I groaned internally.

  “In this campaign we’ve been focusing on the female side of the engagement equation. How many carats she wants, how the ring will look on her finger,” he continued, “but I think the male voice needs to be heard as well.”

  If it was possible to hear the rolling eyes of a half dozen women, I experienced it in this moment.

  “We want to make this campaign as buzzy as possible, which is why I reached out to someone with a Q Score that’s currently setting records.” Glen walked backward to the door as he spoke. “Ladies and gents, may I present our next #RomanceintheWild candidate…” He opened the door and spoke to someone just outside the conference room, inviting him in.

  “Mr. Steven Brudny!”

  Fuck.

  Felicity’s ex.

  Glen stepped back, and a vaguely attractive man in a hoodie and blazer walked in beaming confidence, like he owned the place. A few people clapped politely while I swiveled to face Felicity.

  Her cheerful expression had shifted to that of a person trapped in a waking nightmare. She seemed haunted, frozen in place.

  “Hey folks,” Steven said as he waved to everyone with what looked like fake humility. “Happy to be here. It’s great that Veritique realizes what a force my book has become. I’m a bestseller, yeah!” He pumped his fist. “So glad people understand that Unhinged Heart is a masterpiece.”

  No.

  I rose to my feet right as Glen led Steven to an empty chair at the table.

  “Don’t get too comfortable, Mr. Brudny.”

  “Excuse me?” He shot me a baffled look, as if it had never crossed his mind that anyone he met would be anything but thrilled to be in his presence. “Did you not get the memo about who I am?”

  I curled my hands into fists but didn’t let any stray emotion register on my face. “Oh, I know exactly who you are, and that’s the problem.”

  Steven looked around the table, like he was hoping to find support among the other people in the room. I saw him twitch when his eyes finally landed on Felicity.

  “Ohh,” he said in a more upbeat tone, still locked onto Felicity. “Now I get it! Well, hey there, Lis! Been a while.”

  Felicity just shook her head in response, unable to muster up a word. I’d never seen her speechless.

  I hated it.

  “Felicity and I are old friends,” Steven said, glancing at the people gathered around the table. “We know each other super well. You could say that I can read her like a book! Right, Lis?”

  He was getting dangerously close to revealing his connection to Felicity in front of her colleagues, but like hell was I letting that happen on my watch.

  “Mr. Brudny, there seems to have been a misunderstanding. You see, the core of this campaign is the open and honest love between two people, and you’re just about the last person I can think of who exemplifies those qualities,” I said to him. “I’m not surprised you didn’t even bother to bring your girlfriend with you, since it’s clear to me that the only person you love in this world is yourself. And since we’re not really looking to grow our share in the ‘self-aggrandizing asshole’ market, I don’t think we’d have any use for you.”

  Steve sputtered, looking outraged and indignant. “Who are you, anyway?”

  “I’m the person who knows what’s best for this company, and it’s not you. So you can collect your things and head out.” I pointed to the door.

  “What the hell?” Steven went whiny. “Why am I being treated like this? Lis? C’mon, you can vouch for me, right? Old friends support each other.”

  “I’m not your friend,” she finally said in a small voice.

  Steven leered at her. “Correct, because we used to⁠—”

  “Out!” I shouted.

  I’d sucked all the air out of the room with one word.

  I took a few steps toward Steven before I realized what I was doing. Instinct had taken over me, and all I could think was protect her.

  “What, you wanna fight me, dude?” he asked, jumping out of his chair.

  “No,” I replied in an even tone. “I want you to listen to the instruction I gave you three minutes ago and leave. If I have to ask again, it won’t be you I’m asking but the security guards who will drag you out of here and dump you on your ass on the sidewalk—next to the rest of the trash.”

  I finally glanced around the room and realized that the entire PR team looked mystified by what was going on, but not entirely unhappy about it. My employees trusted me, and they understood I would never respond to someone like this without good reason.

  “Is he for real?” Steven asked Glen in a quiet voice.

