Chapter 96: Chapter Twenty-Three: For The Love of Desks-2

“I can’t possibly regret the best thing in my life,” he said before brushing a kiss on the tip of my nose. “Now, I just have to make my life worthy of having it.” My chin trembled and I placed a finger against his lips. “Please, don’t. You’re not going to make me cry.” Luke smiled. “Only with the good kind of reason.” Then he cocked a brow, his mouth curving up into a flirty tilt on one corner as he pressed down more of his weight on me, searing my skin with the sensual heat of it. “And maybe the first time we make love. But I’ll take care of you, Max. I’ll love you slow and sweet and set you on fire until we both go up in flames.” I couldn’t help but giggle even though my cheeks went scorching hot. “That sounds very much like what the roguish hero says to the blushing virgin in an archaic romance novel.” Luke actually flushed himself this time. “Baby, are you making fun of me?” I pressed my lips tight to suppress my smile and energetically shook my head. He just rolled his eyes and sighed. “And this is what I get for being a gentleman.” My grin finally broke out and I pulled my arms free from under him and threw them in a hug around his naked torso, squeezing him tight, not caring that my face was all squashed up against his muscled chest. “I don’t mind it when you’re not too much of a gentleman sometimes, Luke. Like when you’re lying on top of me and describing our first time and making me hot in places I didn’t even know could get hot.” I couldn’t see his face but he groaned softly, his body shuddering with fraying restraint. “Max, if you don’t let go of me right now, you will be well and truly divirginized before noon.” My arm slinked down and smacked him lightly on the butt. “Don’t tell me that now when I have to be on my way to work in half an hour.” He leaned to the side on one elbow and smirked. “Why don’t you call your boss and tell him you can’t come in today? Tell him you still need a little bit of rest after your ordeal yesterday. Better yet, tell him you’re taking a week off and coming away with me to some romantic getaway.” “Sure,” I said, poking him on the chest with a finger a few times as if dialing. Then I made a phone sign with my hand and brought it to the side of my face. “Mr. Hedenby, I’m afraid I can’t come in today to help you with the proposal. I’ve been confined to the bed by a nearly naked man with very dishonorable intentions on my person. I plan to enjoy every second of it. Thanks for understanding. Have a good day!” He made a face before completely rolling off of me. “You’re no fun, Max.” I pulled myself up to a sitting position. “Well, I am still your employee. We’re probably breaking HR rules.” He shrugged. “You don’t directly report to me.” I raised a brow. “Luke, everyone in the company except your father virtually reports to you.” He frowned a little. “Do you want me to step down?” “No!” “Do you want to resign?” “Not really.” “Do you think people will care if my wife works in the family company?” I really did bite my tongue at that—hard. It probably hurt like a bitch but I didn’t notice because I was busy picking my jaw off the bed. “Um… Uh…” I was the height of eloquence, I know. Luke just studied me with a bemused expression on his face before sighing. “Max, did you seriously think I put myself through all this suffering for a quick fling? Because if that’s what you think this is, you better tell me now so I can set you straight.” Okay. So I might have jumped first but Luke was already way down there—and apparently, it wasn’t unknown at all. In fact, Luke was already very certain of what awaited us—wedding bells, a white gown and hopefully a groom who knew what he was doing with something he’d happily evaded in the last half of his life. He was right. He was definitely mad. And serious about it. And my heart was breakdancing inside my chest, doing moves that were inconceivable in this lifetime. I didn’t realize I was smiling until my cheeks started to ache. “You’re so cute sometimes, it hurts rights right here,” Luke said with a big, exaggerated sigh, placing a hand on his chest. Then he put his arms around me and drew me up to him until I was practically straddling his hips. I fought a shiver at the feel of my breasts pressed up against him with nothing but a thin shirt between our skin, and the feel of him hard and wanting between my legs. Focus, Max. Focus. He touched his forehead to mine and tightened his hold. “I stopped playing games the day I literally ran into you—long before I knew how much my life was going to change. I’m now playing for keeps, Max.” He tilted his head to the side, searching my eyes. “How about you?” I gave a little shrug. “I don’t know. I’m known to be a bit risk-averse.” His jaw hardened. “You have to get over it real fast, Max, because I’m not asking for a little here. I’m asking for everything.” The fierce, intense look in his eyes would’ve crushed the most fragile spine but I could only find myself grinning before I startled him with a kiss on the tip of his nose. “I’m all in, baby.” We would’ve stayed in bed for hours and hours if Terrence didn’t call Luke on his cell to ask where he should be picking him up. Which was a good thing because the last thing I wanted on my first day of being, well, whatever Luke and I were now, was to be late for work. I didn’t want to give anyone any reason to say that I got lazy the moment I rolled into bed with the boss. I planned to play it cool and keep things as professional as possible at work but I wasn’t deluded for one second that no one would ask questions or offer brutally blunt opinions or make all kinds of assumptions.