“Do you have an appointment?” he asked politely.
Hayden smiled, well, most likely she just bared her teeth as she said, “I’m his fiancée. Maybe he will see me without an appointment?” She paused to take a breath. “Ask him if he’ll see Hayden Ferrant.”
Her foot tapped impatiently on the granite flooring as she waited, irritated since she’d just been here yesterday. Granted, she’d been wearing a dress and heels yesterday. She looked dramatically different, but she didn’t care. It was just one more irritation to heap onto his broad shoulders. Okay, broad, sexy shoulders. Broad, sexy…no! She wasn’t going there! She was mad! Not turned on! Just mad!
“Ms. Ferrant, ma’am?” the guard called out.
Hayden’s head swung around and she guessed by his bland features that he’d called her name several times.
“Yes?”
“He’ll see you immediately.” The man handed her a badge and she snapped it onto her collar.
“I know the way,” she said when it looked as if he was going to give her directions.
Five minutes later, she was pacing back and forth in the man’s office. Again, she should be cooling her heels, trying to calm her temper. But when he stepped through the double doors, looking fresh and handsome and…darn it! Why did he have to be so sexy?! Why did that dark suit look so amazingly hot?!
Blinking, she focused all of her ire on the man and his grey eyes, ignoring the quiver of awareness that blossomed in her stomach as he came closer.
“You!” she snarled, pointing her finger towards him.
He laughed softly, those grey eyes starting to turn silver. How did he do that?!
“Yes. It is me. Hopefully, I’m the person you came here to see.”
And still he stalked closer and closer.
Her anger morphed to wariness with his steady approach and the dangerous look in his eyes. “Stay where you are!”
“Why?” he asked, continuing to eliminate the distance between them.
“Because I’m mad at you! You sent people to my house!”
Still no pause in his relentless pursuit. “Yes. Your house is falling down around you. If you want to stay there, then I will have that house fixed so that it is safe to inhabit.”
Darn it, that accent just totally made her body tingle!
She didn’t want to tingle! She wanted to…
“What are you doing?” she demanded when he continued to come closer.
“I’m greeting my fiancée,” he told her smoothly, his accent deepening as his eyes heated up with his intent.
She stepped back when his hands smoothed over her waist. “I’m not your fiancée,” she told him, but the anger was gone from her voice now. She sounded breathy and…feminine. She didn’t want to sound feminine. She wanted to sound assertive and confident!
“You told my staff that you are my fiancée. I’m taking that as acceptance of my proposal. We are now engaged.”
She shook her head, but pushed her hands behind her back, refusing to touch him since…well, yesterday…her touching was what had started all of this!
Obviously, Viktor understood exactly what she was doing. “Put your hands on my chest, Hayden.”
Her hands on his chest were a dangerous place for them to be. She shook her head again. “No. I did that yesterday and…well, it wasn’t good.”
A dark eyebrow lifted in amusement and…challenge? “You didn’t enjoy yesterday?” he asked gently, but there was a husky tone to his words now.
“Viktor, you can’t…”
He laughed softly, the sound sending shivers of awareness throughout her whole body. “A piece of advice, my dear. Never tell me what I can’t do. It only spurs me on to prove that I can.”
She shivered with that warning. “I’m not challenging you,” she told him, still backing up and still refusing to put her hands on his chest. No touching, she told herself firmly.
“You look lovely, this morning. I see you got a good night’s sleep.”
Goodness, she loved the way he softened some of the vowels while consonants were…harder? She shook her head, not wanting to figure it out. “We’re not talking about me,” she asserted as firmly as she could.
He pulled her into his arms, his hands running up and down her waist and back, dangerously close to her bottom.
Jerking out of his arms, she backed up further. Remembering why she’d stormed to his office, she narrowed her eyes in anger. “Darn it, Viktor! You sent people to my house! They say walls are coming down! They told me I needed flowers and a dress and some jerk said that my house needed redecorating and they have to blow a hole in my basement!”
