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Cooling Off
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
Money Can't Buy Love Seeing Her
MichaelSandra leaned over her desk to get a front row seat to what was happening with Rainey and me. When I caught her eye, she jumped and sat down in her chair.Rainey didn’t mention her last pay stub, so I imagined she thought we would mail it to her. I watched her for a moment, collecting the few items of hers in the desk. An extra sweater, a pair of sunglasses, a small glass paperweight that doubled as a clock. Those were the remaining reminders of her in my office. Could I let her go that easily?She seemed polite enough. I had a sneaking suspicion she had no idea about the extra money in her account. She hadn’t seen it yet. If she had, then I’d get an earful from her at that moment. At least we could start the conversation on a professional note, not an emotional one.“Your pay stub is in my office,” I said.“Oh,” she said, finally looking at me. Her gaze flitted between my chin and nose, our eyes never quite meeting. It was like a punch to the gut. Even though I’d never admit
Money Can't Buy Love An Offer She Can Refuse
RaineyThe feel of Michael’s skin against mine stole the breath out of my lungs. I fell into his gorgeous blue eyes one more time before tearing myself away from him. How could I ever come back to work for him? It was clear that we could never just be professional with each other. Not after everything we’ve been through and not with his life in constant danger with shady mobsters. I would be a fool to start something with him again, personal or professional.Though every cell in my body wanted to be with him every day, even if we could manage to be co-workers. I would miss the paycheck each week. I looked down at the envelope in my hands. It was the last one I would get for some time. Deep down I wished I could keep this going, but putting Tanner’s life in danger wasn’t an option for me.That was it. I made my decision.I glanced over my shoulder at Michael’s closed door and said a silent goodbye.I stopped at Sandra’s desk to say goodbye in person. I knew she had some idea that Micha
Money Can't Buy Love Tears
RaineyI didn’t let out a breath until I pushed through the doors of the building and sucked oxygen into my lungs. I no longer worked for Michael so I shouldn’t care what was going to happen to him with the police. But somewhere deep inside of me, I did care. And I hated myself for it. Was Michael in trouble? Or was he going to be okay? Other than his ties to the mob, Michael did good things for people, especially kids. I wished he would keep out of illegal activities and use his money for good. But as much as I was hiding things from him, he hid them from me as well. His little confession gave me exactly what I already knew, but what else lay under the tip of Michael’s iceberg? I knew there was a lot and I felt relieved that I had dodged that bullet.I headed toward the curb and lifted my hand to call a cab. While waiting, I glanced over and saw an idling black sedan. It could have been any car in the whole city, but I knew it was Michael’s. Constantine sat in the front seat, and I s
Money Can't Buy Love Telling Frederick
MichaelI waited until the elevator bell dinged again before I ventured out of my office. I quickly thought of an excuse to come out of there without it seeming like I was checking if Rainey had gone. I strode over to Sandra’s desk.“Please hold my calls for the rest of the afternoon,” I said.Typically, I would have called her from my desk to tell her that, but I had to know if Rainey was still there. I was a fool to expect her to be. I wanted her to run back into my office and take the job back. But her damned stubbornness prevented her from doing that.“Will do,” Sandra said, continuing to type on her keyboard.I nodded and went over to the coffee bar set up in the lobby. I preferred a fresh brew from a carafe, but a pod would have to do. I needed a little burst of caffeine to get me through the rest of the day. Now that I cleared my schedule of phone calls, I had to fill my time with work to distract me from thinking of Rainey. I didn’t like how she left without giving me an answe
Money Can't Buy Love She's A Liar
Michael“Did you give her the day off?”I wasn’t sure I wanted to reopen the wound, but I had no one else to talk to about Rainey. It wasn’t as if Sandra and I were the office gossips. “I had to let her go.”“How come?”“She lied to me.”“Was she stealing from you?”“No,” I said. “Nothing like that. She lied about having a kid at home.”“Was she looking for a sugar daddy?”“No,” I said. Rainey wasn’t the type. I knew that now, but only after accusing her of just that. Talking with Frederick wasn’t making me feel any better. “But if she hid something then I don’t know what else she lied about.”“Well, you don’t have time for that bullshit,” Frederick said. “I’m sure you can find another hot piece of ass at the club tonight to satisfy your needs.”“Alright, I have to go,” I said. I liked to have fun, but I wasn’t as callous about talking about it as Frederick was.He laughed on the other end. “Okay. Speak to you soon.”“Bye,” I said then hung up.I placed my cell in one of my drawers of
