by Zara Chase
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
Zac had been having second thoughts about employing Justine. Not because he didn’t think she could do the job. After only a couple of days, she was proving to be remarkably efficient. It was more a case of fatal compatibility. He felt comfortable with her in the house, which bothered him because he’d started letting his guard down when she was around. She appealed to him at a level that had nothing to do with her professional abilities. She was feisty, opinionated, far more attractive than she gave herself credit for being, and touchingly vulnerable.
The idiot who had used her and then dumped her had shattered her self-confidence, causing her to question her raison d’être. He’d noticed that she only picked at her food, constantly making comments about the need to diet. Hell, she didn’t need to lose an ounce. She was just about perfect the way she was, but Zac couldn’t tell her that. She wouldn’t believe it, and anyway, he wanted to keep her at arm’s length.
Watching her now, sobbing her heart out, all such thoughts flew out the window. All he cared about was righting her wrongs and making the hurt leave her lovely eyes. He wanted to either see her smile again or have her resume hurling the pithy retorts at him that he’d started to expect from her. He couldn’t recall a woman ever treating him so offhandedly before, which made her unique.
She glanced up at him, tears streaming down her face, and sniffed.
“Bastard!” she said.
He threw up his hands. “Hey, I only asked what’s wrong.”
“Not you, him.” She pointed to the telephone as though it explained everything.
“Ah, now I get it. The ubiquitous ex, I take it?”
“Yes.” She sniffed again, reached for a tissue from the box on her desk, and blew her nose. “He’s had a change of heart and thinks I’ll go running back, just like that.”
Zac’s heart lurched. “What will you do?”
“I told him to take a hike.” She snuffled into a fresh tissue. “Well, those weren’t the precise words I used, but I don’t want to upset your delicate sensibilities.”
“You told him to fuck off, in other words.” Justine nodded, a smile breaking through the tears. “Did you mean it?”
“Yes.”
He shot her a shrewd look. “But it was hard?”
“No, it wasn’t hard because I’m still so damned mad at him. It’s just that we were together for quite a while.” Justine sighed. “He’s confident and popular…all the things I’m not, in other words.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“When you’ve been as publicly dumped as I have, it’s not easy to put that sort of humiliation behind you and start again,” she said, ignoring his question. “I thought I’d managed it, and then he seems to think he can just waft back into my life like what he did was no big deal and that I’d be desperate to let him.” She glanced at Zac, her eyes flooding again. “Do I seem desperate to you?”
Zac stood behind her, placed his hands on her shoulders and massaged the knots. “You’re as stiff as a board.”
“Is that surprising?” She rolled her shoulders, threw her head back and closed her eyes. “God, that feels good.”
Yeah, and it’s slowly killing me. You’re not the only one as stiff as a board.
“Don’t let him get to you, babe.”
“Easy for you to say. I loved him once.”
“And part of you still does.” He dug his hands deeper, not liking that thought one little bit.
“No!” she said, protesting a little too loudly, fresh tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. “It’s over. I can see him now for the slimeball that he really is.”
“Come next door.”
What Justine needed was comforting—some sort of gesture that would restore her self-confidence—and it couldn’t be done here in this crowded office with reminders of his family every which way he looked. He reached out a hand, and she slipped hers into it without hesitation. Once in the living room, Zac sat in the corner of the sofa and pulled her onto his lap, the hell with keeping his distance. He’d been fighting his attraction toward her since the first time he saw her, and she simply wasn’t allowed to be upset—not on his watch.
“Hey,” he said, running a hand softly down her hair. “Don’t let the jerk upset you. Cody would never forgive you if that happened.”
She managed a watery smile. “I’m not so much upset, more angry with myself.” She glanced down at him, not appearing to mind sitting on his lap since she didn’t attempt to move. “Have I always been such a soft touch?”
He chuckled. “You haven’t given me an easy time.”
“Yes, but we’re not emotionally involved, so it’s different.”
“No, we’re not.” Zac rested his forehead against the top of her head. “But it’s a tempting proposition.”
“It wasn’t a proposition. It was an observation.” She sat bolt upright, doing severe damage to his erection without appearing to even notice it. “Stop being nice to me. That’s as bad as being pitied, or laughed at and scorned, like I was by my coworkers when Jason flipped on me.”
Zac didn’t get her attitude. Okay, so she wasn’t interested. She only had to say so. Her job was safe enough, and his ego would recover eventually.
“I’m not being nice. I don’t do nice.” He shrugged. “I’m just saying that being involved wouldn’t be so very bad, would it?”
“Why would you want to be involved with me? I’m a mess.”
“Emotionally, you mean?” He expelled a mirthless chuckle. “Join the club, babe. You’ve seen what I’m like about my mother.”
“That’s not what I meant. You can pick and choose your women. Even Miss Vogue looked besotted, but I’m a mess because I’m fat. I’m not good looking. I don’t dress—”
Zac cut off her objections with a searing kiss, irrationally pleased that it wasn’t him she objected to, even though it would make life a damned sight easier if it were. He absolutely didn’t need this complication but couldn’t seem to help himself. The moment she relaxed against him and returned his kiss, he knew it was definitely too late to have second thoughts. The heady nature of her response went straight to his cock, which was already taking a keen interest in proceedings. He absolutely shouldn’t do this, but it would take more than a herd of wild horses to stop him now.
It was a seriously bad move on his part.
It was also the best thing that had happened to him since he couldn’t remember when.
Her lush body pressed against his as she slid her hands around his neck. She kissed him now like she never intended to stop, tangling her tongue with his with a sense of urgency that was infectious. Her large breasts were squashed against his chest tightly enough to make him think they didn’t want to miss out on all the fun. Damn it, she was hot! All the reasons why they really shouldn’t take this any further tumbled through Zac’s head. He’d only kissed her because she was upset. Fucking her hadn’t really been on his agenda, had it? If he didn’t put an end to this now then there would be no pulling back.
He tried to do the right thing and break the kiss, but Justine was having none of it. She clung tighter still, her butt deliberately, he was sure, gouging painfully against his erection.
“Justine,” he said, finally wrenching his mouth away from hers, “I’m not gonna be a substitute for the jerk.”
“You’re not,” she said breathlessly. “You started this.”
“True, but you’re vulnerable and—”
“No strings, I promise. I don’t cling.”
“That wasn’t what I meant.”
“Do you always try to talk women out of fucking you?”
Her language took him by surprise. He hadn’t expected it from her, and it was a huge turn-on.
“Don’t try to distract me.”
“Seems to me,” she said, grinding her butt against his aching cock, “that you’re already distracted.”
“No question what I want. It’s your objectives that are less clear.”
&n
bsp; “As long as you don’t mind seeing me naked then we’re on the same page. But be warned, it’s not a pretty sight.”
Damn it, she really seemed to believe what she said. Either that or she was cleverer than he’d realized. Whatever, she’d just made up his mind for him. Not that the outcome had ever been in serious doubt. His half-hearted attempt to save complications in his business life didn’t stand a prayer when compared to the fierce attraction he felt toward his newest employee. He recalled the brief discussion he and Cody had had about her on the day of her interview. In retrospect, they probably both knew even then that they were in big trouble. The sort of trouble they tended to major in with the females that crossed their paths, unless they employed them, of course.
“Let’s see, shall we?”
Zac pulled her shirt from the waistband of her jeans. She herself tugged it over her head and threw it aside. Her breasts were encased in a pretty, lacy bra. Zac groaned as he reached out and gently traced one through the flimsy fabric. Her nipples were rock hard and clearly sensitive. She flinched when he pinched one.
“Did that hurt? Sorry.”
“No, quite the reverse. Don’t treat me gently. That’s not what I like.”
