"No. I’ve just got a few boxes arriving later today."

  "Right. I'll just get it organized with Magda to help you unpack everything. And Clyde should be here later as well, He's our butler. He does nightly turndown and that sort of thing."

  "Um, I think I can manage."

  The entire time Micah spoke, Atticus glowered at him, though Micah seemed not to notice. "Gwen, I have to say, it's been a pleasure. Our book club starts next week. I'll be a gracious host and let you pick the first book."

  "Okay, I'll try and think of something."

  "I'm counting on you. Oh, and the spicier, the better.” He winked as he headed back down the hallway. “Just so you know, I'm no prude."

  I snorted a laugh because I couldn't help it. He was a little bit outrageous, and I adored him already.

  Atticus growled though. "There won't be a book club."

  I whipped around to meet his gaze. "Excuse me?"

  "A book club with my brother? That’s not happening."

  "I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood. I didn’t realize that when you bargained for my company that also meant that you could tell me what to do with my personal time." I glanced into the enormous bedroom. “So, where do you sleep?”

  And then he flashed me that grin again. That knee-buckling, pulse-pounding, make-you-burn-your-panties grin. "This is our room."

  The way he emphasized our made my head spin. "It's not necessary that we stay together, right? A big penthouse like this, I'm sure you have another room. Or I'll happily sleep in the library. It's fine."

  "What did I tell you yesterday?" he asked.

  His words came rushing back to me. This is real.

  "You signed on the dotted line, Gwen. We are doing this. We will be married in a few weeks. Just pick the day, and I'll get you a wedding planner.” He was so matter-of-fact, as if this wasn't my life.

  "I thought we’d have more time before…" I let my voice trail off.

  "Servants gossip, Gwen. Even mine. We must keep up appearances. We are both in this, so until further notice, we both sleep here, in that bed."

  I swallowed hard. "Well, technically we're not married yet, so I thought maybe…"

  He grinned at me, stepping into my space. And Jesus Christ, that smile was feral and probably meant to intimidate, but there was something so unbelievably delicious about it. "You can relax, Gwen. I have no intention of touching you unless you ask me to."

  There was a hint of gravel to his voice, which had me thinking about all the ways I wanted him to. And then I shuddered and steeled my resolve. Get it together.

  "I know I signed on the dotted line. I was just surprised, is all." Something else caught my eye. “What’s with the satin pillowcases?”

  He shifted on his feet uncomfortably. “I know this is an unusual situation so I wanted to stock the house with things you need. Your step-mother said you’d need satin pillow cases for your hair. Oh and a shower that wasn’t a rainwater shower I had mine converted earlier this week.”

  He’d spoken to Clarissa? He’d changed the shower for me? I started at the pillowcases with no idea what to say or do. My nose grew suspiciously tingly and I had to drag in a deep breath. Why was he being so nice? Hadn’t he browbeat me into being here? “Why would you go to all this trouble?”

  "It’s not trouble if it’s something you need. Welcome home, wife."

  “Future wife. Are you going to kiss me again?"

  His gaze dipped to my lips, and I automatically licked them to moisten them. "You know what? I don't think so. Unless, of course, you're asking me to."

  And because I was a stubborn fool and knew how complicated this was going to get, I looked the man dead in his eyes and said, "I'd only ask you to kiss me over my dead body."

  Chapter 12

  Gwen

  Blissful warmth surrounded me like a cocoon, and the scent of sandalwood and pine lulled me into relaxation like a spa aromatherapy treatment, and I let myself sink into softness.

  Somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind, I knew it was close to morning. I knew I had to get up and get to the office and figure out the logistics of keeping my company together.

  But I couldn’t.

  Or you don’t want to.

  Just five more minutes. Even as I reached for the thread of the conscious world, it slipped through my fingers and I was dragged back into dreamland.

  A dreamland where Atticus was the star. His full lips brushed my temple, and I moaned into the caress.

  He chuckled softly, his warm breath tickling my skin. His hand slid down my arm as his fingers traced lazy circles on my skin. I shivered, my body responding to his touch even in my dreams.

