“You can’t keep doing stuff like this, Julian.” I did my best to sound firm, but my voice wavered on his name.
He brushed his lips over mine another time before asking, “Why not, sweetheart?”
Sweetheart. Butterflies swirled in my belly upon hearing him use the endearment in his deep, raspy voice. How was it that Julian seemed to know all the right buttons to press?
Forcing my spine straight and dropping my arms from his neck, I answered, “Because we barely know each other. Kissing, talking of spankings, and carrying someone over your shoulder implies a relationship we don’t have.”
“Only because you run in the opposite direction any time I try to get near you,” he complained. “How are we supposed to get to know each other if you don’t give me a chance? How are we supposed to build a relationship if we never spend any time together?”
My heart wanted to break in two as I replied, “We’re not.”
“I refuse to accept that answer. You’re as attracted to me as I am you. Admit it,” he growled as his hold on me tightened.
There was no denying that Julian fascinated me from the moment I’d first spotted him. My reaction to him left me feeling so vulnerable—without even taking the stumbling block that was his career into consideration—that I’d had no choice but to keep my distance from him. But his willingness to do whatever it took to get my attention was starting to knock down the walls I’d been working hard to build against him over the past month. If I didn’t get this situation between us under control fast, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to resist him any longer. Scrambling for a reason to get him to back off, I finally came up with something that sounded semi-reasonable. “My reaction to you doesn’t matter. We can’t get involved. Not when we’re co-workers.”
5
Julian
I threw my head back and let out a deep belly laugh at Anna’s joke...until I realized she wasn’t laughing with me. “You’re serious?” I asked.
She nodded emphatically and crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s against policy.” I wanted to laugh again because she was so adorable, but I decided to get on with calling her out on her lie.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. So we should just move on from anything we might, um, feel for each other.” Her sad expression betrayed her real feelings about nothing happening between us. Which made me even more determined to break down the wall she kept trying to build between us.
“Hmm.” I lifted my hips so I could grab my cell from my back pocket. The movement pressed my erection against Anna’s center, and I nearly smiled when she squirmed and tried to suppress a moan. Instead, I kissed the tip of her nose and winked before clicking on one of the numbers in my “favorites” list on my phone. Then I put it on speaker.
It rang twice, then Drew’s voice came over the line. “Julian,” he greeted. “What can I do for you?”
“I want to talk to you about your fraternization policy.” Anna’s eyes widened, and panic began clouding the green gems. I grinned, and her expression morphed into a scowl. She’d figured out my game.
Drew snorted. “What the hell are you talking about? Fraternization policy? You’re kidding, right? Even if I’d had one, I would have tossed it out long ago. I’d have lost my best employees and been royally fucked if I kept a policy like that around.”
“Oooh, okay,” I responded as though I hadn’t already known the answer.
“Is this about Anna?” he asked suddenly.
“What?” she squeaked. “Absolutely not!” It took less than a heartbeat for her to realize she’d just given herself away, and her cheeks flamed red. I couldn’t hold back my laughter, earning me another cute glare.
Drew’s guffaws drew her attention, and she grabbed my phone and stabbed the end button.
Before she could say anything, I snatched the phone and tossed it onto the table beside the couch, then I slid a hand around her neck and yanked her mouth down to mine. Her stiff posture lasted for a millisecond before she melted into me. My fingers attacked the pins in her hair until the wavy dark tresses tumbled down her back. Then I grasped her hips, holding her still when she squirmed on my lap because if she kept rubbing her pussy on my cock, I was going to come like a fucking teenager.
Her hands traveled up my shoulders and around my neck where she buried them in my hair. I quickly tugged her silky blouse from the waistband of her pants and splayed my hands on the soft, heated skin of her back. Electricity hummed between us, and Anna shivered, emitting a tiny moan. The sound sent a bolt of lust straight to my cock, and precome leaked from the tip, ruining my very expensive pants. But I didn’t have one fuck to give about it; all I wanted was to hear more of her moans.
