Unbreak the Woodsman

by M. S. Parker

  I gasped as his mouth came down on mine, caught off-guard by his quick action and how he’d closed the distance between us.

  His mouth was firm yet soft as he rubbed his lips against mine.

  I went still as he slid his tongue across my lower lip, then teased the upper one before slowly pushing inside my mouth.

  The taste of him had me shivering, and without conscious thought, I reached up and gripped his right bicep, my fingers curling into the fine material of his suit.

  6

  Breanna

  My heart was racing when I finally broke away. Backing up a few steps, I stared at him.

  He met my gaze levelly, his fingers dropping to my hand as I reached up to touch my lips.

  Wow.

  The man had some moves on him.

  I was racking my brain for something to say when he asked, “Have you had lunch yet?”

  “I…ah, no. No, I haven’t.” I thought of the can of soup I’d brought from home in preparation for the grim news about my SUV.

  “Come with me.” He held out a hand, a heated look in his eyes. “We can order something.”

  I stared at his hand for a long moment before shifting my gaze to his. “I’m not supposed to fraternize with clients,” I said softly, even though I positively wanted to…fraternize with him.

  A slow smile curled his lips. “I can deal with Lukas if any sort of problem comes up.”

  If any sort of problem came up, it would be mine to deal with, not his.

  That was, assuming I took him up on his offer.

  I could tell he was inviting me out for a lot more than lunch, and I debated silently before finally giving him a slow nod. If anything happened because of this, I’d deal with it.

  It was a reckless decision, just as reckless as the decision I’d made Friday when I left my SUV to wander off into the wilds of the mountains, just as reckless as the decision I’d made when I agreed to share Ryder’s tent with him.

  And I couldn’t find it in me to care.

  “I have to be back by one. There’s a mandatory meeting.”

  “I’ll have you back here by then.”

  I cut around him and gathered up his material, tucking it all back into the folder and turning to hand it to him.

  “Keep it. There’s a number in the folder for the marketing team.”

  Turning on my heel, I left the conference room. Ryder followed at my back as I made my way through the wide, open area of the main room. I left the folder on my desk and got my coat and purse, then told Stella I was taking my lunch.

  She caught sight of Ryder, and her eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything.

  I turned to meet his eyes and arched a brow.

  We ended up at a hotel not ten minutes from the office. It was one of the nicer hotels that catered to businessmen and women, and I couldn’t help but wonder if they frequently had people drop in during the middle of the day for a quickie.

  Because that’s what was in my near future.

  I had seen the heat in Ryder’s gaze, a heat that hadn’t been there during our short time together.

  At least, I hadn’t seen it then.

  I could see it now though, and by the time we were in the room we’d been given, my heart was racing.

  Ryder didn’t bother turning on the lights.

  As the door closed behind me, I slid out of my coat. Ryder took it and hung it up as I rummaged through my purse, relieved when I came up with a condom.

  I looked up and met his eyes.

  He took the rubber from me and tossed it on the nearby bed, then reached for me. Heat exploded through me as he hauled my hips in close to his. Against my belly, I could feel his cock like a brand, and instinctively, I rocked in closer.

  He palmed my butt and drew me in, eliminating any distance between us.

  He reached for my hair, and I groaned as he freed the heavy weight of it from the chignon I’d twisted the mass into.

  Big, hard hands held my head as he lowered his mouth back to mine.

  I nipped his lower lip and felt him shudder.

  That made me ravenous for more, and I reached for him, wiggling until I could work my hands between us and tug at his tie. The Windsor knot proved to be a little trickier than I’d expected, and he broke the kiss to deal with it while I skimmed my hands down his sides.

  He was hard, lean muscle under my hands, and I couldn’t wait to feel him up against me.

  Once he’d freed his tie, I took over the task, unbuttoning his shirt, then stroking my hands across the cotton of his undershirt as it stretched across his torso.

  He shrugged out of his suit coat, then reached for me, his hands hauling my skirt up.

