Chapter 12 Rafael #2
‘Oh, okay.’ She casts her attention around my office like she’d rather be anywhere else than in a room with me.
‘How are you finding working here?’ I ask, leaning back against my desk and crossing my legs at the ankle as I study her.
‘Really good. The work’s challenging. And your brothers are great, and so’s Dove, obviously. Actually, everyone I’ve met has been.’
She glances at me, then looks away again. Heat prickles over the back of my neck. Except you. I can sense the afterthought flying from her head towards me like a punch.
‘Don’t forget your new friend Steve?’ I retort, crossing my arms.
‘He’s a colleague, nothing more—’ She looks past me, and her eyes widen. ‘They’re good, aren’t they?’ Her face transforms into a beaming smile.
I twist my head to see what’s got her so animated. The tube of crisps sits like a proud trophy on my desk. I meant to throw the stupid thing away after the meeting this morning.
Turning back, she’s still smiling. And it’s the first time it’s ever been directed at me. Unease bubbles in my gut.
Two hundred and forty million. I’m not a fool, Beauty. A nice smile isn’t going to make me forget about that.
‘If your idea of “good” is processed starch coated in artificial powder and salt,’ I reply.
She snorts. ‘Of course. Your body’s a temple. Did you not eat anything fun when you were younger?’
‘When I was younger?’
She shrugs. ‘Yeah?’
I hold her gaze. There’s no fire in it. None of her usual defiance.
She’s genuinely curious. She thinks I’m goddamn old.
That I choose to watch what I eat because of the threat of middle-aged spread looming over me.
I purse my lips. I was thirty-nine two months ago.
Yet, judging by Aurora’s face, that makes me a fossil.
I swipe the tube from the desk and flip the cap off. Holding her eyes, I decant a couple of crisps into my waiting hand, then open my mouth and put them in.
Her eyes widen as she watches me.
The things are vile and taste worse than the sludge disguised as coffee in the staff lounge. I force myself to swallow, then look at her pointedly.
Her lips twist in amusement. ‘You need to eat at least five to really appreciate the flavour.’
My jaw clenches and I suck in a breath through my nose. She looks at me, waiting, and all I can see in her eyes is that she thinks I’m goddamn old. But with age comes experience. And fuck, if she knew the ways I could ruin her until she begged me to stop because she couldn’t take any more.
I glance at my fingers. They’re covered in a fine orange, bacon-flavoured dust. I clench my teeth to stop myself from grimacing in disgust.
‘Fine,’ I grit, tilting the tube again. ‘I hope you paid for these,’ I mutter under my breath, hating that she’s got me eating shit to prove some kind of point.
‘Pardon?’
She flies to her feet and marches over to me like a blond tornado. Her cheeks are pink as she glares at me.
‘Listen. I know what you think about my father. And what you no doubt think about me as well. But what I don’t understand is why you have to make these snide remarks. For a successful man, you behave like a child. How about, instead of muttering things, you say them to my face?’
I stare at her. ‘You think I behave like a child?’
‘Everything I just said, and that’s the part you focus on. You’re . . .’ She huffs, glaring at me, her eyes on fire and her chest heaving in her silky blouse.
And if it isn’t the hottest bloody thing I’ve ever seen.
Blood floods my dick at an alarming rate, pumping the bastard up until my zipper digs into the hardening length.
‘I’m what?’ I lick my lips, and her eyes drop to my mouth.
‘You’re angry with the world. At least, it sure seems that way.’
‘Go on,’ I urge, my veins coursing with heated blood as she wrinkles her little nose up and scowls at me.
‘You’re . . . you’re uptight. Look at you. You can’t even eat a bloody crisp without complaining.’
Uptight and old. Her words make me puff out my chest.
I stuff my hand inside the tube. ‘I can eat one. I’ll bloody eat ten!’
She stares at me, a mix of hatred tinged with interest swirling in her light blue irises, like she doesn’t want to give me her attention, but at the same time can’t tear herself away.
I lean closer, unable to resist riling her further. ‘Contrary to what you think, Aurora, I’m a man who loves to eat.’
Her cheeks flush and I know my hidden meaning isn’t lost on her.
I try to remove my hand from the tube so I can eat the bloody crisps and make my point. Make it while I hold her eyes and let her wonder if I’m really picturing devouring something else entirely.
Nothing happens.
The tube remains suctioned to my hand like an over-enthusiastic blow job.
‘It won’t . . .’ I tug my arm. The blasted thing is covering my wrist and is partway up my forearm. ‘It won’t come off.’
