by Cole, Aria
A lopsided grin turned my face before I dropped my hand from her body and stretched an arm behind me. “Banger here.”
I winked as she backed out of my door.
“Just a minute.” I interrupted the head of the financial department and pressed the receiver to my chest. “I look forward to seeing you later, Ellis.”
Her devastating smile twisted, her eyes trailing up my suit-clad body before she breathed. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”
I almost hung up and dragged her right back to where she belonged—in my arms and against my body.
Once I truly had her, I wouldn’t let go.
Chapter 5
Ellis
I left Mr. Banger’s office—Tobias’s office—and headed straight past my desk and down the hall. Heat blistered my skin, and arousal soaked my thighs. What did it feel like to be touched by my boss? So phenomenal I was sure the evidence of it colored my face.
Head down, I darted into the ladies’ room and checked the other stalls to make sure I was alone before I headed to the mirror. There, I saw my wide and dilated eyes, the flush on my cheeks, the way my breath was still racking my chest.
I was more turned on than I’d ever been in my life.
I shifted again, remembering the feel of his heavy hands warming my skin.
Every fucking piece of me wanted him.
This was wrong. All so wrong. How could I expect this to lead to anything but disaster? The man who made me feel these things, these feelings, also had the ability to destroy me. I’d worked for too many years to get a job at a firm like this, keeping my focus on school alone. I couldn’t let him derail me. I wanted a husband, a family at some point, but not now. Not with my boss. Not with the man who could fire me. And what about the company nonfraternization policy? I didn’t remember seeing that specifically when I’d signed my contract, but I was sure it was in there. Weren’t all companies doing that these days?
But Tobias Banger was the boss. He’d created that contract. He could just as easily destroy it. I knew men like him didn’t play by the rules. Men like him, with more wealth and privilege than I could even begin to imagine, wrote the rules. I didn’t know anything about Mr. Banger’s history, and the staff around the office was surprisingly mute on the topic, so I was left to my own assumptions. But digging into the boss’ personal life wasn’t in my best interest.
I’d worked my fingers to the bone to get this job.
No way could I risk that now.
I dampened a paper towel and wiped it across my chest and neck, trying to cool my body after its overwhelming reaction to his touch. Staying away from him was impossible, especially since I’d just agreed to develop an entirely new department with him. Controlling my body’s reaction to him was equally impossible, and impossible things made me uncomfortable. I liked control, balance, stability.
I finished in the ladies’ room and took my time walking back to my desk, wondering if I should find a way to tell Mr. Banger that we couldn’t do this. I couldn’t let myself be taken in by him. It wouldn’t be good for either of us.
Visions of an office romance gone horribly wrong flashed through my mind.
And deep down… I didn’t feel good enough for him. Mr. Banger intimidated me. A Park Avenue debutante would have looked better on his arm than a frumpy girl with too-big hips and an accent that indicated a working-class background.
Mr. Banger and I were a horrible mismatch. So why did it feel as if I was trying to convince myself of that?
I sighed and slumped into my chair, opening my laptop to get started on researching charities that Mr. Banger may want to donate to.
Throwing myself into work would be my only respite from the overwhelming sexual tension that chugged between us.
I spent the next few hours researching and taking notes on dozens of different charities to show Mr. Banger.
Around one, my phone rang.
“Tobias Banger’s office?”
“You worked through lunch?” Mr. Banger’s growl sent a shiver down my spine.
“Uh, yes. I’ve been researching some charities—”
“Order us something to eat. I’m starving.”
Us. He’d said us.
“S-sure.” I scrambled for the list of his favorite takeout places.
“Get whatever you like, Ellis.”
The way he said my name made my insides melt. How did just the power of his voice do that to me? Made me think of things I really shouldn’t, like our bodies tangled together in his sheets.
I sighed. The phone went silent as I sat there, aroused and upended all over again.
An hour later, I was in his office, my heels kicked off and my legs tucked beneath me on the slim leather couch that sat against one wall.
“I like this one.” Mr. Banger tapped one of the charity pages I’d printed out. “I’d like to help underprivileged kids. I’ve always donated to a few charities personally, but I’d like to take it bigger scale. Really make an impact. Get community centers built in some of these inner-city neighborhoods, fund after-school programs, update the technology and get better supplies to low-income schools. I’d even like to sponsor an entire class of kindergartners from the public school I went to and pay for their college tuition... can you look into that for me?”
“That sounds... incredible. Everyone says they want to help underprivileged kids, but you have real ideas. I grew up in Evanston, which isn’t exactly a rough neighborhood, but it still deals with a lot of underage crime. These kids need a place to go,” I said, feeling much more comfortable in his office, and in his presence, now. Ever since I’d made the decision that whatever was between us couldn't go further, I’d released some of my anxiety about being with him. Sure, he was devastatingly handsome and filled out a suit better than any Armani model, but he was also charming, a great listener, and so interested in people. He really cared about people, and that was something that connected us.
