I let out a deep breath and shake my head as I step out of the ring. Heading back to the locker room, I bump into Phillip.
“She came back for that private lesson, huh?”
I laugh. “Yeah, but I ran into her today… at work.”
“Oh, fuck. That complicates things.”
I nod. “Yup.”
“So, what’s the next step?”
“The next step?” I ask him, turning to see him sit down on the bench.
“Well, there’s a next step, isn’t there. A way to get her to forget that you’re her boss? A way to get her to cut loose and have fun and enjoy being your plaything?” He smirks.
I roll my eyes and shake my head. “She’s not just my plaything. I mean, yeah, I want to start something up with this woman, but…” My sentence drops off.
“But nothing. All you want to do is have a fling with her for a couple months and move on to the next one. Same thing you always do, bro.”
“No, that’s not it at all. It can last more than a few months. I don’t want as many women as I can get. Really, I just want one. One woman that is okay with having two separate lives. She lives her way, I live mine, and then we meet in the middle. I don’t want marriage and kids and happily ever after. I just want to enjoy my life and have fun. Why’s that so hard? Why do women have to complicate that?”
He shrugs as he picks up his wedding band and slides it into place. “Marriage isn’t that bad. It’s kind of nice. It’s like having your best friend with you at all times, someone that is always on your side and has your back. Oh, and sex whenever I want it.” He sticks his tongue out as he flips me off.
I scoff. “I have my own back. And don’t act like for one second you demand sex and get it. We both know you don’t wear the pants in your marriage,” I tell him, closing my locker and walking out.
By the time I get to leave the office on Tuesday, I’m amped up for the gym. I can’t wait to get her alone. I can’t wait to have an excuse to put my hands on her body. And I can’t wait to see if tonight will be the night I get her to let her guard down.
I walk into the gym and find her jabbing away at the punching bag. Tonight, she’s wearing a pair of shorts. They’re black and So. God. Damn. Short. They fit tightly and end just under her ass. If I hadn’t seen these shorts around the gym before, I’d say they were underwear. Just looking at her tight ass in those shorts makes my mouth water.
“Ready?” I ask, stepping up behind the bag.
She nods. “Let’s do it.”
I smirk and send her a wink. “Let’s do it.”
She laughs and shakes her head. “You know, you don’t have to do that—the whole double-meaning thing. If you have something on your mind, say it.”
“Okay,” I say, stepping into the ring and pulling open the ropes. “Why don’t you let me take you back to my place where I can spend the rest of the night between those legs, worshiping your body?”
She smiles, trying to cover the slight bit of shock registering across her face. “I would, but I wouldn’t know who’d I’d be sleeping with. Would it be Bennet or Mr. Windsor?” Her brows arch high, and her smile turns into a full-on grin.
I shake my head. “Whichever you prefer, Maddie.”
She laughs and puts her fists in the air. “It’s not going to happen, Bennet.”
I hold up my hand, and she takes the hit. “You like the chase, don’t you? You could give in, and you know you’d enjoy it, but holding out, punishing the both of us, it’s more fun for you.”
She shrugs one shoulder and hits the pad again. “I can’t deny that I like watching you beg.”
I laugh. “Who’s begging? You wanted honesty, and I gave it to you.”
She takes a step toward me and hits again. “You want honesty?” This time, she does a quick combo, hitting with both fits. “I’d love for you to take me back to your place. I want to see you moving above me, feel you inside me, but then, it’d end, and we’d go back to work where I’m treated cold and like any other employee. I like Bennet. Mr. Windsor, I’m not too fond of.” She swings to punch again, but this time, I dodge her hit and grab her around her waist, pulling her against me. My mouth lands on hers, and instead of pushing me away, she wraps her legs around my hips and her arms around my neck, accepting the kiss. As her tongue twists with mine I completely forget that we’re in public.
Her lips are softer than I ever could’ve imagined. Her tongue tastes of a sweetness I can’t place, maybe a flavor that’s all her own. And the way her body fits perfectly against mine, it causes me to lose my head completely. I was just wanting to kiss her, a little taste to see what she’s missing, but her reaction made me get lost. I’m wrapped in her completely, and there’s no way I can stop myself. If she lets me, I’ll fuck her right here, right now. There’s no going back.
I grind my hips against her core, and she lets out a whimper, a soft sound that cuts right through me. When my lips leave hers to travel down her neck, she lets her head roll back and lets out a long breath.
“Bennet, we have to stop,” she says, pushing against my shoulders.
Somehow, I pull away, studying her face.
“This wasn’t supposed to happen. We’re not Bennet and Maddie. We’re Mr. Windsor and Madeline.” She scoots away from under me and leaves the ring. I fall back onto my ass and watch as she exits the boxing area completely. She never looks back. The sound of the big metal door slamming is like a slap in the face, like I’ve been doused in cold water.
I let myself fall back, only seeing the lights hanging on the ceiling.
“She walked out on you?”
I lift my head to see Phillip leaning against the ring. My head falls back. “She’s going to fucking kill me.”
He laughs. “Mark my words, she’s going to be the one you end up with.”