Viktor stopped, looking down at her with a sharp glance. “A hole in your basement?”
She sighed, relieved that he’d finally stopped trying to touch her. It didn’t mean she could think properly, it just meant that…well, that he’d stopped. He was still too close and images of yesterday afternoon flashed through her mind.
Turning around, she took several steps towards the windows. “Viktor, you can’t just take over my life like this. I came here yesterday to…” she spun around only to find him standing directly behind her.
“Yes?” he prompted, one hand moving higher, tracing the line of her jaw. “I think I like this assertive side of you, Hayden,” he commented, his finger trailing along her skin. “It turns me on when you’re angry with me.”
She would have rolled her eyes at such an outrageous statement, but she couldn’t move. He was touching her and…
Unconsciously, her lips softened and her eyes dropped to his mouth. “Stop touching me.”
He laughed, a deep, sexy sound that she felt all the way to her toes. “I don’t think that’s possible. You were saying?” he prompted.
Leaning backwards, she realized that she was leaning against the conference table. “Viktor, this…this isn’t appropriate.”
Those silver eyes were still laughing at her, but they moved from her own blue ones down her figure. “Do you have any idea how sexy you look in jeans?”
She ran a hand down her denim clad thighs. “I don’t…I will wear a dress next time.”
He shook his head, his eyes moving to her hands, his body hardening with need as he watched her hands caress her legs, exactly as he wanted to do. “You wore a dress yesterday. I liked that too.”
She huffed a bit. “So, what don’t you like?”
Once again, that deep, sexy laugh sounded and she shivered, almost moaning as her need jacked up again.
“Naked. Why don’t you try naked? I might not like that.”
Her eyes did roll with that comment, and she was unaware of how her lips curled up into a slight smile. “Be serious,” she admonished.
“I am. Completely.” His hands slipped around her waist, quickly sliding up underneath her sweatshirt. “I want you, Hayden.”
She was shaking her head, her hands grabbing his wrists in a lame attempt to stop him. “You can’t. We’re in your office.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as her mind instantly jumped to the possibilities. Her body didn’t really care that they were in his office. Her mind was trying to care, but her mind was failing miserably. Her mind was focused on memories of last night. Her mind wanted to experience last night again. Since neither her mind nor her body were fighting this moment…
He smiled. A moment later, she was lifted up so that she was sitting on the polished surface of his conference room table. “I locked the door.”
She gasped, her mind working once again and it was horrified at the implication. “Well, go unlock it!” she ordered.
He laughed again. “Not a chance,” he told her and before she could argue with him about it, he covered her mouth with his. This kiss was just like yesterday’s in that it caused her whole body to melt with need and excitement instantly. At the same time, his hand moved higher on her waist, those diabolical fingers teasing her breast, cupping the weight while his thumb flicked over her already taut nipple.
“You have to get rid of these sports bras, my dear,” he grumbled as his mouth moved from hers to her neck, finding that spot and causing her body to ignite. With a nudge, his legs spread her knees, then his hands cupped her bottom, pulling her against his erection. When she felt that pressure, she gasped, her eyes widening with shock and…lust.
“Viktor, we can not do this here,” she told him, whispering for fear of breaking the contact with his body. Already her hips were aching to move, to find that pressure once again. Just like yesterday, she needed something that she didn’t think was right. This man…he was wrong for her. And yet, at this particular moment, he felt exactly right as his hands moved back up her body.
Her sweatshirt was pulled over her head and, before she could protest the action, his hands had already tugged the straps of her bra down, exposing her nipples to his silver, heated gaze. He stared at her breasts for a long moment and she almost whimpered with the need to feel his hot, moist mouth tugging on the hardened peaks. Just the thought made them pucker more tightly and he blew air on them just before he lowered his head. Slowly, with just the tip of his tongue, he swirled around her nipple. The touch was too much and yet, not enough. “More,” she begged, shifting in his arms, offering her breast to him. Her fingers tightened around his neck while her hips unconsciously scooted closer.
