Fifteen minutes earlier...
“Fuck.”
I pore over yet another spreadsheet. We’re still no closer to zeroing in on the culprit of this disaster and it’s
starting to seriously piss me off.
And I’m distracted. I refuse to admit I’m still obsessed with a certain virgin-turned-sex- goddess who refuses
to budge from my dreams and my thoughts. It’s like she’s lodged herself there, all sultry and gorgeous, torturing
me, just like she did that night in Hawaii when I couldn’t get enough of how fucking perfect she was.
Right before she vanished into thin air. The intercom on my desk buzzes. I almost ignore it. It’s Hayley, letting
me know that my next appointment is here. A new employee, Penelope mentioned. It’s my policy to meet every
new arrival. I like to be able to match names to faces and let people know up front what we expect from them.
“Dusty Rose is here to see you,” Hayley says through the small intercom.
Dusty Rose. Something about the name gets my attention. I’m really not in the mood to meet a new recruit this
morning. I’m up to my eyeballs in irate phone calls and paperwork from hell. I consider telling
Hayley I’m too busy.
I vaguely remember Noah telling me about a recent interview. He was impressed by some new junior analyst
who’d applied. He thought she’d be a good fit. We’d discussed whether it was the right time to be hiring,
considering what we’re dealing with, but I wasn’t about to admit defeat and put our plans on hold because some
fucking moron is trying to make a quick buck.
Still, the thought of meeting this woman who may not have a job by the end of the month if everything turns to
shit puts me on edge. If she hasn’t already heard about the leak, she will soon enough, and then she’ll have
questions. Which at this stage I’m not sure I’ll be able to answer.
I could leave it to Penelope to fill her in on all the details she’ll need. But it’s important to at least ke ep up
appearances. Avoidance might do me more damage than good. People might talk. Or speculate. Whoever this new
hire is doesn’t need to know that we’re on the verge of hemorrhaging some serious money. Those particular
concerns are way above her pay grade. And I intend to get a handle on things so it stays that way.
Dusty Rose. Is it me or does the name sound almost... Texan? I click the button that unlocks my door. It opens.
A young woman walks into the room and... holy fuck. Am I so stressed out I’m hallucinating? The door closes
behind her. Tex. My Tex. She’s here. Have I fantasized about her so much that my brain is playing tricks on me?
She was gorgeous in Hawaii but now, standing here in the middle of reality, she looks a thousand times more
beautiful. Her long hair is pulled up, revealing her stunning face. Her eyes are bright, that light dusting of freckles
across her nose faded now. Flags of pink warm her cheeks. She’s wearing a little black dress that shows off her
mind-numbing curves. Gold earrings catch the sunlight. Her full lips branded me in a way I still haven’t recovered
from. Now, they’re painted a shade of lipstick that’s somewhere between pink and red. My cock thickens.
“It’s you,” she says. I stand up from my desk, still half in shock. I’m wild with relief but also rage. This girl
has put me through hell, thinking I might have lost her for good. “You said you were from Dallas.”
“Austin, actually.” “Why the fuck would you n —?” I almost jump when the door opens and Penelope swans
in. “I am so sorry about that little hold-up, Mr. Maddox. Have you met Dusty Rose, our newest junior analyst?
She’s going to be working on Evan’s team.”
Oh, I’ve met her. I’ve also feasted on her delectable pussy until she came on my tongue. And then I fucked her
like there was no tomorrow.
Willing my dick not to get a raging fucking hard-on, I walk over to her, playing along with the formalities.
The last thing I want is for Penelope to pick up on the electricity sparking between us. Dusty is staring at me,
shocked, but she’s ke eping it in check. Even so, her skin is flushed. I wonder if she’s wet for me.
I want to run my hand up her thigh and find out, fingering her little clit until she moans.
“Dusty, this is Mr. Cash Maddox. Our CEO.” Slowly—because I get to touch her again and I need to ke ep my
cool—I hold out my hand.
She places her hand in mine, gripping lightly. I’m remembering what it felt like when she gripped my cock.
“Dusty Rose.” I can’t help the edge to my voice when I say her name. You little minx. Our eyes are locked.
“It’s a pleasure.”
“And you... Mr. Maddox.” Call me Ace, baby girl, like you did when you rode my big, bursting dick as we
both came hard.
She ke eps the handshake brief, pulling back. I channel my inner aloof CEO, which is easy enough to do. I
know how to play it, so Penelope doesn’t pick up on the sparking tension between us. After all, my father was the
perfect role model for the distant, asshole boss. “We’re glad to have you on board.”
“Thank you. I’m really excited to be here.” Dusty is saying all the right things too, but her voice sounds almost
breathless. Even so, there’s a resolve to her tone I don’t like. A barrier between us.
I have to restrain myself from reaching out to her and pulling her into my arms. Breathing her in, kissing that
luscious mouth. She’s really fucking here. I’m not dreaming her.
It takes all the willpower I possess to turn away from her. Penelope takes this as her cue. “Right, we’ve got
final contractual things to go over, so we’ll leave you to it, Mr. Maddox.”
My fingers grip the back of my leather office chair so hard they leave dents.
I watch Tex follow Penelope out the door without so much as a backwards glance.
She’s mine. Tonight. If I can wait that long to get her alone.