by Lynda Aicher
“You’re not detached,” Avery countered, more than ready to take the focus from herself.
Karen waved that off. “My point is, you like to connect with people. It’s a part of you.”
“So?” Avery turned away to look for the bus. She wasn’t enjoying this deep analysis of herself.
“There’s a reason why you’ve never had a fuck buddy before.”
She hung her head, mortification sweeping over her. There was an easy dozen other people waiting for the bus, and she could feel every one of them staring at her now. She shot a glare at Karen. “Thanks for announcing that to everyone.”
Karen glanced around. A few people ducked their heads to avoid her scrutiny. Others smiled openly at her. “Oops.” She winced. “Sorry.”
Avery stared down the road, relieved when she spotted their bus. She pointedly ignored Karen until they were seated, their bags tucked between their feet, her thoughts spinning even worse than before. A part of her acknowledged that Karen had a point, but another part of her refused to accept it as fact.
She could change. In fact, she was changing with every delicious scene Carson introduced her to. She was alive during those scenes. Free like she’d never been before.
And she wasn’t ready to give that up. Not even close.
“What time are you leaving tonight?” Karen asked. She swayed with the rock of the bus, her shoulder nudging Avery’s.
Avery sighed and gave up on her silent treatment. Her annoyance was gone now anyway. “Seven,” she answered.
“Are you going with anyone?”
“No.” She could take a date to the Faulkner party, but the only guy she wanted to go with would already be there. Maybe with his own date. Her stomach soured on that thought. She closed her eyes and forced the flash of jealousy down. She had to be prepared for that possibility.
“I have a date tonight, so I might be out late.” Karen waggled her brows, a cunning grin in place. “Or not until morning.”
Avery gave a disbelieving laugh. “I won’t wait up for you.” She pulled out her phone and made a quick check of her texts. There was nothing from Carson, not that she’d expected a message. He’d been busy last night and they both had this damn party to go to tonight. It was an appreciation dinner thrown by the company for a profitable quarter, and normally she looked forward to them.
But now, with the prospect of seeing Carson and pretending she didn’t know the low growl he made right before he came or the sensual touch of his fingers on her pussy was going to suck. Big-time.
Their secret sex life had been almost naughty at first. Just something between them. That feeling had worn off somewhere between them fucking for the first time and her increasing desire to have sex with him away from the Boardroom environment. To hear his rumbled laugh over dinner and see his warm smile in the morning.
And that would never happen.
The hard reminder ground into her resolve. She’d do this. She’d ignore him tonight and simply have fun with the friends she’d made at Faulkner. Like she always did.
Nothing had changed. Nothing except her.
And she couldn’t let Carson see that. Not outside of the Boardroom.
Chapter Fourteen
The clinking of china rang in soft notes over the chorus of voices that filled the small banquet room. Carson stood to the side and tried to focus on the conversation with one of his managers. The man gestured broadly, a deep frown indicating his irritation with the code his team was working on.
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Carson said. Hopefully the generic response covered his disinterest. “In the meantime, have another drink and enjoy the evening.” He motioned to the bar and prayed the man would take the hint.
“Right.” The guy gave a depreciative chuckle. “Sorry about that. I’d better find my wife.” He wandered away with a tug on his collar, his lanky frame giving him height over the milling crowd.
Carson breathed a sigh of relief and discarded the prickle of regret. He didn’t usually dismiss his employees like that. In fact, he normally would’ve gladly indulged in a detailed analysis of the code specifics, especially here. Anything to keep him from the tedious job of mingling.
Not tonight, though. Not when he’d yet to spot Avery.
He emptied his glass of scotch and handed it off to a passing waiter. The Faulkner affairs were casually nice events hosted by Trevor and the managing directors at the end of particularly good quarters. Or that was the reason given.
In truth, he believed Trevor just liked having them. It brought the team closer, showed a generosity that was often lacking in today’s businesses and minimized turnover. The San Francisco office consistently had some of the highest earnings and morale within Faulkner Worldwide.
A flash of red at the entry had him straightening, neck stretching. His breath caught, and his heart clenched around the shot of awe and want that sprang up in the next beat.
Avery stood just inside the doorway, hands clutched before her around her small purse. She was absolutely stunning. Her hair was wound up in some arrangement that left a mass of curls to fall to her nape. The rosy flush on her cheeks reminded him of the glow that rose after she’d come apart in his arms.
He swallowed and wished he’d kept his glass if only to hunt down a last sip to ease his parched throat.
She turned toward a group of women, her smile softening her features. The hem of her dress flared out and the wide skirt swished around her calves. The bodice hugged her form, the tight sleeves ending at her elbows. But it was the deep, plunging V of her neckline that turned the rather demure dress into upscale sexy.
Damn fucking sexy.
It showed a deep line of skin that worked perfectly with Avery’s shape. Her breasts were nice-sized but set farther apart, which minimized cleavage, but enabled her to wear the risky neckline with class.
His dick twitched with the need to feel her heat surrounding him once again. He’d almost canceled his meeting last night just to see her. And that was precisely why he hadn’t.