“Damn, when you do that, it makes me crazy, Hayden,” he growled into her ear. Swiftly, he moved down her body, his hands trailing along her skin with his mouth and teeth following along in their wake. Everywhere he touched her, she felt like she was on fire, burned by his touch. She wanted more and pressed his hand against her skin. It wasn’t enough.
Shifting her hips back and forth, she teased him, tempted him, subtly trying to entice him to give her what they both wanted. “Enough!” she sobbed when she felt his fingers slip into her heat. She sat up, but that only pressed her nub against his hand and she gasped. But she was on a mission. She didn’t have time for shyness or inhibitions. He’d taken her beyond that. She didn’t have the patience for teasing any longer. She needed him inside of her. She needed to feel him thrusting into her, bringing her the kind of release she’d enjoyed so intensely last night.
Looking up into his eyes, she fumbled with the zipper on his slacks, not even bothering with the buckle in her haste to feel his erection, to hold him in her fingers. Without any hesitation, she released his erection, already hard and throbbing, into her hands, sliding her fingers around his girth. Up and down, teasing him just as he continued to torment her while she watched his eyes. She could see in his eyes that she was getting to him and that only turned her on more. When his finger pushed aside the cotton of her panties, she gasped, feeling his invasion and squeezing him harder. As her fingers tightened around his shaft, she heard him groan. With each stroke of their fingers, they tormented each other, both of them trying to send the other over the edge first, but neither of them winning the battle.
Until he took control. She whimpered when his fingers disappeared, but opened her mouth to object when he kissed her again, his tongue moving against hers and another battle ensued. Once more, he won this round, but she didn’t mind. She felt his fingers against her core, his knuckles lightly brushing against her nub as he rolled a condom over himself. A moment later, his strong hands gripped her hips, pulling her right to the edge of the table and then…
“Yes!” she gasped as he pushed into her heat. She shifted, her hips wiggling as she adjusted to his size. With a sigh of exhilaration, she tilted her head back, loving the way he felt inside of her. It was almost as if he were a part of her, an extension of her body. He fit so perfectly, felt so incredible, that she stilled, just enjoying that sensation for a long moment.
Then he started moving and there was no enjoyment any longer. It was only frantic gasps, desperate moves against him in her body’s effort to find that release, to find satisfaction.
It came faster than she would have liked, but it was stronger, more intense than she could handle. Her fingers gripped his shoulders, hanging on as she screamed, his mouth covering hers to absorb the sound while their bodies rocked together. She felt his own body tense and knew that he’d climaxed as well, but she couldn’t do anything to help extend his pleasure since she was trembling with her own.
Slowly, she released the tension in her arms from around his neck, but she shook her head when he tried to pull out of her. “Just a moment,” she pleaded, feeling silly for needing that connection. But it still felt too wonderful. Just a few more seconds, she promised to herself.
She felt his lips against her shoulder, her throat and smiled, tightening her arms around his neck as she enjoyed the feeling of his warmth around her for as long as possible.
When she felt his lips against her ear, Hayden sighed. “You didn’t kiss me goodbye this morning,” she told him softly, surprised when she heard the words. Hayden hadn’t meant to say them out loud but…well, now she felt foolish.
Viktor lifted his head and stared down at her. As she watched him, she fought desperately to quiet the rioting emotions that were tangling in her brain. Sadness, joy, elation that he still wanted her and…yes, she saw that need in his eyes. Since he was still intimately connected to her, she knew that it wasn’t sexual need at this moment. He needed her. He needed her touch and her…love? Was she being silly?
Viktor looked down at the delicate beauty, not really sure what to say. This morning, he’d forced himself to leave the warmth of her bed, carefully extricating himself from her arms even though he’d wanted nothing more than to slowly kiss her awake and do it all over again.
