“Amelia’s nice,” Neil takes a sip of his whiskey, “but definitely not who I would have pictured you with.”

I hold his gaze. “And why’s that?”

“Oh, it’s just that you’re so successful... well, don’t listen to me. I’m an old man,” he chuckles. “My father was very strict and always made it clear we need to choose our partners carefully so they don’t hold us back.”

I glance at his wife, but she’s not listening and instead is clicking away on her phone with her acrylic nails.

"And you think Amelia’s holding me back?” My voice sounds dangerous.

“Oh, don’t listen to me. I just have the old-fashioned notion that a successful man needs to be supported by a beautiful woman. As I said, I’m just a relic from a different time."

He did not just say that to me! I try to calm my breathing before I reply.

"And what you’re saying is that Amelia isn’t beautiful?" My eyes are fixed on him and the mood around the table is shifting.

"Oh... I―” I don’t think he expected me to call him out on his shit. I need to get out of here before I do something wrong.

I drop my napkin on the table and slowly rise from my chair.

"Neil, unfortunately our company is no longer interested in a partnership with you." I pronounce each word clearly and display a calmness I don't feel on the inside.

"Let's not be hasty, Ben. I didn’t mean to offend and I apologise if I have." Neil tries to calm the waters.

"Amelia is a beautiful and amazing woman; she is smart, caring, and makes me happy. I tell you what she isn't: she is not a trophy I drag along with me. You might not have wanted to offend, Neil, but this conversation has shown me your values and they’re not values that match what Coop and I want for our company."

Neil’s face is turning crimson and his smile is slipping off his face. All that’s left now is resentment and anger. I know how desperate his company is for this deal, regardless of the stupid delaying games he’s been playing.

"Think, Ben. You’re giving up the chance of signing a contract with the market leader. We can help you maximise your profits, we can make this project a real success. Are you really throwing it all away over a fat wallflower with no style?" Our eyes are locked and neither of us moves. I have never felt fury quite like this.

"Fuck your company. And fuck your deal," I hiss. The anger burns in my guts like a wildfire and it takes every ounce of strength for me not to punch the shit out of this wanker. "There are many other companies around, and if we can't find a partner in the UK, we'll take our business elsewhere. But I won't be making deals with someone who's got the manners of a chauvinistic arsehole." I snatch Amelia's bag. "Excuse me." I give a nod to Brenda and stride off to find Amelia.

I sidestep the screen guarding our table and nearly collide with her. Her expression is blank, she seems to be frozen on the spot. I'm sure she heard what was said.

"Let's go, darling," I whisper and place a kiss on her lips. She takes the hand I hold out to her and we leave the restaurant without a backwards look.

23

Man On A Mission

Amelia

Neither of us has said a word the whole drive home. Ben held my hand but his attention was elsewhere. He was probably worried about the business. I cost him a massive deal! I should be elated that he defended me but I worry that Neil may have been right.

I mean, open any magazine. Successful men don't have women like me on their arm.

When we got home Smutty demanded our full attention until he had his fill of cuddles. Now he’s lying on his bed, exhausted from all the purring.

"Want a drink?" Ben asks and holds up a glass bottle with a golden liquid in it.

"No, thanks." In the two weeks I’ve stayed at Ben’s I haven’t seen him drink whiskey. Occasionally he'll have a beer with his dinner but he doesn’t seem to be a big drinker.

"Ben, I'm sorry." I whisper. One of us has to bring the situation up, right? "I'm really sorry." I fight back tears. I hate that he lost a deal because of me.

Ben places his glass to the counter.

"What are you sorry for?" There is a deep frown on his face and I’m not sure if he’s upset with me. He takes his suit jacket off and pulls off his tie .

"That you lost the deal because of me. I mean I appreciate that you defended me, but he wasn't that wro—" He pulls me into his arms and stops me from talking with a long kiss. I can taste the smokiness of his drink when his tongue dips into my mouth and I have to fight back a moan. That man can kiss!

"No, Amelia." He cups my face in his hands. "No. Don't you say sorry to me. You have nothing to be sorry about. You’re who I want at my side, not as my trophy but as my partner. And anyone who can't see how amazing you are can fuck right off." There is so much conviction in his voice. I’m still waiting for him to do something that tells me he was just pulling the wool over my eyes. But what he did today was a grand gesture. No, I shouldn't call it that because that would mean he did it all just for the effect. No, he meant it; he truly meant it. How could I doubt him?

I close the distance between us and press my mouth to his. I kiss him with everything I have, hoping to show him how I feel about him.

“I need to make love to you, Amelia,” he whispers. There is something soul shattering in his eyes. This is not about sex or pleasure; this is about being as close to each other as possible. I take his hand in mine and lead the way to the bedroom.

Our steady breath is the only noise in the house. But it’s not an uncomfortable silence, it’s a silence that tells me that the world and all its ugliness is out there, but in here, it’s just us.

When the door slams shut I turn around and study Ben. He looks intense, like a man on a mission.

“Let me help you.” I take a step towards him. My gaze is fixed on the buttons of his shirt as I undo each one slowly, slipping my fingers in the gaps between them, brushing against his skin. It’s so warm under there; my own skin feels like it’s beginning to burn.

When I get to the last button I ease the shirt off his shoulders slowly, deliberately brushing my fingers against his muscles as I pull it down past his elbows and wrists. It drops to the floor with a faint thud. Ben manoeuvres around me and takes a seat on the bed.

“Take your dress off,” he demands.

This dress doesn’t have a zip and so I awkwardly lift it over my head and throw it on top of his shirt. I hesitate for a moment, but when I see Ben’s burning look, I remove my bra and knickers with as much grace as I can muster.

My eyes never leave Ben’s, not even when he briefly stands up and removes his own trousers and underwear.

“Come here.” He holds out his hand. I follow his invitation and straddle his lap. He kisses me with tender longing; it’s a soft and gentle kiss that reaches into the very depths of my being. The sensations he invokes are overwhelming; it feels like all my senses are on high alert.

I moan softly when his hands slide down to cup my bum and squeeze gently. It’s such a simple action but it sends shockwaves through my body. We break apart to gaze at each other, our lips just inches apart.

“You’re fucking gorgeous,” Ben tells me in no uncertain terms before capturing my lips with his once more.

The kiss deepens as he urges me onto my back on the bed, following closely behind until he is lying half on top of me. His hips slot between mine as our tongues tangle together in an exhilarating dance of need and desire.

Ben grinds his hard length against my pussy, driving us both into a frenzy of lust for one another. He pulls back from the kiss to trail hot open-mouthed kisses down the side of my neck making me gasp out loud.

“Mine.” The single word rumbles through Ben’s chest.

“Yes, yours,” I pant out breathlessly as heat pools low in my belly at his claim over my body.

I wake up to the sound of water coming from the bathroom. I blink a few times and focus my eyes on the open door. Ben is shaving in just his boxer shorts―huh, sexy. I reach for my nighty on the chair next to the bed and slip it on. We have given up the pretence that I’m staying in the guest room and my belongings are now spread out in his bedroom.

“Morning,” I say and place a kiss on his naked shoulder as I grab my toothbrush.

“Morning, darling.”