  Atticus leaned down, his lips ghosting over my jawline and down my neck. My breath hitched as he nipped at the sensitive skin just below my earlobe.

  "I just knew you'd be soft," he murmured against my skin.

  My heart raced as Atticus's lips continued down my neck, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. His hand found its way to my breast, and he palmed it gently before pinching my nipple. I gasped, arching into his touch.

  Atticus's mouth closed around my nipple, sucking gently before switching to the other breast. My hands tangled in his hair, tugging the soft strands as he pleasured me.

  His big body covered me, his cock pressing insistently against my thigh, begging for access.

  Something jostled me, and my eyes fluttered open, the remnants of the dream still lingering in my mind.

  I couldn't believe the intensity of the dream, the way Atticus had touched me, his mouth sucking on my nipples, sending a pulsing electric zap straight to my clit.

  It felt real, almost as if I could still feel his lips on my skin.

  I ran a hand over my hair and realized my satin bonnet had made a run for it in the middle of the night and my hair was tousled now.

  I needed to shake off the remnants of the dream and get ready for the day ahead.

  But when I tried to sit up, I couldn't. A heavy arm was wrapped around my waist and held me anchored against a hard, muscular body.

  Atticus.

  The heat that had enveloped me in my dream was very real.

  It was far too hot. Furnace-like, and I tried to shift and adjust and realized I was imprisoned. An arm was wrapped around my waist, and I was atop a very hard body.

  And right between my legs, was… Oh my God, his pulsing dick was right there.

  When I tried to shift my hips away, the length of his cock followed me. I realized I had been rubbing against him, and sometime in the middle of the night, his dick had started to jut out of the top of the pajama pants he'd worn to bed.

  Heat suffused my face, and my gaze darted up to his.

  Did he know? Was he awake?

  I stared at him for a long moment, holding my breath, assessing.

  It wasn’t my fault. I was asleep. I could hardly be held responsible for what I did in my sleep. I’d gone to bed wearing pajama shorts and a silk camisole. The strap of my camisole had fallen down somewhere in the shift of me apparently climbing Atticus like a tree. And my shorts had bunched up, making room for his dick to shift under the opening and stroke my panty-clad clit.

  Also, the man was gorgeous and stunning, even while sleeping, and his arm was not only wrapped around me, but it was cupping my ass, holding me firmly against him.

  His hand squeezed my ass, rocking me ever so slightly over the length of him, and my gaze snapped back up to his face. There was no tension around his mouth, no frown that I was used to seeing. He was asleep. He looked completely at ease and relaxed. The little motion happened again, and I bit back a moan.

  Fuck. I couldn't do this. I needed to get out of there. I tried to shift and adjust myself, but there he was again, and this time, he rolled. His hands on my ass again, rolling me to the side, pressing me tight against him. His massive hand palmed me easily, holding me in place and then rocking me against him.

  A zing of electricity started to snake up my spine.

  Fuck. Oh God. My eyes fluttered shut as he rolled again.

  "Mmmm," Atticus murmured in his sleep. "That's it. Just like that, Gwen." And he rocked me against him again.

  Gwen. He was dreaming of me?

  No.

  Another moan slipped out.

  Oh God, this was wrong.

  I didn't want to like this. I wanted to hate him.

  But fuck me, he was hard, and big, and felt amazing, and the little thrusts happening now against me were making my brain swim, making my thoughts fuzzy as the little motions sparked zings of lightning that poured through my blood.

  I bit my lip to stop the soft moans and needy sounds that kept sliding from my throat.

  He rubbed, and stroked, and rolled, and moaned, damn him. And the sound did something to me, swirling in my belly and making me twist a little over him.

  With his other arm, he tucked me even closer to him, dropping his head to kiss my shoulder. "Feels… good. Come all over… you. Throat. Pussy… in your ass."

  I froze. He wanted to what?

  And why did heat spike my blood at the thought.