  I wore thigh-high woolen socks with my heeled black boots, and he hummed in appreciation as he traced the bare strip of skin just above the socks.

  I pushed his shirt off his shoulders. Before I could reach for the undershirt, he took care of it, dropping it on the floor along with the rest of his clothes.

  I had no time to do anything else because he palmed my ass and pulled me against him. Nimble, calloused fingers stroked over my flesh, and I shivered, hot licks of pleasure blasting through me with each touch.

  “Hurry,” I whispered against his lips.

  He drew back and studied me for a long moment.

  I sucked in a breath as I waited for him to touch me again.

  Then he was, and the air I’d drawn into my lungs went flying back out on a ragged sigh as he skimmed his hands under my sweater, up, up, up until the heels of his hands grazed my breasts.

  He didn’t linger there, though.

  He stripped my sweater away, and I whimpered as he dropped his head to press a hot, open-mouthed kiss to the midline of my chest.

  My skirt soon fell away in a puddle at my feet, joined by my panties.

  I was naked now, save for the woolen thigh-high socks and my boots.

  He wore his trousers and shoes.

  I reached out and palmed his cock, already achy and wet for him. He swept me up in his arms and carried me over to the bed.

  I gasped as he caught my nipple in his mouth. Sure, certain fingers trailed along my thigh teasingly, and I arched up, pressing myself against the ridge of his cock.

  Those clever fingers dipped between my thighs, and I moaned as he slid two of them inside me.

  “You’re so wet,” he muttered against my skin. “So hot.”

  I was getting even hotter, but I didn’t have the breath to tell him that.

  He thrust his fingers into me again, and I tightened around him.

  Working my hands between us, I tugged at his belt buckle. “Please.”

  Ryder levered back up onto his heels and settled between my thighs.

  I watched as he freed himself, wrapping long fingers around his dick and giving himself an absent stroke while reaching for the condom with his free hand.

  My heart hitched and skipped a few beats as I watched him roll the rubber on, then I was breathing in ragged bursts as he covered my body with his.

  I arched up, and he thrust in, driving deep, deep, deep…

  With a ragged cry, I reached for the hard shelf of his shoulders, my nails piercing his skin.

  He withdrew, then filled me again.

  I tugged his mouth to mine.

  His cock swelled inside me even more, sending waves of delight through me. The head rubbed over my G-spot, and I thought I would self-combust right there.

  We strained together, no pretense at gentleness. There was nothing between us in that moment but pure, raw heat, and I thought it would burn me alive.

  When the orgasm hit, it knocked the breath out of me.

  For a few seconds, I thought I saw stars.

  Fifteen minutes later, there was a knock at the door.

  I must have looked puzzled as a uniformed young woman pushed a cart into the room.

  “I ordered room service when I checked in,” Ryder said. “Can’t have you going hungry.”

  Th
e consideration of it made me smile, and I joined him at the small table once we were alone.

  “This is a lot better than the canned soup I planned on having,” I told him as he pulled the silver cover from my food.

  “I wasn’t sure what you liked, but I figured pasta was a safe bet.”

  “Who doesn’t like pasta?” I asked, reaching for my fork.

  We ate in companionable silence. I glanced at the time. “I’ll get you back by one,” he said, reiterating what he’d told me earlier before sipping his water.

  “Thank you.”

  He nodded, then looked away. “Don’t take this the wrong way,” he said a few seconds later. “This was…purely physical. I’m not looking for some ribbon-wrapped happy ever after.”

  “Ribbon-wrapped?” I echoed, amused. Then I shook my head. “Don’t worry. I’m just looking for fun. This…was fun.”

  7

  Breanna

  “Are you okay?”

  I glanced up to find Stella eying me over the rim of her margarita, a shrewd look in her eyes.

  It was Tuesday evening, more than twenty-four hours since I’d spent a wicked, wild hour with Ryder in a hotel room.

  I hadn’t said anything to anybody about those stolen minutes, but the need to talk about it was burning me up inside.

