Chapter 15
Theo
Movement in the bed is what jostles me awake. I roll over on my side to see the outline of Whitney’s body scurry into the hotel bathroom. My chest expands with a long, deep breath as I slowly wake myself up more.
When I hear the toilet flush and then the sink turn on, I move again, so I’m lying on my back. Propping my arm up under my head, I wait for her to finish. Finally, the bathroom door opens and she steps out into the room.
“Is that my shirt?” I ask her, unable to keep the grin off my face.
Whitney’s fingers play with the hem of my blue dress shirt, which is way too big for her.
She has the three buttons done up, covering herself from my view, but she’s still flawless in every aspect of the term.
She gives me a shy smile as though my face wasn’t buried between her legs last night. “Maybe. I couldn’t find my clothes.”
I extend my arm out to her. “Come back to bed.”
She hustles back to the mattress and settles in against my side, nestling her head against my chest. I wrap my arm around her tightly, pulling her into me. Leaning my nose against her forehead, I breathe her in, appreciating her scent and how much being this close to her seems to comfort me.
“Did you have a nice night?” I ask her eventually, breaking the comfortable silence we fell into.
Whitney pulls away slightly so she can meet my eyes. I note a mischievous gleam hiding in her gaze. “At the gala or after?”
I chuckle and lean forward to press a kiss to her lips. “Either,” I murmur against her mouth.
“Well, I definitely had a good time at the gala,” she says, pecking my lips again. “And I guess the activities afterward weren’t too bad either.”
Playing along, I hum low in my chest. I move us around until I’m hovering above her on the mattress. “Not too bad, hm? I guess I have to up my game then.”
Whitney’s hands thread through my hair, and she pulls the strands, bringing my face down to hers.
I press my lips against hers again, this time tracing my tongue over the seam of her lips, and begging for her to open for me.
When she does, I waste no time in pushing deeper and ravaging her so completely that we’re both left breathless when I finally pull away.
I run my fingers down her face until I’m cupping her jaw.
She looks deep into my eyes with an intensity that makes my chest hurt.
“You’re—” I pause, unable to find the right words. “I’m enraptured with you, Whitney Palmer.”
She beams at me, preening under the praise. I roll back over onto my back but pull her with me, drawing her in as close to my body as possible, not wanting there to be any distance between us. Whitney hitches one of her legs over my hips and wraps an arm tightly around my middle.
We lay there together, soaking in each other’s presence. My fingers stroke over her hair methodically until she melts against me.
A thought dawns on me, and I blurt it out before I can stop myself. “I never officially asked if you were seeing anyone. That was pretty shitty of me to just assume.”
She chuckles and runs her fingers over my pectorals. “Well, if last night wasn’t indication enough, you can put your mind at ease. I’m definitely not with anyone, other than you.”
Whitney had never given me any other indication that she wasn’t single, but still, I should’ve asked her long ago before we obliterated any and every boundary between us.
I suppose I had been far too caught up in her to keep my wits about me.
But still, that was a conversation that should have been had right away.
I close my eyes and curse myself. “I’m sorry.”
She pulls away and props herself up on her elbow, looking down at me. “For what?”
“I don’t know. I should’ve asked you if you were available before pursuing you.”
“Theo,” she draws out my name. “Do you think I would’ve let you get away with all that you did if I wasn’t interested in you too? If I had been with someone, I absolutely would have let you know. Immediately.”
I run my hand over my face, feeling overrun with guilt. “It should’ve been the first thing I asked you when we had lunch that first time.”
“You kept that lunch very professional,” she says. “I think it would’ve been a little too much, too fast, if you had come out directly and asked if I was single.”
“Maybe,” I acknowledge.
“Hey,” she says as she cups my jaw with her hand, pulling my face toward hers. She looks me square in the eyes and continues, “Everything that happened last night, and everything leading up to that, was consensual. You did not do anything that I didn’t want you to do, do you hear me?”
I nod my head.
“If anything, I took advantage of you,” she teases as she lets go of my face.
“How so?” I ask her, raising a brow.
“Well, as we found out, your defenses were not nearly strong enough to withstand me in that ballgown last night. It was inappropriate of me to assume that you’d be strong enough to resist me.”
“I see,” I respond, playing along now. “You’re probably right. You were simply irresistible in that dress. I was your victim all along.”
She grins at me. “Indeed, you were. So, can we stop with this pity party now? I’d really prefer you do something else with your mouth than complain that you’re a terrible man who abused authority over his assistant.
Because I assure you, you’re one of the best men I know, and I was much too willing to let you have your wicked way with me. ”
“Oh yeah? What is this something else you speak of?”
She sits up, and my body instantly goes cold from where she was lying against me.
Slowly, her nimble fingers find the buttons of my shirt, and she undoes them, one-by-one.
When the third button is released, she rolls her shoulders back, allowing the material to slide down her arms, exposing her lovely breasts to me.
Her nipples are pebbled and standing proudly at attention.
My mouth waters simply at the sight of her baring herself to me.
Taking her cue, I sit up, too, leaning my head down and capturing one of her perfect nipples in my mouth.
I run my tongue across her hardened peak, over and over, as my other hand rises to cup the other one.
Carefully, I guide her until she’s lying down again.
She watches me with hooded eyes, her gaze filled with desire as I put her in the position that I want her in.
Slowly, I place my hands on her knees, drawing her legs apart until she’s bared to me.
I bend forward and kiss one nipple before moving to the other.
