Page 75 of The Damaged Billionaire's Obsession

And so I’m reduced to Slutty Siobhán again, lusting after a man, coming undone for him.

A billionaire at that, and my boss.

Groaning, I drop my face in my palms.

“One too many margaritas, hey, boss?” Grace teases.

I smile, nodding. “Yeah, I should have stopped at four.”

I had only one. I’ve never been one to drink much. Alcohol has never been my vice.

I think of what to do next. I really love my job. Quitting and going back to freelancing, where I had to stay on top of bookings, putting myself out there, and relying on advertising and networking to pay the bills, just doesn’t appeal to me anymore.

Brooke was right. Sometimes, it’s nice to let go and have someone else take charge while you just show up, do what you’re told, and get your fat paycheck at the end of the month.

Kind of like how you laid there and just let him make you come.

My belly clenches.

I need to stop thinking about it.

But I can’t face Ethan. I know my craving for him has just gotten worse, now that I’ve had a taste of what it could be like, what I’ve been missing for so long. All I could think of the moment he groaned into my neck and bit me was that I wanted him to do it again. And harder.

If anyone ever told me I'd want a man to bite me I'd think they were mad. Which was why I ran like my ass was on fire.

I absently rub on the hickey which is conveniently hidden by the high collar of my jacket.

This won't do. I’m prone to addiction, and indulging in Ethan Hawthorne will no doubt suck me right back into the days when I shook and longed for my next hit. I need to put as much distance as possible between us.

A thought occurs to me. I could go work elsewhere, couldn’t I?

I stand and grab my backpack from the overhead bin, rummaging through it for the business cards I'd collected from those who asked me to call them if I changed my mind abouttheir job offers. I leaf through the five cards. I stop on a glossy gray rectangular card, I study it intently.

Xi-Gen also provides an online platform for game development, just like Acercraft. I could fit right in. And the Head of Operations- the guy who approached me said there was an opening for a few roles.

Maybe they’ll offer me a position? I wouldn’t even mind starting from scratch. If they’re nitpicky, it might be a hard sell with my educational background, but perhaps with what they saw in how I handled questions from the audience and the presentation, a strong recommendation from Jordan, and my portfolio, they could overlook my lack of a degree.

Resolved to have that discussion with Jordan as soon as I reach New York, I lean back and try to relax the rest of the flight.

Chapter 22

Ethan

“And that’s how youhold a fucking baby!” Jordan announces, pointing at me with his cue stick.

Two-week-old Lily Rose Bennett curls up on my chest while I lay back in one of the reclining chairs in the game room at Xavier’s Upper West Side penthouse.

Xavier and Brooke’s baby girl arrived exactly two weeks ago, and with the guys whining about not having seen the baby due to the girls hogging her, we decided to make a gentlemen’s night of it.

Every so often, we pull all-nighters in one of Xavier’s nightclubs, so we thought we might as well do it here and give Brooke a good night's rest. We figured it wouldn't be much different, except for no booze, no girls, and soft baby music.

“Hey, hey, language, jackass!” Xavier barks, and Lily Rose stirs and fusses while I coo gently to her.

“Great, wake her up, why don’t you, Daddy?” Wyatt, another one of the guys in attendance tonight replies.

“She’s just so used to my voice that she perks up when she hears it,” Xavier retorts.

“I don’t think that’s the case, my friend,” Jordan says.