His Every Desire (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

by Alexis Winter

  Will he lose his job? Will his dad retaliate in some way? I love Bennet, and I don’t want to cost him a thing. My thinking stops right there. I love Bennet. I love Bennet!

  Oh my God, what does this mean? I knew I was having stronger feelings for him, but love? That one snuck up on me.

  I grab my phone and call Jazz, knowing she isn’t at work today because she had a doctor’s appointment.

  “Hello?” she answers.

  “Come over NOW!” I insist.

  “What? Where?”

  “Bennet’s.”

  “Are you okay, Mads?”

  I rattle off the address and tell her it’s an emergency. She hangs up, promising she’ll be by soon.

  I’m half drunk and half pruned, still in the bath, when she walks in.

  “You could’ve helped me out with that guard out there,” she says, walking into the bathroom.

  “Sorry, I’m drunk. I forgot.”

  “What’s this about, Maddie?” she asks, concern painting her features.

  I point to the counter, and she picks up the newsletter. It doesn’t take her long to get to page eight. She inhales sharply.

  “Oh, no,” she mumbles.

  “Yep.”

  “What? How? When?” is all she can say.

  “Last Friday. There was a gala for the company. He told me I didn’t have to worry because it was only for the higher-ups, that nobody that I work with would find out.”

  “Damn, girl. What are you going to do? Was work bad?”

  I lift an eyebrow and give her a duh face. “Yes, it was bad. Why else would I be taking a bath and drinking wine straight from the bottle in the middle of the day?”

  “What are you going to do?”

  I shrug while my lip sticks out in a pout. “I have to find a new job. What else can I do?”

  “I don’t know, Mads. But there has to be something. I mean, you just got your dream job.” She sits on the toilet seat.

  I nod. “I know.”

  She shakes her head. “I knew you never should’ve gotten involved with this guy.”

  “What?” I jerk my head in her direction. “You’ve been rooting for us to make it official.”

  “I was just rooting for you to be happy. But this,” she motions toward the newsletter.

  “It’s not his fault, Jazz.”

  She snorts. “Yeah, right. I mean, he’s the CEO of the company! He should know not to dip into the company ink.” She’s up and pacing back and forth across the bathroom floor now.

  “What’s this company ink thing? Why have I never heard it before?”

  “It’s just a saying. You haven’t heard it?” she asks, still pacing.

  “Jazz, you’re acting like all of this was him. I knew who he was, and I still went along with it.”

  “Yeah, cuz’ he didn’t use all his money and power against you.”

  “Jazmine, seriously. Stop. This isn’t his fault.”

  “Whose side are you on, Mads?” she asks, holding her hands out at her sides.

  “Whose side are you on?” I ask, sitting up in the tub.

  “Yours!” she answers, motioning toward me.

  “The stuff you’re saying isn’t my side. You’re speaking Damon’s side.”

  Her pacing stops and she freezes, forehead wrinkling as she thinks. “Oh, my God. You’re right.” She sits on the toilet lid. “How did this happen? I just hate that this is happening. I hate that you don’t feel comfortable at work. I hate that you finally got what you’ve been working all this time for, and now it’s being taken away. This sucks, Mads,” she breaths out.

  I suck in a deep breath. “I know. Maybe Bennet is right, and this will all blow over tomorrow.”

  She nods with a sad smile in place. “And if not, you got thick skin. You can stick it out until it does. Eventually, they’ll find something new to talk about.”

  “You’re right! I mean, it’s not like I’m the first woman on the earth to fuck her boss!”

  “Yeah!” she cheers me on. “Who cares? Them bitches are just jealous that they didn’t think of it.”

  We both stop and laugh.

  “I know why I’m laughing—I’m drunk. But why are you laughing?”

  Her laughs turn into tears, and she rips some toilet paper off to dry her eyes as she shrugs. “I don’t know. My emotions are all screwed up. I mean, I laughed when a guy in a movie died last night, and I cried when a baby said its first words on a video today. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

  I’m laughing as I stand and wrap my robe around my body. I move over to her and give her a hug. “Nothing is wrong with you, honey. You’re just pregnant.”

