Page 47 of Monsters Wear Crowns
I shot him a look. He just smiled wider.
Lauren was waiting by my office, arms crossed and one perfectly manicured brow arched. “Well,” she said, her voice positively dripping with curiosity. “This is unexpected.”
“Not now, Lauren,” I warned, brushing past her.
“Oh, no.Nowfeels exactly right,” she teased, her eyes flicking from me to Rafe and back again. “You look–” she gave me a slow once-over “–well-rested.”
Rafe chuckled under his breath. I ignored both of them.
“Who are you?” she couldn’t help asking with a tilt of her pretty head.
He smirked. “Her new boyfriend.”
It did it again. My stupid little heart.
“Wow,” Lauren laughed. “Thank fuck. My girl has beendyingfor someone to give it to her right.”
He leaned against my desk, arms crossing. “Oh, I know.”
Lauren’s brows raised. She was impressed. Shelikedhim. Dammit.
I rolled my eyes. The floor-to-ceiling windows spilled light inside my office across my sleek desk, but I felt anything but calm. I moved behind my desk and faced Rafe, trying to ignore the heat still simmering under my skin.
“We need to get this done,” I said, keeping my voice brisk. “If we’re doing this, I want it airtight.”
Rafe tilted his head, watching me like I was something far more interesting than business. “I love it when you take charge.”
Lauren made a sound that I refused to acknowledge.
“Rafe,” I warned.
He smiled, but there was a sharpness behind it now. And suddenly, all I could picture was him bending me over my fucking desk. “As you wish. Let’s talk business.”
The shift in his demeanor was instant, the teasing edge giving way to cold, calculated control. I sat down, forcing myself into work mode even as I felt the weight of his gaze.
We spent the next half hour reviewing the details of his shipment–the security Sinclair Solutions would provide, the digital firewalls we’d reinforce, the protocols to make sure nothing was traced back to him. Lauren stayed in the room, taking notes, thoughshe kept shooting me looks that practicallyscreamedthat she wanted details.
But I wasn’t about to give her any.
Not yet. I needed an entire bottle of wine in me before we delved into all ofthat.
When the last of the logistics were finalized, Lauren stood and stretched. “Well,” she said, her tone far too casual, “I think I’ll leave you two to…whatever this is.”
“Lauren–” I started.
“Don’t worry,” she interrupted with a wicked grin. “I’ll clear my schedule for the inevitableI told you so.”
She swept out the door, closing it before I could respond.
Rafe watched her go, amused. “She’s…spirited.”
“She’s a menace,” I muttered.
He only laughed. And then, before I could react, he was rounding the desk, his hands bracing on the arms of my chair as he leaned in close. “Now that business is handled,” he murmured, his voice dipping low. “Should we discuss the…personal side of our partnership?”
My breath caught. His eyes glittered with wicked promise, and I knew exactly what kind of conversation he had in mind.
But I wasn’t going to make it easy.
