Page 46 of Christmas with My Ruthless CEO
Sloane settles back against my chest, her fingers tracing lazy patterns across my skin. "So what's the plan, future husband? Announcement at the office? Mass email? Skywriting over Hope Peak?"
I laugh at the image. "I was thinking we'd start with breakfast, then tell our closest friends before the rumor mill takes over."
"Too late for that." She reaches for her phone on the nightstand, scrolling briefly before turning the screen toward me. "Brynn already texted. Apparently, there's a betting pool about whether you actually proposed last night or are waiting for Christmas Day."
I groan, letting my head fall back against the pillow. "Small towns."
"Exactly." She sets the phone aside, her expression growing more serious. "Are you sure about this, Atticus? About splitting your time between here and New York? The board...”
"The board will adapt," I interrupt gently. "Remote work is hardly revolutionary, even for a CEO. Besides, with the Winter Division established here, my presence will be an asset, not a liability."
"And your apartment? Your life there?"
"My apartment is just space filled with expensive furniture I rarely see," I point out. "As for my life... the parts that matter are coming with me. The rest is just... infrastructure."
Her expression softens at my words. "When did you become so wise about what really matters?"
"When I met a coffee shop manager who called me on my bullshit at a business conference three years ago," I reply honestly. "Everything important in my life can be traced back to that moment."
"Smooth talker." But her eyes shine with emotion as she leans up to kiss me, her lips soft and warm against mine.
The kiss deepens naturally, her body shifting until she's fully on top of me, the sheet falling away to leave nothing between us. My hands slide down her back to cup her hips as she settles more firmly against me, drawing a groan from deep in my chest.
"I believe," she murmurs against my lips, "we were in the middle of celebrating our engagement last night."
"Were we?" I feign ignorance, even as my body responds instantly to her proximity. "I recall something about demonstrating your love for your future husband..."
"Mmm, that's right." She presses open-mouthed kisses down my jaw, my neck, my chest. "I think I was just getting started when you distracted me."
"Terribly rude of me," I manage as her exploration continues lower. "Please, don't let me interrupt again."
Her laugh vibrates against my skin moments before her mouth finds its target, drawing a sharp intake of breath from me. My hands fist in the sheets as she proceeds to make good on her promise, taking me apart with devastating precision.
When I'm on the edge of control, I pull her up, flipping our positions in one smooth motion that leaves her breathless beneath me. "My turn," I murmur, tracing the curve of her breast with my thumb. "Fair's fair."
"Always so concerned with equity," she teases, though her voice catches as my mouth replaces my hand. "A truly admirable business philosophy, oh!"
I smile against her skin as my fingers find her center, already slick with desire. "I believe in thorough research," I murmur, stroking her with deliberate purpose. "Comprehensive exploration."
"Is that, ah!, what we're calling it now?" Her back arches off the bed as I add pressure precisely where she needs it most.
"Among other things." I trail kisses lower, replacing my fingers with my mouth in a move that has her crying out, her hands flying to tangle in my hair.
I take my time, reveling in every gasp, every moan, every whispered plea of my name. By the time she's trembling on the edge, her thighs tensed around my shoulders, I know her body as well as my own, every sensitive spot, every touch that drives her wild.
"Atticus," she gasps, her voice breaking on my name. "Please, I need...”
"I know what you need," I assure her, positioning myself above her. Our eyes lock as I push forward, joining us completely in a single fluid motion that draws simultaneous groans from both of us.
For a moment, we remain still, savoring the connection. Then she shifts beneath me, a clear signal to move, and all thought gives way to pure sensation.
I set a rhythm that quickly has her clinging to my shoulders, meeting each thrust with one of her own. The sight of her beneath me, skin flushed, eyes dark with desire, hair spread across the pillow, nearly undoes me.
"You're so beautiful," I breathe, unable to contain the words. "So perfect."
Her answering smile, though tinged with pleasure, reaches her eyes. "And you're amazing," she responds, her hand coming up to cup my cheek. "In every way."
The tenderness in her touch, combined with the exquisite sensation of being inside her, pushes me closer to the edge. But I'm determined to take her with me. I shift slightly, changing the angle in a way that makes her gasp, her inner muscles fluttering around me.