‘What do you mean?’
Aurora’s frowning at the tube as I glance at her.
‘I mean what I bloody said. It won’t come off.’
‘Just pull it.’
‘I’m trying,’ I hiss through gritted teeth.
It’s no use, the thing is stuck like it’s been welded to me.
I place the tube between my thighs and clench around it, pulling with everything I have. My shoulder twinges and I bark out a curse.
‘Let me try.’ Aurora grabs the tube and pulls it as I twist my arm.
‘It’s not budging. I think my hand’s swelling up inside.’
‘Do you have anything we can slick your arm up with? Like lube?’ she asks, her eyebrow quirking just a little.
‘You think I have a top drawer filled with lube in my office? Why would I have that?’ I hiss.
‘I’m just trying to help,’ she bites back.
I clamp my lips together. The number of times she’s had me wanking at work, I should need lube. Only, she makes me so bloody hard that my dick leaks before I can even get it into my hand. The thing’s slicked itself up and is raring to go the moment I click on one of her videos and hear her voice.
‘Let me try like this,’ she says.
Before I can protest, she’s turned her back to me and is pressing her body against mine while trying to prise the tube off.
‘Stop,’ I grit.
But it’s too late, she moves straight back, and her arse grazes the front of my trousers, right over my straining erection.
I suck in a sharp breath through clenched teeth. ‘Aurora—’
‘Hey,’ a smooth American voice says.
The large screen above the meeting table fills with the image of Sullivan Beaufort, sitting alongside his father, Sterling Beaufort, in their meeting room in New York. The Manhattan skyline fills the windows behind them.
I whip the arm trapped in the tube behind my back and clear my throat.
‘Good morning to you both. This is Aurora Thorne. She’ll be joining us to take notes while AJ is away from the office.’
I lead us to the table, keeping one hand behind my back.
‘Nice to meet you,’ Sterling replies, giving Aurora a warm smile as the morning sun catches the silver strands in his hair, making them glisten.
‘Aurora,’ Sullivan repeats as she smiles politely at them and takes her seat. ‘Nice to meet you.’
He catches my eye, an undercurrent of understanding in his. He’s the one person I’ve confided in about Aurora, but he doesn’t know it’s a deep urge for revenge that’s driving me. He only knows she’s the woman who’s been stealing my attention for months.
Stealing being the opportune word.
‘Nice to meet you both too,’ she replies before flicking her eyes to me briefly. If I’m not mistaken her gaze drops to my crotch. But that situation is under control. For now.
‘Let’s get to it, shall we?’ I say as I take a seat at the head of the table, keeping the crisp tube concealed beneath the desk.
Twenty minutes later, after discussing some new mines they’ve acquired, and the location of five new stores they’re opening worldwide, I’m preparing to close up the meeting.
‘Is that the new award you guys won?’ Sullivan drawls.
He points to the bookcase near the door, where a selection of industry awards gleam on the shelves.
I crack my neck. ‘It is.’
‘Can we take a look?’
‘Sure. Aurora, do you mind?’
‘Why don’t you get up and show us, Rafe?’
I narrow my eyes at him, and he looks back, his lips twitching. The guy never used to break a smile before he fell in love with his daughter’s nanny. Right now, I wish he was still the serious, moody bastard he used to be. Because I know exactly what he’s up to.
‘Fine,’ I grit, taking my time to rise carefully from my chair.
I keep my arm behind me as I walk backwards towards the bookcase.
Sullivan leans back in his chair, watching me.
The bastard will pay for this. I’d rather he didn’t see me with a goddamn crisp tube attached to me like a pink cardboard limb.
But we’re friends; I can tell him to fuck off if he laughs.
Sterling Beaufort? Not so much. He’s a man I don’t want to lose respect from.
Fifty-one years old and a goddamn legend in the business world.
Being caught looking like a ridiculous pillock by him would be the most embarrassing thing that could ever happen.
I’m a bloody CEO of a corporate insurance firm, for God’s sake.
I deal with billion-pound companies every day. My reputation is everything.
And I currently have a tube of bacon-flavoured crisps melded to my arm.
‘You all right there, son?’ Sterling asks, watching the awkward way I’m moving across the room.
‘Fine, thank you.’ I force a smile as I reach the bookcase.
I pick the crystal award up. Aurora’s eyes catch mine and she presses her lips together like she’s trying not to laugh.
‘You know, the doctor can give you fibre tablets for that.’ Sterling chuckles as I return, clasping the award in my free hand, holding it up so they can see.
