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  “This isn’t happening between us. Either you can keep it professional or you can’t. In which case, you’ll have to seek help elsewhere,” she said.

  “I’m sorry. Fine, yes. You’re right. I’m ... I’m sorry, Kallie.”

  She sighed as she started up the recording again.

  “We’ll come back to that third point,” she said. “Now, three goals for what you want out of your familial life.”

  “There’s only one there,” he said.

  “Then what is it?”

  “I want them cut out of my life for good. I want no interaction with them whatsoever.”

  “Is that what you really want?” she asked.

  “No. What I wanted was for my parents to get along. To not use me as a pawn in their arguments. What I wanted was for my mother to value me more than money, and what I wanted was for my father to be present in my life instead of hopping around from woman to woman. But I’ll settle for never having to talk to them again, because I’m happier when they’re not around.”

  It took everything Kallie had for her jaw not to hit her desk.

  “Then only one goal for that one,” she said lightly.

  “What do we do now?” Ash asked.

  “Now, we put together a list of demands.”

  “For someone who wants to keep this professional, you really are making it hard,” he said with a grin.

  “I’m not sure how to take that comment, so I’ll keep pushing forward. A list of demands is essentially a list of things you’re not willing to compromise. It can be anything from what a woman looks like to how you want to cut off your family. It can also be a list of requirements for what’s around you when you settle down. It can even be as specific as what you want to eat every morning for the rest of your life. This list of demands is made to paint your picture-perfect life.”

  “You aren’t going to like how that list pans out,” he said.

  “As long as you understand that the list of demands is for a perfect life, and that all life falls short of that picture, I’m willing to suck up what you have to say in order to compose it.”

  “So you want me to be truly honest?”

  “It’s the only way we will get your life back on track, Ash.”

  “Then let’s get to it,” he said with a grin.

  Chapter 12

  Kallie

  “We’ll start with your new location. What are your demands for the place you eventually want to live?” Kallie asked.

  “Good surfing,” Ash said.

  “All right. That’s a good start. What else?”

  “Good food. A place where I can purchase a beachfront view. I love waking up to the sounds of the ocean.”

  “Very nice. What else?”

  “I want to be able to walk places. I don’t want to always have to use a car to get around.”

  “So not America. Got it,” she said.

  She and Ash shared a bit of a laugh, then she paused. She was getting too comfortable again. Kallie cleared her throat and shifted herself in her chair, then drew in a deep breath.

  “Any other demands for where you want to settle down?” she asked.

  “Not Australia. Too many poisonous things that could kill me. I don’t want to have to fight off spiders with a BB gun.”

  “Trust me, I don’t blame you on that one. Just the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach.”

  “I also want some decent shopping around me wherever I settle.”

  “Huh. Interesting with the whole surfer thing you’re going for,” Kallie said.

  “And a place to dock my yacht. It’s coming with me. I love sailing out into the ocean.”

  “When there aren’t any storms to weather,” she said with a grin.

  “Look who’s being unprofessional now?”

  Kallie smiled and shook her head as she turned away from him. Fuck. He always brought this side of her out. This playful side she wanted to let loose whenever he was around. She closed her eyes and centered herself back into a professional mode, but she could already feel the mood of the room changing.

  And she knew Ash’s tone wouldn’t be far behind.

  “Okay. Now, a list of demands for the woman you want to settle down with,” Kallie said.

  “Uh-huh,” Ash said. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

  “Yep. It’s part of the process.”

  “Okay then. First off, she needs to be intelligent. Sure of herself. Independent.”

  “Her own money?” Kallie asked.

  “Not necessarily. When it’s all said and done, I’d like to be able to take care of us both. I don’t want a woman who wants to use me for my money, but I also don’t want a woman that won’t take my money when it’s offered.”

  “That’s a fine line to walk.”

