Pleasing Him: The Complete Series (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) (2 page)

Stein, a type-A nicotine junkie, had the body of a twenty-five year-old even though she was closer to hitting forty. But the cross look that constantly occupied her face devoured any beauty that she still possessed, and Taylor was sure she’d lose her job for this. Stein looked towards the door, hinting for Taylor to continue to make her exit. “This isn’t good,” Stein added just before Taylor lowered her head like a shamed dog and began to leave.

But Colton Marcus had plans of his own. “I’m sorry, do you have some place more important to be right now?”

Taylor had never felt so panicked in her life, and even though she knew she didn’t actually belong there, Marcus was beginning to make her wonder as if she did.

“Sir, she’s actually…” her boss began to say.

Marcus cleared his throat, essentially muting the department head’s voice completely.

Taylor felt like she had just swallowed her heart, and she was pretty sure she might either vomit or pass out.

The billionaire was officially out of patience, as was evident by his narrowed eyes and crinkled forehead. Taylor couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked the more intense he became.

Knock it off
, she told herself. She hated that she found a man this brash and egotistical so damn attractive.
Well at least he had a right to be this cocky
, she convinced herself.
He’s Colton Marcus
.

“Everyone out!” he demanded. He didn’t care that every student in the room had been waiting nearly a year for this appearance from him. He didn’t seem to care about anything, except himself.

And Taylor.

“Except for you,” he said, his eyes locking in on her.

She wanted to crawl inside herself. There she stood, little old her with her heart pounding in her chest, feeling utterly naked in her blue mini dress and wishing she was wearing a hazmat suit instead.

She blinked as his eyes twitched, and Taylor swore he just ran his gaze across her thighs, right here in front of everyone.

Disgusting pig
, she thought to herself.

Disgusting,
gorgeous
, pig.

She suddenly felt alone in the room with this man, a man she had no business being this close to in the first place. She didn’t have any right being near anyone in this room, never mind a man like Colton Marcus.

She pointed to her own face before she spoke. “Me?” Her face burned red, and she quickly scanned her surroundings looking for an escape. No windows to jump out of, no exits except for the door behind him that he made his grand entrance through, and the one behind her. She could turn and leave, but she’d already made a big enough spectacle out of herself in front of her boss, and
him
.

She didn’t want to disappoint Stein anymore than she already had, but even more, she was afraid of upsetting him. He had a monster temper, that much was clear.

Ridiculous
, she thought.
Stop being so dramatic. He’s a control freak, nothing more. It’s not personal.

But it was very personal.

His tone deepened and grew louder all at once. “I said out!” he ordered. Every student in there immediately scurried, moving more like a colony of roaches than high-achieving Ivy League students.

The only ones left in the conference room were Taylor, her boss, and Colton Marcus.

Stein’s face looked like it was about to crack, probably a combo of too much make-up and utter desperation. “Mr. Marcus, what can I do to make it up to you? I assure you…”

“You can leave. That would be most helpful,” he said as he loosened the top button on his shirt.

“But sir, the fellowship…” Stein paused and shook her head as she shot Taylor a deadly look. “She’s not-“

The billionaire cut her off, “I don’t have time for any more mishaps. I’ll review the applications tonight and make a decision by the morning. Get out.”

Stein lowered her head, “Yes, of course.” Her eyes darted back and forth. She looked like she might literally implode from not getting the chance to tell him the truth about Taylor.

But then she was gone, and Taylor was completely alone with Colton Marcus.

She couldn’t believe this was happening. In fact, she wasn’t even sure why it was happening at all. Maybe he was a lunatic. Maybe he just couldn’t take rejection, of any kind.

The billionaire folded the pocket square and placed it back in the front pocket of his blazer.

Then he stepped right in front of her. So close, he literally made her gasp. No man had ever been this close to her, excluding her cynical father and her abusive high school boyfriend, and she began to tremble.

“Introduce yourself,” he ordered.

“I… I’m Taylor. T… Taylor Ward,” she stammered.

He smiled, and then reached out his hand. “I’m Colton. Colton Marcus.”

She couldn’t take her eyes off his, as if somehow he would pounce on her like a jungle cat if she did. But she forgot to raise her own hand.

He cleared his throat, and his eyes narrowed tightly again. She found herself liking his angry expressions more and more. “Do I have to physically take your hand, or are you going to meet me halfway?” he said.

She looked down at his hand, and realized that she hadn’t reciprocated his introductory shake.

She gulped out loud, and then reached her hand out towards him. His lips curled devilishly and his nostrils flared, then he took her hand in his. A surge of electricity pulsed through every cell in her body. And for whatever reason, he didn’t let go.

His smile disappeared as he abruptly pulled her body towards him, causing her breasts to brush up against his chest.

She should have screamed. Or kicked him in the groin. Or at least tried to run. But all she could do was stand there, her chest up against his, her heart beating faster than it could probably take.

Why is he doing this to me?
All she could think was that she must have really triggered some deep emotional wound inside of him that caused him to be this pissed off at her.

“Do you have a hard time following rules, Ms. Ward?”

She realized that she was supposed to answer. But she couldn’t speak. Hell, she could barely breathe. Truth be told, she was usually quite good at following the rules, but she couldn’t tell him that.

He looked even angrier now that she hadn’t yet answered his simple question. He dragged his finger up her neck and slowly tilted her chin upwards.

