Chapter 8 #3
“That’s OK. I’ve been making a list of my own,” he says keeping up the pressure of his body against mine. “Would you like to hear how I plan on bending you over that conference table and fucking you? Or spreading your legs on my desk so I can eat you out?”
“Not. Interested.”
His hand slides around me and he palms my breast. “Right now, I’d settle for undoing that fucking bow and…”
He tugs at the satin tie on my blouse, but it doesn’t give into him easily. Neither will I. I can’t.
“You’re going to rip it,” I hiss.
“In which case you can wear my shirt,” he says, still working on the knot. “It’s the same one you were wearing when you were on all fours on my bedroom floor.”
The groan I try to swallow escapes as a whimper and I don’t have the strength to object as Duke loosens my blouse just enough to slip his hand inside and beneath my bra.
When he rolls my already peaked nipple between his finger and thumb, it sends a jolt of pleasure so strong that Duke’s body jerks with mine.
“How many times have you thought about me fucking you?” he asks. “How many times have you played that recording we made?”
Too many times. “It doesn’t matter,” I insist. “I’ll never listen to it again.”
“Yes, you will,” he says with all the arrogance I now realize comes with the privileged life he’s led.
“You’ll listen to it tonight. You’ll pump your fingers into your sweet pussy and you’ll want more.
” He withdraws his hand from my blouse to press it against my stomach, pushing me against the roll of his hips. “You’ll want me.”
Heat pools in my belly and I release a whimper before I can stop myself. Duke responds by dipping his body with his next thrust so his erection presses against my ass.
He kisses the corner of my mouth. “Turn around, Grace. Don’t make me come in my goddamn pants.”
I have no intention of giving him what he wants, but I turn anyway.
When our mouths collide, I tell myself I don’t want to kiss him, but my lips part and Duke plunders my mouth.
He swipes his tongue across mine and I swallow a moan as our kiss deepens.
Duke was the last man I kissed and I need him more than I wish I did. I shouldn’t want him at all.
Twisting my head away, I break the seal of his mouth over mine. Duke’s heavy breaths blast against my ear. “I will fix this,” he promises.
I wriggle some more to create some distance. He’s talking about fixing a problem that involves a third person. The woman he’s engaged to.
“You think that kiss changes anything?” I demand. “I hate to spoil your fantasy, but I guess your prediction was right.” I shrug like my heart isn’t shattering all over again. “The kiss… It was a bit… meh.”
I’m not sure what reaction I was expecting, but the growing smirk on Duke’s face makes me uneasy.
His hand slips beneath my skirt and my stance widens before I think better of it.
His fingers slide along my soaking wet panties and he applies just enough pressure against my clit to have my back arching.
If Duke keeps rubbing the way he is, I’m going to do something that I’ll hate myself for later. I say the one word that will quell the flames flickering between us. “Katarina.”
Duke’s hand stills. “What about her?”
Heated desire is eviscerated by burning fury and I slap his hand away.
“What about her?” I repeat. “Will you just listen to yourself? Do you want to hazard a guess how many cheating husbands have used that line. Including mine? Katarina is a human being with feelings, Duke. She deserves better. So do I.”
Duke doesn’t stop me when I step aside to create some much-needed distance.
“You do deserve better,” he agrees. “And if we need to draw lines, fine, we can do that. But when I’m free–”
“Stop!” I say as the truth of our situation hits me like a shock of cold water.
“We’ve both fallen victim to our own imaginations.
The fantasy version I had of you doesn’t exist. Nor does your version of me.
I’m never going to be the other woman,” I tell him in no uncertain terms. “Nor would I ever accept a man who’s willing to cast aside his fiancée like she was yesterday’s news. ”
Duke’s jaw works as he processes what I’ve just said.
“My fantasy version of you is just as principled as you are, Grace.” He moves closer and starts retying the bow on my blouse.
