The Rich List Series: Contemporary Romance Box Set (Millionaire, Billionaire, CEO)

by Hunter, Talia

As he rounded the reception area, he saw someone in front of the General Manager’s office, her back to him. Angel. He froze. Was she wearing only a skirt? Her curves were seriously sexy.

  “Angel?”

  She spun around with a yelp of surprise, her eyes huge.

  Marcus clenched his jaw as all his blood rushed to his groin. Her body was incredible, especially with so much skin showing and her nipples barely covered by a lacy bra. Her fitted skirt showed off the shape of her hips, and the bra accentuated the contrast of her full breasts and slim waist. Every inch of her screamed out to be explored.

  “What are you doing here?” Her voice was husky with surprise. Some of the drink she was holding sloshed over the rim of the glass. Whisky? Yes. He caught a whiff of its warm, peaty aroma. She hunched forward and her free hand went to her chest, trying to cover herself. She looked around frantically, no doubt searching for her clothes.

  “Left my room key behind.”

  Her gaze crept back to his face, and she bit her lip, her expression uncertain. Then she drew her hand back down, exposing herself. She straightened, her chin lifted, and she took a deep breath.

  Hesitant at first, then gaining confidence, she walked deliberately towards him. Marcus felt himself harden in response. She was a fantasy made real.

  “I didn’t expect you tonight. But I’m glad you’re here.” She put her glass on a desk before stepping close enough that he could feel the heat radiating from her body. The scent of whisky grew stronger, rich and smoky, and he licked his lips.

  Shit. She was his employee. The rational part of his brain announced that he should turn around and leave. The rest of him told that part to shut the hell up.

  He swallowed, trying to control his throbbing cock and give his brain a fighting chance. “What do you want, Angel?”

  She answered with no hesitation. “I want you to seriously consider me for the General Manager’s position.”

  He took a step back, shaking his head. “I can’t give you the job.”

  “Just give me a chance, that’s all I ask. Spend some time getting to know me before you make the final decision.” She closed the gap he’d created between them, then reached out and took hold of his tie, her gaze locked with his.

  His blood pumped harder. He liked being in charge, and he’d never had the kind of fantasies that involved a woman telling him what to do. But her assertiveness was a total turn on.

  Still, however much he burned to run his hands over her smooth, inviting skin, if she thought she could trade sex for the promotion, she was wrong. He clenched his hands into fists to stop himself reaching for her.

  She pulled gently on his tie and brought her face up to his. “Kiss me.” Her eyelids were half closed as she offered him her lips. A treat too tempting to resist.

  “Fuck, Angel,” he murmured. Then he bent forward to take what he’d wanted from the first moment he’d seen her. Her lips tasted as rich and warm as the whisky she’d been drinking. She kissed him back eagerly, her mouth opening for him, her tongue dancing with his.

  Her body was soft in all the right places. Enough to drive him mad with lust, with wanting to explore those amazing curves. To map her, and claim her, and make her gasp with pleasure. To tear off that lace bra and bend her over the desk. Bury himself in her until she screamed his name.

  He slid his hands down to undo the zip of her skirt and push it off. Then he drew back to look at her in just bra and panties. Fuck. He wasn’t sure whether he said it aloud or just in his head. Her figure could inspire a master painter. Monet, or Reubens, or… shit, he couldn’t think.

  “You’re beautiful.” His voice came out rough with desire.

  She reached for him, and he stroked the length of her back while he kissed her again. She loosened his pants, pushed her hand inside his underwear, and stroked him. Oh yeah, that felt good. He shoved his pants down to give her better access, but here were still too many clothes between them. He tugged her panties to her thighs and she wriggled them all the way off.

  Parting her thighs, he explored her with his fingers. She was soaking wet, and she moaned when he stroked her.

  “Oh. That feels—” She broke off with a groan, and the fact she was so aroused she couldn’t find the right words made him so hard he felt like he might explode.

  “Don’t move. I need a condom.” He bent to find his wallet in his discarded pants. When he straightened, she was leaning forward to caress him, and her arm thumped hard against his shoulder.

