"What?" I ask her when five seconds pass and she still hasn't said a word.

  "Nothing," Stella answers, even though she obviously has something on her mind.

  She starts to march back towards the door but stops halfway. Slowly, she turns to look at me.

  "Are you alright?"

  "What do you think?" I throw the question back at her before lifting my glass to my lips.

  "I heard about what happened," she says.

  Did she? And yet she isn't worried about me? She didn't come to see me until now?

  "Mr. Ryker told me. I've been helping him with a few things."

  Instead of helping me.

  "Isn't that Miller's job?" I ask her. "Or are you his assistant now?"

  "No. He and Miller needed help getting more information about Odermatt Corp. and other companies in the area."

  I stare at the bronze liquid in my glass.

  So Ryker has already started planning for the worst-case scenario. Is he trying to see if Odermatt Corp. can still be of use to us, if there are other Swiss companies with similar technology that are worth looking into?

  Stella tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "I decided to help them since I didn't have anything better to do, since you didn't have anything for me to do."

  So is that why she's acting like this? Because she thinks I've been ignoring her? Is she disappointed that we didn't get to finish what we started last night?

  Come to think of it, I am, too.

  I set my glass down. "Well, now I do have something for you to do."

  I pat the cushion beside me.

  "Sit."

  Stella sits down more than a foot away from me and doesn't say anything.

  "Aren't you going to come closer?" I ask her.

  No answer.

  "Didn't you miss me? I'm offended."

  "You're drunk," she says without looking at me.

  What's this? Is she playing hard to get? Well, it is sort of cute.

  "So?" I move closer to her and brush my fingers against her shoulder. "I can still fuck."

  She looks at me with narrowed eyes. "Is sex all you ever think about?"

  "When I'm with you? Yes."

  I grasp her chin and capture her lips. She gives a muffled groan. Then she places her hands on my shoulders and tries to push me away.

  She's... fighting me?

  "Stop," she says as she tries to pull her lips away from mine.

  I move my hand to her cheek to keep her face in place as I trap her lower lip.

  She's tried to resist before. Just last time, in the restroom, she tried to push me away, too, but she ended up giving in. I just have to keep going.

  I stroke her cheek as I place my other hand on her thigh. I stick my tongue out and try to slip it between her lips. She keeps them sealed.

  I'm being rejected? For real?

  "Ethan, stop," Stella tells me again as she tries to move my hand away. "I don't want - "

  I grab her hand and push my tongue inside her mouth. The rest of her sentence turns into a muffled sound. I rub my tongue against hers. In the past, when I did this, her defenses start to melt. But this time, there's no sign of that happening.

  Does she really want me to stop?

  I pull away. She gets off the couch and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.

  "I don't want to have sex with you, Ethan," she tells me plainly after she catches her breath.

  "Why?" I ask her. "Because you think I'm a failure now?"

  Her eyebrows crease. "I never said that."

  "But you're thinking it. You think I'm not a good boss, not a reliable leader. You probably think Ryker is better than me now."

  "That's not what I'm thinking."

  I ignore her and raise a finger. "You know what? Ryker should just be the CEO and you can be his new assistant. You can try to seduce him, too, but I'm afraid he's even more of a stickler for the rules than I am."

  "What?"

  "Or maybe you prefer Asher? He should be easy for you to seduce. Just wear that red dress you were wearing a few days ago and spread - "

  Stella's palm crashes against my cheek. It stings.

  I'm about to admonish her, but then I see the tears brimming in her eyes. I see the pain in them and mine vanishes.

  What am I doing? What am I saying?

  I exhale and touch the nape of my neck. "I really am a failure, aren't I?"

  "Like I said..."

  "I'm letting Ryker do all the hard work. I made that little boy cry yesterday and now I've made you cry."

  She sniffs. "I'm not crying."

  And yet she's wiping her tears away.

  "I'm a bad boss," I tell her. "I know I'm not supposed to have sex with you and I still did."

  "We both made that mistake."

