The Wrong Right Man(32)

“Fuck what everyone else thinks.”

“That’s easy for you to say.”

“It’s not complicated, Dakota,” he says, sounding pissed, which annoys me. He has nothing to be mad about. I didn’t lie to him or come in and disrupt his life.

“You have a penis, Braxton, and you’re sitting upstairs in your private office bossing everyone around. No one would dare make it seem like you’re in the wrong.”

“If anyone ever made you feel uncomfortable, I’d deal with them.”

I groan, tossing my head back. “That right there is exactly what I’m talking about! You can’t just come in and piss all over the place or throw the fact that you’re the boss around to get your way.”

“I have to disagree with you on that.”

“This is pointless.” I set down my fork and let out a deep breath, back to being frustrated. It’s like talking to a brick wall trying to make him see things from my point of view.

“I’m sorry.” He sets down his own fork and turns his stool toward me before swiveling me around to face him. Once he has my knees trapped between his, he takes my hands.

“Sorry for what?” I mean, let’s be honest; there is a whole lot for him to apologize for, and I really doubt he thinks he’s done anything wrong.

“For upsetting you.”

“You piss me off, Braxton. You don’t upset me.”

“Is there a difference?” he asks, sounding curious.

“Yes, being upset is when you are disappointed or unhappy. Pissed is when you are just plain mad, and you make me angry to the point of seeing red. You’re not just some regular guy; you’re the CEO of the company I work for, which means you have the upper hand. And when it comes to my career, I need to know my success is my own, and I don’t want anyone to think I’ve gotten where I am because I’m sleeping with the boss.”

“I didn’t know you when you got the job with IMG, Dakota. You did that all on your own.”

“I know, but no one will care about that when they find out about us.”

His eyes stay locked on mine, and I see the wheels in his head turning, trying to figure out how to get his way while making me believe I got mine. “I don’t want to lie to you again, and me telling you that I’m sorry people know there is something going on between us would be a lie.”

I drop my eyes from his, unsure how to respond. Part of me is happy he doesn’t want to hide me away like a dirty secret. Another part of me is mad I don’t get a say in when people find out.

“Dakota.” He squeezes my hands, but his cell phone rings, cutting off whatever he was going to say. He turns his wrist to check his watch. “Fuck, I’ll be right back,” he tells me before brushing his lips across the top of my head.

After he gets up, I turn back to my plate and ponder what I should do. It’s honestly too late for me to worry about people finding out about us, especially after what happened tonight. And with him being who he is, it would only be a matter of time anyway. Not because he’s the CEO, but because he is so overbearing and determined to make some kind of public claim on me.

I finish eating then drink the rest of my wine—and his—while waiting for him to come back. When that doesn’t happen, I get up and take my plate around to the sink, rinsing it off before placing it in the dishwasher. Chewing my nail, I lean against the counter then say screw it, going in search of Braxton. I find him on the phone in what looks like his office, his back to me, his phone to his ear.

I shut the door before he sees me and wander back to the kitchen to pour myself another glass of wine. Maybe drinking it will give me what I need to impress Kathy. I go to the couch, grabbing my phone out of my purse, and then make myself comfortable and open the kindle app on my phone and get lost in someone else’s complicated relationship.

“Baby,” Braxton’s deep voice whispers against my ear as he lifts me against his chest, and I automatically burrow into his warmth. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah.” I try to pull myself out of the cocoon of sleep, but it’s difficult between my early morning, the orgasms Braxton gave me, and the three glasses of wine I had tonight.

“So sweet.” His lips touch my forehead right before I’m placed back down on a soft surface.

Then he settles in behind me, his fingers slide over my bare hip before a blanket is settled over me. “Sleep, sweet girl.”

I turn to face him and burrow against his chest. “Just for a few minutes, and then I’ll go home,” I whisper back, feeling his lips lingering against my forehead before I’m captured by his warm scent and once more dragged under by sleep.





Chapter 9


Dakota

I WALK INTO the IMG building fifteen minutes late, cursing Braxton for taking advantage of me being in his bed this morning and using my body against me. Not that I didn’t enjoy myself. I just didn’t even think about the time or the fact that I had to be at work when he was giving me a good morning orgasm and I thought about it less when he told me that the phone call he got last night was from one of his contacts in New York and that he was going to be leaving for a few days.

I keep my head straight as I get on the elevator and don’t even acknowledge my coworkers as I walk to my desk. Once I’m settled with my computer open in front of me, I start to bite my nails, anxiously awaiting the moment anyone comes over to question me about what happened last night.