“We weren’t meant to be, Roger. We were a business arrangement and neither of us would have been happy long term.”

Lauren’s buzzer went off. She punched the button. “Yes.”

“Pick up.”

Lauren frowned, but reached for the receiver. “Yes?”

Alice whispered urgently, “There is a very large, very grouchy man here who insists on seeing you.”

Lauren couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s Royce. Tell him I’ll be right out.” Lauren pushed to her feet. “I have a visitor I need to attend.”

Abruptly Roger closed the distance between them, and was behind her desk, his hands on her shoulders, right over the bandage and her burn. “I made a mistake. I had cold feet. We can make it work. I’ll make it up to you.”

Lauren grabbed his hand. “You're hurting me.”

“And you’re destroying me. I miss you. I”

“Let her go.”

Roger released her and turned to the door, where Royce stood, tall and broad, in jeans and a T-shirt, that might as well have been leather and knives, for the look on his face.

“Who are you?” Roger demanded.

“The only man who gets to touch her.”

Lauren gaped at the caveman-like statement. “Royce,” she ground out between her teeth.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“I was just leaving,” Roger said, but Royce still blocked the doorway and made no effort to move.

“Don’t leave on my account,” Royce said in a hard voice Lauren was starting to worry about.

Roger, who was used to being under fire in the courtroom appeared to recover from his initial shock. Offering a cool glare, he said, “I’m not. I simply came by to check on Lauren.” He glanced at Lauren, “I’ll call you,” and then stepped forward as if daring Royce to block his way.

For several tense seconds, Lauren thought Royce wasn’t going to move, but finally he backed up to let Roger pass. She was at the door when Royce stepped inside her office, shutting the door. “You’re the only man who gets to touch me? I’m not your property, Royce.”

“No. But we’re either exclusive or we aren’t anything.”

At any other time, she’d have reveled in what he was saying, what he was offering, but not now, not like this. “You don’t get to tell me we’re exclusive. You don’t get to demand it. That’s not how this works.”

He grabbed her and picked her up, setting her on the desk, shoving her skirt up and pressing her legs apart to stand between them. His hands framed her body, pressed to the wooden surface beside her hips. “Do you want Roger?”

Heat sizzled down her spine. This damnable alpha side of him pissed her off, but it turned her on too, and she didn’t understand why. She pressed on his hard, unmoving chest. “Don’t bully me or push me around. Let me up.”

“Do you want Roger?”

“You know I don’t.”

“Apparently you want to keep you options open,” he said, his hands skimming up her thighs. “You don’t want to say we’re exclusive. So maybe this is just a good time ride for you?”

“You’re being an ass**le,” she said. “Demanding and demanding. You don’t get to demand. You ask, Royce.”

His eyes darkened, glinting dangerously. “You want me to ask?” He skimmed his thumb over her panties. “How about this? Will you come for me, Lauren? Right here, in your office?” He slid his fingers under her panties and she gasped at the pleasure. “Does he make you wet like this?”

“Stop it, Royce,” she gasped as his fingers pushed inside her. “Stop.”

He reached up and tugged down her blouse, exposing her bra and then her nipple, before leaning down and licking it. “Not until you say you’re mine.”

“I’m not saying that. I won’t ever be yours if you’re this big of an ass**le.”

“I’m just making sure you know who is supposed to be f**king you.”

She arched against his fingers, unable to stop herself. “I hate how you’re acting.” She buried her face in his shoulder. “I hate that you’re doing... this.” Her body clenched around his fingers, pleasure rushing through her, defying her words.

The fingers of his other hand tangled into her hair, forcing her gaze to his, her mouth a breath from his. He stroked her cl*t with his thumb, pumping inside her. “I hate the idea of him doing this to you.”

“He can’t do this to me.”

“Why?” he all but growled.

There was something in his voice, in his words, a vulnerability that defied his demands, that reached into her and drew a response. “Because he’s not you, Royce.”

He kissed her, hard and demanding, a fierce claiming that had her moaning and giving into her need for him. Everything blurred then turning to shades of pleasure. She couldn’t get enough of him, she couldn’t even remember where she was. Only that she helped him shove his pants down, welcomed him ripping away her panties, and whimpered when his c**k pressed into her.

He thrust into her, lifted her off the desk, and pulled her down on him. She clung to him, hungered for him like she had never another man, and yes, she came for him, just like he wanted her to.

He shook with his release and then set her on the desk, burying his face in her neck. Emotions rolled over Lauren and she didn’t know what she was feeling. “Let me up,” she said, shoving on his shoulders. “I need up. Someone could walk in.”