Page 29 of Nothing to You (Nothing to… #7)

LEON DID THE presentation. Of course. Rourke relished lording over everybody from the head of the table.

Let him. She’d keep her binder hugged to her chest as Leon performed for the group.

And when the time came, she’d launch her offensive.

In the seat closest to the presentation with no one opposite her, the position was perfect to find out what their leader was: her boss or her bitch?

Eventually, her friend would get up to say something to the captive audience. The spotlight would entice him onto center stage; he’d never be able to resist.

“Does anyone have questions?” Leon asked after talking them through it.

Not only did Rourke have Hope’s infrastructure on his agenda and under control, but he’d already built a skeleton system. And, damn, she hadn’t wanted to be impressed.

“They have no questions,” Rourke said, putting the lights on with his watch as he left his chair. “What they need to know is it’s in hand.”

“I have questions,” she said, deliberately turning her chair away from her buddy to look at the presentation again. “Your timeline is broad. Shouldn’t we narrow that down?”

Leon froze, everything except his eyes. Those went left, right, and back again. What was he looking for?

“Sit,” Rourke said to the scared rabbit and replaced him by the presentation.

“You want to do this here? In front of all these people?” She just grinned.

“Okay, the timeline is whatever I say it is. If it hooks me, it’ll be done by the end of the week.

If it doesn’t, I’ll leave it as long as I like.

Or until someone persuades me to use my skills for their benefit. ”

“Mm hmm,” she said, sliding her binder onto the table. “You have a team?”

“Allocated exclusively to this?” he asked.

“No—” His focus dropped as she pushed her shoulders deeper into the chair.

That’s right, boss man, feel the power ebb.

Who was in charge now? His mouth closed slowly to a smile, but he cleared his throat.

“My people do what they’re told, when they’re told. ”

“Some of your people.”

“All of my people,” he said, switching focus to others at the table. “Cornish, you tell these guys about their assignments?”

“Not yet,” Leon said. “You and you will have to see me after this.”

“We have assignments?” Franco asked, excited. “Why just me and Guillermo?”

“You’re young, free, single guys,” Rourke said. “You don’t want to see the world?”

“You’re assigning us overseas?” Franco asked, almost jumping from his chair.

She narrowed an eye on her friend’s smirk when it came around to her, but it didn’t linger, not on her gaze anyway.

So she folded her arms, plumping her breasts, luring him, entrancing him.

Try to keep that train of thought now, Boy Scout.

If the meeting was important enough to sideline sex, a view of her boobs through her white shirt shouldn’t distract him.

“Our London office needs a hub for Hope,” Rourke said. “We may go international after the pilot period. You guys are it.”

“We’re it?”

Running her tongue along her upper lip, she wriggled in her chair like she was just getting more comfortable. She wasn’t and he noticed.

“You’re so forward thinking, sir,” she pouted.

Too bad her body was far more interesting for him than her face. “You’re playing with fire, Radley.”

“I don’t mind getting burned,” she said, her voice breathy. Yes, she was screwing with him, and the others would probably know that, but it was just too tempting an opportunity to miss. “Not if it’s in the company’s best interest. Your best interest… sir.”

“The company’s interests don’t always align with my priorities.”

“Meaning?” she asked, innocent in her act.

“As your boss, I should remind you to wear underwear around the office. As a man… with access…”

“Whatever you need I’m here to deliver. I wouldn’t want to make things hard for you, sir.”

“Everyone’s excused.” His eyes found hers again and apparently the confused others weren’t moving fast enough. “Dismissed! Get the hell out of here.”

She didn’t even turn around. “But I have more questions, Mr. Rourke.” He stalked toward her. “You’re so strong and handsome and—”

Grabbing her wrist, he yanked her to her feet. “You were right,” he murmured, boosting her onto the table, still covered in paperwork and hard copies of the presentation. “For maybe the first time ever…” Wasn’t it fun when he mocked her with her own words. “You are going to ruin me.”

Parting her legs wider as she slid to the edge of the surface, she unbuttoned her shirt. “You can afford it.”

“What happened to the bra?”

“It might be in my private restroom. Maybe.” Tilting her chin up, she pretended to ponder. “I’m so careless with these things, I put them down and forget to pick them back up.”

“You take off your clothes to pee?”

“No one said anything about peeing.” Opening up her shirt, she bared herself to him. “If you’re so worried about my bra, I guess you don’t want to see these.” Except she slanted back, lowering herself slowly until she lay on the table. “Should I put them away?”

Pressing his curved hands into her thighs, he forced them up, pushing her skirt higher. “I’m more interested in if no bra means…”

She smiled when his gaze darkened. Yep. No bra. No panties.

“Does this go against the company dress code?”

“Oh, yeah,” he said, loosening his tie. “You’ll have to be disciplined for sure.”

“With us sharing an office, it’s unclear who is actually in charge. I’ll have to shake things up around here.”

“You shake whatever you want, Babycakes.”

Though her breasts quickly occupied his hands.

“Maybe you don’t deserve the treat,” she said, urging his hands away.

“I deserve it.”

Every time he tried to touch her, she intercepted him until their hands were palm to palm, fingers interlaced.

“Where’s my job in Europe?”

“You don’t get a job in Europe. You have too many responsibilities here.”

“To your cock?”

“Is there anything more important? It should be your primary concern.”

“Can I ride Guillermo before he goes?”

He couldn’t even keep a straight face. “That’s inappropriate for management, Babycakes. You shouldn’t screw the staff.”

“I screw you,” she said, using his hands as an anchor to pull herself up again.

“In every way possible.”

Insinuating her hands into his boxers, she squeezed his cock, freeing it and stroking her thumb across its head. “You didn’t get the no underwear memo?”

“I’ll do better next time.”

