“Benjamin…if we do this, it has to be a business arrangement. It has to be clear-cut and easy. Pretend.” Despite her words, she tipped her face up to his. “If we don’t keep everything fake —it’ll blow up in our faces. Trust me.”
If we do this. That was all he heard out of that whole speech, because that meant she was considering it. He tasted victory, and it was as sweet as she was. “Deal. But we need to be comfortable with one another, too. To sell the whole ‘in love’ thing.”
She nodded. “R-Right.”
“So little kisses like this…” He brushed his lips against hers again and slid his hand down the curve of her hip, tracing the side of that hot little ass he’d done his best to ignore for the past six months. He moved closer, letting her feel exactly how much he wanted her—because there was no hiding that from her. “They have to come as easy to us as breathing.”
She grasped his shoulders. “Mr. Gale.”
“Maggie.” He skimmed his hand around her waist, dipping down to tease the waistband of her skirt. He wanted to feel the soft skin there, to stroke it, but she had her shirt tucked in, and he couldn’t cross that line. “You have to call me Benjamin.”
“Benjamin.”
“There you go.” He chuckled and ran the back of his knuckles over her cheek. “That’s not so hard, is it?”
Her gaze flitted down. “I don’t know. Is it?”
A laugh escaped him. An actual laugh.
He’d spent years with his sights set on one goal only: to succeed as CEO. He’d been living, yes, but with her in his arms, he felt alive for the first time since his father’s death. “I’ll be honest, I’ve thought of doing this before. Touching you. And now here we are.”
“Yeah.” She nodded her head imperceptibly. “Here we are.”
“What do you think?” He splayed his hand across her lower back, his pinky on the sweet curve of her ass, and the pulse at the base of her throat leaped. He pressed a soft kiss there, relishing her reaction to him. “Can we make this thing between us work?”
“If we’re being honest, I definitely feel the attraction, too. That’s why if we get caught up in the lie, it would be catastrophic.”
Would. Not could.
Something told him Maggie had been hurt pretty badly before. That’s what made her cautious about love, while he simply didn’t understand the point of such a vulnerable emotion. It only led to pain. “But it could be really good, too.”
She pulled him closer, her words at war with her actions. “If we do this, we shouldn’t be doing”—she motioned between them—“this.”
Despite her words, she didn’t let go of him. If anything, she held him tighter.
“I’m fine with that, if that’s what you want. I’ll never force you to do anything you don’t want to do. You can walk out of here, tell me to go to hell, and I’ll still fight for your job till I can’t fight anymore.” He let go of her, even though every muscle protested the loss. “Do you want to leave?”
She bit her lip, staring up at him, still holding him tight. “No.”
“All right.” His pulse surged. “So, back on topic, if we’re going to do this, we’ll have to kiss fairly often, to make it real. We’ll have to be comfortable enough with one another…” He slid his hands back into place and dropped a kiss on her lips again, pulling back right away. “To do things like this without hesitation.”
She lifted her face to his, a small breath puffing out, and her lids dropped down. She looked so damn kissable and fit into his arms like a missing piece of himself. “All the time. Try it again.”
He kissed her again, his lips lingering over hers. “Like that?”
“Mm hmm.” Her eyes opened, and she took a deep breath. “This is all a horrible idea.”
He stepped back and cocked a brow. “Do I sense a ‘but’ coming?”
“But I’ll do it.” Her lips quirked. “You’re right—we are a good team. If anyone can make this look real, it’s us.”
Feelings he hadn’t let himself experience in years hit him. Gratitude, satisfaction, victory, and excitement—they were all there. The urge to pick her up and swing her in a circle was a tangible thing, but he didn’t move. The man he used to be? He’d have done it. But the man he’d become wouldn’t. Couldn’t.
“Thank you, Maggie.” He held his hand out for her to shake, even though he would rather kiss her. “You won’t regret this. I promise.”
She shivered and slid her hand into his, her gaze dipping to his mouth as she stepped closer. “Let’s kiss on it. Make it official. That way we get more practice, and we get more comfortable—”
“You don’t have to sell me on the idea.” He hauled her into his arms and dropped a kiss perilously close to her lips. She gasped and rested her hands on his chest. “You want me to kiss you? I’ll damn well kiss you.”
He nibbled on her ear gently this time.
“G-Good. But we need to lay out rules, and times where I have to be seen with you, and—” He bit her ear a little harder, then sucked on it to ease the sting. She even tasted sweet there. Like cotton candy, but more addictive. And he fucking loved that fluffy, sugary shit. “Benjamin.”
Releasing the lobe he’d bitten, he kissed the side of her neck again, flicking his tongue over the sensitive skin there. He was coming on strong, but she kept making sexy little sounds every time he touched her, and he couldn’t help it. “Was that too much?”
Her resistance faded with each brush of his lips on her soft skin, and the undisputable attraction between them was drawn so tightly it should snap. “Um, maybe…”
“I’m sorry.” He brushed his lips across hers again, ever so slightly, lingering this time. “Just practicing.”
“Yeah. Sure.” She moaned and grabbed hold of him, swaying closer. “Practice.”
Another almost-kiss had frustration boiling inside him because she hadn’t showed nearly as much desire for him as he had for her. He didn’t like wanting someone so strongly in the first place, but he’d be damned if it was one-sided. “Maggie—”
“Enough.” She threaded her fingers through his hair and tugged hard, finally seeming to break. “Kiss me.”
I thought you’d never ask.
He closed the tiny distance between them, their lips melding together on one jointly exhaled breath. She melted against him instantly, her soft body curving perfectly into his. She fit against him as if she was made for him alone, and he had the sinking suspicion that she was. And that terrified him. He swallowed the impending sense of doom creeping up his spine, hauled her even closer, and deepened the kiss.
Again, she opened for him, and he kissed her like a starving man. Never had he had something as sweet, or addictive, as Maggie Donovan. Pretending to love her would be a pleasure if it meant he got to kiss her. Hold her. Touch her.
Make her scream out his name.
Backing her against the wall, he gave her a second to push him away. When she didn’t, he explored her body fully. She was all softness and curves, easily the most perfect combination of hotness he’d ever had in his arms. Instead of the toned, almost boyish frame of most of the women he’d dated, she was all curves, swells, and lean legs.
All woman.
Closing his palms over her large breasts, he ran his thumbs over her hard, perky nipples, cursing the clothing that stood in his way. At the slight pressure, she gasped and pressed against him wantonly. Her pencil skirt was in the way so he lifted it, inch by inch, so he could press his knee against her core. She gasped and dug her nails into his forearms, rotating her hips in a circle.
Her hands drifted up his arms, clinging to his biceps. A small, breathy moan escaped her. He swallowed her sounds of pleasure and increased the pressure of his knee, gaining a small cry from her lips. Her entire body tensed, and she moved against him, almost pushing away, but then pulling him closer instead. She rode his leg with a wildness he’d never seen before.