Chapter 25
twenty-five
. . .
Georgia
We’d been back at the office for two weeks, and I’d just been bumped from the top of the ping-pong championship by Craig in marketing, and I groaned when I set my paddle down in defeat.
The guy had apparently been practicing while we’d been off work for that week after Christmas, and I’d been too busy boning Bossman to think about ping-pong.
Everyone was clapping me on the back and telling me I’d get back up there again, and I almost felt bad for Craig that no one seemed thrilled by his win.
“Good game. You smoked me,” I said, smiling up at him when he set his paddle down and came to my side of the table.
“So, I won the game, but can I win the girl?” He waggled his brows.
What? Where did that come from?
I laughed nervously. Sure, Craig had flirted with me a few times, but nothing extreme. “I think moving your name to the top of the whiteboard is a big enough win for the day, right?”
He moved closer. “I’m serious, Georgia. I’ve been sneaking out on my breaks and making Freddy play with me every day just to impress you.”
Damn. I’d been much happier when I was sitting in the top spot. Beating me did not make me want to date him; it made me want to get better and beat him.
“Well, I am impressed with your ping-pong skills, Craig,” I said, taking a step back until my butt hit the edge of the table.
“Is that the only thing you’re impressed with?” he purred and crowded me once again. I wasn’t loving this side of Craig. Nor was I impressed with his lack of ability to read the room.
“I think you’re a great guy, but I’m seeing someone.” Was I seeing someone? I mean, I was in the midst of the world’s longest fling that had been extended multiple times. But what were we? We weren’t anything official.
But it felt like… everything.
How sad was it that the best relationship I’d ever had wasn’t even an actual relationship? It was a secret.
A deliciously dirty little secret.
“Really? It seems like you’re always at work. I didn’t think you would have time for a boyfriend.”
Wow. Way to analyze my life with absolutely no knowledge or facts. We literally spent twenty minutes a day together in a group while playing ping-pong.
Note to self… Craig was a bit judgy. I think his ping-pong success was already going to his head.
“It’s not serious, but we aren’t seeing other people.”
“Well, what if I told you I was a serious guy?”
“I would thank you for that information.” I shrugged. What the hell was going on?
“When your not-serious relationship implodes, I’ll be here, Georgia.”
He was so intense. He appeared to be a guy who was maybe three minutes away from grabbing a boom box and resting it on his shoulder and serenading me.
This had come out of left field.
“Georgia,” a deep voice barked from behind me. I whipped around to see Maddox standing there, looking broody as always, and I didn’t miss the way the veins in his neck were bulging and his hands were fisted at his sides. “Lunch is over. My office. Now.”
Hello, Bossman.
I liked seeing him all worked up.
Craig just stood there, and I had no choice but to put my hands on his chest and push him back gently at first, and then harder when I realized he wasn’t budging.
“Excuse me.” I slipped between him and the ping-pong table and made my way toward the stairs, where my ever-angry boss-slash-lover glared past me at the man who’d just asked me out.
I hurried up the stairs and into his office, and he was hot on my heels before slamming the door and facing me.
“What the fuck was that?”
“What do you mean?”
“With Anus-hole,” he growled, moving closer to me as his hands wrapped around my wrists.
“Anus-hole?”
“That asshole, Craig. That’s his last name.”
Laughter bellowed from my belly, and my entire body shook. “His name is Craig Anistilo.”
“Same thing. What the fuck was that about?”
“He asked me out. It was not a big deal.”
“And what did you say?” He tightened his grip on me, pulling me against his body.
“I said no. I told him that I was seeing someone, but it wasn’t serious.”
His gaze softened, and he released my wrists. “He’s fucking fired.”
“What?” I gaped and shook my head. “You can’t fire him.”
“I sure as fuck can. I own the company. He shouldn’t be asking out coworkers. It’s unprofessional.”
“That’s rich, seeing as you’re fucking your assistant,” I huffed and marched toward the door.
He was fast. He moved around me and stood against the door. “Is that what I’m doing? Fucking my assistant? Spending every day with her, every night? Talking, laughing, taking fucking bubble baths? I think it’s a bit more than that, yeah?”
“Don’t play the victim card. The ball has been in your court the entire time. You’re the one who wants to keep it casual, not me.” My vision blurred as my eyes watered, and a lump formed in my throat.
His hand moved to my neck, his fingers resting on my cheek. “I don’t want to keep it casual. I want you, Georgia Reynolds. I don’t want some dumb fuck asking you out at the office. I want everyone to know that you’re mine. Because you are, and we both know it.”
