Read Online Corporate Fire: Corporate Romance Book 1 by Evelyn Aster - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Evelyn Aster
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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exact. My parents are very strict. I can't tell them I was laid off. I just—can't. Some of the OCD was probably how I was born, but some of it I think was living with them. I wasn't allowed to leave anything out of place or make mistakes. But I was so worried I'd do the wrong thing that I'd overdo everything. If I put a book away, I couldn't leave the bookshelf until I'd alphabetized everything on it. If I cleaned up after breakfast, I'd refuse to leave for school until I'd scrubbed the kitchen floor three times. They medicated me, but it made me stupid and life uninteresting, so I swore I'd get over it on my own. And I did, but I have all these weird idiosyncrasies left that I can't get rid of.”
She'd kept her eyes lowered the whole time she talked, but now she stared straight at him. He appeared stunned and didn't speak. The silence was worse than anything. It was only a few seconds, but to her it seemed like a few minutes. She'd really blown it. She clutched the napkin in her lap. Tears brimmed at her eyelids. “You don't need to sit there trying to think of an excuse to leave. I know I'm a wack job. You can just go, and I'll understand.”
9| Dessert
In an instant Royce jumped up, swooped her up in his arms and held her to his chest. Her leg ached even more because it was pressed against his arm, but she was too distraught to notice. “Hey, it's okay now,” he whispered. “I'm not leaving you. You didn't have to count the pasta on your plate before you ate it, so I think we're good.”
She started breathing again. He was holding her instead of running out the door. After a moment, she put a hand on his cheek. “I've never told anybody any of that. I prefer people think I'm a little kooky rather than full-blown insane.”
“I think you're the strongest person I've ever met. To overcome all those impulses without medication is amazing.”
Relief and happiness surged through her. “Kiss me again.”
Royce carried her to the bed and placed her back against the pillows, gazing into her eyes the whole time. He leaned in, and she closed her eyes as his lips pressed against hers. He pushed her lips apart, and their tongues slipped together with a passion that pumped through her blood.
His fingertips grazed her shoulders, down her arms and to the crooks of her elbows. Goosebumps flared, making her shiver and wrap her arms around his back. His hands moved to her sides and waist, where his fingers splayed across her body, his thumbs just below her breasts. They continued to kiss while she caressed his back and pulled him closer and closer to her without thinking.
The heat from his hands seeped through her dress and into her body. She'd always felt a coolness between her and men, making the fire between her and Royce new and erotic. His thumbs slid up to her erect nipples and pressed down gently. A moan escaped the back of her throat, and she tightened all the muscles in her body to keep from squirming, causing her leg to sting.
He closed his mouth against hers and drew one hand away from her breast so he could lean on his elbow and lay next to her. His other thumb drew gentle circles around the material over her nipple. He kissed across her cheek to her ear, then behind the earlobe. Grace arched her back slightly, and his thumb pressed into her nipple again. She reached up and undid one button on his shirt—a tiny part of her brain wondering what the fuck was she getting into while the rest of her wanted to remain in the limbo of pleasure.
Royce's thumb moved up to the edge of her dress's neckline as if he would pull it down but stopped. “Can I see you?” he asked in a hoarse voice.
“See me?”
“Your nipple.”
Oh god. This was getting really intimate. It was so far out of her comfort zone that she should've retreated by now and curled up into a ball, but Royce seemed to have some sort of magical antidote to her anxiety. She reached for her dress strap and noticed her hand was shaking.
He saw too
She'd kept her eyes lowered the whole time she talked, but now she stared straight at him. He appeared stunned and didn't speak. The silence was worse than anything. It was only a few seconds, but to her it seemed like a few minutes. She'd really blown it. She clutched the napkin in her lap. Tears brimmed at her eyelids. “You don't need to sit there trying to think of an excuse to leave. I know I'm a wack job. You can just go, and I'll understand.”
9| Dessert
In an instant Royce jumped up, swooped her up in his arms and held her to his chest. Her leg ached even more because it was pressed against his arm, but she was too distraught to notice. “Hey, it's okay now,” he whispered. “I'm not leaving you. You didn't have to count the pasta on your plate before you ate it, so I think we're good.”
She started breathing again. He was holding her instead of running out the door. After a moment, she put a hand on his cheek. “I've never told anybody any of that. I prefer people think I'm a little kooky rather than full-blown insane.”
“I think you're the strongest person I've ever met. To overcome all those impulses without medication is amazing.”
Relief and happiness surged through her. “Kiss me again.”
Royce carried her to the bed and placed her back against the pillows, gazing into her eyes the whole time. He leaned in, and she closed her eyes as his lips pressed against hers. He pushed her lips apart, and their tongues slipped together with a passion that pumped through her blood.
His fingertips grazed her shoulders, down her arms and to the crooks of her elbows. Goosebumps flared, making her shiver and wrap her arms around his back. His hands moved to her sides and waist, where his fingers splayed across her body, his thumbs just below her breasts. They continued to kiss while she caressed his back and pulled him closer and closer to her without thinking.
The heat from his hands seeped through her dress and into her body. She'd always felt a coolness between her and men, making the fire between her and Royce new and erotic. His thumbs slid up to her erect nipples and pressed down gently. A moan escaped the back of her throat, and she tightened all the muscles in her body to keep from squirming, causing her leg to sting.
He closed his mouth against hers and drew one hand away from her breast so he could lean on his elbow and lay next to her. His other thumb drew gentle circles around the material over her nipple. He kissed across her cheek to her ear, then behind the earlobe. Grace arched her back slightly, and his thumb pressed into her nipple again. She reached up and undid one button on his shirt—a tiny part of her brain wondering what the fuck was she getting into while the rest of her wanted to remain in the limbo of pleasure.
Royce's thumb moved up to the edge of her dress's neckline as if he would pull it down but stopped. “Can I see you?” he asked in a hoarse voice.
“See me?”
“Your nipple.”
Oh god. This was getting really intimate. It was so far out of her comfort zone that she should've retreated by now and curled up into a ball, but Royce seemed to have some sort of magical antidote to her anxiety. She reached for her dress strap and noticed her hand was shaking.
He saw too
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