Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
MAGNOLIA
B ane’s condo was close to the waterfront. One of the popular Rabba stores was across the street—a local specialty market—and he followed me, holding the basket as I picked up some things to make a simple dinner. Then we strolled across the street and headed to his condo. The building wasn’t tall, but he had a unit that offered a nice view of the water on the top floor with a generous-sized patio. If I stretched over the railing and strained my neck, I could almost see my neighborhood across the park area that separated the two worlds. Not a huge distance in miles, but vast in the differences. The condo was spacious, the kitchen modern and sleek. And, from what I could tell, rarely used. He had an office and a large living room. His bedroom took up a good portion of the space with a private en suite, walk-in closet, and an exercise corner containing a machine I was sure I would never figure out how to turn on, never mind use.
All the rooms were simply decorated, and I was once again struck by the lack of personal items. No photos, few knickknacks. He had some modern paintings that went with the style of the rooms, a massive TV on one wall over the gas fireplace, but little else that showcased the man who lived there. It was neat, tastefully furnished—and blank.
He watched me as he showed me around, then followed me to the kitchen, draping his suit jacket over one of the high barstools at the island that separated the two rooms.
“Wine?” he murmured, reaching into the cabinet for glasses.
“That would be lovely.”
I opened cupboards, looking for what I needed, then grabbed a chopping board and got to work. Bane leaned his elbows on the counter, observing me.
“You like to cook.”
“Yes, I find it relaxing.”
“I’m not a good cook. I work the microwave well, and I’m great with DoorDash,” he admitted.
“Never used it. If I’m not in the mood for cooking, I’ll grab something on the way home. There are all sorts of little places by the bus stop. Chinese, Greek, Italian, and a great ramen place I like,” I replied, sliding the veggies I had chopped into a bowl. “But I prefer homemade.”
“Lucky me,” he drawled.
I stopped what I was doing, meeting his eyes. He was being sincere, and his gaze was warm. Interested.
“I like seeing you in my kitchen, Maggie.” He paused. “Darling.”
I felt a tremor go through me.
I dropped my gaze, reaching for the chicken, slicing it quickly and adding it to a bowl with some olive oil and garlic. On the fancy cooktop, I heated the water and got the pan ready to make the sauce in. I slid the bread into the oven to warm. He sat at the island, scrolling through his phone, directing me when I needed something. He helped make the salad, proving his ineptness with a knife, but at least he tried.
Soon, we were sitting down, bowls of my own version of pasta primavera with chicken steaming in front of us. We ate at the island, Bane laughing as I tried to figure out how to climb up on the barstool, clearly made for someone much taller than I was. He gripped my waist, lifting me, then dropped a kiss to my mouth.
“Dinner smells incredible,” he praised, filling my glass with more of the delicious, crisp white wine he had chosen.
“I like it. It’s not traditional, but it’s tasty. I sort of made it up with the things I like.”
He took a bite, closing his eyes. “I like it too.”
He leaned over and kissed me. “And you,” he said quietly. “I like you.”
His words made me smile.
I squealed in delight after dinner when he showed me his coffee machine. “This is awesome,” I enthused. “Please tell me you have what I need to use it.”
“I hope so.”
I prepared the coffees as he loaded the dishwasher, assuring me that was one task he could handle. “How did you learn how to make foamy coffees like that?” he asked, watching me create a little flower on top.
“I worked as a barista during the summer for three years. Once you figure it out, you remember. My old boss loved my coffee creations. He used to have me serve them at every meeting. Said it gave him an edge over competitors.”
“Joanne and Randy certainly liked them. And your muffins.”
“She was very nice. She emailed me, asking if she could buy the muffin recipe.”
He crossed his arms. “That could be a good source of income for you if you structure the deal right.”
“I was just going to give it to her.”
“Nope. She wants it, you sell it. And you get a cut on every muffin they sell.”
I blinked.
“I’ll help you.”
“Okay. Won’t that upset her?”
