Batteries Not Required

by Anara Bella

  His fingers skimmed the barely covered sensitive flesh between her legs, eliciting another intensely satisfying moan. Without any effort on her part, she had his cock hard as a rock and aching with need.

  He stood, brushed her hair aside and kissed the nape of her neck. “How am I doing so far?”

  The shuddering breath she took told him everything he needed to know even before she uttered a word. “I don’t know if I’m going to burn up or melt.”

  He whispered in her ear. “Hopefully both before I’m through with you.”

  “Oh God.”

  He chuckled, thoroughly enjoying her unique blend of trepidation and sensuality. “I hope to hear you scream that very soon.”

  She whimpered.

  Still chuckling, he reached around and skimmed his fingers across the burgeoning tops of her breasts and then gently lifted them out of the confining garment.

  Lush, soft, warm, they spilled out and filled his hungry hands to overflowing. Dana’s soft sigh was only half of his reward. The other half was the press of her diamond-hard nipples against his palms as he massaged the full mounds.

  He kissed her nape once more. “Does this help?”

  She wriggled, indicating her desire that he not stop what he was doing. “Help what?”

  “Help you decide.”

  She paused her squirming. “Decide?”

  “Decide which you are—melting or burning. Here, maybe this will help.” He slid one hand down to the apex of her thighs and fingered her hot, wet center through her panties. “Better?”

  She gasped. “God, yes.”

  “How about this?” He worked his finger past the restricting fabric and finally touched the volcanic-hot flesh he found there. She was so fucking wet he was going to go mad if he didn’t get inside her soon.

  Her long, low groan about undid him. He was trying to take his time, but at this rate he was going to come before he got his pants off.

  Before he could follow through on removing his pants a shudder ran through her entire body, accompanied by another deep, throaty groan as she suddenly came, long and hard.

  He held her tightly through her climax, marveling at how damned sexy she was. Hell, he hadn’t even gotten her clothes off yet. When she was done, he kissed her ear. “Can you still stand?”

  She gasped. “Barely.”

  “Good girl.”

  In record time, he removed her thong and his pants. Thanking God his wallet was within reach, he donned the condom he always kept there, then ran his cock along her hot, slippery folds where his fingers had just been.

  Dana inhaled shakily. Her slick heat called to him, stretching his resolve to the very end of its tether. He couldn’t wait any longer.

  “Lean forward a bit more.” He positioned her with his hands. “Okay, that’s perfect.”

  And that’s exactly what she was—pink, plump perfection. And she was his for the taking.

  He was one lucky bastard.

  Dana felt equal parts amazed and light-headed from the orgasm Reese had just given her. No man had ever managed to do that before. Not in such a short period of time. And she congratulated herself on choosing Reese to be her first one-night stand.

  Feeling pretty wobbly, she worked hard to keep her legs steadily supporting her. The last thing she wanted was to fall down. It didn’t matter that he’d already given her a heart-stopping orgasm. It didn’t matter that her legs were shaky. If she didn’t have him inside her soon she’d either scream or explode. Neither of which was what she wanted. “Reese, please…” God, she hated begging, but she couldn’t stop herself.

  Her plea seemed to be what he was waiting for because his long, hard length finally stopped teasing her entrance and eased into where she needed him most. He seemed to want to take his time, but the hell with that. Her patience had run out. She reached behind, grabbed his ass and pushed back at the same time, impaling herself on his sizable erection in one satisfying motion.

  Oh God.

  Reese let out a long, low groan. “Damn, that feels incredible.”

  He wasn’t just kidding. Dana had never felt so filled in her life. Tentatively, she tried moving on him and her eyes rolled back from sheer ecstasy. “No, you have that wrong. This is beyond incredible. Now keep moving.”

  “I had no idea you’d be so bossy.” He chuckled. “I like it.”

  “Stop talking already and fuck me hard.”

  The words left her mouth without forethought and she tightened up in panic. She couldn’t believe she’d said that. How would he react?

  She felt him still and held her breath. Then she could have sworn she felt the softest of chuckles against her shoulder just before he kissed her skin there. “Yes, ma’am.”

  Her relief was palpable. He hadn’t commented on her language. Maybe he hadn’t even noticed it in the heat of the moment. Or maybe he didn’t care.

  In the next moment, she didn’t care either as she was swept away by the mind-blowing sensation of his cock moving inside her. The feeling of delicious friction as he kicked up the pace was beyond amazing. And wonder of wonders, she could already feel another orgasm building. She didn’t know how that was possible. It had been a near miracle to come even once with any other man she’d been with. Reese really did live up to his reputation.

  That was pretty much her last coherent thought because just then Reese reached around and touched her clit. That’s all it took. She went hurtling over the edge for the second time that night.

  The “Oh God” she bellowed didn’t even sound like her. And Dana might have been embarrassed, except that Reese’s high-octane shout far surpassed hers by deafening decibels.

  They both collapsed against the back of the couch, gulping for air, with Reese semi-cradling her in his arms.

  Still trying to catch his breath, he said, “If I’d had any idea you were as sexy as this, I’d have tried seducing you ages ago.”

