She walked with me, and I felt her body tense. “I’m so nervous,” she admitted.
“I know you are, but Donovan will be there the whole time, and he’ll make sure you’re okay.”
Just thinking about him caused my heart to dance. It’d been three days since he’d cracked and opened up to me. Three days since he’d finally let me all the way in.
“I can’t believe he offered me this job,” Annie cut into my thoughts.
I stopped her and turned so we were facing each other. “He offered you this job because he knows you’re capable of it, Annie. You have so much to offer the world and yet you hide yourself away. I really wish you could see you the way I see you.”
Donovan had asked me about Annie and when he’d suggested she go to work for him in administration, I’d been stunned. I wanted to keep her close to me, so I could keep an eye on her and make sure she was okay, but he suggested she needed to spread her wings a little more and learn to be more independent rather than relying on me so much.
“I love you, Layla. I know I don’t tell you that very much, but you’ve done so much for me. And I know, I annoy you with my lack of confidence, but I’m trying to change.”
Her words almost broke my heart. “That means the world to me, but do it for you, not for me. It’s time for you to make yourself happy, Annie, rather than always trying to make everyone else happy.”
Her psychologist had spoken to her about her need to please everyone at our last session. Annie always insisted on me attending the appointments with her, and I’d actually gotten a lot out of them. I’d gained a better understanding of where her behaviour stemmed from.
“I know,” she whispered. “And I am working on it, I promise.”
I squeezed her hand. “Good.”
We drove to Donovan’s warehouse in silence. I sensed Annie’s nervousness and fought my instinct to try to take it away for her. She had to learn to cope with it herself. God, being a real mother must be so damn hard; fighting that need to make it all better for your child would do my head in.
One of Donovan’s men met us at the door and took us up to him. When we arrived at his office, he was on the phone and had his back to us as he stared out the window. I let my gaze roam over his body. He wore his signature jeans, black t-shirt and heavy boots. As he spoke, he waved his hand in the air and I watched his arm and back muscles flex while he did that.
Oh god.
He’d left my bed at seven this morning after fucking me for an hour, and I needed him again.
He turned and caught me checking him out. Grinning at me, he ended his call and walked to where I was. He reached for me and pulled me close so he could press a kiss to my lips. “Fuck, I need you again,” he growled in my ear.
“God, baby, don’t say that to me when you can’t do anything about it,” I complained, pulling away from him.
He let me go, but I suspected it would have been a different story if Annie hadn’t been in the room. Turning, he gave her a smile. “You all ready?” he asked. I loved the way he was with her; soft and caring. It was like he knew she needed that rather than the harshness the rest of the world showed her.
Nodding, she said softly, “Yes.”
He turned his attention back to me for a moment. “Stay here, okay? I’ve got something to tell you when I come back.” His voice was gravelly, and I figured he didn’t have something to tell me as much as he had something to give me.
I raised my brows at him. “Where else would I go, baby?” I asked, sweetly, in the way I knew drove him wild.
Desire flashed in his eyes, and he gave me a quick shake of his head before leading Annie out of the office.
I waited for him on the couch in his office. He’d worn me out the last few nights with his marathon sex sessions, and my body craved sleep. I curled up on the couch and rested my head on the arm. Donovan woke me with a gentle kiss. My eyes flew open to find him crouched down in front of me, a smile on his face.
“Tired?” he asked, as he ran his hand over my waist.
“Yeah, someone keeps me up all hours.”
He lifted his brows in that sexy way of his. “I bet he’s worth it, though. Bet he knows what he’s doing.”
“I’m still not sure. I think he needs some more time to prove himself.”
His hand gripped me hard around the waist, and he stole a rough kiss. “He’d be happy to work on that now.”
Yes.
I pulled his face back to mine and kissed him again. When I ended it, I asked, “Did you really have something to tell me?”
“Yeah. I’ve found someone to replace Damian if you’re still looking.”
“Absolutely. Who is it?”
“My father’s wife.”