I sat in my office at the end of the workday, watching snow as it floated past my window, and eagerly awaited the arrival of the girl I loved. Sophia now worked three floors down in the marketing department, and when she had finished her work, she’d come to me and we’d ride home together.
To our new home, a secluded estate set back from the coast and hidden in the woods, just beyond Cape Hill’s reach. It needed a lot of work, but I looked forward to the challenge of the project.
She’d moved in over the weekend at my insistence, although it hadn’t taken much convincing. We already rode to and from work together every day, so this saved time. Plus, with her mother’s adulterous past dug up, it was best for her parents to have some time to themselves, and Stephen Alby was in complete support of my plan. He’d be happy to lock up his biggest client as family.
People thought it was too soon for us to live together, and I understood that. I’d once told Marist that people who fell in love too quickly fell out of it just as fast. It had been my experience with Alice, but the way I felt about Sophia was entirely different. It used a part of my heart I was sure had died twenty years ago, not recognizing it was merely lying dormant.
If the rest of my family disliked my new living arrangement, I wasn’t made aware. Royce and I had convinced Vance to return home as he studied for his bar exams, and sometimes Sophia and I would join them for a family dinner. Marist seemed pleased to have another woman around, especially since the two of them were becoming real friends.
The Hale home was full again.
Even if it wasn’t mine anymore.
Lucifer was adjusting to his new accommodations and was happy to share our bed with Sophia. This morning when I’d awoken, I’d discovered he’d abandoned me for her. I explained loyalty to him while she was in the shower, but he used his indifference to remind me that, as a cat, he was superior to me in every way.
“Hey,” Sophia said as she came into my office and shut the door. She wore a cinnamon-colored dress, which I’d picked out for her this morning, and it made the blue in her eyes more vibrant.
I disguised my excitement at seeing her and lifted a sharp eyebrow. “Did you forget where my office is located? It’s twenty after five.”
“Sorry, I got caught up.”
“It’ll take more than an hour to get home now with the traffic and snow.”
She shrugged, which was something she’d started doing again once her rib no longer bothered her. It’d been both challenging and enjoyable in Aspen finding all the ways to make her orgasm without causing her discomfort during the process.
“Guess I won’t try so hard to be good at my job, boss.”
Hot pleasure spiraled through my chest at her snarky comment, designed to irritate me. She wanted to play? All right. My order was dark. “Come here.”
She practically skipped over to the side of my desk, and I swiveled in my chair to face her.
“Pull your skirt up. All of it, to your waist.”
Her breath immediately went short, and she slowly complied, gathering the skirt up in her hands and exposing what she had not worn for me. I stared at her nakedness and licked my lips to let her know how pleased I was. When she’d finished dressing this morning, she’d given me attitude, claiming I was trying to rush her, and so I’d made her take her panties off and leave them at home.
She hadn’t earned them, I’d told her.
Sophia stared at me now with curiosity, perhaps wondering if I’d make her bend over, put her hands on my desk, and prepare for me to punish her. I gave a wicked smile. That was not my intent today.
I smoothed my hand up her inner thigh, deep between her legs, and touched the diamond I’d given her. My symbol of control, although it worked both ways. When I owned her, she owned me.
She moaned as I gently rubbed her soft skin and her eyes hooded, but her gaze didn’t waver from mine.
“I love you,” I said, teasing her clit. “Do you love me?”
“God, yes,” she gasped.
I rewarded her by moving faster, and she grew slick and damp. She probably wouldn’t come standing up like this, but that was all right. My goal was to go until her legs began to shake, and then I’d take her across the desk. I pressed harder and rubbed quicker still as her hands twisted the fabric of her skirt and she gulped for breath.
“Fuck,” she groaned, her shoulders slumping as she began to bend at the waist, trying to stay upright during my furious assault of pleasure. Satisfaction filled me as her knees trembled and threatened to buckle. It came from her in a desperate whine. “Macalister.”