He laughed. “Joanne is a businesswoman. Very wealthy. She didn’t get there by giving her recipes away. She’ll happily pay, and she’ll understand. You have a product she wants for her resorts, and you need to think of your future.”
“All right. What else should I be thinking about?” I asked.
He sat down beside me on the sofa, running his hand up and down my leg. “You mean about us?”
“Yes, Bane. About us.”
“Alex,” he corrected.
“We’re not?—”
He interrupted me. “You’re in my home, having cooked me dinner. I’m beside you, touching you. None of these things has ever happened in this condo. To me, that is pretty damn intimate.”
“You’ve never had another woman here?”
“Aside from my mother getting past the doorman and breezing in a couple of times? No.”
“Oh. How long have you lived here?”
He threw back his head in laughter. “A few years. Lawson designed the building with BAM—they’re a huge deal in the real estate business here. I worked on the landscaping, and I loved the building. I bought this unit before it was even built. Prior to that, I lived in a high-rise very close to the office. I used to walk to work daily. And before you can ask, I never had a woman there either.”
“Why?” I had to ask.
“I’ve never thought of myself as a relationship person. I don’t connect with people easily. I meet a woman, we go out, but there’s never been that spark. After a few dates, either they think I’m an emotionless windbag or I find them boring. If there is nothing but sex, it gets old fast.”
“So why am I here?”
He smiled, setting aside his coffee and pulling me onto his lap so I straddled him. “Because you, Maggie darling, don’t bore me. You make me laugh, which is rare. You challenge me.” His voice became softer. “You see me. You care for me. I’ve never had that—my entire life. You take my good with my bad, and you equal them out. I love that.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond. “Are you sure it’s not just your perfect calendar talking?”
He slid his hand up my arm, bunching it into my hair. “How you run my office is such a gift for me. But how you run me is what I like. The sandwiches. The coffee.” He tilted his head. “Your smile. Your soul. The energy you emit. It draws me in. I want to be around you. I can’t wait to see you every day.” He sighed. “It’s a bit disconcerting, to be honest. I’ve never experienced this until you.”
“Oh.”
“I’ve never had a relationship like this. I don’t know how good I’ll be at it. If I’m capable.”
“Why would you say that?”
“Relationships require a lot of emotion. I’m not good with emotions. Caring.”
“I think you’re better at them than you give yourself credit for.”
“There you go, seeing something in me I don’t see myself. I need you for that.” He paused. “This isn’t some torrid boss-assistant affair, Magnolia,” he murmured. “I want to try. With you.”
“I want that too.”
“I like you. I like everything about you.” He paused. “Aside from your horrible taste in condoms.”
I started to laugh, then covered my mouth. “Not funny.”
He shrugged, a playful smile on his face. “Kinda is—now.”
“Can I ask how, um, it—you—are feeling?”
He ran his fingers up my leg, stroking the skin under my skirt. “Better.”
“How better?”
“Still sensitive, but better.”
I wound my arms around his neck. “What if I kissed your boo-boo and made it all better? Softly, slowly, until you feel really, really good.”
He tightened his grip on my legs, his cock swelling between us. “As long as you tell me you understand something.”
“What?” I asked breathlessly.
“You’re mine. In the office, you’re my assistant. After hours, you’re everything else.”
“Can you keep them separate?”
He grinned, standing. “I can. Unless you wear pants. Or that black skirt. Maybe the blue one.”
I laughed into his neck as he strode down the hall.
“All right.”
He set me on my feet by his bed, bending and cupping my face. He kissed me until I couldn’t breathe. Until I was desperate to feel him. He drew back. “Mine.”
I grasped his belt, pulling. “Yours.”
BANE
Dawn was beginning to color the sky as I lay watching Magnolia. I found her as fascinating asleep as I did when she was awake. I had never had a woman spend the night. Never invited one into my home and had them cook in my kitchen.
Never felt the pang of regret over the fact that I would have to wake her and end the night that we’d shared.
