Without hesitating, Sam also removes Maddie’s sandals and washes her dust-streaked feet. I hate to admit to myself that I wouldn’t have thought of it, as much as it clearly needed to be done. There are still so many things I don’t know, and don’t know that I don’t know. Years of practice, I’ve missed out on. I wonder how this comes so naturally to her.
It would feel so right, doing this with her all the time. The two of us taking care of my daughter, working as a team.
I carry Maddie to the spare guest bedroom. Her room is still a work in progress and it still smells of paint. We sit on the bed with me propping Maddie up while Sam gently and quickly changes her into a nightgown. We don’t exchange a word, merely pointing and nodding to communicate. Not that it matters. Something tells me a sixty-piece brass band could parade through the apartment and my kid wouldn’t budge.
But there’s a certain solemnity and closeness in the way we’re working together. We’re on the same wavelength, acting as two parts of a whole. The way a couple who’s been together for years might work as a team while putting their child to bed after a long, exciting day. Both of us are tired, too. Maddie ran us ragged. We exchange a small smile before I tuck her in and plant a kiss on her forehead. The sort of secret smile adults exchange when a child they both care about is happy. As if Maddie doesn’t belong to Regina and I, but Sam and I.
I know Sam does care for Maddie. She was endlessly energetic today, allowing herself to be dragged from one place to another without so much as a word of protest.
“You were good to her today,” I murmur as we walk up to the kitchen.
“It was easy. She’s adorable.” Sam shrugs and leans against the counter.
“Something to drink?” I ask, bending in front of the fridge. Anything to keep her around a little while longer. We managed to spend a perfect afternoon together. Not a word about work, or us, or anything that might cause the bubble around us to burst.
“Water, please. It’s so hot out there.”
“You held up like a champ,” I tell her, grinning as I hand over the bottle.
Our fingers brush together and she looks down, a blush coloring her cheeks.
I’ll do anything to hold her here, with me, in this moment.
“So did you.”
“You made her happy,” I murmur, all pretense of flirting or messing around put aside. “Thank you for that. You don’t know what it means to me.”
“How many years since your divorce?”
Even the thought of the divorce makes me grimace. “Two years, but it feels as if she’s been away from me for much longer. I guess the two of us are trying to get to know each other. It would be difficult enough under ordinary circumstances, but the way things are at work…”
She nods slowly. “I can’t imagine, but you do seem to be handling it well. She’s adjusting and seems to like being with you.”
“That makes one person, anyway,” I mutter, flashing a wry grin.
“Not everybody is as susceptible to your charms, I guess. Some people have taste,” she teases.
“Are you casting aspersions on my daughter’s taste?” I say with a mock stern expression.
“Not at all. The poor thing has no choice. You don’t get to choose your family.” She barely holds back a giggle.
It must be the day we’ve spent together, but there’s a freshness to the energy between us. The tension from yesterday is no longer sizzling between us, probably because we’ve shared a good day. A wonderful day. The sort of day that leaves a person feeling good afterward. Satisfied. With the impression that life is actually pretty good.
“Thanks,” I say
“You make her happy,” she replies, meeting my gaze with her own frank, unwavering one. “She needs that.” She bites her lip while she decides whether to say what is in her mind, then goes ahead and says it, “I don’t think she’s had a lot of happiness in her life.”
I scowl at the reminder. “How can you tell?”
Her shrug speaks volumes, as does the way she looks over my shoulder at something far away. “I just can. Call it experience.”
I study her.
She’s wounded. Somebody ignored her when she was young. Maybe that’s why she feels such a kinship with Maddie—two similar souls recognizing each other.
“Then you obviously know how to make her happy.” I grin, trying to lighten the mood.
“You seem to be doing a pretty go job of making her happy.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah. I think she’s lucky to have a father like you. Indulgent, patient.”
I grin. “It won’t kill you spend some adjectives.”
