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I bring the tray of crackers, cheese, and fruit to my bed and get in beside her with the food between us. Plucking a raspberry from the plate, I bring it to her lips and she parts them, letting me place it on her tongue.
Her smile makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. Things I worry that I won’t be able to handle.
“What percentage do you get from that auction?” I ask, my voice coming out harsher than I intend.
Her chewing stops and her face floods with color. “There’s no need to feel embarrassed,” I say as I take her hand and kiss each fingertip. “I was there as well.”
She shakes her head hard enough that her hair whips into her face, and I can’t help but brush it away. I can’t keep my hands off her for a second.
“That’s the thing,” she says, distraught. “You weren’t supposed to be there. Kate overheard you declining Mr. Antonov’s invitation.” She groans and shakes her head again. “Oh, forget I said that. It doesn’t matter now.”
I clearly remember the other intern hovering outside my office door on the day Nikol had twisted my arm into going to his club. She would have known I’d be there. “Is she the one who told you about the auction?” After swallowing hard and refusing to answer, I tip up her chin to see her eyes are full of pain. “Tell me,” I say.
“Yes. She knew how much I needed money. Mr. Stanhope—I mean, Easton, please believe I never would have—”
Tears fill her eyes and I hold another berry to her trembling lips. “Don’t,” I say, struggling to hide my anger. None of it is aimed at her, but I fully intend to fire a certain someone first thing Monday morning. “Don’t you dare feel ashamed.” I smile, begging her with my eyes to return it. “I would have fired you soon and found a way to be with you anyway. This just saved me some time.”
She bites back a short laugh. “It didn’t save you any money, though.”
“I have plenty of money,” I assure her. “And you’re priceless.”
We continue to eat, and the story slowly unfolds. My anger increases when I learn about the scum who swindled her grandmother. I tell her how I first learned about investing. I was still in high school and a similar situation happened to my family. Filled with anger, I read every book I could get my hands on and studied the market, eventually taking what little we had left after the con and doubled, then tripled it. Ultimately ending up where I am today.
She looks at me with pride and gratitude in her eyes, making my heart swell. “Easton?” she asks, moving aside our empty snack plate.
I ease my hand into her lustrous hair and pull her close. “What is it, my sweet little girl?”
Our lips are so close that I can feel her breath mingle with mine. Her voice drops to a sultry whisper. “I just want you to know I would have given you my virginity for free.”
I lean back to bark out a laugh, but the gleam in her eyes makes me quiet down as my cock grows hard. She reaches under the sheets and wraps her hand around my shaft, making me pull her roughly to me.
“I can’t wait for round two,” she says, right before my lips crash onto hers.
She doesn’t have to wait long.
Chapter 7
Sloane
I wake up the next morning in Easton’s enormous bed, the soft sheets feel like a cloud against my bare skin. Lying still for a moment, I take stock of my surroundings; not completely sure I didn’t dream everything. Things could have been so much worse, and instead, they turned out wonderfully. Sure, there weren’t any flowers or whispered words of love, but he’d still made it as close to romantic as possible.
He had saved me, and he didn’t have to be so patient and gentle claiming his prize. He really didn’t have to make it so darn fantastic; I was already craving him again. But the dream has to end soon, and I slowly roll over and stretch.
Easton sits at a desk in the corner of the luxurious bedroom with a steaming cup of coffee at his elbow. His brow furrows as he reads on his tablet. Sunlight streams in from the window and catches all the golden strands in his tousled, dark brown hair. His bathrobe falls open, revealing the pecs I dug my fingernails into last night, and his washboard abs I want to strum like a guitar.
I feel like a different person from the shaking mess that was counting my regrets as they pushed me onto the stage last night. The only regret I have now is that he’ll want me to leave soon. They assured me that my share of the winning bid would be in my bank account right away, so I can afford the taxi ride back to the motel. I should cough or something, so he knows I’m awake, but I just want to keep looking at him for a little bit longer.
“I know you drink coffee,” he says. His smile melts my heart at the same time it makes it race. “I just don’t know how you like it.”
If I accept a cup of coffee, I won’t be able to sit down beside him to drink it. I’ll only crawl onto his lap and beg for more of what he lavished on me last night.
“It’s probably about time for me to get going,” I say, swinging my bare legs over the side of the bed. I came here in that ridiculous negligee that’s been abandoned in the other room and I suddenly do not know what I’ll wear to get to the motel. He frowns and I want to ease his conscience. “I know you have to fire me. I completely understand.”
He hurries to the bed and sits beside me, his frown growing deeper. I look down at my lap and pull the sheet tighter around me.
“Sloane, you’re not fired, but you’re not going back to work at the office where I won’t be able to touch you. And you’re not going home yet, either.” He slides his hand around my waist and pulls me close to his muscular chest. “You’re mine. Not just last night, but until further notice.”
My breath catches, and I look up to see him staring down at me intently. My first thought is for Gran, back at the roach motel. We’ve only paid to stay there through tonight; I have to get her out of there, or at least get some money to her.