“This is becoming a habit, Boy Scout. I’m miles ahead of you. How much credit can I give you? I’ll have to cut you off sometime.”

Bowing close, he breathed against her lips. “But not today.”

Disappearing in a crouch, he hooked her legs, parted her folds with his tongue and sucked her clit before licking and tickling it with the tip.

Shit. Did he have to be so good at that? Her fingers coiled in his hair, but they slipped free as she lay down again, savoring the entitled plunge of his tongue as it delved into her. Her nerves tingled, sending signals out that pleasure was right there and climax just over the horizon.

Before it came close, she anticipated it. Just the excitement of his stimulation and the delicate titillation of his teasing prickled the hair on the back of her neck.

“Xavie…” she gasped, her knees rising, her back arching. “Shit, yes, baby.”

Some things were fun. Some were arousing.

Xavien Rourke was the only man who could do both at once.

Even as he aggravated and ridiculed her, he couldn’t disrespect her.

No. He could try. Often did. But he gave himself away in his attentiveness.

At the house, dinner, the car, even the Hope system.

It wasn’t just the big things, the little things mattered too.

“Xavie,” she said.

Her thighs closed around his head until he grabbed them with a bruising power to force them apart and come higher, changing his angle to slide his tongue up one crease, down another and into her.

Rubbing her clit, she played as he fucked her right to the edge and as she gasped—he snatched her hand away, right on the cusp of her climax.

“My toy.”

Her eyes didn’t open, but her lips curled. “My pussy.”

“Not today,” he murmured and hummed against her.

The sweet vibration carried her back to that point. Right there. Where it was just the tiniest step away. And—“Xavie,” she called, her body bracing into the release that wrought a yelp from her throat.

Before she’d even taken a breath, he was inside her. Hammering fast, he was on a mission; one that didn’t have to include her.

Except she liked it.

Liked that he was overcome and desperate. In need of his own climax. Aching to feel the same pleasure that wracked her trembling system. It was a lifeline, a necessity. Orgasm wasn’t just for fun, not there, not in that minute.

Her eyes opened to his. Serious, focused, he wasn’t playing. He wanted to reach the end, the finish line—

“Xavie!”

Another surge of hormones shot through her blood. She’d been so intent on him, so eager to see him crest the summit that her own tumble hit her off-guard.

It didn’t matter. As she called out for him and her body clamped tight around his, he drove into her again, coming inside her, just the way she liked it.

He planted his hands on the table, panting, without freeing himself from her body. “Consider that your signing bonus.”

Tucking her hands beneath the loose fabric of his open shirt, she stroked his torso. “Roxie rates Zairn out of ten.”

“Oh, yeah? You talk about sex?”

“With Roxie?” she asked and grinned. “Yes, it’s Roxie.”

“In case there’s any confusion, I don’t want to talk about the sex lives of my oldest friends, men I consider my family, my brothers.”

“Then you shouldn’t have introduced us all,” she said. “You only have yourself to blame.”

“As is so often the case when it comes to you.” Coming lower, he kissed her quick, and exhaled. “We’ll have the house to ourselves tonight.”

“Should we go check out Dyce’s house? Make sure Zairn’s people didn’t leave a mess.”

He brushed his nose across hers. “You want to do it in his bed?”

“In his house,” she said with a semi-shrug. “It doesn’t have to be his bed if that weirds you out.”

“I’ll tell him it was you.”

“That I seduced you? He’ll believe that. I’m irresistible.”

“That it was your fantasy. That you forced me into it.”

“Oh, and he’ll believe that,” she said, not believing it herself. “He’s met you, right? He knows no sentence exists with both your name and the phrase ‘refuses sex.’”

“Other than the one you just said,” he said and threw both arms around her. “Most women aren’t as easy as you, Babycakes. He’s used to me being more discerning.”

“Discerning? Like Diva?” And as their eyes met, it hit her. “Alaina Havenash.” The insanely gorgeous supermodel. “Your ex is Alaina Havenash.”

“So?” he said like he wasn’t happy to hear the name.

She couldn’t blame him. “Sorry, I didn’t—wow.” Exhaling, she got her composure from him. “I didn’t realize it until now.” And he probably didn’t want to talk about her at all, much less only minutes after he’d got off. “Now I get why you called her Diva.”

“It’s the guys’ name for her,” he said, backing off to fasten his pants.

“Don’t go in a mood. What did I tell you about pouting?”

“I don’t want to talk about Alaina,” he said, almost warning her. “Whatever you want to know—”

“I know everything I need to know. I didn’t know her name before, but I know her. You told me about her. When you were together, when you broke up. I don’t want to talk about her.” Extending an arm, she waited for him to put his hands in hers. “It’s lucky you have me now.”

Suspicion raised his chin an inch. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yep. You’ll never have to worry about having your heart broken again.”

“Babycakes, my heart is—”

“I won’t let it happen,” she said, cutting him off before his swagger could gain momentum. Laying a hand on each of his cheeks, she pulled him down until their eyes were just a few inches apart. “I won’t let anyone treat you like that ever again.”

His gaze bounced back and forth between her eyes. “Who says I’ll let you step in?”

“I don’t need your permission.” Her fingers slid into his hair.

“I’ll be around, watching, always watching, and if she tries any of that shit, if any woman tries that shit, I’ll kick her ass.

” He laughed. “It pays to have a best friend who didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in her mouth. I’ll look after you.”

“Okay,” he said, tucking her head down to kiss the top. “You do that, Rocky.”

He could tease like she was kidding, but she wasn’t.

Throughout the relationship, the way the supermodel treated him took a toll.

From the nuance of his voice at the time, she sensed it.

Felt it. He was a guy who liked to act like everything rolled off, but he had feelings.

Feelings she wouldn’t let any woman play with ever again.