Chapter 15 Fifteen

Chapter 15 Fifteen
REINA’S POV

The next morning I woke with the taste of peanut butter and Orion still lingering on my tongue. My stomach fluttered every time I remembered his mouth closing around my finger, the heat in his eyes, and the way he had almost leaned in before I bolted. I could not stay cooped up in the penthouse all day pretending nothing had changed. I needed to see him in his world.

When he came out of his room in a crisp navy suit with his tie already knotted, I was waiting by the door in a simple yellow sundress that skimmed my knees. Bessie had already been fed, her water bucket full, and she was contentedly chewing on a toy in her corner.

“I’m coming with you to the office,” I announced.

Orion paused with his keys in hand. “Reina, it’s a full day.”

“I won’t be in the way. I just want to see where you spend all your time. Please?”

He studied me for a long moment, then exhaled. “Fine but stay close to me.”

I smiled and slipped my hand into his for the elevator ride down. He did not pull away.

The Blackwood headquarters was a gleaming tower of glass and steel in Midtown. Heads turned as we walked through the lobby. Whispers followed us to the private elevator. Orion’s hand tightened briefly around mine before he let go.

His office was on the top floor, spacious and minimalist, with a view that made the city look like a toy set. I wandered to the windows while he checked emails at his desk.

A knock came twenty minutes later. An older man in a charcoal suit entered without waiting for an invitation. Board member, I guessed from the way Orion’s shoulders stiffened.

“Orion,” the man said, eyes sliding to me with obvious disdain. “I see you’ve brought company. Is this the infamous goat girl we’ve all heard so much about?”

I felt Orion tense, but before he could speak I stepped forward with a bright smile.

“Reina,” I said, extending my hand. “And yes, I have a goat. Her name is Bessie. She’s very well behaved and currently napping in a penthouse laundry room. But I’m more interested in what you do here. Orion says the merger is hitting regulatory hurdles. Have you considered a pre-closing divestiture of the overlapping Southeast division? It would satisfy the FTC’s market-share concerns without killing the deal.”

The man blinked. His hand shook mine automatically.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Divestiture,” I repeated patiently. “Sell off the redundant assets before closing. It’s cleaner than fighting the regulators for eighteen months. Grandpa used to read the Wall Street Journal to the goats that it improved wool quality and I listened.”

Orion’s mouth twitched. The board member stared at me, then at Orion, then back at me.

“You’re serious.”

“Dead serious,” I said. “Numbers don’t care where they come from. They just need to add up.”

The man cleared his throat. “That’s actually not a bad angle. I’ll run it past legal.” He looked at me with new respect. “You’re full of surprises, Mrs. Blackwood.”

“Reina,” I corrected gently. “And thank you.”

He left shaking his head, muttering about fresh perspectives.

Orion watched me with something close to awe.

“You just schooled Harold Whitaker,” he said quietly. “He’s been on the board since before I was born.”

I shrugged. “He was rude and I fixed it.”

Lunch came at noon. Orion tried to order in but I insisted on the staff cafeteria. “I want to see normal people eat.”

The cafeteria was bright and busy. Heads turned again when we walked in with trays. Whispers rippled: “That’s her,” “The goat girl,” “She’s actually here.”

I ignored them. We found a table near the windows. I had chosen a salad with grilled chicken and a side of fries. Orion had a sandwich that looked boring.

I speared a fry and held it out to him. “Try this. It’s better than your sad kale wrap.”

“Reina.”

“Open.”

He sighed but complied. I fed him the fry. His lips brushed my fingers. Heat flared in my stomach. He chewed slowly, eyes locked on mine.

“See? Better.”

He did not argue. I fed him another. Then a bite of chicken. Each time our fingers touched, the air grew thicker. By the third bite his gaze had gone dark and intense. I felt my cheeks warm.

“You’re enjoying this,” he murmured.

“Maybe.”

The whispers had quieted. People were watching, but not unkindly now. They were more curious and amused.

His assistant, Marcus, appeared at the table with a tablet.

“Sir, the afternoon briefing is in ten and people are talking.”

Orion raised an eyebrow.

Marcus leaned in. “They’re not calling her the goat fiancée anymore. They’re calling her ‘the woman who has Orion Blackwood wrapped around her finger.’”

Orion glanced at me. I smiled innocently.

“Accurate,” I said.

Marcus left. Orion leaned back, arms crossed, studying me.

His eyes softened. “You’re growing on me, Reina.”

The words landed soft and heavy. I felt my breath catch.

He reached across the table and brushed a strand of hair from my face. His thumb lingered on my cheek. The cafeteria noise faded.

“Come here,” he said, voice low.

I stood and walked around the table. He pulled me gently onto his lap. My sundress rode up slightly. His hands settled on my waist.

We were eye to eye now. Close enough to see the flecks of gold in his irises and the faint scar above his left brow.

“Orion.”

He cupped my face with both hands and kissed me.

It was slow at first, tentative, like he was asking permission. I answered by parting my lips. He deepened the kiss, tasting of salt and coffee and something uniquely him. My hands slid into his hair. His arms tightened around me.

I shifted, straddling his lap properly, perched on the edge of his desk now. Papers scattered. Neither of us cared. His hands moved to my thighs, warm through the thin fabric of my dress. I arched closer, kissing him harder, deeper. A soft sound escaped my throat.

His tongue brushed mine and fire raced through me.

Then the door opened.

Marcus cleared his throat loudly.

We broke apart. I scrambled off the desk, cheeks flaming. Orion stood, adjusting his tie, looking dazed.

“Sir, the briefing.”

“Five minutes,” Orion said hoarsely.

Marcus nodded and backed out, closing the door.

I smoothed my dress, heart pounding. “I should go home.”

“Reina.”

“I’ll see you tonight.”

I fled before he could stop me, pulse racing, lips tingling, the taste of him still on my tongue.

ORION’S POV

The boardroom briefing passed in a blur. I answered questions mechanically while my mind replayed the kiss on repeat: her weight on my lap, her fingers in my hair, the soft needy sound she made when I deepened it.

Marcus caught me in the hallway afterward.

“She left,” he said. “Looked a little flushed.”

I nodded. My shirt still carried the faint lavender from last night’s laundry. Every time I moved I caught the scent.

She was growing on me.

She had rooted herself deep, and I was no longer interested in pulling her out.

I canceled my last meeting.

I needed to get home to her.