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My heart dropped a little, shock hitting me at how wrong I had read the entire situation. Immediately, I began panicking and thinking of where I screwed up, but he laughed and rushed to reassure me.

“Stop right there. God, you have a dirty mind.” He gave me a kiss to stop me from saying anything. “I want your brilliant mind.”

I shoved his shoulder hard but huffed a laugh with him. “Asshole.”

“You are so smart—so fearless. I’ve never known a woman like you and I love every ounce of it.” No one had ever called me smart. No one had ever looked at me past my body and I was back to crying at his sweet words. “I’m hoping maybe I can trap you into staying at my company when all is said and done. I’m ready to offer sex multiple times a day into your benefits package.”

“Oh my God. Stop.” I hit his shoulder again, laughing. I was a mess of emotions with tears slipping down my cheeks, but laughing at the same time.

“I’m hoping you don’t leave me to run off with Carina.”

“She is pretty amazing and hot.”

He pursed his lips and cocked a brow and I pressed up to my toes to kiss the look away.

“Even if you did want to go with Carina, I would support you. As long as I get to wake up with you in my arms, reminding me of all the good things in life, I’ll be more than fine. I’ll be better than I’ve ever felt. You make me a better man.”

His hands slipped down my arms, and slid around my hips, pulling me flush against him. I tipped my head back to give him access as he kissed up my neck to my ear.

“Stay, Alexandra.”

Tingles raced down my spine to my core and I was unable to come up with a reason to say no. “Okay.”

He lifted his head to meet my eyes, a slow smile stretching his lips. “Okay?”

I nodded. “Okay.”

The next thing I knew I was lifted off my feet and clinging to him as he twirled us both around, his laughter vibrating against my chest. He sounded so happy I began laughing with him. But then my feet touched the ground and the laughing stopped because our mouths were fused together, sealing our agreement with a kiss. We wrapped ourselves around each other and left no place untouched, no part of our mouths untasted.

He’d done so much for me and I felt more energized and ready for anything than I ever had before. He’d given me that. He’d given me a future I could look into and see something great. He saved me that night from myself and I’d spend the rest of my life loving the man who bought me.

Epilogue

Ian

“When’s Alexandra coming back with your balls?”

Erik rolled his eyes and gave me a hard stare. “You’re just jealous no one is playing with your balls.”

He wasn’t wrong. Usually, I had no problem playing just as hard as I worked, but the last eight months had me pulling back—being pickier with the women I slept with.

It was that damn woman from the blind date photo shoot. God, she’d been hot as hell. And one of the only women who gave back just as good as she got. She wasn’t like other women I’d hung around. She wasn’t docile and didn’t give into everything I suggested.

No, she argued. It had kind of pissed me off at first, but then it became our unique way of foreplay. Add in the lack of clothes and touching for each photo and I wasn’t shocked at all we’d ended up fucking like bunnies.

I’d thought about contacting her again. Even gone so far as to get her contact information from the photographer. But he’d been gone like a ghost, no trace of him anywhere. So, I resigned myself to my fate of never seeing her again. Just remembering her on nights in bed when I jerked my cock. Or in the shower. Or on the couch. Or in the bathroom at work. But that had just been that one time.

“Hey, boys.” Alexandra strolled into the office, her eyes solely focused on the man behind the desk.

“Hey, where’s my kiss?” I asked when she walked past me to Erik.

Erik glared before shifting Alex onto his lap and kissing the hell out of her. I broke the moment with gagging noises. “Get a room, you two.”

“Ignore him,” Erik said. Alexandra laughed but pulled back. “How was your first day of school?”

Her whole face lit up with her smile. “Great. It’s mostly introductory classes, but it’s exciting.”

Erik beamed with pride, brushing her hair behind her ear. Even if I was jealous, it was nice to see my best friend happy. He’d closed himself off for so long.

“Hey, everyone.” Hanna entered the office next. “We have the meeting with Miss Russo in a few minutes.”