  We both laugh again, and somehow, everything feels better. The stress of the day is gone. Anger, gone. Now, it’s just me and my best friend talking and having fun like we always used to.

  Jazz and I hang out for the rest of the day. She shows me updated pictures of my old house they’re getting ready to move into, and we talk baby names, and how different it’s going to be with her and Damon moving out of the city. They won’t be far, but still, it’s more than a quick cab ride away.

  Jazz hasn’t been gone for more than a few minutes when Bennet walks in. I’m sitting on the couch in the living room, and usually, he comes directly to me for a kiss, but today, he doesn’t pay me any attention as he passes me by on his way to the study.

  I frown, wondering what’s going on. I stand and follow him to find him standing over the bar cart, pouring a stiff drink.

  “Hey,” I say, leaning against the door.

  “Hey,” he says, glancing over his shoulder at me.

  “Hard day?” I ask, walking further into the room.

  He nods. “My father came to see me today.” He tips up the glass and finishes it off before pouring another.

  “And?” I ask, sitting down on the leather couch.

  He turns and looks over at me. “He said if I want to keep my job, I have to fire you.”

  “Oh,” I mumble. I hate myself for causing all this mess. “I was planning on quitting anyway,” I say with a shrug.

  “I’m not doing it, Maddie.”

  I look up and see him shaking his head.

  “What?”

  “I’m not doing it. I won’t fire you. This whole thing is crazy. I’m a grown man. He can’t tell me who I can and can’t date.”

  “Bennet,” I whisper, shaking my head. I stand and close the distance between us. “I won’t let you do this. I quit. That’s it. You don’t have to fire me. Now, you can be rid of me at the office like your dad wants, and you can keep your job. That’s what he’s holding over your head, right? Your job?”

  He nods. “I don’t want that job anyway. I want you.”

  I back away, shaking my head, unable to stop. “No, Bennet. I won’t let you do this. I won’t let you give up your career. All of this started because of me. I’m going to end it.” I turn to run from the room, but he grabs me and pulls me back, his lips finding mine.

  I don’t break our kiss. I can’t. I want him too much. I need him too much.

  I wrap my arms around his neck and pull myself closer, deepening the kiss. Somewhere inside of me knows that this is our last night, even though I refuse to think about it at this moment. I don’t want him to treat me as if this is the last time, but for me, it is. I’ve already ruined my life. I won’t ruin his too.

  I hear him set his glass onto the bar cart, and then his hands are on my ass, lifting me against him. My legs wrap around his waist as he carries me across the room and sets me onto the desktop. Our hands are traveling at the speed of light, ripping and pulling one another’s clothes away. When we’re both completely bare, he slides into me, claiming me as his forever.

  Even though I never want to part from him, I know I have to. For his sake. I won’t let him lose everything because of me.

  He pumps into me over and over, making me call out his name and shudder with my release. I feel his cock throbbing inside of m
e, and he lets out a low growl just as his hips buck uncontrollably.

  When his release ends, he doesn’t pull out or leave me. Instead, he kisses me softly and carries me to bed. The room is dark, and I’m wrapped up in him. His fingertips are gently moving up and down my back, and I find myself reveling in his every touch, every breath, every word. Just as I’m drifting off to sleep, I hear him whisper.

  “I love you, Maddie.”

  It causes the corners of my mouth to turn up slightly. But then I remember that I have to leave him, and my heart begins to break.

  16

  Bennet

  I watch her sleep for as long as I can. I tell her how much she means to me, how much I adore her, how much I love her. I’ve never in my life said those words to another person, but when it comes to her, I know that they’re true. She makes me feel freer than I’ve ever felt. I don’t need my job, money, or this mansion. All I need is her. If she’s by my side, I know we’ll get through anything.

