Page 86 of Extradition (Mobsters + Billionaires 1)
RAND
I wantedto throttle Joe when he called me out on the stage, but it was honestly brilliant. After breaking through the wall I’d built between my employees and me, Joe and I were a perfect complement to each other as we covered the pillars of our corporate reset.
Now it’s the end of the day and the sun is still out. I want nothing more than to make the quick walk home outside, but Edgerton insists on taking the tunnel. Joe gets quiet when I argue about some goddamn oxygen, and I wonder if our security weighs heavier on him than I thought.
Edgerton accompanies us to the penthouse, checking it out as is customary before leaving us alone with a brief smile. He was in the audience during today’s meeting, and I think he liked what we had to say.
As soon as the door closes, Joe pulls me into a kiss that goes on forever. Walking me backward to the living room, his kisses push me down onto the couch, and his body feels like home.
We roll up side-by-side on the deep cushions, kissing and putting our hands on each other, holding on for dear life. It’s comfort, and Joe seems starved for it.
Carefully, I pull back from his kisses. “What’s going on, Joe?”
He shakes his head, pulling me closer to him as he rests his forehead on my chest.
“Were you upset that we couldn’t take a walk outside?”
He tugs me closer and lets out a sigh. “No, it’s not that.”
“Are you sure? Because we’ve been relegated to heavily secured indoor spaces for the foreseeable future, and it sucks to be told that it’s dangerous to be outdoors.”
Avoiding the topic, he kisses my chin, the corner of my jaw, my cheek before capturing my mouth in a deeper kiss. Several moments pass before I remember we need to break the surface.
Patting his chest, I pull away from his lips, pressing soft kisses to his eyelids.
“Joe, darling, if you asked me a question, and I avoided answering it, what would you do?”
“I dunno. Would there be making out? Because if there’s making out, I’d totally let you get away with not answering the question.” His smile is sarcastic, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.
“Bullshit.”
He pulls back, narrowing his eyes at me. “That’s my line.”
“It’s a good line. And I call bullshit. What’s going on?”
He pushes his face into my neck, kissing the sensitive skin.
I wrap my foot around his ankle, keeping him in place. “Joe.”
Gritting his teeth, he finally answers me. “Maybe it doesn’t seem like much to you because you have security around you all the time. But I know my father isn’t going to give up, which means this heightened security is now more or less a permanent fixture in your life. Who wants to live like that?”
I cradle his face and kiss his cheeks because his lips are too dangerous. “Joe, I want you to imagine for a moment that you’re a billionaire with a security issue. What kind of security would you have? Would it be bargain-basement? Unqualified friends and family? Or would it be the most badass team of motherfuckers you’ve ever seen?”
“Probably the last one,” he says, chancing a look into my eyes.
“Exactly. We had an amazing day today, and the fact we needed a little extra security to get through it means absolutely nothing to me.”
“Maybe it doesn’t mean anything to you, but it does to me. Rand…I’m really starting to care about you, and I know it’s ridiculous because we just started getting naked with one another, but…”
“But this is something, isn’t it?” I mentally cross my fingers.
He nods. “It is.”
I interrupt whatever he’s going to say next by sticking my tongue down his throat because I’m so fucking happy. When I finally collect myself several minutes later, I respond, “Good. Because Sherry’s already calling you my boyfriend.”
“Is she now?”
I nod, giving him my Very Serious look as I ignore the pounding in my chest. “I’m pretty sure that makes it official.”