Gliding around her rib cage to her front, I caressed her belly, and then my hands drifted up to cup her generous tits. They were large and round, and I knew they would more than fill my hands when they were free of her bra. “These are so fucking perfect,” I groaned against her mouth. My thumbs brushed over the hard tips that were poking through the thin lace barrier. It earned me another little moan, which snapped some of my control. I released her lips and withdrew my hands from under her shirt, then I grabbed the sides and ripped it open, causing the buttons to go flying.
Anna gasped, but it was rapidly replaced by passion when I yanked down the cups of her bra and latched onto one of her big, rosy nipples. My hands massaged the luscious globes as I spent equal time licking and sucking each peak. Anna was undulating on my lap, her back arched, and her hands clenching my hair, holding me to her as though she feared I would stop. That was so not happening. Her response to my touch was explosive, and I knew it was exactly what I was feeling too.
After I’d left a series of love bites around her tits, and her nipples were red and as hard as diamonds from my mouth, I pulled back to look at her beautiful face. Damn. Anna was always gorgeous, but seeing her skin flushed pink and her tits spilling out of her bra and bouncing with her heaving breaths just made her more so. Her green eyes were dark and cloudy with passion, and I knew there was only one thing that would surpass her beauty in that state. At that moment, I would have sold my soul to the devil to see her come.
I tangled a hand into the thick locks of her hair that were hanging over her shoulder. Clenching my fingers, I wrapped the silky strands around my fist and pulled her head forward. Then I sealed my mouth over hers while my other hand unfastened her pants and slipped in to find its way between her legs.
The tips of my fingers pressed into her center through the fabric of her underwear. It was already damp, but when I pushed it between her folds, the panties became so saturated that my fingers were also soaked. I groaned and rubbed up and down, making sure her panties abraded her clit. Anna severed our kiss and dropped her head back. “Yes,” she hissed as her hips moved, searching for relief.
Her tits were at eye level, and my mouth was already watering for another taste. I wrapped my lips around one tip just as I pulled her underwear to the side and plunged a finger into Anna’s hot, wet hole. She cried out, and I groaned as her pussy squeezed my digit. I released her nipple with a pop and looked down at my hand. “You’re so fucking tight, baby,” I rasped as I retreated and began to work two fingers in this time. It was a struggle, and it caused a thought to wriggle into my mind. “Anna, sweetheart.” I kept my tone soft, hoping to get my answer without clearing away the fog of lust surrounding her. “Are you a virgin?”
Anna stilled suddenly, and I inwardly cursed myself for not waiting to ask the question until I’d made her come. Her eyes met mine, and even through her passion flushed skin, I saw the deep blush that bloomed on the apples of her cheeks. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she nodded.
Smiling tenderly, I gave her a soft, languid kiss, trying to convey how happy her revelation made me. My fingers went back to working her pussy, and I was finally able to penetrate her with two of them. It wasn’t long before she was lost in ecstasy once again. Drawing back from her, I took in every detail of he
r face and body as she spiraled toward the peak.
Eventually, she began riding my fingers, taking what she wanted as I ground the heel of my hand against her clit. Her eyes were closed, and her face was tilted up to the ceiling, extending her long, graceful neck. Her back arched, pushing up her heavy globes, and her nails dug into my shoulders as she held on for dear life. The cries that were falling from her lips became louder and more desperate. “Julian. Oh, yes! Yes! More. Yes!”
I leaned in and bit one nipple, then the other before whispering, “Come, sweetheart. Let me see you fall apart.”
Her body went rigid for a second, then a scream ripped from her throat as she shattered. Holy shit. I’d never seen anything more incredible in my entire life than the sight of Anna coming. Nothing would ever compare to this.
