Takeover (Real Men Crave Curves Book 2) Page 4

  Chapter Nine

  Megan

  Am I losing my mind? Maybe it’s the wine…

  As Eric led me out of the elevator and down the posh hallway of the hotel, I couldn’t stop the battle that was raging inside of me.

  I’d never wanted a man more than I wanted him right now. But he was my damn boss and I barely knew him. I had just about convinced myself to make some excuse and get the hell out of there.

  And then we reached the door of Eric’s suite and he pulled me into his arms, crushing my body against his, and kissing me like it was his last night in this world.

  The battle was over right then, and I melted in his embrace, feeling as if I was drowning in the best possible way as his lips moved from my mouth to my neck and then back again.

  I didn’t even care that someone could walk by at any moment and see us. I just moaned and let myself sink into the heat Eric had stoked in me. I gave myself over to him without a second thought.

  When he pulled away from me, I groaned in frustration and disappointment. Eric gave me a panty-melting smile and held up the room’s key card. I gave an audible sigh of relief.

  “Oh, thank God. I thought you were going to stop.”

  “Not a chance of that, beautiful,” Eric said as he opened the door and pulled me inside with him. “I’m just getting started with you.”

  I barely had time to look around at the luxurious suite’s living room before Eric locked the door and scooped me up into his arms, making his way toward the bedroom with me as if I was as light as a feather.

  He kicked the bedroom door open wider with one foot and moved over to the king-sized bed. My heart felt as if it was about to beat out of my chest as he laid me down.

  I watched as he stepped back and started to undress. I can’t take my eyes off his chiseled chest and stomach as he pulls his shirt over his head.

  I’m practically drooling in anticipation of seeing what’s inside his pants, but he stops suddenly and sits beside me, reaching out to slide one hand under the hem of my dress and up my bare thigh.

  I jump and try to push his hand away. It’s a full moon tonight, and there’s too much light coming in through the windows for my comfort. I don’t want him to see my flaws or the plump frame I’ve always been a bit ashamed to show.

  Eric pauses and smiles. “Megan, you couldn’t be more beautiful if you tried.”

  I give a soft, satisfied moan at hearing his words. It’s like he’s read my mind and it just makes me want him more. I let go of everything but the feeling of his hand on my thigh.

  “Please, don’t stop now, Eric…”

  His smile widens and he leans in closer, pressing his lips to mine as his hand makes its way up to rub me through my already wet panties.

  I groan, clamp down on his hand, and show him that I want more by grinding myself against him and lifting up my hips so he can slide my dress up and off.

  I fight my urge to cover my body with my hands and use them to peel off my bra and panties instead, never taking my eyes off Eric as he watches with heat in his own. He gives a long, low groan as I lay there totally nude before him.

  He leans down and kisses the tops of my thighs and they fall open for him. There’s a sharp pang of regret deep inside of me when he pulls away to stand up, unbutton his pants, and yank them off.

  When I see his large cock jutting out in front of him, I begin to tremble, but before I can beg him for it, he’s kneeling between my open legs, pressing it against me.

  I gasp as he pushes it against my swollen lips and throbbing nub. I’ve never wanted anything more than for him to be inside me and I thrust my hips up to show him.

  “Tell me, Megan,” Eric whispered roughly. “You have to tell me what you want.”

  “I want you,” I breathed. “I want you inside of me!”

  With that, Eric slides up and into me, pinning me to the mattress with his weight and pressing need. I cry out from the size of him, but then he starts rocking in and out of me, and I’m lost in daze of pleasure.

  “Sweet Jesus, you feel so good,” Eric groaned as he quickened his pace and reached down to pull my legs up and around him.

  I panted and writhed as he spread me from the inside out, making me feel as if I might pass out from the sweet pain of having the biggest cock I’d ever known pumping in and out in perfect rhythm.

  “I want you to come for me, Megan,” Eric panted. “I don’t know how much longer I can last. Come for me, right now!”

  I don’t know if it was hearing an order from my boss or the pleasure that came from hearing that he was concerned about my orgasm and not just his own.

  Whatever the reason, I found myself groaning and climaxing, calling out his name as I obeyed him and my release sent wave after wave of bliss through me.

  Eric gave a primal cry as he filled me to the brim and then collapsed, pressing that hard body of his into mine and nuzzling my chest and neck with his lips.

  “That’s my girl,” Eric murmured as he turned on his side and pulled me into his embrace. I trembled and tried to catch my breath as we rubbed our sweaty limbs together.

  Neither of us spoke. We just lay there, letting the cool air caress our skin, and before I knew it, I was drifting off into the most satisfying sleep I’d had in a very long time.

  Chapter Ten

  Megan

  I wake up to the smell of coffee and the sound of a running shower. For a few moments, I’m frozen in place with fear, but then the night before comes rushing back.

  Glancing around the room, I see the time on the clock by the bed and sit up in a hurry. It was almost ten in the morning! I’d never been this late for work in my life.

  I scramble out of bed and scoop up my dress from the floor, panic flooding through me at the thought of how angry my boss would be when I finally made into the office.

