"Steffy wait…", he tried to stop her relentless hands, trying to find purchase in the nape of his neck, He grabbed her arms, stopping her movements, his breath fast, heavy, every inhale torture as he breathed hers in.

She pulled her face back, looking into his eyes, a twinkle of mischief in them.

"Okay." And with that she leaned back against the door, a chill sweeping through him at the distance that he didn't even notice how he moved with her, not allowing it.

A smile spread across her face. He glanced down to her lips, couldn't even help it, and her smile grew as she bit her bottom lip, tilting her head to the side as she did, leaning up, swiping her tongue against the seam of his lips, pulling her hands out of his grasp, placing them on the side of his face, lightly.

"Lock the door," faint words whispered against his lips, his hand moving down her side to the door handle, a slave to her commands.

The clicking sound of the lock broke the daze he always found himself in when he was in her presence. He quickly stepped back, severing all contact as he looked at her, really looked at her.

"I'm really happy to see you," he said, placing his hands in his pockets. Maybe that would help him reign back his self-control.

"A few doors down, saying her own hello. Would you prefer I wasn't here?"

He shook his head as she pushed herself off the door.

"Since you apparently want to behave," she said unlocking the door before she walked past him, perching herself on the corner of his desk.

Walking over to her, he placed his hands on either side of her,

"When have you ever known me to behave," he stated, before leaning over to give her a hard kiss that ended too soon when a voice interrupted them from behind.

"This is not what you told me you were coming for when you said you would join me, hmm Ma cherie?," Genevieve's said with an amused tone.

A giggle escaped Steffy as she pushed him back, moving to take a seat in a chair. She didn't get far, Bill grabbing her hand before she got far, dragging her to the sofa and pulling her down to sit next to him. Looking at Genevieve , she shrugged. Placing a hand behind her, an excuse just to touch her really, fingers grazing her shoulder, he spoke to her friend.

"Morning. Shall we start?"

An eyebrow raised on her face, Genevieve took a seat in the chair opposite them, nodding.

Half an hour passed as discussions ran back and forth between the three regarding the success of the new line with orders already fulfilled throughout the next quarter, the two were already looking into expanding the market base to outside of Europe, pending on the results of the test groups being setup in Asia, Europe and Middle East, each division creating specific lingerie based on the region.

"Okay, now that we are done, shall we move onto more interesting things yes? Bill, you are married no?"

Steffy's gasp followed before she tried to stop her friend in her tracks.

"Genevieve don't...," not that it helped.

"Now wait. He is sitting here with you as if he is not. I must ask this question. Because from what you have told me, the last time did not work out for you. It ended rather badly no? What with the whole almost dying thing,"

"Gen shut up," Steffy interrupted, an almost urgent pleading in her voice.

"He does not know? Pour l'amour de..."

Bill's back went ramrod straight, his eyes narrowing, what was he missing.

"Tell him, or I will," Genevieve said, looking at Steffy, who at that moment was trying to move away from him. But he wasn't having any of that, placing his hand firmly on her shoulder to hold her in place.

"What is she talking about?"

"Nothing."

"Steffy…" he growled, the tinge of demand from the beast leaking out into his tone.

"Tell him," Genevieve urged her, " I will leave you both." She stood up, leveling Bill with a hard stare,

"I really hope you are the man that I can see you to be." And with those words she left his office.

"What was she talking about?" He grated out.

"It's nothing, it's in the past."

"Tell me."

Steffy looked away from him for a moment before she brought her eyes back to his.

"I almost drowned in my bathtub the day you left me for her."

Bill felt a jackhammer hit him in the middle of the chest,

"Wait what?"

"I bumped my head on the tub, fell in, and well, yeah. Liam got there and saved me in time. So that's that."

"You never told me."

"And why would I? You had just broken me," she shouted, jumping up from the chair, pacing in front of him.

"What did you want me to say. Oh I know you just left me for your wife, but I almost died. You had already made your choice."