I worked her with my fingers until her shudders started to subside and her hips stopped rocking against me. She slumped forward onto my chest as though she didn’t have the energy to hold herself up. Reluctantly, I pulled my hand from between her legs and licked my glistening fingers clean. “Fuck,” I groaned. “You taste delicious. I can’t wait to drink straight from the source.” I rubbed slow circles on her back and buried my face in her hair. “I have a feeling I’m going to become addicted.”
Anna slowly lifted herself from my chest, and my eyes narrowed at the frown marring her beautiful face. That was not the expression I wanted to see right after I’d given her a mind-blowing orgasm. With a speed that surprised me, considering how lethargic she’d seemed only a moment ago, she scrambled off my lap. She was up on her feet before I could get my hands on her to bring her back where she belonged. That wouldn’t do since I wasn’t anywhere near done with her.
“Come back here,” I growled as I held out my hand.
She ignored me and quickly righted her bra before yanking her shirt closed. “Crap,” she muttered when she realized it was ruined. I watched her silently while she looked all around, trying to find the little pearl buttons. I wasn’t sure what she thought she was going to do with them even if she found them all. It wasn’t like she could just stick them back on. I mentally patted myself on the back for being so eager that she was now stuck here without a shirt. My eyes dropped to her pants as she zipped them up, and I studied them thoughtfully. Hmm...I needed to ruin those next. The idea of Anna being left with nothing to wear but her underwear—or being naked since I’d find a way to make those useless too—had me grinning wickedly.
“Stop undressing me with your eyes,” she snapped, apparently just noticing where my attention was focused.
“Why?” I asked with a smirk. “I’ll be doing it with my hands next.”
“I don’t think so.” Her tone was firm and lacked any hint of humor. My head whipped up, and I narrowed my eyes when I saw the determined expression on her face.
“Then think again,” I growled.
Anna’s eyes flared with heat. She could deny it all she wanted, but it turned her on when I took charge. I might have tried to control my caveman tendencies when it came to her if I didn’t know she got off on it.
I sighed when she snuffed out the spark and gave me a bored, disinterested look. “I shouldn’t have let this happen. It was a mistake.” That set me off, and I shot to my feet. Stalking forward, I forced her back until she was flush against a wall.
“Don’t ever call what happens between us a mistake, Anna,” I snarled as I slammed my hands onto the wall on both sides of her head. “Or my handprint will magically appear on your ass.”
Her mouth formed a little O, and I had to hold back a groan when her emerald eyes darkened with desire. Well, fuck. My hands started tingling, aching to go through with my threat.
Shaking her head, she cleared her throat and placed her palms on my chest, trying to push me away. I didn’t budge. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean...Look, it doesn’t matter. The point is, this won’t happen again.”
I decided to humor her for the moment and drawled, “And why is that?” She glanced everywhere but at my face, so I grabbed her chin and forced her to meet my eyes.
“I don’t date men like you.”
A single brow arched over my eye. “Like me?”
She shrugged. “Celebrities. Rich, sexy, and with a belief that rules don’t apply to them.” There was a sadness in her eyes that made me ache for her, but at the same time, I was glad to see that we were finally getting to the root of her fear, the reason she was fighting what was between us.
6
Anna
As soon as I spotted the predatory gleam in Julian’s eyes, I realized what I’d just given away. Crap. The situation I now found myself in was a big part of the reason I’d done my best to stay away from the sexy magician. Deep down in my gut, I’d known I wouldn’t be able to push him away without explaining the source of my fear of getting involved with a man who lived his life in the limelight. Since it was the last thing I wanted to talk about, I pressed my lips together as I stared up at him, hoping that a miracle would happen and he’d let the subject drop. Even though we weren’t all that familiar with each other, I knew better, and Julian was quick to prove me right.
“As happy as I am to have you confirm that you’ve noticed my sexiness, I don’t consider myself to be truly famous. It’s not as though I’m recognized everywhere I go,” he pointed out as he ran his hand down my spine in a soothing gesture I also found incredibly arousing. His lips curved up in a slight grin of male satisfaction, and I knew the sexy jerk hadn’t missed my reaction to his touch.