  “The realest,” he answered. “That’s our CEO.”

  Steven finally seemed to clock into the fact that his little sponcon gig with Veritique wasn’t going to happen.

  “Fine. Your rings are shit anyway,” he said as he stood up. “I bet Barth & Co. doesn’t treat potential partners like this.”

  “Mr. Brudny?” I reached for my phone and flicked it on. “One last thing.”

  I snapped a photo of him, then dictated a message into my phone to the security teams at all branches of the store, nationwide, saying that the man in the picture was never to be allowed entry into any Veritique under any circumstances. “Aaaand send,” I said, tapping on my phone which let out a swooshing sound as the email went out. “You can go now,” I said, waving Steve off. “We’re done with you. Glen can see you out.”

  He left the room muttering under his breath with a sheepish-looking Glen following behind him.

  I cleared my throat as I turned back to the team. “I apologize for getting loud just then. It’s probably obvious to you that I didn’t think Mr. Brudny was a fit for our organization in many ways. I don’t want to go into the details, but suffice it to say that my decision is final. I’m sure we have many other potential candidates who better exemplify the Veritique core values. Let’s move on.”

  The meeting continued for another forty minutes as if nothing had happened. I could feel Felicity watching me, but I couldn’t bring myself to meet her gaze. Would she think I had overstepped? She’d stopped me before from retaliating against her piece-of-shit ex. Maybe I’d crossed a line. But how could I have done nothing when I saw how she reacted to just the sight of him? The asshole was lucky he hadn’t gotten punched.

  Once back in my office, I tried to focus on the mountain of work I needed to tackle, but my mind kept drifting back to Felicity’s broken expression when Steven taunted her.

  I needed to see her.

  My door swung open right as I slapped my laptop closed. It was like she’d been summoned by my thoughts.

  “Felicity…I was just coming to see you⁠—”

  She nearly jogged to me, her eyes trained on my mouth. She crashed into me forcefully enough that it got a wunf of surprise out of me, and the next thing I knew, her lips were pressed against mine.

  If the kiss outside her apartment was good, this one was legendary. She kissed me in a frenzy, like her pent-up emotions from the last hour were all fighting to the surface at once. I, meanwhile, was lightheaded with relief. I wrapped my arms around her, hoping she could tell that I would always, always fight for her.

  Her tongue darted along my lip, a brief experimental flick that nearly got a groan out of me. So much for the contract. I let my hands drop to caress the curve of her hips, then down to her ass, to bring her even closer to me.

  Fuck, she tasted sweet.

  “Thank you,” she murmured as our mouths melded. “Thank you for…for standing up for me.”

  Speaking the words made her even hungrier. Her hands slid up and threaded through my hair, sending a wave of electricity down my back.

  I needed more. I picked her up and slid her skirt up her thighs so she could wrap her legs around my waist. Our kiss deepened as I lowered myself onto the nearby couch. Felicity wound up straddling me. She ground against me and let out a little whimper.

  I ran my hands along the tops of her thighs as our tongues teased back and forth. Her skin…Felicity felt like she was made of silk. She arched her chest against mine, pressing her breasts against me.

  I was now rock hard.

  “I want you,” I whispered into her ear. I paused to kiss her there and she giggled.

  “Cameron, I want you too,” her voice hitched as I put my hands on her hips and pulled her against the swell in my pants. “But not here. We can’t.”

  “Why not? This couch is nice and strong.”

  She laughed again as I kissed the hollow of her throat. “Someone could come in.”

  “Let them watch,” I insisted. “They might learn something.”

  Our mouths found their way back together, and we kissed as I raised Felicity’s skirt inch by tantalizing inch. Oh, the things I was going to do to her. I pictured letting her ride me on the couch, then bending her over my desk and taking her from behind, so I could squeeze that perfect ass of hers as I had her. How many times could I make her come?

