For the next week, that was all Colton did. He found out everything there was to know about Sugar. She was so smart, brilliant, sharp, a fantastic negotiator. Even though the initial deal had been struck between their companies, they still had a few snags to iron out and she was one hell of a negotiator.

He couldn’t admit it to her in the boardroom but watching her fight for her company and to protect their interests aroused him. He couldn’t help but think about what it would be like if she belonged to him.

Thinking about her in his bed, her dark hair spread out across his pillow, kissing her beautiful dark skin. His cock got so damn hard. He wanted her. Spending his days in the boardroom and their nights with their dogs, his attraction to her was high.

Most nights he woke up with a hard-on, with only the thoughts of her able to take him over the edge so he didn’t lose his freaking mind.

“I’m thinking ice cream,” Sugar said.

“Before dinner?”

“It’s hot and I want some ice cream. Come on, my treat.” She grabbed his arm and walked ahead of him, Poppy happily following behind her.

With her dog being so small, by the end of the evening she’d be carrying her back home. Boscoe, however, didn’t have a problem with all the extra exercise.

Socializing him, walking him, and making him part of his world, the shitting around his apartment had stopped. In fact, he hadn’t even had to do much in the way of cleaning. He’d also installed a camera system so throughout the day, he could keep an eye on him.

He’d seen that Boscoe would randomly play with a few toys, eat the food he’d put down, drink a little, or sleep.

This had been another fantastic idea from Sugar one day. They’d all taken a coffee break from negotiations and he’d been agitated while he thought about Boscoe. Sugar had seen how nervous he was and she’d shown him Poppy from her cell phone. The next day, he’d gotten something similar set up and Sugar had been there, playing with Boscoe while he spoke with the guys who installed it.

Now, wherever he was, he could check on his dog.

When he’d gotten the damn dog, he hadn’t been an animal lover, not even slightly. That had all changed with Boscoe. Now, he couldn’t think for a moment of living without him.

There was a small ice cream truck set up a few feet away from the dog run. Sugar got in line and he stayed out of the way, holding both of their dogs while she got them both ice cream.

He gave each of the dogs a treat for sitting good.

He couldn’t help but stare at her. The sun hit her perfectly, illuminating her already perfect brown skin tone. God, he loved looking at her. He wanted to wrap her curls around his fist as he claimed her mouth. He wanted to do a hell of a lot more than that, too.

She wore a pair of denim shorts and a crop top shirt. The outfit molded to every single curve of her body, highlighting her beautiful ass and full tits.

Not only did Sugar have a killer body, her mind turned him on as well. She was an intelligent woman and he loved the conversations they had.

None of it was about sex or money.

When they weren’t in the boardroom, they even talked through plot points of their favorite shows. That’s how obsessed he was with her. Women had never meant anything to him before. They always got in the way of work. With Sugar, she’d somehow managed to make her way into his heart and that was what terrified him. Especially since they hadn’t known each other all that long.

She paid for their ice cream and came toward him. “Here you go.” She handed him one while licking at the other. She took Poppy’s lead, and they entered the dog run.

He watched her bend down.

“Nope, this is not for you. We’ll get you some ice cream when we get home, little miss.” She let Poppy go and she was on her way home. Next, she did the same with Boscoe.

They took one of the spare benches, eating their ice cream while watching the dogs play.

“I actually really love coming here at the end of a long day at the office,” he said.

She chuckled. “It’s addictive. You know, I never used to come here. I had Poppy because she’s a Pomeranian and I figured it would make her a good house dog. Then one day, I saw she was unhappy and she’d sit near the door, looking outside. I couldn’t do it. I got a lead, took her out, found this place, and I’ve been coming back here every single night. She loves it.”

“I love coming here with you.”

He chanced a glance toward her.

“I love coming here with you. It’s fun to have some company.”

Company wasn’t what he was going for. They were still negotiating as companies and she’d warned him that they couldn’t be anything more than friends. That didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about it.

How good she’d feel underneath him as he stripped each layer of clothes off, spreading her thighs, teasing her pussy.

He shouldn’t be thinking about fucking her, taking her hard—and yet all he could wonder was if she’d be a screamer or silent as he fucked her or made love to her.

Finishing off his ice cream did little to soften the arousal building inside him.

“You make me laugh so much,” Sugar said. “I had no idea you had a sense of humor.”

“Yep, I totally do. I’m a stand-up comedian. You know me. I know how to make my audience laugh.”

She snorted.

The dogs were racing back and forth, Boscoe slowing down so that Poppy could keep up. They were the best of friends, and it made him wish he and Sugar were in sync like that.

Sugar was still licking away at her ice cream and Colton had to look away. The sight of her tongue flicking out and then the tip going into her mouth where she’d suck on it was making him think of other things she could put her mouth around.

Don’t ruin a good thing.

Tapping his leg up and down, he tried to think of sheep, taxes, Boscoe’s mess around his apartment to try and stop thinking about her lips around his dick.