Running water echoed through the bathroom door. Greyson grunted and rolled over, his arm stretching out to the other side of the bed to find it warm but empty. One eye squinted open, followed by the other, and he rolled over on his stomach, yawning loudly.

“Belle?” he called out, but she didn’t answer.

Scratching his beard, he rolled over and sat up, a smirk immediately curling his lips as he surveyed his bedroom. Her clothes were scattered over the floor, along with his. Her bra hung over a fan blade and her thong over the dresser mirror. His boxers hung close by, and the quilts were mostly on the floor. His body protested when he climbed out of bed, stretching his back and arms, but damn, had it been worth it. After their first few times, she had showed him new moves and was just as feisty in bed as she was out of it.

He had the scratch marks on his back and thighs to prove it.

Steam billowed out of the doorway, and he peeked at Belle’s deliciously naked, beautifully wet silhouette through the glass doors of the stall. She tilted her head back, letting the water stream over her hair as she ran her fingers through the tendrils. He licked his lips, and every cell in his body sprang to life, including a throbbing erection he couldn’t ignore. Hunger filled him for the woman he was unable to get enough of. She drove him crazy with her stubbornness and her hatred of being taken care of, but damn, did he love her.

Gradually, he slid the glass door aside and caught the crooked grin she shot him before he stood behind her after closing it. He kissed her neck, the heat of the water a shock before he wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.

“You’re going to burn your skin off,” he growled before sucking hard on her earlobe.

“Maybe I like it hot,” she breathed, squealing when he tickled her sides. “That’s not fair!”

“After last night, you should know I don’t play fair,” he murmured, remembering how many times she’d screamed his name and how her body writhed at his touch, wanting to be closer and farther away at the same time. “I’m going to be sore for days.”

“My poor bear,” she teased, turning in his arms, a pout on her face. She stood on her toes and kissed him sweetly, the water cascading down her back. She tugged at his beard and he ground against her hips, but she smiled and pulled away. “I think it’s my turn to take care of you.” She winked and slithered wetly down the front of his body.

Greyson frowned, ready to pull her back, when she clutched him and her mouth covered the crown of his swollen length. “Jesus,” he groaned and shot a hand out to support himself.

Belle sucked hard, and his head fell back as his hand buried itself in her wet hair. She licked the tender flesh, and when he saw himself disappearing into the depths of her mouth, his whole body shuddered. Her eyes glimmered as they stared up at him.

Greyson’s hand pressed hard against the wall of the shower, trying to maintain control, but with Belle, he was never really in control. He never had been. Her hands stroked the rest of his erection to the base, pressing against him, and he wouldn’t last much longer. Gripping her arms, he hoisted her to her feet, picked her up, and wrapped her legs around his waist as he backed her into the wall.

As his mouth captured hers, exploring hers mercilessly, his tip pressed against her wet and swollen lips. With a shift of his hips, he penetrated her, and she trembled with a moan in his arms, gripping his shoulders as her nails bit into his skin as they had the night before.

“I thought… we talked about… being fair,” she said breathlessly as his hips ground against hers with each thrust.

“I told you,” he growled roughly and thrust harder. “I don’t play fair.”

He plundered her depths as the water swirled around them like a hurricane, their skin hotter than the water pouring from the shower-head. Greyson’s hips struggled to hold a steady pace as need drove him, and Belle gripped him tightly deep within her sheath. They fit together perfectly, as if they were made for each other. It’d barely been two months, but he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this difficult woman who set his blood on fire. Who drove him to push all the dark thoughts of his past aside and embrace a future with laughter—and definitely more showers like this one.

Her moan quickly grew louder until she cried out and pressed one hand back against the shower wall for purchase as her whole body went limp in his arms. Greyson thrust two more times until he groaned, burying his face against her neck as he spilled deep within her. Carefully, he set her down on wobbly legs and leaned against the wall, his shadow covering hers as his body blocked the water from reaching her. With one hand on either side of her face, he leaned in and kissed her, barely letting his lips brush against hers.

When her eyes flickered to his shoulders, she grinned sheepishly and reached up to rub the sensitive skin. “I think those might be my fault.”

He glanced to the right and left then shrugged. “Casualties of love and war, pet, nothing more.”

