Page 46 of After-Hours Heir

He said it maybe because he hoped it was true, more than he could prove that it was. He said it, because he needed to believe it. Because he needed to believe that there was one thing, maybe only one thing about him that was redeemable in any way. A part of him that Sylvie wanted.

And why that should matter he could not say. Why it should be important he didn’t know.

He felt like he was drowning with her. And he resented it, he also couldn’t control it. So if he was going to feel this, if it was going to be this way, then he would have her surrender. He would have her admit it.

He would have his triumph.

“Tell me that you want me,” he said, sliding his thumb over her bottom lip. “Or I’ll leave.”

Then she reached out, her hand cupping him, her thumb sliding over his hardened length. “You won’t,” she said. “You won’t walk away because you want it too badly. You’ve broken one of the most important rules in business, Christos. You’ve shown your hand. Or rather your…” She looked down.

“Have it your way,” he said, beginning to move away.

“Christos,” she said, reaching out toward him, nearly reflexively.

“I knew it. I knew that you would not allow me to walk away from you. Because you are hungry for me. Now, tell me what I want to hear. Say my name, Sylvie. Say it. Say it in anger if you need to, but I will have you screaming it in pleasure later.”

“I want you,” she said, her gaze meeting his, her eyes filled with anger. “Christos.”

He growled in triumph and walked her back toward the bed. The windows were open, the view of New York City pristine.

It was one-way glass, and no one could see in. But of course Sylvie wouldn’t know that, and she cast a slightly worried glance toward the view.

“We didn’t even see each other the first time,” he said. “I would not be opposed to the entire city watching this time.”

“I…”

But he could see the color mounting in her cheeks. She liked that idea. But he would not lie to her. “No one can see in.”

Her eyes cast down just slightly. “Oh. But you quite liked the idea of being watched.”

She tilted her chin upward. “Maybe I just like the idea of everyone knowing that ruthless Christos Onassis is not quite so hard when he’s with me.”

He lowered his head, pressed his forehead against hers. “Oh, I am very hard.”

He enjoyed the satisfaction then of watching her light up like a beacon.

“You know what I mean.”

“Tell me. Tell me exactly what you mean.”

“You soften for me. Even if you didn’t know it was me. We…we had real conversation those nights.”

“What did they matter?”

He asked that question, mostly for himself. “This is what matters. This is what’s real. Feelings, words that you can type into a phone, what does that matter?”

Yes. It didn’t matter. He knew that. It wasn’t real, and it never had been. A video game. That was what it had been.

“This,” he said, leaning in and tracing her lower lip with the tip of his tongue. “This is what’s real.”

She shivered beneath his touch, and then he claimed her mouth again, harder, deeper.

And as he kissed her, his desire built, and as his desire built, he made a vow inside of himself. He would make her understand.

He would make her feel the same intensity that he did. He would make sure she knew that this was the only thing that mattered.

You’re having a baby. She is your wife.