Money Can't Buy Love Anywhere But Here
RaineyI shouldn’t have let Tessa call the Uber. When we arrived at Kadia, I pinched her arm.“Ow!” Tessa cried out.The driver looked back at us through the rearview mirror.“I told you I didn’t want to come here,” I said.Tessa waved me off, scooted over in the seat to push me out of the car. I had a right mind to let her out, get back inside, and go home, leaving her there to whatever fate her dating app picked for her.Instead, I stood at the curb, crossing my arms over my chest, glaring at her.“This is the reason I didn’t tell you,” she said, rubbing her arm. “You really hurt me.”“You deserved it,” I said.“Listen, I knew you weren’t going to come unless I didn’t tell you.”“You’re right. I wouldn’t have.”“He picked the place, though,” she said. “I don’t want to appear inflexible with my plans. First impressions are everything, you know?”I did know that. And she looked amazing tonight. She went with a simple black and white dress that hugged her curves yet allowed her to danc
Money Can't Buy Love Eavesdropping
RaineyWere they talking about Michael and Frederick? What did they do to this guy? He was huge, more muscles than brain function, though. I’d have to warn Michael if I saw him. Then the guy continued to say vulgar things about both Michael and Frederick. His plans to harm them started to get more gruesome. Maybe instead of waiting for Michael, I could try to find him and warn him. It was the opposite of what I wanted to do tonight, but I felt an obligation to him. We were involved for a little while, and I still cared for him as a person. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to him if I could stop it.I stood up, determined to tell Frederick or Michael about these guys when I felt pressure on my arm. I glanced down and saw the leering guy holding me in place.“Take your hand off me!” I said. Over the music, my words weren’t as efficient as a threat.“You leaving so soon?” he said, his beer breath made my stomach turn. “I thought you might be interested in joining us since you were so e
Money Can't Buy Love A Warning
MichaelSitting in Frederick’s office, there were so many things I wanted to do with the decor. The walls were painted a dark red, too dark for a room with no windows. There were no pictures on the wall either. Granted, Frederick didn’t spend much time at his desk the night’s he was in his office, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t make it presentable. Especially for Demetri.Our old friend sat in one of the plush leather chairs opposite the desk. I bounced lightly in the rolling chair that sat behind the oak desk I’d bought for Frederick as a present when the club first opened. I wished he would have picked a more appropriate office chair.“You seem distracted,” Demetri said, his eyes narrowed only slightly. It wasn’t a threatening gesture, just one of curiosity.I decided to open up about Rainey, at least in a professional sense. If Demetri knew she no longer worked for me, then she wouldn’t be a target anymore. It was the least I could do for her.“My assistant left this week,” I sai
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Money Can't Buy Love Epilogue
MichaelA year ago, I never thought I’d return to Bar Harbor with a woman. Sure, I wanted my new assistant to handle the charity event up there, but not as my partner. Tanner took off ahead of us, dodging the cold Maine water as it slid up against the shore. He collected the shells under the muddy surface. Those were the best ones he’d said. The hidden ones.That little guy had something right. You needed to work for the things that were worth it in life. And I worked hard to get Rainey and Tanner into my life. While it didn’t take much convincing after we got everything out in the open, I thanked whoever was watching over us that I found what I needed in life to be happy.If anyone had asked me if my happiness involved a single mother and her child, I would have laughed in their face. But Rainey and Tanner were what I was looking for since Cynthia died. And I couldn’t be happier. Sometimes I thought about my life before them, and a sick feeling accompanied the thoughts. So I tried no
Money Can't Buy Love Let's Take a Trip
RaineyThat was so soon. “I’m not sure,” I said, glancing over at Tanner. He was pointing to the polar bear and saying something that I couldn’t make out from that distance. “As I’ve said, I’ve already been away from Tanner too long since we just got back.”Michael chuckled, and I narrowed my eyes.“What’s so funny?” I asked.Michael pecked me on the lips. “I want to take Tanner with us.”“Oh!” I said.Michael shrugged. “I could take you both skiing, or we can hang out at the lodge. There are some places in town I’m sure he would like.”“That’s so gracious,” I said. Tanner would love to come, especially since Michael had his own plane. Tanner would be so excited. I wonder if that would ruin him for commercial flights, but to be honest, it ruined me for them already. I didn’t say it aloud, but this reminded me of having a family vacation. A real one. And I could count on Michael to follow through, unlike Killian with his grand plans and no follow through.“We should go tell him then?”
