“Yes. I’ll take you to the movies, to Broadway shows, to dinner. Anywhere you want. I just… I want you.”
“The minute you get sick of…”
“You can go.” He grabs my bag, shuts the taxi door, and bangs on the roof. He links his hand in mine and we walk back to his condo.
The taxi drives off as my footsteps pause. “Enzo…” I sigh.
“What?”
“Are you doing this just because you want to sleep with me?”
He drops my hand and guides me to the side of the building. “I want to sleep with you right now. Hell, I get hard just thinking about you. Especially after last night. But I ran down here because I want you in my life. And if dating you is the only way I can have you, then I’m going to date you.”
“But—”
He puts his fingers to my mouth. “Let me prove it, okay? There’s no way I can convince you right now. Just give me time to prove it.”
How can I argue? He’s right. I could fight and fight, but the man has surprised me the entire time I’ve gotten to know him.
I might be ridiculous to believe him, but now that he’s laid it on the line, I have to go in with two feet. He’s never given me a reason to doubt him.
Chapter 25
Enzo
* * *
I see now why there’s a no-fraternization policy in the employee handbook. My concentration has been shit since I slept with Annie. Especially since she wore a tighter-than-normal skirt this morning. Even after Friday at the hotel, Saturday at my house, and all day Sunday, because we both blew off our commitments with the excuse of being sick.
You always hear those stupid cliché love stories about lazy Sunday mornings with breakfast in bed and reading the paper. Well, they’re not so stupid after all. We ate bagels, but we didn’t share a paper. She read Adweek and I read the Times. Each on our iPads.
Then at five o’clock, she said she was leaving. I didn’t fight her, and she left with a smile.
Like every morning, my eyes fall to her desk outside my office. She’s talking to Mr. Beardsman’s new assistant. She smiles and points at the paper between them.
My phone rings.
“Yes,” I answer, having seen Elise’s, from reception. name on the small screen.
“Hi Mr. Mancini. Both you and Annie were on a call, so I took a message. Our email is down, and Orange Glow is looking for the updated contract.”
“I sent it to Annie earlier.”
“I don’t believe they received anything from her yet. Maybe the email was already down, but they’d like it today.”
“Let me see if she already sent it, okay?” I hang up and ring Annie.
“Hello, Mr. Mancini.”
“This bullshit with Mr. Mancini.” I blow out a breath. She offers no excuse for not saying Enzo. “That contract for Orange Glow, did it go out?”
“No, I don’t have a contact for Orange Glow.” She looks through the door at me, shaking her head.
Sometimes I wonder why we even bother conversing over the phone. I’m sure I could get plenty of business done with her on my lap and my hand between her legs. I’m an excellent multi-tasker.
“It’s lost in cyberspace until email is back up then. It needs to be sent today.”
Last time our email went down, it was the entire afternoon. Not sure who we hire in that department, since their only advice when something goes wrong is to reboot.
“Okay, send it to my personal account. [email protected].”
I scribble it down. “Perfect.”
Going over to my own electromail account, I notice it’s been a long time since I checked it. I have a bunch of emails from the gym and a few restaurants.
I call Elise back. “I’m sending it to her personal email, and she’ll be sure to get it to them today.”
“Great. I’ll let them know. Thank you, Mr. Mancini.”
“Welcome.” I hang up and attach the contract to Annie before hitting Send.
Scrolling through my emails, I realize it’s the only private thing I can do at the office without the dipshits in IT knowing. Then another brilliant idea forms.
* * *
To: Annie Stewart ([email protected])
From: Lorenzo Mancini ([email protected])
Subject: Important Inquiry
* * *
Are you wearing panties?
* * *
Minimizing my personal email account, I wait for her reply. Five minutes go by before my door opens, and Annie stands there.
“A word?” She shuts the door and sits down in front of my desk.
“You’re supposed to call first. Don’t be thinking just because you suck my dick now you can barge in uninvited.” I laugh.
She doesn’t. She opens her tablet, showing me the email I wrote to her.
“Oh awesome, never mind about barging in. You want to show me instead of emailing me back? Want to go into my bathroom?”
She’s staring at me as if she’s planning the best way to murder me and get away with it.
“What?” I ask when an uncomfortable amount of silence falls over the room.
“You can’t send this to me.”
“I could reprimand you for checking non-work-related personal emails at work. But I’m feeling nice today.” I wink.
She rolls her eyes. “You’re incorrigible. You know that, right?”
“You haven’t answered the question. You purposely wore that skirt today, didn’t you?”
A smile tilts her lips. “No.”
I lean forward, putting my arms on my desk. “I want you. Let’s go out for lunch. And by that, I mean I’m eating you.”
“No,” she says, scrawling some notes in her notepad. She probably wants to look as if I’m instructing her to do something for me in case anyone outside my office is watching.
“This whole screwing-your-coworker thing isn’t as fun as I thought it was going to be. Whose place are we at tonight? I’ll happily to come to yours.”
She stands. “If that will be all, I’ll leave you to your work.”