  “It is, but I know it’s out there. My ideal partner would have no issues taking care of herself if I weren’t in the picture, but she wouldn’t mind me stepping in to take things over so she could climb whatever mountain she wanted. If she wanted to, oh ... I don’t know, grow her own business perhaps.”

  Kallie drew in a sharp breath before she let it out through her nose.

  “And what if this woman wants to be with you, but she doesn’t want to give up her career?”

  “Then I would foot whatever bill was necessary to transfer her business. That’s what I mean by ‘taking care of her.’ I’d take care of finding her a new place to set up shop and advertising to get her name out there. I’d even try to open her up to some contacts I have to get some testimonials rolling her way. Anything I could do to help. To take care of what she holds dear.”

  Kallie felt her heart stop in her chest.

  “As far as physical attributes go, I’ve found myself more inclined toward redheads. I’ve found their personalities to be as fiery as their hair, and I like that. It keeps me on my toes. And I love a curvy woman. Something to hang onto at night after I’m done exploring her body.”

  Kallie nodded her head but couldn't find the words to respond.

  “Green eyes are striking as well. Especially when coupled with the red hair. Green eyes are rare, and they change colors with the person’s emotions and attitude. I can always gauge when everything is okay and when it’s not, so I always know when to step in and when I can back off.”

  “Anything else?” she asked breathlessly.

  “Delicate hands that fit in the palm of my hand,” Ash said as he leaned forward. “And hips that move with mine whenever we dance. She’s going to have to dance, because I love dancing. And her skin needs to be soft. Like silk.”

  Kallie pressed herself into the back of her chair as her toes curled into the floor.

  “That it?” she asked.

  “I’m only beginning,” Ash said. “But it looks like you might need a breather. Your cheeks are a little flushed and your eyes are...”

  “My eyes are what?” she asked curtly.

  “Darkening.”

  Kallie ran her sweating palms along the thighs of her pants. She knew what Ash was doing and she couldn't let him get away with it. Whether he was being honest or not, she didn’t care. This was crossing a professional boundary she told herself she wouldn’t deal with. Kallie stood from her chair and walked over to the small window of her office, trying to focus her eyes on something else.

  But she heard Ash stand and slowly approach her from behind.

  “In my defense, it’s hard not to focus on what’s in front of me. You know, given our history in this place,” he said.

  Kallie shook her head as the memories came rushing back.

  “I’m pretty sure it was your fault we had sex in this office,” she said.

  “You being as beautiful as you are didn’t help matters.”

  “And you being as possessive as you are didn’t help either.”

  “Did you not like it?”

  She felt Ash’s heat radiate down onto her back as she stood at the window.

  “Such a shitty view,” h
e said. “Maybe you should make your own list of demands.”

  “Then I’ll start with you backing up,” she said.

  Kallie turned around and was shocked as to how close Ash was to her. She almost face-planted into his chest. Her hands fell to her sides as her eyes fluttered up to his, and she immediately lost herself in his hazel stare. In the yellow freckles that peppered the colors of his eyes. In the rich mahogany hair that seemed to darken without the heat of the sun beating down on top of his head day in and day out.

  “I didn’t have sex with you that day, Kallie.”

  She furrowed her brow as Ash closed the gap between them. She could feel his heartbeat. Feel the rise and fall of his chest as he steadily breathed. She could feel his hand sliding up the outside of her thigh and perching delicately on her hip. She wanted to push him away. To brush off his advances and shove his hand from her body.

  But fuck, she had missed this.

  Missed the connection that brewed so eloquently between them.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I didn’t just have sex with you that day in this office,” he said. “I made love to you, Pretty Kallie.”

  Her eyes widened and her knees buckled.

  She plummeted to the floor, but Ash caught her in his strong, lean arms. She gripped the collar of his suit coat to try and steady herself, but Ash pinned her body to the wall. His arm gripped the dip in her waist as his hand ran along the back of her thigh. He fingered her excess as he rose her leg to hook around him. She could feel him again. His rock-hard cock pulsing against her body. Her lip quivered and her body trembled.

