He nodded, his lips thinning once again. “I said I would.” But he wasn’t doing it happily. That was clear.

Martha turned to her team. “Okay. We can go and start moving on this.” Her gaze fell to Chrissy, and she faltered as her workers began leaving the room. “Unless there’s another matter we haven’t addressed?”

“There isn’t.” Peter spoke up before my mom could. He had gone back to his computer. “Bailey’s mother is here for her daughter. That is all.”

It was a nice dismissal, but I was sure there was an added sting being sent in my mother’s direction. Her eyes clouded over, so I was right, but Kash was standing. His hand on my wrist. He was pulling me with him, shaking his head when I looked up at him. He was warning me against getting between the two.

Matt was trailing behind the PR team, talking to the two girls.

Martha was moving ahead of us, so once we cleared the doors, we still didn’t say a word. Kash didn’t want my father’s PR team to learn anything more, but we did move to the elevator with them all.

I glanced back.

Chrissy was coming down the hallway with Marie, their heads together, talking in quiet tones.

The elevator opened. Kash waited as most of the publicists got on. Matt looked to remain once it was filled, but Martha stepped back and nodded to him. “You stay. Go with them. I’ll catch the next one.”

The door closed.

Marie and Chrissy joined us, and we were all silent. Waiting for another elevator to ping its arrival.

Once it did, Kash still didn’t go.

Marie and Chrissy moved around us, pausing as they stepped inside.

He said to Marie, “Take Bailey’s mother to the estate. We’ll be coming later.”

Martha was clearly hoping to go with us, but when he gave her a pointed look, she got on. Slapping a hand to hold the doors open, she lowered her voice. “I have been aware of who you are while I’ve worked for Peter Francis. I didn’t know all the details, and I’m impressed with how much you were able to keep quiet. But make no mistake. That time is gone, Mr. Colello. You are firmly, and I believe permanently, in the spotlight—your holdings with Phoenix Tech, who your grandfather is … and I have a feeling you have more you are attempting to hide. But you are not only a national interest but global as well. Governments are going to be interested in you. Do not put off moving on your public perception. You will be shocked how much it will help if we work with the press rather than against them.”

Those were her parting words before she stepped back.

The door closed between us and them.

FORTY-EIGHT

I assumed we weren’t going with them.

Kash’s hand was on the back of my shoulders, guiding me into the elevator when it opened again, and as soon as the door shut he was crowding me against the wall. There was a camera in here, but damn. I was not caring. Watching me, almost close enough to kiss, he hovered over me as he pushed the button for us. I thought he’d close the distance, but he didn’t. He was just standing against me, looking into me, and feeling my heartbeat speeding up.

Not one word was spoken.

We were there, right there, with each other. Seeing each other. Feeling each other. Our chests were rising, matching, and as soon as that started, I saw him. He was torn. He was tired. He was twisted inside. And seeing that I was seeing him, his hand raised like it always did. He touched my chin, his thumb grazing over my lips. His eyes darkened and he began to bend down, his lips just a trace away from touching mine.

The door opened, and someone cleared their throat.

He swore under his breath, moving with his hand behind my back, and we pushed past a small group of onlookers. Eyes were wide as they put two and two together. I was assuming Kash wasn’t a regular fixture at the building. I was wondering if my father was, because we weren’t at the headquarters, just one of his buildings downtown.

He guided me outside, where a car was waiting for us. So were the press. Cameras started going off as we climbed inside. People were asking Kash questions. A few were sent my way, but the publicist was right. Everyone was enamored with Kash.

He leaned forward, telling the driver, “My place.” Then he was sitting back, capturing my hand and threading our fingers. He held on to me as if he needed my touch to just be. My heart was in my throat, feeling all of that and letting it roll over me. I was just embracing it, until our driver pulled into the basement parking garage and we were getting back out.

“Kash,” I started, as soon as we got to his place, but he wasn’t having it.

He caught me up, lifting me in the air, and I was carried to his bedroom.

I felt his urgency.

He stripped me bare, laying me down, and then he worshipped me.

He needed this. I felt it in every inch of my being.

He needed to love me, to make me come—over and over again, if I was basing this off past nights—and then, only then, would he allow himself release. And as he took the rest of his clothes off, every inch of him taut and hard and just a masterpiece for me to appreciate, he came back to me, and I was right.

He took his time, making me cry out and plead and scream. He waited until my voice was hoarse, until I was begging for him to enter me, and only then did he pull on a condom and sheath himself inside of me.

Long. Deep. He pushed in, held, and his eyes holding mine, he began to move.

Thrusting.

Slow.

So fucking controlled.

I was going with him. I was trying to make him lose control, but he was locked in some form of restraint that I couldn’t penetrate. I tried. I kissed him. I raked my nails down his back, his chest. As he pulled out, I reached for him, but he only caught my hand and pinned it back beside my head. He pushed back in, still so goddamn fucking slow, stretching me, making me feel every single inch of him, before he pulled back out, then in.

“Kash. Please.”

He bent his head down, his forehead resting on my shoulder, and a deep groan escaped him. He pushed harder, deeper, and then something snapped.

He moved faster. More forcefully.

It was building. Rising inside of me, mixing with a deeper emotion, twining together, and as he pushed, grinding to the hilt and his hand coming to my clit, I cried out.

Gripping my hip tight, he turned his head into my neck.

A growl ripped from him and I felt his body jerking, falling down onto me, as we both climaxed, our bodies trembling.