She tipped her head back with a laugh he strained to hear but couldn’t. Not from where he stood. But it still danced in his mind, the sweet notes tugging a smile to his face. She set her purse on a table and joined a couple of other assistants in the line at the bar. He was moving toward her before he realized it.
What the fuck?
He came up short and abruptly turned in the opposite direction. He wound his way through the people, smiling and stopping to greet different groups as he did. Normal. Everything was normal.
Except his skin prickled with an awareness he never had before. As stupid as it sounded, he could sense where Avery was in the room. When she got her drink. When she mingled with the other assistants.
When she spent too long talking to a guy in his IT group.
He clenched his jaw and grabbed another scotch from the bar, damn his one-drink rule at these events. He took a long swallow and let the burn slide down his throat. There was no getting away from her, though, short of leaving. And that wasn’t happening. Not while she was still there.
She took a couple of hors d’oeuvres from a server, never pausing in her conversation with his soon-to-be ex-employee. Christ. He couldn’t fire the guy because he talked with Avery.
He rubbed a hand down his jaw and forced himself to turn away. He lasted a minute, probably less, before his gaze landed on her again. She nibbled on a cheese puff, a small bit of the filling catching on her lip before she licked it away.
And there went his dick again. He was walking around at half-mast in the middle of a fucking work event. How professional of him. Thank fuck for suit jackets.
He caught sight of Trevor working his way toward him and used that as a distraction. Trevor had an easy smile and nod for everyone he passed. His natural charm reminded Carson of his brother Jack. As the middle son, Jack had
carved out his place by being the social extrovert of the family. Everyone loved him, and Carson had been happy to let him have that spotlight.
“I see you’ve found your usual spot,” Trevor said as he came to stand next to him by the wall. He shrugged, but didn’t respond to the dig. Trevor flicked his chin in the general direction of Avery, drink paused before his mouth. “That dress is beautiful on her.”
Carson bit back the growl that snapped in his chest. He was not jealous. Fuck, right. Trevor’s sly smile was too damn knowing before he took a sip of his drink. Bastard. “There are a lot of beautiful women here,” Carson said. The diversion sounded lame even to him.
Trevor’s slow nod didn’t fool him. He scanned the gathering, and Carson could practically see the calculation and appraisal happening as he did. The attendance was always high, and this time was no different. “Why are you resisting her so much?” Trevor asked in a casual tone without looking at Carson.
He sighed, head shaking. “There’s nothing to resist.”
Trevor’s snort edged near disgust. He lifted a brow, his disappointment a sharp stab at Carson. “Bullshit.”
Irritation grew in little digs of heat that crawled over his shoulders and contracted into tight knots. He refused to acknowledge the arrogant ass or how right he was. Trevor’s ego didn’t need the extra strokes.
Carson focused his glare on the room, determined to not find Avery. He failed almost immediately. She was at the edge of the small dance floor, her wineglass half full, the red liquid swirling with every movement of her hand. She caught his eye, paused for a moment to smile slightly before turning away. Her dismissal launched another jab at him when there was no reason for it. He winced, but managed to hold most of the hurt behind his clenched teeth.
This was fucking ridiculous. He was the one who’d insisted on keeping their distance at work, and here he was beyond frustrated because she was doing exactly that.
“I’m thinking it’s time for details,” Trevor murmured at his side.
“No,” Carson bit out. He cooled his glare when Trevor raised that damn brow again. Fuck. He took a long drink of his scotch and focused on the burn as it drained down his throat. No one needed to know any details about Avery. No one except for the Boardroom members who already knew too much about her.
Like how she whimpered so sweetly with her need, or how her cries were always breathy and hoarse.
His jaw tightened until his teeth hurt, and he clutched the glass with a force that threatened to shatter it. She was so damn gorgeous in those moments. He loved knowing she was all his then, that no one else could touch her even though he saw the obvious longing in the others’ eyes.
And now? Any man in this room could have her if she agreed.
Fuck. He took another drink. She could’ve brought a date tonight.
The realization nipped at his anger. He tried to ignore it. Hell, he’d been refusing to address it for weeks. She brushed a hand down the IT guy’s arm, her mouth open with another laugh he couldn’t hear.
And there was nothing he could do except silently fume.
This was his own damn doing.
“There’s nothing in the HR rules that prevents you from dating her,” Trevor said. His cocky smirk was damn irritating. “But that would require you to admit that you want her.”
“Of course I want her,” Carson countered without thought. He closed his eyes and cursed his weakness before attempting to dismiss his admission. “What man wouldn’t?” Yet somehow, she was still single. But for how long?
“Really?” A devious glint sparked in Trevor’s eye. “Then it’s okay for me to engage with her on the app? Maybe suggest a scene? See if she’s interested?”
“Who’s interested?” Gregory butted in as he approached, his gaze shifting between them.
Dark frustration slithered with the ugly green jealousy Trevor was intentionally stoking. Why? What was the bastard playing at? Carson sucked in a long, slow breath and found the calm he’d honed through years of taking his father’s rants and digs meant to motivate. He wouldn’t rise to the bait Trevor had laid out.
