“Why have you been ignoring my phone calls, Kat?” Vera asks, her voice dripping with venom.

“I haven’t been ignoring you, Vera,” I say wearily into my phone as the big Anders Capital Management logo on top of the office building comes into view. I’m tired of the way Vera always assumes the worst of me. “I’ve just been busy with my new job.”

“That doesn’t mean you can just drop your responsibilities. You were supposed to look after Bruce yesterday afternoon.”

“I never agreed to do that.” I grit my teeth to stop myself from telling her to take care of her own child. He’s not my responsibility; he’s hers.

“You know I have Zumba class every Tuesday.”

“Yes, but I never actually said that I’d watch Bruce every single Tuesday,” I retort.

“After everything I’ve done for you, you can’t even do a little thing for me,” Vera says. “You’re just like your dad. Selfish and ungrateful.”

Oh God, I don’t want to listen to this speech again. “Vera, I’ll get someone to babysit Bruce next Tuesday, okay? I’ll find some high-school girl from Craigslist or something.”

“Who’s going to pay for that? You?” Vera asks, obviously expecting me to balk.

“Yes,” I say, running on the last iota of patience as I enter the building and wait by the elevators with a bunch of other office workers.

Vera pauses. “Since when did you have money?”

“It’s just one night of baby-sitting, Vera. It’s not like I’m taking anyone on a trip around the world,” I say, evading her question.

“You said you had a new job?” she asks.

“Yeah. I have to go now, Vera. I have to go to work. Bye.” I end the call before she can say anything else and step into the elevator that has arrived.

With my heart pounding in my chest, I walk up to Heath’s door and knock.

“Come in,” he says from behind the door.

Strange. I’ve done this many times before. I’ve knocked on this same door more times than I can remember, and I’ve always heard that same familiar response from Heath.

But it feels different today.

Because Heath’s made it clear that this morning, he’s cleared his schedule for me.

No, that’s not it. Not for me.

For his baby. The one that’s not yet born. The one we’re going to make.

A pang of jealousy stings my chest.

My whole life, neither my dad nor my step-mom has ever cleared their schedule for me—and they weren’t even close to being busy billionaires like Heath.

And now, even before our bab—shit, I mean his baby—is born, he’s already a better parent than those two.

Is Heath just exceptionally good at everything he does, or are my parents just exceptionally bad at everything they do?

“You look great today, kitten,” Heath says cheerfully.

He never used to make any comments regarding my appearance, but ever since we signed that contract, he’s been showering me with compliments.

And he calls me “kitten.” It’s kind of weird, but I also kind of like it. I don’t know.

“Ready to go?” he asks.

“Where?”

He gives me a look that says you should’ve known better than to ask.

“I know, I know. You’re not going to tell me. Because you’re all mysterious and unpredictable,” I say.

“Actually… I know this great breakfast place,” Heath says.

I surreptitiously let out a big, relieved exhale. I didn’t expect his plan to be so normal.

“Oh, I’ve already had breakfast. But I’ll go with you,” I say.

Maybe I’ll have an orange juice and just chat with him.

I don’t know why, because I want to jump Heath’s bones, and he’s incredibly attractive, but the thought of stripping naked in front of him, letting him see every part of me… It makes me feel vulnerable.

Other men have never made me feel this way. I don’t really have much casual sex, but I’m pretty good at separating sex from emotions. In fact, I often scoff when girls tell me they can’t “just have sex like men do,” because I do it all the time.

Or at least I did.

But now… I don’t know.

Heath turns off his computer and gets up from his chair. His gaze zeroes in on me—the exposed skin of my calves, the curves hidden underneath my usual blouse-and-pencil-skirt combo, and my face as I struggle to decide where to look. He’s making me forget how to act normal.

He smirks as his hot stare brands his desire onto my body.

Somehow, that doesn’t look like the kind of expression one puts on for breakfast…

* * *

“You said we were having breakfast.” I scamper down the carpeted hotel hallway to catch up with Heath.

“We are.” He maintains his easy stride. With his long legs, he doesn’t need to try to outpace me.

“Why are we going to a hotel room?” I glance at the plastic card in Heath’s hand. That’s a room key, right? He must’ve gotten it from the front desk downstairs.

“Haven’t you heard of room service?” Heath asks as he swipes the key card and the door beeps open. “After you,” he says with an exaggerated bow.

“Thank you.” I curtsy. I hear him chuckle as I walk past him into the hotel room. I ask again, “So, breakfast?”

