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My blood runs cold and I despise the worrying tone she has. If she were mine, she wouldn’t have to worry about a damn thing. “What kind of bad news?” I keep my voice calm, but I’m anything but. I don’t want to hear that she has bad news—if someone’s done something to her, like her ex-fiancé, it needs to be fixed immediately. My palms itch and it takes great effort not to let on every scenario that runs through the back of my mind.
“I may have…well, Ididbreak a window in the apartment. Yesterday.” The corners of Maddie's mouth turns down. “It was an accident. My phone completely slipped out of my hand, and I never expected…” She takes a deep and steadying inhale. “I know repairs like that get added to the rent, so I’ve visited two different places to see if I could figure out a way to afford it, but?—”
“Let me guess. It was the picture window?”
Maddie bites her lip and gives me an embarrassed nod. Fuck, my cock is so hard precum leaks from the seam. If I could have created a storyline for us to play, this would be fucking perfect.
“None of the companies would agree to work on a project like that. Too complicated with the large sheet of glass. Not worth the trouble,” I tell her. There’s no way in hell she’s going to find someone to come and fix that window. I have my contacts though; it’s not a problem in the least.
“That’s exactly what I found out.” Maddie leans forward, her lips parted, clearly trying to decide what to say next. “I didn’t want to…I don’t want you to think I’m making any assumptions about?—”
“What kind of man I am?”
Her eyes snap to mine. “I don’t see anything wrong with…with making more deals, if it’s two consenting adults, and I…”
She pauses for so long that I lean in, too. If it wasn’t for the desk between us, I’d have her in my lap already.
“You were thinking about the last deal we made, weren’t you?”
“I was,” she admits in a soft voice. “I was thinking about it. I…I liked it.”
“I told you I’d make it good for you.”
“And you did.” She looks down and away, collecting herself. “So I wondered if you’d be willing to make another arrangement with me.” The vulnerability in her tone is a temptress herself.
I know what I should say to her. I know that I should keep my focus where it belongs—on the deals I’m trying to make and the goals I’m trying to reach. I shouldn’t take advantage of her situation.
I just can’t do that. I can’t be that man. I want her too much.
“I’d be happy to do that, if it’s what you would like to do.”
Her eyes widen, the heat in her gaze simmering. “You would?”
“I wanted you the first time we came to an agreement,” I say, hoping to hell I don’t sound as if I’m completely smitten with her. “I still do.”
“Okay.” Maddie glances over my desk. “Is this?—”
“Not here. I’ll come up to your apartment when I’m finished for the day.” As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I regret them. Why the hellnothere? I’d like to fuck her on my desk. Fucking hell, I can only imagine how hot she’d look. I’d like to see her all spread out over my paperwork. But that would be a decision based on my cock, and I didn’t get where I am by constantly leading with my dick.
She nods in agreement and asks politely, “Is there anything I can do in the meantime?”
“I’ll make the calls and the repair crew should be here within the next hour or two. The company I work with never makes me wait more than an hour, so they should be done by the time I wrap up for the day.”
“Wow.” Maddie looks me up and down. “I thought it would take at least a week or…I don’t know, even longer.”
“And leave you with a broken window?” I shake my head. “Next time there’s anything broken, call me as soon as it happens. Don’t let it sit overnight.”
“I didn’t cut myself or anything,” Maddie says. “It’s more like a spiderweb.”
“As soon as it happens,” I insist, lowering my voice.
A sexy shiver runs through her and it’s addictive. “Okay,” she whispers, then clears her throat. “Okay, Mr. Maxwell. I’ll do that.”
I get up from my chair and help her out of hers, ignoring the intense urge to slide my hand up under her dress to see how wet she is. I already know how much this turns her on.
It’ll be torture for me and probably for her, too, but I need to reinforce my self-control.
I guide Maddie to the door with my hand on the small of her back. She looks up at me and murmurs a quickthank you,and then I watch her walk away, ignoring the prying look from Miss Dawning.