She walks toward the door, but outside of this office is trouble. She’s yet to see it because she glances at me over her shoulder, biting her bottom lip. I should tell her about the spanking she deserves, but I’m too concerned about who’s about to storm into my office.
Carm pushes the door open. Annie’s steps falter back, her eyes widening as my brothers walk into my office unannounced.
“Sorry.” Carm stops, steadying Annie with his hand on her hip.
Red coats my vision.
“It’s okay. Can I help you?” she asks.
“Nah, we’re here for him.” He lets her go, and her eyes shoot to me.
“Annie, meet my brothers, Carmelo and Dominic.” I lean back in my seat. “Usually they’re too busy to visit during the day, which is how I like it.”
I wait for one of them to enlighten me as to why they’re ruining my flirting with my new… girlfriend, I guess.
Whoa, that sounds weird.
“Because Blanca has heard jackshit from you about fixing her up. And Ma had three girls at Sunday dinner yesterday. One for each of us.” Dom sits down first, propping his ankle on his knee.
Carm keeps flicking his gaze to Annie.
She shakes her head. “If you need something, Mr. Mancini, let me know.” Annie slides out of the room, probably creeped out by Carm.
“Thank you, Annie,” I say, but I doubt she heard me. “Can you stop mentally undressing my assistant?”
Carm laughs, sitting next to Dom. “She’s hot. You hit that?”
I wasn’t prepared for the direct question. “No. I’m not you. I don’t drink from the company water cooler.”
“Mind if I drink from yours?” He turns to look at Annie, whose ass is facing us as she talks to Jake.
I pull up my email.
* * *
To: Annie Stewart ([email protected])
From: Lorenzo Mancini
([email protected])
Subject: Turn around
* * *
My brother is ogling your ass. Sit. Down.
* * *
I minimize the screen again to make sure my brothers don’t look at what I’m doing.
“You lost the bet. It was yours to handle,” Dom says.
“Excuse me, I do have a job.”
“I think you’ve been banging some girl and that’s why you canceled on Sunday dinner.” Dom levels me with an intense stare.
Carm grins at me. “That was your assistant, wasn’t it?”
“Enough about Annie!” I yell.
I must’ve been loud, because Annie turns my way outside the door. I point at her computer. She rolls her eyes and disappears in the direction of the restrooms.
“You’re fucking her.” Carm chuckles.
“Get a fucking clue.” I give him my best “you’re insane” look, but these are my brothers. They know me better than anyone.
“We’re here for Blanca,” Dom tries to get us back on track and I couldn’t agree more.
“Technically, she didn’t ask for our help,” Carm chimes in.
I agree with him, but right now, I’m just thankful he’s off Annie.
My computer dings.
“We drove all the way over here. You can at least stop working for five minutes.” Dom blows out an annoyed breath.
I ignore him and sneak a glance at Annie. She’s back behind her desk. Good. Then I pull up the email she sent me.
* * *
To: Lorenzo Mancini ([email protected])
From: Annie Stewart ([email protected])
Subject: RE: Turn Around
* * *
You’re delusional. He isn’t checking me out.
Oh, and FYI, I just took off my panties.
* * *
I swallow back my groan and shift in my seat.
“Just give me one second.” I put my finger up to Dom.
His nostrils flare like he’s about to explode, but some things are more important.
* * *
To: Annie Stewart ([email protected])
From: Lorenzo Mancini ([email protected])
Subject: Package
* * *
Put them in an envelope and bring them in.
* * *
It takes every ounce of willpower not to look in her direction.
“Are you done yet?” Dom asks.
“Listen, I can’t just find some random guy worthy of dating our sister.”
Dom stands and looks out the glass door. He points at Jake. “There’s a guy.”
“I think he’s gay.”
“Ask the hottie. She probably knows people.” Carm glances at Annie, who’s rounding her desk with a brown interoffice envelope in her hand. “Perfect, she’s coming in.”
She knocks on the glass.
Dom opens the door for her. “Come to save him from us?”
She flashes him her kind smile, that hint of apricot I love so much in her cheeks as she walks across the room. “Here’s the item you asked for, Mr. Mancini.”
“Perfect. Thanks, Annie.” I smile.
“Do you know any available guys?” Dom asks her, crossing his arms. “Our sister needs a new guy in her life, and we don’t know anyone we’d set her up with.”
Annie glances at me and shakes her head. She’s already familiar with our goal, but she can’t let them know. She crosses her arms and leans her hip on the edge of my desk. “You’re trying to set up your sister?”
My gaze falls to her ass. She’s got the best ass and I want so badly to squeeze it. She definitely needs to be punished for wearing that skirt.
“She deserves a nice guy, and it’s a bonus if we like him,” Dom says.
She looks around the office, much like Dom did. “There’s Jake.” She glances at me.
I wave off her suggestion. “I told them he’s gay.”
Small crinkles indent her forehead. “No, he’s not.”
“He’s not?”
“No. He’s straight.”
“Then there we have it. Let’s call him in.” Dom claps in a let’s-get-this-going motion.
