by Mia Carson
Freddie swallowed the words she wanted to fling at him and smiled apologetically. “Sorry, I’ll have to say no. You know how important all this work is.”
“Yes, yes, I do. Oh, well, perhaps another time.” Sulking, he walked away, and Freddie sagged, glaring at his back.
Angrily, she went back to work, her fingers hitting the keys much harder than was necessary, but Zach made her skin crawl. No man could be that persistent with a woman who was clearly not interested. She made sure she never inadvertently gave any outward signs that she would possibly say yes or ever want to be with him. Why he continued blew her mind.
A few hours later, she sensed eyes on her and glanced up. Zach watched her from across the floor, Rhett by his side. From this far away, she saw the annoyance flit across Rhett’s face as his hands curled into fists. He said something and Zach patted him on the shoulder a bit too hard. Rhett marched towards his office and Freddie.
“Everything all right?” she asked in an undertone as he passed.
“Perfect,” he grunted. “Zach said you have some papers for me?”
She picked up the stack along with the drive and entered his office, closing the door behind her. “Did he also tell you he’s still hitting on me?” she muttered.
“Yes. Yes, he did. He believes I have feelings for you—which of course I do—but he’s messing with you to try and set me off,” Rhett seethed. “Obnoxious bastard.”
“Why would he do that? I thought he was your friend.”
“Oh, he is, but Zach has a weird way of showing his friends how much they mean to him.”
“And he’s what, protecting you from me?” she asked in disbelief. “What does he think I’ll do to you?”
“I have no idea.” He sighed as he sat down. If they were alone, Freddie could walk over there and sit on his lap, kiss him until his worries fell away, and make him smile. “If he keeps bothering you, you can put in a claim of harassment.”
“All he does is ask me out to dinner,” she said with a shrug. “I’m a big girl. I can handle myself. It’s you I’m worried about.”
She set the papers on the desk and handed over the drive. “What’s this?” he asked, cringing.
“This has to be reviewed by you before Monday. It’s what marketing was supposed to have finished days ago.”
“Shit.”
“Yes, my thoughts exactly.”
“I guess we won’t be having our monster movie marathon tonight,” he said, taking the drive from her. Their fingers brushed together, and she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from holding his hand and bringing it to her lips. “Before you leave today, do me a favor and order some takeout. I’m going to be here all night.”
An idea bloomed to life in her mind. “You think it’ll take that long?”
“Yeah, just a lonely night at the office. Movies tomorrow night?”
“I’m sure we can make that work.” She ran over the remainder of his meetings for the day, and though she considered lingering behind and talking with him, trying to sneak a kiss at some point, that was too risky. She returned to her desk, the gears turning in her mind, and waited until her lunchbreak.
***
Rhett frowned at the time and Freddie’s empty desk. She took her lunch at eleven like normal, but she was always back in an hour. The time was quarter after noon. He texted her to make sure her sister was all right, but all he got back in reply was a smiley face. She was up to something.
His cell rang and he answered it while his eyes remained fixed on her empty desk. “Rhett Macon.”
“Mr. Macon,” Dr. Gibbons said on the other line. “I hope I’m not disrupting your busy day.”
“No, not at all. I’m hoping you have some good news?”
“I do. The other homes for the mentally ill in this area are all on board for an event that could help raise awareness and funds. You have no idea how much this means to me—to all of us.”
“I’m merely trying to do my part,” he told her. “What you and the other doctors do… the orderlies, the nurses… it’s incredible. Every other disease seems to have charities and fundraisers. I think it’s time the spotlight grows so you can receive some of that attention.”
“You are quite a thoughtful man.”
“It’s all in a day’s work.”
“And you still haven’t told Freddie?” she asked.
“No, I want it to be a surprise. Were Clarice and some of the other patients willing to let go of some of their artwork for the silent auction?” he asked, standing when he spied Freddie stepping out of the elevator, a black shopping bag in her hands. Her cheeks were flushed and she mouthed an apology when she reached her desk and dug back into her work.