Her light blue eyes crinkled at the sides when she smiled, and he wrapped her in a tight hug, shoving them both under the spray of the water. His booming laughter mingled with her shrill shrieks, and he held her tightly against his chest, never wanting to let go.

“Unless you plan on taking another day of vacation and explaining to Tim why he has to take over again, we should probably get ready for work,” she laughed.

“I’m just a figurehead anyway,” he said with an exaggerated sigh. “Everyone uses me.”

“They sure do,” she agreed with a crooked grin. “Because you are the worst boss in the world, let me tell you. A real slacker, total narcissist, rude, obnoxious—”

He cut her off with a kiss. “Right, you made your point. Let’s go, pet.”

She hopped out of the shower, and he frowned when the view of her curves was covered by the over-sized, blue, plush towel. She wrung out her hair and went to the sink as he rinsed quickly and stepped out behind her.

“Mom called,” he announced, wrapping another towel around his waist.

“Are you in trouble again? You told her about your visit to your dad’s gravesite, right?”

“Yeah, I did, and she cried she was so damn happy, but I told her not to get too excited about it,” he grumbled. “I still hate the man.”

Belle rested her hand on his arm, and he stared at it as she said quietly, “No, you don’t.”

“Either way, she wants us over for dinner soon. A sort of official family dinner, I guess.”

Her hand fell away and she nodded, but Greyson noted the sudden stiffness of her posture and the way her eyes darted wildly around the bathroom before they landed on him. “Dinner with the family should be great. Perfect.”

“Belle,” he began, but she pulled away.

“No, I’m serious, really looking forward to it. Who’s going to be there?”

He breathed out heavily through his nose, watching her closely. “Mom, the twins will fly in, I’m sure, and my aunt and uncle who live close by. Maybe a few cousins and their kids.”

Her hands stilled on her hair. She stared at her reflection as she responded, “Sounds… sounds crowded.”

Greyson walked behind her and tucked her wet hair behind her ears as he stared at their reflection in the mirror over her head. “I know you’re not used to a big family, but they’ll love you, I promise, and maybe you’ll enjoy yourself.”

She leaned back into him. “I know, I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s understandable, but I don’t want you to worry about it, and if you’re really not ready, I’ll tell Mom to keep it to just the three of us.”

“No,” she argued and straightened her shoulders, nodding firmly. “I can do this.”

“If you’re sure,” he said.

She nodded again and pushed him away gently with a grin. “Yeah, I’m good. Now go so I can get ready without you distracting me.” She laughed when she said it, but he knew she was serious.

He left her alone to get dressed and debated calling his mom later to limit the number of people she invited. They needed to take it one step at a time, until Belle was ready to meet the whole brood that made up his family.

One glance at his cell as he walked into the large closet told him that, so far, he had no news from Aiden. She thought she had a lead a week ago, but the woman she’d found turned out to be a different Belle Hall living across the country. She was still searching in the dark. She was charging Greyson an arm and a leg, but if she found Belle’s family, it would be worth it.

As he stood in the walk-in closet, he heard Belle humming to herself as she padded out of his bedroom and into hers. A few minutes later, she called out to him. “We have to swing by the dorm soon. I’m running out of clothes!”

He laughed as he joined her, leaning in the doorway of her bedroom. “I do have a washer and dryer, you know.”

“That’s not what I meant. I’ve worn the same four outfits over the past two weeks. People will notice,” she argued, but he held out his hand for hers. “What?”

“Just come here,” he said and tugged her back towards his room. “I don’t know how you manage to catch everything else going on in our lives but miss this.”

He dragged her to the closet and stood her there. “Your clothes? What am I looking at?”

He sighed and turned her head gently from behind to face the right side of the closet. “I don’t think those clothes will fit me, and I’m pretty damn sure you don’t want to see me in a bra. The thong, maybe,” he teased and crossed his arms smugly over his chest when she walked slowly into his closet, running her hand over the new clothes hanging there.

“You bought all of these for me?”

“I notice more than you think,” he smirked. “Everything should fit perfectly.”

“How did you know my size?” she asked with a raised brow, glancing at him over her shoulder.

He followed her in, admiring his choice of off-the-shoulder sweaters, tight fitting jeans, and shimmery black tops. “You went shopping with my sisters. Those stores kept your sizes on file for me. You don’t like them?”

