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Eva holds my gaze steadily. "I'm not sorry about the kiss. I don’t live my life with regrets. But ... I have limited experience with this kind of thing, Max. I don’t date. I don’t hook up. I just work, and for a while, I went to university. I spend the rest of my time doing yoga and stuff that keeps me mentally healthy because"—she drops her eyes and swallows hard—"it's bloody lonely without Mum."
I cup her face and brush away the tear sliding down her cheek with my thumb. Her breath hitches, and her eyelids flutter at the contact. Yeah, she's definitely not immune to me. Thank fuck because I want this amazing woman more than anything. "If it makes you feel any better, I don’t date either. Haven't had time, and I've, uh, been a little self-conscious since I gained weight."
Eva's eyes widen. "You're kidding, right? You're ... bloody gorgeous."
"And you're damn good for my ego," I reply gruffly. "After Dad died, I was so wrapped up in the aftermath and intent on taking care of everyone else that I neglected to take care of myself. That’s the mode I've been in for a long time: work first, play later. And it hasn't made me happy. The only thing that's given me a modicum of happiness is waking early and making pastries, a profession my parents indulged because it was a ‘side thing,’ something I could do while I bided my time waiting to take over the business. But when I realised the business was in trouble, I knew I'd have to stick around longer and find a way to sort it. That’s how I came to be here. But I wasn't expecting you, and I sure as hell wasn't expecting to fall in love with you. But your vibrancy and energy and positivity lifted me up. I've been going crazy these last few weeks, Eva. God, I've missed you."
She lifts her hand to cover mine on her cheek. "I've missed you too. Thank you for sharing who you are with me. It lets me know I can trust you to be honest with me, even when it comes to the tough stuff."
"Well, seeing as you value honesty, here's something else you need to know." I drop my hands to her hips and pull her closer so she can feel my hardening cock. "I want you, Eva. I'm not hiding it anymore, and I'm stating my intentions loud and clear. So, if this isn't what you want, tell me now and even though it will kill me, I'll walk away."
She stares at me, her desire laid bare in her eyes. But there's also something else. "I'm scared, Max. You're my boss. What if we start something, and people accuse me of nepotism, of sleeping with the boss to get ahead? Not that we're sleeping together, ornotsleeping as the case may be, but ... ugh ... I'm so bad at this."
"Does it matter what others think if we know the truth?" I ask bluntly.
She sighs. "It shouldn't, but I'd be lying if I said it doesn't."
"Fuck what others think, Eva. You're worth far more than some idle gossip. I don't give a shit what people say about me, but if they so much as breathe a word about your integrity, they'll have me to answer to."
She looks taken aback by my ferocity. "I ... You care that much?"
"Yes," I rasp. "I care that much. I care about you, Eva."
"I ... care about you too, Max. And you're right. I can't let the fear of how others perceive me get in the way of my happiness and well-being."
I tap her nose with my finger. "That's my girl."
My girl.
Fuck, I want her as mine.
I grasp her hand and tug her from the room, locking it behind us.
"What are you doing?" she gasps as I practically haul her down the hallway and out of the staff exit to the underground carpark where my BMW is parked.
"Taking you home so I can worship every inch of your gorgeous body."
Chapter10
Eva
It doesn't take longto reach Max's place in an exclusive apartment building overlooking the River Thames. On the way, I text my elderly neighbour, Dorothy, who has a spare key, asking if she can feed Monty. Dorothy is sweet and is only too happy to feed Monty and make a fuss of him on the rare occasions I'm away from home.
Max parks in a reserved spot and whisks me up in the private lift to the penthouse. The place is huge, with an open plan kitchen, living and dining space and a hallway leading to what I assume are the bedrooms and bathroom. The decor is neutral shades, simple, refined, and elegant, and the entire apartment has breathtaking views across London. I move to the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing out at the Tower of London and Tower Bridge. The electric blue of the Shard shines like a beacon in the night.
This is a whole new world, far removed from my little two-bed semi, and I'm faintly intimidated.
As if sensing my uncertainty, Max comes to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "This is just trappings, Eva. None of it means anything without you. Not anymore."
I turn in the circle of his arms, looking deep into his warm brown eyes. The intensity of emotion I see there sends need cascading through me. I want this man with every fibre of my being. He's the epitome of everything I never knew I wanted in a man—masculine, strong, and solid, like a rock I can lean on. And when he looks at me like he wants to devour me, I'm ready to cast aside any remaining caution. He wants me, and God help me, I want him too.
But I don't know how to do this. I don't know how to vocalise what I want. So I try to convey it without words. I press closer, feeling his hard length against my stomach and his breath stirring the hair at my temples. My breathing grows heavy, and my breasts rub against his chest, turning my nipples into tight buds.
Max groans."Is there something you want, my little starling?"
I nod, loving the endearment. "You."
His hands tighten on my hips, holding me to him. His lips play at my temple, my ear, my neck, and it’s enough to snap that last tendril of resistance as desire kicks up. The look-but-don’t-touch mantra that's been on repeat in my head for weeks melts away, replaced by the hot, hungry need I've been holding at bay from the moment I saw him.