  Dana gave a shaky laugh. “Same here.”

  Reese grinned as he tucked her into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. “Good thing we can make up for lost time.”

  Was he serious? She struggled to see his face. “L-lost time?”

  “Yeah.” He placed her on the bed and started examining her bustier closely. “Do these hooks work?”

  “W-what are you doing?”

  “I want to take this thing off. As incredible as you look in it, you’ll look even better without it.”

  She propped herself up on her elbows. “Y-you mean we’re not done?” She knew she was stammering but couldn’t seem to stop herself. Did he really want to have sex with her again? Already?

  He stopped undoing hooks and looked her in the eye. “Beautiful, we’re just getting started.”

  The seriously wicked leer that accompanied that statement set the flames in her nether regions roaring like a blast furnace all over again. That look promised endless ecstasy, a world of orgasms and miracle of miracles, a night of pleasure she’d never forget. It also made her wonder if she’d bitten off more than she could chew.

  “Oh God.”

  Chapter Six

  Reese watched Dana lick fried chicken crumbs off her fingers and marveled at the innate sensuality she’d hidden so well for so long. He didn’t know how the hell he’d missed it before. Now that he knew her better, it was blatantly obvious in every move she made and every breath she took.

  And the way she went from being prim and shy to take-charge wanton was a huge revelation. She turned him on and wrung him out like no other woman ever had. Even now, she wasn’t doing anything special. Just sitting there wearing his shirt and nothing else and yet she exuded sex. And by the stirring in his groin, he knew he was ready for more. Once they finished their little midnight snack, he’d take it too.

  Reese snagged her hand and helped her lick off a stray breadcrumb, finishing by sucking the entire digit into his mouth. Mimicking the way he’d like her body to take in his cock. Her swift intake of breath and dilated pupils told him she wasn’t
at all averse to his desires.

  He nipped the tip of her finger. “You were a million miles away. What’s going through that beautiful head of yours?”

  She gave him a dreamy smile. “I was marveling at the enormity of your mythic stamina. I’d heard the rumors, but figured your prowess was exaggerated at least a little bit. Boy, was I wrong.”

  Reese shrugged, but then found himself frowning. “People talk, I guess.” And he was surprised he didn’t like her being familiar with his reputation. Somehow he wanted her to think better of him.

  Whoa! That stopped him cold. Where did that thought come from?

  “They certainly talk about you. At least they did to me. But then, I was an extremely attentive listener.”

  “Were you now?”

  She ran a finger along his chest to the top of his sweats. “You were my top pick for the start of my new life of one-night stands and I wanted to be sure you could deliver. If you know what I mean.”

  Which made him think of her moving on to another one-night stand. Why the thought bothered him so much, he wasn’t sure. And the fact that it bothered him bothered him even more. “Yes, I know what you mean.” He got up and poured another glass of wine.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “Nothing.”

  What the hell was he supposed to tell her? He wasn’t even sure himself what his problem was. He walked back over to her and sat on the blanket they’d spread for their picnic-style meal. “I just wanted to point out that short term doesn’t necessarily mean a one-night stand.”

  She looked thoughtful. “I suppose not, but don’t things start to get complicated if it goes on much longer than that?”

  “It can but it doesn’t have to.” Skepticism was stamped all over her face, and suddenly it was very important she see it his way. “It only gets complicated if both parties aren’t on the same page. We are, so there’s no reason we can’t continue to see each other a little longer.”

  Shit. There he went again. He’d officially lost his mind.

  “You really want to see me again?”

  Did he? With startling clarity, he realized he did. And why wouldn’t he? Sex with Dana was incredible and he wasn’t anywhere close to done with her. “Yeah, I do.”

  A beautiful grin lit up her face. “Wow. This is so unexpected.”

  He laughed. “Isn’t it?”

  She paused and the grin disappeared. Looking thoughtful, she took a sip of her wine. “It’s tempting but I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  The disappointment that crashed through him was so foreign he had to take a moment to process it. Usually he was ready to move on well before the woman in question. This was a first for him.

  He dredged up his rusty tools of persuasion—it had been quite some time since he’d had to win over a woman—and moved closer to Dana. He fingered aside the collar of his shirt, which looked a million times better on her than it ever could on him. He kissed her exposed shoulder blade and continued nibbling his way up to her ear. “I think it’s an outstanding idea, but if it’s convincing you need I’m happy to convince your brains out.”

  Reese didn’t give her a chance to answer one way or the other. He kissed her with a thoroughness meant to tempt, meant to persuade, meant to succeed. His fingers undid the top buttons to gain access to her luscious, unbound breasts. He growled in satisfaction upon finding her nipples already taut and moved to kiss them instead, lavishing them with his attention.

  She threw her head back. “Oh God, Reese. What you do to me.”

  He took her hand and placed it on his already engorged cock. “You do it to me too.”

  She worked her hand into his sweatpants. Her touch setting him on fire. “I can see that.”

  With one smooth move, he laid her down on the blanket, seeking and finding her wet core with his fingers. She gasped her approval. “There’s no real reason to end things while we’re having so much fun, is there?”

