Hold Me Until Midnight

by Christina Phillips

  Jackson parked in a small lot behind the shops. As they strolled toward the street he threaded his fingers through hers and pressed the back of her hand against his thigh. Even after all the wild nights of sex they’d shared, the simple touch of his hand still sent electric tingles over her bare arm.

  He unlocked the door and she went inside. “So what martial arts do you teach?” She turned to him, as a thought suddenly occurred to her. “Do you actually teach?” He might do that, for all she knew.

  “No. I hire locally. Aikido, Judo, and self-defense.”

  He showed her the small changing areas at the back of the hall. “Are all your classes full?” she asked.

  “They all have waiting lists.” There was a touch of frustration in his voice. “I’d like to accept everyone, but there’s a limited amount of room here.”

  “This must turn over a nice profit.” She didn’t know what the rent was on the place but compared to most other parts of the city it had to be reasonable.

  He gave her a crooked smile as he pushed open the door to what turned out to be a tiny office. “I’m not in this for the profit. It’s subsidized up to its ass in grants. Most of the students can’t afford to pay the fees to attend. So they don’t.”

  Framed certificates, many with his name on them, lined one wall. Jackson might not teach any classes, but going by the recognition he’d received in Aikido, he looked more than qualified.

  “So really this is a charity.” If that angle was handled right, it would really screw up Edward’s plans.

  “We don’t call it a charity.” There was an edge in Jackson’s voice.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any offense. I’m just thinking—”

  “I know you didn’t.” He took her hand again and tugged her toward him. “I had this dream of opening a place like this for years. Somewhere the local kids can go and learn how to defend themselves in a safe environment. Get them off the streets for a few hours.”

  For a moment Jackson looked strangely vulnerable and she resisted the urge to wrap her arms around him and hug him tight. If she did, this moment might shatter.

  “I finally got this place up and running last year. And for the last six months we’ve been battling this redevelopment shit.”

  “Well.” Scarlett squeezed his fingers. “You can add me to Team Jackson if you like. I’m not bad at raising awareness for good causes.”

  He backed her up against his desk. “Will you call on all the old girls from your alma mater to help out?”

  He was gently mocking her, but it was his defense mechanism. He’d shown her a side to himself he hadn’t intended to.

  “You know, I went to a regular school until I was fourteen.” Until her mom died and her dad could hardly bear to look at her. “I was only at boarding school for the final four years.” At least her father had sent her to the same one her friend Harley attended. She wasn’t sure she would’ve survived otherwise.

  “A regular school, huh?” He trailed a finger along the line of her jaw.

  “At least it was a day school.” “Regular” was probably pushing it, since she’d gone to an exclusive girls’ school since kindergarten.

  His body shook with a silent laugh. “I guess regular is subjective.”

  “Isn’t everything?” She wound her arms around his neck. “Who else has keys to this place?”

  “Why?”

  She sank against his hard body, rose up onto her toes, and whispered in his ear. “I have this fantasy of taking you across your desk.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Jackson tugged her tight against his body. By the way his erection dug into her stomach, her comment had hit all the right buttons.

  “That’s my line.” His voice was dark and dangerous and she shivered with anticipation. “I’ve wanted you over my desk since the first moment you walked into Graysons.”

  “I’ll tell you a secret.” She speared her fingers through his hair, loving the way the silky strands caressed her skin. “That’s how long I’ve had my fantasy.”

  “Scarlett, babe.” There was an irresistible hint of laughter in his tone. “That’s no secret, trust me.”

  She gasped in mock indignation and pulled back. He was grinning at her in that wickedly sexy way that always managed to turn her knees weak.

  “I managed to hide how I felt very well, I think.” At least she hoped so.

  “Oh you did.” He wrapped his hand around her ponytail. The gesture was possessive and pretty barbaric. She might not have believed how her body had responded to him that very first time, but nothing had changed since. He could still turn her on with little more than a glance.

  “So how did you guess?” She tilted her head back, testing him. But he didn’t let go of her hair. If anything his grip tightened. Was it wrong to find that so arousing?

  I don’t care.

  “I said you managed to hide it well. I didn’t say you managed to fool me.”

  With one hand wound around the back of his neck for support, she slid her other hand between their bodies until she came to the hard length of his erection. He pushed into her, forcing her backwards, and the backs of her thighs pressed against the edge of the desk.

  “Why didn’t I?” She slowly moved her hand down his length and cupped him. He made a strangled sound in his throat and pulled on her hair, forcing her head back.

  “Babe, you might’ve been going for the don’t-touch-me librarian look, but all I could see was that fuck-me-now gleam in your eyes.”

  Well, she had asked. And his response enchanted her. Not that she was going to let him know. “I must have picked up on your primitive sexual vibes then.”

  He laughed and ground his cock into her hand. “Why do you think I sat behind my desk? I couldn’t risk you seeing how much I wanted you. Not when,” he paused for a second and a wicked gleam entered his eyes. “Fraternization with clients is strictly off-limits.”

  “Thankfully, I’m not your client.” It was crazy how relieved she’d been when her deposit had reappeared in her account. It was one thing to hire a bodyguard as a fake boyfriend. It was another to have wild monkey sex with him.