She’d been exactly what she said she’d be. Gentle, sweet, and somehow sexier than ever as she took my cock in her mouth, using her tongue to gently tease me. There was nothing hurried, hard, or insistent about her. Yet she drew out my orgasm as easily as if we were lost in a frenzy of lust. It was her care, her touch, her eyes as she looked up at me that did it. No one had ever looked at me the way she did. I had a feeling no one ever would.
After, I’d lain her on my bed and worshipped her, discovering every nuance of her body. The ticklish spot below her breasts and knees. The way she trembled as I traced my tongue along her tattoo and suckled behind her ear. How she moaned when I stroked her clit. The way she lost herself with me. All these things were a wonder to a man who always remained closed off. It was impossible to be anything but open with her. Even during office hours.
Her fingers flexed and her toes curled as she slowly blinked awake. She met my gaze with a smile then sat upright, panicked. “Oh God. We fell asleep.”
I touched her cheek. “It’s fine, Magnolia. Darryl will drive you home first, and you can change and come to the office.”
“He’ll know,” she said, looking worried.
“He knew last night, baby. He’s loyal and I trust him. He won’t say a word.”
“Okay. We should go, then.”
“We have lots of time.”
“For?”
“One of your coffees. A shower…after.”
“After?”
I slid my hand up her naked leg. “My cock is so much better this morning. But I think some time spent inside you where it’s all warm and wet would make him feel one hundred percent better.”
She whimpered as I slid my fingers over her. “Look at you, Magnolia. All set for me. Wet. Hot. Just waiting for my cock.” I brushed over her clit, smiling as she opened her legs wider. “Such a good girl, ready for me.”
“Do you have…?”
“I do.”
“I’m on birth control. If you want to, ah, go without.”
The thought of sliding into her bare was erotic. I had never gone without a condom before.
“It’s been a long time for me,” she whispered. “I’m good.”
“So am I. Are you sure about this?”
“Yes.”
I hovered over her, lowering myself so we were chest to chest. Her legs went around my waist, pulling me in. My cock nudged her entrance, the feel of it incredible. I bent and captured her mouth, driving inside her. The sensations were almost overwhelming. The silkiness of her. The heat. The wetness. She surrounded me, welcoming me into her body with the gift of trust.
And I wouldn’t let her down.
I was buzzed the rest of the day. The euphoria of being inside Magnolia without a condom hadn’t worn off. I had never once been bare before. The sensations were incredible. The feel of her gripping me, the velvet heat, and the touch of her—all of it was indescribable. It had been all I could do to keep my hands off her when she would come into my office. I had left my door open all day, often our eyes meeting and holding. I enjoyed watching her become shy, turning her head away. She was incredibly endearing.
I should hate it. Yet, I didn’t.
She came in, carrying a slim folder that she set on my desk, and sat down, waiting until she had my attention.
“Your plane reservation. Hotel confirmation. Dinner reservations at the restaurants you requested. The people attending the meals have been sent the information. Your meetings have been confirmed. Darryl knows your schedule, and he’ll be here on Monday to pick you up at four. There will be a car waiting at the airport to take you to the hotel and return the next morning for your first meeting, which is at eleven. Everything has been sent to your calendar, but this is your backup, including all the phone numbers if needed.”
I opened the file, looking at the precision—as usual, she was perfect.
“I could rearrange your meetings to catch the early morning flight. There’s no stop.”
“No, I have a busy day Monday. I can relax on the flight and nap. I don’t care about a stop.” I paused. “I almost wish I weren’t going.”
She frowned. “You’ve been looking forward to this trip. Your design is incredible. They’re going to love it.”
I smiled at her insistence. “You’re missing the point.”
“Which is?”
I tapped the folder. “You won’t be there.”
“Oh.” Soft color flooded her cheeks. “You can check in daily. I’ll handle everything.”
I sat back. “Of that, I have no doubt. But no sandwiches. No sass. No Magnolia beside me when I wake up.”
