Page 84 of The CEO I Hate

“But what if?—”

“No,” I said, maybe a little louder than I’d intended, judging by the way Mia jumped in her seat. I just hated to hear her doubt herself—her talent and dedication and commitment. She’d been working her ass off to market the print run, to hype it up, to make sure it got into the hands of readers who would love her story.

“Ellie Park would have to be a literal moronnotto enjoyHeart and Hustle,” I growled. “Okay? It’s amazing. You’re amazing. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together will see how good it is.”

The corner of Mia’s mouth twitched.

“And!” I continued, “Since Ellie Park had the good sense to book you in the first place, she clearly has at least that many brain cells. You have nothing to worry about.” I grabbed her hand again, pressing akiss to her knuckles. So maybe I’d missed the mark on warm and fuzzy when it came to encouragement, but hopefully she understood how rock-solid my belief in her was.

“Thanks,” she said after a beat, the words so soft I almost missed them. “You really mean all that, huh?”

“Mia!” I grumbled under my breath.

“Okay,” she said, laughing a bit. “Okay.” She smiled in my direction, perhaps a little more assured, but the way she drummed her fingers along her thigh told me there were lingering nerves. I put my hand over hers, my pinky brushing the soft skin where her skirt ended, and I heard her sharp intake of breath.

A grin curled across my face as I spotted the parking garage. I let my fingers drift up her leg. I was barely an inch past her hemline, but she groaned.

“Liam…”

“Yes?” I asked, all faux innocence.

“Knock it off.”

“I’m not the one parting my legs,” I said as she gave me more access. I could feel the heat of her as I inched up her thigh. “What areyoudoing?”

She made a noise, something between a groan, a whine, and a growl. I squeezed her thigh, and her hand finally caught mine, putting an end to my fun.

“You know, if I can’ttalkyou out of your nerves,” I pointed out. “I might be able to distract you from them.”

“We can’t,” she said.

I pulled my hand away and turned into the parking garage just south of The Sound Station. “We definitely could,” I said, racing up and up, looking for a spot.

“Someone might see,” Mia said.

My heart lurched in my chest and my pulse started racing—because that wasn’t a no. I needed to find a damn parking spot. Now. Preferably a nice, isolated little space.

“Do you want me to take your mind off your nerves?” I asked, eyeballing the perfect spot. I rolled the car to a stop, the Porsche purring beneath me.

She reached out, taking my hand and putting it back on her thigh. “What if someone sees?”

“The windows are tinted,” I said, giving her a wicked grin. “Do you think some security guard is going to walk around and tap on the window? That only happens in the movies.”

Mia’s chest heaved as my fingertips brushed along her underwear. Her eyes fluttered closed, her dark lashes brushing her cheeks. God, she was gorgeous.

“Tell me what you want,” I said.

She reached out, surprising me, and grabbed the bulge in my pants, squeezing my erection. “You,” she said.

A smug smile stretched across my face as I threw my seat back as far as it would go. “Ask and you shall receive,” I said, gesturing to my lap. Without another word, Mia scrambled across the car, climbing on top of me. I slid my hands up the backs of her thighs, kneading her ass as she wriggled into place, straddling me.

She lowered her head to kiss me.

I nipped at her ear. “You’re going to be so good,” I rasped. “Aren’t you?”

“Yes,” she moaned, grinding down against me.

“And when I’m done making you come, you’re going to go in there and kick podcast ass.”