Craving My Ruthless Ceo novel Chapter 65

Chapter 65: Game On

ANNA’S POV

Half an hour later, I stood outside Zoe’s apartment door, suitcases lined up behind me.

I knocked twice.

After a minute, the door flew open.

Zoe’s face went from shock to pure joy in half a second.

“ANNA!”

Her arms wrapped around me, squeezing hard enough to crack ribs. A squeal escaped her throat.

“You’re really here. You’re actually here!”.

“Can’t breathe, Zo.”

“I don’t care!” She pulled back, hands gripping my shoulders. Her eyes were bright, searching my face. “Oh my God, I’m so glad you’re back. You’re safe……”

I smiled, warmth spreading through my chest despite everything. “Me too.”

Before I could finish, Zoe yanked me inside and shut the door. “I was so mad when you told me everything that almost happened with that creep Drago……” She kicked the door shut behind us. “Thank God he didn’t hurt you.”

I let out a breath, the weight of that night still heavy on my shoulders. “I’m truly grateful Roman sent help just when I needed it most. Otherwise……”

Zoe pulled me into another hug, this one gentler. “Let’s just focus on you being safe and leave the past with that scum where it belongs.”

“You’re right.” I leaned into her embrace. “That’s all’I’ve been doing, trying to wipe that night from my memory.” She dragged me toward the couch, her hand warm in mine. We sank into the cushions together, her body angled toward me, eyes still searching my face like she was making sure I was really there.

“I’ve got to ask……” She tucked one leg underneath her. “Did your sister and mom really leave you alone with that monster?”

I tried not to think of how mean they’d been. They were among the things I wanted to forget.

“They both raced out the first chance they got.” I let out a disappointed scoff. “Didn’t even look back.”

“I swear to God, Anna. Just when I think they can’t get any worse……”

“Tell me about it.”

“Have they even called? Texted to check if you’re okay?”

I shook my head. “Not a single message.”

“Unbelievable.” Zoe’s hands curled into fists against her thighs. “They should both be ashamed. After you risked your life for them, that’s how they pay you back.”

“I guess this is who they’ve always been to me. I’m just seeing them for what they are, users.”

Zoe’s expression softened. “I’m glad you finally are.” She paused, scowling. “About Drago…… has that sick bastard tried to contact you again?”

“Roman had his security team handle Drago. I haven’t heard from him since that night.” I pulled my knees to my chest. “Roman beat the life out of him and made it very clear what would happen if he came near me again.”

“Your own personal knight in shining armor.” Zoe settled deeper into the couch beside me, her anger melting into curiosity. “Anna, I’m so sorry. I should’ve been there with you. If I’d known what was happening……”

“Don’t. I didn’t mean to scare you.” I grabbed her hand “And should be the one apologizing for dragging you

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Chapter 65 Game On into any of this.”

“Are you kidding?” She squeezed my fingers. “You’re my best friend. I’d go to war for you.”

“Girl power?”

“Damn right, girl power.” She grinned, then her expression shifted and became more questioning. “But wait. I thought you were staying with Roman for a few more weeks. At least until things fully cooled off with Drago.”

“I was planning to.”

“So what changed? You were living in that fancy penthouse with your hot CEO boss. Not exactly a bad situation.”

“It wasn’t……” I stared at my hands, not knowing how to really express my real reason for leaving.

Zoe’s eyebrows shot up. “But Roman must really like you. All that protection, bringing you into his home……”

“A few days ago, I would’ve thought so. But after last night…….” My voice trailed off.

“Wait.” Her eyes went huge. “What happened last night?”

My face heated.

“Oh my God.” Her mouth fell open. “Did you guys have sex?”

I buried my face in my hands.

“No!”

“After spending days living with your sexy hot CEO that you’ve been crushing on, you can’t tell me you both didn’t….”

“I have self-control.”

Zoe laughed. “Self-control. Right. That’s why your face is the color of a tomato.”

“Shut up.”

“Anna Winters, you tell me everything right now.” She poked my shoulder.

I peeked at her through my fingers. She wasn’t letting this go.

Fine.

“The Beaumonts threw a masquerade ball. I went with Roman as his plus one. He got jealous when Laurent asked me to dance.”

Zoe leaned forward, eyes sparkling. “Laurent…… the French heir you’ve been telling me has a thing for you but Roman hates?”

I nodded. “That’s correct.”

“But why was Roman jealous if you were his plus one?”

“Roman was involved in this serious meeting with Beaumont himself, and Laurent and I were left alone.” I dropped my hands from my face. “We got talking, drinking. He invited me to dance and I agreed.”

“Oh my God……” Zoe’s voice went up an octave. “I can already imagine the tension. Spill!”

“Roman displayed this…… possessive, territorial kind of jealousy.”

