Epilogue

Six weeks later

“...and that’s how all the meetings in your database automatically get entered on the calendar.” I roll the chair away from the desk and stand up so Claudette can reclaim her seat.

“That’s absolute magic.” She sits down and looks at me with gratitude in her eyes. “But you know you don’t have to exchange information with me every time you want to be worked into Steele’s schedule. He put you on his ‘Always Priority’ list.”

“No, I really do.” She doesn’t get how Steele and I work, but nobody does. And that’s okay.

I look at my watch. “His next meeting’s in an hour, right?”

“Yep.”

“Good.” I told Donovan I was taking a long lunch. If I stick to Steele’s schedule, I should make it back just before his afternoon starts.

Probably.

I stop in the restroom before heading into his office to put on lipstick that will only be smeared off and make sure my hair is extra ready to be pulled.

Then I head into his office, without bothering to knock. “Steele Sebastian, I have a bone to pick with you.”

He’s in his armchair this time, reading something that’s probably important. As usual, he doesn’t glance up until he’s ready, knowing that every second he makes me wait just makes me wetter. “I believe I’ve mentioned this before, but it seems to bear repeating—I only see people by appointment.”

Ignoring the interruption, I stride forward and put my heeled foot on the coffee table in front of him. I might lift my skirt a little too, enough so he can see just a flash of the goods. “I had an interesting encounter this morning.”

“Oh?” He’s pretending he’s not looking at said goods, but he definitely is.

“Let me set the scene for you—I’d just gotten out of the shower and was about to get ready for work.” I don’t officially live with Steele, but only because he and I don’t officially do anything. Half of my belongings have made their way over to his apartment over the last month, and I sleep there more nights than I don’t. Even when I’m already at his place, he makes every sleepover transactional. Or I do, depending on who happens to owe who at the moment.

I clearly have more to say, but he interrupts. “You still do that?”

“I still do.”

“Seems you do it real well too, seeing how you’re here in the middle of the workday instead of behind your desk, where you belong.”

I don’t let him deter me. “As I was saying, I knew Mindy was getting groceries, so I was scurrying around in just my panties. Took me fifteen whole minutes to find my bra.”

“Where was—?”

Annoyed with his interruptions, I interrupt him. “The guest bath tub.” I pause to remember the antics that got us to that location last night. The look on his face says he’s recalling it too. “Anyway, I hadn’t had a chance to put it on yet when I walked out into the hall and bumped into a woman who introduced herself as Lola.”

His eyes light up. “Lola’s back?” He considers for a minute. “I thought she had another week. Guess I lost track of time. Wonder what distracted me?”

I beam because I’m one hundred percent the distraction.

“I was about to call the police, you know. Or at least the front desk, until she explained who she was and that she’s been off work for the last two months because she had breast reconstruction after surviving stage two cancer. You asshole. You led me to believe you were paying for her to get a boob job.”

“Technically, she did get a boob job, and I did pay.” He gives me a naughty grin. “How’d they look?”

“Pretty good, actually. She apparently shows everyone, and so we compared since mine were already out and all.”

“If they’re better than yours, I can pay for you to have a boob job as well.”

It’s hard but I manage not to laugh.

Forcing a scowl instead, I climb onto his lap, spreading my legs so my knees rest outside his thighs. “Good job seeing that lie through until the very end. But now you know you owe me.”

“Another spanking?”

“This time I think I’d like to spank you .”

I’m half afraid his masculinity won’t be able to take it. The man is kinky, but he’s also in charge.

The other half of me isn’t at all surprised when he says, “How about we make a deal?”

Before he even delivers the terms, I’m smiling.

I truly do still hate most everyone, but my list of those I don’t has expanded.

1. Donovan

2. Most of his business partners.

3. My neighbor, Ashish (who still waters my plants in exchange for the password to my Netflix account now instead of sex)

4. Doug of Doug’s Diner (who still doesn’t know I exist)

5. And one dirty, filthy billionaire.

* * * *

Also from 1001 Dark Nights and Laurelin Paige, discover Slash , The Open Door , Dirty Filthy Fix , Falling Under You , and Man For Me .