Irresistible Bachelors: Books 1-5 by Landish, Lauren (bts books to read TXT) 📕

“Matt.”

“Yessir,” he says behind me in his slight Southern drawl.

“New policy. Get your own shit from the mail and supply rooms. Your co-workers have their own jobs to do. Thanks.”

He sputters, and I walk off, giving Hannah a little wink as I do. I walk down the stairs to the supply room, where I find Roxy struggling with an armload of junk that makes me wonder what is going on in Matt’s head. “Hey.”

She jumps in surprise. She was so focused on trying to find what’s on her list. “Mr. Stone, what—”

I reach out, taking the object from her hand, a red Swingline stapler, and put it back on the shelf. “Shh, you don’t need to be doing this,” I tell her. “He can get his own shit.”

A smile hits her face. “If you insist. Definitely not going to argue against that.”

I close the door, smiling. “I do.”

I approach her, her perfume filling my nostrils and making my head spin in that oh, so familiar and needed way. It’s been at least two days since I got in this close, and I can’t help myself. She arches her neck as I inhale deeply. “Actually, I have a surprise for you.”

“Please tell me it’s as big as the one in your pants,” she says huskily. “I . . . oh, God, we’re not supposed to do this at the office.”

“Not quite that big. But I still think you’ll be impressed by its size.” I take her hand and place it on my crotch, lowering my lips to kiss her. She melts into my touch, and I’m so tempted to take her here and now. But I can’t. She squeezes my cock through my pants before I step away, both of us breathing heavily. “So, are you impressed?”

“Your ego is showing,” she says, giving me some of that sauciness that I adore. “Careful it doesn’t get bigger.”

“You love it,” I tease. “And you need it.”

“I do,” Roxy murmurs before stomping her feet like a frustrated child. “Fuck, just tell me already!”

A grin curls the corner of my lips. “After work. I’ll take you out for dinner first. Think about it—we haven't had anything other than the club and the office.”

“Are you sure?” Roxy asks, and I nod. It’s been on my mind for a week. I want to take her out and treat her like a lady. “I mean, we probably shouldn’t fuel any suspicions.”

“Leave that to me. Be ready by eight, and wear something a princess might wear. I’ll be by to pick you up.”

She seems to melt at the promise of being wined and dined. “All right. But it had better be good.”

I smile, taking her hand and kissing it. “I promise, it will be.”

* * *

I pull up outside Roxy’s place right at eight o’clock. While I thought about hiring a driver for the night, I decided to give tonight a personal touch and drove myself instead. I’m glad, because as Roxy walks out, I’m stunned. She’s in a sparkling black gown, silver threaded through the fabric to create almost a waterfall effect. Her hair is sleek, her skin so enticing as she approaches me. She’s so beautiful that I can barely think, and I get out almost a beat late, coming around to the passenger side of my car and opening the door.

“You are truly a vision of beauty tonight,” I greet her, taking her satin gloved hand and helping her in. “You look like you’re ready for the red carpet.”

“You said dress like a princess, and when I dress up, I go all out,” Roxy says. “So thank you.”

I go around to my side and get in, still so drawn by her looks that she has to clear her throat and give me a raised eyebrow. “I hope you didn’t mean just getting dressed up to sit in the parking lot and make out. I don’t do back seats. Well, not anymore anyway.”

Her joke breaks my paralysis and sends blood to my cock, and I grin. The back seat—that sounds fun. But I turn my attention back to the road. “You’ll see.”

The drive takes a while. When I told her not to worry, I made sure of it. She’s giving me a look when we pull up and I hand my keys to the valet. “What’s this place?”

“An exclusive, private members-only restaurant,” I tell her, leading her through the plain, unmarked door. “We’re totally safe here.”

The maître d’ checks my ID against the reservation list and seats us. As we make our way through the small, ten-table place, Roxy stops. “Is that . . . no way.”

I glance over, seeing who she’s talking about. “Kevin? Yeah, he’s a member. Now, one of the rules is that everyone in here is equal, so he’s just a guy.”

“Okay,” she says uncertainly. We sit down, and she looks around. “Wow. The decor here . . .”

“Is what gives the place class. This is one of those places where you get what the chef prepares. You just have to trust his judgment. But I checked the menu, and we’re getting surf and turf with matching wines. So enjoy.”

“Thank you,” Roxy says, sipping her water. “So, Jake—”

“You can ask me anything you want,” I say, cutting her off. “Come on, I can see it in your eyes. You’ve got a thousand and one questions about me. Now’s the time for them.”

“Well, okay,” Roxy says, blushing. I understand. We’ve been having sex for weeks, and while I know a lot about her, she’s not heard my story as much as she might like. “Well, you told me about your sister and how she came to live with you, but . . . well, you don’t strike me as a rich boy.”

“I’m not, if you mean whether I inherited my money,” I tell her. “My mother came from a rich family. But she met and fell in love with my dad, who was a working-class guy. They defied my grandfather to get