There wasn’t a single window in this room, meaning he could do whatever he wanted to her right now and it would be her word against his.

He pulled her into him even closer, and she immediately felt his hard cock press into her crotch.

This had to be a dream. Or a nightmare. Either way, it couldn’t be real.

His eyes widened as his tongue protruded slightly out and rested beneath his upper lip. All she could do was freeze, and feel his erection press into her.

No
, she thought. She couldn’t believe it, but she was wet inside her panties. Wet for a man she didn’t know and certainly didn’t trust anymore than a random prison inmate.

I never should have walked into this room
, she repeated to herself.

“Let me make myself clear, Taylor,” he rasped. She didn’t have a clue what he was up to, or why he was messing with her like this, but the way he said her first name further weakened whatever resolve she had left. “Nobody breaks my rules.” He reached around her back and slid his hand up her dress, resting it on the back of her ass. “Do I make myself clear?” he asked as he squeezed her cheek in his hand.

Okay, this was clearly sexual assault
. Or was it? Because nobody was forcing her to play whatever sick game he was playing right now, or follow whatever devious rules he was making her abide by.

She bit down on her lower lip, something she had never done for another man before. Two words described Taylor’s sexual experience best- boring and short-lived. And she had never,
ever
, messed around with a total stranger. “Yes, Mr. Marcus,” she muttered softly.

She couldn’t believe she was showing a man who was this cold, a man who clearly thought nothing more of her than an object to do what he pleased with, this much reverence. But something inside her told her to follow along, no matter what.

What’s the matter with me?

He released her hand and grabbed both sides of her ass, pulling her crotch into his hardness even more. His strong hands on her ass in this manner made her sweet spot melt in her underwear. And she suddenly found herself having the most deranged thoughts she’d ever had, like thoughts of him ripping her little blue dress off and fucking her hard and fast right here in this room.

“I don’t like that you tried to walk out like that right in the middle of my lecture,” he said. The bulge in his pants felt huge as it poked and prodded her in places that only one man before him had been. “Kids like you are used to having everything handed to them. Just say the word and Mommy and Daddy will take care of it. Isn’t that right?”

No, not even close
, she thought. Her mother and father split up when she was four, and it had been a living hell ever since, until she got old enough to get out on her own, not that that’s been all that much better.

But she didn’t want him to know she wasn’t a student at Baldpate, then he’d really be mad.

“I’m sorry, Colton, I didn’t mean to offend you like that. I just…”

His eyes narrowed even more. “Don’t ever call me by my first name without my permission,” he said, his voice even less patient than it had just been. He shook his head and flashed an evil grin as he looked away from her, as if he just couldn’t believe who and what he was dealing with right now.

She slouched over and peered down at his shiny black dress shoes as she said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Marcus.”

“We’ll see about that.” And then he began to slide the top of her dress down and over her breasts.

Her eyes grew wide as his fingers skillfully unhooked her silver bra from behind, forcing her tits to come popping out at him.

She was furious.

But she didn’t want him to stop doing whatever it was he was doing to her.

And from what she could tell, he showed no signs of stopping anything.

He squeezed her breast, forcing her stiff nipple to point directly towards him. Then Marcus began to trace her bare nipple with his tongue. She bit down on her lower lip and moaned. The billionaire pinched her other nipple with his fingers, forcing her to swing her head back as she winced from just the right amount of pain.

No man had taken over her body like this before, in part because she had never let it happen. But Colton Marcus wasn’t the type of man to ask for permission from someone like Taylor Ward.

This can’t be happening
. She looked around the conference room,
the fucking conference room for damn sake!
Here she was, having her breasts sucked and pinched by Colton Marcus, a man she had no business whatsoever being with at all.

She reached for his chest, her fingers seemingly having a mind of their own. She grabbed onto his mountainous chest muscles and began to slide her hands down his side.

“No!” Marcus ordered. “Keep your hands to yourself, Ms. Ward.”

She startled, then immediately complied as she brought her hands back down to her side. By now her pussy was dripping wet beneath her dress. It nearly killed her not to touch him; not to be able to explore his body further like he was exploring hers.

So unfair
, she thought. Not that she wasn’t partly relieved that she had to keep her hands to herself, at least that way she wouldn’t feel guilty about going after a random man’s body anymore.

He was a total stranger, and she had never done anything like this with a total stranger before.

She knew she had to put a stop to this whole thing as soon as possible, but his tongue continued to toy with her hardened nipples, this time switching back and forth between each breast.

“I want to feel your wet pussy,” he whispered in her ear.

“No,” she whispered back as she exhaled.

“I didn’t ask you a question, Ms. Ward, so I don’t need an answer,” he said as he reached around and pulled her hips into his fully-erect cock.

She just knew he was well endowed. A man like Colton Marcus had to be big down below. She couldn’t help but wonder whether or not he’d make her scream if he fucked her like she had imagined he would.

She tried to reassure herself.
That’s never going to happen
. For one thing, she wouldn’t let him. For another thing, a man like this could have any woman he wants. The idea of him having full-blown sex with her made the least sense possible.

“Let me try this another way,” he said as he began to slide her panties down her soft, hardly-been-touched thighs. She was speechless as she looked down at her lace panties as they rested along her blue high heels.

Seriously, do something Taylor. Anything
. She tried to do the logical thing, which was removing herself from this situation immediately, but her body seemed to have a plan of its own by now.