She rolls her eyes so hard she could have checked out her own ass. “Okay. Rude, arrogant, overbearing, dominating, bad-tempered—”
I hold up a hand. “Hold up, I was thinking more in the line of sexy, brilliant, smart, funny, honest, unlike anyone you’ve ever been with.”
She licks her lips and my eyes widen. Fuck, she looks so goddamn hot. My cock starts thickening, lengthening out. The air in the room changes and my blood starts pumping.
“You don’t need me to tell you those things. You know you are.” Her voice is a throaty whisper.
Suddenly, I can’t stop myself. I have to taste her sweet, full mouth again. I step forward and grab her waist.
The heat of her body seeps through our clothes and makes me feel almost high. Her chest heaves. “Lincoln,” she gasps.
I can feel her body trembling as I swoop down on her mouth. She kisses me back as if she has been waiting a lifetime for my kiss. The little moan of surrender she makes in my mouth is the most arousing thing that has ever happened to me. So fucking arousing, I’m rock hard for her.
But it gets better.
The kiss deepens, my tongue going in to search for hers, tangling, hooking and pulling it into my own mouth. And sucking the hell out of it. She melts against me. Just as she did in the lab. She’s so willing, so ready, so needy. I want to fulfill that need, to meet it with my own and satisfy us both. She brings out the animal in me, the part of any man that wants to take, possess, and make a woman pass out in ecstasy because of him. My hands take another tour of her body in its light cotton dress, stroking and fondling her lush curves.
She lets her head fall back with a sigh, giving me room to run my lips over her throat. Her pulse pounds away beneath her smooth skin, giving away her excitement. I’m fairly sure my heart is racing just as fast, maybe faster. How can I help it? She is so goddamn delicious. When she lets out a soft moan, I feel the reverberation against my lips and smile.
Yeah, she’s mine.
She gasps when I cup her firm, full ass with both hands, kneading, then lifting her onto the counter. Her legs hook around my hips automatically, drawing me closer to the center of her heat. My entire body stirs with every sigh, every stroke of her long fingers through my hair. She moans into my mouth when I cup her breasts, playing with the round globes as my mouth finds its way down to join my hands in pleasuring her.
“Yes, yes,” she whispers, arching her back with her hands flat on the counter to support her.
If there anything sexier than a beautiful woman, her mouth hanging open, lost in sensation, I have never seen it. I’m so hard, I’m fairly sure I’ll burst out of my shorts in another minute or two. “I need you,” I gasp, grinding against her, sensing her heat through our clothes.
She throws her arms around my neck, whimpering softly as I lower my shorts, then pull her panties to the side. She’s so wet, so hot and ready, whispering in my ear, encouraging me, urging me to take her.
I slide in, hard and sure, and she lets out a shaky cry.
“Yes … yes … Sam, yes …” I growl in her ear with every thrust, every time our bodies slam together, her breasts are bouncing in time. She leans back on her hands again, her eyes closed, meeting my thrusts with her own. I take in the sight of her, beautiful and wanton, passionate and hot, clenching ever tighter around my length until she’s locked down aroun
d me and we’re both shuddering in release.
I collapse against her, panting for air, finally lowering my hand from her mouth. She gasps, pressing her mouth to my neck to stifle the little breathless cries coming from her as she recovers. We’re both sweaty, the scent of perspiration and sex hangs heavy in the air around us. I haven’t had enough. I want to carry her off to the shower and take her all over again with the water beating down on us…
“Oh, my God,” she whispers and pushes me away—not hard, but firmly. Determinedly. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking. That was just wrong. I’m—I’m just sorry.” She slides from the counter, not meeting my eyes and picks up the purse she discarded on the floor when we first arrived.
“You don’t have to—”
“Tell Maddie I had a good time today, okay? I’m glad we spent the day together,” she mutters, racing for the door.
“Right.” Keeping my voice quiet for Maddie’s sake while not grabbing her arm and forcing her to stop—is almost a supreme test of my willpower.
“I’ll see you at work.” She ducks out, being careful to close the door quietly.
