“You’re welcome. Now, what are we doing?”
“I am walking home.”
“I see. Why are you walking when it feels like ten degrees out here?” I ask, noting the puff of cloud that leaves my mouth as I speak.
“I forgot to put my wallet in this purse. It’s back at the office, so I don’t have any cards or cash to get a cab,” she admits.
Holy shit.
“Anna, you can’t be serious. Why wouldn’t you come get me to call you a cab or have my driver drop you off?”
She looks away as if embarrassed. “I just wasn’t in the mood to ask.”
“What if I hadn’t come after you? Do you know what part of town this is?”
“I would have made it home. I’m not completely helpless, you know?”
I nod, but I wonder if she really believes it herself. “Fair enough,” I reply, not wanting to rile her up further. “Let me call my driver. He should be right around the block. I’ll take you home.”
“What about your friends?” She asks, and I have to hold back a smile at the note of jealousy in her voice.
“Not important.” I pause to dial my driver. “Can you circle back?”
Anna stops walking. She is standing close, probably to share my body heat. The closeness makes it harder than ever to ignore how much I want her to go home with me and stay the night in my bed.
My father’s warning is still screaming in the back of my head, but I can’t help but turn down the volume. Not when Anna is staring up at me, her aqua green eyes glowing in the hazy light from the street light above us. I lean down and her eyes go wider before fluttering closed. My lips are so close to hers that I can almost taste the slick lip gloss she has on. Before I can seal the deal, my town car pulls up to the curb. Doug, hops out and races around to open the back door for us.
Anna’s eyes open. She keeps her distance, thanking Doug as she climbs in and slides across the dark back seat.
I bite back a comment about impeccable timing and climb in beside her. Doug goes back to the driver seat and Anna gives him her home address.
“Nice neighborhood,” I comment, visualizing the part of town she rattled off.
“Yeah. It’s new for me. I haven’t even finished unpacking yet.” She looks down at her hands and I notice how far away she is, having scooted almost all the way to the opposite door. “Kelly lives in the building too, actually.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. We ran into each other in the hallway last night. Kind of an odd coincidence.”
“Hmm.”
Why was it always like this between us when things went quiet? Back at the club, things had been so fluid, so easy. The spark was there, the banter was there, but now, in the silence of the backseat, we both seemed like two socially awkward people on a bad blind date.
It didn’t take long for us to arrive at the front of her building. Doug raced stepped out to open the door on Anna’s side.
“Thank you. Tonight was a lot of fun,” she says, glancing over at me before turning away and exiting the car.
I hop out my side. “Doug, I’m going to walk Ms. Nash up to her apartment.”
Doug throws me a wink and gets back in the car. It isn’t meant it to be a code. Certainly, my bed-hopping ways were not a secret to Doug. He had been my personal driver for several years and knows me to a tee.
“I’m fine, really,” Anna says, looking back at me as I take long strides to catch up to her. Her doorman opens the door, wishes us a good evening in passing, and we step inside the building.
“Anna, what kind of boss would I be if I didn’t see you to your apartment?” I ask, smiling at her.
She laughs under her breath.
“What?” I ask.
“I’m sorry. I guess I didn’t realize that was what you were going for. Is that just a tactic? Or are you truly turning over a new leaf? I mean, even if we were to pretend that you weren’t fully prepared to take both of those club girls home with you tonight, it’s not like you owe me anything. This was a work engagement. You said it yourself.”
I don’t have an answer. Anna boards the elevator and I take a quick step to follow before the doors start the slide shut.
I know I can’t fight years’ worth of tabloid stories. “A new leaf. Sure. Maybe you’re bringing out a new side to my personality.”
She stares at me in disbelief, shaking her head. “I find that very hard to believe.”
“And why is that?”
She presses the elevator button to her floor and looks over at me. “Because, Adam, I just saw you in action with those girls at the club. One of them was practically giving you a hand job right there and you didn’t even flinch!”
“I thought you we were going to pretend that didn’t happen.”
The elevator jolted to life, launching us up to the fourteenth floor.
“Adam, it did happen. You have a lot of fun with a lot of women. You’re a manwhore, except instead of money, the woman give you great head. That’s my guess. You could have had any girl in that club. The way they all were gawking over you was quite legendary,” Anna continues, still shaking her head at me.
“Yet, here I am with you. The only woman in the place that I’m thinking about,” I say, meeting her eyes and for some reason, hoping she believes me.
The elevator dings and we step off onto the fourteenth floor. I follow one step behind as Anna walks to her door, digging in her purse for her keys.
Before she can fish them out of her bag, I grab her by the shoulders and back her against her front door. “Anna, you are the most fiery, passionate woman I have met in a really long time. When I tell you I want to get to know you better, it’s not some line. I mean it. I had a lot of fun with you tonight. I’d like to do this again.”
She opens her mouth—presumably to protest—and before she can get a single syllable out, I cover her lips with mine and steal away whatever defensive sentence she was about to throw my way. Her lips taste even sweeter than I had imagined, and my mind goes into overdrive wondering how the rest of her would taste. She let out a stifled moan that I swallow up, loving the purr sound it makes in the back of her throat. I move in closer so there isn’t an inch of space between our bodies. Her lips part with the slightest flick of my tongue and I explore all the curves and lines of her perfect mouth.
