AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Where are we going?” I asked, following Bash down the hall to the right when the others had turned left. “I should probably get back downstairs before I miss my ride. Lea doesn’t take kindly to rogue banditos.”
When he passed the open door to an office, a dark-haired man jumped up from his desk and called out. “Bash, did you get a burrit—oh,” he finished when he clocked me trailing along in Bash’s wake. “Well, damn.”
“Kenji, hold my calls,” Bash said without slowing down. “I’m about to get some answers.”
“Okay, but—” Kenji began.
Whatever he’d been about to say was cut off when Bash dragged me into his office and slammed the door shut. His hand shoved my chest until my back hit the closed door, and then his mouth crashed down on mine like a lightning strike. My sombrero went flying… and so did all the reasons why being in Sebastian’s space was a tragically terrible idea. Bash was hard and hot and strong, pressing me into the door with his hips and chest, grappling with me until he had my arms crossed above my head, wrists clasped in one of his large hands. His other hand gripped my throat just firmly enough to tilt my face the way he wanted it.
I kissed him with a hungry intensity I seemed to only feel in Sebastian Dayne’s presence. The room spun wildly around us as his scent and touch and the sounds of our desperate kisses filled what little space remained between us.
When he finally pulled his head back, it was only so he could run his thumb over my fake mustache, his eyes sparkling with silent laughter.
I’d forgotten I still had the damn thing on, and my face went hot. “Shoot. Sorry.” I peeled it off and stuffed it in my pocket. “Was it weird kissing a man in disguise?”
Bash’s voice rumbled with sensual promise. “Kissing you always feels incredible, no matter what identity you’re using.”
The man needed to stop saying such sweet things. How was I supposed to convince myself that none of this was real when he looked at me like that?
“I thought you said you didn’t want to talk about u-us,” I accused.
“I lied.” He leaned closer again, running his nose along the edge of my jaw and inhaling deeply. I prayed he was smelling soap and not extra-spicy red sauce.
“Bash,” I protested, feeling my knees go weak. I needed to leave or for him to throw me down on the nearest surface and have his way with me andthenleave. At this point, I wasn’t sure which would hurt more.
He heaved a heavy sigh. “I very much want to talk aboutus, Rowe. But first…” He let me go, then stepped back. When he gestured me toward one of the chairs in front of his desk, I was finally able to get a glimpse of his office. One whole wall was windows, looking out over the city. Reflected light from the nearby buildings made the whole office sparkle. On the wall by the door was a large seating area with a couch. And in front of the window sat an enormous black desk. It was stylish and modern without being cold. Very perfect for Bash.
Instead of going around the desk to his office chair, Bash dropped into one of the visitor chairs and pulled me into the other. But he gripped my hand in his, like he thought maybe I’d run away if he let go.
“I’d like you to tell me about your project. About Daisy Chain. I should have let you tell me last weekend, and I regret—”
I started shaking my head before he could finish. “No. You said you didn’t want that between us, and I agreed. Istillagree. I’m desperate, I admit that. But I didn’t spend time with you because I wanted an investor, Bash. I didn’t h-have sex with you,” I stammered, “because I wanted you to put in a good word with the Sterling Chase people—”
“I know.”
“I don’t want money from you. Not even for Daisy’s project. I spent the weekend with you because you’re fun and smart and seriously fucking kind. Because when I’m with you, I feel like youseeme, even when I’m notbeingme. Because you make me laugh, and you don’t get impatient when I babble like an idiot. Because I like you…mmmph.”
Bash grabbed me by the back of my neck and hauled me in for another kiss, even more drugging than the last. Oh, god. The taste of him, the feel of his tongue brushing against mine, turned my spine to liquid. By the time he pulled back, I was slumped in the chair.
“You really need to stop kissing me, Bash Dayne,” I whispered.
“Then you need to stop being so fucking kissable, Rowe Prince.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. My brain spun like a Tilt-A-Whirl at the fair. “What do you want from me?”
When I peeked up at him, Bash’s lips were wet and red, and his eyes were intent, like he was giving the question a lot of thought. “For now? Exactly what I said. Tell me about the project, Rowe. Please.”
“You want a… a pitch?” I asked anxiously. “Because I’m still working on some revisions to that. After our conversation, I realized I needed to focus on how it could be profitable, so I started making a PowerPoint—”
“I don’t want a presentation.” He slid his chair closer to mine and took my hand again. “Just talk. I really, really want to know.”
In general, I never needed coaxing to talk about Daisy Chain. In fact, my mom sometimes said I was like a person who’d just come back from a vacation and needed to show everyone his photos, “even though I don’t understand above one word in ten that you’re speaking, Rowe, dear.” I usually tried tostoptalking about it.
Bash was different. He was maybe the best listener I’d ever met, which made it hard to hold back, even when I’d had every reason to keep my mouth shut. Now, with him holding my hand in both of his and his eyes locked on mine intensely, I didn’t need much convincing to spill my guts.
When he looked at me like that, like the whole world could fall to ashes around us and he’d still be hanging on to my hand and my every word, it was beyond my capability to deny him anything he wanted.
I took a deep breath and held it for a moment before letting it out in awhoosh. “Right. Okay. Project Daisy Chain is my idea for an emergency response communication system that connects EMTs to medical records, local hospitals, and physicians to improve trauma response outcomes—”
