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“You can’t be serious.”

“But as a man who’s been inside you, taught you things you hadn’t experienced, I’m asking for two minutes. That’s all. Can you please give me that?”

Silence settled between us. The heat clicked on, warm air fell from the ceiling, and wisps of her hair blew in the breeze before she collapsed back into her chair with a heavy sigh.

“Fine.” She pushed herself away from her desk, and in the most protective gesture ever, crossed her arms over her chest and her legs at a knee.

“A Dom’s first responsibility is always to take care of his sub, and I didn’t do that the other night. I promised you I’d answer any questions you had, but I didn’t ask you any questions that could affect our play.”

“You’re not my Dom.”

Nah, but I would be. Now that I had an inkling of understanding of why she was so hesitant to submission, I could finesse it. “You’re right. But that still doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have taken the time the other night to ask you a few questions or ask you what your concerns were. Based on what just happened in the conference room, I’m assuming you have some. Not digging deep enough was my error completely. And for that, I’m sorry.” I flashed her a lazy grin.

Her gazed dropped to my mouth and I had the urge to see if her nipples were hardening, or if her pulse was thumping a beat or two faster.Eyes on the prize, asshole. And in this case, it was her. “I was so excited to get my hands on your luscious ass, I lost my mind a bit.”

“I was beginning to feel sorry for being mean until you threw that out there, you know.”

“I do now.” Another grin. Shameless, I was. “Do we need to talk about that? You mentioned men using you.”

The very thought of her being with an abusive prick sent my blood burning white hot.

Her lips pressed together in a tight line and she shook her head once. “Nope. And no offense, I’ve given you the two minutes you requested, but now I have work to do, and since you’renotmy Dom, it’s really none of your business, is it?” Her eyes gleamed. Wicked sexy vixen mixed with a challenge.

Game on, honey. “Not today it’s not.”

In order to show her that I could respect her, that I valued her, I let her end the conversation without pushing as far as I would have liked to. We’d get to more later. I stood from the chair, brushing my hands down my thighs. I didn’t miss the way her gaze dropped to my movements before jumping back to my eyes either. She was pissed, but interested, at least in my body, but who could really blame her? I lifted and ran and swam whenever I could. I’d honed my body to perfection and I wouldn’t lie, it was for vanity. Screw the healthy lifestyle and clean eating. I actually wanted women to look at me like she was doing now.

Arrogant asshole, I might be, but I was a damn good looking one. “Someday soon it will be my business. Have a good night.”

* * *

I was an action man. I was also a planning kind of man. I didn’t do much without considering the pros and cons, a variety of potential “what-ifs” scenarios, along with their possible solutions. That’s where I’d gone wrong with Rebecca from the very beginning.

I wasn’t the asshole she assumed I was. I was particular. I knew what I liked and I expected it to be done according to my exact specifications. It’s what made me a beast at my job, and yeah, part of that was because my dad started the company and despite the fact my parents were living a life of luxury in a posh retirement community down in Boca Raton, I still lived with urgent need to have his approval.

Which he made clear to me I had, every quarter when his investment portfolio and stock in Ashby Enterprises increased yet again. Even in the down market, when everyone was struggling to build and construction companies were falling like Dominos, I’d kept the company on a steady course.

That was me. Steady. Confident. Set a goal and smash the hell out of the yellow tape as I crossed the finish line.

But Rebecca? She’d taken me by surprise, something that rarely happened. And since then, and looking back at her work record and employment history like I spent hours doing last night after she left the office, she continued to surprise the hell out of me.

This woman with the plush backside and curves that all but screamed “take me hard and do it all over again” was someone I no longer wanted working for me, but with me. At my side.

With a few rounds of hard fucking at night.

Now that I had a plan, a goal, nothing could stop me.

Which was probably why she’d been flashing curious and hesitant glares my way all day long. It started the moment I walked into her office, placed her favorite coffee drink on her desk again and murmured, “Good morning, Miss Morales,” and continued the rest of the morning until it was time for us to head to the ground-breaking ceremony.

I’d been pleasant, respectful, a friendly boss without crossing any lines, unless you counted when I placed my hand at her lower back and guided her toward the staged, ribbon set up area.

It was nearly impossible to be close to her and not touch her. Sue me. I wanted her and I’d get her, regardless of how long it took, but with the way she relaxed into my touch and not stiffened, I figured I wouldn’t have to wait long.

Plus, I hadn’t mentioned anything about our night together and I wouldn’t again.

Nope. My new plan was to woo her. Show her that she didn’t want some mindless, boring, safe metrosexual dude, but that she really wanted a man. Not just any man, either. Me.

“This way,” I said. My fingers pressed into her back and guided her around an uneven spot in the frozen grass. We’d had snow right before Christmas but since then, most of it had melted leaving slushy piles of snow and melting puddles of mud. But damn it was windy. We were in some sort of wind advisory. It was brutally cold as it slashed across my cheeks and nose.