  "But I'm your boss. And I was the one who invited you to my room. I offered you a drink, but I really wanted to have sex with you." I shake my head. "I keep getting mad at Asher for toying with women, but I'm no better than he is."

  Stella says nothing.

  "You've just been putting up with me, haven't you? You just couldn't say no to me because I'm your boss."

  "No."

  I lean back and stare at the ceiling. "I bet you just felt sorry for me because I don't have a life outside of work. Or maybe it's because I told you about my father's stupid expectations."

  "That's not true," Stella tells me.

  I ignore her. "You're right. I am pathetic. I can't defy my father. I always put work first. Maybe I'm just doing that because I'm afraid to have a life, because I'm afraid that without the company, I'm nothing."

  "You're not pathetic."

  "I am nothing. All I am is because of my father, because of the company he handed over to me, because of my brothers who are there to help me, because of people like you who work hard for me."

  "Ethan..."

  I place my hand on my forehead and let out a sigh. "No wonder everything's falling apart right now."

  Stella falls silent. She's not going to slap me again, is she? Or is she going to punch me this time? I want her to. Now that I've realized how foolish and selfish I've been, I want to punch myself in the face or hit my head against a wall and...

  My thoughts stop in their tracks as I look at Stella. Her chin has dropped, and yet I can see her lips quivering. Fresh pain and fresh tears gloss her eyes.

  Great. I've made her cry again.

  The urge to pull her into my arms hits more heavily now, but I know Stella wouldn't want that. And I'm done making her do things she doesn't want. Instead, I tear my gaze away from her as I scratch the back of my head.

  "You should go," I tell her. "I've hurt you enough, Stella. If you stay, I'll just end up hurting you more and you'll end up hating me more and - "

  I don't finish because Stella's lips seal mine. My eyes grow wide.

  Didn't she say she didn't want this? I'm confused.

  Then she runs her fingers tenderly through my hair, the same thing she did yesterday when she was trying to comfort me. Now, I understand. Those last tears were for me.

  I gently push her away. "You don't have to keep feeling sorry for me, Stella. I'm fine."

  She keeps her hands on my shoulders. "I'm not doing this out of pity."

  "Then why?" I ask her.

  "I'm your assistant. It's my job to help you in any way I can."

  Is that what I've made her think? I really am an unreliable boss, aren't I?

  I take her hands off me. "You don't have to do this, Stella. It's not part of your job to take care of me, not like this."

  "But I want to." She puts her hands back on my shoulders and straddles my lap. "Just like I wanted to have sex with you all those times. You've never made me do anything against my will."

  The determination and the desire in her amber eyes back up her bold declaration.

  Fuck. Why is she doing this to me? Didn't she reject me earlier? Has she changed her mind?

  I haven't. I still want her. And she's making it nearly impossible for me to push her away.

  Still, I try. "You should go, Stella. You're right. I am drunk. And I'm in a bad mood. If we do this, I can't promise I'll be gen - "

  Again, she cuts my sentence off with a kiss. Her lips press firmly against mine as her tongue seeks mine. And finds it. A shiver goes down my spine.

  Fuck. To hell with everything.

  I place my hand on the back of Stella's neck, the other gripping her waist as I push my tongue against hers. She caresses my hair and my bare chest and lets out a moan, not a groan, into my mouth. The sound travels straight to my crotch. Heat stirs in my veins.

  Just as I thought, Stella is better than a whole bottle of Scotch. Not only does she taste sweeter, but the heat from her body is making every inch of my skin feel alive while numbing my brain. All I can think of now is her. How she tastes. How she smells - peaches and strawberries? How she feels against me.

  I'm already intoxicated and I still want more.

  My fingers search for the opening at the back of her dress - a hook, a zipper, buttons. I find none so I grip the hem and peel the entire garment off her. She pulls away and lifts her arms so I can take it off completely. Then her mouth and hands are on me again. I toss the dress aside and run my hands across her back.

