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CHAPTER 24
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
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WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 25
They exited the elevator. Lance took her hand in his and hurried toward their suite. His only thought was to get Annalise to his bed as soon as possible. He was on fire… No rational thought. His only desire was to take her in every way possible. To make her understand she belonged to him only. Her eyes were dazed when Lance leaned her against the wall next to the door. His hands shook as he rummaged in his pocket for the key. It took him way too much to open the door but as soon as he did it, Lance held it with his foot and reached for her again. “Come…” he said in a husky tone. The predator inside him had been unleashed. Lance led her over to the couch, then pulled her down beside him in one smooth movement. He took off her top and unsnapped her bra. Shock went through her when Annalise realized he was about to strip her completely. Annalise grabbed the cups and held them together. “Wait! Please, w
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 26
“Have I told you how amazing it was?” Annalise whispered some time after their lovemaking. Lance was lying sprawled on his belly, his face buried in the sheets smelling of cherry blossoms and vanilla. The same scent he caught from Annalise’s skin. The same scent that drove him mad the whole evening. “Once or twice,” he replied. Annalise smoothed a hand down his back. She pressed her lips to his shoulder and pushed up onto her elbow. He could feel the ends of her hair brushing his skin. Part of him felt like he could lie there for all eternity, just enjoying the touch of her hands on his back. “I will never forget this night, Lance,” she added sweetly. “We can make it even more memorable,” Lance said. He flipped onto his back and sat up, reaching down to cup his hand over her sex. She was still wet from him. Lance held her gaze as he pushed his finger inside. The slick, wet walls of her sex clasped him tightly. He groaned, pulled out the finger and su
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 27
The sheer drapes at the windows overlooking the ocean billowed into the room. Annalise's eyes opened languorously, and she sighed with the deepest pleasure she ever remembered feeling. The room, bathed with the ethereal lavender of dawn, encapsulated her like a sensuous cocoon of love. In it, she had learned the meaning of life in its most splendored dimension. Lance's breathing was deep and even. She could feel it on her naked back as he held her close to him, sharing the pillow, his arm lying along her thigh. Annalise turned her head slightly, careful not to awaken him, and looked around for her clothes. A sliver of sunlight beamed across the carpet like a miniature spotlight. She ought to return to her bedroom, sleep a little, and then start preparing for the day’s events. She eased Lance's leaden arm off her thigh and inched to the edge of the bed. Gaining the floor, she covered herself with Lance’s bathrobe, took her clothing, and tiptoed over the
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 28
In another few minutes, he would wake up Annalise. But for now, with her warm, naked body curled up in front of his, the white sheets thrown haphazardly over both of their waists, Lance luxuriated in the satisfaction and pleasure settling deep within him. The kind of mind and body relaxation that came in the aftermath of an incredible, mind-blowing release. Undeniably, the sex with her had been amazing. Hot, steamy, and consuming… They were so in sync that it was as though they’d been lovers for centuries. Yet beyond the fantastic orgasms that had been the culmination of their passionate moments, something more intimate had flared brightly between them, especially toward morning. An emotional connection he’d felt, and one she seemed to struggle against. A caring yet passionate kind of bond he’d been without for all these years and hadn’t known had been missing from his life until Annalise walked into his life. Closing his eyes, Lan
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 29
Two hours later, dressed appropriately, they made their way to the terrace where the ‘couple du jour’ would exchange their vows. As they reached the door leading out, Lance slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to his side. “You look astonishing, angel,” Lance whispered in her ear and then left a little kiss on her cheek. “I would like to get back to our suite and undress you slowly.” Warmth spread through her cheeks until Annalise remembered that this was all for show. She’d been so stupid to forget it. Their weekend was almost over… And their night together was just one night… One wonderful, spectacular, passionate, life-changing night. When navigating the chairs and the people mingling became too difficult, Lance loosened his hold on her waist and tucked her hand in his instead. His fingers laced with hers and his thumb rubbed her palm as Lance smiled and said his hellos. The pre-ceremony was a bit of a madhouse and was wi
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 30
Perplexed, Lance drank the champagne in one breath, left his empty glass on a table, and quickly followed her on the terrace. Annalise was standing there, looking at the ocean. She was the most heavenly vision... Lance came near her and pulled her towards him until her back went against his chest. Annalise was trembling and he kept her in that embrace. “Angel, are you alright? Did I say something wrong?” When she finally spoke, her voice was so shaky and Lance held her even more. “No… You said everything I needed to hear…” “Good…” he whispered into her ear. “Then why did you run away from me?” “Because I felt… I suddenly felt overwhelmed and I couldn’t breathe.” Annalise wriggled out of his arms and took a few steps away. Then she turned to face him but, somehow, she kept her head down. Lance felt the urge to take her in his arms again, to… comfort her, if that was what she needed. “Listen, I know why you brought me here,” Annalise continued. “I also under