The door swings shut behind us with an ominous click.

“You said you’d already had breakfast.” Heath’s footsteps get nearer, the rubber soles muffled by the thick carpet. “Did you maybe just have danger again for breakfast and that’s why you’re hungry now?”

I huff a small, nervous laugh. “Maybe.”

“Danger with a side of danger?”  

“Exactly.” I walk deeper into the room until I reach the big floor-to-ceiling window at the far end and touch the cold, hard glass with the pads of my fingers.

“What are you so afraid of?” Heath asks, his voice so close I can almost feel its vibrations.

“Nothing,” I say.

That's a lie. It’s not nothing. But I don’t know what it is either.

Without saying a word, Heath approaches from behind, his hard chest almost touching my back. I shudder from his nearness, and I hope he doesn’t notice.

He’s warm, and solid. He feels like safety. Like shelter on a rainy day—even if it’s a temporary one.

Before I realize what I’m doing, I lean back and close the gap between us.

Heath takes that as an invitation. His arms run up my sides and wrap around me.

A chill runs down my entire body as his breath lands on the back of my neck. With my hair up in a ponytail, Heath has full access to that sensitive part of my body.

When his lips graze my skin, soft and firm at the same time, a heavy sigh escapes my mouth. It only makes him kiss me harder, his tongue and teeth joining in on the assault on my receptive nerve endings.

As my sighs turn into moans, it becomes clear that Heath has no plans to stop any time soon.

I bite my lower lip to stop myself from making any more noises that would only urge Heath on. Then, I bite harder to distract myself from the sinful sensations shooting from my neck and straight to my center, making my whole being yearn for him.

“Heath,” I say, in an attempt to interrupt him. But my voice comes out raspy with arousal, and it sounds like a cry of passion.

“I told you I was going to make you say my name,” he whispers before he nibbles on my earlobe, sending another shudder down my spine.

I decide it takes too much effort to correct him, so I get to the point. “What about breakfast?”

“You’re my breakfast, kitten,” he says with a light chuckle as he drags his mouth over my shoulder, pushing the fabric of my blouse with his lips. His fingers deftly work on the buttons along the front of my blouse.

So he’s planned to do this, the entire time.

Heath pulls my blouse off and turns me around. He yanks me into a bruising kiss, his lips and tongue claiming my mouth. I can only open up and let him do as he pleases, while the pressure in my pussy grows stronger and more insistent.

There’s no going back from this. I’m starting to lose my mind, and I’m starting to forget why I need to keep things professional.

Maybe Heath’s right. Just because I’m also making money from this arrangement, doesn’t mean it can’t also be fun. Maybe I should allow myself to enjoy this.

Like Jane said, this is going to make for great dinner-party conversation material. I’m sure there are women out there who’d pay good money to know what Heath Anders is packing underneath his designer suits.

But I can’t even think anymore. Heath’s hands roam all over my hips, my tits, my ass… My mind is filled to the point of bursting with little explosions of pleasure.

I don’t even pay attention when my clothes fall to the carpeted floor one by one, until I’m standing without a thread on my body, while Heath descends to his knees, his lips trailing kisses down my cleavage, my abdomen, and my thighs.

My knees feel weak. My back and ass press back against the glass window. We’re on a high floor, but technically, anyone with a strong enough zoom lens can see me butt naked as the day I was born.

Except I’m doing something very adult right now. Or rather, very adult things are being done to me.

Heath parts my legs and drags his lips up my thighs. The world spins into an inconsequential blur. All that matters is how much closer he is to where I want him to be, where I need him to be—the part of me that’s throbbing in need right now, craving him.

“Heath,” I sigh as I reach down to touch his hair—his silky, luscious hair. I rest my palm on his head. “Should we…” My sentence hangs in the air as my words turn into a breathy moan. I try again. “Maybe we should move to the bed.”

“No, I’m good here.” He smirks as he parts my legs even further and wraps his arms around my thighs, making me lose even more balance.

I lean back against the glass—warm now from my body heat—and feel myself slide down to a point where my legs no longer supports me. Only Heath’s muscular arms and strong hands are keeping me upright.

“Heath, I…” I bite my lower lip as Heath’s lips grazes over my pussy lips, light as a feather. God. How do I even get a chance to think a complete thought?

“Yeah?” he asks in an innocent, casual tone before he goes back to torturing me, his lips only barely touching my folds, and his breath caressing the hyper-sensitive skin around them.