  “Sorry.” She flushed.

  He kissed her, unable to restrain a smile. Was it bad that the moment of awkwardness had turned him on even more? She might play a seductress well, but he liked that it wasn’t too smooth a performance.

  “Shall I turn around?” she asked.

  Without waiting for an answer, she did just that, leaning forward over the desk to present her gorgeous round buttocks to him. Peeking over her shoulder at him, her eyes were dark with lust. “You like?”

  Instead of answering, Marcus heard himself let out a low, primal growl. The ache in his balls was so strong it was difficult to think about anything but thrusting into her.

  She threw back her head, her dark hair spilling over her shoulders. The sight of her spreading her legs a little wider tightened the skin on his balls and made him think he was going to come in his hand. He almost ripped the condom in half in his hurry to get it on.

  He held her waist with one hand, positioned his cock with the other. The intense pleasure that flooded him as he pushed into her, driving himself all the way in, forced an explosive sound from deep in his throat.

  She gasped, and for a moment he was afraid he’d hurt her. But she threw her head back again and spread her legs wider.

  If he’d managed to hold on to any scrap of restraint, it was instantly swept away. He gripped her waist to lock her firmly in place while he pushed into her again and again. Her hands were braced against the desk, and her wild panting added more fuel to his lust. But his need for release was building too strongly. If he wasn’t careful, it would be over too soon. He wanted to see her come.

  He pulled out of her. “Turn around.”

  She knew exactly what he wanted. She turned to face him, sat on the desk, and spread her thighs. When he moved between them, her knees came up and she hooked her legs behind him to pull him forward. Not that he needed the encouragement. Every second he wasn’t inside her felt like an eternity.

  His mouth found hers as he slid back into her. The taste of her flooded him again, driving him crazy. She tasted so good, he could kiss her forever. Except for one thing. With their bodies pressed together, he couldn’t get his hand between them, and he wanted to stroke her to orgasm before he lost his mind completely.

  Marcus broke their kiss, then pushed her down flat on the desk. Her bra straps had fallen from her shoulders, and he jerked the lacy fabric down to expose her nipples. Her breasts were magnificent. They bounced as he thrust into her, and that turned him on so much he could hardly stand it. He allowed himself only a few moments to enjoy them by rubbing his thumbs over her hard nipples, savoring the curve of her flesh. Then he ran his hand down to her clit. He stroked her gently, enjoying the way her panting turned into low moans of pleasure. Her back arched. Her long red nails dug into the desk.

  “Marcus,” she groaned. “That’s good.”

  She bit her dark red bottom lip, and her body shuddered. She was climaxing, and the feeling of her muscles clenching around his shaft drove him over the edge. His orgasm flooded his senses, the feeling of release so strong he had to brace himself against the table to stay on his feet. Time slowed, and he felt like he was pulsing into her forever. She drew herself up so she could kiss him. As the overwhelming pleasure started to ebb, their kiss slowly turned from passionate to something more tender.

  He ran his hands over her silky hair, then stroked her cheek. She was seriously beautiful, and he wanted to savor her. If only they were in a bed. After an orgasm that strong, he’d like n
othing more than to curl up with her and doze until they could do it again.

  Marcus blinked, his head clearing now that the fog of all-consuming lust was lifting. They were in the office, for heaven’s sake. Sure it was late, but anyone could still walk in.

  He pulled back and let Angel get off the desk while he got rid of the condom and zipped up. What had he just done? It wasn’t exactly best practice to have sex with an employee, especially one he’d just interviewed for a management position. If she filed a formal complaint, she could seriously damage his career. No, she could destroy it. There’d be no way to keep the scandal out of the media.

  Had he been out of his mind letting it happen? He watched her adjust her bra and shook his head. Who could blame him for losing his marbles?

  “Regrets, Marcus?” she asked. She must have seen it on his face.

  “That depends on you.”

  She smiled, and his heart squeezed tight. Shit, that smile. It tilted her eyes, lighting them from the inside, and turned her from pretty into stunning.