Carm grabs a drink from my mini fridge before putting his feet on the edge of my desk and cracking open the soda.
“Get your feet off my desk,” I say, pushing them down.
“You’re so touchy today.” He sips his drink. “Let’s bring the guy in.”
“How about I handle it?” Annie offers. “I don’t think he’s going to agree when her three large brothers are staring down at him.”
Dom looks at me, and we both shrug. “True.”
“Why don’t we double date with them?” Carm says to Annie.
She looks at me, and I inhale. She asked me not to say anything, but I really want to knock my brother out right now for this little fishing expedition.
“That’s not a good idea,” Annie says sweetly.
“Because you’re fucking my brother?”
“Carm, for Christ’s sake.” I stand, my chair rolling to the window. Anger coats my vision. I cannot believe he said that. What if I wasn’t fucking my assistant? Then what?
Dom smacks the back of Carm’s head. “Please forgive our younger brother. He’s lost all sense of propriety.” Dom gives him the lethal look I’m sure has made more than one trader down on Wall Street piss their pants.
To my surprise, Annie giggles. “It’s okay. I am fucking your brother.” She sounds so cool and calm, even my mouth is hanging open. “But mum’s the word, okay?”
Shit. I’m floored.
Dom raises his eyebrows at me.
“So the whole metaphor about the water cooler… you were really talking about water?” Carm asks, circling his finger between Annie and me.
“Carm, piss off.” I push a hand through my hair.
Carm laughs. “Is that any way to talk to your brother?”
I shake my head, exasperated.
“This is so interesting.” The grin on Carm’s face means trouble. “Are you going to come to Sunday dinner this week?”
“Shut it,” I say.
“Okay, so you’re going to fix Blanca up with that guy? He looks nice. Right?” Thank God for Dom’s interruption.
“Jake’s very nice and respectable. I’ve never met Blanca, but I can’t imagine a girl not liking Jake.”
“Then why is he single?” I ask, a hot poker of jealousy stabbing me in the chest.
“I don’t know. It’s none of my business,” Annie says.
“Thank you, Annie. You’ve done more for us than Enzo. If you ever need anything, let me know.” Dom moves toward the door and turns the handle. The man is constantly on the go.
“Well, there is one thing,” Annie says.
Dom stops and shuts the door.
She eyes me, and her smirk says she’s going to ask something embarrassing about me. “How often does Enzo lose at rock, paper, scissors?”
My brothers look at one another and laugh.
“Want to watch it live?” Dom steps forward, his fist on his palm.
“I’m not playing.” I sound like a petulant four-year-old, but I don’t care.
Carm swings his arm around Annie’s shoulders. “If you’re playing for sexual favors in bed, definitely play rock, paper, scissors. You’ll never have to blow him again.” He winks my way.
Annie stifles a laugh. “Thanks for the advice.”
“Hope to see you at Sunday dinner,” Carm says with his most charming smile.
Idiot.
“Let’s go, I have to work,” Dom booms, done with any chitchat.
“Coming, Daddy,” Carm says then swivels around. “Did I steal your line, Annie?” He laughs all the way out of the office.
Hands on my hips, I shake my head. “I can’t apologize enough for my brother.”
She turns to me. “Don’t forget to open your package, Mr. Mancini.”
Just like that, I’
m hard again.
Chapter 26
Annie
* * *
I’m not sure how this whole observation thing at Beth’s is going to go. I’m not sure how comfortable she’s going to be with Enzo and me observing her every move.
The car drops us off outside their condo.
“What does your brother-in-law do?” Enzo asks, opening the building door for me.
“Something in banking. And Beth has a popular blog that’s been getting a lot of traction.”
“About what?”
“Budgeting. She does a lot of DIYs and posts on how to stretch a dollar. I can’t even imagine what she does to my poor niece to save a few dollars.” We step into the lobby and head over to the doorman’s desk. “Hey, Ernie.”
“Good evening. I heard it’s date night.” He eyes the both of us.
We look at one another before going to the elevator.
“I thought we were shadowing?” Enzo asks, his hand on the small of my back as we wait.
“I did too.”
We step onto the elevator, and as soon as the doors begin to shut, Enzo closes the gap between us. I won’t lie—I love that he’s so touchy-feely and that he can’t go long without kissing me. I’ve never felt more wanted than I do in his presence. He makes me feel beautiful and sexy.
His arms lock me in the corner, his lips on my neck. “You smell so good.”
One hand slides up the back of my shirt. His touch electrifies my skin, and my eyes fall shut.
“I’m going to come all over these tits tonight. I’m going to fuck you until I’m about to come, then I’m gonna pull my dick out and watch my cum stream all over your gorgeous tits.” His big palm grabs my breast, and he tweaks my nipple, his mouth covering mine.
Will I ever get enough of him?
Wrapping my hands around his neck, I wind my fingers through his strands and grind myself along him, not getting the friction I need. The elevator doors ding open and he extracts himself too fast, as though it’s not his first time making out in an elevator, while I’m fumbling to find the floor again.
Forbidden Desires Page 30