The pressure within me builds up to the point where I have to remind myself to breathe.

“Did you say something?” Heath asks with his lips still between my legs, sending little sparks of pleasure with every syllable he utters.

Before I can think of anything to say, Heath’s tongue swipes over my lower lips, and I can only gasp in surprise. After that slow tease, I didn’t expect him to do that.

“I guess you changed your mind and now you don’t want to move anymore, huh, kitten?” Heath asks before he dives back in.

He sucks my pussy lips into his mouth, where it’s impossibly warm and wet and… Ugh, I don’t even know how to describe this sensation. Yes, it’s warm and it’s wet, but that doesn’t do justice to just how head-explodingly good this feels. (Is that a word? Head-explodingly? If it's not, it should be.)

I’m melting. My insides have grown so hot that there’s nothing left to do but liquefy.

I don’t care anymore who’s looking at me from outside the hotel building, or whether my legs are strong enough to support my weight. I let go and rest my weight on Heath’s sturdy arms,

“You can move to the bed yourself if you want to, kitten,” Heath says. “I’m staying, though. But you’re free to go.”

Is he joking? As if I can walk away from this. Even talking has become a struggle. We both know I’m not going anywhere.

Even though Heath’s not restraining me with his hands, his mouth has imprisoned me. Now all I can focus on is his tongue going around my clit in tighter and tighter circles.

Before I know what I’m doing, I put my hand on his head and feel his little movements under my palm.

Heath Anders. The Wall Street genius who’s made a killing in the stock market with his bold moves. The billionaire who runs a big, successful hedge fund management company. That's the man kneeling between my legs right now, driving me insane.

My moans get louder as Heath’s skillful tongue plays with my clit, rubbing me mercilessly. The time for teasing is over, and he means business now.

Every little cell in my body thrums, waiting for Heath to deliver the final blow. My muscles tense.

And then, it comes. It starts with an explosion in my core, that spreads throughout my body, to the top of my head and the tips of my toes. Shudders rip through me, and I can only let go, trusting that Heath won’t let me fall.

As I come down from my climax, Heath props me up while I regulate my breathing and regain my balance.

“That was a delicious breakfast, kitten,” Heath says as he gets up and wipes my wetness from his face. “I need to get back to the office now, but you’re welcome to stay here for the rest of the day. You can spend the night, too, if you want to.”

“Oh… Umm… Thanks.” I can’t really think of anything better to say, which makes me feel dumb.

But then again, it’s not like I could’ve prepared myself for this situation by Googling “what to say to my boss after he randomly eats me out in a hotel” for suggestions.

I feel small and vulnerable after my violent orgasm. The fact that I’m naked only magnifies my feelings of self-consciousness.

Heath is still wearing his suit, jacket and all. Except for a few more creases at the knees, he appears perfectly respectable.

I, on the other hand… My forehead is dotted with sweat, my cheeks are flushed red, and my clothes are scattered all over the floor.

Before I can collect myself, Heath cracks open the door. “See you tomorrow, kitten.”

With that, he walks away, leaving me naked and dumbfounded in an unfamiliar, upscale hotel room.

Any notion that this is going to stay strictly a baby-for-money arrangement has evaporated.

I mean, what did that have to do with having a baby together? Unless I’ve been sorely misinformed, that’s not how it’s done.

And yet… I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy that. I did, immensely. And I’m already looking forward to more of that.

I don’t know how I’m going to feel after the baby’s born and things between Heath and me come to an end.

Maybe I’ll be fine with it. I’ll admit it’s difficult when Heath insists on being his charming self, and it turns out he’s a generous lover, too. That’s a lethal combination. But maybe I’m not as fragile as I am afraid.

Or maybe I’m just grasping for excuses to keep this crazy plan going, just because I haven’t had enough of him. Perhaps I’m ignoring a big warning sign. It could be a mistake to let my guard down and have a little fun with this arrangement.

But as I draw a hot bath in the luxurious en-suite, I realize none of the rationalizations I come up with matter. I’m doing this for reasons I don’t understand anymore.

It’s just like before, when Heath had me trapped in place even though he was only pressing his lips against my pussy. He’s cast a spell on me, and now I can’t muster up the will to walk away. I don’t even want to.

I dip my hand into the soothing, hot water in the tub.

Everything's going to be okay. After all, that was clearly about sex, right? And there's only one rule: don't fall in love.