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Alison didn’t bother to answer as Harker bellowed for her, his voice echoing through the hallway. He knew where she was. They’d left the Club around eleven that morning because even though it was Sunday, he’d had a business call. She’d gone to her office to work and he’d been pestering her since about two that afternoon.
“You’d better be closing that computer,” he yelled.
Damn that man. Just the sound of his deep voice was enough to make her body purr, bringing back memories of his lips on her ear saying the naughtiest things before he did every one of them. His large frame shadowed her doorway.
She glanced up from the computer. “You bellowed?”
“Aren’t you done yet?” He leaned against the door frame, looking sexy as hell. His five o’clock shadow darkened his lean cheeks. His white business shirt was partially unbuttoned and untucked as if someone had interrupted him while dressing and he wore those blue jeans that made her mouth water. She’d chosen faded ones, but she swore they were already more faded where his cock rubbed against the fabric.
“No, I still have a lot of work to do because someone took me away for a wonderful weekend.” She wanted to run across the room and jump his bones but that’d have to wait.
“It’s still the weekend. Officially, we’re still on our honeymoon.”
“True and I’ll be done soon.”
“You said that at two o’clock and then four o’clock.” He looked at his watch. “It’s now five after seven.”
“Seven? Oh, I’m sorry. I had no idea it was so late. Did you eat?” She touched her stomach. “I’m kind of hungry. You must be starving. I snacked on some pretzels while working. Want some?” She held out the bag to him.
“No, I don’t want pretzels. I want you.”
“And you can have me.” Warmth spread through her body. No one had ever wanted her like this. The man was insatiable.
“Good.” He held out his hand. “Come.”
“Later. Tonight.” She glanced at her computer. “I really have to get this done.”
“Alison...” It was clear from his tone that his temper just slipped a notch.
“Okay. I know you get crabby when you’re hungry. I’ll order something and we’ll have dinner.” She enjoyed saying “we” like they were a couple. She’d said it before hundreds of times when they’d worked late but this was different. This was a real we, at least for a few months.
“I’m not a child.”
“Of course not.” She rolled her eyes. “Barking at people when you’re hungry is what all adults do.”
“I’m not barking because...I’m not barking at all. Don’t start calling me Barker again.”
“I never should’ve told you that.” She laughed.
“You never should’ve called me that. And”—he strode toward her—“you never should’ve written a program making fun of what I say.”
“I definitely never should’ve told you about that.”
“I said you never should’ve written it.”
“I know.” She grinned.
“I may have to get you drunk more often and learn all your secrets.” He leaned on the front of her desk.
“I don’t think so. I felt like crap the next day.”
“Me too.” His frown deepened. “But for me, it had nothing to do with drinking.”
“Are you going to bring that up forever? It’s not a good trait, you know. You should try forgiveness.”
“I forgave you.”
“Forgive and forget and don’t bring it up all the time.”
“Someone has a guilty conscience. I wasn’t talking about you laughing at me. I was talking about my headache from you busting my nose...twice.”
“Oh, come on. That’s even worse and I think we’re even.” She shifted on her seat, pointing to the cushion she’d added to her chair. “My butt still hurts.”
“Come and I’ll put some oil on it.” His eyes gleamed. “I would’ve done it last night, but I left it at home. I hadn’t expected to have to punish you.”
“You didn’t have to punish me.”
“But we both enjoyed it.” There was a hint of question in his tone.
“Yes, we did.” She hadn’t exactly liked the spanking part. However, she’d enjoyed being held down and helpless on his lap while he paddled her. The feel of his cock pressing against her hip while his fingers thrust inside her had been kinky and exciting and she’d come hard.
“Good. Then let’s go.” He straightened and offered her his hand.
“I can’t.”
“You can.” He frowned at her.
“Not yet but I’ll order something for dinner and when it arrives, I’ll come out and we can eat in the living room.”
It was their routine. What they’d done for almost a year. She’d order food and then they’d both sit in his living room and eat while they worked. It was nice.
“No, you work. I’ll order the food. What are you hungry for?”
“I’ll call. It’ll only take a minute.” She grabbed her phone off the desk.
“No. I’ll do it.”
She knew that tone. She could argue all she wanted but he wouldn’t budge. That meant she was in for a long night of listening to him complain because he was very particular about his food.
“Don’t look at me like I can’t order takeout. I survived quite fine ordering food before I met you.”
“I’m sure you did okay.” She fought not to smile at his dark look. “But you get even crabbier when your food isn’t right and then I have to listen to you whine about it all night.”
“I don’t whine. I just don’t like incompetence.”
“They can’t get it right if you don’t tell them what you want.”
“Don’t blame me for their screwups. I order the food and I expect to get what I order.”
“Harker, just let me do it.”
“No. I don’t want to hear how you would’ve been done working if I hadn’t made you call for takeout.”
“I could’ve been done by now. This is wasting more time.”
“Then stop arguing with me.”
“Fine.” She was going to grind her teeth to dust before the evening was over because he’d mutter and grumble all night when his order was wrong.
“Good. What are you hungry for?”
“I don’t care. Whatever.” She turned back to her computer. “Call me when it’s here.”
“Okay. Do you want spaghetti, ravioli or lasagna? Lasagna will take longer.”
“Italian?” She looked up at him, wrinkling her nose.
“Apparently not,” he said drolly.
“No, that’s fine if you want Italian. I’ll just have the bread and salad. I’m not in the mood for anything heavy.” She’d eaten too much when they’d ordered room service at the Club. The food was extraordinary.
“I’ll order sandwiches. Do you want turkey—”
“Sandwiches? For dinner?”
“Tell me what you want me to order.” His hands clenched at his sides like he wanted to strangle her.
“I told you. Anything is fine with me.”
“If that were true, the Italian food would be here already.”
“Oh...please. We haven’t been talking about it that long.”
“Longer than we should.”
“You know what? Surprise me.” She turned back to her computer.
“No, tell me what you’re hungry for.”
“Nope. You pick.” She glanced up at him. “You’re on your own.”
“I’m capable of ordering dinner.”
“Yes, but you’re not capable of ordering it to your satisfaction.”
“I am too.” He sounded petulant.
“We’ll see.” She shouldn’t do it, but she so loved to annoy him. He was so handsome when he frowned, all dark and brooding. “But I have a feeling I’m going to break my score on Harker’s Barker-Meter.” She pressed a button on her computer. “Let’s roll the randomizer and see what Barkerism it picks for today.”
“Alison.” The word was a warning growl.
“Oh...” She laughed. “I already get a point.”
“What does it say?”
“Well, it’s not exact but it was the intent.” She lowered her voice like she was telling him a secret. “Sometimes I’m flexible with the phrasing.”
“What does it say?” he repeated.
“Alison, where are you?” she shouted.
“I have not said that today.”
“You kind of have.” She looked at him, nodding.
“When?”
“Just now. As you walked down the hallway you bellowed Alison!”
“I do not bellow.”
“You do too, and since I already got a point for that, I’m rolling it again.”
“Don’t do it.” He took two steps across the room and grabbed her hand.
“Too late.” She grinned up at him. “Let’s see what you’ll say next.”
She looked back at the computer, trying unsuccessfully to ignore the bristly man at her side. The heat from his hand and his large presence reminded her of him leaning over her, his fingers tangled with hers as his cock filled her over and over again. Her body almost combusted when the randomizer stopped and she read, “Alison, I need you. Now.”
“I want in on this game because you are so going to hear that later,” he whispered in her ear.