The apartment becomes deathly quiet and still. Suddenly—I get it. It is so blindingly clear that I’m surprised it took me this long to realize it.
I thought I just felt unbelievably attracted to this woman, but in fact, she has infiltrated my mind, body, and soul.
Samantha
I stare at my notes, brow knotted. I have to get this solution pinned down and make sure it’s all replicable. It’s one thing to stumble on the solution in the middle of the night, but another for a production line to get it right every time. So, double and triple checking my work should be my next and only priority.
But first of all I need to stop thinking about him …even though I’m working on his drone, which he designed. In his lab, in his building, for his company. Right next to the very spot where we first had sex. And we did it again last night. An image of him standing in his shirt, sleeves rolled up, leaning one hip against the kitchen counter, looking confidently at me. His eyes, his body, his stand, even the air around him vibrated with his power. The man oozed power. I think of him, tall, confident as he strode over to me—and what we did afterwards.
What the hell is wrong with me?
I hate dominating, controlling men. God preserve me from Alphas, no matter how hot they may be. I’d rather die than play the part of barefoot, pregnant wife.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath to center myself, and of course, I fall short. Just as I’ve been falling short all morning. Every time I hear footsteps outside the door, I’m sure it’s him. I’m certain he’s about to come in and challenge me as to why I ran out on him last night. The thing is, I don’t even know why myself.
Why did I run?
Maybe I was afraid of how much fun I had yesterday with him and Maddie. I had far, far too much fun. The sort of fun a girl could get used to. Feeling like I was part of something. A family. Anyone looking at the three of us as we wandered through the fair, our hands clasped, would’ve definitely thought we were much more than we are.
The scariest part is realizing it wouldn’t bother me at all if somebody mistakes us for a family. I want that. Jesus, I want that.
And then, the sex. The incredible, unbelievable sex. I’ve never come so hard, so fast, so long. And I’ve never lost control like that. There’s no such thing as control when he’s involved, which is terrifying. I’ve always been able to draw a line, command respect, be the one who says no. Now, I’m spreading my legs before he even asks.
Ugh, he probably thinks I’m a slut. He’s my boss. I hate to be one of those women who sleep with their bosses. I always thought I was better than that.
Oh, my God! What would my father say?
“Stop this,” I whisper, wiping my sweaty palms on my skirt.
I reach for the prototype and start assembling it according to the plans as I laid them out. I have to approach this as a complete stranger, someone unfamiliar with the work I’ve slaved over the last couple of weeks. My hands are almost shaking. I take a deep breath and steady them before starting.
Thirty minutes later, the drone is assembled according to my altered plans. I start it up, the way I’ve done so many times, and monitor the diagnostics as it runs. Just as it did on Friday night, the temperature levels out at temps far lower than they were before. Low enough and for long enough that I’m beyond reasonably certain this solution is replicable.
I clap my hands and whoop, even though I’m all alone in the lab. I’m used to it and I always preferred it this way, though a little part of me wishes Lincoln were here to share in my happiness.
I print off the final dimensions, prouder and more relieved than I’ve ever felt in my life. Even if I didn’t have any feelings for Lincoln, I would have to tell him right away, so it’s not wrong for me to scoop up the papers and hurry down the corridor to his office.
I tell myself, it’s normal. I’m just excited over scoring a major win and want to smooth things over with him, even just a little. But in my heart I know, I’m just looking for an excuse to see him again. For the time I worked on the drone, I managed to keep him out of my head, but other than that, I can’t get him out of my head.
I get the feeling he needs a win, too. And judging from the way he looked at me last night as I just about broke my neck to get out of there, he might not mind knowing there aren’t hard feelings between us.
My heart jumps as I hurry up to his office with the printed plans in my hand. I smile politely at Erica.
“Oh good. Drone plans. He’ll be happy to see those,” she says checking out her mini switchboard before pressing a button and lifting her receiver. “Miss Harper is here to see you.” She looks at me and waves me in.
Taking a deep breath, I open the door and close it behind me.
