Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 98398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98398 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 492(@200wpm)___ 394(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
“I don’t see how it is any of your busin—any of your concern how I met him.”
His eyes narrowed. “You don’t see why I would be concerned that an Irish detective suddenly takes an interest in you a week after you are assigned to work on a confidential Irish mafia case?”
I threw my shoulders back. If it weren’t for me matching with Patrick on Tinder, my ego might have been bruised. “First of all, he’s a cop not a criminal. Second of all, it may have escaped your notice but I’m actually considered desirable by most—”
His mouth slammed down on mine, stealing my breath. It was like being swept under a deep, dark current. I was instantly overwhelmed. He wrapped his arm around my waist, while his other hand cupped the back of my head, holding me so tightly I was lifted off the floor.
My lips were pressed against my teeth as his tongue took possession of my mouth. He wasn’t kissing me, he was devouring me. There was an angry desperation to it, as if he had been holding back for days and was finally letting the torrent of emotion loose.
It took all my strength to push against his chest and break the contact.
I held my fingertips to my bruised lips, staring wide-eyed at him. “We agreed to keep things professional between us.”
“I never agreed to that.”
“It’s not your career we’d be setting a match to.”
His sharp gaze went from my lips to the open button on the collar of my shirt before he leaned back and shrugged out of his suit jacket. “I’ll protect you from any fallout should we be discovered.”
I shook my head. “I wonder how many women were foolish enough to believe that line.”
“If you are implying I make a habit of fucking my paralegals, let me assure you, you’re the first.”
“A dubious honor. One that I will have to decline, Mr. Astrid.”
He unbuttoned his cuffs. “That’s an unfortunate answer, Ms. Carmichael, since I have no intention of giving you a choice in the matter.”
CHAPTER 15
HARRISON
Something inside of me snapped seeing Detective Doyle’s hands on her.
The fact that he had more of a right to touch her than I did, didn’t help.
I was her boss.
I had a fiancée, at least as far as New York society was now concerned.
Even if I wasn’t her boss, we worked together in the same office.
There was every reason why I should keep my hands off her.
And there was only one reason why I had no intention of doing so…
She was mine.
Fuck it. Fuck all of it.
Yes, mine.
For the first time in my life, I was delirious with almost villainous glee that I was a man with a personal fortune that numbered into the billions at my disposal.
I had power and wealth.
As far as society was concerned, regardless of the scandal of my birth, I was untouchable.
Which meant if I wanted Edwina Carmichael for my own, I was going to take her.
And any man who got in my way would risk my wrath.
She turned and grasped the doorknob to my closed office door which she had failed to lock. She was only able to open it a few inches before my flattened palm against the door slammed it shut.
Pressing my body against her back, I demanded, “Turn around.”
She shook her head. “No. Let me out.”
“No.”
She rattled the doorknob. “This isn’t funny. Let me out.”
My hand spanned her waist. “I’m not laughing. I gave you an order.”
Instead of obeying, she ducked under my arm and stumbled to the other side of the office. I locked the door before pivoting to face her.
Her arms crossed over her middle. “This has gone way too far. Clearly your lunch with your mother and your fiancée has stressed you out, because you are crossing the line.”
I rolled up my sleeve. “Don’t talk about my mother or that other woman. This is about us.”
She blinked, her mouth falling open. Stretching out her arm to gesture toward the door, she said, “I can’t talk about that monster you call a mother or the horrible woman you are marrying but you can comment on me”—she pointed at her own chest— “innocently talking to a man on my lunch break?”
I rolled up my other sleeve. “There was nothing innocent about your conversation. He wanted to fuck you.”
She flinched at my harsh words, before firing back, “And how is that any different from you?”
Secretly I loved how she gave as good as she got. There was a fire inside of her. The kind of fire that only came from fighting for every crumb life had given you. She may be intimidated by my position as DA and the power I held over her future career, but she wouldn’t be cowed by me.
My cock hardened even further, thinking what all that fire would feel like harnessed beneath me in bed.