I narrowed my eyes at him and argued, “There’s a giant neon billboard with your picture on it hanging smack dab on the Strip. You’re famous enough for it to count.”
“I couldn’t care less what the world thinks about me,” he growled before brushing his mouth over mine. It didn’t matter that the kiss was quick, the impact on my senses was instantaneous. It felt as though every nerve ending in my body was begging for more. “Your opinion is the only one that matters.”
My fingers trembled as I reached up to touch my lips. “Why?”
“Don’t pretend you don’t know why, Anna.” He cupped my chin with his palm, stroking my cheek with his thumb. “Not when you’ve already admitted to feeling this thing, the same as me. We’re moving forward. Together. Not backward.”
It felt as though butterflies took flight in my belly upon hearing the steely determination in his tone. As much as I tried to convince myself that a relationship with him was impossible, I still wanted it with every fiber of my being. I gave him the barest nod of my head, and he continued, “I took my dad’s advice on investments when I started earning decent money, and I’ve amassed quite the nest egg over the years. I’m not as rich as some, but I’m willing to concede the fact that I have money. Not as much as Drew, but it doesn’t seem as though you hold his wealth against him from what I’ve seen this past month.”
My lips had curved up in a small smile when he mentioned his dad because it was unexpectedly adorable, but they pressed together in a tight line when he compared my reactions to him and Drew. Julian was correct, I didn’t have any issues with my boss’s wealth. Maybe it wasn’t entirely fair to Julian that I was holding him to a different standard, but Drew was only my boss while he was...more. It was time for me to stop lying to myself and admit that no matter how hard I’d tried to fight my attraction, I hadn’t succeeded. And if I wanted to move forward like Julian said, then I needed to open up to him about why I’ve been fighting this thing between us so hard.
“I don’t care how wealthy Drew is. He seems cool enough, but he’s Autumn’s problem. Not mine.”
Julian’s eyes filled with male satisfaction at my admission. “You can’t say the same thing about me, can you?”
I dropped my forehead against his chest and mumbled, “No, darn it. Even with as hard as I’ve tried, I can’t.”
His arms tightened around me, pulling me closer before he brushed a kiss against the top of my head. “Thank fuck you’re finally willing to admit
it. That means you’re going to stop fighting what’s happening here and tell me why you’ve been avoiding me this whole time?”
I heaved a deep sigh and nodded, keeping my face buried in his broad chest as I answered, “My very first job was with a public relations firm with a lot of celebrity clients. Nobody expected me to handle any of them directly because it wasn’t in my job description. I was basically a glorified gopher, but then one of their biggest clients took...a shine to me, I guess you could say.”
Julian was close enough for me to feel his body tense as he growled, “I’m sure he did.”
“I didn’t see it at first. As far as the whole world knew—me included—the guy was happily married to his equally famous wife. My boss grumbled about it when he insisted that I be assigned to the team who handled him, but she didn’t hesitate to give in to his request because she was all about keeping the client happy. I didn’t start to second-guess my luck until she made an odd comment one day about how much easier her job would be since I signed a non-disclosure agreement when I started working there.”
“That fucking bitch,” he bit out, tilting my head back to look into my eyes. Whatever he saw there made him swear some more before he walked me over to the couch and settled me on his lap. “Let me guess, the celebrity client’s marriage wasn’t as happy as everyone thought because he was a cheating bastard.”
“Yes.” I thought about everything I had learned back then. “But also no since it was more of a case of them having an open marriage as long as they didn’t publicly embarrass each other. She had apparently had just as many lovers as him from what he told me when I turned him down flat. He thought I’d be more open to his advances if I knew his marriage was a sham they’d gone through with to help their careers before they were A-listers.”
Vegas, Baby: Volume 3 Page 3
