocky, assuming I had control of the situation. I underestimated her.
That can’t happen again.
While I toss together a quick pan-seared chicken with a light wine-reduction sauce and steamed broccoli, I ponder the plan I’ve been forming the past few hours. I have to be cautious. I can’t leave Sloan any wiggle room. She’ll fight back, and we’ll have a battle of wills. But she’ll give in…eventually. I hope.
When Sloan emerges from her bedroom, her face is naked and her wet hair freshly washed and braided. She’s wearing black yoga pants that do great things for her legs and a matching T-shirt that clings to her breasts. I’m not totally convinced she’s wearing a bra…just like I’m not convinced she wouldn’t leave one off to rattle me.
“Dinner’s almost ready.” Somehow, I manage not to sound like I’m imagining her naked.
“It smells good.” She sets the table and opens a bottle of vino, then plops into her chair with a tired sigh.
Now that her makeup is off, I see the sleepless bruising under her eyes. She looks exhausted.
Frowning, I dish up two steaming plates and set them on the table, then sit beside her. “Eat up.”
She doesn’t need any additional prompting to dig in. After the first bite, she moans. “This is so good. It pains me to admit that you’re better than me at anything, but you’re a far superior cook.”
“I’ve been doing it a lot longer.”
“Did you learn in college?”
“As a kid, actually. I was raised by a single mom who worked two jobs. My two older sisters were responsible for laundry, cleaning, and bedtime baths. Plus, they had school activities and sports. Cooking fell to me. We all pitched in to get everything else around the house done. Even my younger sisters picked up before bed and helped with yard work on weekends.”
“Wow. I was raised by a single mom, too, but it was just the two of us. We did everything together. She turned it into a game sometimes. Who could make the mirrors the most streak-free. Who could make the kitchen floor shine the most. I lost every cooking challenge.” She laughs. “It’s never been my strong suit. I just can’t seem to get everything ready at the same time.”
“Ah, that’s an art. And that’s exactly why the cooking fell to me. I just seem to have that knack.” I shrug. “It’s part guesswork, part patience, and a lot of instinct.”
“Yeah, it’s the patience part I’m not so good at. Speaking of…now that I have you in my evil lair, want to tell me your thoughts so far on Reservoir’s situation?”
Not until the time is right. “No conclusion yet, other than it’s not good, which you already know, and that Shane needs to go.”
“Amen.”
“Why won’t your father get rid of him? He must know his prodigal son is a fucking disaster.”
“Mr. Rawson,” she corrects me. “He’s not my father until he deigns to acknowledge me. So I’ve decided I won’t acknowledge him, either. But he keeps insisting that Shane just needs to feel the full weight of the responsibility for Reservoir to grasp how important his contribution is. Then, of course, he’ll rise to the challenge.” Sloan rolls her eyes.
“He’s fooling himself.”
“Absolutely. He so badly wants Shane to be a good man that he’s trying to talk himself into it. No amount of me saying otherwise makes a damn bit of difference. I think he’s convinced I’m trying to usurp Shane to gain power by talking trash.”
“The hell you are.” And I’ll prove it soon.
“Or that I’m jealous and trying to tear him down to get ahead.” She shrugs. “Whatever.”
She acts like this doesn’t matter to her, but I’m not buying it. Sloan can be tough as nails, but she has feelings, and they run deep. I know it hurts her every day to work for the man who fathered her but refuses to even notice her, no matter what a stellar job she’s done.
I set down my fork and take her hand. “You’re amazing, and he doesn’t know what he’s missing.”
“Yeah? Then again, you’re comparing me to Shane. That bar isn’t very high,” she quips and tries to pull free.
I hold her tighter. “Don’t push me away with snark. I mean what I said. You’re head-and-shoulders better than ninety-nine percent of people I’ve worked with. Your dedication and drive are admirable. I really respect that.” Then I sigh. “And you’re better offspring than I am. I can’t even tell you the last time I called my mother. Christmas, maybe? You try your best every day to earn your father’s notice. I’ve been so absent as a son, I think my mother finally gave up on me. My sisters, too.”
It’s been well over two years since I went back home, and the only reason anyone in my family knows I’ve moved to Maui is because I included them in a mass email with friends and acquaintances, advising everyone of my new address.
“I’d give anything to have family like yours. No one else has my back.”
She’s right, and I’m vaguely ashamed that I’ve allowed myself to drift so far from the people who should matter most to me. “Do you want your own family someday?”
Sloan swallows and washes her chicken down with a sip of Cab. “You mean have kids?”
“And a husband, yeah.”
“Eventually. I haven’t thought about it too much.”
I frown. “Because you want to be more established in your career first?”
“No. I can juggle. I just haven’t dated anyone I thought was worth marrying.”
“Fair enough.” I know from experience the dating pool can be really shallow.
“What about you? Why isn’t there a Mrs. Shaw already?”
“It’s complicated. Let’s just say I fell for someone once and it didn’t end well.”
