“Think that will work?” she asked, pushing the suit jacket off his shoulders.
“It has to,” he said as the clothing dropped to the floor.
It has to.
Three simple words, and yet, as she cupped his face, she couldn’t help but wonder if they’d be impossible to fulfill.
Chapter Ten
Tonight hadn’t gone his way.
When his phone had rung this afternoon, he’d hoped it would be Caitlyn. The male voice who’d answered him, however, had been anything but the person he’d wanted to see. But the invitation had been one there was no way of avoiding. For the good of the company, he’d given up hopes of seeing Caitlyn again before they headed home and had dutifully marched off to a dull dinner.
His fingers flew down the buttons of her shirt, his heartbeat speeding up with each inch of newly revealed skin.
When he’d seen her walking across the hotel lobby, he’d been dumbstruck. He should have gone to what was left of the reception. Said his goodbyes to Spencer and the rest of the connections he’d made here.
Instead, he’d called her name.
Best decision ever.
Now she was exactly where he’d imagined her. In his room. In his arms. And about to lose the rest of her clothes.
“Have I ever mentioned how big a fan I am of black lace?” he asked, tracing the edge of the bra along her smooth skin.
“I don’t think it’s come up in our negotiation meetings.”
“An oversight.” His hands swept down her sides to rest on the skirt she still wore.
“A terrible one,” she agreed, stripping his own shirt from his body. “Damn, Reid,” she said as she stared at his bare chest. “Give the other men in the world a fighting chance, why don’t you?”
“All’s fair in love and war.”
“Mmm,” she purred, sliding her hands up his chest.
He hissed in a breath at her touch. How had he never realized how starved for it he’d been?
Her hands ghosted along the edges of his muscles, painting over them with a tantalizing brush of her fingertips. When those fingers drifted toward his waistband, she gazed up at him with impish pleasure. “I wonder which of us can get naked faster.”
My kind of woman.
“You know how competitive I can be.”
“Like I’m not. Ready, set, go.” She pulled out of his arms, laughing as she kicked off her heels and reached for her zipper.
Not one to be outdone, Damien reached for his fly. She was already wiggling out of her skirt as he attempted to kick off his pants. Of course, he probably should have started with his shoes.
He tumbled onto the bed when his pants got tangled around his ankles, igniting another peal of laughter from his companion.
“Do I win?” she asked, coming around the bed in her black underwear set.
“I can see a couple of pieces left to go,” he replied, struggling with his shoes.
Shaking her head, she grabbed the material that seemed determined to make him lose suave points and helped free him.
“That could have gone better,” he said, lying on the bed in his boxers.
“Oh, I don’t know,” she replied, climbing over him. “I kind of like that you don’t get everything right all the time. Makes you less intimidating.”
Grabbing her waist, he pulled her down onto the bed with him. “I’ve never intimidated you in your life,” he denied.
A soft smile curved her lips. “Remember the first time we met?”
He thought back, trying to pinpoint that moment. “You were shadowing your father,” he said. “It was years ago, before he got sick.”
“He wanted me to see the company and fall in love with it the way he had. Then you walked in and set out trying to dismantle everything we’d built. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen my dad so angry. And there you were, cool and collected in the face of his rage.” She shook her head. “I thought you were made of ice.”
“I hope this week has disabused you of that idea.”
Her hand slipped between them to rub against his cock through his boxers. “No, nothing about you is cold right now.”
“For the record,” he said, his voice strained as she continued to touch him, “I’ve never been cool and collected with you.”
“Liar.”
If only you knew.
“I’m not lying,” he said, even as he wondered if he’d regret these words later. “You always have me off-kilter. I double-check everything before I speak around you. I try to predict what you’ll do, and I’m always wrong. No other rival has ever tied me in knots the way you do.”
Her hand stilled as she gazed up at him. “Me too.” The words were barely a whisper, but he heard them.
“What a pair we make,” she said.
Perfect and terrible all wrapped up together.
He kissed her then because he knew more talking wouldn’t change a thing. She melted into his arms, more than happy to follow his lead.
For the first time in more years than he cared to think about, the critical voices in the back of his mind silenced. The secret worry that he was missing something important vanished. A lightness filled him that he didn’t know how to handle.
And when Caitlyn’s hand slipped into his boxers, he forgot all about the curious feeling.
“Off,” she said against his lips, sliding the boxers down.
“Happy to oblige,” he said as he kicked them off the corner of the bed.
His breath hissed from him as her fingers curved around his length.
“Much better,” she said as she slid her hand up and down on him, each movement sending another wave of pleasure through him.
I’m going to explode like a teen getting his first hand job.
Like hell.
If all he had was a night, he wanted to savor it, not to have it end before it even began.
Finding the will to give up the pleasure of her hand, he flipped them over.
“Well, this is different,” she said as she straddled his hips, her hands pressed flush against his chest. “Does whoever’s on top get to lead?”