Trevor made a pointed look toward Avery, and Gregory shifted to follow his gaze. What the fuck?
“This discussion isn’t for here,” Carson ground out. They were by a wall, the nearest guest far enough away to provide some privacy. But that didn’t make it okay.
Not when so much was at stake.
Gregory turned back, a knowing smile lit with speculation on his blunt face. “I was wondering how that turned out.” He leaned in, voice lowered. “Her profile is pretty sparse on the app. Is that intentional, or is she temporary?”
“She is not a member,” he snapped. A protective possessiveness raged up to destroy that thin line he’d been balancing on. “She is not available for anything that doesn’t include me.” Each growled word spewed his intent even if he hadn’t acknowledged it.
“Is that so?” Trevor challenged. He made a pointed look at Avery, who was on the dance floor with that fucking IT guy. “I wonder...does she know that?”
There was a group of people dancing, mostly women, but a few of the younger guys were in the mix. The hip-hoppy song had a deep beat that Avery swung her hips to. The fucking IT guy matched her moves in a clear nonverbal communication of his desire, and Avery wasn’t discouraging him.
“I’m thinking no,” Gregory quipped. Each note of his laughter dug into the cracks that threatened to expose Carson’s fears. The very ones Avery had started with one innocent stumble into a room she shouldn’t have entered.
And they both would’ve missed out on so much if she hadn’t. What would he miss if he continued to insist on just sex between them? Boardroom sex.
He was being a stubborn ass.
“Fuck. You. Both.” Carson reverted to his teenage response to just about everything. Only back then, he’d never said it aloud.
Trevor tipped his head back and released a full laugh that had more than a few heads turning their way. The sound was familiar to Carson, but it was apparent from the wide eyes and gaping mouths that most didn’t know it.
Gregory heaved a sigh, finished off his beer and set the glass aside. “I’m tempted to whisk Tam upstairs to a room and sleep until we have to go home.”
“What?” The statement yanked Carson from his own stewing to stare at Gregory. “Sleep?” It wasn’t that long ago when Gregory and Tam had been active participants in the Boardroom, and now he wanted to rent a hotel room to sleep?
“Christ, man.” Gregory scrubbed a hand over his face. “Twins are exhausting.”
“And precisely why I’m never having kids,” Trevor said, a slight disgust in his tone.
“Aw, but they’re beautiful,” Gregory countered, his love for his kids clear.
“I’m sure they are.” Trevor finished his drink, brows drawing together. “To you. But some of us know better than to travel down that road.” He looked to Carson as his comrade in the baby ban.
Carson lifted his glass in agreement. He’d never wanted kids, a point they’d discussed in their twenties and held strong through their thirties. But his gaze wandered to Avery even as he toasted Trevor. Any child of hers would be beautiful. Blond curls and blue eyes or maybe green. With her fresh face and courage even when she doubted herself.
Sexy. Bold. Innocent. Daring. Kind.
She’d be an excellent mother too.
He hung his head and finally accepted defeat. He was so damn drunk on her, it was edging on pathetic. Which meant he had exactly two choices: abstain, or consume until he crashed.
Chapter Fifteen
Avery set her clutch on the ledge over the sink and washed her hands. The bathroom door swung open, and she smiled through the mirror at the woman who passed to the stalls. Her smile fell immediately after she was gone. The pretending was harder than she’d estimated.
; But she’d keep doing it. She had no choice.
Carson Haggert wouldn’t break her.
Not that he was actually trying to do so. He was just being himself, and that was the hard part. She wanted every part of him. Even that distant, cool veneer he plastered on in the office.
She checked her lipstick and reapplied a fresh coat. Her stomach had been in a state of upheaval since she’d stepped from the cab. She could only hope she was hiding her nerves. The two glasses of wine had helped with that, along with her dignity.
She flat-out refused to let him see how he affected her. Not out of the Boardroom. There, she could give him everything—and had.
But this wasn’t the Boardroom.
Asshole.
She laughed at her scowl, but let her annoyance fire the anger that was holding her pride strong. Carson had opened a whole new sexual world to her, and that was the only part of her he was getting. She could fuck just to fuck, just like him.
The toilet flushed and that was her signal to bail before she was forced to make polite conversation. She’d taken two steps into the hallway when she was grabbed from behind. Her yelp shot free as she was swung around and hauled into the recess of another set of doors.
Her pulse raced with her reeling thoughts and the fear that’d launched her heart into her throat. She stared up into Carson’s stony face and tried to process what was happening. She sucked in a deep breath and got a heavy dose of his masculine scent. Sweet heaven.
His eyes blazed dark with things she couldn’t process. Want. Desire. Anger.
“What are you doing?” she managed to snap, confusion blending with her own anger.
He inhaled, nostrils flaring as he cupped her jaw, angling her head as he lowered his. “I have to have you.”
His mouth crushed over hers before she’d untwisted his words. He plunged in deep with a forceful swipe of his tongue that left little doubt to his desire. Any thought of struggling was snatched away beneath his ardent demand. He consumed her instantly, every stroke of his tongue and harsh gasp dragging her deeper into the spell he wove.