“I can live with that,” I said as a tear rolled down my cheek, and his thumb swiped it away. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
“Well, you’re fired, for starters.” He let me go and moved toward his desk, back in business mode.
“What? You’re firing me?”
“I can’t be fucking my assistant, Tink.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “But you own the company.”
“It’s still inappropriate.” He picked up his phone and dialed.
“Hi, Virginia. Put out an ad for a new front-desk receptionist.” I could hear her talking frantically in the background, and he held the phone away from his face and rolled his eyes.
“No. You aren’t fired. You’re my new admin.
” More shouting as he pulled the receiver away again and winked at me, like he hadn’t just fired me and left me hanging.
“She’s not fired, either. She’s been promoted to creative director.
Send out an office email, please, and let everyone know about the changes.
And also, make it known that the new creative director and I are dating, as well.
Your first task as my admin is to spread the word. And make sure Craig is aware.”
I heard her squealing before he slammed the receiver down and looked up at me.
“I’m the creative director? Do we need to run this by anyone first?”
“I’d already gotten it approved this morning by the board. That’s what I was coming to tell you when I found that dickfucker hitting on you.”
“What does this new position entail?”
“You’re going to do exactly what you’ve been doing, minus the monotonous stuff. You’ll give input with cover designs, continue reading manuscripts, give feedback on blurbs, and help me find new talent.”
“Will I still be picking up your dry cleaning and bringing you coffee?” I raised a brow and moved closer to him, coming around his desk.
“I’m not letting Virginia touch my clothing. She spilled coffee all over the front desk twice this week already. So, yes. If you’re willing to handle my dry cleaning, I’d appreciate it. And the coffee…”
I rested my hands on his shoulders as one leg came around each side of him so I was straddling him. “What about the coffee?”
“I mean, no one makes it as good as you.”
“You just want to find a reason to keep me coming in here for you.”
“I want to find a reason to keep you coming, Georgia Reynolds.” His lips moved to my neck, and I felt him harden beneath me.
“I thought you didn’t do relationships, Bossman,” I whispered, and my voice was hoarse and filled with desire.
“That’s before I started doing you. And now I can’t get enough.” He kissed along my throat and down to my collarbone. “I want to take you to dinner and ski down a mountain without wearing enough gear to suffocate myself. I want everyone to know that we’re together.”
“Mrs. Runither will be so disappointed,” I groaned as he nibbled my earlobe. “She keeps asking me about you.”
His head shot up with concern as his gaze locked with mine. “She punched me in the dick yesterday when I went to pick up that to-go order for us.”
A wide grin spread across my face. “Did she?”
“I think she was trying to slyly graze my goods, but she stumbled and literally junk-punched me. I mean, the woman is old enough to be my grandmother. Who the fuck does that?”
“She’s a dirty old bird.” I laughed. “You didn’t mention it when you got home last night.”
He sighed, a softness filling his dark gaze. “Because I missed you, and when I got home, all I wanted to do was feed you, get you naked, and then sit with you under the stars.”
“We barely ate.”
“Exactly.” He smirked before his face turned serious. “This is not something I’ve ever done before, Tink. I’m most likely going to fuck it up.”
“Well, you sucked at the fling. I mean, obviously, it was my first, but every day, you were asking for an extension,” I teased, grinding up against his erection. His hands gripped my hips as I continued talking. “Maybe you’ll be better at this.”
He groaned. “Stand up.”
I pouted but did what he commanded.
“Bend over my desk, Tink. I want to celebrate your promotion.” He tugged up my skirt and then reached into his wallet and pulled out a condom, tearing the top off with his teeth as he quickly covered himself.
His hands landed on my ass, and he squeezed.
“Do you want me to fuck you in this office one last time as my assistant?”
I nodded, desire pooling between my legs. He pulled my lace thong to the side and swiped between my folds before moaning against my ear. “Always so wet for me.”
“Always,” I whispered.
He teased my entrance before turning my head so he could kiss me. I wiggled against him, eager for him to give me what I needed. And with one quick thrust, he pushed inside me. I used my hand to cover my mouth to muffle the noises that were escaping.
It wasn’t our first time having sex in this office. But it was the first time that it had happened in the middle of the day with people here.
But it was also the first time that it had happened with the man who was now officially my boyfriend.
I gripped the edge of the desk as desire built.
His hand came around my waist, dropping lower and touching me exactly where I needed him to.
He always knew what I needed.
“Fuck,” he hissed in my ear. “So fucking good.”
“Yes,” I whispered, but I couldn’t hold on any longer. “Maddox.”
“Come for me, baby,” he said, his voice low and demanding.
And that was exactly what I did.
And nothing had ever felt better.
Because I was undeniably in love with this man.