Sullivan leans forward, squinting. ‘Hold it steady with both hands. It keeps moving, I can’t read what’s on it.’
I pull my shoulders back and thrust it closer to the screen, still in one hand.
‘Still moving,’ Sullivan quips.
‘Better?’ I grit, my smile tightening.
‘Nope.’
I try again and he shakes his head.
‘Still can’t read it. Just get your other hand, Rafe. What are you doing with it? Got it in your pants or something?’
‘Of course I bloody haven’t!’ I snap, throwing my arm out in frustration.
Cool air whooshes over my hand as the crisp tube detaches itself and flies across the room at an alarming speed. The relief of having full blood flow restored to my hand is immediately interrupted by a loud crack.
I snap my head in its direction at the same moment a siren screeches from the broken panel on the wall.
‘Is that the fire alarm? Everything okay?’ Concern instantly fills Sterling’s voice.
‘The panel broke, that’s all. There’s no fire,’ I reassure him.
‘What broke it?’ Sullivan asks.
I glare at him, the alarm piercing my ears with an incessant hammering to my eardrums.
‘Sorry, can’t hear you,’ I lie. ‘We’ll get this sorted. Speak soon.’
I swear the bastard’s smirking as I cut the video feed.
‘Is it the whole building? Can we reset it?’ Aurora shouts, already on her feet and looking out into the hallway, where we’re attracting attention from the staff.
‘It’s only my office. It’s zoned. If I reset it in time it won’t spread to the rest of the floor. Go and wait outside, where it’s quieter.’
‘I’m fine,’ she calls over the noise. ‘Let me help.’
A click above is the only warning we get before the sprinkler system kicks in and water sprays out over us both.
‘Bloody hell! Grab my laptop!’
I stride over to the control panel as Aurora fetches my laptop from the table and rushes into the hallway. Then she runs back inside.
‘What are you doing?’ I snap.
‘Everything’s getting wet!’ she cries, running over to me. ‘Give me your jacket.’
I shrug it off and hand it to her, and she rushes to drape it over my desktop computer and keyboard.
Water runs down my face as I turn my attention to the fire alarm controls and type in the override code.
Nothing happens.
‘Come on,’ I urge, fighting the desire to drive my fist through the blasted thing.
I try again, and there’s a delay before the siren stops, followed by the sprinklers shutting off.
‘Oh my God!’ Aurora gasps.
She’s standing in the middle of my office, staring at me. Her hair is plastered to her head, and her blue shirt has glued itself against her skin, showcasing the pattern of her lace bra underneath it.
‘Oh my God,’ she says again. ‘That was . . .’ She looks down at her drenched clothes, then back at me. ‘You’re soaked. We’re both soaked.’
Her gaze is locked on to my white shirt. It’s stuck to my skin, showing my short, dark chest hair beneath it. Even my goddamn nipples think it’s a party they’re invited to.
Aurora clasps a hand over her mouth, her shoulders trembling. I step towards her, concern etching itself into my bones. Perhaps she’s in shock, or cold or—
She bursts into laughter.
‘You think this is . . . funny?’ I stare at her.
She tries to stop, but she can’t. Her face is lit up, her eyes glowing as she snorts out another laugh that has her clutching her stomach like she’s in pain.
‘Kind of,’ she pants.
‘Kind of?’ I echo, placing my hands on my hips.
‘I mean, no . . . Sorry.’ She bites her lower lip and looks at me.
That’s when I see it.
Her with her guard down.
She’s open.
Unapologetic.
Free.
So bloody beautiful.
My heart races and my mouth goes dry. Any anger I had disintegrates. She looks at me, her eyes alive with bubbling energy and pure goddamn magic.
I stare back into aquamarine blue.
I picture her wearing gold sequins as her laughter fills my ears.
Picture her gazing up at me as I slide inside her.
Not with punishment in mind for once, but with the consuming urge to worship her.
The overpowering urge to sink inside her as she looks into my eyes and kisses me, my name a pleasured plea on her lips.
‘Aurora,’ I breathe.
She blinks, the water droplets clinging to her lashes as her lips part and she steps closer.
She stops toe-to-toe with me, and I stare down at her, my breath coming in slow, steady drags as I force myself to regain composure. I’m so close to pulling her to me and bringing my mouth down over hers until all thoughts of my money are gone.
Until all that exists is the thought of making her mine. Forever.
Memories of my mother crying at my bedside when I was nine years old force their way to the front of my mind, and I wince.
‘What is it?’ she whispers.
I swallow, shaking my head at her. ‘Nothing.’
I need to be careful.
I need to be so damn careful.