“Wow. I’ve never seen you speechless, Red.” He stopped his ascent but kept his hand on my leg. Just two inches to the right and he’d be able to touch me where I ached.

I didn’t dare move, unable to deny the pulse-pounding adrenaline I received from his direct advance in a very public place—not that anyone could see—the draped cloth covering everything that mattered.

I locked eyes with him. “You haven’t known me that long.”

“Something I’m trying to remedy. We’ve only got three months. Have to make it count.”

“Look who is taking his duties more than a step farther.”

“What makes you say that?” He took up his massaging of my thigh again, and I swallowed hard, my mouth suddenly dry.

“It seems like you’re taking an interest in my personal life. What matters to me. That’s dangerously close to ruining the casual agreement we’ve struck.” I intertwined my fingers on the table top, fearing if I let them wander they’d plunge down his pants. Good Lord I couldn’t keep it together around this man.

He smirked. “Casual?” He eyed me. “Come on, Paige. You and I both know nothing between us has been casual.”

“I’m proud, though. Your donations and presence here today will help jumpstart that…wholesome image we’re going for.” I tried to reference the business side of our deal in order to cool the fire pulsing between my thighs, but my words still came out stuttered with each movement of his hand on my skin.

“You know what I’ve told you when you go all boardroom on me?” He shifted closer to me, slowly tugging one of my hands underneath the table to lightly graze the outline of his extremely hard cock. “Keep talking like that, and I’ll forget I’m playing the good boyfriend who holds hands and does brunch.”

His words soaked my panties, and I wiggled in my seat. Damn it, he had a direct line to my fuck me now button—one I hadn’t known existed until I’d met him.

“Rory I—”

“Saying my name only makes it worse, Red.” He hissed, and his fingers found my wetness under the table with no pretenses of light petting. He dove right in, pushing my panties to the side and stroking my clit with an expertise that had me immediately in sparking knots.

I sucked in a deep breath, unable to tear my eyes away from all the potential people who could catch us. They danced, ate second portions, or browsed the auction table, not ten feet from where we sat—and they were all thankfully oblivious.

My body? Not so much.

Rory kept his eyes on me, grazing over my chest, which I tried beyond belief to keep control of. The act was harder than anything I’d ever done, and I was a fucking Harvard graduate. Sparks shot across every surface of my skin, the heat from his touch burrowing deeper in my core as he slipped his fingers inside me.

God, why did I have to wear a dress?

He pressed his thumb against my clit as he pushed his fingers in deeper.

Scratch that. Thank God I’d worn a dress.

My breath quickened, and I couldn’t help it, I moved against him with the smallest of motions, silently begging him to make me come…regardless of the people surrounding us. I’d needed the release at his doing since the first night in the penthouse. He’d kept it from me for so long I was ready to jump him at my own company’s event! I wiggled again, imagining his strong hand was the strong cock I knew he had.

He jolted, immediately withdrawing his hand. He pushed back from the table, waving to the crowd who I only just now realized had their eyes on him.

“Thank you,” he said after he’d climbed on stage and the crowd had started applauding. He silenced them with one raise of his hand. The same hand that had been inside me seconds ago. Holy hell. “I promised Paige I would say a few words. Promised her they’d be clever. Well, I’m going to have to break my promise as I’ve misplaced that priceless speech.”

Everyone laughed, but I remained lost in my head, in the heat still throbbing between my thighs. How could I lose it like that? How could I let him do that to me with the chance of getting caught so very close?

“What I will say is thank you all for coming. For contributing to a corporation that has helped keep families healthy and wholesome for decades.” The way he emphasized the word wholesome had me grinning despite the insane terror mixed with need rushing in my blood. It was like he was speaking only to me, not the hundreds in the crowd. “You’re all wonderful people that I’m honored to have met today,” he finished, flashing that million-dollar smile and descending the stage to another round of applause. He even stopped to snap quick photos with anyone who asked.

I thought the separation would be like a cold shower and shock some sense into me.

It didn’t. He only turned me on more, showing a side I’d never seen before—at least a side the media had never shown coverage on. His eyes caught mine across the crowd and I didn’t miss the lust that flashed behind them.

I crossed my legs, unable to ignore the slickness between the motion.

The auction winners were announced and collected their items right after his speech, and then, per my direction, Kelsey had drawn a numbered ticket from the raffle I’d had the shelter guests collect from. The winner had two children with her and hugged them before rushing up to meet Kelsey. She didn’t know she’d just won a check big enough to feed her family for a year; she was just happy to win anything at all. It broke my heart and made me fill with pride at the same time.

And just as I was mentally plotting all the people I could help once I took over as C.E.O., Rory drew my attention and motioned toward the parking area just outside the gardens. I quickly followed him to his car secretly hoping he’d throw me in the passenger seat and take me to his place for an entire night of nothing but him and a set of sheets.

Instead, he opened the door and pulled out the same folder I’d given him over dinner. “It’s official.” He handed me the contract which I glanced at. It was signed. “You’re mine for three months.”

The claim sent another wave of heat across my skin. I straightened, arching an eyebrow at him. “I believe this states you’re mine, Mr. Jackson. Do we need to go over the articles again?”

His hands snaked around my hips, the movement innocent, but it was enough of a public display that if anyone were watching they would know we were “together.”