The struggle was plain on her face as she tugged at her piercings and her other hand fiddled with one of the sweaters. “I do, but… this is a whole new wardrobe,” she whispered. “I can’t accept it.”

“Yes, you damn well can, and you will,” he glowered, turning her around as his broad body blocked her in. “You’re going to have to get used to be taken care of, remember? We had this conversation.”

“No, you did, and you assumed I’d accept it,” she argued, but there was no real fight in her words. She pulled the sweater from the hanger and held it up, her eyes lighting. “I’m assuming if I try to take it all back, it’ll just wind up here again?”

He nodded. “They’re just clothes.”

“To you,” she said quietly. “But you’re right, I love them and I won’t give you a hard time about them. But listen here, bear,” she added and poked him hard in the chest, “no more big surprises like this, alright? You drive me crazy enough as it is.”

“That’s my job,” he said with a wink and left her to get dressed, taking his turn in the bathroom to trim his beard and gel his short hair.

Every now and then, he’d poke his head out of the bathroom to see her trying on different outfits and grinning excitedly. She caught his gaze and shrugged, apparently helpless against his charm. She’d broken through his walls—or at least some of them—and it warmed him to see that she was slowly letting him in, too. He reconsidered canceling the dinner with his family then decided some tough love was just what Belle needed. They’d go ahead with the dinner. Maybe spending time with a full family would do her some good, help take the edge off her past struggles to get by.

She hadn’t gone into detail about her time in foster care, and though he wanted to ask, he thought it best to wait. She’d tell him if and when she wanted to. And if not, well then, he’d just be kept waiting.

Before they walked out the door, he checked his office phone to be sure Aiden hadn’t let him a message there, but there was nothing.

“Ready?” Belle called out.

“Yeah, be right there,” he replied and tapped his desk. “Come on, Aiden, find something. Anything.” He hurried to the front door and to Belle wearing one of the black shimmery tops and a deep blue sweater that hung low in the back. “I knew that’d bring out your eyes,” he murmured and bent to kiss her.

“Yes, you’re such a fashionista. Can we go now? I’m sure your e-mails are piling up after that deal went through.”

“What did we agree?” he argued, his hand on the door.

She sighed and said as he rolled her eyes, “No worrying about work until we’re at the office.”

“This is not the office,” he reminded her. “Besides, don’t you have mid-terms to worry about?”

“Please don’t use the m-word like that in front of me,” she complained sarcastically. “It's going to give me nightmares.”

“If you need time off, just ask,” he insisted and refused to open the front door.

She shook her head, her wavy brown hair dancing down her back. “No, I’m fine, everything’s under control. Now can we go? Really, I’d like to leave for the office sometime today or I will be behind.”

He eyed her, taking in the twitch to her lip as she smiled, and knew she was nowhere near finished with her mid-terms. That was an argument for another day when they weren’t late for work. When he could drag her back to bed and ensure she was relaxed and ready to face the day, but she was right. They didn’t have time, and since the deal went through with the other gaming company, his office had been a mess. Not only had it created new jobs, it nearly tripled their workload. If Belle had not appeared and agreed to be his personal assistant, he’d be in a six-foot hole with no way out.

He expected her to be on edge with mid-terms so close at hand and graduation just around the corner, but she was the calmest he’d ever seen her. Either she’d gotten better at controlling her anxiety or she hid it better. The whole ride up to the fifth floor in the elevator, they kissed, their lips moving swiftly against each other’s as she backed him into the corner. If only they had a few minutes longer, but the loud ding had them springing apart and straightening clothes as the doors parted and Tim greeted them with a raised brow and a wolfish grin.

“Well, good of you two to join us,” he teased, winking at Belle as she hurried past him towards her desk. She smacked his arm playfully, and he laughed harder. “Damn, I never thought I’d be jealous of you.” He nodded at his boss.

“And now?” Greyson asked, smoothing down his button up.

“Jealous as hell. How did you manage to land a girl like that?”

He slapped Tim on the back. “No idea. I take it, if you’re meeting me at the doors, something’s wrong, again?”

“Potentially, but we’re not exactly sure yet. The game development is still on schedule,” Tim assured him as they walked slowly across the floor.

