Let's Play A Dirty Ass Game, Mr. CEO

Chapter 32: LIKE YOUR HAIR FREE AND WILD

LAURA

"What do you want?" I turned away before Mara could see the heat climbing my face.

Tristan’s deep voice rumbled into the speaker in a low chuckle. "You sound like you’re having some trouble, Ms. Hayes. The good kind."

"Cut the bull and tell me why you’re calling. The press conference isn’t until tomorrow, correct?"

"Tomorrow is too far away. I need to see you now."

"Stop this!"

Mara coughed behind me. I moved further away, threading my fingers through my hair. "Listen, if you called me to ruin my morning, then I’m just going to hang right up and—"

"This is about the press conference, Laura. It’s important we rehearse some lines to avoid making any more mistakes in the eyes of the press."

"Well your company reached out already, but apparently, I am busy. So if you don’t mind..."

"Does standing at the edge of your floor-to-ceiling window and staring furiously through the glass count as busy?"

A wave of shock rolled through me and I whirled around.

My heart missed a beat as I saw him.

Tristan, standing on the other side of the glass wall of my office, watching me with a burning blue gaze, phone strapped to his ear.

Behind him, the staff gushed in awe and admiration. He was a tall gorgeous human with incredibly devastating features. And the way the fabric of his grey button-down clung to his body? The way the rolled sleeves blended with the ripped, tanned forearms? It fucked with my mind and body, made me tight and wet in places I shouldn’t be.

Maybe that was the reason those butterflies in my belly won’t rest. Maybe it’s the reason my pussy clenched in need. I’m just a sucker for good looks and ripped arms and hot blue eyes and careless, dark, gleaming curls of hair.

God, I’m fucked.

Mara followed my gaze and her eyes sparkled. "Well, speak of the devil."

I stormed towards the door and yanked it open. "Why are you here?"

"I came to convince you in person." His voice dropped a decibel, but I swear anyone who was passing could have heard it. "But I realize now what a lie that is. I wanted to see the body that squirms in desire whenever it gets caught in my gaze."

"What the—" I pushed the door open wider and stood to the side. "Get in here, now!" My eyes darted behind him to make sure no one had heard that except my freaking wet pussy.

Mara was behind me as I whirled around. "Everything okay?" Her gaze moved to Tristan and she gave him her best mean face. "This is quite the surprise, Mr. Pierce."

"Hello to you too, Mara." He cut her a cold smile and those hot blue eyes returned to my face once again. "So, shall we talk business? We don’t have all day."

"You can’t just show up unannounced and try to convince me."

"That’s right," Mara echoed.

I turned to her with an apologetic, unhumorous smile. "Do you think you can leave us alone for a moment, please?"

She lifted her shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. "Sure." But I knew she cared more than she was letting on, about being kicked out over a man, by her supposed best friend.

It baffled me too. How much I wanted to be alone with Tristan.

Mara left, but not before shooting Tristan a pair of lasers.

"She hates me."

I scoffed, marching forward. "Who wouldn’t?"

He paused for a brief second, watching me with a cautiousness that got under my skin. "The rehearsal is important, Ms. Hayes."

Just like that, he’d switched to business. What an asshole.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and stood by the desk. "Forty-five minutes tops and—"

"Forty-five minutes? That’s how much you’re demanding of my time already?"

"Okay, I understand we’re busy people. Let’s make it thirty."

I heaved a sigh and dragged my fingers through my hair. "Tristan, you can’t—"

"I like your hair free and wild."

My cheeks heated up. My eyes smarted with rage and desire. "Do you want to keep provoking me? See if I’ll really go ahead and decline the rehearsal bullshit?"

"Please."

That one word shut down every attack and defense left in me. It melted me softly and left me breathless. It rolled through me in waves of pleasure.

Tristan? Please?

"Please what?"

"Go with me." His eyes twinkled with delight. "I’ll make it worth your while."

Those words happened to be my undoing.

°°°

"The press is aggressive and merciless." A pretty woman addressed Tristan and I in his office.

Pierce’s head of PR, Charlotte.

"To engage and withdraw successfully, there are tactics you must wield," she continued. "Evasion is the first best one. There are some questions too absurd to respond to, questions that might create more scandal. You deliberately avoid them and focus instead on showing that this is a business relationship and nothing else."

Tristan’s gaze found mine across the room and held for a moment. Poring into the depths of my soul and searching for the truth in his eyes.

This was not just a business relationship...it was far from that. And it was likely to become more, seeing the way he looked at me and how my body reacted under that gaze.

"A little draft of expected questions would be made available soon. You can get familiar with it before the conference, try to get prepared."

"Thank you, Charlotte." Tristan’s gaze slid to her face. "Are we done now?"

"For now, yes."

I pushed to my feet immediately, not wanting to waste another second in here.

"One moment, Ms. Hayes," Tristan pushed to his feet and walked around his desk. "I need to speak to you about something else."

I glared at him so hard my eyes burned. Tristan stared right back. At some point, Charlotte cleared her throat and scurried away. "I’ll just go...prepare the drafts!"

As soon as the door closed behind her, my voice bit out. "What now?"

"Sit, please."

"I’d rather stand."

His eyes flicked to my shoes. "In those heels? They’re hot by the way."

"Can you try being official more often? You don’t just get to act or talk however you want, Mr. Pierce."

"I can’t help it." Smirking, he crossed to the darkwood cabinet on the left end of his office and pulled out a bottle of whiskey.

"Alcohol?"

I began to decline, but thought against it at the last second. If I was going to sit here in this space with him, with those blue eyes watching my every move, I’d rather not do it sober.

"Fine," I sank into the couch and crossed my legs out. "Bring it on."