She rolled her eyes. “It was only one night.”
“Since I plan on taking you home and keeping you until I leave, it’ll be more than one night.”
“I don’t recall being asked.”
“I’m not asking. I’m telling.”
She lifted her chin, attempting to look haughty. “I’ll think about it. And you have a three o’clock in the boardroom. Nothing after that. You can probably go home.”
Then she walked out.
I chuckled as she shut the door. She was coming home with me, and we both knew it. If I was leaving early, then so was she.
MAGNOLIA
I couldn’t relax. All day, all I could think about was the man on the other side of the wall. All I could remember was how he had felt last night. Then this morning. His words. His voice. His body. And then informing me he was taking me home again tonight and keeping me for the weekend. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that. Part of me was thrilled. Part scared.
Today, he’d been Alex for most of the day, Bane hardly showing at all, unless someone else was around. And there hadn’t been many of those incidents. I was sure there was plenty of him showing up at the meeting. He’d be grumpier than normal when he returned—he always disliked partner meetings. He insisted they dragged on too long.
“What could be accomplished in an hour takes two and a half,” he griped as he stomped out the door. I was grateful this was a meeting I didn’t attend with him.
I was going to miss him next week as well, but it might be a good thing. We’d both have clear heads and could make sure we were on the same page. I couldn’t deny that with every sweet word, caring gesture, or passionate kiss, I was falling for my grumpy boss. I was almost certain he felt the same way about me, but still, doubts lingered. He wasn’t sure he was emotionally capable of a relationship. I disagreed. Despite, or perhaps in spite of, his mother and his upbringing, he had a lot of depth, and he could care. I had seen it.
I blew out a breath, deciding what I needed was a good, brisk walk. Except, looking out the window, I saw the clouds had moved in and it was threatening rain. I shook out my arms, looking around for something to do. Anything to stay busy. Now that I had the office organized, I was always looking for things to occupy myself when Bane didn’t need me.
I did a few jumping jacks, trying to get rid of my tension. Then I decided to turn my efforts to the storage area behind my desk. It was the last thing requiring my attention out here. I planned to work on Bane’s office while he was gone. His supply cabinet was a disaster, although he insisted he knew where everything was.
I liked music when I cleaned, and it wasn’t allowed to be played at any volume, so I slipped in my earbuds so I could listen as loud as I liked, locked the outer office door, and set the timer for an hour and a half. I would see what I could accomplish, tidy up, and be busy at my desk by the time Bane came back. I’d save the major mess for when he was gone.
Pleased with my decision, I opened the doors and started. I sorted through the top shelf, rolling my eyes at the things I found. Empty cartridges, supplies for the 3-D printer, folded boxes with no use. Whoever had filled in after Bane’s assistant had left simply piled things up behind closed doors.
I was deep into organization mode when it happened. My back was to the door, and suddenly, I felt someone behind me. Before I could turn, a hand covered my mouth, and without thinking, I spun and kneed my attacker in the groin.
They fell like a dead tree in a forest. I heard the grunt of pain, even with my earbuds playing.
I felt my eyes widen as I took in the immobile form on the floor. I pulled out my buds, gasping.
“Bane?”
BANE
The last thing I expected to find when I returned from the meeting early was the outer door to be locked. Wondering if Myers had left, I used my key and entered, shutting the door behind me. I looked around at the mess behind her desk.
“Myers, what on earth are you doing?”
There was no response, although I could see and hear her. She was singing along—badly—with whatever music she had playing. A folded box flew over her shoulder, and she stepped off the little ladder, coming out of the small area. She tilted her head, studying her handiwork, and nodded in seeming satisfaction. Then she shimmied her hips, her shoulders moving as she danced to the beat of a song she obviously liked. I leaned against the wall, mesmerized, enjoying the show. She had no idea I was there, and she moved freely, making little noises as she grooved. It was sexy, funny, and much too tempting.
