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The evidence of his wealth discomfited me, but Marcus didn’t share any of my apprehension. My brother was enthralled with the vessel and all the instruments on the bridge. “This is so cool!” Marcus leaned down to study a panel.

“Captain Lawrence, I think we have a budding sailor on our hands. If you won’t mind giving Marcus the dime tour?” Jake suggested and the middle-aged captain was happy to oblige.

I was about to follow when Jake dragged me in the opposite direction. “Jake, I want to see too,” I protested.

“I have something else to show you.” He opened up a door and yanked me into a cabin.

“Wha–”

A hungry kiss cut me off and before I knew what was happening, my back was against the wall and Jake was stripping off my shorts and panties. Then his fingers were stroking my damp folds. I was instantly aroused by his urgency. He released my lips and I gulped in much needed air.

“You’re already wet for me baby. I need you.” With a few spare motions, Jake tugged off his pants and hiked my legs around his hips. My ankles crossed reflexively at his lower back. His cock was hard and throbbing against my slit and I mewled at the scorching heat of him.

“Please, Jake. I need you.”

“That’s what I want to hear, baby. Use your hands. Put my cock where you need me.” He pulled his hips slightly to allow my hand to reach between us.

I took a few moments to savor the feel of his hot shaft.

“Fuck, baby. We don’t have much time. Put me in your sweet pussy.”

Placing his bulbous head at my opening, I pushed him in a few inches. My body clenched on his head.

That was all it took to destroy his control. His hips slammed into my pelvis, plunging his full length into me.

“Ahhhh!” I screamed as a powerful orgasm dragged me under. My inner walls contracted tightly on his thickness.

Jake moaned and then cursed. “I’m sorry baby. Brace yourself.”

I didn’t know what he was apologizing for until he withdrew from my pussy and then punched back into me. Hard. He did it again and again, every withdrawal tugging on my inner flesh. It was raw and fast and so sexy I came again on the fifth thrust.

He growled and followed me over the precipice, his release jetting deep inside me.

When we both came to, I whispered into his ear, “Didn’t you promise to make it to a bed next time?”

Chuckling at my teasing, Jake replied, “You’re too damn sexy. It was your beautiful ass in those shorts that did it.” He shook his head mournfully. “I didn’t last five minutes.”

I hid my smile in his shoulder as he carried me into the bathroom and cleaned us up. I liked the idea of being able to make him lose his self-restraint.

Luckily Marcus had been too excited about the workings of the yacht to miss us. We spent the day enjoying the sun and wind in our faces. Afterwards, Jake took us out again for dinner. We almost felt like a family and it was wonderful and scary at the same time.

At the end of the night, Jake gave me a chaste kiss and left.

***

By Monday morning, I was still walking with my head in the clouds. I smiled at Alana and she inclined her head. Ever since our encounter in the bathroom, she had been less cold– I wouldn’t say friendlier– but I didn’t feel icicles forming on my nose when she looked at me now. We would never be friends, but it was nice not to be enemies.

There was a white paper bag on my desk. I cautiously peeked in and smiled slowly when I saw the chocolate croissant inside. I supposed this was Alana’s olive branch. I couldn’t remember when a pastry tasted sweeter.

When I walked into Jake’s office to go over the day, he immediately reached for me and I danced out of range. “Nuh-uh. Not at work, remember?”

He looked like a little boy who had lost his favorite toy. “I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to those ridiculous conditions. Can’t I kiss you good morning?”

I was torn because I wanted to kiss him too, but I stood firm. Once I budged, Jake would be relentless until he got everything he wanted. “They’re not ridiculous. And from your reaction just now, they’re necessary.” I waited until he went to his side of the desk before I sat down.

We went through his calendar and I stood up to leave. “Oh, did Jason find anything yet?”

Jake shook his head. “Not yet, but he’s the best in the business. If there’s something there, he’ll find it.”

The security breach kept nagging at me. I knew nothing about cyber security, but I just had a gut feeling that this would turn ugly. Knowing Jake’s ruthlessness when it came to business, he’d annihilate whoever dared betray him.

I returned to my desk and tried to catch up with all the work I had left over from Friday. It was hard to believe that it had only been three days since Jake and I came together so explosively in that empty apartment. My whole life felt topsy-turvy since that moment.

The day was crazy and Jake and I had to eat lunch at our desks. At the end of the day, I went to say goodbye and Jake had already shut down his computer.

“Are you done already? You’re normally still working.” In the whole time I’d worked for him, he had never left earlier than I did.

“I want to drive my girlfriend home. And to dinner.”

“Jake, you don’t have to do that! I’ve been taking the El since I was a little girl. I’m fine. And no more eating out for a little while. You’re spoiling us.”

“I want to spoil you.”

I shook my head. “No.”

“You’re going to make me eat dinner by my lonesome?”

He was acting like a forlorn puppy, but I hesitated too long and he took advantage. “Good. We’ll pick up Marcus and have Japanese.”

It warmed my heart that he automatically included my brother. “How about I cook something at home instead? It’s probably healthier.”

As if he had been angling for that the whole time, Jake nodded, put his hand at my back and started to walk out of the office.

“Jake,” I hissed. “We can’t go out at the same time. Everyone will know. I’ll go down first and meet you at your car.”

He really did not like that plan, but didn’t have a choice. He almost snarled at me when I ducked my head in the car so nobody would recognize me.

During the week, eating at my place became the routine. Sometimes we bought take-out, but more often than not, I preferred to cook a healthy meal. Jake seemed to enjoy what I made and praised my efforts. And Marcus accepted Jake’s presence in our lives easily.

I almost cried the first time Marcus mentioned our mom casually in a conversation. He had refused to talk about her in any meaningful way since her death, but as Jake was sharing some stories about his own mother, Marcus interjected with one of my mom’s many sayings. Almost effortlessly, Jake was able to get my brother to share some childhood memories. Hope surged. It was a sign that Marcus was healing.

Because Jake was trying to get more things done so he could leave on time, he had been working through his lunch hour, but on Friday morning, he told me to keep my lunch hour free.

I was excited to have some alone time with him. Other than a few stolen kisses after dinner, we hadn’t been together since we went sailing. The man was turning me into a sex fiend because I swore my body was feeling deprived. Not that I thought we were going to have sex in a restaurant, but it would be nice to hold hands and kiss him when I wanted.

At eleven thirty, I heard a gentle voice say over my head, “Oh… you’re just perfect.”

I looked up in surprise and saw a well-dressed older woman studying me with interest. With faded blonde hair, she must have been in her fifties, although she looked much younger. Other than the few laugh lines around her eyes and mouth, she could have passed for someone in her early forties. She oozed elegance from the top of her silvery curls to the tips of her low-heeled beige pumps.

As soon as I met her blue-green eyes, I jumped to my feet. Only one person could have those eyes. “Oh!” I winced inwardly at my moronic reaction. “I’m sorry, you must be Mrs. Weston. I’m Cora Branton, Mr. Weston’s assistant. I’ll let him know you’re here.”