  “All I want is a chance to prove that I’m the right person to be General Manager.” She bent to pick up her skirt, and he caught a view of her ass that made him want to reach for her again. “Spend some time with me. Let me show you why I’m the best person for the job.”

  She pulled on her skirt and turned to let him zip it up. Even now, after the most intense orgasm he’d ever had, zipping her fitted skirt stirred every bit of lust he had left. He loved a curvaceous figure, and hers could have come straight from his dreams. His wet dreams.

  He caught her around the waist and pulled her back snugly against him. “I want to do that again.”

  She gave a breathless laugh, then swiveled in his grip so she could give him a slow, lingering kiss. “Have lunch with me tomorrow.”

  “Room service in my hotel room.”

  She shook her head. “In a restaurant, so I can tell you some more of my ideas and prove I’m the one you should promote.”

  “I’ve already told you—”

  “There’s a nice Italian place down the road, and the cannelloni’s to die for.” As she gazed up at him, he had a sudden flashback to the way she’d looked before she’d orgasmed, with her eyelids half closed and her lower lip caught between her teeth. He reached out to stroke a stray strand of her hair back into place. “You’re a difficult woman to say no to,” he murmured.

  She smiled. “I’m counting on it.”

  5

  The next morning, Angel’s elation had gone, replaced by the certainty that she’d made an awful mistake. What on earth had she been thinking? Sure, Marcus was hot enough to melt any woman’s inhibitions, and their connection had been incredible. But sex in the office right after her job interview? She groaned. If only she hadn’t drunk so much whisky and lost her freaking mind.

  She deserved a promotion, and should have been able to prove it without taking her clothes off. What she’d done had been a reaction against Bruce’s sexism, but still a huge error of judgment.

  Too late now. I can’t take it back, so I have to make the best of it.

  Regret made her dither for a long time over what to wear to the office. Nothing too revealing, or Marcus might get the wrong idea. She closed her eyes against a sudden vision of leaning over the desk while he drove into her from behind. Who was she kidding? He already had the wrong idea.

  Squeezing her thighs together, she tried to quell the ache of lust caused by the memory.

  She pulled on a blouse, then checked the mirror. Good, it was modest and businesslike. But it was also one of the few tops she hadn’t bought with the sole intention of disguising her curves. A compromise between shapeless and sexy.

  I won’t dwell on my mistake, but I definitely won’t repeat it.

  Today she’d have her chance to prove she was the right person to be General Manager, and she wouldn’t blow it.

  She’d barely sat down in her office cubicle when Marcus’s assistant bustled up. She was an efficient-looking older woman who’d sent Angel into her job interview, but they hadn’t been formally introduced.

  “Marcus is scheduled to meet with you from nine to ten this morning,” she said. “He’ll be here any minute.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  The woman turned her head, saw Bruce heading their way, and shot Angel a grimace. “Awful, isn’t he?”

  “The worst.” Angel shared a quick, sympathetic look with her before she hurried in the opposite direction.

  Great, Bruce was coming to her cubicle. Sure enough, he leaned over the partition in front of her desk, and as his eyes crept slowly down her body, his smug grin got wider. “Nicer than what you normally wear, but I liked the outfit you wore in your interview with Marcus better. Any chance we can get you into something like that again?”

  Angel spotted Marcus arriving. Great. The last thing she needed was for him to see her being humiliated. “Go away, Bruce.”

  “Did Marcus enjoy the view? He’d have to be blind not to.” Bruce managed to unglue his gaze from her chest for long enough to notice him approaching. “Speak of the devil.” He gave a wide, shit-eating grin and raised his voice. “Morning, boss. Ready for our meeting?”

  “I’m going to spend some time with Angel this morning. I’ll be with you by ten.” Marcus looked at her. “My office?”

  Bruce’s mouth opened, then shut again. He raised his eyebrows and that irritating smirk came back.

  Angel tried to ignore him, but her face was hot. “Actually, can we do it here? I’d like to take you through my spreadsheets and they’re saved locally.”