“Anna?”
Anna breaks away from the kiss and I follow her frantic eyes. Kelly is standing in the hallway, staring at us with shock and horror.
Chapter 10
Anna
My planned weekend of relaxation and unpacking turns into an anxiety-riddled panic attack waiting to happen. It’s a two-day suspense marathon as I puttered around my apartment, channeling all my energy into not freaking out about what will happen with Adam and Kelly—and my job—come Monday.
Monday comes around too quickly as far as I’m concerned. Still, even with all my obsessing and reviewing every possible scenario, I find myself completely unraveled as I stand outside Adam’s office door.
After catching us in the middle of that utterly panty-melting kiss, Kelly scurried into her apartment and I didn’t seen her the rest of the weekend. Granted, that was likely because I barricaded myself in my apartment on some kind of self-induced house arrest.
I still have no idea what came over me to let him get close, let alone corner me and kiss me. When Adam pulled me out onto the dance floor, I went along with it, and even upped the ante just to prove him wrong after our little spat in the car on the way to the club. I wanted to show him I was just as unpredictable and free as he is. I didn’t plan on the entire thing taking such an erotic turn. The way he had control over my body still gave me the shakes in a too-hot-to-handle, sensual way. I had gone to my share of frat parties during my university years, but I was never really the wild drinking and dancing girl. I always preferred hanging with my girlfriends over getting cozy with some guy who was drunk off his ass and probably wouldn’t be able to get it up if I even let them take it that fa
r.
With Adam, it had been completely the opposite. The way he moved my body—and moved with my body—drove me to a place I can’t say I had ever been before. As for any potential problem getting it up, it was definitely not the case for Adam. When he pressed what felt like a massive erection against my ass, I couldn’t help but grind on it.
Holy hell.
I bury my face in my hands. The whole thing was so over the top, in hindsight. How did I let myself get so carried away? I was quick to judge the girls who approached him at the bar, and seemed to forget the part where I let him dry hump me in the middle of a hundred sweaty bodies on the dance floor.
“Get it together, Anna,” I tell myself softly. I shake my arms loose and then knock on Adam’s door.
The only thing that’s clear right now is that this thing needs to end here. I still can’t believe that I almost let myself get swept away in Adam’s pretty words and very convincing speech—not to mention that kiss.
That I definitely needed to banish from my mind forthwith.
Dammit! No such luck.
As soon as Adam opens the door, the image of his lips on mine is the first thing that comes to mind. The smell of his cologne and my inability to stop staring at his lips are only making it harder to forget.
“Hello,” he says, ushering me inside. I take ginger steps forward and he shuts the door behind me.
“Adam, I’m so sorry—”
“Anna, let me talk.”
We both start speaking and then stop at the same moment. We stare at each other and exchange a nervous laugh before Adam nods at me to continue.
“I was just going to say that I am really sorry I let things get carried away,” I say, finishing my thought.
“No, no. It was my fault. I should not have crossed the line. Listen, has Kelly said anything to you?” He asks, rubbing a spot at the back of his neck. I wonder if he is tensed up from all the stress and worry like I am from two sleepless nights spent tossing and turning and fantasizing about having him plant those lips between my legs.
“No. I kind of chickened out on going over there, after…everything.”
“Right.” He nods and sits on the edge of his desk. “So, every Monday just after lunch, we do a staff meeting where all the department heads get together to hash out staff issue, brainstorm about upcoming issues, plan out coverage for upcoming events. I want you to come to the meeting.”
I know I should be relieved that he is moving on from the other night so easily, but something seems off. There’s something he isn’t telling me. “Um, sure. I’ll be there.”
“Great. There’s something else,” he adds.
I steel myself, preparing for whatever bomb he is about to drop.
“I’m going to formally introduce you at the meeting, explain your position, and I am also going to add you to the upcoming LA trip for fashion week.”
“What?” I gape at him. That was certainly not what I had been expecting.
I spent my formative years as an annual participant—albeit, an unwilling one—to New York fashion week, and the idea of a trip out west to LA sounded like a dream opportunity.
“It’s a pretty big deal. We only have space for a few people to go along, and I want you to be one of them,” Adam explains while I continue to gawk at him.
“Wait, is this because of what happened?”
“What? No, not at all. I saw what you can do,” he says and stops.
I look down at my shoes, trying not to interpret the statement.
“You know what I mean. Anyways, I saw the impact your social media posts made on follower engagement. Our pages are usually a vast wasteland with zero engagement. I need you to bring that to LA.”
I smile at him, the pressure in my chest subsiding a little bit. “Wow. Thank you Adam, I really don’t know what to say.”
“No need,” he replies, holding up a hand.
A silence falls between us. “Will you be on the LA trip as well?” I ask after a moment passes.