“I grew up on the east side.” His eyes shot up before they moved back to his plate. “The part of town no kid should have to grow up on.”
My eyes grew wider than saucers. I’d just assumed he’d grown up with wealth he wore it so well. His poise and manners were two of the first things I’d noticed about him.
“I know firsthand how badly those kids need a safe place to go.” He stood and strode across the room. The way the fabric of his suit pants hugged his ass, the muscles taut and flexing with each measured movement, made my mouth water. He really was walking, talking sin.
I must have been in hell.
He grabbed a file from a drawer before tossing it on the table between us. “Those are the charities I’ve been donating too. I’d like to give more to them too.”
I flipped the file open and found a list of at least half a dozen charities, including the Boys and Girls Club and other inner-city safe havens. “These are great.”
He nodded, rolling the crisp white sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows and revealing colorful, intricate tattoos that crawled around his forearms and disappeared beneath the fabric.
The sight of them surprised me, and they only added to his mystery. What did they mean? When had he gotten them? And sweet Jesus, were there more?
I’d never been a fan of tattoos, but seeing them on him, so unexpected, like they seemed to reveal something hidden about his life, changed my opinion. Tobias Banger would not have put ink on his body without a reason for it. I struggled to make sense of the design, but I didn't want to spend too long staring.
“I’ve had them for years,” he said, probably catching my glances.
“Are there more?” I blurted before thinking twice.
He nodded, his gaze trained on mine. “I’ve got a few.”
“They’re beautiful.” I moved closer and trailed a fingertip up what looked like the twisting tail of a dragon wrapped around his forearm. “The colors are incredible.”
“I’ve thought about getting them removed.”
“What? Why?” I asked, suddenly sad at the thought of him without them.
“I’m not the same person I was when I got them.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal, yet it seemed like the biggest deal. It sounded as though he wasn’t proud of the person he had been.
“I think they add to the mystery of you,” I said, surprised by my own words.
One deft eyebrow arched. “I guess they’re worth keeping then.”
His crooked, confident smile made me burn. “Mr. Banger—”
“Tobias.”
I wanted to smack the smile right off his mouth. Or kiss it. I really wanted to feel the heat of his lips against mine again.
“I've been thinking…” I struggled for the right words. “We shouldn't get involved in anything… personal. I just don’t think it’s smart for either of us.”
“I don’t care what’s smart. I care about what's right, and you in my arms felt more right than anything ever has in my life.” His beautiful eyes held mine.
“But the things you make me feel — it’s just bound to end badly. And I really need this job—”
“If you ever think I would put your job here in jeopardy—”
“You say that now, but what if—”
“What if what, Ellis? We can ‘what if’ all day, but I’m more concerned about what happens if I don’t do this. If I don’t do everything in my power to have the only woman on the planet who has ever made me feel like I can’t breathe without her.”
The air between us felt pregnant. Taut, as if we were held together by invisible silk threads.
“Mr. Banger—”
“Tobias.”
“Stop interrupting me!” I seethed, finally frustrated with all his sexy charm and insistence on turning my world upside down.
“But you're so beautiful when your eyes crinkle together and your lips purse like that. Makes me want to kiss you until you’re out of breath.” One finger dragged up the inside of my arm, sending electric jolts through my system.
“But what about the ‘no fraternization’ policy?” I said, a little breathless.
“There isn’t one.” He sounded a little cocky.
“Then what if—”
“What if I slip my fingers between your thighs and make you cum so hard you scream?”
I sat stupefied, every stubborn nerve in my body begging him to do it.
Say yes. Let him put his hands on you again. Let him take everything you have.
I swallowed the lump in my throat, my nipples tightening painfully as if lightning had replaced the blood in my veins. “We should pick a few charities and get in touch with them.”
His smirk deepened when he realized he’d gotten to me. Damn him.
I inched away, breaking the spell between us and returning my attention to the paperwork spread out in front of us.
“I like the way you think.” He grinned, and I knew his words meant so much more than he’d let on.
Tobias Banger was driving me insane, one slow, sexy smile at a time.
Chapter 6
Tobias
“That color highlights the creamy shade of your skin.” I rested a hip against my desk and crossed my arms. My eyes followed the curve of her hips to her ass cheeks stretching that tight pencil skirt. Pain radiated through my balls. The need to drop to my knees, push my hands up that skirt, and fuck her with my tongue was strong. What would sweet little Ellis say when I slid a finger through her hot pussy? I made it my mission to find out.
She turned and nailed me with her gaze. “I’m sure that’s exactly what you meant.”
“Would you like to know what I wanted to say?” I crossed to her in a few short strides. “I meant your ass looks great in that pencil skirt. But your ass looks great every day, and I’m beginning to think you wear these tight skirts, shirt tucked in and buttoned up, to drive me crazy. Makes me want to push my hands into your hair”—I threaded my fingers through her dark curls—“and fuck you with my tongue until your lips are bruised.”
