The waiter returns with our bottle of wine. I watch as he pours my glass first and then turns to pour Bentley’s. He stands and waits as Bentley sips it before giving the waiter a nod of approval.
“I’m guessing you don’t drink wine much.” He held his glass up and swirls it.
“I love how you have me pegged in spite of barely knowing me,” I say sardonically.
“Well…college honor student, works for free on the weekends, lives off ramen noodles. I’m guessing you study too much to work, and seeing that you work for free on Saturdays, you can’t have much life beyond that, which means you don’t have a boyfriend. Or any that know how to treat a woman.”
“Hmm…very observant.” I grab my glass and close my eyes as I inhale the scent. I swirl it before bringing my lips to the glass and taking a sip. I moan out slowly as I enjoy the taste burning down my throat.
“Jesus…” I hear him growl before opening my eyes. His face is pale, but his eyes are wide and hungry with need. “Or you dated a winemaker,” he jokes.
“I saw that in a movie once,” I say honestly, laughing. “I’ve always wanted to try it.”
The corners of his lips curl up in a smile.
“What?” I ask, feeling self-conscious as his continuous stare grows more intense.
“There’s just something about you, Ceci. You’re bold and fearless, yet there’s such an adolescent side to you that makes you adorable.” He’s playing with his glass as if he’s nervous about being honest with me.
“Adolescent side? Are you calling me a baby?” I tease.
“Well, if baby’s what you like to be called.” He places his foot on the ground and sits up, leaning closer to the table and bringing his face closer to mine. “Otherwise, there’s plenty of other names I can call you,” he offers, raising an eyebrow.
I swallow and smile at his flirty banter. “Is it normal for a boss to call an intern “baby”?”
“No.” He doesn’t move.
“Breaking your own rules?” I lean in toward him, challenging him at his own game.
“What rules?” His eyes give me a questioning look.
I get lost in Bentley’s face and start studying the curves of his features. His hair is brushed back slightly—intentionally messy, and his groomed beard is perfect in length. His sideburns are thick and run into his facial hair. I imagine my fingers intertwined in his golden locks as he wraps me up in his arms, assaulting my lips as our tongues tango together.
“Ceci?” His deep, pained voice shakes me out of my fantasy.
I clear my throat before speaking. “The company handbook,” I remind him. “Any relationships formed within the office are strictly forbidden,” I quote right from the handbook that he emailed me.
His lips form a cocky grin as he shifts in his chair. “You actually read the company handbook?” he asks, clearly surprised.
“Well, it’s company policy,” I quip.
“So you aren’t a rule breaker?” I can tell he’s testing me, but I know what he really wants to know—am I willing to break the rules for him.
“You’ve seen my portfolio. Does it say I am?” I ask with a seduction-laced voice.
“It says you’re a fast learner and that you’re willing to learn new things.”
“That I am.” I wink, and I can tell I just gave him the green light.
CHAPTER 9
Bentley
Breaking the Rules
Watching her squirm is one of the hottest things I’ve ever seen. She acts so confident and cocky on the outside, but on the inside, she’s a timid girl not wanting to show her true self to anyone. She’s hiding something.
Once our meal arrives, she relaxes a bit. Her open, edgy, carefree attitude returns as we ease into simple conversation. She continues to ask me about my work and favorite cases I’ve worked on, and I ask her about her family and classes.
“What happened to your dad?” I ask as I cut into my steak.
She fidgets a little before responding. “He, um, left when I was eleven years old. I haven’t seen him since.” Her eyes are glued to her plate, and I know I’ve hit a sore topic.
“I’m sorry.” Instinctively I reach across the table and grab her hand. “You don’t have to talk about it.”
She finally looks up and smiles weakly. “There’s not much to say.” She shrugs.
I continue holding her hand and rub my thumb over hers in comfort. It seems to help, and she relaxes again.
I take care of the check and escort her out of the restaurant. She begins digging in her purse and asks, “Should I just follow you?”