“Very willing, in fact. I think they all understand how much help our small part of the world needs,” Dr. Gibbons commented.
“If this first one goes well, we’ll turn it into an annual event,” he told her. “I’m confident you’ll have funds coming in that will support you for years to come.”
“One can hope. I must get back to my patients, but thank you again, Mr. Macon.”
He hung up after saying goodbye and sauntered out to Freddie’s desk. “Have a nice lunch break?”
“I did. Sorry I wasn’t back in time. The line for the food truck was around the building a few times.” Her eyes twinkled and smile widened. He looked for the black shopping bag, but it was gone. “Did you need something?”
“No, but you know, when you lie,” he whispered, “your nose twitches.”
Her eyes narrowed. “It doesn’t.”
“Oh, it does. What are you up to, Freddie?”
Her face failed to remain straight for long as he stared her down. “Nothing for you to worry about. Can I get back to work now?”
“Fine, fine, don’t tell me.” He sighed, overly dramatic as he pressed a hand to his chest.
“Whatever. You have a meeting in five minutes.”
“I do not,” he said, but his cell dinged with a reminder. “Damn it, what would I do without an assistant like you?”
“Fail miserably, of course,” she said with a wink.
“Just rub it in.” He licked his lips as they tingled. Kissing her in full view of the office would blow their secrecy, so he resisted and let his mind imagine he was doing that and more to Freddie as he headed off to another meeting, too far away from the woman he was falling in love with.
The day dragged on. Rhett nodded and replied when he needed to as meeting after meeting passed by. His mind, however, was focused solely on Freddie and the notion that he was indeed falling for this woman. He liked her, a hell of a lot, but love was a huge commitment. Was he ready for that? Was she? They spent the majority of their time together. He felt like he’d found his best friend, but she was so much more than that. She’d kept him sane the past few weeks when his brothers hounded him for results and Zach tried to push every button imaginable. His friend was jealous that Rhett landed a CEO position so easily and he would have to keep working for it. He expected to be promoted not because of his skill but because he was buddies with a Macon. Jeremy and Adam worked their asses off, but Zach slacked. Rhett wouldn’t let him have what he wanted without working for it like the others.
The meetings came to an end and Rhett grumbled to himself in his office as everyone else went home for the day. Freddie said his takeout was on the way and asked if he needed anything else.
“No, no. Go be free for your Friday night,” he groused. “I’ll be fine.”
She smiled, far too happy as far as he was concerned to not spend the evening with him. “If you’re sure?”
“I am, go. Catch Rosie up on your sex life.” The old woman came over one morning on the weekend and asked them quite bluntly over coffee how the sex was coming along. Rhett had burst out laughing while Freddie spewed coffee from her mouth. That morning would be burned into his mind for years to come. Rosie felt the need to give them some pointers, of course.
“I’ll come up with something to keep m
e busy.”
She walked away with a wink, and Rhett was the only one left in the office. He took the drive from his desk and walked to the boardroom to use the projection screen and spread out his notes on the table. He left a note near the elevator for the person who delivered the food to take it to the boardroom and plugged the drive in.
The room was dark with the blinds closed and only the door leading back into the office propped open. Twenty minutes in, and he already had two pages worth of notes and edits for Zach and his team to make before the meeting Monday afternoon. The elevator dinged and he called out for the food man to head his direction.
“How much do I owe you?” he asked without looking up when he heard the rustling of bags in the doorway.
“How about a night of sex and Chinese takeout?”
His pen fell from his hand. He swung around in his chair and his jaw dropped. Freddie wore a long black trench coat, open at the front, and a bag of delicious-smelling food in one hand. But it was what he saw under the coat that made his cock wake up to say hello. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, flipped the lock, and tugged on the string to close the blinds. She set the food on the table, him swallowing hard as words failed to come out.