The liquid lust in her eyes would have had him agreeing to anything.
“Cupcake, I’m putty in your hands.”
…
Yes, he was.
Power surged through her as she looked down at the man between her thighs. Leaning down, she ran her lips over the firm bronze skin, running her tongue over one taut nipple.
She loved the way he stiffened beneath her. One hand rose to tangle in her curls, urging her on.
She was more than happy to play with him to her heart’s content. If all she had was a few hours, she needed to make them count.
A flash of sorrow hit her. This didn’t feel like the end of something, but the start.
Wishful thinking. He’s not the man for you.
Their families hated each other. Their companies couldn’t coexist forever. Their leadership styles were opposed.
The only thing they could agree on was how much they wanted each other.
Which appears to be a hell of a lot.
“Bra,” he panted.
Without hesitation, she reached around for the clasp. With another man she would have been filled with apprehension right now. She wasn’t the size-two men like him usually dated. But Damien was so much more than the average guy. And wanting her wasn’t a tactic or a game. It was dangerous for both of them, yet here they were.
Which meant he was going to like what he saw. This attraction was too much a force of nature for any other outcome.
The satisfaction in his expression when he looked at her proved she was correct.
“How are you real?” he demanded, cupping her breasts in his hands.
She gasped with pleasure as his thumbs caressed her nipples.
Those silver eyes flicked up to hers before he lifted a hand to grasp the back of her neck. She leaned down at his urging, kissing him as she rolled her hips over his erection.
H
e groaned as he took charge of their kiss, his tongue sweeping along hers.
“I’m normally all for play,” she said against his lips. “But we can get to that later? I need you.”
“Is that so?”
She gasped as he flipped her flat on her back on the bed.
“What if I’m not done playing?” he asked, hooking his fingers around her lacy underwear as he pulled them off her.
“What did you have in mind?” she asked.
He grasped her ankles and pulled them apart.
“I think you’ll like what comes next.”
“Damien, really you don’t need to—”
His head disappeared between her thighs, and with the first flick of his tongue along her slit she cried out, throwing her head back.
She clutched his head to her, fingers delving into his dark hair. Every lap of his tongue sent her higher. Each stroke built the orgasm just waiting to explode within her. She rocked instinctively against his clever mouth. Teeth grazed the nub of her clit, and she bit her lip to keep in her cry of pleasure.
Clearly the man has skills.
And she was more than happy to let him practice them.
Her hands twisted in the comforter under her as he played with her. Only when she was writhing beneath him did he crawl back up her body.
“Just a sec,” he said before fishing a condom from the bedside table.
This is it. No turning back now.
But with excitement bubbling through her veins, walking away was the last thing on her mind. Tomorrow, the next day, the next month, she’d have time for regrets. But right now, all she wanted to do was jump.
Just once in her life, she wanted to do the wrong thing and take Shireen’s advice.
Enjoy the fall.
“Ready?” he asked, moving back between her legs.
Since I first saw you in that boardroom.
“Yes,” she said.
He pressed into her slowly, giving her time to adjust to his length. Caitlyn wrapped her arms around his shoulders, wiggling into the best position.
A sigh escaped her when he stopped, deeply seated within her.
“Okay?” he asked her.
She laughed, pulling his head down for a kiss. “I’m not made of glass,” she said. “Show me what you’ve got, Reid.”
“Gladly.”
She gasped as he pulled out of her only to thrust back into place. Arching her back, she matched his rhythm, rocking with him.
She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of his skin, feeling the way his body moved against hers.
Running a company left little time for romance and she was no stranger to some hurried sexual encounters, but this…
Everything about this was different. It was more than just sex. More than scratching an itch or getting something out of her system.
She clutched his shoulder, her teeth scraping lightly over his skin. How was she going to give up this pleasure now that she knew what she was missing?
It seemed inconceivable.
This can only be one night. We were clear about that.
Pushing away any thoughts of the future, she locked her ankles around the small of his back and drew him in deeper.
His harsh breath panted against her shoulder as he drove into her. Each thrust added to the growing crescendo of pleasure inside her. Soon her morose thoughts were swept away by the need he inspired. She tossed her head to the side, curls cascading over her face, as she tried to hold herself back, but there was no waiting on this kind of pleasure.
With another thrust, she broke apart in his arms, crying out his name. Stars danced across her vision as she felt him racing to his own finish. She heard his hoarse shout before he collapsed over her. Not that she minded. Instead, she savored the aftermath, enjoying the pleasure while she could.
“That was amazing,” he said, rolling to the side.
A smile curled her lips. “Lover, I won at this, too.”
His laugh echoed off the walls of the room. “If I concede, do I get a rematch?”
She stretched, her muscles languid. “Absolutely.”
If all they had was hours, she’d make use of every single one of them.
