Desire Collection: November Books 1 - 4. Charlene Sands

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       Thirteen

      It was hard to think with his pulse pounding in his ears and his body vibrating at a pitch Eric wasn’t sure he’d ever heard before. But one thought pushed its way through the collection of purely physical reactions to making love with Sofia.

      He was in so much trouble.

      Because he’d promised Sofia they could have some fun this weekend. He could make her feel good. She could have a break from being a mother and a widow and be... Well, not his significant other, but a woman with wants and needs that he could meet. And above all else, he’d promised her that no matter what happened, they would always be friends. Friends with benefits, yes. But friends first.

      He wasn’t sure he could be anything as trite as “just friends” with her ever again. Not after that. Jesus.

      He hadn’t had sex in over six months. Closer to ten, now that he thought about it. It was possible this wave of possessive emotion was nothing more than a long-standing itch finally being scratched. He’d gotten lucky again and it was a relief.

      Sofia kissed the hollow of his neck. “I’ll be right back,” she said softly, pulling away from him.

      He fought the urge to pull her right back into his arms. Stupid urges. Instead, all he could say was “Okay,” as if that were some brilliant pillow talk. He watched her cross in front of the bed and disappear into his bathroom and then he dropped his head back against the pillows.

      His blood was still pounding in his veins like a call to arms. He should be good now. Tired. Ready to sleep. An evening of sexual anticipation had paid off for both of them. Now he could stop thinking about Sofia.

      Yeah, right. Because one thing was clear—bedding Sofia was not an itch that had been scratched. This was something else. What he’d felt with her wasn’t just satisfaction at a job well done.

      Oh, he was in so much trouble.

      He wasn’t an impulsive person. He wasn’t. But ever since she’d shown up in his office and his life again, he’d been making impulsive decisions. He’d hired her without running background checks or calling her references. He’d taken her shopping because she’d been worried about what she would wear this weekend.

      He’d bedded her. Twice. She was his office manager and he’d been inside of her. And, God help him, if she gave him so much as a half smile and a long look, he’d be inside of her again. He wasn’t sure he could control himself.

      When he’d pulled himself together in those months after discovering Prudence’s son wasn’t his, he’d been forced to make the adult, mature decision not to engage in any more casual sex. It scratched an itch but it never made him feel better, not in the long run. He’d needed something more in bed—and out of it.

      This weekend was supposed to be casual. Just two friends helping each other out. Getting her back on her feet.

      He dropped his head into his hands. God help him, nothing about this was casual. This was Sofia. He cared about her. And her children? Those two innocent little babies who didn’t have a father and yet were so full of joy and laughter?

      What was wrong with him? He was a thirty-one-year-old bachelor billionaire. The world was his playground. He could have anything he wanted. Anyone he wanted.

      Why did he want Sofia? Not just a sexual relationship. He wanted it all. He wanted to be her family. A husband to her wife, a father to her children. He wanted the perfect ending to this story. He wanted the perfect life. One that he could only have with Sofia.

      And dumbass that he was, he’d promised her that he could keep this casual. Just a weekend of letting off a little steam in between billion-dollar business negotiations.

      He never should have hired her. He should have listened to his better instincts and immediately gotten her a good-paying job somewhere—anywhere—else and then asked her on a proper date. He’d been lying to himself from the very beginning about what he wanted from her.

      He didn’t want Sofia as his office manager. He wanted her as his everything.

      He was the biggest idiot in the world.

      Because he had promised. And trying to change the terms of the deal now could do more than just ruin the rest of his weekend. They worked together. She was still mourning her husband. She might never want to replace the father of her children. Not even with Eric.

      The bathroom door opened and she walked out, her body on full display. She stood at the foot of the bed, her lips curved into a knowing smile as she looked down on him.

      He was in so much damned trouble.

      He had to get his head out of his ass. He got out of bed and kissed her. He could spend the rest of his life kissing her, he realized. Her warm body pressed against him and his body started to respond.

      He stepped back. He wasn’t some randy kid anymore, for God’s sake. But there was no missing that blush high on Sofia’s cheeks. “All right?”

      She nodded. “I’m going to go get a few things from my room and check in with my mom.”

      “I’ll be here.” Once she was gone, Eric stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked the same, but everything was different.

      He liked sex. He’d always liked sex. But aside from maybe the first few times, where it was as if a whole new world had been opened up to him, he couldn’t ever remember feeling this changed after making love with someone. Certainly not with his ex-fiancée. It hadn’t been bad, sleeping with Prudence. They’d both enjoyed СКАЧАТЬ