Money Can't Buy Love At The Zoo
RaineyIt took me almost a week to get used to the weather back home. The vacation with Michael was the perfect escape, and I never wanted to go back. Michael remained professional in the office. At least during office hours. It took him until Tuesday at six, when Sandra had left, to christen our relationship over his desk. While I did prefer the comfort of bed, making love with Michael in more public spaces really turned me on.There was no more hiding, and I could finally be completely honest with him about every aspect of my life. I never did that with Killian. Maybe I thought I did, but after being with him for a while, I started to keep secrets from him. Secrets about how I felt and what I did when he wasn’t around. I opened up to Michael like never before, and that led to a comfort in our relationship that rivaled my feelings toward my flesh and blood family. Michael integrated himself into our family in such a short amount of time. Mom and Tanner loved him. And while Dad tried
Money Can't Buy Love Back Home
MichaelAfter spending the entire day on the beach, I was wiped by the time dinner came around. Rainey and I packed our things after making love one more time that morning, so we were ready to leave after the last glass of wine was poured. There wasn’t a moment during the car ride, boat ride, and flight that we weren’t touching each other. I held her hand as if it were my life vest in a vast choppy ocean. Even though we declared that we wanted to be together, I still felt a little unsteady. I wanted to test our capability as a couple when our lives were back to normal at home, but at the same time, I didn’t want to jinx anything.Rainey brought out a lot of first-time emotions from me. I actually felt nervous when we departed the plane and headed for my car. Constantine waited for us with the back door open.“Hope you had a nice trip,” he said to me. Then he smiled at Rainey.“We did,” Rainey said and took my hand.Immediately, my fears were squashed. She had a way of anchoring me and
Money Can't Buy Love Waking Up Together
MichaelI woke the next morning with the best feeling inside of me. A ball of hope and happiness filled my insides. I couldn’t remember the time I felt this much at peace with someone other than Cynthia. Her memory was still strong within me, but Rainey was a new chapter of my life, and I had to allow her to take precedence over my previous wife. I had to. It was the only way I could commit to her completely. I said a silent final farewell to Cynthia, knowing that we were both in a better place. Me, here with a perfect woman, and Cynthia in a place without pain and suffering.I slowly turned over, careful not to wake Rainey. She looked peaceful. Her thick blonde eyelashes fanned over her eyes, and her mouth was open slightly as she breathed deeply. She was still sound asleep. I doubted she would wake if I touched her, but I didn’t dare test that theory. She deserved to rest. After everything we put each other through and the heavy fucking session we participated in last night, I wante
Money Can't Buy Love Testing Out the Bed
RaineyMichael lifted one of my legs and scooted closer. His tip pressed against my lower lips and I sucked in a breath as he entered me. He filled me quickly, and I gritted my teeth as my body adjusted to his length. He slowly moved inside of me, pressing deeper with each thrust.He trailed a finger over my face, moving my hair away, tucking it behind my ear.His eyes locked on mine and I couldn’t help drawing my lip into my mouth, sucking on it as he continued to move inside of me.His gaze fell to my mouth, and he leaned forward, sucking on my bottom lip.I wrapped my arms around him, feeling the tensing of his back muscles under my fingertips.He kissed my neck, slowly pressing his lips against my skin. The movement of his tongue on me made me shiver.I pulled back, wanting to see his face. I felt his pleasure when I sucked him off earlier, but I loved seeing him turned on. The usual blaze his in eyes was like an inferno, burning me from the inside out.“Touch yourself,” he said.
Money Can't Buy Love The Taste of Him
RaineyMichael’s kiss seared me inside and out. I was happy he removed the covers, I was already on fire from his touch. I came into his room to tell him how I felt, and for once, he was the one to speak first about his feelings. He wanted more than just sex. We were on the same page with everything. That’s all I needed to hear from him to make my choice.The weight of his body on me squeezed the air out of my lungs, but I didn’t want him to move. Every part of him was hard. He was the strong man that I’ve always wanted, inside and out. We had our differences, but they were petty compared to the passion we had for each other.Michael’s hands roamed my body as if he painted every part of using his hand as a brush. Heat licked over my body at each place he touched, creating a pool of molten lava in my center.He tugged at the thin straps of my night gown, one at a time, exposing each of my breasts. The cool air in the room touched the peak of each one, tightening and hardening them.My
Money Can't Buy Love Room For One More?
MichaelI debated pushing the envelope. What did I have to lose? We already kissed so I knew she felt something for me. She might not be ready to commit, but with Rainey, it seemed she needed a small shove in any direction to go anywhere beyond her comfort zone. And then the words tumbled out anyway. “Is there any more of your heart to spread around?”Her eyebrows drew together. “Why do you ask?”“You, Rainey,” I started, locking eyes with her. “You’re the first thing I think about each morning.”Her eyes widened.“I think about you all day. And you’re the last thought I have before bed.”“You do?”“Yes,” I said. Why did she think so little of herself? How many times did I have to remind her of my affection for her? “I wanted you back at work so I could be close to you even if that meant we weren’t together. I want to be with you. So badly. You have no idea what you do to me. I had to work extra hard just to be your boss, but I want so much more. And I have a feeling you do too. I wan
Money Can't Buy Love Something Special
MichaelAfter our kiss and discussion about Rainey’s past, while we were on the private beach, the gap in our relationship had lessened. Though afterward, we shared a relaxing dinner by the pool and didn’t mention any progression for ourselves within that relationship. After putting myself out there, I felt a little exposed, but I didn’t push her. Sure, she had told me her ex was a dick and that her son was the light of her life, but she had to work on her issues before we made ourselves official. She knew my feelings. I had to trust that she would come back to me when she was ready.When dinner was over, Rainey stood up and excused herself.She kissed me on the cheek, an apparent rejection after the kiss we had in town, and went into the house.I sat by the pool, finishing my whiskey and contemplating life. I hadn’t remembered feeling this way since I first dated Cynthia. The anticipation of what the other was thinking drove me insane. I could have drunk the rest of the night, but I