  I find the hooks of her bra and unfasten them. As soon as the underwear is gone, I break the kiss and take one of her breasts inside my mouth. Stella gasps. Her fingers rake my scalp.

  I suck on her nipple as I slip one of my hands beneath the back of her panties to clutch one plump ass cheek. She reaches between us and rubs my hard cock. It quivers in my boxers and strains against her palm.

  Fuck. Does Stella really want me that badly?

  Fine. If she wants my cock, she can have it.

  I unzip my pants and take it out of my boxers. Stella gets off me and kneels between my legs. She wraps her fingers around my cock and licks the tip. It swells even more.

  I grip her hair and hold back a hiss when she rubs her lips across the length of my cock, from the tip to the base. I watch as she presses her lips reverently against my balls. Then she lifts her eyes to meet mine. She holds my gaze as she drags her tongue back up my cock. The sight of it stirs my desire.

  When she wraps her lips around the head of my cock, I push it inside her mouth. The tip hits her soft palate and I draw a sharp breath. Her tongue rubs against my skin. I feel myself start to melt in her warmth.

  She sucks on my cock and a tremor goes through me. She starts to move her head back and forth. The friction sets my whole body on fire.

  Fuck.

  I hold the back of Stella's head in place and move my hips. Her hands grip into my thighs. She moans against my cock and the sound vibrates throughout my skin.

  I close my eyes, throw my head back and jerk my hips faster, pounding into Stella's mouth. Her nails dig into my skin through my pants.

  I'm getting close. A part of me wants to come inside her mouth and shoot my load down her throat. But the part that prefers to finish in another scorching, soaked part of her wins.

  I place my hands on Stella's shoulders and push her off my cock. As she takes a moment to catch her breath, I realize that more strands of her hair have been set free, some sticking to her flushed cheeks and the wet corner of her mouth where her saliva has trickled out. I see tears in the corners of her eyes as well.

  Damn it. I've made her cry again.

  I pull Stella up onto my lap and kiss her tenderly in apology. To my surprise, she grabs my cock and rubs it between her legs.

  And here I thought she was tired.

  I pull down her panties. She gets off me so she can take them off. I take just a second to admire her in all her naked beauty - I wish I could take more time, but my patience is at its limit - then pull her back towards me. I plant a kiss on her neck and slip two fingers inside her.

  Stella gasps. As usual, she's tight. It's a good thing she's already wet from sucking me.

  I lick her ear as I push my fingers in deeper. I spread them and hear another gasp. Her fingers bite my shoulders.

  I move my mouth back to her neck and suck on the soft flesh as I begin to move my fingers in and out of her. They drown in her heat. As the passage starts to loosen, I insert another finger. Stella whimpers and tightens around me at first, but after a few seconds she starts moving her hips.

  She's ready.

  Good, because I'm about to burst.

  I pull my fingers out of her and guide my cock inside her instead. The tip slides in and she lets out a soft cry. Her arms wrap around my head. I bury my face in the valley between her breasts as I try to put the rest of my cock inside her inch by inch. Her velvety skin clings to me and I can barely breathe.

  Damn it. Why does Stella still have to be so tight?

  I try to hold back for as long as I can, but each time I move, that tight, exquisite, soft, wet passage threatens to squeeze me dry. Eventually, my patience snaps. I grip her hips and push them down as I give a hard thrust.

  Stella cries out louder. Her back arches like a bow.

  Shit. I know I'm being too rough, but I've lost almost all control now. My hips seem to have taken on a life of their own, driving my cock deep and fast inside Stella's trembling body. The sound of skin slapping against skin and the creaks of the couch mingle with Stella's cries.

  The best I can do is make sure Stella feels just as good as I do. I suck on her nipple once more, keeping the stiff peak of her breast between my lips as the ripe mound of flesh bounces in front of me, Stella's body rocking with each of my thrusts. Then I part my lips so her nipple rubs against my tongue.

  Stella's cries continue. Her fingers dig into my shoulders as she keeps her head tilted back. Some strands of her hair brush against my face.