I grab her hand to stop her from searching for her keys. “No, I’m driving.”
I want Ceci next to me for as long as possible. A part of me knows she’s too good for me. She’s smart, funny, and I can tell she’s a genuinely good person. But the other part is too selfish to back off. I want her.
“All right,” she says, letting me grab her hand and hold it as I lead her to my car. Her small hand fits perfectly in mine, and I’m already dreading having to let it go. “You drive? I’d figure you’d have a 24/7 chauffeur.”
I guide us to her side of the car and back her up into the door without opening it. “Do you even know what kind of car this is?”
She glances over her shoulder and looks. “A black one.”
I smirk at her innocence. “It’s a Range Rover Fourth Generation. No way in hell I’d let someone else drive that.”
She looks over one more time before speaking. “Looks roomy.”
“You want to see how much room there is?”
“I assume you paid extra for that.” She grins confidently. “The extra-large package.”
I can feel the intense heat between us and know she feels it, too. Her skin pricks in goose bumps every time I touch her, and she’s arching her hips toward me, begging for me to press my body against hers.
“Okay…you’ve gotten enough money jabs at me for one night, don’t you think?”
She pulls her lips in as if she’s thinking hard about it. “I may or may not have a few more,” she admits.
“I guess I’m going to have to find a way to shut that pretty mouth up.” I lean into her body like she’s secretly begging me to, resting one hand behind her and one hand around her waist.
“That’s a very backhanded compliment,” she breathes out, and I can tell she’s fighting an inner battle with herself, which, if I do this right, she’ll soon be losing.
“Backhanded? Are we talking positions already? Because we have yet to revisit that roller coaster comment.” I lean my body into hers, only holding us up with my hand behind her, resting on the car. Her body stills as she sucks in a breath. She’s focusing on my chest, and I can’t tear my eyes away from her mouth.
She arches her hips into me and feels the hard bulge that’s now formed. She gasps lightly as her body squirms to start a rhythm with mine.
“Ceci,” I growl, tilting her chin up to make eye contact with me. Her expression isn’t fear, but desire, and I can tell she’s feeling the same way I am—desperate and hungry for more. I lean in and bring my lips to her ear. “As much as I want to fuck you against this car, I promised you a presentation tonight.”
I lean back and kiss the corners of her mouth. She simply nods, and reluctantly, I pull away to grab the door and escort her into her seat.
As soon as I begin driving, I grab her hand and place it in mine. She rests it on my leg, which is probably the worst fucking spot for any contact.
The drive is comfortable and quiet as we listen to music. I watch her out of the corner of my eye and see her sinking into the seat as she patiently waits for us to get to our destination.
* * *
Walking in with a beautiful girl like Ceci doesn’t go unnoticed by the rest of the men sitting nearby. They’re like hyenas— ready to jump on their prey and rip her apart for themselves.
I rest one ankle on my knee as I wrap my arm around her, claiming her before the
pack gets any ideas. I dip my face into her neck and whisper, “You better stay close before you are eaten alive by the rest of the audience.”
Before I pull back, she turns her head and responds, “Maybe I like being eaten alive.” She cocks a positively evil smile.
My head falls back as I groan. “You’re killing me,” I growl close to her ear. “I’m going to sit here the entire time with a hard-on.”
Her eyes immediately go to the noticeable tent in my pants, and she laughs. “It must suck to be a guy,” she teases.
“You think you’re the only one that can play this game?” I breathe into her ear, and she shivers against me. “That’s what I thought.”
The lights dim as the speaker walks on stage, welcoming and thanking everyone for coming. Luckily, no one is sitting close to us, giving me a green light for what I’m about to do. I casually move my arm and lay it against her bare thigh. I squeeze tightly as my fingers inch up her leg, pushing her dress up with them. I can tell how aroused she is from the way she squirms under my hand. Heat radiates between her legs as my fingers continue rubbing against her.