“Then what?”

“Our new partners have arrived,” Tim grumbled, and when Greyson opened his mouth to ask whom, Tim nudged him in the right direction. At the other end of the floor, near the developers’ desks, stood a group of men in stiff suits with looks of discontent on their faces. “I’d say they’re not impressed with our facility, boss man.”

Greyson stood to his full height and told Tim he’d take care of it. “Why are they here?”

“Apparently, part of the deal was they get to stop by whenever they want to check in on their partner and assure the project is running according to plan.”

“We put that in the contract?”

Tim shrugged. “They must have.”

“Right, I need coffee. Tell them I’ll be there in a minute and will show them around the offices myself. Make sure they understand our new timeline for release,” he said. “How is our timeline for release?”

“So far, beta tests are running smoothly. A few glitches, but we’re making note of them.”

“Still on time, then?”

Tim gave him thumbs up. “Like I said, we’re good. Go get your fuel. I’ll deal with the suits.” After muttering curses, he strode across the floor as Greyson made a beeline for his office.

“What’s with the suits?” Belle asked when he reached her desk.

“Our partners checking up on us like we’re a bunch of children,” he growled.

“You sure you’re the best person to chat with them right now?” She glanced down, and he followed her eyes to his clenched fists. “They’re looking after their investment. It’s business. Don’t take it personally, or you’ll get angry and screw it up.”

He forced his hands to relax. “Are you lecturing me on my temper?”

She nodded and pushed back from her desk. “Go cool off. I’ll deal with the suits. Besides, I probably know more about the deal and your business than you do.”

“You think you can make them happy?” he asked in disbelief and glanced over his shoulder at the men from whom Tim failed to elicit even a single smile.

“Yeah, I do,” she assured him. “On one condition.”

“You can’t just do it out of the goodness of your heart?”

She laughed sharply. “Why would I do that when I can get something in return?” She trailed her finger down his chest until he reached up and snatched her hand, heat flooding his body. “Do we have a deal?”

“You haven’t named your price,” he reminded her.

“I’m driving the Mustang the rest of the week,” she said as her grin widened when his fell.

“You sure that’s what you want?”

“Yeah, it is,” she said as she tossed her hair. “Take it or leave it. Oh, that one is scowling at Tim. I think he just pissed them off more.”

Greyson let go of her hand and moved out of the way. “Fine, you can drive, but only if they leave here happy,” he amended.

She took his hand and shook it. “Deal. By the end of the day, you’ll be handing over those keys to me,” she said sweetly, fluffed out her hair, stood so her chest was displayed in its fully glory, and sashayed away from him.

Greyson was helpless not to watch, but when she reached the group of men, their faces instantly softened. In a few short minutes, she had them laughing as she led them away from Tim. He scratched his beard, wondering when the miracles would stop with that woman, and walked into his office.

He’d barely sat down when his cell went off, and he recognized Aiden’s number. “Aiden,” he answered.

“Morning to you too, hot stuff,” she purred.

“Do you have any new information?” he snapped.

“Touchy this morning, are we?”

“Aiden, I’m busy, so you better have something or I’m hanging up.”

“Fine. Fine, right to business. I have a potential lead I’m following up on. I should have some more information by the end of the week,” she told him, all playfulness gone from her voice.

“The end of the week?”

“Hey, these things take time,” she argued. “Expect a call by Friday.”

He circled Friday with a pen but didn’t put anything else on it. Belle was in his office as much as he was, and he didn’t want to tell her he’d hired one of his ex-lovers to track down her real family so she could get some closure. In this situation, he’d rather ask for forgiveness than permission. She would’ve shut him down the second he mentioned looking for her birth parents. He wanted it to be good news, but he wasn’t even sure what would count as good news in this instance.

“Friday, then,” he said and disconnected before she could speak.

He watched from his office as Belle led the suited men around the floor, and all of them had smiles on their faces. She talked animatedly, her hands moving with her words as they headed to the elevators. He assumed she would take them to the basement where the real work was being completed at the moment. He stood, ready to follow, but she saw him and waved him away. Frowning, he sat back down and let her go.

“I think I’m going to lose this bet,” he mumbled to himself and got down to work, unable to hide the smile on his face.