He studied my face before pulling it closed. “Why are you upset?”
I took the diamond anklet from my pocket and held it out to him. “I’m not a whore.”
He blinked a few times. “What are you talking about?”
I waved the box around. “That night meant something to me, even if it didn’t to you. You could’ve just ignored me like you did for days after and left it at that. But instead you had to treat me like one of your fuck buddies.”
“That’s not what I was doing.”
“Really?” I tilted my head. “You told me you buy a fuck-off gift for your playthings. Can you honestly stand there and tell me you’ve never bought one of them an anklet like this?”
Jagger’s face fell.
I rolled my eyes. “Exactly.” I tossed the box to him and started marching back toward the door. Jagger caught up to me just as I reached for the handle. He wrapped his arm around my waist and squeezed.
“Stop.”
My anger suddenly morphed into hurt, and I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me upset. I tried to wriggle from his grip. “I need to go.”
“Hear me out first.”
I didn’t agree, but I did stop trying to escape. Once I stilled, Jagger spoke in a low, even voice. “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
I swallowed back tears.
He continued. “You’re right. I have sent that gift to women who didn’t mean anything to me. But I honestly wasn’t trying to do that with you. You said the anklet that broke was from your ex. As much as I would have preferred to throw it in the trash, I got it fixed because it sounded like it meant something to you. At the same time, I hated the idea of you wearing it again, so I wanted to give you an alternative. I should’ve picked out something more personal. It was stupid, and if the roles were reversed and you’d given me something you bought for other men, I would be just as upset.” He paused. “Will you turn around and look at me now so I can apologize to your face?”
I wasn’t ready to look at him, but I didn’t fight him when he guided me to turn.
Jagger bent his knees slightly, so we were lined up eye to eye. “I’m sorry. Can you forgive me?”
I nodded.
“Thank you.” He brushed the hair back from my face and smiled. “Just in case a small part of you is still uneasy and thinks I’m full of shit about you being different than other women I’ve spent time with, I’m going to show you something.”
I let him take my hand and walk us back behind his desk. He pressed a key on his keyboard, and the monitor woke up from its screensaver. Jagger pointed to the top right corner, where the security feed from my floor was playing. “It’s been there since last Monday.” He shook his head. “I’m reading nine-hundred pages of bullshit from the DOJ that could mean the end of my company and meetingwith lawyers all day long, and yet I can’t stop watching this fucking thing.”
I probably should’ve been freaked out that he’d just told me he’d been watching me, yet it made me feel just the opposite. It settled my nerves.
I stared at the screen for a minute, even though nothing was happening in the security feed since no one was in yet. Then I turned to face Jagger again. “Will you have dinner with me this weekend?”
His eyes reflected his hesitation. “We wouldn’t be good together, Sutton.”
“I thought we were pretty good together Saturday night.”
He smiled sadly. “I’m a workaholic who’s controlling and likes things a certain way.”
“How do you know I don’t like them the same way?Idon’t even know what I like yet, Jagger.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he stared into my eyes for the longest time. Eventually his hand went to my hip, and he mumbled a string of curses as he yanked me flush against him. I felt his cock, hard and thick against my abdomen.
“Fuck it. Maybe this thing will finally go down on Saturday then.”
I nibbled my lip. “I could…make it go down now.”
He groaned. “We don’t have time for that. I told everyone to be here by seven this morning to go over the DOJ filing. I expect Edmund will be walking in any moment.” He reached behind me, grabbed my ponytail, and gave it a yank so firm that my head snapped back. “Seven PM Saturday. I’ll pick you up. Now kiss me and get out of my office.”
Jagger moved in fast, pressing his lips against mine. Within seconds, all the tension that had been swirling inside me was gone, and I melted into his tight hold. He groaned again. “Open your legs. I need to make you come quickly, or I’ll never be able to think straight today.”
