I watched Olivia sleep, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. The sight of her tangled in my sheets was both intoxicating and bewildering. How did this angel find her way into the darkness of my life? I wanted to protect her, possess her, give her everything, and keep her with me forever. The intensity of our connection shocked me. I’d never wanted… no, needed a woman like this before.
“Fuck,” I whispered under my breath, my hand running through my hair in frustration. I couldn’t imagine letting her walk out that door when she woke up. For the moment, I focused on memorizing every curve and angle of her face, tracing her jawline with my eyes.
“Marcus,” she murmured in her sleep, bringing a smile to my lips. She was dreaming of me, and the thought sent a wave of possessiveness through my veins. Olivia knew the same truth I did, even fast asleep. She was mine. Made for me, destined to be by my side and in my bed. No one and nothing were going to get in our way, I promised her silently.
She was a fucking diamond. Beautiful inside and out. Last night had been amazing, even without getting to actually fuck her. Touching Olivia, tasting her. Watching her writhe, surrender herself to the pleasure I provided. Everything any man could want. Even the moments of shyness, timidity were a turn-on for me. In bed, Olivia was brave. Willing and able to push past her nerves and just experience everything.
One moment in particular stuck with me. She’d been flat on her back after countless orgasms, barely able to keep her eyes open. I got out of bed, planning to find some water, but seeing her there, so open and free, left me insane with need. My rational mind wasn’t functioning. My cock was running the show completely. It throbbed, my balls ached.
Looking down at Olivia, the slightest hint of her sweet, wet, tight pussy visible between her legs drove me over the edge. I jerked off, handling myself rough and thoughtlessly. And just before I came, she’d opened her eyes wide, parting her lips and watching intently. I erupted with a shout, our gazes locked together.
Even now, the memory was enough to get me hard again. I rolled over, knowing that my only chance of getting any rest at all was to stop staring at her. I closed my eyes and willed myself to sleep.
What seemed like a second later, the soft buzz of the intercom shattered my reverie, and I cursed under my breath. Even in the darkest hours of the night, when I should have been able to enjoy Olivia’s warmth beside me, the world continued to try to fuck with me.
“This better not be some bullshit,” I muttered, tearing my gaze away from her as I slipped out of bed. I yanked on a pair of sweatpants, already missing the feel of Olivia’s skin against mine. Unbidden, images of waking her up with slow, sensual kisses danced through my mind, making me hard. With a frustrated groan, I adjusted myself before making my way to the front door of my penthouse.
Swinging it open, I found Benjamin, my head of security, and Brynn, one of my closest advisors, standing there looking grim. “What the hell do you want?” I demanded.
“Marcus, we need to discuss the attack at the club tonight,” Benjamin began, his voice low and serious. He stepped inside, followed by Brynn, who eyed me with a mix of concern and curiosity.
“Fine,” I snapped, gesturing for them to sit down in the living room. “Make it quick.”
“From what we’ve gathered so far,” Benjamin said, leaning forward intently, “what you witnessed at the scene was correct. Not one of the attackers was over twenty-one. But something doesn’t add up. Why would they go after someone like you without a reason?”
“Trying to read the minds of dumb thugs is pointless, Marcus,” Brynn drawled, her piercing blue eyes narrowing in annoyance. “We shouldn’t waste our time on this.”
“Then what do you suggest?” I countered, my voice sharp with frustration. My mind was still on Olivia, and the last thing I wanted was to be dealing with this shit.
“Focus on making money. A new revenue stream is just what you need to take your mind off this nonsense,” she replied confidently, tossing her long blonde hair over one shoulder. “I’ve been trying to present my idea to you for weeks.”
“Brynn,” I cut her off, my tone icy as my patience wore thin, “I don’t want to talk about new ventures in the middle of the night.” My fingers ran through my hair involuntarily, betraying my agitation. “What I want is a plan for stronger security at all my public-facing businesses.”
“Marcus, really? You’re going to let this little incident distract you from the bigger picture?” Her voice oozed condescension, and it took all my self-control not to snap at her.
“Listen,” I growled, clenching my fists at my sides. “The last thing I need is to go broke because people think my businesses are dangerous to visit.”