Bill stood up, stepping in her path, trying to grab her hands. She shrugged him off, and he could see it as she began to close off in front of him. The beast growled in response, claws digging into him to stop it.

"I still wished you would have told me."

"I am not some woman that wanted to claim the right to have you by using that. "

"Steffy…"

"No. Just let it go. Why are even talking about this? Gen was just being protective. It's in the past, and I am not dumb enough to…", she paused, her eyes looking up to the ceiling.

"What am I even talking about? Here I am again, doing whatever this is," she gestured between them "with an unavailable man once again. Father and son, like a yo-yo where the string keeps jerking me between two places, with always the same ending for me. What are we doing here Bill?"

He stepped in front of her, hands reaching for her face, but she jerked back.

"This isn't the same."

"You know what, I'm not doing this again. I went to Paris to get away from this kind of stuff with Liam,"

"I am not my son,"

"Huh," she scoffed.

Moving forward, he grabbed her neck, pulling her towards him, ravaging her lips, breathing in the shocked gasp that escaped her as their lips met, his thumbs grazing under her jaw as he continued to indulge in his addiction, the sweet taste of her, until he felt her submission in the way her hands grabbed his waist. Pulling back, he whispered,

"I made the wrong choice, I should have never let you go."

Her hold on him tightened as he let the beast take over, digging his hands deeper into the tresses of her hair when she opened her mouth letting him in, flames running through him.

He needed more…

He backed her to the sofa, spreading his hand against her back, lowering them as he hitched up her leg over his, hands moving up his back, a growl escaping at the incandescent pleasure feeling her chest against his. He couldn't get enough of her taste as he nipped his way to her neck, an open-mouthed kiss on her skin, just below her ear, a scrape of his teeth, a moan slipping from her lips, licks of fire growing,

"I'd missed those sounds," he said against her skin placing a kiss on her collarbone,

"But I've always wondered what it sounds like when you scream," his fingers inching under her shirt, as he hissed when he felt her silken skin beneath jump at the contact, her hands pulling him closer. Her hand grabbed his, stopping him in his tracks. Raising his head, he found her passion clouded eyes ringed with uncertainty,

"It should…"

The ringing of his desk phone made him stop in the middle of what he wanted to say. Allison knew not to disturb him, which means if she did. He moved back, disentangling them as he moved himself away from her, not too far, still close enough to pacify the beast inside, his hand still holding hers for a moment, her eyes full of questions. Turning his head towards the door, he saw as the knob began to turn, a quick knock following.

"Hey dad, we were wondering if you wanted…," Wyatt stopped upon entering the room and not finding him alone, " Hello again Steffy," he finished a warm smile on his face.

She smiled back, "Hey Wyatt."

"Me and Liam were wondering if you wanted to join us for lunch," he asked, eyes jumping from him to Steffy, "but I can see that…"

"No it's okay", she interrupted Wyatt, "we were just wrapping up a meeting, and I have to get going," standing up as Bill followed suit.

"I'll walk you out. Where is your brother?

"He is right…,"

"Did you ask him yet?" Liam asked as he stepped into the office himself, eyes roaming and locking on her.

The beast didn't like that, crouching inside him, bristling.

"Steffy," even an idiot could hear the whimsical longing in his tone, "congratulations."

"Thanks," she replied with a neutral voice, her body angling away as Liam reached out his hand for a handshake.

"We're beyond that don't you think," a saccharine smile on her face as she said it, "thanks again. See you around boys," and she sauntered away, stopping at the door to look at Bill, "you coming?"

"One second guys," he said as he followed her, seeing Allison give him a knowing look as he walked to the elevators, grabbing her hand and leading her to the private elevator a bit further down. When she had stepped inside he stood in the doorway, pulling her back to him,

"Don't pull away," he demanded, leaning down for a quick taste, "Pick up when I call."

He stepped back, not liking the look that still lingered in her eyes despite the knowing smile on her face. Walking back to his office, both his sons were currently arguing about something uninteresting to him. Seeing him they made their way to him and as they stepped out for lunch his thoughts were filled with nothing but her.