“I’m sorry.”
I snap my gaze from my plate to her face, but there’s no snark. She means that. “Thanks. It sucked.”
“Where is she now?”
“Dead. Car accident.” I toss back half my wine.
Empathy softens her shocked expression. “That must have been rough.”
“One of the worst days of my life.”
Finally, she squeezes my hand back. “We didn’t meet under the best circumstances. We’re rivals. But I’m sorry you went through something so tragic.”
“I appreciate that, but it’s in the past. I’ve come to terms with it.”
“Do you want to do the whole wife-and-kids thing someday?”
“Absolutely. Soon.” I smooth my thumb across her knuckles.
With an uncomfortable clearing of her throat, she pulls away and stands. “Well, good luck. I’m going to be a horrible hostess and leave you with the dishes so I can go to bed. Pillows and blankets are in the hall closet. Help yourself. Good night.”
I jump to my feet and curl my fingers around her arm, inching closer. “I want you. You know that, right? I can’t forget that night in my hotel room.” I fuse my stare with hers. “You think about it, too, don’t you?”
Color creeps up her face, blooming across her cheeks, as she clears her plate. “This is dangerous territory.”
“Because we’re rivals?”
“Because I don’t trust you. You lied to me. I don’t care why you did it. A lie is a lie.”
“I never wanted to do it.”
“But you did.”
I follow her to the sink. She sets down her plate, and I brace my hands on the counter, one on either side of her hips, then press my lips to her ear. “Not because I don’t want you. Or don’t care about you. I do. One has nothing to do with the other.”
She stiffens. “It sure feels like it does.”
“Ultimately, we’re both working to save Reservoir. And we’re doing shockingly well together in the office.” The heat of her body lures me closer. The sweet scent of strawberries fills my nose. The desire I feel for her is something I can’t ignore. “We’d be damn good together in the bedroom, too.”
Sloan doesn’t answer. Nor does she protest when I slide the curtain of her fiery hair over her shoulder.
The silky skin I expose and the graceful curve of her neck tempt me. I can’t stand not touching her anymore.
“Baby…” I breathe against her just before I lay my mouth on her nape.
She gasps, her whole body tightening. But she doesn’t push me away.
I take a gamble and drag my lips up her neck, then finger the sensitive patch of skin I just worshipped before licking my way to nip at her lobe.
She exhales roughly and shudders, gripping the counter in front of her as if it alone will keep her from melting into my arms.
I’m getting to her.
“I would be so good to you,” I vow as I cup her hips and fit myself against her back, rocking forward to let her feel just how hard I am for her. “I would give you nonstop pleasure, devote myself to making your body hum. I would be here for you, day and night.”
“You’re flying home in less than three days,” she points out, half panting.
“I could stay the weekend, too.” I lick the shell of her ear, then kiss the spot just behind it. “We could commit every spare moment to your ecstasy. Let me show you how good it would be.”
She turns in my arms, her blue eyes searching mine. “Why? So you can scratch an itch? Because you’re horny, and I’m the only female within easy reach tonight?”
“No. I told you, from our first conversation I was fascinated by you. That’s not a lie or a come-on. At first, I was pissed when you blackmailed me. I admit it. But I was thrilled as hell when I realized I’d be spending a week with you. I’ve respected your wishes and kept the office about business. You should know, though, even when you needle me, I want you. When you’re prickly, I want you. When you push me away…it doesn’t matter. I still want you.”
“Pfft. Desire is easy.”
“That’s not all this is. I feel things for you I never thought I’d feel again.”
“How do I know you’re not lying?”
Talk is frustrating me, but I have to dial back my impatience. She has every reason to distrust me…and only one reason to give in. “The business is the only dirty thing between us. Everything else is right. I think you feel it, too. Don’t you, baby?”
She doesn’t agree…but she doesn’t refute me, either.
Fuck, I can’t resist her anymore. Her mouth is right there, plump and rosy and pouty.
I lower my head, giving her plenty of time to object or pull away. Instead, she tilts to me, her eyes slide shut, and she welcomes my invasion, parting her lips and sliding her tongue against mine with a soft moan.
The instant we connect, I know my plan is the right one. I have to make this woman mine.
Groaning, I surge deeper into her mouth, cupping her nape and plastering my body against hers. Sloan rises on to her tiptoes, throwing her arms around me and gripping my shoulders, giving herself over to the kiss—to me—entirely. She’s heady, addictive. I feel drunk, my head swimming. Kissing her is like diving into honeyed quicksand, sweet and inexorable. My fall into something more than desire for her is shockingly easy, sugar-spun, and totally unavoidable.
I want to believe she’s in the same place I am—tempted when she shouldn’t be. Hooked despite the fact it’s not smart. Willing to make a deal with even the devil to stay together a bit longer.
Sliding my free hand down her torso, I cup her hip and pull her into me, grinding against her again and swallowing her delicious gasp.