“Then what do you like?” He nuzzled her neck, kissing his way down its column. She had a very long neck, and he liked to be thorough, so it took him a while. “Tell me what turns you on, babe.”
“I like it hard and…well—” She glanced up at him, then lowered her lashes demurely. Did that mean what Zac hoped it meant? Was that why Cody and he had connected with her so quickly? “I like to be dominated.”
Zac grinned. “Sweetheart, you’ve come to the right place.”
“I thought I might have.”
“You like to be spanked?”
“I love it, but only if it pleases you.”
Zac’s cock had swollen so much that it was causing him extreme physical discomfort. He lifted her from his lap and set her on her feet.
“Unfasten your jeans.”
She did as he asked without question and stepped out of them. Her thong matched her raspberry-coloured bra. Zac took a moment to study her almost-naked body and let out a soft whistle of appreciation. As he’d imagined, she was pretty nigh perfect. Yes, she was heavier than was fashionable, but that was fine by him. All that additional weight in her tits, in her slightly rounded butt did things for him. He was pretty sure a butt like that would be able to withstand a good spanking, and he didn’t intend to waste too much time before putting that theory to the test. Her legs were long and her thighs weren’t fat. The slight excess of flesh round her tummy was compensated for by a surprisingly small waist.
“What?” she asked nervously. “I did warn you that I wasn’t perfect.”
“Then you lied.”
Zac stood up and stripped everything off. He then faced her, fisting his cock so she’d get a close-up view of the goods on offer. She licked her lips with the tip of a very pink tongue, offering her approval without the need for words.
Zac reseated himself. “Come here.”
She scampered over to him and then waited, just like a well-trained sub should. Zac had a horrible thought.
“Did the jerk teach you all this?”
If she said yes, then Zac doubted whether he’d be able to see the act through. He hated the man, not only because he’d treated her so shabbily but because she’d once loved him and perhaps still did.
“No, he was too much into himself to think about what I wanted.” She paused. “Come to think about it, he never once asked and it didn’t occur to me to mind. I knew someone before him that was into the life.”
“Then welcome back.” Zac smiled at her. “Over my knee,” he said abruptly.
When she was in position, he softly massaged the globes of her butt with one hand. “Any time you want to stop, just say the word.”
“I don’t want to stop. I want to start. I want to feel again, really feel.” She lifted her head and met his eye. “Will you help me to feel, Zac? It’s been a long time.”
He chuckled. “My pleasure.”
He brought his hand down fairly hard over her ass. She flinched and then sighed.
“Okay.”
“Yes.”
He spanked her again, a little harder, one hand reaching for a breast and pulling it out of her bra cup. The next time he brought his hand down he also pinched her nipple, eliciting a groan of approval.
“You like that?”
“I adore it. Punish me more. I’ve been really naughty.”
“Get on the floor then. On your hands and knees.” Once she was in position, he pulled on his pants again and headed for the door. “Don’t move. I won’t be a moment.”
He returned almost immediately, packet of condoms in his hand.
“Now, where were we?”
Condoms weren’t the only thing he’d brought with him. He pulled her thong aside and squirted lube over her ass. She giggled, presumably because it was cold.
“Know what I’m gonna do now?”
“A butt plug, I hope.”
“Right.” He eased a finger into her anus to open her passage. She didn’t resist him, and the plug slid in easily when he replaced his finger with it. “Comfortable?”
She wriggled her backside. “Glorious.”
“Now, about your punishment.”
He spanked her harder than before, having first pulled her other breast out of her bra. Her nipples were large, as were the dark pink aureoles surrounding them. Looking sideways at them, Zac could see that they were almost as pink as her underwear. He liked that and fully intended to give them plenty of attention before he fucked her.
“Roll over.”
She lay on her back on the thick rug, waiting to be told what to do next. Zac wrenched her thong off and ran a possessive hand over her shaved pussy.