  While she sleeps, I run my fingers up and down the soft skin of her arm. I brush her hair from her beautiful face. She’s captivating. The way her eyelashes fan out across her cheeks, the way her lips pooch out in a pout, the soft whimpers and deep breaths that escape while she sleeps, it’s all so breathtaking. I don’t want to sleep. I want to spend the rest of the night lying here, holding her, touching her, making her promises that she’s not even aware of.

  When I can no longer hold my eyes open, I drift off into a deep sleep. But even then, all I see behind my lids is her.

  I wake in the morning and roll over, wanting to hold her, touch her, kiss her, but she’s gone. Suddenly, I’m fully awake. The bathroom door is closed, so I wait several long minutes for her to come out. When I hear no signs of the water running, I get up and open the door to find the room empty. I quickly pull on a pair of boxers and go into the room across the hall, thinking maybe she’s already up and getting dressed. But that room is empty too. Finally, I rush down the stairs, check the living room, dining room, and kitchen. She’s not in any of them.

  As a last resort, I go into my office and sit at my desk, pulling up the security footage. At three in the morning, she appears on the camera. She’s walking down the dark driveway with her purse and her gym bag. Instantly, I know she’s left me.

  I pick up my phone and dial her number. It rings several times until it goes to voicemail.

  “Damnit, Maddie,” I curse, dialing her number again.

  Seven more times I try calling, but all the calls are rejected. Finally, I slam the phone down and head back to my room to dress. It takes me only a few minutes to throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Within fifteen minutes of waking, I’m driving away from the house.

  I’m stuck in morning traffic when my phone rings. I grab it and answer it without thinking, hoping it’s Maddie, but my dad’s voice rings out over the phone.

  “Where are you?” he demands an answer.

  “I won’t be in today,” I tell him, checking my watch to see that it’s only five after nine. I want to laugh. I can’t even be five minutes late without him calling and hassling me, but any amusement I may have gotten from this was taken away when she walked out on me this morning.

  “What do you mean you won’t be in today? We have a very important meeting.”

  “What meeting?” I ask, confused. I don’t remember any meeting being on the schedule.

  “The meeting we’re having about approbate workplace behavior.”

  I roll my eyes. “Are you serious, Dad? I think everyone in the building knows what’s going on. You think we need a meeting to catch everyone up?” My grip on the steering wheel tightens, causing my knuckles to turn white. Why the fuck can’t he leave it alone? Is he so controlling that he can’t let me live my life without his input? Of course he is.

  “This is exactly what I’ve been warning you about, Bennet. Did you fire that woman?”

  “No, she quit. But I have news for you; if she isn’t welcome in your precious company, I’m not either.”

  “Bennet!” he yells.

  “No, Dad. This isn’t just about your company. This is about my life. I’ve finally found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. And you’re not taking that away. I’ve let you take away every piece of what makes me me, but I won’t let you take her. It’s the both of us or neither of us.” I hang up the phone without another word.

  Traffic moves a few feet, and I hit the gas, too excited to wait any longer. My mind fills with images of last night: the way she held me close to her body, the sounds she made, the way she promised she’d love me for the rest of her life. She planned this. She knew it was our last night together. She knew what she was doing.

  I know Maddie, and I know she was leaving in order to protect me. She thought I’d be better off alone, keeping my place at the company. But I don’t want anything to do with that company. I want the dream I created with her by my side. The one where we lived in the suburbs with our children, working normal jobs, and getting to spend every single day together. That’s what I want. And there’s no way I’m going to let her walk away.

  Finally, traffic starts moving, and I speed by as many cars as I can until I get off the highway and into her part of town. When I pull up to Damon’s house, I wonder how I even got here safely. I don’t remember a moment of driving since I got off the highway. All I saw was her. I pull up the parking brake and shut off the engine in one swift movement. I run from the car and to the front door, knocking over and over, but nobody answers.

  I bend down and peek into the window. There’s a small sliver that’s not covered by the curtains, and I scan as much of the room as I can. The tv screen is black, and no lights are on. I look at my watch and realize that Damon and Jazz are probably at work. But where’s Maddie?

