Read with BonusRead with Bonus

Chapter 06: Fighting Against Temptation

BRYCE

Maybe I was a damn pervert. I should have been angry at that woman for having the guts to slap me. But fuck... it left me so turned on that not even a nearly two-hour workout and a cold shower could quench my arousal.

But I refused to touch myself thinking about her because that would mean she had won. I wouldn't give that damn Starling the pleasure. I'd rather spend the night awake, tossing and turning in my bed.

After all this time trying to keep my hands off her, it took just a second and the sight of her ass in front of me for me to lose control. But everything that happened throughout the day contributed to that moment.

The whole day was like a test of endurance. First, her skirt caught on her panties, and the view of her incredible ass, then during the meeting when I couldn't concentrate thanks to her damn habit of biting her lower lip.

She did it unconsciously, in such a sexy and natural way, that it drove me crazy and made me wonder what it would be like to feel those perfect lips around me. And then finding out that she had decided to accept my brother's invitation was the last straw. She had to be out of her mind if she thought I'd let that happen.

If Anneliese Starling was completely off-limits for me, it wouldn't be any different for my brother. If she couldn't be mine, she wouldn't be his either. After a whole year of resisting the temptation she was, I wouldn't allow it to be in vain.

I needed to keep things under control. That didn't involve rubbing my dick against her ass or putting my hands under her skirt. Fuck. She's so hot. I won't forget that anytime soon. The feeling of her soft skin in my hands. But I had to. I couldn't let it interfere with my work.

The truth was that having Anneliese around had always been very dangerous for business, despite her efficiency and intelligence; she was still a beautiful woman who could make any man lose focus.

Right now, she must be hating me more than anyone in the world, thinking that all this had been part of my plan to show why she shouldn't go out with my brother when, in fact, it had just been an improvisation.

In a second, my hands were all over her, and all I could think about was bending her over the table and thrusting hard into her. She simply made my reason disappear. But when I realized the reality of the situation and all the consequences it could have, I knew I had to stop, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do.

Honestly, I wasn't trying to prevent Anneliese from going out with my brother because I was an asshole or because I felt jealous. What was at stake was much bigger; it wasn't just my image or the company's, but hers too.

Couldn't she see that? Or didn't she care? Although Luke wasn't her boss, he still held one of the most important positions in the company, and this couldn't end well.

Anneliese is smart and determined, and despite hating her, for some inexplicable reason, I cared about her, her future, and her career. She couldn't be stupid enough to throw all her efforts in the trash for an affair with someone like Luke.

As much as he was my brother, I knew he had no long-term plans with Anneliese. Luke just wanted to have fun, as he always did with women. She had to be blind if she couldn't see that. And she would probably just be another name on my brother's list of conquests.

The next morning, she was at her desk when I arrived. Even though I thought it was impossible, seeing her made me even angrier. It made me remember the whole scene from the previous afternoon, and also the slap she had given me.

This woman was completely audacious. And I needed tighter underwear if I wanted to keep my dick under control around her.

I approached, stopping in front of her desk.

"I have to admit, I'm surprised to find you here. I thought you'd be somewhere filing a lawsuit against me for harassment."

"You know... I can still do that," she said, raising her face and forcing a smile when our eyes met.

She was wearing dark red lipstick and a navy blue shirt that accentuated her naturally well-endowed breasts. I always wondered what color her nipples were.

"So don't push your luck," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It was tied up.

Her hair was tied up. I hated it when she used it like that because all I could think of was untying it and watching how the wavy locks would fall onto her bare back.

"I hope that served to get your head back on straight, Starling."

"Do you really want to talk about what happened?" Her eyes sparkled with anger.

"Do you really think it's worth throwing your career in the trash because of Luke?"

"That's none of your business. And if you don't have anything work-related to say, do me a favor and disappear from my sight."

"What's the reason for all this anger? I thought we were even. Besides, I didn't know you were in favor of using violence. I guess we discovered a new side of you, didn't we? What would my father think of that? If he found out his darling Starling isn't as calm and balanced as she seems?" I teased, unable to contain myself.

What was happening to me?

Standing up, she leaned in and placed her hands on the table to face me.

"What do you think he would think if he found out his perfect son put his damn hands under my skirt and rubbed against me?"

"Why are you so angry? We both know you wanted me to keep going."

For a moment, she seemed shocked, but soon a smile began to form on her lips.

"Do you really think you can impress anyone with that little thing you've got there?"

I almost laughed at her attempt to hurt me, remembering how she had reacted to me.

"Keep pretending, Starling. Maybe you'll convince yourself at some point," I said before turning my back on her and walking to my office. "Oh..." I stopped at the door. "Could you bring me a coffee?"

Before she could answer or throw something at me, I walked in, closing the door behind me. We had another long day ahead. And even though it had just started, my dick was already awake.

Minutes later, she entered my office without bothering to knock, interrupting my review of a new account's contract. She walked with her long legs until she stopped in front of my desk.

She was wearing a gray skirt. I hoped she would place the tray on my desk and leave, but she didn't, and instead, she stared at me, as if she were planning something.

"If you're considering the idea of throwing coffee on my pants, know there's no way that will end well for you," I said, returning to my papers.

"I'd like to hear the consequences, before making my decision," she challenged me with a glint in her eyes.

She was really starting to annoy me. The consequences would be to make her clean every drop of coffee with her tongue, then bend her over my desk and fuck her brutally while leaving the marks of my fingers in her ass. Maybe after that, she'd finally understand who was in charge here.

"I'm trying to work, Starling. I'll call you if I need you."

"Of course," she huffed and leaned over to place the tray on the table. "You're welcome."

I sighed in frustration. If she only knew...

Stop provoking Starling.

"After lunch, we'll go over next week's schedule," I said.

"As you wish," she forced another fake smile before turning around and walking toward the door, her hips naturally swaying.

The woman really had an amazing ass. And her shoes made her sexy as hell. Resistance was becoming increasingly impossible.

I spent the rest of the day buried in paperwork, and when I realized, it was late afternoon. I called Miss Starling, intending to finally see the schedule for the next week, and I wondered if she had come to her senses and decided to change her mind about going out with my brother. I hoped she had because I hadn't planned anything to make her reconsider.

She walked into my office, carrying her notepad and iPad, and settled into one of the chairs in front of my desk, crossing her long, toned legs before we began reviewing each item on the agenda for the following week.

There was nothing too important except for a few meetings until Wednesday when she mentioned that we would have a conference with the BT Group in Boston, lasting two days.

Our eyes met, and we fell into complete silence for a few seconds.

That meant having to endure a long trip with Miss Starling. She must have been thinking the same thing while looking at me with an indecipherable expression. It had been a long time since our last trip together.

I always tried to stay as far away as possible during those trips. No contact, except what was necessary for work, It was a rule I had created, and it wasn't just because she was irritating and lived to confront me, but because it was the safest for both of us.

Whenever she was in front of me, like now, it was clear why I needed to keep a safe distance. But what I wanted to do was exactly the opposite. I had endured it for too long.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter