Just a kiss, she thought. Surely one kiss wouldn’t be bad! She could handle one kiss…just to see if he tasted the way she remembered.
So when he lowered his head, she automatically lifted her face to accept his kiss.
When it happened, Naya couldn’t believe the surge of need that hit her. Hard! He must have felt it as well, because he pulled away ever so slightly, locking his eyes on hers. And then there was no space. No pulling back. His mouth covered hers, devouring her as if oxygen was secondary. But it wasn’t enough, she thought. She gripped his shoulders, pulling him against her as the need to feel all of him overwhelmed her.
That small gesture must have been all the permission Pierce needed. There was no more restraint in his touch. It was possession. Demands. Control!
Pressing herself against him, she almost sobbed with relief when he pulled her against him. She’d missed this! She couldn’t step out of his arms. If the hotel started to burn down around them, she still wouldn’t leave his arms. She wouldn’t care because this was all she needed.
With a swift move, Pierce swiped her drawings off the table, then lifted her onto the polished surface. He swiftly pushed the jacket off her shoulders, letting it fall to the floor as he surveyed her silk blouse. “Naya,” he groaned as his hands moved over her body, slipping deftly under the material. Before she knew what was happening, Naya felt his hands on bare skin and she cried out as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
She had no words, only reactions, feelings, soft moans of delight and need as his hands explored her. She reintroduced his hands to her breasts, his thumbs torturing the hard peaks while she ripped at his shirt, pulling the material out of her way so that she could feel his warm skin. And even when her fingers moved along his chest and rock-hard abs, it wasn’t enough. She needed more!
“I’m sorry, love, but I can’t wait!” and he ripped her panties off and slid his fingers along her inner thighs. Naya had no warning as his fingers slid into her wet heat. His fingers weren’t enough and she wiggled closer, sliding along the polished table to force him to touch her the way she needed to be touched.
“Don’t tease me!” she moaned as his fingers moved inside her. She whimpered, grabbing his wrist with her fingers. “More!” she gasped.
“Damn it, Naya!” he growled, nipping her neck as she unzipped his slacks, fumbling until she found his erection. “Yes!”
All she knew for certain was that he was big and hard, throbbing for her just as much as she was throbbing for him. “Now!” she begged, rubbing her thumb over the top.
He ripped open a condom and Naya considered telling him that it wasn’t necessary. But he was so close to her now and his knuckles teased that sensitive nub. No words could be uttered when he touched her that way.
Unfortunately, he turned his hand around and teased her more, her body trembling with every touch, every brush of those fingers against her.
Naya was almost in tears, so desperate to feel him inside of her. “No more!” and she shifted again, grabbing his wrist and pulling his hand away.
“Lean back!” he commanded.
She shook her head, her hands moving along his chest, bare now, then moving lower to circle his shaft one more time.
“Now!” he ordered again, but this time, he took her hands in his and pressed her back so that she was lying on the table, spread out for him. Naya didn’t care anymore, she just needed him inside of her.
She opened her mouth to demand that he stop teasing her when she felt that pressure at her opening. With every inch he pressed into her heat, she felt as if she were coming apart. It took all of her effort to stop herself from climaxing right then and there!
“You okay?” he groaned, remaining very still as she shifted, trying to press herself against him.
“Fine! Very fine!” she gasped, her back arching as she desperately waited for him to move. “Please,” she pleaded, “no more teasing!”
With that, he shifted, moving in and out of her heat and Naya lifted her hips with every thrust, meeting him and gasping in time with his movements. She could barely catch her breath as he pressed into her over and over again. Without warning, she splintered apart, her body throbbing with a release so intense, she couldn’t breathe. Vaguely, she was aware of Pierce thrusting again and again, eventually coming to his own release. But she could do nothing to help him other than hang on to his shoulders and sob with exultation at the beauty of what he’d just done for her.
Naya was still gasping for breath when he scooped her up in his arms. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. And on the table, no less!
“What…” she looked around, and realized he was still inside of her. With every step he took, the vibrations echoed through her. “Pierce!” she gasped, tightening her legs around his waist.
His only response was to kick the bedroom door open, then kick it shut behind them. A moment later, her back was on the soft mattress and he was in her arms. In no time at all, she was screaming his name, her nails digging into his forearms as he pounded into her over and over again. Naya had no idea if he climaxed because she was too overwhelmed by the onslaught of her own release. All she knew was her body was lit up with pleasure unlike anything she’d thought possible.
Pierce tried to hold back, but when her body tightened around his, he couldn’t stop his release from slamming into him. He tried to be gentle, but her nails dug into him, intensifying the feeling of the most powerful orgasm he’d ever experienced.
How it was possible for a release to be so strong right after what they’d just shared in the other room, he didn’t know. Nor did he give a damn. All he knew was that he needed to re-evaluate his strategy.
He watched as her eyes fluttered closed and, almost immediately, she fell into a deep sleep. Gently, he picked her up, then pulled the covers back and carefully tucked her in. He wanted to stay and watch her sleep, but he had another meeting. Moving into the bathroom, he showered and changed. With one more glance, he wondered what she was dreaming about.
He considered calling up his assistant and having her cancel his afternoon meetings. He wanted to crawl right back into that bed with Naya. He wanted to feed her and ensure that she had a good night’s sleep. She’d lost weight over the past two months and there were dark circles under her eyes.
For a long moment, he contemplated Naya Banks. She was lovely, but…his last mistress had been too. No woman had ever caused him to lose control like that. Never before had he felt such an overwhelming sense of perfection, connection. Naya, he thought. What had she done to him? What kind of spell had she cast over him?
Chapter 9
She’d left him again! Pierce couldn’t believe it! Staring at the empty bed, the pillows and sheets still a rumpled mess indicated he hadn’t imagined anything. She had been there. His eyes narrowed furiously as he contemplated how he was going to paddle her adorable bottom.
Slamming the bedroom door, he stalked back to the next tedious meeting, but by then, his thoughts were no longer on the product discussions or the financial analysis. He didn’t give a damn about variances or market reports. This was the second time that Naya had intruded on his self-discipline.
For the past two months, he’d been furious with her for that invasion, trying to forget her by pushing himself and his team that much harder, by blinding himself to everything but acquiring his next company and fixing all of the problems. Unfortunately, that hadn’t worked. Naya had never been far from his mind. For weeks, she’d lingered in the back of his head, taunting him with her elusiveness.
But as he leaned back in his chair and idly listened to his vice presidents brainstorm a strategy for TriTek’s forward momentum, he wondered if he was approaching this relationship with the mysterious Naya the wrong way.
First, something was obviously going on with Naya. She was beautiful and strong willed, not to mention, brilliant. But what was going on with her personally? Why had she felt the need to run away from him, not just once, but twice? Most women would stick aro
und and beg for a repeat performance.
Pierce stopped that line of thought in its tracks. He was comparing Naya to the women he’d been with before. And yet, he now knew her to be completely different from them. That meant that he needed to stop comparing the lovely minx to his previous mistresses because Naya was obviously unique. Unique and extraordinary, he thought with relish.
So what was his next step? Ignoring her hadn’t worked. Being with her and working her out of his system hadn’t helped either, evidenced by the fact that he’d had her twice today, and he was already rock hard and ready for another round. Hell, if she’d still been in that bed, he most likely would have kissed her awake and made love to her again.
Since working her out of his system wasn’t fixing the issue, what options were left to him? The only thing he could think of was to make her his mistress.
Yes, the idea definitely had merit. She would have to quit her job and travel with him, of course. That was another thing he’d never done before. Before Naya, the idea of a woman being with him all the time had been abhorrent. His lovers in the past had been a convenience and having them around while he tried to concentrate would not have been convenient.
But he liked the idea of Naya being there for him, of sitting in a business meeting and knowing that she was in the same city. He’d give her a credit card so she could spend her days shopping or pampering herself at the spa. Or whatever it is that women did all day. He had no clue, nor did he care. As long as she was there, waiting for him when he walked in at the end of the day, she could do whatever the hell she wanted.
Damn, the idea of Naya waiting for him made him almost groan with lust. He turned and rubbed a hand over his face, frustrated and furious. What the hell was he doing? He’d never fantasized about a woman waiting for him before! This was insane!
But it was also his reality. After all these weeks, he could no longer fight whatever it was that was going on between himself and Naya. So instead, he was going with it. Pierce was finding that, where Naya was concerned, everything was different. Which meant that he’d have to get used to her being different and he’d have to treat her differently.
He couldn’t wait to put his plan in motion, to have the beautiful Naya flown out to his home in New York or…would she prefer his Paris or London home maybe? He’d take her to each of them and let her decide which she liked better. Not that he’d allow her to stay there. No, he wanted her with him, flying with him to the various cities where he had business meetings. Yes, with Naya by his side, he could definitely see that his business travels would be much more delightful.
He doubted that he would grow bored with her very soon. Naya was a beautiful, sensuous woman and as long as she was in his bed, he didn’t give a damn where they were.
Thankfully, Pierce’s frustration with her absence this time was tempered by his knowledge of where he could find her. Pierce didn’t have to wonder where she’d gone. He knew exactly where she would be this time around. He was her employer and the knowledge that he was providing for her, paying her salary, gave him a deep sense of satisfaction.
Chapter 10
Pierce walked into the TriTek offices early the following morning, automatically skimming across the other occupants and noting possible improvements for the lobby. With approval, he noted that there was a new sense of urgency now. He was impressed that some of the employees had upped their game so quickly.
There was even a new sense of professionalism. When he’d walked through the lobby several days ago, many of the employees had been dressed in jeans and sweaters. Now, most people were dressed in slacks and dress shirts. Not all of the shirts were ironed, but the mere existence of so many dress shirts was an improvement. Pride, he thought. The employees were gaining a bit of pride. That had nothing to do with what they wore. But it was more about the way they carried themselves. The first round of layoffs was over, so the people that remained knew that they had a good chance of remaining employed. He never did multiple rounds of layoffs. The insecurity that type of restructuring would create only instigated anger and resentment. People didn’t work hard at their jobs if they were anticipating additional layoffs. They worked hard at finding a new one, which caused a great deal of the more talented employees to leave. Only the staff that couldn’t find new jobs, the less talented and desirable employees, would be left to continue.
Of course, it was one thing to be enthusiastic and energetic about one’s job one or two days after being told of a possible termination. It was quite another to maintain that level of energy over a longer time period. He expected a lot from his employees. And if they produced, they would be well compensated. If they didn’t produce, they would be let go. Another company could handle lazy attitudes. He didn’t allow them in his presence.
Walking into his office, he called his inherited assistant. Linda was a good worker, he thought. Very efficient and effective. She’d serve the next CEO well, although she had a bit of an attitude, which translated into snippiness with anyone other than executives. But that was an issue for the person he hired to be in charge here after he moved on to his next acquisition.
“Yes sir?” she said, her pen poised over the notebook.
Pierce looked over the papers that had been set out on his temporary desk, not bothering to look up as he said, “Ms. Banks, from the marketing department, will need to be moved to an office on this floor. Make sure that happens today.” He shifted the messages over to the corner of his desk, missing Linda’s surprised expression, which morphed to silent disapproval. “I also need you to call this woman,” he said, texting a phone number to Linda’s e-mail account. “She’s a decorator. She’ll come in here and freshen up the décor. I want her to take on the whole executive floor, but she needs to start with this office. I don’t need to be here for it though and I don’t need to consult with her. Ms. Linsworth knows what I like and she’ll make it happen quickly. Just give her access so she can take measurements.”
He continued on, giving her a long list of action items, unconcerned that the woman appeared slightly overwhelmed. If she couldn’t handle the pressure, she needed to get out of the way so he could hire someone who could handle his workload.
“That’s it,” he finally said.
The woman nodded and Pierce might have laughed at her expression if he weren’t so focused on getting Naya up here and settled closer to him.
Chapter 11
Naya blinked at the men standing in her office doorway. “You want to what?” she demanded.
One of the men, obviously the captain of the maintenance team, shrugged one beefy shoulder. “We came to move your office furniture,” he explained, without enthusiasm, but doing his job just the same. “Tell us what you want moved, and we’ll get it done. You don’t even need to empty the desks. We’ll be careful, so things don’t spill out.”
Naya shook her head, still confused. “None! Why in the world would I need any furniture moved?” She looked around at her small office. “There’s no place to move it anyway.”
“We’re supposed to move everything to your new office,” one of them offered, shuffling his feet as if he couldn’t care less what her preferences were.
“What new office?” she demanded impatiently, lifting her hands in the air as if begging him for more information. “No one mentioned an office move to me.”
The man looked uncomfortable. “I have no idea, lady,” he sigh, tapping his clipboard. “We were told to move you up to the executive floor, a direct request from Mr. Danilov, apparently. That’s all I was told. I’m just doing my job.”
At the mention of Pierce’s name, Naya shook her head. “No. I’m not moving.”
She had things to do and didn’t have time to worry about this kind of idiocy. Why would she need to move? The whole marketing team was here! How could she do her job effectively if she wasn’t with the others in her group?
She grabbed the stack of papers off the corner of her desk, the layouts she needed to copy for the next meeti
ng to discuss her ideas. But the men didn’t move and her stress level started to skyrocket. She pressed a hand over her stomach, remembering that she needed to remain calm for her baby girl. Everything was about her baby now and a stressful pregnancy wouldn’t be healthy for her child.
Naya paused, taking a deep breath and looked at the two maintenance men, forcing a smile to her lips. “Look, just tell Mr. Danilov that I’m not moving,” she ordered, then started to step around them, intending to go to the copy machine. When the men stared at her as if she’d just told them to go torture someone, she shook her head again. “I’ll tell him when I see him,” she muttered, keeping her mouth closed to the fact that she hoped to never see him again. “You are both off the hook. I’m sorry someone sent you here, but I’m not moving my office and neither are you.” With that, she stepped around them and walked off.
Pierce! He worked on the executive floor. There was absolutely no way she’d let anyone move her office up there!
Just thinking about having to face Pierce again caused her cheeks to flush. They’d had sex again, she thought, flashing back to yesterday afternoon’s interlude. On the dining room table! How…crude! That table was highly polished so…were there prints of her bottom? Oh, that possibility made her lack of discipline so much worse!
Rushing to the main area of the marketing department, she called out to Jeb, one of the other guys on the team. “Hey, do you know how to pull up the specs from previous campaigns on the company’s campaign database?”
Jeb spun around to face her, his eyebrows going almost into his hairline. “Sure! Is your connection acting up again?”
“I have no idea,” she replied, looking down at her notes where she listed all of the actions she knew had to happen in order to get this campaign ready to go. “But it does seem a bit slow. Maybe it’s just that I’m not asking the right questions. Could you could run a search for me?” she asked. “I’m looking for these images,” and she handed him a stack of notes she’d scribbled last night after she’d pushed herself to get more work done.
Pregnant with the Tycoon's Heir (The Ladies of The Burling School Book 5) Page 9
