Page 58 of Steel Beauty

I’m going to walk by your table in one minute. Tell your coworkers you’re going to the toilet. Get up and follow me. You won’t be wearing those knickers for much longer.

A shiver runs down my spine, and my heart skips a beat. How does he do this to me? I press my thighs together, trying to keep my expression flat as excitement bubbles under the surface.

Yes, sir.

My phone buzzes immediately after.

Just so you know, I like it when you call me sir.

I glance across the room in time to see him push back from his table, standing with grace. His eyes find mine, and the look he gives me—dark, smoldering, and full of promises—makes my breath hitch.

I lean forward, setting my wine glass down with deliberate ease. “Please excuse me for a moment. I need to visit the ladies’ room.”

Without waiting for a response, I stand, slipping my phone into my bag as my heart races.

But as I move away from the table, Whitney pushes her chair back too. “I’ll go with you.”

I falter, scrambling for a response. “Oh, uh—no need! You should stay and enjoy your wine.”

She waves me off, already standing. “Nah, I need to use it too.”

Dammit. Whitney is going to ruin this for me.

With Whitney trailing behind me, I silently pray to every higher power that JC notices her and realizes she’s with me. At the same time, I pray Whitney doesn’t notice him or, worse, recognize him as a client.

As we round the corner toward the restrooms, I find him leaning casually against the wall, exuding that sexy-as-fuck confidence like he owns the place… which, technically, he does.

His dark eyes lock on to mine, and I feel my pulse quicken. Widening my eyes in a silent warning, I give the tiniest shake of my head.

Don’t. Say. A. Word.

But, of course, a slow, knowing smile spreads across his face, and before I can stop him, he opens his mouth to speak.

“So, Whitney,” I say quickly, cutting JC off and turning abruptly to face her. “Did I tell you I had to move rooms?”

She nods, looking confused. “Yeah, we talked about it earlier.”

JC’s eyes dart to Whitney, and his expression shifts. It’s subtle—just a flash—but I catch it. Without missing a beat, he quickly turns his back to us.

“Oh yeah. Silly me, I forgot.”

I risk a glance at JC. He’s holding his phone to his ear now, and as we pass by, I catch the low murmur of his voice: “Well, damn. Cockblocked.”

My cheeks flush, and I pretend not to hear him as Whitney chats away beside me. I bite my lip, suppressing the grin threatening to break free. As I step closer to him, our pinkies brush for the briefest second—a fleeting, innocent touch that’s nowhere near enough but will have to do for now.

Whitney pulls open the bathroom door, and I pause by the entrance, waiting until she disappears inside and is safely out of earshot. Only then do I tilt my head toward JC, lowering my voice to a soft murmur. “You should probably stretch… because I’m going to ride you so hard tonight… sir.”

His smile breaks wide, dark and wicked. “Oh, you naughty, beautiful little thing.”

I lean in, close enough to whisper, “And before I ride you, I’m going to suck your cock so hard you’ll see stars.”

His eyes smolder with desire, and before I can pull away, he delivers a quick, playful smack to my bottom. “You might want to call off work for tomorrow.” His words are a low, dangerous promise. “You won’t be able to walk.”

I glance back at him with a smirk. “Don’t make promises unless you plan on keeping them.”

As I step into the restroom, his voice follows me, deep and sure. “That’s one promise you can count on.”

I lean into the mirror, smoothing on a fresh coat of lip gloss, giving myself a quick once-over. Just as I snap the cap back in place, Whitney emerges from the stall and heads to the sink, humming as she washes her hands.

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