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“I don’t need to take off to take care of myself,” I whispered.

He shook his head. “This is not the time to be stubborn. I thought women loved self-care days? Why are you so opposed, Apple?”

I started to tell him that I didn’t know, but then the truth bubbled up and out of me before I could stop it.

“He already made me feel inadequate at my relationship. I don’t want to feel inadequate at my job, too.”

Then, to my absolute horror, tears sprang to my eyes. On a Monday afternoon, in my boss’s office, I was coming apart. Saadiq cupped my face, his thumbs stroking under my eyes.

“You don’t have it in you to be inadequate at a damn thing, shorty. Fuck that nigga. Don’t you drop another tear over him,” he murmured.

I stared up at him, my heart suddenly beating entirely too hard. His hands were gentle, steadying me. He was close enough that the heat from his body surrounded me, close enough that I could see the concern lingering in those dark eyes. The desire that I had been battling for so long swelled inside me, and suddenly, I had no motivation to fight it. Why should I always sacrifice, deny what I wanted, be the good girl? That hadn't gotten me shit except publicly embarrassed. Before I could think better of it, I caught the front of his shirt in both fists. Saadiq went still. Stubbornly, I pulled at him.

He was too damn big for me to actually move him anywhere he didn’t want to go, but his eyes dropped to my mouth, and with a soft curse, he gave me what I was asking for. His head lowered as I rose onto my toes. Somewhere in the middle, our mouths met. For one second, neither of us moved.

Then I kissed him.

It wasn’t Saadiq kissing me, at first. I’d never be able to tell this story like I was some vulnerable woman getting swept away by a man who was waiting for some opening. Nah, it was all me. I pressed my mouth more firmly against his and curled my fingers tighter into his shirt. The first taste of him sent heat rushing through me. He made a low sound. I heard it and felt it rumble through his chest.

His hands left my face. One settled at my waist. The other slid around my back and pulled me closer to his rock-hard body. His mouth moved over mine slowly at first, carefully, giving me every opportunity to stop what I’d started. I didn’t. I tilted my head and kissed him again, and whatever control he’d been holding on to disappeared. The kiss deepened, grew hotter, wetter, hungrier.

His beard was soft against my skin. His body was hard and warm beneath my hands. And his mouth... oh, my God. He tasted like heaven, like I had been crazy to deny myself this for so long. I released his shirt only to slide my hands higher, over his chest and shoulders, until my arms tried to circle his neck. But the eleven-inch difference between us was too much. Even stretched onto my tiptoes, I couldn’t comfortably reach him. I moaned my protest.

Saadiq solved that problem. His arm tightened around my waist, lifting me just enough that I didn’t have to strain. The feeling was new, unfamiliar. I was not a small woman. I gasped against his mouth. That tiny break should have been enough to bring me to my senses. Instead, I kissed him again. This time, I didn't leave any room for confusion about what I wanted. My arms went around his neck as I pressed closer. Saadiq’s grip on me tightened, like he was trying to hold it together. The careful man who was giving me every opportunity to come to my senses was disappearing by the second.

“Topaz,” he breathed against my mouth.

I barely let him get my name out before I kissed him again. He groaned. That sound did something to me. This big, domineering, impossible man who could walk into a room and have everybody on edge was losing control because of me. I wanted more of it, more of the proof that when it came to Saadiq Masters, I was far from inadequate.

I slid my fingers over the back of his head and kissed him harder. His mouth lifted long enough to drag in a breath, then his lips found mine again. He lifted me higher. I didn’t know what he was doing, but I didn’t give a damn either. He sat me on the edge of his desk and parted my legs. The movement prompted me to recover just enough sense that my eyes opened. Saadiq’s did, too. We stared at each other, breathing hard.

His hands remained on me, but he didn't move another inch.

“Apple.”

The way he said it… he sounded so damn hot and hungry but still so careful with me. I knew what he was asking. He was giving me a moment to step away. I could straighten my blouse, fix the hair that he’d mussed, pick up whatever remained of my good sense, and take the time off he offered.

Instead, my greedy ass reached for him. Saadiq caught my wrist before my hand made it back to his neck. He kissed the inside of it, his mouth warm and damp against my pulse.

“Topaz, I need you to be sure.” His voice was rough with desire now.

That right there should have stopped me. It didn’t, though. My ass was already a lost cause. I looked from his hand wrapped around my wrist to his face. “You think I don’t know what I’m doing?”

“I think you had a fucked-up weekend, baby.”

Ouch. That one hurt.

“And I think I’ve wanted you too damn long to let you regret anything about this, about us.”

For a few seconds, I just stared at him. I wasn’t sure what that “about us” meant. I should probably ask, should probably make sure we were 100 percent clear that all I had to offer was this moment. Instead, I pulled my wrist free. I reached behind me and swept a neat stack of papers farther back on his desk.

His eyebrows shot up.

“You know I’m very particular about paperwork,” I explained coyly.

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Oh, yeah?”

“Mm-hmm. Extremely.”