“Spot on,” Benjamin added. “You can’t afford to give the impression you’re an easy mark. Every moron in town will try to rob your stores, roll your employees, who know what else.”
He cast a cold glance at Brynn. “You boardroom types will never understand the streets. If you look weak, you are weak.”
“Alright, alright,” Brynn relented with a dismissive wave of her hand, her gaze lingering on me a moment longer than necessary, clearly irritated.
“Enough,” I said, my patience worn thin. Their bickering was like a needle jabbing incessantly at the back of my skull. “Both of you go do your jobs. Benjamin, find out everything you can and do a full security audit on all our public-facing businesses. Brynn, check on all the staff. I need to make sure everyone is going to be at work, like everything is normal.”
They both started speaking over each other, finally making me snap. “Keep it down, will you? I’ve got company who is actually sleeping.”
Two pairs of eyes widened in shock, their heated words dying in their throats. Unity through surprise. A flash of jealous I hadn’t seen from her in a long time flashed behind Brynn’s eyes. “You never let women sleep over.”
“Is a sleepover tonight really smart, Marcus?” Benjamin chimed in, his concern for my safety apparent. “Having some random girl freely roaming the premises?”
I clenched my jaw, trying to control the anger that surged through me. They meant well, these two who had been by my side through thick and thin. But they didn’t know Olivia like I did – the way her laughter could make even the darkest days feel brighter, how her intelligence and wit left me both challenged and captivated. She wasn’t just some random woman; she was a force that had stormed into my life, leaving me reeling in her wake.
“Olivia isn’t just some random girl,” I growled, my voice low and dangerous. “The only threat she poses is to making me too happy to put up with your bullshit.”
“Marcus, you’re being ridiculous,” Brynn protested. “You can’t just –”
“Enough, Brynn,” I cut her off, my eyes flashing with warning. “This isn’t up for debate. Focus on the task at hand or get out of my house.”
With a frustrated huff, Brynn turned away, her hands clenched into fists. Benjamin’s gaze lingered on me a moment longer before he nodded in understanding. They both knew better than to push me too far.
“Okay, Marcus,” Benjamin agreed reluctantly. “We’ll keep our opinions to ourselves.”
“Good,” I replied, my voice still laced with irritation. “Now, both of you get out. We’ll discuss this further in the morning.”
Brynn shot me one last defiant glance before turning on her heel and storming out of the penthouse. Benjamin hesitated for a moment, his gaze flicking down the hallway to my bedroom.
“Is there something else you want to say?” I asked, daring him to challenge me further.
“No, boss,” he replied, shaking his head. “I just… want to make sure we’re all at the top of our game. You’re so close to getting everything you want, becoming a huge plater in this town. Gotta stay focused.”
“Your concern is noted,” I said tersely, not in the mood for any further discussion. “Now leave.”
“Alright,” Benjamin acquiesced.
His words had gotten to me, though probably not in the way he’d hoped. There were things I could do to make sure I didn’t get distracted. An idea became clear in my head. Before Benjamin could step out the door, I grabbed his arm, pulling him back.
“Actually, there’s one more thing,” I said, my tone low and serious. “I need you to run a background check on someone for me. Get me the works, especially about the employer.”
“Who?” he asked, surprise flitting across his face.
“I’ll text you her full name,” I replied, my jaw clenched.
“Fine,” Benjamin agreed, knowingly. The bastard was too smart and too good at reading me for his own good.
“Good,” I said, releasing his arm and pushing him towards the door. “Now get out of here.”
As the door clicked shut behind him, I leaned against it, trying to catch my breath. My mind raced with conflicting emotions, torn between my desire to protect Olivia and the nagging fear that I was risking too much for a woman I hardly knew.
“Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. Part of me wanted to head back to bed, slip back underneath the covers with Olivia. But I knew sleep wasn’t in the cards. And even if I wouldn’t admit it to my employees, there were other pressing issues to deal with. And if my plan went as I hoped, I wouldn’t have to divide my attention for long.
I walked past my closed bedroom door and headed to my office, making a list of calls to make as I went. If I couldn’t sleep, some other people were going to share my misery.