  My mouth dropped open in a silent cry when his hand found my breast, his touch even more intimate and arousing than it had been in the dream.

  I was so turned on my panties were soaked as he slid his cock over the fabric, and I whimpered in protest when he stopped brushing his lips over my shoulder.

  But then he moved to my neck and then my chest. He paused at my breast, and his tongue flicked out, licking at the peak, circling it before sucking it gently.

  "Atticus," I murmured, my head falling back, my eyes drifting closed as he moved, his hand tightening on my ass.

  "Atticus," I said, this time trying to shove him away, but he didn't move. He just kept rolling that big cock over my pussy.

  He made a small noise of protest, his hips rolling slightly, stroking deeper with his cock.

  I froze.

  He was still asleep. Definitely still asleep. I shifted a little, trying to get away from him, stifling a gasp of alarm as his cock found a new and more exciting way to rub against my clit.

  I closed my eyes, trying to hold myself still.

  "Please wake up," I whispered, my eyes flying open to see if he was awake. He was going to regret this.

  And this wasn't good for me. But considering everything I'd been through, it wasn't fear tearing through my veins. I was… excited. And horny, and needy. This was so bad.

  I lifted my head, trying to shake him a little. He had to be awake. His brow furrowed slightly, but his lips were slack.

  He wasn't awake. He was still asleep, and he was thrusting against me, fucking my clit and enjoying it.

  I sucked in a sharp breath, my arms coming up to press on his chest.

  His grunt of protest had me gasping. Oh my God.

  "Oh, God, God, God…" I whispered. When I started to come, I bit back a groan, struggling to stay quiet as I arched my back and ground my clit against the ridge of his cock just as a gush of his semen soaked my panties.

  His hands tightened around me as he made me come. "Yes, Gwen. Fuck… So beautiful.”

  Our breath came out in ragged pants, filling the silence.

  And then the sound of our breathing was replaced by his snoring.

  Son of a bitch was still asleep.

  Chapter 13

  Atticus

  I woke up with aching bones. Fucking hell. I'd had the world's most fucking vivid dream. All night, I’d been surrounded by the smell of lemons and cream.

  Automatically, I reach for Gwen, only to find her side of the bed empty and cool. Cranking open an eye, I searched for her, but she was gone.

  The vivid dreams I'd had last night featuring her came back in a fiery jolt of need and pulsing electricity. It had felt so real. As if I'd had her ass in my hands, and she was riding my dick.

  "Gwen? Where are you?"

  I heard something out in the living room, and I forced myself to sit up then glowered at my now rock-hard cock that was working hard at trying to escape the confines of my pajama bottoms. "Down boy, she's not here. There's nothing we can do about it."

  He didn't seem to care.

  It had been hard to fall asleep at first, but then so easy. Once she settled in a little and stopped moving around, it was the best night's sleep I'd had in a year. Maybe more.

  And then came those dreams. The ones where she was begging for me. I imagined I could hear her whispered, breathy, 'Atticus.'

  My cock bobbed, and I growled. "I said, fucking down."

  I threw the rest of the covers off and climbed out of bed. When I heard one of the timers in the kitchen, I checked the clock. It wasn’t even six yet. What the hell was she doing in there?

  I found Gwen in the kitchen, packing her lunch. "You're up early."

  She whipped around, her eyes roaming over my bare chest before she answered. "Making my lunch for work."

  "Running away from me, Ness? Not that I blame you."

  "What do you mean?" she asked, nervously licking her lips, but her gaze didn’t meet mine.

  "Did something happen last night?" I asked.

  Her eyes went wide. "Like what?"

  I ground my teeth. "You ran out of bed this morning. What happened? Did I snore or intrude on your side of the bed?"

  She shook her head, but I could tell she was holding something back.

  "Why are you running? Why are you up this early?"

  "I'm not running. I just need to get to work. In case you haven't heard, my company is being acquired. I need to figure out how to tell my people and deal with what happens next."

  "At five thirty in the morning?"