“What?” I ask as he turns to leave.
He doesn’t answer me. He just keeps walking.
“Hey! What did you say?” I ask again.
But again, nothing. He opens the door to the locker room and slides inside, leaving me alone.
“Fuck,” I whisper, letting my head fall back against the floor.
“Sarah, please call Madeline to my office,” I say, releasing the intercom button.
“Will do, sir,” she replies.
It’s only a second later when she comes back on the line. “Ms. Strickland is out sick today, sir.”
Out sick, huh? I highly fucking doubt it. No doubt, I scared her off. She’s probably pissed at me. Not for kissing her, but for making her realize how badly she wants me. It’s easy to avoid something when you don’t allow it to come close enough. But the closer you get, the harder it is to resist. Last night, I got too close. Too close to deny, anyway.
I open the company directory and find her number. For the first time, it dawns on me. Her name is Madeline Strickland. Fuck, same last name as Damon. Damon, a friend I’ve had for many years now. A friend that’s helped me out of many jams. A guy that I call anytime I need something. Fuck, this just got a lot more difficult. Are they related? I know he’d briefly mentioned having a sister, but I never heard him say her name. Should I talk to him about seeing her? I mean, that would be the respectful thing to do, wouldn’t it? But right now, she doesn’t want to see me. She’s avoiding me. Maybe I shouldn’t count my chickens before they hatch. I mean, if I smooth things over and we start to move forward, that’s when I need to talk to Damon.
Quickly, I pick up the phone and call her.
“Hello?” she answers, using a fake sick voice.
“Why aren’t you at work?” I ask.
I hear her let out a long breath. “I just needed time.”
“Time to what?” I demand.
“Time to work through what happened between us. Time to sort through it all. I don’t want to be sleeping with my boss, Bennet.”
“Then don’t sleep with your boss. Sleep with your boxing coach.” I smirk, forgetting that she can’t see me.
; “I’ll be back in the office tomorrow. See you then.”
“Wait, you’re skipping the gym tonight?”
“I think it’s for the best; don’t you?”
“No! No, I don’t think it’s for the best. I think you need to stop hiding. It’s obvious that I’m feeling something for you, and you haven’t tried very hard to hide what you’re feeling for me. Why are you making this so complicated?”
“Goodbye, Mr. Windsor.” Without another word, she hangs up, and that pisses me off.
I hang up the phone, copy down her address, and stand from my desk. As I’m walking out, I say, “Sarah, cancel the rest of my meetings for the day. I’m leaving the office.”
I drive over to her apartment and wait outside until someone walks out. I catch the door and slip my way inside. I find her apartment and knock on the door.
“Mrs. Windle, I already told you I don’t have any sugar,” she says from the inside.
I knock again.
“I don’t have any milk, bread, or honey either. I don’t shop. I just live here.”
I want to laugh, but I knock again.
This time, she opens it. Annoyance is clearly written on her face but seeing me makes her freeze. “Wh—what are you doing here?” Her brows pull together as her eyes narrow at me.
“I have something to show you. Can I come inside?”
She lets out a deep breath but steps to the side and opens the door wider.
I take a few steps inside and turn to face her. “It doesn’t matter what’s going on with me; don’t skip work because of it. I don’t want you feeling out of place at your job.”
She crosses her arms over her chest. “It’s good to see you again, Mr. Windsor. How’s Bennet doing?” She walks past me into the living room.
I follow after her. “This isn’t a boss or coach thing. It’s just how it is. If we’re going to be two separate people, you can’t let Bennet from last night affect your work with Mr. Windsor today, and vice versa. Got it?”
She shakes her head. “I’m not doing anything with either of you. God, do you know how crazy this sounds? I feel like I have to have a split personality just to keep up with you.”
I nod once. “I do. I’ve had some fucked-up stuff in life, and this is the only way I’ve found I can manage to live.”
“Why? Please, explain this to me so that maybe I can understand.”
I’m not exactly the type to spill my guts to someone I barely know but fuck it…there’s something about Maddie that compels me to be open and honest with her.
I sit on the coffee table in front of her. “I was raised…privileged. In my teenage years, I did whatever I wanted, and when I got into trouble, my dad paid my way out of it. That didn’t stop when I got into college. By then, I wasn’t a very good guy. I bought expensive sports cars and raced them. I took up boxing and started competing. I found the only way I can feel alive, to feel like this life actually means something, is to get an adrenaline rush. Live dangerously. So, the last race I was in, the guy I was racing wrecked his car and died. It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t do anything to cause him to wreck, but he did. And his family found out I was involved. They saw dollar signs. They sued, and my dad, doing what he always did, paid them off. He then told me that if I wanted to continue to live like that, I would be cut off. I could do whatever I wanted, but the next time I got into trouble or needed help of any kind, I’d be on my own. Or, he said I could straighten up and take his place at the company. I thought about it and decided to choose the latter.