Her hand grabs mine as she tries to force it off her leg. She barely has any strength against my hand, and it’s comical as I watch her try. “What’s the matter, sweetheart?” I whisper, letting my tongue vibrate against her ear. “You think it’s funny now?”
I slip my pinky inside the lace of her underwear and her breath catches. She sinks lower into her seat, no longer fighting me. Another finger slips in and pushes her panties out of the way.
I lean in as I whisper, “Tell me to stop, Ceci. If this breaks your rules, tell me to stop.”
Her eyes are closed, and I can tell she’s fighting with herself to say the words. Her mouth parts slightly as she sharply inhales. I work my fingers into her, making sure that I’m not broadcasting what I’m doing to the people behind us, but that only gets me harder, knowing we’re in a public place.
“Bentley,” she finally breathes out. Her tiny voice whimpering my name just about makes me come undone. I’m ready to sweep her out of here and fuck her against the nearest wall.
I feel her body tense up, ready to explode around my fingers. I bring my lips back to her ear as I aggressively pull my fingers out. “I want to hear you scream my name when you come…so until then, you’ll have to wait.” Her eyes flash open as she intently stares me down, obviously shocked by my quick exit. “Now we both suffer in sexual frustration.”
“That’s cruel,” she spits out in a hushed tone.
“No, sweetheart. What’s cruel is getting me all worked up with no outlet.” I kiss her cheek softly. “You’ll be paying for that later.”
I feel her shiver under me, and I know she wants it as badly as I do. The anticipation is killing me. Knowing she’s interning for another three months puts me in a really hard position.
* * *
I watch as Ceci is completely captivated by the speaker and their presentations. It’s everything I already know and have learned from working the past couple years. He speaks about past case studies, cold cases, and some of the big headliners that roamed Nebraska.
“One of the biggest unsolved murder mysteries in Nebraska is from Omaha, seven years ago. An all-American father and husband was gunned down outside his home on a summer day, in front of his children, yet the evidence never matched up to find the shooter.”
I hear Ceci’s breath catch as she leans forward. Her hand covers her mouth and her eyes are glued to the speaker on stage.
“You okay?” I whisper ,curious as to why she has this kind of reaction.
She immediately drops her hand and nods her head. “Yeah, fine. I just…I think I heard about this one before.”
“Yeah, it was pretty big news in Nebraska for a long time. My dad worked night and day on that case.”
She turns and faces me, but her expression is unreadable. “Really?” She swallows.
“Yeah, almost killed him to write that final report.”
“What was that?” she quickly asks.
“That the cops were calling it a cold case. No suspects. No witnesses. Little to no evidence.”
“Are you all right? You look flushed.”
“Um, yeah. Just tired. Would it be okay to leave early?”
I lean in happily and answer, “I was ready to leave fifty-five minutes ago.”
She lets out a small laugh. “It’s only been an hour.”
I smile back. “Exactly.”
I grab her hand and lead her out the back without disturbing anyone. What I want and what I should do are two different things, because right now, I want to take her to my house and fuck her six ways to Sunday. But what I should do is drop her off at her car and kiss her goodnight.
My cock agrees with the first.
“Thank you,” she begins as we sit in the car outside of the restaurant, where her car is still parked. I can tell that she’s still upset about something as she fiddles with her fingers in her lap. She nervously continues, “I appreciate you letting me tag along for the presentation.”
I lean over and grab her face, tilting her chin up so she’ll finally look at me. I close the gap between us and kiss her softly on the lips. Her body relaxes against mine as I wrap an arm around her waist. I so badly want to roam my fingers across her skin and through her hair, but I don’t. I can tell her mood has changed since we left, and the last thing I want to do is push her.
“You didn’t tag along,” I say as I lean my forehead against hers. I move my head back so I can look directly in her eyes. “And it was my pleasure, Ceci.”