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 31
A week without her. Seven days since he’d let Annalise go... Since he saw her disappear into the night... Going away from him like what they’d shared a few hours earlier had been a figment of his imagination. A week since he had held Annalise in his arms, enjoying the wonderland that was her naked body, tasting every inch of her hot, velvety skin, coming undone every time she called his name while orgasming. Being away from Annalise, away from her hands, from her eyes, not being able to hear her voice, or smell her perfume had been pure torture. Remembering the look in her eyes, and the sound of her voice, watching her going away from him that last night, was still the most unsettling thing Lance had experienced in his life. Lance had wanted to stay with Annalise, especially that night. Unfortunately, he had several meetings and issues to deal with including talking to his team about John Beckett. They needed to come big with an offer
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 32
After a quick wave to Tara at the reception desk, Annalise rode the elevator down to the first floor. She exited the building and saw Lance standing at the curb, one hand resting on the open door to the backseat of his car, the other shoved into his pocket. Lance looked so damn arrogant but sexy as hell! That quick glance at him made her heart skip a beat. Lance looked like the rightful King of the Universe. Not only did he belong in this Universe, but he owned every inch of it. He nodded as Annalise approached and motioned her inside the car. Then he slid in beside her and shut the door. “I thought we could eat at this restaurant I know across town. The food there is excellent and grants us a lot of privacy.” Lance looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “I’m pretty sure we both need privacy right now… after a week away from each other…” She tilted her chin up and stared coolly at him. Lance continued looking at her totally calm. A
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WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 53 (a long-overdue epilogue)
A couple of days later, John was signing the contract with “HL Sportswear”. Once he finished, he put down the pen and gave Lance a very serious look. The last time they saw each other, John was calling him a dumbass for letting Annalise go and threatening not to sign the contract if he would not find Annalise and get her back. And now, the three of them, together with the lawyers, were making their agreement official. With Annalise’s help, with John okay, Lance was preparing to make history. “Welcome to ‘HL Sportswear’, John!” Lance exclaimed shaking his hand. “Thank you for doing this.” The young jock looked first at Annalise, and then at Lance. “I did it mostly for Anna. She was your winning card. So, cherish her, Hamilton. Treat her like the fierce, powerful, hard-working queen she is. This woman went through hell to arrive here,” John told him, then smiled at Annalise. “I’m extremely proud of you, baby girl. I really am.” Annalise got close to Joh
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 52
She made a derisive sound deep in her throat. The memory strangled her. Annalise hated that helpless feeling. “One evening, I was working late and he dropped in to see how I was doing. He came onto me hard and didn’t intend to take no for an answer. I fought against him, I even slapped him hard a couple of times. I tried to push him away from me, but he was so much stronger… He probably would’ve raped me if his wife hadn’t burst in.” Annalise was trembling, but she knew she had to go on. “I think she knew what was going on… I thought she would help me. But… I was dead wrong. She couldn’t care less. She called me a whore, even if that wasn’t true. She was also his partner, so she used me to make him pay for everything he had ever done wrong to her. And she also had her way out of the marriage.” “What happened after?” Lance asked. “Well, these days you have experienced it first-hand. Because of that woman and her disgusting husband, I was named a homewrecker, an arrogant
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 51
Annalise pressed her lips together. “He told me not to bother looking for him, even if I changed my mind. Well, too bad. I made a mistake… Happens, we all make them. It’s not the end of the world. I’m sure he has made his share. He was angry and I’m sure he didn’t mean half of the things he said. So, since I know now what I want, I’m going to make him listen to me. Then I’m going to take the leap of faith Dad mentioned in the video and tell the man of my life that I love him. I hope that I’m not too late and that he will listen.” Jeremy touched her cheek in a tender gesture. “If he doesn’t, he’s a fool who doesn’t deserve my brave, beautiful baby sister. Whatever happens, I will be right here, remember that! You are not alone.” Annalise glanced down at her rumpled appearance. She shuddered to think what her hair looked like. She spent the last three days going around the house like the ghost of the Christmas past. “I need to go jump in the shower and t
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 50
