7. Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Imogen
" I just think you're being too hard on the guy," Lilith's voice crackles through the phone's speaker. "He didn't even know you back then.”
I let out a heavy sigh, sinking deeper into the plush cushions of my couch. "I know, but it still stings that he kept me in the dark for so long."
"Well, you two certainly looked like one hell of a power couple at the gala last night," Lilith remarks with a hint of mischief. "The chemistry was off the charts."
My cheeks flush at the memory of Holden's heated gaze, the way his fingers had trailed along the bare skin of my back. Before I can respond, a sharp knock at the door breaks the silence.
"Hey, Lil, I've gotta go. Someone's at the door."
I set the phone down and cross the living room, my bare feet sinking into the soft carpet. Peering through the peephole, I feel a jolt of surprise mixed with apprehension.
It's Holden.
I take a deep, steadying breath before pulling open the door. He stands there, looking uncharacteristically nervous, his hands shoved into the pockets of his tailored slacks.
"Hi," he says, offering me a tentative smile.
"Hi." I keep my expression neutral as I lean against the doorframe. "What are you doing here?"
He clears his throat, squaring those broad shoulders. "I came to make things right." From behind his back, he produces a thick manila envelope and holds it out to me. "This is a proposal for Bowers Enterprises to partner with Lynch Consultants on a new initiative."
Curiosity piqued, I accept the envelope and flip it open, my eyes scanning the contents. It's a detailed plan to allocate a significant portion of Bowers' profits toward funding small business loans and providing consulting services—my consulting services.
"I want to use my resources to support the very businesses I once threatened," Holden explains, his voice low and earnest. "It's my way of making amends, of righting the wrongs of the past."
I look up at him, stunned into silence. This is... not at all what I expected.
Sensing my hesitation, he takes a step closer, his eyes holding mine with an intensity that steals my breath. "Please, Imogen. Let me show you how serious I am about this—about us."
His words hang heavy in the air between us. I can see the sincerity burning in those piercing blue depths, the silent plea for a second chance.
"Come in," I murmur, stepping back to allow him inside.
We settle on the couch, the proposal resting between us like a tangible promise. Holden turns to face me, his expression open and vulnerable in a way I've never seen before. He reaches out, his fingers brushing my knee in a gentle caress.
"I never meant to hurt you," he murmurs, his thumb tracing soothing circles against the bare skin. "All I want is the chance to show you how much you mean to me, to prove that we can build something incredible together—both professionally and personally."
His words resonate deep within me, echoing the same desires I've kept locked away, too afraid to voice them aloud. Suddenly, all the anger and resentment I've harbored seems to melt away, leaving only the undeniable connection that has simmered between us from the start.
"You hurt me," I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. "But I hurt you, too, by letting my anger blind me to who you really are."
Holden's lips quirk into a rueful smile. "I'd say we're even, then."
I return his smile, marveling at how easily the tension between us dissipates in this moment of shared understanding.
"We both made mistakes," I concede. "The question is, are we willing to move past them and see where this incredible connection could lead us?"
His answer is instant and decisive. "More than anything."
With a surge of determination, I snatch up the proposal and a pen from the coffee table. I scrawl my signature across the bottom, sealing our commitment.
The breath rushes from Holden's lungs in a harsh exhale, his eyes blazing with a heady mix of relief and undisguised want. Before I can react, he's surging forward, capturing my lips in a searing kiss.
His hands are everywhere—cradling my face, tangling in my hair, trailing blazing paths down my sides. I melt into his embrace, pouring every ounce of pent-up longing, every shred of forgiveness, into the heated press of my mouth against his.
A low growl rumbles from deep in Holden's chest as his tongue sweeps past my parted lips to stake a claim. I clutch at the hard planes of his chest, pulling him closer until there's no space left between us.
Need claws at my insides, an insistent ache that demands to be sated. I break away just long enough to yank Holden's shirt over his head, baring his sculpted torso to my hungry gaze.
"God, you're gorgeous," I breathe against the tanned column of his throat.
His only response is a guttural groan as he captures my mouth once more. Then he's lifting me into his lap, lowering me back onto the couch, settling between my parted thighs, the delicious weight of him pinning me in place.
Holden's mouth leaves mine, trailing a path of fire down my neck, lingering on the pulse point that betrays my racing heart. His hands slide down my sides, gripping my hips as he shifts, moving lower, his intent clear in the wicked gleam of his eyes.
"Holden," I start, a hint of nervousness creeping into my voice.
He silences me with a look, his voice a low growl. "I've been dying to taste you."
Well, when he puts it like that...
He kisses me again, this time on the soft skin of my stomach. His fingers hook into the waistband of my shorts, tugging them down along with my underwear in one smooth motion. I lift my hips to help him, a shiver of anticipation running through me.
Holden pauses, looking up at me with a heated gaze. "You're beautiful, Imogen."
I feel a blush spreading across my cheeks, but before I can respond with a clever quip, he lowers his head, and all thoughts of witty banter fly out the window.
The first touch of his tongue is electric, sending a jolt of pleasure through me. I gasp, my hands fisting in his hair as he explores me with a skill that leaves me breathless. He's not rushed, not hurried. He takes his time, each lick and suck deliberate, designed to drive me wild.
And it's working.
"God, Holden," I pant, my back arching as he hits a particularly sensitive spot.
He hums against me, the vibration adding another layer of sensation. I can feel the tension building, the delicious pressure that promises release. My breath comes in short gasps, my heart pounding in my chest.
Holden's hands grip my thighs, spreading them wider, opening me up completely. I'm exposed, vulnerable, but with him, it feels right. It feels safe.
He looks up at me again, his eyes dark with desire. "Let go, beautiful. Let me see you come undone."
The tension snaps, pleasure crashing over me like a wave. I cry out, my body convulsing as the orgasm rips through me. Holden doesn't stop, riding out the storm with me, his tongue gentling as the last tremors fade.
I collapse back against the couch cushions, boneless and sated. Holden presses a final lingering kiss to my inner thigh before crawling up to join me, his body a delicious weight pinning me in place.
"That was..." I trail off, struggling to find the words as I gaze up at him through a haze of lingering bliss.
A slow, cocky grin tugs at the corners of his mouth. "Just a preview of what's to come."
Before I can respond, his mouth is on mine, hot and demanding. I moan into the kiss, tasting myself on his tongue—a heady, intoxicating flavor that only stokes the flames of desire burning through my veins.
My hands roam the hard planes of his chest, the rippling muscles of his back, desperate to touch every inch of him. With a growl of approval, Holden deepens the kiss, his hips shifting to settle more firmly against me.
The hard length of him presses against my core, and I rock my hips, seeking that delicious friction. Holden breaks the kiss with a ragged groan, his forehead dropping to rest against mine.
"Imogen..." he rasps, his voice strained. "If you keep moving like that, this is going to be over before it even starts."
A wicked grin curves my lips as I deliberately roll my hips again, drawing a strangled curse from between his clenched teeth.
"Then you'd better stop teasing me and just give me what I want," I purr, delighting in the way his eyes darken to a stormy blue at the challenge.