  Obviously Jackson felt exactly the same way.

  “You’re definitely not my client.” He clasped her ass. “But I still owe you one from that night. And I have every intention that you will collect.”

  She knew exactly what he was talking about.

  Jackson had promised she would scream his name as he made her come. But she had the illogical conviction that once she did, for him the game would be over.

  If that was true, it made him hopelessly shallow. But it didn’t make any difference. She didn’t want this—whatever this was—to end.

  “What are you waiting for?” She sounded hoarse but if the way Jackson’s grip on her tightened was anything to go by, he clearly thought she sounded sexy.

  “Drop your jeans.” It was a growled command.

  “What?” She wasn’t sure whether to laugh or just do as he said.

  “Now.”

  She still had the insane urge to giggle but tugged open her jeans and pushed them over her hips. “Your turn.”

  His gaze raked over her. “Get rid of the thong.”

  His hand was still tangled in her hair, restricting her movement. She hooked her thumbs into the lacy band of her thong and slowly eased the wispy material over her thighs. She gyrated her hips for good measure.

  “Anything else?” She inched her tee shirt up, giving him a fleeting glimpse of her midriff before tugging it over her stomach again. She loved the way his entire focus was centered on her, as though she was the only woman in his world.

  Am I the only woman he’s sleeping with? She’d never asked. She desperately wanted to be.

  “Yeah. Turn around and put your hands on the desk.”

  She’d had visions of lying flat on her back and wrapping her legs around Jackson. His way sounds more fun.

  “Sounds like you’ve done this before.” She sh
ot him a careless smile so he wouldn’t guess that, yet again, this was another first for her. As she shuffled around, her jeans impeding her movement, he released his grip on her hair.

  “I’ve never had anyone over this desk before.” He sounded on the point of laughing. “I’ve never taken any woman over a desk before. First time for everything.”

  “Huh.” She was relieved he couldn’t see the crazy smile on her face. “That’s for sure.”

  Before she guessed his intention, he pulled her jeans down and off her right leg, sneaker included. She looked over her shoulder to see him admiring her naked butt with a definite predatory gleam in his eyes.

  I love the way he looks at me. As though he was about to devour her.

  “Enjoying yourself?”

  “Best view I’ve seen this year.” He caught her gaze and grinned. “Your ass is edible. Have I ever told you that?”

  Her mouth was dry. It was slightly surreal to be conducting a conversation about her ass when she was bent over his desk with said ass on display for the world to see.

  Even if at this moment the world was comprised solely of Jackson.

  “Once or twice.”

  He was very complimentary about her ass. But then he was equally appreciative of her legs and breasts. She’d never been with anyone else who was so vocal in his admiration for her body.

  It was more than a little addictive.

  He spread her legs with the simple tactic of pushing her foot with his boot. “How’s your fantasy coming along so far?”

  There was no comparison. She pressed her forehead against the desktop. “Reality beats it, hands down.”

  He rubbed her ass cheeks. The thought of him looking at her was as powerful a turn on as the friction warming her exposed skin and she wriggled helplessly.

  She raised her head just enough that she could hitch in a ragged breath. “Aren’t you forgetting something? You’re still fully dressed. That’s hardly fair.”

  “Who said anything about fair?” There was a dangerous edge in his voice. “This is your fantasy. You didn’t say anything about me being naked on the desk with you.”

  She was pretty sure in her fantasy they were both rolling around the desk without as much as a wisp of lace between them.

  His warm breath dusted her lower back, and then his teeth nipped the fleshy mound of her ass. It was shocking, unexpected, and a gurgle of pleasure spilled from her parted lips.

  She closed her eyes and bit down on her knuckles before another mortifying noise could escape.

  …

  Jackson groaned as Scarlett quivered beneath him. He didn’t want to rush things but she was so wet, so ready.

  In the back of his mind lurked the knowledge that they could be interrupted at any moment. It was enough to propel him into action, and within nanoseconds he’d torn open his jeans and rolled on a condom.

  She was splayed over his desk. In his fantasies Scarlett wore stockings and six-inch heels. But he’d never seen anything to beat the sight of her jeans crumpled around her ankles, one foot bare, and her naked ass his for the taking.

  It didn’t matter what she wore or where they were. He wanted her with a savage need that bordered on insanity. No other woman had ever invaded his thoughts the way Scarlett did. She was his drug of choice.

  “Jackson.” The way she said his name, all breathy and needy with desire, pushed him closer to the edge. “You’re killing me here.”

  She was the one doing the killing. And he didn’t have a clue how to stop her.

  He slid his hands beneath her thighs, lifting her from the desk. She wriggled her hips, an irresistible invitation, and he pushed into her slick heat. Her choked gasp arrowed straight to his balls and she arched her back, taking his full length deep inside.

  “You feel so fucking good.” He shoved his hand under her tee. Even through her bra he could feel the hard peak of her nipple. Her sexy little moans and the way she tightened around his cock damn near splintered his reason.

