Had I just heard him right? I didn't know whether to cool my expression or feel excitement over the prospect that Cole Savage had just told me he wanted me as his. Not only that, he didn't even want me dancing—stripping—for anyone.

I licked my lips, forcing myself to be calm. I didn't want to seem excited or overly nervous, but the reality of the situation was I was extremely aroused and anticipated the fact he wanted me.

“I can see my words have shocked you.” He stood, walked around the desk, and stopped right in front of me.

I tipped my head back, feeling extremely feminine in this moment. The room was hot, the air seeming thicker. I was breathing especially hard, but I couldn't help it, didn't even want to try and stop myself from reacting this way.

He dropped down to his haunches, his hands now braced on the arms of the chair on either side of me. I knew that my emotions were clear as day, especially to a man like Cole.

“Are you frightened by what I said?”

Was I? I could've lied, but telling the truth seemed easier, better in the long run.

“No.”

He lifted one of his dark brows after I said that lone word, curiosity clear on his expression, or maybe he was just surprised that I wasn't afraid.

Maybe he expected his words to have this frightening feeling moving inside of me. Maybe he was used to that from people? I couldn't deny that yes, a part of me was shocked by what he’d said, but a bigger part was … aroused.

I felt anticipation, excitement.

“Then tell me, Jana, how do you feel right now?”

I had my hands in my lap, twisting my fingers together almost painfully. I felt my heart thundering behind my ribs, threatening to burst through.

“Tell me.” He said those two words, his voice so deep, so masculine, I felt this chill race up my body.

“I want that. I want to be yours.” I just said what I felt, was completely honest with a man I really didn't know.

But I want to know him.

How he’d made me feel that first moment I saw him was like nothing I had ever experienced before. I felt so strongly in my need for him that I didn't even want to contemplate denying either of us.

I wouldn't.

* * *

Several days had passed since I had Jana in my office, since she’d accepted the position … since I told her I wanted her as mine. For the past couple of days all I'd been able to think about was her saying she wanted that, too.

My dick had been perpetually hard since the moment I had the interview with her. I knew the fucker wouldn't go down until I was balls-deep in her. But I had a feeling even after that happened—which it would, but only when she was ready—she would be the only one to make me that hard.

She was the only one that had me craving more than just sex, had ever had me craving … more. I hadn't even touched, kissed, or claimed her, but I wanted more than just sexual gratification with her.

I wanted her at my side. I wanted her as my queen, the only woman who could make my heart pound fast and hard … painfully.

Today was her first official day as my personal assistant. I was anticipating the moment she came in and I could see her. I honestly didn't care if she just sat in my office for her entire shift, for the sole purpose of letting me look at her.

And then she was walking into my office, the pencil skirt she wore tight and falling down to her knees, showing me the ballerina body that she possessed. She was slender, with delicate curves, and my cock decided to jerk to attention at that very instant.

The smile she gave me was sweet, innocent … almost. I wondered how vulnerable this woman really was. The very idea that she could be so innocent as to be untouched had the possessive side of me rising up like this vicious beast.

“Mr. Savage,” she said in a soft, sweet voice.

“I want you to call me Cole,” I reminded her once again. I was sure she was trying to be professional, but that was the last thing on my mind. I wanted her to hear my name, to let me envision what it would sound like coming from her when I fucked her.

What I wanted to do right now was toss that little bag she carried to the side, tear off the formfitting top she wore, and remove her tight-as-fuck pencil skirt. What was she wearing underneath? To be honest she could've been wearing a burlap sack and I still would have been so fucking hard for her.

I stood and made my way toward her. Jana had her head tipped back just slightly, and I could see the way her pupils dilated.

She was already aroused.

I couldn't stop the growl that left me. I was like this fucking animal in need of having my mate. I felt so barbaric, so fiercely protective of her that if anybody tried to stop me, I would've torn them limb from limb.

But taking my time was the best course of action, right?

I’d let her get comfortable, show her that she was meant to be mine no matter what. And God help anyone who tried to touch her, who thought that they had the right to even look in her direction.

“Where would you like me to start?”

I grinned, the fact that she was trying to appear calm amusing me. What I really wanted to tell her was that I wanted her to strip down to her panties and bra, go sit in the leather chair in the corner, and have her legs spread for me.

I was such a vile bastard. But I wanted to see every inch of her. I wanted to memorize every part of her.

I honestly had no clue what I wanted her to do, because I didn’t actually need a personal fucking assistant. I just needed her.

But I turned and walked toward my desk, picked up a stack of invoices from a shipment I’d received this week, and turned to hand them to her. “I'll have you input these.” I walked back over to her and handed her the papers. I stood there for a minute just watching her. She lifted her gaze to mine, her eyes so blue I wanted to get lost in them.

“I'll be happy to do that, but where exactly am I supposed to input this?” There was a little hesitation in her voice, and all that did was turn me on more.

“Over here. On my personal computer.” I wanted her close, wanted to smell the sweet scent that came from her, wanted it saturating my office. I wanted to fantasize about all the dirty things I’d do to her.

I gestured for her to sit down in my seat, behind my desk. Once I had the computer started and the program loaded, all I did was stand there and watch her. She probably thought I was a fucking creep, and maybe I was, but she was just so damn gorgeous I couldn't help myself.

For the next ten minutes I explained what I wanted her to do.

And then I forced myself to leave, because if I stayed, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from having her right here in my office … right on my desk.

Jana

I’d been inputting the documents for the last hour, and although it was pretty easy work, I couldn't concentrate because every time Cole came back into the office, I felt his gaze on me. I glanced at him this last time and saw him sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. He had only been back in the office for a few minutes, but his presence was very intense, very consuming.

Although anyone might say it was strange that he watched me continuously, truth was I liked it. I felt like he couldn't keep his eyes off me, that I was so mesmerizing to him that he just had to stare at me.

I still couldn't get the memory out of my head of him saying he wanted me, or me saying I wanted him back. I don't know what I had been thinking. It was the truth, of course, but now it just felt a little awkward, seeing as it hadn’t been brought up again.

I entered the last figures into the system and exhaled. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” After thinking that, my mind instantly went in the gutter. I could think of a lot of things that I wanted Cole to do to me.

He didn't respond for several seconds. “How about you take your lunch, and when you come back, we can discuss what you can do next?”

This whole day seemed odd, like Cole had no idea what to do with me.

I was really starting to question if he actually needed a personal assistant. The very idea that he’d hired me to … keep me close … had a myriad of emotions moving through me. I didn’t know if I should embrace them or keep them as far from me as possible.

Both seemed pretty terrifying.