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I looked away but didn’t offer a response The reason? I had none

“I a tone of indifference “I don’t have tiames with you”

I exhaled and spun back to face hias didn’t work out between us I’d lose everything Can’t you understand?”

“Frankly, no, I can’t,” he stepped close toless than a foot between us as he continued “There is no ‘us’, Maddie I’ more”

I held his gaze for a moment or two but as his intensity and focus increased, I broke away and looked down at the ground I wasn’t even sure where to look

Just… away

Grey continued, “Do I want to throw you down on that dining roo to do that and risk throwing away a business deal with you and an invest I believe has real promise? No Maddie, I'm not”

I sed at his unlikely confession His words stoked ain Shit, no matter when I was around hiht every instinct I had to just fall into him and let him do with me what he would Yet somehow, I resisted, as Grey continued to speak

“Despite what you may have heard or have to cos I don’t mean I’ve made my interest in you, as well as your business, clear I can keep the two separate But if you cannot, then that’s understandable You ot the world by the tail, that there’s never a downside risk forI do But, in fact, all I have in life are downsides, Maddie If you can i to lie to you to get ahead, then you’ll have some idea of that it’s like to be me”

I turned my head back towards hi to you, Grey”

“Nor I to you”

I felt sick toI could say to tell him how sorry I was, that I didn’t mean it and no, I didn’t understand what it meant to be him I wanted to say all that and more, but I couldn't because all those words weren’t necessary when only the next three would suffice

“Grey, I’m sorry”

“I ao now”

I nodded and turned my back to walk towards the front door of the room As I moved, Grey trailed behind me until at last I reached the entrance I stopped and turned back to face him for what I supposed was the final time, but before I walked out on him forever, I had to know if it was true

Tugging ue and moistened my lips

“Did you mean what you said? About, you know…”

As he listened to me, I looked into Grey’s eyes His eyelids moved with slow, rhythmic blinks as if they kept time to a metronome in his head I felt my torso fall back a couple of inches until the cool sensation of the huge oak door pressed against my backside

Grey only looked at ap between us Once he’d moved to less than a few inches away, he lifted his hands up towards le smooth motion, cradled my chin in theainst his fingertips as I sed it down My heart raced with erratic pulses and thu his flesh to et so much as a taste of you, I won’t be able to stop Not until I’ve taken what I want You must understand this about ”

His pupils bore into me as he spoke I hesitated for a moment before my mouth drifted open and with a silent nod, I invited Grey’s lips to mine Without hesitation, Grey crashed his erness He continued to cradle ues flicked and licked at one another, at last able to taste each other for the first time

My hands pressed against Grey’shim closer to me Beneath it, just beyond es of his defined midsection His musk permeated my senses as he leaned into ainst the softness of my curves My hands continued to travel down his ers moved with precision as I scra

While I worked to loosen his belt, Grey’s hands dropped away froed his fingertips along oosebumps erupted on my arms After I’d released his belt, I reached down to his pants and started to unfasten them As I did, I felt his hands travel up and down the center of my back as he searched for the zipper to my jumpsuit