I snuck up behind her, covering her mouth with my hand to muffle the startled scream I expected. She jumped, but before I could pluck out one of her earbuds, she reacted.
She spun, lifting her knee and catching my groin. Luckily, it wasn’t a hard contact, but given the fact that my dick was already traumatized and still recovering, it was bad enough that I dropped with a low groan. Instantly, she gasped, yanking out her earbuds and kneeling beside me. “Bane?”
“Jesus,” I gasped. “Who did you expect?”
“Oh no,” she wailed. “Not your dick again.”
“Must you keep trying to kill him?” I muttered.
“You snuck up behind me! I thought I was under attack!”
“By whom? An office-supply thief?”
“I didn’t know!”
“I called, but you were too busy dancing and shaking your hips to hear me,” I snapped. “I could hear your music blaring.”
“Whatever,” she replied.
I narrowed my eyes.
“I’ll get ice.”
She scampered away, back into the supply area, and I heard her open the fridge in there. I sat up, leaning against the desk, and she raced back, tripping over the boxes scattered on the floor, falling. I grabbed at her, lifting my legs, catching her arms to break her fall. But she came down anyway, landing face first in my already tender lap. It wasn’t as painful as her knee, but it still made me groan.
She looked up, embarrassed. “I got your ice.”
And the door opened, Jessica walking in. I looked up, panicked. Myers stared at her.
“I kneed him in the nuts. I’m trying to help him feel better.”
The words hung in the air, and Myers scrambled to sit upright. “I mean, I was getting ice! I fell onto his dick—his lap, I mean. His dick is already sore. I mean?—”
Jessica held up her hand. She looked between us, and I had a sense of déjà vu floating in my head. My hands on Myers’s breasts. HR showing up. Now, her head on my lap, and once again, HR was witness to it.
Jessica laughed. “Oh my God. You two. I can’t. I just can’t today.” She waved her hand. “I was never here. Figure out your shit, Bane. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”
And she walked out.
I sat at my desk, the ice bag offering me the relief I needed. When Jessica had walked out, Myers scrambled to her feet, horrified and almost in tears.
“Did I break him?”
I got to my feet. “No. Luckily, your aim was a little off. My thigh took the brunt.” Then I ran my hand through my hair. “But seriously, Myers—my dick is starting to think he’s on your kill list. First, you try to poison him. Now, you try decapitating the little bugger.”
She frowned. “He’s not so little.”
All I could do was take the ice bag and go to my desk.
Then I put my head down and laughed.
Myers came in with a cup of coffee. “What’s so funny?”
“I never realized how dull my life was until you showed up.”
“What are you going to say to Jessica?”
“I’m going to tell her the truth. I scared you, you kneed me in the balls, then you tripped. She walked in just as the tripping happened.”
“Think she’ll buy it?”
“That is exactly what happened, Myers.”
“She might not believe it.”
“I’m not worried. Even if she thinks there is something between us, she’ll stay quiet. She dated Anderson for a year before they married. She knows about privacy.”
“She’s married to Anderson? But her last name is Aldridge.”
“She wanted to keep her maiden name at work. But they’ve been married for five years. I’ve known her for six. She’ll be fine.”
Myers looked doubtful.
“Go home,” I encouraged. “Get some things for the weekend, and I’ll pick you up. We’ll go out for dinner.”
“Will you be okay?”
“I’ll be fine, Myers. Probably safer than when you’re around.”
She crossed her arms, making me grin. I liked her angry. She thought she was tough, but the truth was, it reminded me of a chipmunk getting territorial when you got too near his hidden food. All noise and nothing he could do about it. Highly cute, but harmless.
Well, my dick might not agree with the harmless assessment.
“Go. I’ll see you soon.”
She hesitated, then lunged forward, kissing me. I caught her around the waist and kissed her back.
“Go, little assassin. I’ll call when we’re getting close.”
She left, and it made me laugh to realize I hated that she did.
I was truly fucked.