Ariel lifted her gaze from her notebook and looked at me. It was obvious what she was thinking. She didn’t need to say it.
Pias gave us a report about the recent shipment to the Middle East. He was one of the foot soldiers that was responsible for packaging our quality product and ensuring it reached our clients in the perfect condition. That wasn’t something a factory of robots could do.
Ariel scribbled her notes. “I’m glad everything is going smoothly. Sales have spiked since the opening.”
I rested my fingertips against my lips. “No surprise there.” All of the nobility got to sample my scotch firsthand. It was a nice respite from all the French wines they drank on a daily basis. Scotch wasn’t just a man’s drink—it was everyone’s drink.
Ariel stared at me with narrowed eyes, her passive-aggressive attitude leaking from her pores. She was waiting for me to ask what her problem was.
But I wasn’t gonna take the bait.
Dimitri opened the door to the drawing room then came to my side. He leaned down to my ear and whispered his message. “Lady London is asking for you. Should I tell her you’re in a meeting?”
The second she was on my mind, I didn’t want to think about anything else. I wanted to circle my arms around her waist and kiss her, even if it was only for a few minutes. Then I would return to this dry meeting so Ariel could continue to shoot me glares. “I’ll see her.” I rose from my chair. “Excuse me. Carry on without me.”
Ariel looked like she wanted to kill me. “You can’t expect us to carry on when you’re the owner of this fine business.” She gripped her black pen until her knuckles turned white. With those black glasses on the bridge of her nose, she looked even more terse.
I didn’t care for her attitude. “That’s a good point, Ariel.”
She relaxed, like she assumed her words got to me.
“You can wait until I’m ready to return.”
Now she really wanted to rip her claws into me.
I walked out without looking back, knowing her anger would have tripled by the time I returned. I closed the thick door behind me and saw London standing near the staircase in pastel blue dress and nude heels. Dimitri arranged for her clothing to be put into the closet, and everything looked spectacular on her. She had the perfect figure, so everything fit nicely. She hadn’t noticed me yet, so I took advantage of the next few seconds to appreciate the sight of her.
She really was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
And she was mine.
I walked toward her with my hands in my pockets, playing it cool even though my heart was racing in my chest. She made my body tense and excited in a way no one else ever had. I was used to sharing my life with her, but now there was this indescribable electricity between us. I could feel it anytime I was near her.
When her eyes landed on me, they widened imperceptibly, but I paid enough attention to notice the small detail. She looked just as pleased to see me even though I’d only been gone for a few hours.
“Yes?” My arms circled her petite waistline, and I positioned her perfectly against my chest, my lips moving to hers in a sensual embrace. My mouth hesitated the second I touched hers, feeling that energy I’d become reliant on. I moved my hand into her hair, and I pulled her tighter against me as the kiss quickened on its own. I took several steps forward and guided her against the wall, getting her in a perfect spot she couldn’t slip away from—not that she would try.
Her hands started at my waistline where she fingered the loops on my pants. She gave a quick tug and pulled me tighter against her, wanting more of me even though I’d already given her everything. Her hands moved to my waist next then slowly slid up my chest until she felt my shoulders. I knew how much she loved my body because she touched me the exact same way every morning and every night.
The kiss went on for minutes, and while I was hard in my slacks, I didn’t think about taking her upstairs into our bedroom. I was content with this kiss, with this embrace that made my entire body come alive. I’d never kissed a woman like I did with her. Her mouth was enough for me. I was satisfied with so little even though I usually craved so much more. It didn’t make any sense.
I finally pulled away when ten minutes passed, knowing I couldn’t keep Ariel and Pias waiting forever. My hands remained on her tiny waistline, the perfect position to get a tight grip on her. My face pressed against hers, and I stared at her lips, not really thinking about anything. It was the only sense of Zen I ever received, the existence of absolute peace. She somehow bestowed it on me. “Did you need something?”
Her hands remained against my chest, and her words came out as a whisper. “Wanted to see if you wanted to have lunch together…”
“I’m having a meeting right now, but we’ll be finished soon.”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.” She kissed the corner of my mouth, her lips moving over the thick hair that had come in since I skipped the shave that morning. “Sorry that I interrupted you.”
“You never interrupt me.” My hands cupped her face, and I gave her another kiss, needing something to hold me over until I was finished speaking with Ariel and Pias. I forced myself to step away before I kissed her hard all over again. Then another ten minutes would pass, and Ariel would only be angrier.
I walked back inside and felt the tension the second I entered the room. I knew shit was about to hit the fan because Pias was nowhere in sight. Ariel had obviously excused him so she could speak to me in private.
I knew it was coming.
“Crewe, I’m very concerned about you and that woman.”
“I can tell.” I drank my water to mask my irritation. I didn’t tell Ariel off like I normally would with someone else. She was a great business partner and deserved more respect than that. I wasn’t ignorant of her capabilities. But if she pushed me too far, I would come undone.
“I’m serious. You said she didn’t mean anything to you, but I see the way you look at her.”
“And have you seen the way she looks at me?” London couldn’t get enough of me. Every morning when I left the sheets, she begged me to stay with her. During our meals together, her hands were usually on my body—her eyes glued to mine. When we fucked at night, she was all over me. She took my cock like she wanted it as much as I gave it to her, and when we slept, she was wrapped around me like a child with a teddy bear. I wasn’t stupid.
I knew she loved me.
I didn’t know when it happened, exactly. But at that opening, she was fiercely jealous of Josephine—not that there was anything to be jealous of. She didn’t want to leave my side—not even for a second. I was the center of her universe. She was pissed that she’d been taken from her home, but now she didn’t care anymore.
I was home.
The realization didn’t bother me. I loved her infatuation, her obsession. I loved it when she demanded that I be faithful to her. Her need only made me need her more. I’d never been turned on by clinginess or commitment, but I liked knowing London needed me.