I sit back in my seat and let myself out of the car, closing my eyes briefly as I fight with myself before opening her door. I want to slam her body against mine and beg her to stay the night with me, but something in me stops the words from coming out.
I grab her hand and help her out, shutting the door behind her. She leans against the car in a way that tells me she’s battling this desire, as well. I stand so she’s in between my legs and wrap both arms around her waist, pulling her closer until our lips are just barely touching. Her body is still but relaxed as she places her hands on each of my arms.
“Do you work out, like 24/7? Aren’t you abnormally muscle-y?” Her light tone shows me that she’s back to herself, and I laugh at her sudden change of topic.
“Muscle-y?” I mock.
“Yeah…I’ve never seen a guy with arms like this.”
I shake my head as I try to hold in the laugh that’s threatening to escape. “I fear for the quality of your ex-boyfriends. Not only did they serve you ramen noodles and cheap wine, they didn’t even bother to work out for their girl.”
Her head falls back as she laughs whole-heartedly. I’d do anything to bottle up that laugh—it drives me fucking crazy.
“You sure are a cocky son-of-a-bitch. What if I like puny guys who make ramen noodles and poor guys that can only afford cheap wine? See…you aren’t my type at all,” she muses.
I press my body into hers to show her how wrong she is. My cock is firm against her, and I know she feels it. I dip my head into the nape of her neck and kiss lightly all the way up to her ear.
“You lie,” I whisper. “You haven’t stopped eye-fucking me since the day you met me. Every time I’m near you, your body is begging for my attention. Say it,” I demand.
She whimpers against me, not saying or denying it. I know she’s holding it in. She wants to let go. I just have to convince her it’s okay to give in to what she wants.
“I said say it, Ceci.” My mouth wraps around the lobe of her ear, and she moans against me. Her body goes limp under my lips, and it’s just a matter of seconds before she comes undone.
I slowly kiss up her jaw as I tilt her head back. She arches her body for me, giving away how badly she wants it, how eager she is to take whatever I have to offer.
“I want to hear you scream my name, Ceci. I want your sexy, little legs wrapped around me so tight that you’ll have no choice but
to call my name as I press hard into you.”
Her body is trembling against me with each word I whisper, and I know it’s not because of the chilly weather—her body craves the exact thing mine does.
“Bentley,” she finally whimpers. “God…yes…”
I pull on her arms and yank her body into mine. “Yes, what, sweetheart? I’m going to need you to say it,” I command.
She flutters her eyes back open and stares intently into mine as she says, “Yes, I want you.”
CHAPTER 10
Cecilia
I ignore every alarm going off in my head as Bentley speeds to his place. He had me dripping wet against his car. I can’t even imagine what he’ll do once we’re behind closed doors.
I’m struggling with my head, and my heart—Part Angel and Part Devil are screaming at me, and all I can think about is how good it feels to have Bentley’s mouth and body on me and how much I want more.
I hardly pay attention to where we’re going and soon realize Bentley is parking in his garage. He quickly gets out and opens my door, grabbing my hand eagerly and pulling me out.
He barely yanks the keys out of the lock before slamming me into the wall, pressing us firmly against it.
“I hope you aren’t disappointed if we skip the tour.” I feel him grin as his lips run up and down my neck. I shiver under his touch, and then respond with a mumbled moan.
He shimmies my jacket off and aggressively grabs around my thighs, wrapping them around his waist and holding us up against the wall.
He presses hard into me as our mouths attack each other, roaming hands and tongues begging for control. I can feel how hard and thick he is under his pants. It ignites an inferno within me, making me realize what I’m about to do.
Meeting Bentley has awakened something inside me. Rather, it is Bentley who is the reason I want—need—this. My body feels as if it’s on fire as I crave every part of him. I want him inside me—teasing and torturing me. I want his mouth on my skin, kissing every bruised and broken memory. I want him more than I ever thought I’d want anyone.
Alphas & Millionaires Starter Set Page 49