Heat crept up my neck. “He practically dragged me out, and the moment we got to his enormous penthouse, he……” My breath caught. “He kissed me. And soon he had his hands all over me, Zo. His fingers doing things to me while he told me I was his.”

Zoe’s jaw dropped. “Shut. Up.”

“I came apart in his arms. It was the most intense thing I’ve ever experienced.”

“Oh my God!” She grabbed my arm, shaking it. “Your first time being touched like that and you had an orgasm? That was……

She fanned herself dramatically. “CEO Mr. Blackwood must really know how to make a woman come undone.”

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Chapter 65: Game On

I swatted her shoulder. “Get a grip, miss.”

“I’m just saying!” She grinned wickedly.

“And then?”

“And then this morning, he called me into his office. Said it was a mistake. That we need to keep things professional.”

Her face twisted in disbelief. “What a douche.”

“Exactly!”

“That’s such typical billionaire behavior. They think they can just use people and walk away……”

“I know.” I slumped back against the cushions. “So I told him fine. If he wants to keep things professional, he can have it. And I knew for it to work, that means I can’t live in his house. So I packed up and left while he was at work because if he found out, he would try to stop me.”

Zoe’s expression shifted from anger to thoughtfulness. “From everything you’ve told me, I think he likes you. He’s just running from his feelings.”

The same thoughts had been running through my mind all day. But I couldn’t be certain.

“I’m not so sure about that. I think…… we both were just……”

“I know men better than you, so I think the opposite,” Zoe cut me off, her voice confident.

“I know he’s clearly arrogant and can’t see the diamond right before him. But I still think about him protecting you, bringing you to his home, looking after you the way you said he did. Then the jealousy……”

She shook her head. “A CEO like him would never risk losing a deal over a woman he doesn’t have feelings for. But there’s only one way to find out……”

She scratched her head, then gasped. “Maybe we need to make him confront them.”

I stared at her. “What do you mean?”

“Nothing makes a man step up faster than knowing he’s about to lose you.”

“Lose me? He never had me. We were never together.”

“Doesn’t matter if you labeled it or not. You shared an intimate moment. He’s clearly jealous about Laurent.” She leaned forward, eyes glinting with mischief. “So let’s use it.”

“Use it how?”

“You keep seeing Laurent. Dress sexy to work every day. Make Roman sweat.” She stood, moving toward my suitcases. “Speaking of which, we need to take you shopping. No more nerdy cardigans.”

“No need.” I pointed at the door. “Roman practically bought me an entire store.”

Her eyes went wide. “How did I not notice these?”

“Because you dragged me inside the moment you opened the door,” I gestured toward the hallway, “leaving the boxes outside.”

Zoe rose eagerly, practically bouncing to the door. She flung it open and gasped at the three large suitcases lined up in the hallway.

“Oh my……” She grabbed the first one, dragging it inside with a grunt. “These are heavy.”

She unzipped the first suitcase and her gasp was even louder this time. “Anna, is this all designer?”

“Yeah.”

She pulled out a red dress, tag still attached. Her fingers traced the label reverently. “Valentino. He bought you

Valentino?”

“And Chanel. And Prada.”

“Okay, Roman might not be a total douche after all.” She was already digging through the case, pulling out dress after dress.

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Chapter 65. Game On

I laughed. “So your loyalty can be bought?”

“Depends on the price.” She grinned, pulling out more dresses and laying them across the couch. “But these are all designer, so yeah. My loyalty is officially purchased.”

“You’re terrible.”

A pang of guilt hit me. “I’m a bad person too, taking everything he bought and not telling him I left.”

Zoe waved a hand dismissively. “Of course not. He got them for you, meaning he wants you to have them. And take them as compensation for the emotional trauma. Think of it like settlement money.”

I giggled despite myself. “You’re the absolute worst.”

“And I’m about to transform you into the absolute best.” She held up the red dress, the fabric catching the light. “And this is what you’re wearing to your next meeting with Roman and the charming French guy.”

“It’s Laurent,” I corrected.

“One and the same.” Then she turned to me, eyes blazing with determination. “Nothing makes a statement like

red.”

“I don’t know, Zo……”

“Trust me on this.” She held the dress up to my body, studying the effect. “He won’t recognize the woman you’ll become. You’re going to walk in there, head high, confidence radiating. You’ll be sophisticated, but still sexy as hell.”

Her grin turned devious. “You’ll flirt with Laurent as much as possible, laugh even when he’s not funny, touch his arm during conversation. You’ll make your CEO squirm in his seat, make him remember exactly what he’s pushing away, until he can’t fight it anymore and has no choice but to confess what he really feels about you.”

I stared at the dress, my heart pounding..

Maybe Zoe was right. Maybe it was time Roman learned what it felt like to want something he couldn’t have.

Game on, Mr. Blackwood.

C