She shrugged out of the coat, tossed it over the table, and planted her hands on her hips. She was sexy when she was naked, but what she wore now was as bad in a good way. The black lace that hugged her body made him jealous. Her breasts were displayed for him to see. She ran her hands up her sides to hold them, tugging on her own nipples as she let him admire the rest of the outfit. Garters held up black lace stockings and tall, black high heels, tantalizingly strappy, finished off the look. The one-piece outfit was completely transparent, and when she moved to the conference table and hopped up on it, his hands trembled with his desire to possess this woman. She spread her legs wide and the crotch-less panties pushed him over the edge.
“Would it be too much to ask you to wear this more often?” he growled, stalking slowly towards her.
She leaned back on the table, shaking out her long hair, and licked her lips. “You like it?”
“Like is a very weak word for what how I feel for this outfit,” he insisted roughly.
Her nipples were hard as his hands closed around them, massaging her chest as he placed himself between her legs. She dragged him closer, and he rubbed the bulge in his trousers against her sex. He held the back of her head, tugging gently on her hair to pull her back farther and lifting her breasts for his mouth to devour. Having Freddie was certainly better than going through Zach’s presentation.
He caressed the sides of her chest, his lips closing around one nipple and tugging hard, nibbling her until she squirmed and ground herself into his body. While his mouth occupied her soft flesh above, his hand left her hair and crept lower, finding her warm center and thrusting within her soaking wet depths. He spread her lips wide, barely touching her and driving her mad with want. She grunted in annoyance every time he rubbed her clit hard and pulled back when her hips bucked for more. He pushed her right to the edge every time, thrusting his fingers harder and faster. He wanted her—God, did he want her—but hearing her beg for him was well worth the torturous wait.
He dropped to his knees and shoved her legs even wider. His tongue lavished her folds from front to back. He sucked her clit hard, then penetrated her with the thick muscle. She whimpered each time he withdrew, her hands pressing into the table as he continued his delicious torture of her body. She quivered at his touch, her sex throbbing against his tongue as her desire to have him intensified.
“Rhett,” she whispered harshly. “Please.”
“Please what?” he asked, grinning as he rubbed his cheek along her inner thigh. He heard her take a breath to speak and he went down on her again. She rode his mouth, but as before, he didn’t let her finish.
With a curse, she sat up and those blue eyes penetrated his soul. “Fuck me.”
The predatory male in him took over, and he immediately stood, dragging her from the table. He spun her around and bent her over, fumbling at his pants at the same time. Once he was free, he spread her legs wide with his knee, held her body by her breasts, and thrust home. She cried out as his cock swelled, filling her completely. He groaned, closer to his own release than he realized. Each thrust was hard and every drag out sent another visible shudder through Freddie. He rolled her nipples then slipped one hand lower to rub her clit furiously as he pounded into her. He lost all control when her moan turned into a fierce scream of release and she clenched hard around his cock, the orgasm rippling across her and into him. His groan grew into a bellow of pure ecstasy when he came, spurting into her sheath and causing them both to collapse to the table. He kissed her bare shoulders and neck as they shook together.
“See?” she gasped, grinning at him over her shoulder. “Your Friday night wasn’t ruined after all.”
“I think…this weekend, I’m taking you shopping.”
“Oh? Shopping for what?”
Still buried deep in her sex, he bucked her hips. A glassy look passed through her eyes and she bit her lip, a moan echoing around them. “I think you know.”
“How do you feel about handcuffs?”
Rhett growled as he pulled out of her and lifted her back to the table so he could kiss her until they were both breathless again. He wasn’t leaving this boardroom anytime soon tonight, and now, he was okay with that.
Chapter 10
Summer arrived and it was July before Freddie even realized it. The past few months with Rhett flew by, and Freddie waited for the dream to end. Instead, it only grew better over time. No one at the office had a clue she was with the CEO, which was how they both liked it. Clarice was even improving, and Rhett was there almost every time she went to see her baby sister.