  Suddenly, she leans forward and crushes my lips. Her fingers become entangled with my hair as her body starts to tremble. She moans against my mouth and moves her hips on top of mine.

  I stay still so she can control the pace as she climbs the stairway of pleasure. Her hips jerk faster and more erratically. Then she pulls away with a loud gasp as she reaches the peak. Her hips drop on my cock. Her fingers pull my hair as she buries my face in her chest. The silky passage around me trembles and tightens.

  Fuck.

  I bite down on my lower lip as I try not to spill myself inside her then and there. Then, as soon as Stella stops trembling, I continue with my thrusts. She collapses against my shoulder.

  I barely manage a few more thrusts before the friction from my cock rubbing against the walls of Stella's heated core sends me over the edge as well. I clutch her ass as I bury my cock deep inside her. I shudder just before it explodes. Then every muscle in my body tightens as pleasure takes over. I can hardly breathe.

  Gradually, the pleasure fades. As my body starts to relax, I suck in a deep breath to fill my deprived lungs. Then another. And another. I lean back against the couch and wait for my heart to slow down. Stella remains on top of me. I can feel her own heartbeat against my skin.

  Slowly, she lifts her hips and gets off me. Without a word, she lies down on her side on the couch, knees bent and feet pointing towards me. As I put my shirt on her to keep her from catching cold, I spot the hickey on her neck. I also notice that the place where I gripped her hip is starting to bruise. The cheeks of her ass that I clutched as I came inside her remain flushed.

  Just as I thought, I was too rough. Guilt stabs me in the chest.

  "I'm sorry," I tell her as I stroke one of her thighs.

  Stella lifts her head and looks at me. "For what?"

  "Everything."

  For ignoring her all day. For not relying on her. For saying all those mean, stupid things to her. For not being able to control myself.

  Yes, I could probably blame it all on the Scotch which is still buzzing at the back of my head, but I'm not going to. I'm the one who did all those things.

  Stella holds my shirt against her chest as she sits up. Her eyes hold mine.

  "You don't have to apologize for anything."

  And yet her words and her expression make me want to do it all the more. I want to do something for her, in fact. I want to make things up to her.

  "Tomorrow is our last day in Switzerland," I tell her. "Would you like to go sightseeing?"

  Stella's eyes grow wide. "Again?"

  "This time, we can go to Bern. It's just two hours away and it's lovely. It has excellent museums, gardens and interesting fountains."

  I'm sure Stella will love it.

  "But don't we have work to do?" she asks.

  I let out a breath. "There's really nothing more we can do about the acquisition, not until Odermatt's missing employee turns up. Besides, didn't you say Ryker is taking care of things?"

  "Yes, but..."

  "If things don't work out here, we'll have a lot to do when we get back to Chicago. I think we deserve to take a breath of fresh air before taking a plunge into hell. Don't you?"

  Stella doesn't answer. I can still see the hesitation written all over her face.

  I place my hand over hers. "It will be fun. No matter what happens, we'll have made this trip worthwhile. Not that it isn't already."

  The acquisition may fall through, but I'm still glad I came to Switzerland with her. Of all the trips I've taken, this is the one I'll never forget.

  She looks into my eyes. "Are you sure it's okay?"

  "I'm sure."

  So what if everything is currently in shambles? There's no use sulking over it. So what if someone's hound might be spying on us? I don't care anymore. I just want to have another amazing day in Switzerland with Stella.

  I squeeze her hand. "What do you say?"

  She nods slowly. "Okay."

  Chapter Thirteen

  Stella

  I can't believe I'm making the same mistakes.

  I let out a sigh as I stare at an enlarged photo of Albert Einstein, one of the many relics of the famous scientist on display on the second floor of the Bern Historical Museum. If he could hear my thoughts and talk, I bet he'd be scolding me right now for my foolishness. Then again, it doesn't take a genius to know I'm being stupid. Again.

 

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