Chapter Eleven
She wasn’t the sort to sit curled in a chair and watch a sleeping lover. The impulse was so saccharine it made her teeth hurt. Yet here she was, perched in the armchair, staring at the bed and its sleeping occupant.
I slept with Damien Reid.
Not that he’d let her do much sleeping.
A smile tugged at her lips. Her body ached today in all the right ways. Ways that made her want to repeat everything they’d done last night. Twice.
Bad Caitlyn. What happened to one and done?
Clearly his plan hadn’t worked as brilliantly as anticipated. Last night should have been a detox, getting Damien out of her system. Instead…
I want him more than ever.
She ran a hand over her face. Yes, she did. Which made everything far more complicated than it should have been.
We have to go our separate ways today. There’s no time to repeat any of this.
Because she’d been the moron holding him at arm’s length this week.
We could have had more nights like this.
And now, because of her hesitation, they were out of time.
Today she’d get on a plane. Tomorrow she’d be back in the race and he’d be back to being her rival.
Her heart clenched as she thought about how they interacted in the city. Next time they met, was she going to have to smile and pretend last night never happened? Was the best night of her life really one epic mistake?
Should I even be here?
She could always go before he woke up and save them both an awkward conversation. But despite the urge to run, she stayed put. Whatever happened when he opened his eyes, she’d face it head-on.
She tried not to let her mind wander as she waited for him to wake. When his eyelids flickered, she couldn’t stop the smile that curved her lips. Pushing from the chair, she was halfway to the bed when he opened his eyes.
“Morning,” he said, stretching his arms above his head.
She tried not to notice how the sheet pooled dangerously low around his hips. Really, she did.
“Hey,” she said, sitting on the edge of the bed.
Damien’s lazy gaze zeroed in on her, sleep already draining from his expression. “What a sight to wake up to.” He reached for her. When his lips touched hers, there was no stopping the involuntary sigh that escaped her.
“Mmm,” he purred against her lips. “Definitely how I like to wake up.” One arm snaked around her waist as he dragged her onto the bed, half draped over his body. She laughed when he pinned her under him, tangled in the covers.
“I can think of a few things we could do to make this an incredible morning,” he said, running his lips down her throat.
Pleasure snaked through her as she tried to remember all the reasons why they couldn’t have another night like last night.
“I have a plane to catch,” she said. “And so do you, I’d wager.”
He groaned, dropping his forehead to her shoulder. “Damn.”
“The clock struck twelve. We’re out of time.”
With a curse, he moved off her and fell back on the bed.
She pushed herself up on one elbow by his side. “You knew we were always heading here.”
“Let’s take the weekend,” he said. “Change our flights. Extend our rooms.”
“The hotel is fully booked this weekend. There’s that wedding they’ve been getting ready for, remember?”
“Then we’ll find a different hotel.”
She hesitated longer than she should have. Part of her wanted nothing more than to string this fairy tale out. What she wouldn’t give for just one more night of pleasure. But all that would do was delay the evitable.
“You have work waiting this weekend,” she guessed, because she knew she did, too.
He
sighed. “We don’t have to be chained to our companies every moment.”
“No,” she agreed. “Which is why we both just spent a week at a conference. That was our version of playing hooky and you know it. Real life is calling.”
He rolled over her again, pushing her back into the pillows. “What if I don’t want to answer the phone?”
Smiling, she reached up to trace a fingertip along his jaw. The idea of leaving him behind and walking back to her life in Boston made something inside her twist in a way she didn’t want to examine too closely.
This was just some temporary lust. Leave it at that.
“I have people to say goodbye to,” she said. “I need to go.”
He shook his head. “If you walk out that door…”
“I know,” she whispered.
The clock would reset. They’d go back to being enemies, and there wasn’t anything either of them could do about it.
He closed his eyes before a long exhale escaped him. “Okay,” he said, looking back down at her with his wolf gaze. “We’ll go back to our lives and be at each other’s throats again.”
“Good,” she said, the word sounding hollow.
“But before that…” His eyes heated as he stared at her. “Say goodbye to me properly.”
Unable to refuse again, she lifted her arms to him.
“Now there’s a plan I can get behind,” she said as she lost herself in his kiss.
Because when she left this bedroom, their relationship would change forever.
…
A hand clamped on his shoulder as he waited in the lobby for his car to the airport.
“You survived the week. Dare I hope this means you’ll come back next year?” Spencer asked, trailing a suitcase behind him.
“I’m undecided,” Damien said.
“Which means no. What could have scarred you so badly in a handful of days?”
He scanned the busy lobby filled with conference goers rushing off to catch their various routes home. “No comment.”
Spencer chuckled. “I’m going to guess this has something to do with a redhead.”
“You know her name.”
“I do. I also know Shireen texted her last night to come back out for drinks with us and she never answered. I wonder what caught her attention.”
Catching the CEO (Billionaire's Second Chance) Page 8
