Chapter 8

Damian watched the door close and closed his eyes. Fuck. Why had he even said that? Why had he mentioned her boyfriend at all? It sounded like he was jealous. 

And he was. How could he not be when she’d walked into the office looking like someone who’d been thoroughly fucked all night long? After she had laid herself out for him like a feast the day before? All those curves, all that smooth skin...Though it had been Rebecca in his bed last night, it was Nicole he had claimed. Over and over again. Her tight walls. Her mouth. Everything. Rebecca hadn’t known what was up with him or how to take it. He had been insatiable. 

But he didn't want to think about Nicole being with another man. Had that man buried his hands and face in that glorious mane? Had he wrapped it around his hand and pulled it in ecstasy? He’d never seen her hair out before, and all he could think of now was doing the same. It looked so silky and soft and so deliciously sexy, like she had just rolled out of bed with a man. 

A man who was not him. 

He got angry thinking about that again, though that was irrational. He ignored his hypocrisy and double standards. He’d had a woman in his bed all night, too, but she didn’t count. They never counted, not in any way that mattered. Not since Nicole walked into his life. But for two years, he’d pushed aside his feelings about the men who touched her because Nicole didn’t know she belonged to him yet. 

She would. Soon.  

Nicole was like some fucking goddess with the delicate facial features of an angel and the body of a demon. And she didn’t seem to have a clue what she was doing to him. How she could be so clueless was beyond him. He’d been ogling her for two years like a fucking pervert. Images of her yesterday would haunt him for a long time, and the only way to rectify that was to finally get her into his bed. 

Once. Twice. However many times it took. He would touch her everywhere. Lick her everywhere. Bury himself as deep as he could go. He would live out every fantasy he’d suffered through since they met, and then, once she was out of his system, he could go back to thinking with his head. 

It was true that he had been more productive and profitable with Miss Avery organising all the fiddly parts of his workdays. But it was also true that it was because he’d spent too many sleepless, sexually frustrated nights pouring over his work when he was trying to fight his need for her. She was disrupting every aspect of his life.

It didn’t matter how many women he had in his bed, whether he had one, two or three at the same time. Every encounter since Nicole had walked through his door had been completely unsatisfying. Even Rebecca, who usually came quite close, had only just barely satisfied him. It hadn’t taken long for him to realise it would remain so until he’d scratched that itch. 

And he finally had a plan. 

His phone rang, and he picked it up, knowing it would be the receptionist. Miss Avery was his gatekeeper; no one got through to him unless it was necessary. But since she came in so late, Miss Walters had taken it upon herself to ring him for every idiotic issue she had. Maybe he had gotten too used to Nicole’s efficiency, but he couldn’t fathom how he’d hired Elizabeth in the first place. 

“Sir, Mr Bradford is still waiting—”

“He can wait until I’m ready to see him. If he has other things to do, he’s free to go,” he cut in. “Miss Avery is here now, as I’m sure you’re aware. You can reroute all the calls back to her.”

“Oh. I assumed Miss Avery wasn’t staying—”

“Don’t make assumptions for me, Miss Walters,” he answered, ice dripping from his voice.

His anger was unwarranted. Miss Walters had every right to assume. It never took much for him to fire anyone. Nicole got away with a lot these last two days, and if she had been anyone else, he would have made sure she received her notice of termination. But Miss Avery had already proved herself irreplaceable. Nicole was right about that.  

“Of course. I apolo—” Miss Walters started.

He hung up on her before she finished speaking and hoped that would be the last time he would need to talk to her. Mr Bradford could wait a bit longer. 

He confirmed the details on his computer screen and finally closed the page. One urgent business trip with his Executive Assistant, coming right up. His diary was so full that he’d struggled to find some meetings he could cancel until the following week. But that would have to do. Two weeks to go. And then he could seduce his PA.

There was a knock on the connecting door. He double-checked he hadn’t left any incriminating evidence out in the open before calling for Nicole to enter. 

Her hair was now hidden in her usual bun, which was a damn shame. The horrid trainers on her feet were gone, replaced by her granny flat shoes. He tried to hide a smirk, but by the way she scowled, he knew he hadn’t succeeded. 

It would be a challenge to bring down her walls and finally see her naked again. But he thrived on challenges. And this particular one would be very satisfying.  

He waited for her to place Mr. Bradford’s contracts in front of him and his coffee, exactly how he liked it, next to his hand before he looked up at her.

“Mr Bradford has been waiting for a while now. If you’re quite ready, Miss Avery, maybe we can finally get to work now.”

A predictable flush appeared on her cheeks. Her emerald eyes could have spat fire at him, and her perfect lips parted. It was almost like the after-sex glow she always had in his dreams. He hid a grin as he sipped his coffee.