  Then I give a short laugh. By the sounds of it, the boss man is in the bathroom, washing off last night’s activities as he whistles a happy tune.

  I pull on my dress and wander out into the suite’s living room, following the smell of coffee to a room service tray by the couch, which is also loaded with quite the breakfast spread. My stomach growled loudly, and I remembered that I’d never had a chance to actually eat that “business dinner” the night before.

  Just as I’ve finished pouring myself a cup of coffee and was about to grab a bagel, I looked up to find Eric sauntering into the room, looking clean, well-rested, and as handsome as ever, even though he’s wearing last night’s clothes.

  That makes me think about what I must look and smell like, and I can feel a blush creep up my neck at what Eric must think of me. Not only have I slept with my boss, but I’ve overslept and now we’re both late to work.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” Eric said with that devilish smile of his. “I see you’ve found the breakfast I ordered. Go ahead and pour me a cup of that coffee before we eat.”

  All I can do is stare at him. He’s acting as if we don’t have a care in the world or a company to run. “Aren’t you worried about being late?”

  Eric laughs and waves his hand. “I own the company, don’t forget. I’m pretty sure they’ll wait for me. Besides, I have Leland and his minions to take care of things.”

  Just like that, the cocky grease monkey was back, and I felt anger building inside of me. He didn’t really give a crap about the Kettle Auto Group. Or about me, for that matter.

  I set down the cup of coffee I hadn’t even tasted yet and straightened my spine. “I have a job to do. And I’m going into the office to do it, with you or without you.”

  The iciness of my tone gave him pause, I’ll give him that much, but then he just laughed again and poured his own coffee before opening the breakfast trays.

  “Alright then. I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”

  I felt my eyes filling with tears and I knew I had to get the hell out of there. I didn’t even care at that point that I had no way to get home or into the office – not unle
ss I was willing to catch a ride in Eric’s SUV.

  All I knew was that I’d made a huge mistake and couldn’t stand the thought of being around him right then. The last thing I wanted was to give Eric an inkling that he’d gotten under my skin.

  Or to stick around long enough for me to give into temptation and do it again…

  Eric

  I’d woken up with Megan in my arms and seeing her laying there looking so satisfied had sent a spike of fear through my heart.

  There was no way I was going through the shit show I’d had with Heidi all those years ago with another woman. Not after I’d managed to stay away from anything other than one-night stands for so long.

  No, it was better to keep things all business with Megan, even though things felt much different with her than they had with anyone else that I’d ever taken to bed.

  Besides, all you were really looking for was some fun, right? A bit of a bedroom test drive, that’s all…

  I did my best to tell myself that was true as I showered and dressed while Megan slept, and somewhere along the line, it must have worked.

  By the time I came out of the bathroom, she was waiting for me, looking adorably ruffled and wide-eyed. But I was able to think of her as just a fling again. And to treat her as one, too.

  I wasn’t proud of being the reason why Megan rushed out of the suite with tears in her eyes. I wasn’t a total asshole, after all, but I had to admit that I was relieved.

  Heidi had ripped my heart out and done a Mexican hat dance on it. I wasn’t going to let that happen with anyone else. Not ever again.

  By the time I finished up breakfast and made my way into the office, I’d decided the best thing was to keep Megan at a distance, even if that meant coming off as a bit of a prick to her and the rest of the staff.

  But when I walked in and saw Megan wasn’t at her desk, I couldn’t help myself from being concerned about her, especially since I’d been her ride last night.

  She didn’t strike me as someone that just wouldn’t show up to work, even if she was upset. I asked around the rest of the floor, but nobody seemed to know where she was. Finally, I decided to look her number up in the staff directory and call her myself.

  I booted up my computer and found her number, but her phone just rang and rang on the other end. I’d just hung up and was about to head over to her place to check on her when I saw that there was a message from her in my inbox.

  I opened it and read it quickly. She was taking a “personal day” she said in her e-mail and didn’t want to be disturbed. I knew that was in-line with Kettle HR policies, so there wasn’t much I could do but accept it.

  And tell myself that I wasn’t missing her or second guessing myself about not letting her become more than just a one-time piece of pleasure.

  Chapter Eleven

  Megan

  I didn’t like to miss work. Especially since I was still worried about the state of the company and the future of my career. But I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Eric again that day.

  Feeling a bit like a coward and a sneak, I hid in the back of the hotel lobby and fired off an e-mail to him on my phone, letting him know that I needed a personal day, and that I didn’t want to be contacted.

  And then I called Justine. “I know you’re at work, but I need a ride and some advice.”

  “Oh, honey, just send me the address and I’ll be there.”

  I waited for my friend at the front of the Stratford, trying to not look like someone that had just had a one-night stand followed by a serious emotional upheaval.

  But when I saw Justine pull up, I hurried to her car with my head down and a heart that felt as heavy as a rock before flinging myself into the passenger seat and breaking down into ragged sobs.

  “What happened, Megan?” Justine’s eyes were wide with worry as she pulled away from the hotel, but all I could do was shake my head and stammer out that I wanted to go home.