They spent most of their free time driving out to the beaches and walking far from downtown to avoid being seen together. The rest of the time was spent at her place. One Saturday morning, as they cooked breakfast in her kitchen—her wearing nothing but his t-shirt and him in his low-slung jeans—she asked why he preferred her tiny little house to his mansion in the hills. He spun his coffee mug around on the table in thought before a smile of pure contentment spread across his face.
“My place is too big, too empty,” he’d finally replied. “This, right now… this feels like home.”
“Well, you’re more than welcome to stay here as long as you want.”
“Is that so?” he asked, pushing to his feet. “Why, Ms. Sable, are you asking me to move in with you?”
Freddie’s hand froze in the process of moving the bacon around the skillet. Was that what she was asking? She expected the question to make him panic and come up with a million excuses why they shouldn’t. If nothing else, she expected apprehension on her part, but when she closed her eyes and thought of the future, she envisioned Rhett there beside her.
“I think I am,” she’d told him seriously. “Rhett, will you move in with me?”
He slid his arms around her waist and kissed her warmly. “I think I will. If I do, though, you know eventually, people at the office will notice we’re coming to work together.”
“I thought of that too.”
“Are you ready for them to know?”
“Are you?” she asked, more worried about him since he was the CEO. His brothers might decide a relationship with his assistant was too much of a distraction.
“I’ve been dying to tell the world since the first night,” he’d told her. “We’ll work out the details later. I think I might have to clear out some things.”
“Why don’t we start with half the closet and half the dresser?” she suggested.
He reached around her to turn off the burner and scooped her up in his arms as she giggled. “Why don’t we worry about the details later?”
These random bouts of lovemaking throughout the day signified how Freddie’s life was now, and she cherished every second. They spent the following weekend at his h
ouse so he could pack what he would need and move it to her snug little home. His place was far too big for one person. She would have gone stir crazy if she lived there alone. She tossed random clothes into the suitcase on the bed and he rolled his eyes.
“You are no help at all.”
“I don’t like packing,” she admitted. “I do like swimming, though.”
His eyes narrowed. “I didn’t see your bikini in your tote bag,” he said, the words rough.
“Oh no, I must have forgotten it,” she teased and slipped out his bedroom door.
The temperature was hot outside, but beneath the shade of the canopy over the pool, it didn’t bother her at all. She undressed and dove into the pool. When she broke the surface of the water, Rhett was there to greet her. He held up her discarded clothes and his eyes dropped to her naked chest as she bobbed in the water.
“What am I going to do with you?” he growled.
“Join me.”
“I really should finish packing,” he said but looked longingly at her.
She shrugged, swimming closer to the edge of the water. “Suit yourself.”
He started to say something else, but she reached up, grabbed his jeans, and yanked him into the water with her. She laughed hysterically as he came up sputtering.
“I’m sorry, what were you saying?”
He splashed her and she splashed him back. He struggled to get out of his wet t-shirt, jeans, and boxers, throwing them onto the concrete to dry in the sun. “Come here, you.”
When he crushed her body to his, Freddie was home. Their kiss was more than his lips on hers, just as her feelings for him ran much deeper than a simple attraction to this man. She loved him. Her heart pounded beneath her breast with it. She loved Rhett Macon, and one of these days, she would find the courage to tell him. By the way he held her now, pressing his back against the pool wall so she could straddle his lap and feel his full arousal, she sensed she wasn’t the only one worried about admitting true feelings.
He filled her up with more than just his hard shaft. He’d given her his heart, and she was more than willing to give him hers in return. Water splashed between them as she rode him slowly and steadily, drawing out the pleasure between them as storm clouds moved in overhead. As the first rumble of thunder sounded in the distance, their cries echoed around the pool and yard beyond it. The first drops of rain dotted her shoulders, and she shrieked when the heavens opened to unleash their heavy load. Cursing and laughing together, they climbed out of the pool, sprinting naked back inside the air-conditioned house. They were soaked from head to toe and Freddie’s sides ached from her continual laughter.