“Very nice.”
He dropped the tip of his prick and rubbed it gently against her clit. She gasped and lifted her hips to get closer. He tapped her thigh and she immediately stilled, indicating just how well she’d been trained.
“You ever taken two men at once?”
“No, but I’ve been to clubs and watched other women do it.”
“Would you like to?”
She opened her eyes very wide. “You and Cody?”
“Hmm.”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation.
Zac dropped his head and kissed her. She was so goddamned perfect. Uninhibited, knew what she wanted, and wasn’t afraid to go after it. Cody would freak when he knew. Shame he was out, otherwise Zac would be tempted to call him in right now to join the party. It was crazy, really, all those workmen crashing about on the other side of this floor, unaware what was going on. Any one of them could come looking for Justine at any time, which made it even more exciting. She probably thought so, too, because not once had she dared to suggest that the take this somewhere more private.
He broke the kiss quickly and turned his attention to her tits, sucking and nipping each in turn until he felt her spread her legs wide and knew she was close to climax. He was, too, but needed to stretch this out. He slid down her body and applied his lips to her clit. At the same time he reached behind her and pushed the plug farther into her butt.
“Geez, Zac, I can’t—”
She groaned, bucking into his mouth and screaming at him to fuck her harder.
“Sorry,” she said when she finally stopped convulsing. “No one’s done that to me for a long time.”
“My pleasure.”
He knelt by her face and handed her a condom. She tore the packet open with her teeth and rolled it down his length. It was the first time she’d touched his prick, and the feel of her fingers was almost enough to send him over the edge. Since when had he become as ill-disciplined as a school boy?
“Back on your knees,” he said. “I wanna take you from behind.”
She got into position and he slid, without preamble, into her soaking pussy.
“The next time we do this,” he said, slamming himself all the way into her, hard, “it’ll be in a bed and I’m gonna tie you up. You okay with that?”
“More than okay,” she gasped, pushing back to meet his next thrust.
“I wanna get really deep inside you, babe. You feel that? You’re so fucking tight. You’ve made me enormous but you’ve taken my whole cock inside. Hold onto it tight, Justine. Let me fuck you hard.”
“I want you to. I love it hard.” She tossed her head and pushed back against him. “I’m gonna come again, Zac. I can’t hold it. Oh Christ!”
Her pleasure was his undoing and he slammed into her so hard that his balls smacked painfully against her buttocks.
“I’m coming too, babe. Here it is. God, what’re you doing to me?”
Desire overwhelmed him as he closed his eyes, threw back his head and shot an endless stream of sperm into the condom. Justine stayed with him, and he felt her climax for a third time.
Only as they collapsed into a sweaty heap on the rug afterward, both smiling and breathing heavily, did they realize that they had an audience. Cody stood in the open doorway, grinning as he offered them a round of applause.
Chapter Five
“How long have you been there?” Zac asked.
“Long enough to enjoy the show.” He offered them both a gallant bow. “And what a show it was.”
“We aim to please,” Zac said drolly.
“The boss man certainly pleased me,” Justine said, giggling.
Zac raised one of her hands to his lips and kissed the back of it.
“I did knock,” Cody said, “but you seemed…er, distracted.”
Justine felt strangely uninhibited and didn’t bother to cover herself. There didn’t seem much point. In a daze, she struggled to come to terms with what she and Zac had just done, finding it hard to accept that he’d actually wanted to. At first, she’d been convinced he was only being kind by comforting her when he found her in tears. Now she was having second thoughts. He’d been into it as much as she had and hadn’t immediately switched off like some men did once they’d gotten what they wanted.
Cody’s appearance hadn’t caused him to move. Instead, he lazily ran a finger across both her tits where they hung out the top of her bra—the only item of clothing she still half wore. She glanced up at Cody, who had his gaze fixed on her breasts as well. The large bulge in the front of his pants told her that he approved.
