Page 78 of Nothing to You
“That’s not a bad way to be,” Rourke said.“I’ll call the Wyldes.They must know men need to keep their women in line.”
“All of them are single.”
Rourke sneered.“You’ve changed.Where’s our playboy gone?”
Zairn laughed.“Ask Lola.”
Taking women in hand?No, the power was strong in the feminine camp.These men were their playthings, not the other way around.
She got up and slipped off her shoes while loosening her hair to shake it free.The tease in Rourke’s countenance softened to a smolder.
“Isthisour cue?”Roxie asked.When she took off her top and rolled down the zip on her skirt, Roxie jumped to her feet to kiss her cheek.“Come on, my minions, let’s give the woman a chance to work.”
The others retreated into the house as she strutted around the table.
“We’re entertaining,” Rourke said, his hands sliding onto her hips to push off her skirt, letting it fall to the slate beneath her feet.Rather than go down to his level, she put her hands on his and stepped back, tempting him out of his chair.“That was rude.”
“You asked if I was in the mood to get wet,” she said, unzipping his pants.“You a pussy tease?”
“Oh, baby,” he said, surprising her by stooping to scoop her up.“The teasing hasn’t even started yet.”
Striding to the pool, he kept going, boosting them both off the edge and into the water, clothes and all.Fuck it.What an idiot.She twisted beneath the chlorine, righting her body intending to kick up, but there he was, already pulling her out and pinning her to the edge.
“You’re an overachiever,” she said, holding her own elbows after her arms twined around his neck.
“I think that’s the first nice thing you’ve ever said about me.”He grinned and focused on kicking off his pants.“You wet yet?”
“Which part?”
He winked and their mouths came together like opposite poles of a magnet drawn to each other.Yeah, he threw himself, them both, into the deep end, but she had nothing to worry about.He’d been there to catch her and always would be.
TWENTY-FIVE
“I GET THAT,” she said to Johann in their conference room.
They’d like each other one day.As it was, just the fact they were no longer snarking was progress.
“We need to put together the bones of the system.”
“That’s not my area of expertise or yours.”
Without Roxie, Lilya, and Jane around, their boardroom hub echoed.Even after a week without the trio, their conspicuous absence shook up the dynamic.Reduced to their original gang, decisions were more difficult with fewer votes.Especially fewer of those who sided with her.
Franco had been staring in the direction of Rourke’s office all day.“What’s going on in there?”
The walls were opaque.Yes, she was curious too, but that was exactly his game.Hence why she wasn’t rising to it.
“I don’t care,” she said.
“Johann’s right,” Helena said.“We should at least be interviewing.”
“You think Rourke will let us pick anyone to code on his system?”It was funny.Actually laughing wouldn’t go over well though.“He’s on it.I know he will be.And I’d bet he’ll pick someone in-house or someone unavailable.”
“How can he pick someone unavailable?”
“You want to bet when Xavien Rourke picks up the phone that whoever he chooses will be immediately available,” Myles said, shifting in his seat.“Is Roxie coming back?”
“You’ll see her next weekend at the party,” she said, getting impatient.“Can we please finalize these plans?”