My lips then pave a trail down her sternum and to her belly.
I spend some time nuzzling and kissing along the curves of her hip before continuing lower.
Whitney writhes below me, arching her back and guiding me exactly where she wants me.
“Is this what you were wanting?” I ask her as I press a kiss right over her pubic bone.
“Yes!” She gasps as my tongue dips lower and slides over her core. “Don’t stop!”
I chuckle as I do it again. “Would never dream of it, sweetheart.”
With another swipe of my tongue, we fall into our urges, spending the rest of the morning getting lost in the pleasure we can bring each other.
Later in the day, when we’re on the plane heading home, Whitney turns to me and purses her lips. I give her a quizzical look, waiting for her to say what’s on her mind.
“What happens when we get back?” she asks.
“You mean—”
“With us,” she clarifies. “What happens with us? Was this a one-and-done situation?”
I scoff. “Absolutely not. Did you not hear me last night when we were discussing how I don’t even put you in the same category as all my past girlfriends? You’re in a category of your own, Whitney. And I don’t say that lightly. I have no intentions of letting you go anytime soon.”
The corners of her lips twitch up. “Then what?”
“What do you want to happen?” I turn the question back to her.
She shrugs a shoulder. “I just want to be with you. I want more of what we had this weekend.”
I smile at her. “I do too.”
Relief pours over her features. “You do?”
I nod my head, more sure about this than anything else in a long time.
“Do you think we should officially report a relationship between us? Talk to HR and inform the Board?”
Everything comes to a screeching halt in my mind.
The thought of approaching the Board with this has my heart rate skyrocketing.
I already have Elena breathing down my neck.
Would it really be the best decision to come out and say I’m dating my assistant while there’s already so many things piled up against me?
The company has a strict no dating policy.
Even if we hid it, if we were found out, I could get fired for the nondisclosure and the simple act of dating my assistant itself.
On top of that, Whitney could get fired.
The thought of termination from this job is concerning, but not as much as the potential of having to leave Whitney just when we were getting started. And I don’t know if I’d be able to live with myself if she were to lose her position at the company which means so much to her.
“What if we just…wait?” I suggest, and she frowns. “Maybe we don’t make it official yet—to the Board,” I add on quickly.
I can see the wheels in her head spinning though they don’t gain any traction. “You want to keep it a secret?”
“Just when it comes to work,” I tell her.
“Until I can get through that ninety-day review with the Board of Directors, then I’ll have more leeway with them and I’ll be able to make more changes to policy.
After that, we can officially report our relationship to anyone you want.
We can scream it from the rooftop if you want to. ”
Whitney is still not sold, her expression grim as she tries to work through my reasoning. “Why?”
I reach over and take her hand, winding our fingers together and giving her a reassuring squeeze.
“I promise it’s nothing to do with you or wanting to be with you.
You know the employee relationship policy as well as I do.
And right now, still being so new to the CEO position, I don’t have the ability or the power to make any changes or really do anything about it. Does that make sense?”
Finally, Whitney nods her head. “Yes.”
My hand moves to the side of her face, and I brush my thumb over her full, heart-shaped lips.
Her eyes glisten, and it stabs at my heart.
“Whitney,” I whisper. “I don’t want to lose you yet, not when I think I’ve finally gotten you.
But I think the right move for now is to wait to make things official with HR or the Board. ”
“Okay,” she whispers and nods her head gently against my hand. “I trust you, so if you think this is the best course of action, I’ll go along with it.”
I lean over and kiss her, grateful she’s being so flexible. I’d never want to put her in a situation where she was uncomfortable, so knowing that she’s willing to let me guide us through our relationship this way so early takes some pressure off of my shoulders.
When we land, Whitney and I are escorted off the jet and down onto the tarmac.
We both slide into the backseat of the car waiting for us.
Whitney is quiet the entire drive to her apartment, responding only when I ask her something directly.
I’d be suspicious that she was upset about our agreement if not for the way she kept looking over at me and giving me that secret smile, and reassuring me that I am still on her mind like she is on mine.
As soon as we arrive in front of her apartment building, I get out of the car and round to open her door for her. Together, we walk over to the sidewalk while my driver gets her bags out of the trunk of the car.
When we’re standing face to face, my hands rise to frame her cheeks.
She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling with affection.
My chest feels full as I gaze back down at her.
Without needing to say anything, I bend my neck and capture her lips with mine, doing my best to convey everything I’m feeling through my kiss rather than with words.
Whitney grips my suit jacket with her fingers and holds me tightly to her. When we break apart, we’re both breathless and flushed.
I tuck a strand of stray hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering maybe a second too long. “I’ll see you Monday,” I whisper.
“See you Monday,” she says back before standing up on her tiptoes and kissing me again.
Finally, she untangles herself from my arms and grabs her bags, hurrying into the lobby of her building. I stand there for a moment longer, waiting to see if she’ll return. When she doesn’t, I breathe in deeply through my nose and get back into the car.
As we drive further and further away, I find myself counting down the minutes until I get to see her again.
Even though I’ll have to try my hardest to make sure my desires for her are hidden, I’m looking forward to being near her again.
We are playing a dangerous game together, exploring this new relationship.
Anyone could find out and bring it to HR or the Board of Directors before I’m ready for them to know about it, and that would be bad news for both of us.
But even with that risk, I can’t seem to stay away from her.
For the first time in what feels like an eternity, I’m excited for Monday to come.