“You’re everything I imagined and more.” Before I can scream in frustration, he continues, “But I do accept that I need to work on convincing you I’m not the asshole you think I am. ”
My eyes bore into him and I wouldn’t be surprised if he could read all the other names I’d like to call him as they roll on a ticker tape across my mind. “Duke, this is madness. Please, just let me go.”
He adjusts my bow until he’s satisfied it sits right, his fingers deliberately trailing over the valley of my breasts. “OK.”
My breath hitches. Does he mean I can leave the office, or is he agreeing that I can leave Chicago? That should be my preferred choice, but I’ve clearly lost my senses because the thought of leaving him again hurts more than I wish it would.
Duke notices my falling expression. “We can pick up this conversation tomorrow, but before you disappear…”
As he goes over to his desk to retrieve the new purse I’d dropped yesterday, I study him carefully. There isn’t an inch of this man that isn’t perfection. Not. One. Inch.
“Why did you get Max to chase me?” I ask when he hands me my purse. “It was terrifying.”
“Because I knew you were upset and I wanted to speak to you,” he says. He cups my face, his thumb swiping over my cheek as if he can see all those tears I cried.
I jerk my head away. “And now you have, but that’s all you’re getting from me.”
His smirk is unnerving. “I accept your reasons for rejecting me now, but I’m willing to play the long game, Angel,” he says, pulling the door open.
I waste no time escaping, but Duke follows me out. He tugs on my arm so we stop in front of Edison’s desk.
“Ed, add a meeting with Grace to my schedule. Nine o’clock tomorrow morning.”
“Sure,” Edison says, daring only the briefest glance in my direction before checking his computer screen. “You do have an existing appointment with the police commissioner.”
“Re-schedule it.”
“Don’t bother,” I say haughtily. “I don’t know if I can confirm yet. I might have other appointments.”
Duke’s expression is impassive. “I’ll see you here, nine o’clock sharp, Grace.” His gaze remains fixed on me when he adds, “Ed, schedule our meeting for an hour. Actually, make it two just in case.”
When Duke disappears back into his lair, I’m left staring at the set of four screw holes in the door he closes. I redirect my glare towards Ed.
“You can fix the name plate back on his door now,” I tell him.
“I am sorry,” Edison says as he picks up a to-go cup and offers it to me with his apology. “I thought you might like a coffee.”
I’m tempted to tip it over his keyboard so he can’t schedule Duke’s meetings, but in lieu of a stiff drink, caffeine will have to do.
I snatch the cup and take a sip. It’s the perfect balance between bitter coffee and sweet, hazelnut creamer.
I can’t fail to be impressed by Edison, even if I am mad as hell at him for helping Duke lure me into his office.
“I might hate you just a little bit less,” I confess. “This is exactly how I take my coffee. How did you guess?” I hadn’t got as far as pimping up my coffee when Oliver had made me one earlier.
“I didn’t,” Edison says, tipping his head towards the closed office door.
It was Duke. He remembered how I took my coffee.
“What else has he told you about me?”
Edison shifts uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m Duke Moncrief’s personal assistant,” he begins, only for me to stop him from continuing when I gasp.
“That’s not how you introduced yourself earlier. You deliberately interrupted Oliver so he wouldn’t mention Duke by name, didn’t you?”
“I am genuinely sorry, but the truth is, I’d walk over hot coals for that man,” he tries again.
“And to answer your question, I don’t know much about you, but I know enough.
” He holds up his hand when he sees me lining up my questions.
“I’ve signed an NDA, but even so, I’m the three wise monkeys rolled into one.
I see no evil, speak no evil and I have earplugs at the ready should they become necessary.
” He waggles his eyebrows at that, and I wonder how much he heard of what’s just passed between Duke and I.
“I can see you’re going to be no fun.”
“You’re the first person who’s ever said that to me,” he says, looking deeply offended. “I know your first day hasn’t got off to the best start, but I’m going to make it my mission to win you over. I think we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other.”
“The only way you’ll win me over is if you forget to schedule that meeting tomorrow,” I mutter before stalking away to lick my wounds and devour the delicious coffee that Duke knew I liked. Bastard.