  She squirmed. “You’re not playing fair.”

  “I can’t think of one reason why I should.”

  He slicked his fingers across her folds and she groaned. “I can’t think at all while you’re doing that.”

  He continued his onslaught. “No need to think, Dana. Just feel. That’s where your answer lies.”

  She gasped. “Sometimes you make me feel too much.”

  He tongued a nipple. “There’s no such thing. And I’ll prove it to you.”

  “Oh God.”

  ***

  Dana tried in vain to ignore the delicious tenderness between her legs.

  Last night she’d been afraid she wouldn’t be able to walk today, which would have been somewhat problematic since she had to come in to work. Not for the first time that morning, she wished she worked at an office that hadn’t scheduled work just for Friday after they’d had Thursday off. A four-day long weekend would have been nice. She wasn’t so lucky though. Weyburne Industries never gave any more time off to its employees than it had to. And corporate headquarters was no exception.

  Anyway, as it turned out, she was sore but not incapacitated. And even if she had been, last night would have been more than worth it. She’d barely slept at all, so she knew she’d be exhausted today, but somehow a night of amazing sex with Reese had left her energized at the same time. Ready to take on the world. Ready to take on anything. Even crunching numbers at work. Thankfully, accounting didn’t require moving around too much.

  Catching sight of Sandy in the break room, Dana beelined over and sat across from her. Leaning forward, she whispered conspiratorially. “It worked.”

  Sandy’s eyes almost bugged out. “No shit! You serious?”

  “As a heart attack.”

  Sandy squealed. “Oooh, this is so exciting.”

  Dana nodded vigorously. “I know. I still can’t believe it. My plan totally fell into place.”

  “I told you it would.”

  “I know, but I thought you were just being supportive.”

  Sandy laughed. “Well, I was. But I figured if anyone could pull it off, it would be you.” She leaned closer. “So, does Reese live up to his illustrious reputation?”

  “And then some.” Dana sighed with complete contentment. “God, what an incredible night.”

  Sandy’s answering sigh was heartfelt. “I’m officially green with envy.”

  “You should be.” Dana laughed with pure delight. “And that’s not all.”

  Sandy’s eyes went wide. “There’s more?”

  “He wants to see me again.”

  “No way. You’re shitting me.”

  Dana shook her head. “No, I’m not. I’m still not convinced it’s the way to go, but he talked me into it.”

  “You were pretty set on a one-night stand. He must have been very convincing.”

  Dana felt her face flame. “You have no idea.”

  “Judging by how red your face is, I think I just might. So, now what?”

  “He wants to take me out tonight.”

  Sandy’s eyebrows disappeared into her bangs. “Not wasting any time, is he?”

  “Well, who knows, this might be the last time. Besides, the shorter the time we’re together the better. Less chance of getting attached.”

  Sandy looked skeptical. “You just keep telling yourself that.”

  “Come on. I’m a big girl. I know what I want. And so does Reese. It’ll be fine.”

  “I hope so. Don’t look at me like that. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

  “I won’t. My eyes are wide open this time. No expectations. Nothing long term. Just fun and great sex.”

  Sandy sighed. “If you say so.”

  “I do. You’ll see.”

  But even as she said the words, deep down Dana hoped she wasn’t just fooling herself and setting herself up for disaster.

  Chapter Seven

  Reese was getting antsy.

  Why wasn’t Dana here yet? Had she changed her mind about coming? He sure as hell hoped not b
ecause he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  And how weird was that considering he’d just seen her when she left his apartment a couple of hours ago? But that didn’t seem to matter and seeing her in the break room earlier had only made it worse. He’d been steamrolled by the sudden need to kiss her again.

  The whole thing was crazy. She wasn’t wearing anything sexy, just the typical office attire she always wore. But somehow, knowing what she might be wearing under those clothes, and how hot she got the second he touched her, set him on fire all over again. So much so that he’d gone over and asked her to meet him in his office.

  Which was a totally unprecedented move for him. Although he’d gone out with women from the office before, he never mixed business with pleasure. He kept the two parts of his life strictly separate. And with good reason. But something about Dana made him throw caution to the wind.

  He kept telling himself he only wanted a kiss. To touch her again. Nothing more. A little something to tide him over until tonight.

  Yeah right, you horny bastard.

  What the hell was the matter with him? He’d kept her up most of the night slaking his lust, and he was seeing her tonight, but none of that seemed to matter. He was acting like some besotted teenager, mooning over seeing her this morning, obsessing about last night, unable to concentrate on work. He couldn’t seem to get her out of his head. Nor could he get his cock to settle down.

  A light tapping on his door interrupted his frustrated thoughts. “Come in.”

  Dana peered around the door’s edge. “Sorry. I was held up. Is now okay?”

  In three strides, he was beside her. For the benefit of his assistant’s big ears he said, “Of course, Ms. Appleby. Come in.”

  Looking uncertain, she stepped in. “Thanks.”

  He closed the door behind her and quietly slipped the lock into place. He certainly didn’t want anyone walking in on them even if they were just kissing.

  He turned and without hesitation cupped her sweet face in his hands. “I thought you’d never get here.”