  "Yes. This acquisition is going to be a blow to the team. There's a lot to do, and Lance will be here in a minute."

  My flair of rage whipped out. "Fucking Lakewood. Remember what I said about being your only one? I meant it."

  "Oh, for fuck's sake. Jesus, I need to go. Who is my point of contact for the acquisition? I have lots of questions, forms, paperwork."

  I scowled at her. "First of all, you work with me, directly. You don't work with anyone else." Fuck, something was wrong here.

  "Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you the CEO? Aren't there, you know, people I can talk to? Anyone but you?"

  I lifted my brow and crossed my arms. "You know, I'm starting to get the impression you're trying to avoid me."

  "I'm not trying to avoid you. I just assume that you are very busy."

  The muscle in my jaw ticked. “I am busy. But as a new acquisition, you are very important to Pendragon Tech. Plus, you are going to be my wife. So I'll see to it personally. Anything you need."

  The security buzzer went off, and she checked her watch. Then she muttered a curse. She hit the button on the panel next to the fridge and spoke quickly. "Sorry, Manny, please send him up. I'm not quite ready."

  She was going to go without finishing our conversation? "We aren't done, Gwen."

  "Sorry, I have to go."

  "Okay, fine. Lunch today. You come to my office, or I’ll come to you. We have an engagement party to plan."

  She pursed her lips. "I'll be meeting with my team and probably won't have time for lunch. We might have to talk when I get home."

  "Oh, we're having lunch,” I insisted.

  "Like I said, I'll see. " She sashayed toward the door, grabbing her canvas bag.

  "Just so we're clear, Gwen, Pendragon has a whole communications package for you. Someone from my office will be there to assist you and handle it however you want."

  "Can I go now?"

  I leveled her with a glare that held hers for a long moment. "By all means."

  But I followed her down the hall into the living area. As she shouldered her bag, she frowned at me. "What are you doing?"

  "Well, since Lance is picking you up, I might as well say hello."

  Like I was letting her walk away without being clear to him where she belonged.

  "Just like that?" She lifted a brow, watching me warily.

  "Is there a problem?"

  The sunlight streaming in hit the auburn streaks in her hair, highlighting them like she had spun copper into it. "No, no problem."

  The elevator door dinged, and Gwen grabbed her handbag. When I rounded the corner, there was Lakewood, handing a to go cup to my fiancée. I scowled at him, but he took no notice as he said, "Holy shit, you've moved in with Jay-Z?"

  Gwen laughed. "You're ridiculous. Not Jay-Z, just my overbearing fiancé."

  "This place is—" He stopped speaking abruptly when he finally noticed me.

  "Lakewood," I said through my teeth.

  He gave me a nod. "Oh, hey man, nice digs."

  "I didn't expect you this morning, especially this early."

  His smirk told me everything I needed to know. He thought we were in a competition for Gwen. He was going to find out otherwise.

  "We have a tradition, Gwen and I,” he said with a grin. “I bring her morning hot chocolate and walk her to work. It doesn't change now that she lives here."

  I saw the sweep of his gaze over my shirtless form, and then his gaze over Gwen in her rose-colored silk blouse, a black pencil skirt that tapered just below her knees, and the red-soled Louboutins. "Right." I turned my gaze to Gwen. "Like I said, lunch. We need to talk. I’ll meet you at noon." I frowned when my gaze reached her finger. “Where is your ring?”

  With a pursed lip, she tugged on her necklace to show me her engagement ring. “Right here. I’m clumsy with my hands and it weighs a ton, not to mention it’s too big.”

  “You should have said. We’ll have it resized.”

  “Fine. I’ve got to go.”

  “Lunch today.”

  She swallowed. "I'll see. I might be really busy."

  The fuck she would be. Either she came to me, or I'd go to her. "Okay, whatever you need."

  Without a glance to Lakewood, I tucked my arm around her waist, pulling her close, and kissed her. I poured every ounce of desire and desperate clawing need into the kiss. I wanted her to remember who she was sleeping next to before I let her walk out the door with Lakewood.