  Justine reached over and took my hand in one of hers, but she didn’t try to get me to talk. She just gave it a squeeze every once in a while to let me know she was there and ready when I was.

  We pulled into my driveway and I let us into the house, feeling better at just being back in my own place. I thought about taking a shower, but I knew I was still too upset.

  Justine led me over to the couch and sat down with me, letting me cry a little while longer before asking me again what had happened.

  “I’m an idiot! That’s what, plain and simple. I’m a damn fool, Justine.”

  “Just start from the beginning, honey.”

  I took a deep breath and told her about Eric asking me to dinner. And then to dance. And then up to his room. I kept the dirtier details to myself, but let everything else out.

  Justine waited until I was done and then looked me straight in the eyes. “Do you still want to better yourself, Megan? Do you still want to improve your career?”

  I was surprised at her questions for a few seconds, and then I realized that she was coming from things with a much clearer head than I was at this point.

  I hadn’t really been considering my career a whole lot during all of this. It was my heart that I was more concerned about, if I was being totally honest with myself.

  But I knew that Justine was on the right path. I thought about what she’d asked and then nodded my head, slowly at first, and then with more certainty.

  “Yes, I still want both of those things.”

  “Well, then,” Justine said with a sigh. “It seems to me that it might be a good time to start looking for another job. One where you’ll have a real shot at making it.”

  With dawning fear and sadness, I realized that the older woman was right. I’d never have a true chance at using my business degree at the Kettle Auto Group. Not with Eric Castle at the helm.

  In that moment, my mind was made up, and I gave Justine a big hug and thanked her for her help. I’d miss having her as a co-worker, but I knew it was time to turn over a new leaf, and that I’d always have her in my life as a good friend.

  Now, all that there was left to do was tell my arrogant prick of a boss that he was going to have to find a new assistant.

  Eric

  I’d just about decided to say screw it and take a personal day myself, since I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about Megan, when my computer dinged to let me know I had a new e-mail.

  I was pleased to see it was from my missing assistant, but when I saw the subject line of the message, my hands curled into fists and my jaw clenched.

  “What in the hell is this all about?” I muttered as I clicked on the message entitled “Official Notice to Vacate Position with the Kettle Auto Group.”

  My hand tightened on the mouse as I read Megan’s e-mail. She was claiming a “toxic work environment” and an “inability to advance” as her excuse to give me her two-week notice and seek employment elsewhere.

  I leaned back in my chair, feeling as if someone had punched me in the gut. I’d never intended for Megan to leave or even be unhappy here. I’d just wanted to put a buffer between us.

  I’d had my heart broken once when Heidi had left me and I hadn’t wanted it to happen again. I’d put my all into that woman, and ended up with a pain in my chest that never seemed to go away.

  Heidi and I had met in college and fallen in love fast. I’d gone to work with her at her father’s company after we graduated, and everyone had expected us to get married.

  But Heidi had other ideas. She didn’t want to be tied down by anyone or anything, she’d told me, and that was why she’d terminated her pregnancy and our relationship in one fell swoop.

  I’d pushed that hurt way down deep and had vowed to never put myself in a vulnerable position like that again, and I’d stuck to that, even though it had been twenty years since then.

  When I’d confided in Don Kettle about my past, he’d slowly begun to push me toward giving love another chance, which was what all the dating app crap had been about.


  But now, Don was gone, and I was screwing myself over royally in the female department. I was stuck between my own stubborn nature and the fear of letting down my guard and allowing anyone to ever get that close again.

  Thinking about Heidi had made me angry enough, but when I realized I was tearing up over the thought of driving Megan away, I felt a shot of pure rage course through me.

  Damn her for making me care! And damn him for trying to talk me into taking another shot! They’re both gone now, and I’m left holding the bag…

  I sat up straight and ground my teeth together until the tears that had tried to start were back under lock and key. I wasn’t going down this path again, no matter what.

  “You’re better off alone, the way you’ve always been,” I muttered to myself. “Why go looking for trouble and probably finding it?”

  I had a company to finish saving and then run. With a sharp shake of my head, I reached for the phone with one hand and looked up Leland Brown’s number with the other.

  “Get in here and give me an update on this takeover bullshit,” I barked into the receiver when the attorney picked up. “And be quick about it, understand?”

  I hung up on Leland in the middle of his stammered response and put all of my focus on not looking at the empty desk where my assistant once sat.

  It’s time to forget Megan, and Don, and especially that heartless bitch, Heidi. It’s time to say goodbye to them all…

  Chapter Twelve

  Megan

  Sending my two-week notice to Eric had been hard, but I knew it was the right thing to do for my future. I tried to make it as clear as possible that my decision wasn’t based solely upon hurt feelings from the night before.

  But I couldn’t deny that was part of it. My heart and my head were still doing battle, even after my talk with Justine. I kept thinking about how right it had felt when I was with Eric. If only he hadn’t gone back to his cocky ways!

  After I’d composed my resignation e-mail and had Justine read over it, I clicked send with a knot in my stomach, and thanked my friend again for all of her help.