Page 90 of The Work Wife

“Yes. Of course.” She followed him into his office and sat in the chair across from his desk as usual. He closed the door and came to lean on the desk, directly in front of her.

“I wanted to apologize for running out in the middle of your performance. I thought you were amazing. You have a lot of talent. And I was looking forward to talking with you afterward and buying you a drink.”

“I understand why you had to go.” It shouldn’t have made her feel better that he was called away because someone suffered a traumatic medical event, but she was pleased he hadn’t left because he was bored.

She felt his gaze searching her face and a slight smile pulled up on his lips.

“I’m not sure how you fooled me all this time. Now that I know there should be a piercing there, I see the spacer. During the meeting I found myself looking for a glimpse of purple through your hair.”

She swallowed as he tilted his head, clearly studying her.

“I don’t know which one you really are. Anna or Bellz.”

“I’m both, I guess. Professional by day, wild rocker by night.” She attempted to laugh it off.

“The best of both worlds,” he said so quietly she wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly.

She smiled and then stood to leave. “Is there anything else?” she asked, realizing he was very close.

“Yeah. There is.” And with that, he bent down and kissed her.

* * * *

It was like an out-of-body experience. Sure, Ben had been thinking of kissing her since he’d closed the door behind them, but he hadn’t intended to act on it. He never lost control like this. No matter what happened, he remained calm. Master of his actions.

This woman sent that all to hell with a simple smile.

The crazy part was it was this girl—the subdued one in the brown cashmere wrap dress—who drove him wild. Bellz had been the one to rattle him, but he found he liked the mystery of Anna even more.

His hands hadn’t gone any lower than her neck, worried he might not be able to stop once he’d touched her body. She apparently didn’t follow the same rules. After a second of surprise she kissed him back eagerly as her hands roamed his chest and lower.

He gasped at the clinking sound of his belt buckle being undone, and the rest of his rules went out the window. He didn’t hesitate another second to run his hands down her back and cup her ass, pulling her against him where he needed her most.

“Annabelle.” He whispered the name that fit this medley of career woman and vixen.

“Yes,” she said, and he hoped to God she would continue to say yes.

“I’m not sure what’s happening,” he admitted breathlessly as his hands continued to roam over her.

“Me either, but I want it to keep happening.”

He took that as a yes, backing her up against his desk. She let out a tiny squeak of surprise when he picked her up and set her on the edge of the surface.

She took care of the knot that released her dress and he was struck again. She was wearing garters and thigh-high hose. Her high-heeled boots added to the appeal.

“How have I never noticed how sexy you are before?” he said out loud without meaning to.

She chuckled, low and sultry, as he searched his wallet for the condom that had been in there for months. Or maybe longer. The important thing was the expiration date had not yet come and gone, so he opened it and rolled it on.

In a millisecond of clarity, he had a thought. “What happens after this?” he asked.

Her eyes searched his face. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’m getting ready to take over the company until my uncle recovers and I’m going to need your help.”

She smiled as she clutched his shirt and pulled him closer to where he wanted to be. “I’ll be right here.”

With the echo of her assurance in the room, he gave up thinking, so he could focus on her.