  Then it hit me. I wanted to take my time with her. Explore every hidden inch of her, with my hands, my tongue, and of course, my cock. As much as I wanted to shove her panties to the side and plunge inside her right now, I knew it would have to end too soon. The phone could ring at any moment, or we could be interrupted by an impatient knock at the door while my mouth was anchored between her legs.

  I pulled away. “Do you have plans tonight?”

  Her eyes were shining and her chest was heaving as if she’d just finished a sprint. And that mouth of hers…that full bottom lip swollen even fuller by our kissing.

  Felicity shook her head wordlessly.

  “Come up to my place. I don’t want a single interruption the first time I fuck you.”

  She inhaled sharply hearing me say exactly what we were both thinking. She ground against me and leaned closer to whisper in my ear.

  “I don’t want to stop.”

  The rhythm against my cock nearly destroyed my resolve, but I wasn’t about to let it get the best of me. We both knew it’d be worth the wait.

  Her hands were clasped behind my neck, so I reached up to gather them in mine, clutching them between us like I had her in handcuffs.

  “Let’s make a deal; if we stop now, we won’t have to tonight.” I pulled her closer so I could whisper in her ear. “I’m going to fuck you. All. Night. Long.”

  She closed her eyes and let out a shuddery sigh.

  “Maybe I’ll let you sleep after you’ve had your third orgasm, but only for a little while. Then I’ll wake you up with my tongue between your legs, and we’ll begin again.”

  Felicity sucked in a breath at the thought of it.

  “Deal,” she murmured.

  15

  FELICITY

  Icould still hear Nina’s silly taunts in my head as I waited outside Cameron’s door. Jokes about “the world’s most convenient booty call” and being the boss’s pet. She was right on both counts. I sure liked the fact that my walk of shame was going to be just a quick elevator ride.

  I’d piled my hair in a bun and worn a simple t-shirt dress and flip-flops, but what I had going on underneath it was about to blow Cameron’s mind.

  He opened the door a few seconds after I rang the doorbell, as if he’d been waiting for me.

  “Well, hello there. You look comfy.”

  I pushed past him, giving him a gentle hip check. “You think so?”

  I kicked off my flip-flops, then walked down the hallway with my fingertips tugging on the hem of my dress, ready to begin my striptease, only to be greeted by a very enthusiastic Boris.

  “Oh, hey there, mister!” I laughed as he danced around me. “Nice to see you, too.”

  The cheerful canine host was derailing my plans a little, and Cameron picked up on that fact.

  “Hey B, do you want a bone?” he asked.

  Clearly, he knew that as awesome as Boris was, he had the potential to kill the mood.

  The dog juked away from me at the mention of the treat and followed Cameron to the kitchen. While he was busy taking care of Boris, I looked around his much-much-bigger-than-my-apartment penthouse to find the perfect spot for my little stunt.

  I’d been so focused on making sure Boris was okay the night he ate cough drops that I hadn’t looked around much, but now, as the sun was setting in the distance, I could really take in the sumptuous space. The walls were dark gray, hung with a few giant scrawly paintings that were probably museum-worthy masterpieces, but the real focal point in the room was the view of the park from the windows. I walked up to enjoy it, because all I could see outside my window a dozen floors below was a brick wall from the building across the street.

  “Hey,” his voice echoed behind me.

  I turned slowly to face him. “Hey.”

  We stared at one another across the room in a sort of sexy standoff. Who was going to be the first one to break?

  Obviously Cameron, once I put my plan into action.

  I smiled at him, then slipped my dress off with a quick swish, letting it drop to the ground at my feet.

  “Holy shit,” he whispered in awe.

  With good reason, because I was wearing a nearly invisible lingerie set that was only a few straps of pink satin and mesh, embellished with delicate, lacy flower details by the hips.

  Cameron crossed the room without another word and pulled me into his arms so forcefully I tripped against him. His mouth was on mine immediately, claiming me with his kiss.

  “Do you know how perfect you are?” he whispered in my ear.

  “Tell me,” I sighed, letting my head drop back as his kisses trailed down my neck.

  “Your skin is…” he kissed along my shoulder. “Velvet,” he managed. He paused to gaze at me. “Your breasts,” he sighed. “I just want to stare at them.”

  I laughed softly. “It’s more fun if you touch them.”

  I threaded my fingers through his hair and pulled him to me again. He kissed me with such perfect intensity that I didn’t even realize he was unsnapping my bra until it dropped to the floor. His hands skimmed down my body to clench my ass.

  “How is it,” I purred into his ear, “that I’m basically naked and you still look like Mr. Bossman?” I reached down and gave his tie a tug. “Let’s get you undressed.”

  I finally managed to pry myself away from his sinful lips and slowly undid his tie, then the buttons on his shirt. I eased it off his shoulders, and it was my turn to be amazed.

  “Holy shit yourself,” I sighed.

  I could tell just from his torso that Cameron’s body was built for fucking. Strong arms, a broad chest with a light scatter of hair across it, and a stomach that obviously knew a thing or two about crunches. He was made for strength and stamina—and I fully intended to test both to their limits.

  “You’re staring,” he chuckled as he quickly undid his belt and pants.

  “I mean…” I trailed off and ran my hand down his solid chest. “Look at you.”

  He slid his pants and briefs down and my jaw dropped. Cameron was the owner of the most beautiful cock I’d ever seen. Perhaps the biggest as well.

  “Get over here,” he growled, interrupting my admiration.

  I took a step closer, then dropped to my knees in front of him, immediately taking his full length into my mouth.

  He inhaled sharply. “Felicity…”

  I could tell he wanted to get right to fucking me, but, as I’d expected, the rhythm of my mouth and tongue along his cock was too much for him to resist. He pulled the elastic from my hair and wound the long strands around his fist as I worked him. I could feel heat pooling between my legs as his breathing became more ragged.

  I loved seeing big, strong Cameron O’Connor under my spell.

  “Felicity…” he panted, gently pushing himself deeper into my mouth. “I want to fuck you…I need to…”

  He was saying one thing, but his body was betraying him. I ignored him and kept worshipping him with my tongue. He seemed to be at war with himself, wanting me to keep going while wishing he could bury his cock deep inside another part of me.

  “No.”

  He pulled away abruptly with an anguished grunt and picked me up from my knees in a single fluid motion, then cradled me as he carried me over to the couch. He placed me down on the edge so my feet were on the floor, then pushed me back against it.

  “My turn.”

  Cameron slid his finger beneath the delicate strap on my underwear and snapped it in half, then pulled the ruined scrap out from beneath me. He bumped between my legs, looking almost hungry as he stared into my eyes, then lowered his head and pressed his mouth between my legs.

  The jolt of his warm tongue swirling against my nub pulled an immediate cry of pleasure out of me. I writhed as he made love to me with his mouth, trying to hold on even though the orgasm was right there. I couldn’t comprehend how Cameron could get me to this point so quickly. It was like he could read exactly what my body needed, and he delivered on it, big time. Tongue, fingers, both together…I couldn’t keep track of the sensations building inside of me.

  Cameron pushed against me and eased my leg over his shoulder, and the new angle was all I needed to throw me over the edge. One delicious tongue-sweep later and I was arching my back in a firestorm of ecstasy, chanting his name over and over.

  When I finally caught my breath and opened my eyes, Cameron was watching me, still kneeling between my legs.

  “I like the way you sound when you come,” he said in a low voice. “Especially when you say my name.” We stared at each other, the tension of the moment heavy in the air.

  He leaned over to grab something from his pants, and when I heard the crinkle, I knew he was rolling on a condom.

  “I like it so much that I need to hear it again. I wanna hear you screaming ‘Cameron’ at the top of your lungs when you come this time.”

  I didn’t even have a chance to answer because he swept me up in his arms and moved me all the way back on the couch, then covered my body with his.