  “I’m fine,” I said, forcing a smile.

  And I was…mostly. It wasn’t like I regretted having sex with Ryder. It had been far more intense than anything I’d ever experienced, and I doubted I’d mind having another experience just like it.

  But for some reason, I was still unsettled.

  Both Stella and Tabitha eyed me with skepticism, and I grimaced, shifting my attention to the martini in my hand. I took a sip, then put the drink down and met their eyes.

  “Okay,” I said, heaving out a hard breath. “I’ve got something to confess.” I shot Stella a narrow look. “I just…look, I don’t want you to over-react.”

  “I never overreact,” Stella said with a haughty expression.

  I rolled my eyes and took one more sip of my martini to brace myself. Then, carefully putting it down, I looked from Stella to Tabitha. “So…um…Ryder came to the office yesterday.”

  Stella cocked a blonde brow. “I know. I saw him.”

  “Ryder. That was the guy who rescued you Friday night, right?” Tabitha took a small sip of her wine, and I noticed that the level had barely dropped since she’d ordered it almost thirty minutes ago. I was on my second martini.

  I nodded, fighting the urge to squirm in my seat. “So…we…um…” I licked my lips and looked away. Finally, feeling foolish for tiptoeing around it, I said, “He was here yesterday.”

  “Yes,” Stella said, nodding slowly. “You already mentioned that. He was here. Yesterday.”

  “Yeah…” I squirmed in my seat. “He was here. He…ah…he mentioned wanting somebody to help him rebrand his company. We were talking about it and…” Groaning, I dropped my forehead into my hand. I jerked my head up and stared at Stella. “He kissed me.”

  Stella’s mouth dropped open.

  Tabitha’s eyes widened.

  “And then we went to a hotel and slept together.” I grabbed my martini and tossed the rest of it back.

  For a few seconds, Stella didn’t say a word.

  The noise of the busy pub rose around us, and as the server appeared, I lifted a hand and pointed to my glass. She nodded, but judging by the distracted look on her face, I would be waiting a few minutes before I got my third martini.

  Since I didn’t have alcohol, I reached for a fry from the plate instead. Calories or alcohol, I had to have one or the other.

  I had just swallowed when Stella blurted out, “You slept with Ryder?”

  I half-choked on the fry, slamming my fist against my chest. Once I could breathe again, I glared at her. “Do you have to be so loud?”

  “Nobody is paying attention.” She drained her margarita, and I watched her flag down the server, gesturing to her glass.

  “Do you want a refill?” I asked, slanting a look at Tabitha.

  She held up her still half-full glass of wine and shook her head. “I’m fine.”

  As she took another sip of wine, I looked back over at Stella. “I wasn’t planning on it,” I said. I bit my lower lip and managed to look sheepish. “It just sort of…happened.”

  “What, like you fell down and his penis accidentally ended up inside you?” Stella snapped.

  I blushed hotly. “No. That’s not…I mean…” I huffed out a breath. “It wasn’t planned.”

  Stella reached for her glass, only to put it down once she remembered she’d drained it.

  “This can get messy,” she said. “He is…or could be a potential client. How do you plan on making that work out?”

  I scowled at her.

  Tabitha was the one to speak first, her gaze focused on Stella. “So…not to sound out of turn or nosy here, but you’re hooked up with the boss. How come that’s okay, and it’s not cool for Breanna to maybe hook up with some guy who may or may not be a client?”

  At that, Stella gave me a nonplussed look, and I thought I detected a hint of guilt there.

  “That’s a lot more complicated than one would think,” I said while Stella worked on trying to explain.

  Tabitha gave us both a curious look.

  “It’s…” Stella stopped and pursed her lips. Finally, she waved her hand. “It’s not the same thing. It’s not.” But there was a softening in her gaze as she looked back at me. “Are you going to get all emotionally tangled up in this or can you still do your job?”

  I snorted. “Of course.”

  The server appeared and put down our drinks, disappearing in a rush as somebody else flagged her down.