“I took his place at the company and turned my whole life around. But after a few months, I felt like I was dying. I felt tied down, like I was suffocating. I knew I had to do something. Working at the company, it wasn’t living. So, I decided to be Mr. Windsor at work, the son my father wants, and I would go back to being Bennet on my time off. It was the only way I could do what needed to be done and still feel alive.”
She nods her head, understanding. “I get it, Bennet. I do. But I can’t do that. I can’t be one person here and another person there.”
“I’m not asking you to. I’m asking that when you see me at work, to see me, not the guy in a suit that has no sense of purpose. See me, Maddie. The guy that’s standing in front of you right now. Do I need to lose the suit for you to see him?” I stand and rip off my jacket. Next comes the tie and the shirt. I toss it all into the floor and hold my hands out at my sides. “Is this better? If you want to get to know me first, that’s fine. But this is the me you need to know. Not him.” I point at the dress clothes on the floor.
“I’m crazy and passionate. I have fun. I live life to the fullest, and all I’m asking is for a little bit of your time. Just get to know me and forget all about that dick at the office,” I plead.
5
Maddie
I can’t deny that I find him attractive. Okay, more like drop-dead sexy to the point that I can’t close my eyes without seeing him. And if I’m honest with myself, I do want to get to know him. I guess if we started hanging out, it would be casual, and I wouldn’t want anyone from work knowing about it anyway, so it would be on the down-low. We’d have to keep up appearances. So, would taking this step forward with him be that big of a deal?
“What is it that you want from me, Bennet? I’m not a relationship girl.”
“That’s fine with me. I’m not the type of man you marry anyway,” he jokes, sitting back on the table in front of me. “I just want to take you out, get to know you, have fun, and have someone to enjoy things with.”
I bite my lower lip and nod. “Okay. We’ll be friends outside of work, but this is just between us. I don’t want anyone thinking that I’m sleeping my way to the top or something. At work, it’s Madeline and Mr. Windsor only,” I say emphatically. I don’t want him blurring the lines.
“Deal,” he agrees with a smile.
It’s contagious, and I smile back.
“I guess I can put my clothes back on now,” he laughs, standing up and retrieving his clothes.
“What was it that you wanted to show me?” I ask, walking him back to the door. “Surely it wasn’t your chest.”
He laughs and shakes his head. “I’ll show you tomorrow at the office. It can wait.”
I nod. “Okay.” I open the door, and he starts stepping out.
Suddenly, he turns back toward me. “Can I take you out to dinner tonight?”
“Before or after the gym?” I ask, leaning against the door frame with my arms crossed.
“You’re going to the gym?”
I shrug and offer a half-smile. “Why not?”
“After,” he answers, turning and leaving.
The workout he puts me through is hot and tiring, but it ends quickly, and we each go to the locker rooms to shower and get ready for dinner. I wash up and dry off. Since I didn’t bring my entire bathroom with me, I braid my hair and let it hang over my shoulder. Then I pull on a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeve Henley shirt. I don’t even bother trying to put on makeup. When I exit the locker room, Bennet is leaning against the counter, talking with another guy and waiting on me.
“Hey,” I say, coming to a stop next to him.
“Hey.” He stands upright. “Are you ready?”
I nod as I check him out. He’s wearing a pair of fitted dark-wash jeans and a t-shirt that stretches over his muscled arms and chest. He looks downright mouthwatering, and here I am in yoga pants and a crappy shirt.
God, I hope we’re not going someplace nice.
“This way,” he says, placing his hand on my lower back as he leads me out of the gym and into the parking lot.
He opens the passenger side door on a black convertible Mercedes AMG and motions for me to climb inside. I don’t know much about cars, but I know enough to conclude that this car is not only expensive, but custom.
“So, this is your car, huh?” I ask, walking slowly around it.
He nods with a smile. “Yeah. What did you expect?”
I laugh
and shrug. “I don’t know. I guess I never pictured it, but it makes sense.” I take my seat, and he closes the door. He climbs behind the wheel and starts the car; the engine roars to life and settles into a purr. He shifts into gear and hits the gas.
As we drive through the city, I look around: at him, at the car, just mesmerized by it all.
“Why are you staring?” he asks with a grin.
I laugh and shrug. “I don’t know. I was just thinking that this car is more Mr. Windsor than Bennet.”
“Oh yeah? What do you think Bennet should drive?”
Again, I shrug. “I don’t know. Something big. A guy in a suit fits in this car. A bad-ass boxer, he needs a Hummer or something big and awesome but still expensive and fancy.”
He laughs. “Okay, tomorrow, I’ll go buy a Hummer.”
I smack his arm. “No, I was just being stupid and talking. Don’t go buy an expensive vehicle on my behalf.” I look around and see that we’re leaving the city. “Where are we going?”
“My place,” he says with a smile, wagging his brows.
“Bennet, seriously, I’m not sleeping with you. We’re friends. That’s it.”
He laughs. “I’m not bringing you here to take advantage of you. I’m bringing you here for the dinner my staff has already prepared. It’s not like either of us are dressed for someplace fancy, and we both just kicked our own asses at the gym.”
Billionaire With Benefits: Make Her Mine-Book 2 Page 4