Levi looked up from the screen and smiled as he pushed his laptop aside and gave his shirt a thumbs up. "Good choice!"Natalie glanced at her attire, blushing at her state of undress. In her rush to get answers about this Colleen woman, she'd forgotten to change back into her own clothes."I didn't want to mess my dress," she lied feebly and did her best to ignore his appreciative gaze gliding over her."I'm not complaining," Levi smirked, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes as he laced his hands behind his head. "It looks way better on you!"Natalie sat down, willing herself not to place too much stock into his sweet words. She would not be swayed by his silver tongue and handsome face any longer. He'd fooled her one too many times with his devilish charm.Before she could throw her toys out of the pram, though, and demand answers, a flurry of activity snatched her attention away from him when Mrs Ackerman and her staff wheeled in their meal on silver trolleys.The housekeeper draped a
Natalie looked up and gulped at the sight of his Adam's apple and the beginnings of a five o'clock stubble along his jawline and chin.Was there anything not sexy about this man, she wondered as her eyes glided up to his tempting lips."Is that all I really am to you? Just your boss?" Levi's voice was gruff, his face dark with the same desire burning hot in his gaze as he drew her closer to him."So all those kisses, all those moments we shared meant nothing to you?" he continued, her breath hitching in her throat when his hands trailed down her sides and rested on her hips."Yes," Natalie nodded, praying he couldn't hear her heart thudding out of control or feel her quiver at his touch. "You are my boss, so you can't be my client.""Liar!" It was the last thing Levi rasped before his lips descended on hers. His tongue inside her mouth, like it was always supposed to be there, massaging hers, was as disorienting as his hands pressing her hips closer to him to give her a sneak peek of
Would she, though, Levi wondered as he jerked himself off in his bathroom. Would Natalie really sign the amended contract?As his movements became more frantic, he imagined it was Natalie's hands, her touch, her lips, bringing him to his peak.Natalie would never know the strength and self-control it took him not to ravish her then and there and have his way with her.He really should have just taken her on that damn table. Good Lord, he'd wanted to. But he was sincere when he said he wanted their first time to be memorable.It's not like she'll forget tonight, Levi thought as he shuddered his release. How could she, when he'd acted like a caveman?He stood in front of the sink when he was done, his hands gripping the edges as he willed his pulse to return to normal before he stepped into the shower and spent a long time under the cold jet sprays. He could already see the dreaded case of blue balls and a lot of such cold showers in his future if Natalie insisted on her boss nonsense b
By the time the night sky made way for a new day and the house stirred to life, Natalie had been awake for hours.As much as she wanted to hide in Colleen's room forever, she couldn't. Sooner or later, she'd have to go out there and face her biggest mistake yet.Last night's oopsie was so big she'd never share it with Emily...or anyone for that matter. Her lapse in judgement was best left in the past, where it belonged.From now on, she'd hang on to her panties—and bra—with everything she had in her where Levi Van Holt was concerned, Natalie vowed as she checked herself in the mirror for the hundredth time.For someone who'd hardly slept, she didn't look too shabby if she did say so herself, and if it wasn't for the dark circles around her eyes, she would have been a vision of calm and serenity."Okay, let's go do some adulting," she told her reflection before she grabbed her handbag, flung it over her shoulder and headed out, praying she wouldn't get lost in the maze of rooms.Maybe
Chaos erupted all around them the minute Levi helped Natalie off the chopper. A pack of reporters boxed them in, shoving cellphones and mics in his face.He kept Natalie close to his side the whole time, shielding her face with his suit jacket, his arms wrapped protectively around her shoulders as they waded through the crowd.The questions—ranging from his love life to how he planned to vote at the board meeting—were as relentless as the cameras flashing from every direction. But Levi kept his mouth tightly zipped in a hard thin line.His father's bodyguards stepped in and controlled the crowd while Zachary and Carlos led him and Natalie to one of the four black SUVs waiting to take them away from all the madness.Levi only allowed himself to relax once they'd left the heliport and were speeding to The Empress."Does this happen all the time?" Natalie asked in a small voice as she peered through his jacket.Sure it did. Every time there was a board meeting, the vultures came out to p
As much as Levi wanted to help his father, he didn't think he should. Not when he was on the brink of collapse from the constant strain he was under."Father, you look exhausted. Maybe it's time you start thinking about stepping down?" Levi suggested reasonably. Anyone with eyes could see he was drained. He looked haggard and beaten. But his words of concern were misconstrued as usual."Are you colluding with the enemy?" Leviticus demanded as he sprung from his seat and began pacing the room.For ten minutes, Levi just sat there and listened to him rant and rave about how he'd never give up his company. His father and grandfather had poured their hearts and souls into the family business. He wasn't about to hand it over to his good for nothing siblings or random strangers."I knew you were after my position!" he accused him, and Levi laughed and shook his head. The whole thing was ridiculous, and he wanted to end it quickly so he could return to Natalie. He wondered what she was doing
When Natalie walked into the office Monday morning and caught the whispers and stares, she knew she'd made headlines in the work chat. But for the life of her, she couldn't understand why she was the subject of office gossip once again; after all, she hadn't been at work since last Wednesday.She didn't have time to figure out why everyone kept looking at her like she'd grown a second head overnight, though. She had far more pressing issues to deal with, starting with Emily.But as luck would have it, she had to wait a little while longer before she could put out her first fire of the day, because as usual, her friend was late.Emily didn't seem to have a care in the world when she finally strutted in, almost an hour late, looking like she'd walked straight out of Vogue magazine's fall edition in her long, black trench worn over a yellow turtleneck sweater and dark skinny jeans, a pair of glamorous Jimmy Choo stiletto boots on her feet."Do you know how long I've been waiting for you?
The whole morning, hard as Natalie tried to ignore her, Emily kept hounding her about the photo. She wanted all the details leading up to the moment at the heliport.But Natalie remained resolute and kept her mouth shut, and when lunchtime finally came around, she couldn't run out of the office fast enough to escape the whispers."So? Will you tell me now?" Emily asked after they'd grabbed their lunch and settled down at their usual table in the staff canteen."Okay, I'll tell you everything." She relented, not because she wanted to, but Emily was like a dog with a bone and wouldn't let go until she got all the details out of her.So for ten minutes, she held her friend spellbound with a stripped-down version of her weekend saga in the Blue Mountains."Oh my goodness, Mr Scissors is so romantic!" Emily gushed as she shoved a ton of spaghetti in her mouth and washed it down with her sparkling water. "And that whole thing at the heliport with all the guards and reporters sounds like a s