  Marcus shrugged, and moved into her little cubicle. He frowned at Bruce. “Was there something else?”

  Bruce shook his head. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

  “Sit down.” Angel forced herself to take a deep breath and push her embarrassment away. Damn you Bruce. I won’t let you ruin everything.

  As Marcus sat in the chair she’d placed next to hers, her heart somersaulted. He was freshly shaven and he looked and smelled so good she ached to kiss him, or to press her face into his neck and let him fill her senses. How could he be more gorgeous this morning than he’d been yesterday? Was that even possible?

  Her hand trembled a little as she clicked her mouse, bringing up her spreadsheets. She’d keep it all business while she took him through her spreadsheets and explained her processes. No distractions. It was important he understood exactly how she’d trimmed her expenses and made the buildings she managed so profitable.

  But when he leaned close to study the screen, the warm, leathery scent of his cologne made her dizzy with wanting. And when his arm brushed against hers, a shock of pure sensation shot over her body.

  She forced the feelings down and concentrated on her pitch. This was important. She had to convince him she was the right person to promote.

  At ten o’clock, Bruce sauntered over and slapped Marcus on the back with his trademark men’s club joviality. “Ready to go over those figures, mate?”

  Marcus’s expression didn’t change, but his tone was cool. “Sorry, but I’m busy here. Angel’s showing me why the properties she manages are doing so well.” He motioned towards the whiteboard. “For some reason her vacancy rate’s been erased from the list, so I wasn’t aware it was the best in the office.”

  Angel bit her lip, trying not to smile at Bruce’s expression. But her boss wasn’t defeated yet.

  “Well, how about we go through the budgets over lunch? They do a good beef pie at the Playhouse, and we can wash it down with a sneaky lager.”

  Marcus shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but the budgets can wait until this afternoon. I’ve already promised to take Angel to lunch. You understand, I’m sure. Got to reward those people who put in the extra work to get the results we need.”

  Ha. Take that Bruce. Angel’s day got even better when they left for lunch a couple of hours later, and she caught a glimpse of Bruce’s face. He looked like he’d swallowed a cockroach.r />
  The restaurant wasn’t far, and Angel had reserved a table in the courtyard, where they could enjoy a slight breeze. When the waiter came to fill their water glasses, Marcus glanced at her. “What did you say was good here?”

  “The cannelloni.”

  Marcus nodded. “Two please,” he told the waiter.

  He sipped his water, and Angel resisted the urge to stare at him. She’d been fighting it all morning, but it was even more difficult now that she didn’t have her computer screen to distract her. From the moment she’d walked into his office yesterday, she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off him. Even if he’d been a stranger walking by on the street, she would have stopped to watch him go past. And he probably would have featured in her next erotic fantasy.

  Marcus put his glass down. “Tell me about yourself, Angel.” Before she could say anything, he added, “Not the sales pitch about why you should be General Manager. Tell me about the real Angel. What do you do for fun?”

  “I don’t get much time for fun. I’m too busy working.” He gave her a mock eye roll and she smiled back, her face heating. “Well, it’s not just a sales pitch, it also happens to be true. When I’m not working, I try to spend as much time as I can with my grandfather.”

  “He lives here in Sydney?”

  She nodded. “He has trouble getting around, so he had to move into a retirement home.” She screwed up her nose, toying with her cutlery. “It’s a crappy place, but the good ones have long waiting lists. And he has some close friends where he is, so he doesn’t want to move away from them. I’m campaigning the owners to make changes, and I figure they’ll break down and improve things eventually.”

  “They’re finding out how difficult you are to refuse?”

  She raised her eyebrows, suddenly hopeful. “Does that mean I’m breaking down your defenses, and you’ll consider giving me the job?”

  He shook his head. “The board would fight me on it. And the timing’s bad for me to even bring it up, because I have other things I need to get approved.”

  “If you promote Bruce instead, I’ll have to leave.” She sipped her water to try to hide her disappointment.