  She felt her eyes darkening.

  “Why don’t we seal this deal and get my life back on track?” Ash asked.

  He ground his dick into her and Kallie let out an involuntary moan.

  “It isn’t ... um ... professional,” she said.

  Ash’s forehead fell to hers and she could smell his breath. Breathe the air he puffed from his lips. He smelled of coffee and cinnamon. Vanilla creamer and the musk of the city.

  But he didn’t smell like alcohol.

  Not like he had over the weekend.

  “Was it ever professional for either of us?” Ash asked.

  “It always is for me,” Kallie said, her head falling back to meet his gaze.

  “Then tell me ‘no.’”

  But that was the problem. Kallie had told Ash “no” so many times. But she would never be able to tell him “no” when it came to this.

  So she tugged on the collar of his suit coat until his lips connected with hers.

  Kallie couldn’t resist him. He was too flirty and too fun, and much too powerful for her to resist. His allure. His passion to change his life. His passion for her. It was all too much, and it swirled around her head as his tongue plunged into her mouth. Her lips smashed against his as her arms threaded around his neck, and she jumped to wrap her legs around him. His hands cupped her ass and she groaned down his throat. Raked her tongue along the insides of his cheeks so she could taste all of him.

  “Kallie,” he said breathlessly. “Holy fuck, I’ve missed you.”

  She’d missed him too. She’d never admit it out loud. She’d never give him the satisfaction. But every time she closed her eyes, she dreamed of this. Of feeling him again and tasting him again and bleeding her body into his again. He moved her from the wall and she felt her ass settle onto the edge of the desk. Then little by little, she began to remove his clothing.

  His jacket slipped to the floor and she untucked his shirt. She slid it over his head, watching as his torso came into view. The divot of his chest. The rings of his abs. The beautiful curving lines that disappeared behind his tailored trousers. She ran her fingers along every single line while his hands undressed her. Pulled her top from her body and unsnapped her bra. Freed her tits as his hands sank into her excess.

  Kallie couldn’t keep her hands off him. She rolled his pants down the slope of his ass and freed his throbbing cock. She watched it leak. Thin strands of cum that dripped from his tip and slid to the floor. His lips fell to her shoulder and her head fell to the side. She moaned. Gasped. Groaned as he nibbled against her skin. Drew marks upon her body. Painted a picture only Ash could paint on her skin.

  “I need you, Kallie,” Ash said.

  But she didn’t know how to respond to that. All she wanted was to feel him inside of her.

  So she would allow it. Then after that, things could go back to being professional.

  She hoped.

  Chapter 13

  Ash

  Gripping her hips, Ash pulled her naked body toward the edge of her desk. She smelled divine. Just like the phantom smells that wafted around his head in his dreams. He ached to be inside her. To feel her warmth and tightness surrounding him again. He watched Kallie lean back onto her hands and support herself as he slicked his cock in her juices. He teased her clit with his cock’s head, watching her white streaks of arousal coat his skin. His toes curled at the mere sensation of it. The way her warmth dripped around him.

  Fuck.

  He was about to have the love of his life again.

  He slid into her, watching as her pussy swallowed him down. His hips sank to hers and he watched the ecstasy pour over her features. He gripped her hips. Pulled her closer to him until her legs were wrapped around his waist. He felt every part of her again, like he did in his dreams. That beautiful sensation he’d tried to drink away was now his for the taking, and he wasn’t going to spoil a second of it.

  He pulled back and slammed into her, watching her bare tits jump for him. Her curves. Her waist. Her thighs. They all jiggled at his demand. He pulled back and did it again, memorizing every way her body sang for him. She pushed herself off the desk and threw herself into his arms, and he caught her as if he were always meant to be there for her. He picked her up and fisted her ass, feeling her soft muscles twitch at his touch. He pressed her against the wall like he did the last time they were in here, and he ground into her. Rolled into her. Slid against her walls and grew thick between her thighs.