  A deep breath leaves my lungs in a rush as I crumble to the ground. I sit on the step, elbows resting on my knees and my head hanging. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know where to go to look for her. She has that check; she could be anywhere.

  After minutes of sitting and feeling sorry for myself, I force myself to stand and walk back to my car. My immediate response is to drink, to drink and drink until I can no longer hold the glass, but I keep telling myself not to do that. I need to stay sober, just in case I do find her. I need to have a clear head to explain things to her, to make her see that I need her, not some stupid job that makes me feel like dying every day.

  Instead of going home, I go to the gym. I don’t pay attention to anyone or anything. I just go to the locker room where I know I have a spare set of clothes in my locker. After changing, I walk into the boxing ring with Phillip.

  “Don’t hold back today,” I tell him, popping my neck and stretching my arms.

  “You sure?” he asks as his brows raise, a little unsure.

  I nod. “I need to feel some pain.”

  “Rough day?”

  I laugh. “You could say that. Come on,” I say, throwing a punch that he blocks.

  I throw another hit, but he bobs and weaves until he’s advancing on me. He swings, and even though I see it coming, I don’t move. I stand still and take it. His fist lands on my jaw hard. It makes my ears ring, and my vision gets slightly blurry, but I shake it off and step toward him, swinging again. I land a hit to his chin just as he leans back to escape my punch. It didn’t have much power, but I try again and again. I land several hits, and so does he. By the time we pull away, I have blood oozing out of my busted lip, and I can feel my jaw swelling.

  “That’s enough, man,” Phillip says, leaning against the ropes to calm down.

  “Thanks for kicking my ass,” I say, stepping out of the ring.

  He doesn’t say anything as I walk to the locker room, but I feel his eyes on me the whole way. I strip out of my clothes and step into the shower to rinse off the sweat and blood. I hear the metal door open and slam closed.

  “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” he asks loud enough for me to hear him o
ver the water.

  “She left,” I reply.

  “She wanted more, and you didn’t?” he asks.

  “No, we both wanted more, and we agreed to take it to the next level, to commit. But then my dad and the rest of the company found out. People were giving her shit, saying she only got the job because she was sleeping with me. My dad freaked out and is worried about the company image. He wanted me to fire her. So I basically quit, but she left so I could keep my stupid fucking job that I don’t want anyway.” I shut off the water and wrap a towel around my waist before stepping out to find him sitting on a bench.

  “If you don’t want the job, what’s the problem?” he asks, raising his hands out to the side, palms facing upward.

  “She won’t answer her phone, and I don’t know where she is.” I shrug, letting my arms fall to my sides.

  “So, find her, explain, and live happily ever after. What’s so hard about that?”

  I walk over to my locker and start pulling on my clothes. “I don’t know, man. It’s not that simple. I thought she’d stick by my side, you know? I don’t want a woman that runs away as soon as something gets tough. She obviously didn’t want to talk about it anyway. She got up and left while I was asleep last night.” I pull on my shirt and slam my locker closed. “I’ll catch ya later,” I mumble, leaving the locker room. I’m tired, sore, and not in the mood to talk to anyone but Maddie. I hope Phillip doesn’t take it personally. I’ve never been this way toward him. Right now, I feel Mr. Windsor coming on—the guy that’s cold and harsh and doesn’t want to hear shit from anybody.

  I walk through the gym and am opening the door when someone bumps into me. I look down, and my eyes lock on icy blue.

  “Maddie?” I whisper, surprised to be bumping into her. My heart starts to pound, and my lungs suddenly feel like they can’t get enough oxygen.

  Her eyes are wide with fear and her lips part. She shakes her head and turns to leave without a word.

  “Hey!” I yell, but she keeps going.

  “Madeline,” I call after her again, but she still doesn’t stop. I quickly jog up behind her and grab ahold of her wrist, spinning her around. When I look at her face, she has tears filling her eyes, and that causes me to freeze.