  His hot gaze raked along her back, where he’d wrenched up her tee shirt. The smooth skin of her hips and ass contrasted with his denim-clad legs. The sight of his dick sinking into her naked flesh, while he was fully clothed, heightened the lust pounding through his body. He slowly withdrew, savoring the way her slit contracted around him as though she didn’t want to let him escape.

  “Harder,” she panted. He didn’t need any other encouragement. He cupped her sex, pressed one finger against her sensitive clit, and slammed into her from behind.

  She gasped and he pulled his hand from her breast and wound her hair around his fist. A primitive surge of possessiveness engulfed him and once again he leaned over her and growled in her ear.

  “You’re my woman, Scarlett.” The words were out before he even knew what he was going to say.

  He fucked her, hard and fast, the way she wanted, and beyond the thunder of his heartbeat he heard her throaty scream.

  “Jackson.”

  Jackson wrapped his arms around Scarlett and held her tight. She was flat on the desk and he was sprawled on top of her. He didn’t want to move—ever.

  He had no idea how long they’d been in his office or how long it had been since they’d come. All he knew was that here, with Scarlett, the outside world no longer mattered.

  Peace. That was the strange sensation flooding through his body. And the second he identified it, unease stirred.

  Sexually satisfied was the only way he should be feeling right now. That, and a sense of needing his own space.

  I don’t want to let her go. Even their very first night together he’d stayed longer than he had intended. Why was she so different from all the others?

  With damning reluctance, he pulled out of her. The air chilled him as he hastily took care of business, and Scarlett pushed herself upright and straightened her clothes.

  After a few minutes, when she still hadn’t said anything, he shot her a glance.

  She tugged her fingers through her ponytail and avoided facing him.

  Fuck. Had she read more into his fucking stupid comment than he’d meant?

  What the hell had he meant?

  “Hey, you okay?” He tugged the end of her ponytail and she turned to him. There was an odd expression on her face he couldn’t name, as though she was sizing him up and wasn’t sure what to make of him.

  “I’m fine.” She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Are you?”

  “Sure.” His fingers tightened on her hair before he forced himself to let go. He had the uneasy feeling he should say something about his comment since it obviously loomed between them, but for the life of him he didn’t have the first idea what.

  Maybe he could just ignore it. He’d take Scarlett out for dinner somewhere.

  If she could cancel her plans for tonight.

  “Jackson.” She was leaning back against his desk, her fingers curled over its edge. Despite the smile that was still on her face, she didn’t look exactly relaxed. His plans for spending the rest of the day with her faded.

  “Yeah?” He shoved his hands into his back pockets so he wouldn’t be tempted to touch her instead. She obviously didn’t want him to.

  She cleared her throat and fixed her gaze on his chest. Not a good sign. “I know what we have is very, um, casual…” Her voice trailed off and she licked her lips. Fuck, what had possessed him to tell her she was his woman? Sure, his brain might have been deprived of oxygen at the time but that was no excuse to say stuff that could be misunderstood or twisted out of shape.

  Except Scarlett Ashford is my woman.

  He shoved the rebellious thought aside. Why the hell did he keep thinking that?

  “Forget it.” He forced a laugh. He hoped it sounded more natural to her than it did to himself. “I’ve never gone in for exclusivity. You know that.”

  Her smile wavered. “Yes, of course. It’s just… I guess I wondered, that’s all.”

  Was Scarlett seeing other men? Was she seeing another man this w
eekend? It had never even crossed his mind before. The possibility caused a hard knot in the center of his chest.

  He didn’t want Scarlett fucking any other man.

  He’d never cared about that side of things before. This was getting too deep for him to handle. He should just walk away while he still could.

  “I’ve been flat out at work for the last month or so, plus with the dojo…” So much for walking away.

  She blinked and looked completely confused. “Oh, right.”

  He resisted the urge to tug at his collar. Sweat trickled along the back of his neck. It would be easier to simply ask her if she was screwing other guys but he couldn’t summon up the words.

  “What I’m saying is, I haven’t been with other women for a while.”

  It hadn’t even occurred to him to pick up another woman for a night of mindless sex since he’d met Scarlett. Why would he even want to?

  He wasn’t going to tell her that though.

  “Haven’t you?” She sounded surprised. No, she sounded amazed. He wasn’t sure whether to take that as a compliment or insult. “Oh. I haven’t either. Dated other men, I mean.”

  Relief thudded through him. He didn’t even find any issue with the word dated. What was so bad about the word anyway? All it meant was he and Scarlett were seeing each other for sex with the occasional detour for coffee and dinner.

  It worked for him.

  Which reminded him. He was going to take Scarlett out for something to eat. A date, no less.

  Before he managed to get his shit together and ask her, her cell rang. She sighed when she saw the caller ID.

  “Sorry, I have to take this.” She angled away from him. “Hey, Liv. I know. I’ll be there soon. I got held up.”

  She smiled over her shoulder and he grinned back. He had no idea who Liv was, but it wasn’t some guy Scarlett was seeing, which was all that mattered.

  “Held up?” He scoffed as she tossed her cell back in her purse. “Is that what you call it?”

  “Trust me, if I’d told Liv what I’d been up to, she wouldn’t let me go until I’d shared every last detail.”