  “Ash. You feel so good.”

  Her voice in his ear ignited a fire in his gut. A fire that raged until his heart was encompassed. He threaded their fingers together and pinned her hands above her head, stilling her motions and exposing him to her. His lips danced along her skin, kissing her neck and her shoulders. She whispered sweet nothings into his ear. Pulled him deeper as she dug her heels into the small of his naked back. He found her nipples, engorged and pulsing, and he wrapped his lips around them to tease them. Lick them. Nibble on them until Kallie was nothing but a panting, heaving mess.

  “My Pretty Kallie,” Ash said with a whisper. “How I’ve missed you.”

  He slammed into her body and jolted her up the wall. She cried out into her office, and he smiled at the sound. She didn’t seem afraid to let people know any longer. She didn’t seem like she was attempting to hide the pleasure she sought in her Cracker Jack box-size office. He pounded into her, feeling her pussy pulse around his cock as he nibbled on her breasts. Marked her with his teeth. Salivated against her skin until she ripped her hands from his.

  Ash felt her thread her hands through his hair and rake her nails along his scalp.

  He pulled her from the wall and stumbled over to her office chair. He fell into it, feeling the fake leather seat breathe heavily underneath their contact. His hands grasped Kallie’s hips as he guided her movements, his legs spreading out as her juices dripped down his balls. Coated his thighs. Seeped into her pathetic office chair.

  He needed to get her a more comfortable chair.

  Her hands pulled his face into her breasts while she rode his cock. Her pussy swallowed it whole time and time again, and he could feel her shaking. Trembling. Throbbing with want. His hand slid from her hip to her pussy and his fingers parted her, so he could find that beautiful spot of hers. He pressed his thumb into her. Watched her head fall back as her hair hung in midair. His free arm wrapped
around her. Pressed her hips deeper into his. Held her to his body while he worked her clit.

  Holy shit, he’d missed feeling her shake.

  “Kallie. Come for me. Let go. Let me give this to you,” he said.

  He watched her jaw unhinge as his thumb flicked along the tip of her clit. He felt her losing control. Watched her hips buck ravenously into his. Her body stilled against his arm and he finally felt it. That beautiful sensation he’d dreamed about. Attempted to re-create in his shower to try and get rid of his hangovers. Her pussy pulsed, drenching him in juices. Coating him in her scent. He breathed deeply, trying to restrict his own end as she moaned into the room.

  She fell into him, breathing deeply as he pulled his hand from between her pussy lips.

  He knew how he wanted to take her a second time.

  He knew exactly what he wanted to do.

  He picked her up into his arms and knelt down to the floor. He reached over and spread his coat out across the scratchy carpet, feeling her cling to him tightly. He lowered her onto his Gucci coat, with the silk lining falling against her soft skin. He planted his hands beside her head and looked deep into those beautiful green eyes, watching as they hooded with orgasmic pleasure. He rocked into her slowly. Sensuously. With purpose as his cock thickened. He felt his balls hanging low with want as Kallie’s body lay there, helpless to his slow assault.

  “So beautiful,” he said as he nuzzled her nose. “Just lie there. Just feel it.”

  He captured her lips in a sweet kiss, then he lowered himself to his forearms and blanketed her body.

  He pushed himself deeper. Felt her nails claw at his arms. She squirmed for him. Slid her toes up the backs of his thighs. Raised her lips to kiss his skin. He shivered at their wetness. Her luscious lips planting themselves onto his shoulders and neck. His face fell into the crook of hers and he sucked at her skin. Turned it red underneath the ministrations of his tongue as his pace slowly picked up.

  He felt her hands cup his ass, pulling him deeper as her legs locked around him.

  He lost himself in her. Bucked and thrusted until he was a sweating mess. His lips sloppily danced around her body, kissing as much of her as he could find. His hands fisted her hair, curling tightly into her wavy copper tendrils as his tongue plunged into her mouth.