  “They’re awful busy for a Tuesday night,” I commented, reaching for my martini. I plucked out the spear of olives and bit the first one off.

  “Uh-huh. Stay focused,” Stella said, pointing at me before lifting her drink. “Can you promise this isn’t going to interfere with work?”

  “Absolutely.”

  She narrowed her eyes at me. “That includes no nookie at work.”

  “As if I would,” I said, huffing out a breath.

  Stella looked like she wanted to argue, but before she could say anything, a tall form appeared behind her and brushed her hair aside. I watched as Lukas dropped a kiss onto her neck.

  She shivered a little then turned her head, and I watched with a wistful sigh as the two of them kissed.

  I tried not to let the surge of envy rise inside me, but it was hard, seeing how ridiculously happy the two of them were. Lukas slid into the empty seat next to Stella and smiled at the rest of us. “How is everybody doing?”

  “Doing just fine!” I gave him a too-bright smile. “And, how are you?”

  Lukas didn’t notice anything, but Stella cocked a brow, looking amused. She leaned over and kissed him, then pulled back. “The server forgot to get Tabitha a refill on her wine. Would you mind running over to the bar and getting her some more?”

  Lukas was on his feet without even looking at Tabitha’s still half-full glass.

  As soon as Lukas was gone, Stella reached over and grabbed the glass in front of Tabitha and drained it. She put it down without so much as blinking an eye, never breaking eye contact with me.

  “As long as you promise you won’t let this get in the way of work…” Stella pointed at me. “I’ll keep Lukas off your back, but you better make sure there’s no interference with work.”

  “There won’t be,” I assured her.

  Lukas arrived, a glass of scotch in one hand and a glass of wine in his other. He deposited the wine in front of Tabitha and took his seat next to Stella.

  Tabitha asked Lukas about a new project she’d helped him and Stella with, and I happily urged the conversation in that direction.

  Stella and Lukas stayed for a little while longer, but I wasn’t surprised when they ended up leaving less than a half an h
our later. Stella leaned against him as they headed for the door, and I dragged my gaze away from them to find Tabitha doing the same thing I was, watching them.

  “They are almost sickening together, aren’t they? How cute they are,” I commented, meeting Tabitha’s gaze as she glanced my way.

  “Adorably so,” she said with a weak smile. She picked up her glass of wine. Nodding over my shoulder, she took a sip. “Somebody is staring at you.”

  I looked behind me. When my gaze landed on Ryder, leaning up against the bar, my heart skipped a few beats.

  He’d shaved, not just trimmed and neatened his beard. He’d shaved completely, and my heart fluttered at the sight of him.

  “You should go talk to him,” Tabitha said when I spun back around.

  Talk to him? I didn’t want to talk to him. I wanted to jump him, grab his head and pull him down so I could kiss him, rub myself up against the hard wall of his chest.

  My heart bumped up against my ribs, and I made myself blow out a calm breath. The last thing I needed to do was throw myself at him in the middle of a pub.

  Tabitha sat across from me, watching me with quiet eyes.

  “No,” I told her, shaking my head. “I’m here with you.”

  Tabitha lifted her glass to her lips. “Go on.” She rolled her eyes a little. “I can be a stick in the mud, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like to see my friends having fun.”

  “You are not a stick in the mud.” I covered her hand with mine and squeezed. There was no denying that Tabitha was more comfortable by herself. She was terribly shy, but once she got comfortable, she warmed up easily, proving to be funny, kind, and sweet.

  But there was no denying there was an air about her – a warning that subtly advised people to keep their distance.

  It was effective too. As pretty as Tabitha was with her lovely gray eyes and wavy, reddish-brown hair, that subtle warning air was enough to keep all but the most determined guys from approaching her.

  “Go,” she said, waving a hand at me.

  I sipped my martini and glanced back at Ryder, my stomach twisting as our eyes met. “Okay. I’ll just go…” I blew out a breath. “I’ll go see if he wants to dance.”