Page 28 of Billionaire's Black Assistant

But then she hastily resisted the urge. What’s done is done, was her vehement thought. She might need to get drunk on a lot of tequila and then knock herself out with sleeping pills just to get through tonight, but she’d do whatever necessary to keep her from running right back to Dean.

Sheri was afraid she might not really know how to do without him.

That night was as bad as she’d feared. She knew it that moment when Dean leaned in and kissed her cheek, before sliding his lips close to hers. Her lids fluttered closed and she couldn’t stop her soft moan. Her arms went round his neck and his hands held her thighs and lifted them to link behind his back as he settled between her legs.

“Look into my eyes, Sheri. Look into my eyes.” His fingers under her chin lifted her head up and she opened her eyes only to lose herself in the vast grays of his stare.

“You’re mine. Your body, heart and soul are mine alone. Don’t even try to forget it,” he whispered against her lips.

Her eyes were tear-stained as she woke up from the vivid dream, her arms clutched around her pillow and not Dean’s warm, muscular frame. His husky words echoed all around her emptiness and she knew he’d spoken the truth: she was his and she was never going to be able to forget it – or him.

She already guessed Dean would be so mad at her when he found out what she did. Leaving him and her job without notice or warning would be a blow to his ego, but Sheri didn’t flatter herself that Dean would come after her.

She’d been his assistant long enough to know how his mind worked. Women didn’t leave him, it was always the other way around. Sure, he just might be cross that she’d messed up his perfectly scheduled life by making him have to find and possibly train new assistant all over again, but that would be it. He’d brush further thought of her aside and in a week would possibly forget she ever existed. Men like Dean Cooper never felt or suffered any sense of loss when it came to women. Because there would always be others eager to take the vacant spot.

The fact that they’d even been lovers wouldn’t really matter either. Dean might even feel a sense of relief that she’d spared him the effort of calling it quits himself before she got too attached. Oh, Sheri thought of all possible ways her leaving would not change one single iota of Dean’s existence.

Her suspicions were confirmed over the course of the next few days, seeing Dean on TV and in magazines, always with different women on his arm. It looked like her absence had caused barely a glitch in his existence. And with Dean being so high profile, it was never hard finding out which country or city he happened to be in at any given time. Whether it was the business summit in Europe or the glimpse of him catching the finals live at the Australian Open, his name and face were never far from her notice.

She could simply switch it all off, but she didn’t. She already know how deeply engrained she was over Dean. She may have moved out of her apartment and changed her number, but she couldn’t stop herself from being hungry for any kind of news about him.

Which was pathetic really, considering she’d been the one to leave.

And, mainly because she no longer knew what she was capable of when it came to Dean. She only knew she kept seeing herself with him, carrying his baby, being his woman.

Many times, she pictured Dean busting through the door, demanding an explanation, and asking her to come back to him because she belonged to him and only him.

“I may have been your PA, but I wasn’t willing to be your whore, too, serving you needs whenever you want,” Sheri could see herself saying heatedly in response.

None of that happened of course, because he didn’t even know where she was. She planned on leaving town soon, once she got her things in order. Guy had been immensely supportive, assuring her she was more than welcome to stay at his place while she was in L.A. looking for work and her own apartment.

The best thing was Guy never even asked questions. It was enough that she’d obviously made her decision, and he let her know he’d support her no matter what.

“That’s why you’re my best friend,” she had said with warm gratitude.

“And protector.”

“And therapist,” she added, enjoying their little game, one they’d played a few times.

“Masseuse, doctor, chauffeur,” said Guy and she could just picture him counting them off his fingers.

“Not to forget cheerleader.” Sheri was smiling into the phone, feeling better than she had in a long while.

“And so much more, if you’d only let me,” he suddenly said in a sober tone that had her smile slowing fading. She still didn’t read much into his words, not until he went on.

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