Even as he’d dressed, Viktor had watched her sleeping, knew that her hand was reaching for him, and felt like an ass.
But he wasn’t the romantic type. He was cruel and logical. He relied on facts, not emotions. So when he’d slipped his coat onto his shoulders, he’d purposely turned away from the sight of her delicate hand reaching for him.
Now she was telling him that she’d wanted him to kiss her? That seemed…romantic.
He wasn’t romantic, he thought.
So why did he slowly lower his head and gently kiss her? Why did he welcome the sweet sigh of contentment as he moved his lips over her cheek, her neck, then come right back to her lips for one more sweet, gentle kiss?
He didn’t know, nor did he want to figure it out. He was perfectly comfortable with himself, with his treatment of women in the past.
Just one more kiss, he thought. It was only to appease her, he told himself. If her soft hands drifted over his skin…well, he liked the way she touched him.
He pulled his eyes away from her, aware that kissing her like this felt…Viktor suddenly realized where they were, that they’d just had loud sex on his conference room table. “Chert!” he snapped, standing up quickly. Grabbing a tissue, he dispensed with the condom, but then realized that Hayden’s pretty eyes were once again hurt and vulnerable.
He quickly zipped his pants, then reached out to help her up. “I’m sorry, Hayden. I just…” he looked around again, still stunned by what had just taken place. Gently lifting her off of the table, he picked her sweatshirt up off the floor, then her bra.
With the bra dangling in his fingers, he looked down at her. “I’m not sure I want you to get dressed,” he admitted, and then almost laughed at the horrified look in her eyes. She was so passionate when he was kissing her, but when she wasn’t in his arms, his Hayden was a bit of a prude.
Hayden looked around, shocked and horrified that she’d just had sex on the man’s conference room table. In his office! How tacky was that? She could just imagine the surprise on his assistant’s face if the older woman had dared to walk in during the past…Hayden wasn’t sure how much time had passed since she’d walked into his office. The world was just completely out of whack.
Now that she wasn’t in his arms, the cold of his office was hitting her. Grabbing her bra, she quickly pulled it back on, and picked her underwear up off the floor.
When
she was fully dressed, she suddenly realized that she was the only one that had been naked! Good grief, she hadn’t even unbuttoned the man’s shirt! She’d only unzipped his pants and…
She heard Viktor’s soft laughter and knew that he understood exactly what was going on in her mind. “Stop it,” she admonished him, turning away to run her fingers through her hair. She most likely looked like a mess since she hadn’t even bothered with makeup this morning. She’d been too hurt after waking up alone and…
“I came here to…”
“Yes,” he responded, putting a hand to the small of her back. “You were very forcefully telling me about the visitors to your house this morning before you distracted me.” He led her over to a sitting area where a leather sofa and two chairs surrounded a coffee table.
Hayden tried to think back to the morning. Yes, there had been several people with clip boards at her house, demanding information. Although, if she were perfectly honest with herself, the real reason she was so out of sorts was because he hadn’t been with her when she’d woken up this morning.
She lifted her head to look directly in his eyes. Clenching her fingers together tightly on her lap, she pressed her lips together for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she blurted out the words she needed to tell him. “If you ever leave me without saying goodbye in the morning, there will never be another time. Do you understand?”
She watched as his eyes changed. The flash of emotions that flitted over his handsome features surprised her; shock, admiration, and…acceptance.
“Understood,” he told her and lifted her hands, gently kissing her fingertips.
Hayden nodded her head and stood up. “Thank you.”
He stood up as well, taking her hands in his before she could step away from him. “Is that all?”
She jerked her head to a nod, wanting to pull her hands away from his, but she didn’t think it was appropriate to jerk away from his touch after what had just happened on the conference room table. Besides, he’d just agreed to be more considerate when leaving her bed, the least she could do was be more considerate when leaving his office. Fair was fair, she thought.
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