“You didn’t just solve world peace, angel,” I shoot back. “Yeah, I think you’re hot. Because you are. You know it. I know it. The whole world knows it. No big mystery there.”
I see Elsa glance down the fly of my slacks. Admittedly, the view waiting there for her is bigger than it was when we first walked into my office.
My dick isn’t completely hard yet, but it’s on its way.
Standing so close to her, drinking in her smell, isn’t helping the situation.
I’m a man of action. Talking is for schmucks who don’t get laid.
I grab Elsa in both arms and take a step forward so our bodies are pressed together, and she’s pressed against the window.
I’m waiting for a sign—any sign. I know all her fucking tells. I know the sharp little intake of breath and the long, deep sigh that mean she wants it.
I need something from her. Anything. All I’m waiting for is that little signal that it’s okay to proceed...when I feel her hands rest on my waist.
She breathes in sharply.
She exhales.
She’s mine.
“Here’s to a few mutually beneficial days,” I say, as I lean in to capture her lips with mine.
But instead of making out with Elsa Blakely, I find myself being pushed away. I catch myself just before I crash into my desk.
I steady myself and look up just in time to see Elsa’s tight ass walk out of my office.
“You want this pussy, it’s gotta be public, Tanner,” she calls over her shoulder. “No hanky panky behind the scenes I’m afraid.”
Instead of chasing after her like a lovesick schoolboy, I sink into my chair, my head falling into my hands.
Her perfume lingers in the room.
It’s a good thing I like the scent because I’m going to be smelling it a lot for the next few weeks. And it’s a good thing I like the feel of Elsa in my arms because that’s where she’s going to be for the next few weeks.
The day didn’t end the way I thought it would, but there’s no denying that I still get to her as much as she gets to me. Maybe more. Why else would she leave like that?
It’s only a matter of time before she gives in. And then we can have some real fun during our pretend engagement.
In the meantime, I intend to have fun teasing her.
Maybe this little arrangement our boards forced us into isn’t the worst thing after all.
Chapter 5
Elsa
Something in my gut immediately tells me the next few weeks are going to be pure hell.
I move my mouse to wake my laptop from its slumber. It seems like even on my days off, I find myself sitting behind a computer involved in something work-related.
That’s why I insisted on my home office being as luxurious as my one at work. From the crystal chandelier to the plush rug under my feet, this space gets my creative juices flowing.
Business. I’m comfortable in business. Next to the runway, business is like my second home.
So that’s what I tell myself. Things with Tanner? Just business, pure and simple.
We fucked up. Now, we have to fix it—for our shareholders and our employees—for the bottom line at the end of every month.