Page 67 of Dominion
He cupped the back of her head and tipped it back to kiss her lips. “Thanks for being here with me tonight.”
She pressed her torso against his, gazing up into his eyes with a love he didn’t deserve. “Thank you for bringing me.”
Ben drovethem to work together the next morning. She felt almost giddy about returning to the office as his mate, rather than just his assistant, although she shuddered to think what everyone would say about her. Obviously there would be the comments about her sleeping her way to the top. And if Ben was set on making changes, she’d be blamed for anything unpopular.
Ben hadn’t let her go in the previous day, insisting that she follow the doctor’s orders, despite the fact that the doctor didn’t know about her wolf-y healing properties. Now, all her excitement about working for Ben Stone came bubbling back, intensified rather than dimmed by the fact that they were intimate.
Ben had picked out her suit, saying he liked the way her legs looked in it. The beige, fitted ensemble featured a long, slim jacket and short, tight skirt. She’d reminded him that one of her legs was in a cast so the look wouldn’t be the same as when she’d worn it the previous week, but he’d just smacked her ass and told her to put it on.
“So, is it back to ‘Mr. Stone’ when we’re in the office?” she asked, watching his profile as he drove.
His lips curled up at the edges. “Yes.”
“Ah, and we’re also back to the monosyllabic answers?”
His eyes slid sideways and he continued to smirk, but didn’t answer.
“And the non-answers.” She leaned her head back on the seat and sighed, even as a wave of heat flushed up and down her entire body. How could she really protest when she loved the stern Mr. Stone persona?
“I suppose it’s best we keep our relationship a secret while we’re at work?” she asked.
Ben looked over, his dark-lashed green eyes boring into her with their usual intensity. “It’s not really anyone’s business,” he said.
“I know, and it probably won’t take long to come out if we’re driving in together, but it’s probably better to keep it to ourselves, don’t you think?”
“Are you asking me or telling me?”
She opened her mouth, then shut it, not sure how to answer.
“Is that what you want?”
She furrowed her brow. What she wanted and what she thought was best were actually two different things. Or rather, she wanted things both ways—she wanted the entire world to know that Ben had chosen her as his mate, but she always wanted to earn the respect of the people she worked with. She sighed. Why were things so complicated for women in the workplace?
“Yeah, I guess so.”
Ben shrugged. “All right. I’ll try not to rip your little skirts off while we’re at the office.”
She giggled. “Thanks, I think.”
Ben pulled into the lot and they took the elevator up together. She thought about insisting they ride separately, but Ben already looked like he wanted to carry her instead of letting her walk with the crutches, so she kept her mouth shut.
Karen was sitting at her desk when they arrived together, but if she thought it was odd, she didn’t show it.
Ben carried her bag into the office and set it down. “Need anything?”
“What?You’regoing to getmecoffee?”
“If you ask nicely.” He lowered his voice. “Maybe if you pull up your skirt just a little bit?”
Her face grew warm and she picked up a pen and tossed it at him. “Get out. I do the coffee running around here. Do you need some?”
He grinned. “No.” He leaned in her doorway, contemplating her for a moment.
Her body temperature rose by several degrees, warmed by his hungry look. Her mouth opened, but all thoughts and words had flown away.
Ben winked, lifting his large frame from the doorway with a grace that belied his size. He walked away, taking her breath with him.
She sat down at her desk, smiling. She loved her life.