He leans back in his chair, and looks, oh God—delectable. Yesterday, he looked casual and sexy. Today, he’s wearing an immaculate dark suit. And he looks edible. I want to unzip him and taste him. Fit my mouth around his cock and suck it.
“What can I do for you?” he drawls, fingers tented under his strong chin.
Ooops, he’s in professional CEO mode. “You can congratulate me,” I reply.
One eyebrow arches as his eyes trail down my body. “Why’s that?” His voice is suddenly pure sex.
It makes the hairs on my hands rise. I ignore the sensation, the coiled tension in the pit of my stomach. I’m quaking on the inside. I want him bad, but I also need him to listen to me, to take me seriously. This is exactly why our being together in a physical way is a terrible idea. I want to be treated as an equal and I want to be fucked until I’m sore. “Because,” I announce, “I managed to replicate our solution according to the altered plans.”
A slow smile starts on his face, distracting me. Jesus, Sam. Get a hold of yourself.
I clear my throat and carry on. “I took it step by step from the beginning, like a total newcomer, and made it work just as well as we did over the weekend.”
I expected him to be pleased.
I expected him to congratulate me.
I didn’t expect him to launch himself from his chair, sweep me up into his arms, lift me high over his head, and twirl me around, as if I weighed no more than Maddie. I’m so taken aback, I can’t even catch my breath, let alone ask him to let me go.
Not that I want to. It is the most delicious feeling to be held up by strong arms. The warmth of his hard body and the pressure of his arms as they hold me up feels heavenly.
“You’re a little genius, Ms. Harper!” he shouts with a laugh.
Transfixed, I stare down at his laughing face, and then I too, begin to laugh. It is the most amazing feeling in the world to be so in tune with someone. So exactly matched in feeling. The rest of the world stopped existing for us at that moment. It’s now just us, taking big gulps of pure joy.
When he sets me on my feet, his strong arms don’t unwind from around my
waist. “I wish I had champagne in here. I’d pop the cork right now. We need to celebrate.”
“And I would accept.” I laugh. My knees are weak with a sense of achievement. Or it could be that they’re weak because I’m so close to him, and he’s so deliriously happy. We both are, but he behaves as if I’ve actually come in and announced that I’ve negotiated a stay of execution for him.
His eyes stare deep into mine, our eyes lock. My heart begins to race faster than ever. Our bodies move closer. It an involuntary thing. Completely out of my control. Like magnets. In seconds, our bodies are pressed together tightly. My head is spinning, and I realize I’m breathless.
I couldn’t break away from him right now if my life depended on it.
Oh, damn… I’m falling at the first hurdle. Again.
“What did I ever do without you?” he whispers, his breath hot on my face.
Oh, my Lord, I can’t breathe. I can’t even think. He’s doing it to me again, and I like it. I might even love it.
This time, it’s me who leans in for a kiss. He catches my face between his warm palms. Then his tongue plunges into my mouth. My knees buckle. He’ll have to be strong enough for the both of us, since I simply can’t support myself. Not when his tongue is sweeping along the inside of my mouth. Not when he takes my bottom lip between his teeth and bites it before sucking, hard.
I draw in my breath with a sharp gasp, on the thin line between pain and pleasure. But the pain doesn’t last long, and the pleasure deepens almost unfathomably. I’m almost excruciatingly aroused already, wetness pooling between my thighs, soaking through my panties as we grope and kiss more frantically with each passing second.
His tongue is like a trail of liquid fire on my neck. He stops at the point where my pulse flutters frantically. “This is your heartbeat, Sam.”
I moan helplessly.
He licks the sensitive skin, making me shudder. “God, I can taste how goddamn much you want me,” he whispers, as he pulls away and our gazes collide.
Hypnotized by his scent, his touch, his words. I look into his eyes, heavy lidded, and dark with passion. It’s just like last night again, only even more forbidden. Beyond that door are people. I didn’t lock the door.
Too hot to handle: A curvy girl romance Page 23
