“What is with this caveman, two syllable thing?” I asked, stopping short of the car and anchoring my feet to the pavement, silently refusing to take another step. “Get up, let’s go, get in? I don’t think so. You want to talk? Great! But you can do it right here. I’m not going anywhere with you.”
A flicker of shock flashed in his eyes but he backed down. He slammed the car door and went around to the driver’s side. “If you want to talk business, it will be conducted in my office.” That said, he opened his door and got in the car. “I’ll be waiting for you there, whenever you calm down and
drop the theatrics.”
“Ugh,” I groaned. “Fine!” I opened the car door and threw myself into the passenger seat. He silently waited for me to buckle myself in before he revved the engine and tore out of the parking lot. We didn’t speak during the drive. I crossed my arms and stared out the window, pressing as close to the passenger side door as possible.
I had never been to his office before, but there was no mistaking it when we pulled up to the gleaming skyscraper in the heart of the city a few minutes later. A huge sign with green letters was nestled against the building on the top: “Brighton Enterprises.” I did my best to mask my impression, wondering why I had never connected the dots before this. I’d heard of Brighton Enterprises.
We pulled up and a doorman raced out to open the door for me. Cooper let himself out and crossed in front of the car to meet the young man, his friendly smile back in place.
“Thank you, Jackson. Would you mind?” He held up the keys.
Jackson smiled and gave a nod. “Of course, Mr. Brighton.”
“Thank you.” He turned back to me. “Shall we?”
I snarled to myself but allowed him to usher me up the walk to the front of the enormous building, waiting only long enough for another man to open the door for us when we got within a few feet.
“Thank you, Tom,” he said with a nod.
As soon as we entered the building, he took the lead and I followed a few steps behind, watching as he interacted with the people who crossed our path. I was surprised to see him greet everyone by name. We got to the elevators and he ensured that the car we took was empty. He entered the floor, number 62, and we stood in an awkward silence as we ascended. The only sound was the quiet whooshing of the elevator and the dinging as we stopped at different floors to let others rotate in and out. All of them going about their daily business, completely oblivious to the volcano of tension between Cooper and me—the frustrated tension that seemed to build with each floor. Cooper was quiet and by looking at him, he seemed normal—or at least what I imagined his normal to be—but the energy radiating from him was like a tightly wound spring, ready to pop.
After what seemed like the longest elevator ride of my life, we were alone when the bell for floor 62 rang out. Cooper ushered me forward again and placed his hand on my lower back for just the blink of an eye to signal me to turn left. I walked forward and stopped a few feet later in front of a large desk where his—I’m assuming—assistant sat, pecking away at a keyboard.
No surprise…she was a willowy blonde, dressed all in black, with yellow gold jewelry setting off her tan and her green eyes.
“Mr. Brighton!” she said as he stepped into view alongside me. The gleam of adoration in her eyes as she greeted him both revolted me and also sent a spike of jealousy through me.
I shook that off and plastered an equally as fawning look on my face when she turned to give me a once-over.
“Good afternoon, Kimberly. Please hold all my calls.”
She nodded and though her smile held, I could see a flicker of disgust flash my way as I passed her and followed Cooper into his office.
He shut the door behind me and I stepped forward into the large room. There were floor to ceiling windows instead of walls that offered a spectacular view of the city. Like a moth to a flame, I stepped closer and couldn’t hide my amazement any longer. This whole thing was starting to seem really surreal. I guess I should have expected nothing less for a millionaire’s, or maybe even a billionaire’s office, but then again, I hadn’t really given it much thought or imagination before now.
“You have my attention,” Cooper’s voice called to me from across the room.
I turned away from the window and found him leaned up against his desk, his arms folded across his chest. His expression was neutral, unreadable.
“I already told you what I want. I don’t even know why you had to bring me here. Just to show off your fancy office and your view, I guess.” I tried to keep my voice sharp, demanding his attention and respect, but his exterior calmness wasn’t leaving me much to work with. I was starting to feel like an impatient toddler, stomping my feet and throwing a tantrum.
He grunted. “Do you ever let your guard down and turn off the attack mode thing you have going on?”
His question surprised me and I fumbled for a response. My fingers started fidgeting with the edge of my jacket sleeves. Cooper stepped away from his desk and crossed the room to me. In an instant, I knew what was going to happen next, but I couldn’t—or wouldn’t—stop it.
“You’re too beautiful to be this jaded,” he said.
I couldn’t stop what happened next. In the blink of an eye, his hands were on my waist, sliding down my hips. His cologne was filling my nose, clouding my senses, his touch warm and hypnotic as his fingertips roamed around to my ass and then up my spine.
“I must have you.”
My voice caught in my throat at his words and I couldn’t speak. My eyes flashed towards the door, suddenly keenly aware of my surroundings, a whole horde of people waiting outside the door probably waiting to speak with him.
His face lowered to mine and his lips found their way to my neck. He groaned as he breathed in deeply, kissing the spot below my ear before his tongue flicked up and across my earlobe, sending a jolt of pleasure through my entire body. My legs felt like they were about to give out and I relaxed my body into his. He wrapped his arms around me and brought his mouth up to mine, backing me up against the wall.
I felt his hands wander up down my back and rested on the top part of my ass, a light pressure grabbing me and pulling my hips toward his.