Chapter Four
Gio fought and won against the desire to call her back in. I shouldn’t have brought her up here in the first place. I should have called the head of security and let him deal with it.
But I had to see her again.
He’d wanted to reassure his cock that she was nothing special. See, just another woman. Unfortunately, for reasons he couldn’t explain, she was more than that. When she spoke he had a difficult time concentrating on anything beyond how she would cry out in that sweet voice, begging him to go deeper, while he pounded into her.
Around her, he felt dangerously impulsive, and that was completely uncharacteristic of him. In his family, he was the reliable one. He had taken over Cogent Solutions after his father’s death because he’d been the natural choice, not because it was something he wanted. No one had debated the decision or asked how he felt about it. He hadn’t even asked himself.
Family was about duty—sustaining and protecting it.
Decisively.
Orderly.
The women he dated understood that he didn’t want more than a casual, sexual relationship. They didn’t ask questions, they didn’t sleep over, and when it was over they moved on to another wealthy man. No hard feelings. No complications. Jealousy was for men who couldn’t find another woman, and that had never been a problem for Gio.
He was generous with the women he dated. He gave them enough jewelry to make even the most jaded of them smile. He took them to the posh places wealthy people went when they wanted to be seen. The society pages in almost any city he visited ran photos of him with whomever he was dating. To many of these women, their representation in the media was more important than what happened behind closed doors. It was a reality of his world and something he accepted.
The papers called him one of Manhattan’s most eligible bachelors. His friends called him lucky. He didn’t feel one way or another about either title.
In private affairs as well as in business, the one with the clear head won. Emotions were a distraction. They led to chaos and poor decisions.
Speaking of chaos.
He touched the small mark on his temple and smiled.
What is wrong with me? Instead of firing her, I just stood there imagining what it would be like to bend her over the back of that couch and claim her as mine. His half-cocked erection was an uncomfortable reminder of the intensity of his attraction to her.
She’s off limits.
She works for me, for God’s sake.
Forget her.
Gio walked back to his desk and tossed Julia Bennett’s folder on top of the others. He threw himself into work for the next several hours, only checking his watch when he noticed the sun had gone down. Nine o’clock. He stood and stretched.
Rena would be long gone. Thank God. He didn’t want to discuss anything from the night before with her.
He called downstairs to have his car brought around to the front. He often left the building through the lower garage, but tonight he decided to leave through the front foyer. He paused in front of the security station. The two temporary security guards looked fresh from military training. They stood as soon as they saw him exit the elevator.
He nodded to them and couldn’t help scanning the area behind them. One of the doors behind them led to the surveillance room, but he wasn’t sure which one. Julia Bennett was back there somewhere.
Reading, probably.
He shook his head ruefully.
He should be irritated by that knowledge, but instead he wondered what topics held her interest. He forced himself to walk away, even though, he admitted, he really wanted to find her and ask her.
Ridiculous.
* * *
Julia sighed audibly as she watched Gio Andrade leave the building on one of the monitors. He probably always walked through the foyer, but she let herself imagine he’d done it because he’d wanted to see her again.
There is nothing wrong with a healthy fantasy life, as long as you don’t act upon it. Julia chuckled. She felt like she was back in high school, suffering from her first big crush. The difference was, no crush had ever made her feel quite so much like ripping her clothing off.
Maybe my menstrual cycle is going haywire. She’d read a study done on women during different times of the month. During ovulation, they were attracted to strong, aggressive men. The narrator had claimed this was due to an instinct to mate with the hardiest of the breed. Later in the month, women would find nicer, softer men attractive. No, I’m pretty sure I’d think he’s hot every day of the month.
Her usual motivational reading material was put aside for the night. Instead, she used her phone to do an Internet search on the man she couldn’t get out of her head. Interestingly enough, there were very few articles of substance on him. Almost every article had featured him with a new woman on his arm. Gio taking an heiress to the ballet. Gio and a movie star at a fund-raiser. The cameras loved him. No matter how hard she searched, she’d yet to come up with an embarrassing photo, or anything that mentioned how he’d made his money.
Why am I wasting my time reading about a man who has certainly already forgotten about me? She closed her eyes, hoping it would help clear her head, but he was just as vivid in her imagination:
I can see it now. He’d crash the door of my office open and say, “Miss Bennett.”
Julia rested her head on her hands, letting the fantasy come to life. In her mind, her voice was sexily husky. “You shouldn’t be here, Mr. Andrade.”
He’d loosen his tie and throw it on the floor. Julia rewound the moment in her head. No, he’d toss it on the back of the chair. That’s an expensive tie.
“Call me Gio. Practice saying it, because you’ll be screaming it all night.”
Would he be that crass?
Julia started their conversation over.
“You shouldn’t be here, Mr. Andrade.”
He’d walk over and hold out a hand to me. “I couldn’t stay away from you.”
I’d take his hand and stand before him. “You know this is wrong.”
“How could it be when it feels this good?”
She imagined his lips on hers and smiled. He would definitely know how to kiss. I’d try to remain strong. I’d push him back, playfully protesting. “What about all those other women?”
“They mean nothing to me. They never have. You’re the only one who—”
The phone on her desk rang, cutting off whatever Dream Gio would have said. She opened her eyes and answered the landline. The super-serious replacement security guard said, “Mr. Andrade has left the building. The cleaning staff is also gone for the night. That should be everyone. Have you seen any stragglers?”
Julia sat up and straightened her shirt. “No,” she said. “I haven’t seen anyone.” She moved her purse completely off the desk so it was no longer blocking one of the screens. “But you’ll be the first to hear if I do.”
The security guard hung up without further comment.
Julia leaned back in her chair and looked at the ceiling. Stop daydreaming. Focus on what’s important and be grateful you still have a job.
Remember why you’re in New York.
Julia leaned down and pulled a magazine out of her purse. She flipped to the article that had inspired her purchase: “Visualizing Your Way to the Top.”
A flash of how Gio would look beneath her, grinding upward into her while she threw her head back in abandon, warmed her cheeks. I have no problem visualizing it at all. That’s the problem.
Julia dropped the magazine back into her bag and tried to focus on the monitors. Nothing unusual, but that was no surprise. She rubbed her tired eyes. Only five more hours until her shift was over.
It’s going to be a long night.