Ellis’s fingers clutched at my shoulders before her eyes fluttered closed. “I’m going to make copies of these.”
She dropped her arms and reached for the file on the table.
“You are determined when you set your mind to something, aren’t you?” I commented.
“You don’t know the half of it.”
“Well, darling, I may not know what sets your fire, but I know how to stroke the flames.” I hummed the last word in her ear.
Little goose bumps popped up on her skin before she tightened her jaw and turned toward the door.
“Ellis?”
“Hmm?” She whipped around, eyes wide and hair floating around her shoulders.
“Could you stop in the file closet and bring me the folder marked ‘Donations’ from last year? You shouldn’t have too much trouble finding it. No one ever goes in there, so it’s probably right on the top shelf where I left it.”
Her hand twisted the doorknob before she nodded and slipped out.
I sat back in my chair, enjoying every minute of torturing her. Being in the same room as her was nearly goddamn torture for me.
I’d have to continue to rub one out in the shower every damn morning if I was going to work with her like this.
But I was anxious to work with her. She had a head for numbers, and I knew that I could count on her, more than anyone else in this company, to run my business. She knew exactly how I liked things. From day one, we’d somehow fit together as if we’d been partners for years and slipped into a familiar routine.
I thought back to the way she’d responded when I touched her, the taste of her lips on mine, the wild visions of her in the throes of passion beneath me. I’d abstained from the pleasures of the flesh for many years. I’d found them too easy to get lost in, an addiction best left buried, but Ellis brought feelings out in me I’d never quite felt before. I’d had my fair share of women as a selfish, out-of-control teenager, using them until they hadn’t had a drop left to give before I grew bored and moved on. But that was then.
It hadn’t taken me long to learn that those reckless decisions were a result of my childhood. I was lashing out. I was bitter and thought I had something to prove. But the only person I’d needed to prove a damn thing to was myself. It’d taken me years to learn that, but I finally had, and I didn’t think some people ever did. I was one of the lucky ones.
I was a totally new man now.
Life changes a man, and I’d lived more than a kid ever should.
I'd come too far to get to this place, and I was proud of the man I’d become.
I checked the time on my Rolex, thinking Ellis had been gone for more than a few minutes. I stood, figuring I’d meet her on the way back from the copy room, but I wanted to check on her anyway. It wasn’t like her to take this long. Detours weren’t her thing, and she’d seemed excited to work on this project.
I stepped out of my office and walked the long hallway. I loved the sound of a silent office. I could get my best work done without phones ringing or interruptions from employees with deadlines and project inquiries. I stayed here some nights. If it was too late to make it worth going home, I’d grab a few hours of sleep on the couch in my office with the spare blanket and pillow I kept in the closet. A shower at the company gym on the first floor in the morning and I was like new. This company was my world. I lived it and breathed it, so tasking Ellis with starting the charitable donations department wasn’t a decision I took lightly.
“Ellis?” I called when I turned the corner into the copy room. Nothing.
I backtracked, heading back down the hallway and around the opposite corner to the file closet I’d asked her to retrieve the folder of old donation receipts from. I turned the knob and pulled the door wide. I found her huddled on the floor, a folder’s worth of paperwork spread out at her feet and one red heel in her hand.
“Jesus, are you okay?” I rushed into the room and crouched at her feet, taking her foot in my hand.
“No! T
he door!” she squealed, trying to scramble up and catch it before it slammed with a loud thud.
“What’s wrong? Is your ankle okay?” I felt the tender flesh of her foot again.
She sucked in a violent breath before looking at me. “The door locks from the outside.”
“What? I just had them changes the locks on it because the old one—”
“Didn’t lock at all. Yeah, I remember. And now this one locks from the outside.” Ellis pressed her hands against her forehead.
“You mean we can’t get out?” I stood and pulled on the doorknob.
Nothing.
Not a goddamn thing.
“Fuck.” I slouched against the door.
“Double fuck,” Ellis agreed.
“Do you have your phone?” I asked hopefully.
She frowned, shaking her head as she looked up at me from her spot on the floor. “You?”
“Left it on my desk. Why didn’t you tell me not to close the door?” If we couldn’t get out of here, it would be her and I, alone, in this closet all night together. No way could I trust myself so close, so tempting, all damn night.
“I didn’t have a chance to say anything before you freaked out and rushed in here like there was a madman on the loose!” Ellis’ words echoed off the four tight walls around us.
“I saw you on the floor and thought you were hurt! I couldn’t think straight.” I refused to apologize for the way my heart had dropped from seeing her crumpled on the floor and looking so helpless.
“I broke my heel trying to pound on the door.” When I looked askance at her, she shrugged. “I was angry. I dropped the folder when I realized the door was locked.”
“And you thought puncturing it with your heel was the best idea?”
“It was more for anger management purposes than practical ones.” She slipped the other heel off her foot and set it beside its broken mate. “Maybe if we keep banging on the door Jenny will finally hear us.”