He looks up and his eyes meet mine. The instant they lock onto each other I feel my body temperature rise. I know it’s wrong. I can’t have him, but after what happened at the club and at my front door—and given what I was wishing for the rest of the weekend—it’s hard for me to scrub that from my mind. The way our bodies had fit together on the dance floor, followed by the crazy, breathless kiss at my door, was a tough combo to get around. Something primal was switched on inside me. I know now that I won’t be happy until I have more of what Adam can deliver to my body.
“Yes, I’ll be there too,” he answers.
Without another word he wraps his arms around me, spins and lifts me up to perch on the edge of his desk. He parts my thighs and plants himself between my trembling legs. His hands slide up my waist and over my breasts, feeling every inch before he cups my face in his hands and presses his lips to mine in a series of hungry, wild kisses that have me panting for breath in between.
He pushes off my jacket while my fingers simultaneously go to work on the buttons of his dress shirt.
“Adam,” I moan. His fingers search down the neckline of my shell top. “Please, please.”
He smiles and starts teasing my nipples through the sheer lace on my bra. I purr with need. Desire is exploding through me and I feel like my entire body is alive and electric with each new shiver. My fingers are clumsy, distracted with Adam’s touch. Eventually I work all the buttons free on his smooth shirt and push it back, off his shoulders, to reveal a perfect, sculpted torso that turns out to be even better than I had imagined in all of my Adam-centered dreams and fantasies. His stomach is flat and firm, each ab looking like it was chiseled in place. His hips are slim and the v-line running down each side is enough to make me drool.
“All you had hoped for?” Adam whispers, leaning in to blaze a new trail of hot, wet, open-mouthed kisses up the side of my neck before he stops to nibble on my earlobe. His hand is still down my shirt, working on freeing my heavy-feeling breasts from the confines of my bra.
“Yes,” I pant in reply.
He smiles and then slips the shirt over my head. In two seconds he unlatches my bra, and my breasts heave a sigh of relief as he holds one in each palm. He drops his lips and kisses each in turn, gently tugging at the nipple until I whimper.
“You’re gorgeous, Anna. Perfection.” He kisses my lips again, this time with more urgency and need.
It feels like heaven, his skin on my skin. I arch my back to press every inch against his hot, solid chest, loving the feel of my softer curves meeting and aligning with his rock hard muscles. He grabs my hips and pulls me against him, his erection very obvious through the linen pants. I rock my hips against him and he groans out before sliding his fingertips along my inner thigh, past the elastic edge of my pantyhose, and pausing only just long enough to tease the lacy edge of my panties.
“Are you ready for me?” He growls into my ear.
Something about the questions stills me. My entire body is screaming, dying for him to slide his hardness into my dripping wet center and relieve the pressure that has been building there since our night at the club. His question seems to clear my mind long enough for the voice of reason to sound the alarm.
“Wait!” I pull back, out of Adam’s grasp. “We can’t do this. I can’t do this.”
Adam’s eyes are dark and wild as he searches mine. “Why not?”
“We just can’t…God. I can’t believe I let things get this far. Look, Adam. I’m new here. I don’t want to have to constantly wonder if the things I earn are because of my work ethic or because of this thing, whatever it is between us.”
I want him so damn bad, but I hate every word as it leaves my mouth. I know that what I’m saying is the right thing to say, that stopping things is the only option, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
“Anna, it’s not like that.”
“Please Adam, this is just how it has to be. Okay?” I ask, looking up at him, trying to avoid dropping my eyes to admi
re his bare chest and abs that are on display.
He hesitates and traces a finger down my cheek. “Fuck. Okay,” he finally says, bringing his head to rest against mine for another moment as we each catch our breath.
He backs up and straightens his shirt.
I lower myself from the desk and pull my shell top back on over my head and shrug back into my jacket. My panties are soaked and I’m pretty sure I snagged my nylons on Adam’s belt buckle, but I do the best I can to get put back together. Once I’m sure everything is in place, I head for the door. “I’ll see you at the meeting later,” I say before leaving.
Adam grunts and goes to sit behind his desk.
My heart tugs at me to stay, but I know I can’t. So, with my last remaining shred of self-control, I pull the door closed and hurry down to my office before anyone has the chance to catch me sneaking out of his office.
Chapter 11
Adam
Anna leaves me with the worst case of blue balls I can ever remember. She’s been gone for fifteen minutes and I still can’t figure out where things went wrong.
I pull myself together and make it through the morning. After lunch, I go to the main conference room where there are two dozen eyeballs staring at me from the second I walk in the door. The only pair not on me belongs to Anna. She is busy scribbling notes on her paperwork.
“Good morning everyone.” I take my place at the head of the long table. “As you all have noticed, we have a new team member. This is Anna Nash.” I gesture at her and hope she will look up and meet my eyes. I need her to see me.
She flashes a smile around the room. It doesn’t reach me, so I continue.
“She is our new social media manager and will help to bring Trendsetter Magazine into the age of everything social.”
The line gets a few laughs and I start to relax.
“As you all know, we have the LA Fashion Week trip coming up. I am going to be taking Anna with me in order to document the trip on social media.”
The Billionaire's Seduction Page 15