That day, the silence inside the house was soul-crashing. Lost in her thoughts, Annalise didn’t even realize that her coffee cup was empty. She put it in the kitchen sink and decided to go on the back porch and get some fresh air. Her father bought the house right after the wedding and renovated it all by himself. It was perched near a cliff, though it was situated a good distance from the drop-off. As a child, after reading about mudslides, she’d been convinced that they’d fall into the ocean. Her brothers had told her it was far more likely they’d fall off in an earthquake. Annalise shook her head at the memory of how they liked to torment her. It was peaceful here, and not for the first time during the last few days, she wondered why she’d been so anxious to move away. “Sometimes, a nice, calm, honest talk is the key to solving so many misunderstandings…” Annalise said, sitting on the rocking chair. “Look at Mom and me… We are finally starting to create
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 49
John looked at Lance and instead of shaking his hand, he crossed his arms on his chest and let his lawyer do the talking. “Mr. Hamilton, my client instructed me to speak on his behalf during this meeting. Since this is going to be a very brief encounter between the two of you, Mr. Beckett asked me to inform you that he… changed his mind about signing the contract with ‘HL Sportswear’. This decision was taken after very careful consideration. Mr. Beckett wants you to know that…” The lawyer stopped and looked at John who, with a brief movement of his head, urged him to say the exact words. The man coughed just to clear his throat and continued. “Mr. Hamilton, these are not my words, so, please, excuse my language… My client wants you to know he will never sign with a… dickhead such as yourself, a dumbass who doesn’t see a good thing when it crosses his path. You should not have let Annalise Walsh out of your sight, even if she asked you to. Annalise was the real deal and you
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 48
After a while, they started talking like they never did before. Martha pampered her endlessly, preparing her favorite food: French fries and chocolate ice cream. Her mother’s expression showed complete disapproval, but Annalise told her it was her comfort food. By the time evening rolled around, her brothers arrived and made it a point to shower her with lots of hugs and endless cuddling, as her father recommended. Martha retired to her room, leaving her children sitting on the couch together, watching ‘Roman Holiday’ and eating popcorn. Everything was so wonderful… For the first time, since the disaster that had hit her, Annalise was feeling a little bit better… and a little bit optimistic. Once the movie ended, Annalise wiped her eyes and tried to stop the sniffling. She knew her brothers hated it when she cried. Jeremy especially. He kept Annalise’s head on his shoulder. “Anna, if you feel like talking, we’re here for you. But if not, w
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 47
Unwilling to face the judgment of the entire “S&W Advertising” squad after the security leak and tired of crying all night long, Tuesday morning, Annalise decided to call and inform her boss that she was going to take the rest of the week off. Hearing how horrible she sounded, Elaine allowed her to take this vacation, reaffirming the fact that the agency was standing behind her one hundred percent. Still, she emphasized once more, if a reminder was needed, that hiding would not solve her problems. That taking the coward’s way out was not the right way to address her issue. “‘I agree you should rest and think,’” Elaine had told her on the phone. “‘So, take a day, a week, a month… Take all the time you need, kiddo. But don’t do it because you need to hide from the world. Come out and face the music. I believe in you and I know for a fact you are much stronger than you think. I wish I could be half the woman you are.’” Those touching words and Elaine’s trust moved
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 46
Annalise laid her head on her desk and tried to ignore the painful ache that had developed around her temples. Elaine told her to go home, but she couldn’t… not yet… She knew what she had to do, and it will hurt far more than those damn pictures. Still, she hadn’t worked this hard to rebuild her reputation and her career to have it go down the drain over her affair with Lance. Yes, she was in love with him, that was so very clear in her head, but he wasn’t responding the same way. For him, what was going on between them was just enjoyable sex and nothing more. They were great between the sheets, but out of his hotel bed, in front of the cruel reality, their relationship was doomed. Annalise sighed and covered her face with her hands. “You can’t escape your past, Anna,” she whispered. “It will hunt you forever.” She turned off her cell phone and spent the rest of the day locked in her office. She only spoke to Tara to tell her she was not acc
WAKING UP WITH THE CEO CHAPTER 45
David and Elaine stood there, in silence, waiting for Annalise to gather herself together again. She took a deep breath and then looked up. “I promise you both that it’s not how it looks,” Annalise said as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I swear to you I never used cheap tricks to get my hands on this account. I’ve worked relentlessly to bring this here. Everything I did was done by the book.” Elaine said nothing. David glanced at the magazine on her desk. “Well, Anna, in this photo, it looks like you were wearing his ring, but I don’t see one on your finger right now…” David continued handing her a paper tissue. “And I remember that you had lunch with him some time ago… It was the day I’ve wanted to talk to you about this account.” After she cleared her throat, Elaine intervened. “David, I know Anna. I’ve watched her for the last few months, working harder than anyone else around here, giving her best to save this agency. She spent so many sleepless nigh
