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Mesmerized, I nod my head. “Yes please.”
Malcolm walks into the full size kitchen and pours two glasses of wine before coming back to give one to me. Our fingers brush against one another slightly as he passes the wine, and I shiver with electricity. His blue eyes gleam, but he merely opens the sliding glass door to the balcony.
“Would you like to see the view from out here?”
I smile, feeling almost dazed. “Oh, yes. I’d love to.”
There’s an elegant outdoor table and a pair of chairs set up out on the balcony. In the darkness, the lights from Atlantic City sparkle merrily, and the sound of waves crashing ashore greets us as we sit down.
“This is wonderful,” I sigh as a balmy breeze tousles my curls. “I could stay out here forever, it’s so nice.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Malcolm rumbles in a low voice. “Again, it’s beautiful.”
My eyes flicker open then and my breath catches. The billionaire’s azure gaze is boring into me, heat dancing in his eyes and I feel my whole body flush with a delicious heat.
“You probably stay in fancy penthouses like this all the time,” I murmur.
He shrugs. “Not always. I lived in a crappy apartment when I was starting Ligne. It didn’t have a view of anything other than an alley where a few homeless people slept each night. It didn’t even have a functional kitchen, to be honest. There was a sink and a little microwave that only worked sometimes. As a result, I lived on take out while I perfected my business plan, and it wasn’t healthy at all.”
I gasp.
“Oh wow. I knew you built Ligne from the ground up, but I didn’t know it was like that at the beginning.”
“You mean, that I was broke?” Malcolm smiles. “Most people don’t know because I prefer to keep my private life to myself.”
I nod, my eyes wide.
“But still, it’s incredible! You were able to create a global behemoth on your own.”
The big man shrugs again.
“I don’t know about that. I had a goal and a plan, and I put in a lot of work to make it happen. I definitely had a few key people along the way because no one can shoulder the burden on their own, so I’m grateful for that. But Leslie, I see that same kind of drive in you. In fact, it’s one of the first things I noticed about your work.”
My brows shoot up. The CEO’s noticed me before? I honestly thought it was my nude photos that caught his attention, so this is surprising.
“Really?” I ask curiously. “But I sit in cubicle land on the fifth floor. I thought you didn’t know any of the junior associates.”
Malcolm sets his glass down, and taking my chin between his thumb and forefinger, his eyes meets my gaze seriously.
“How could I not notice you, sweetheart? You’re beautiful, smart, and driven. Yes, I’ve been watching from afar because I like to keep my work relationships professional, and yes, you’re a junior associate while I’m the boss. But the moment I saw those photos of you I knew I couldn’t resist anymore. You were gorgeous honey, with your legs spread and those big breasts swaying. Suddenly, I knew you were a woman with both brains and sex appeal, and when I saw you sitting alone in that cafe, I had to take my shot.”
His eyes move to my mouth and I bite my lip, imaging what it might feel like if he kissed me. “I’m glad you did,” comes my whisper.
Something flares in Malcolm’s eyes, and then he gently takes my wine glass from my hand and sets it on the table. Those big hands cup my cheeks as he lowers his lips to mine and I sigh blissfully at the gentle caress. The kiss is unassuming at first, his lips merely exploring mine, as if asking permission. But then after a minute, his touch changes. Malcolm claims my mouth harder, his tongue insistent against the seam of my lips and I open to him with a needy moan. His tongue sweeps into my mouth and I gasp.
“Shit, you taste sweet,” Malcolm rasps. Then he stands up so fast his chair falls backwards, and pulls me from my chair so that my curvy body is plastered against that hard frame. I melt a bit as he covers my mouth with his again, and then his hands sweep up beneath my dress and under my thighs before lifting me in the air like I weigh nothing.
“Oooh!” I squeal. “What are you doing?”
“Taking you to where it’s more comfortable,” he rasps, harsh streaks on his bronzed cheekbones. He moves with determination, like a tiger stalking its prey, and then I’m lowered onto a soft mattress in the largest bedroom I’ve ever seen. The décor is all creams and beiges, but I the only thing I care about is Malcolm. He backs away, hunger darkening his gaze as he watches me.
