by Addison Fox
“Not when it comes to what’s between us.”
“That’s the problem. This is lust and need. A temporary state that we’ll sate and then make go away. But who we are and what we do won’t go away. It can’t.”
“Why are you making this about work?”
“Because it is about work. We met because of work. And you know damn well you’re not going to walk away from my company.”
His jaw set, hard as granite. “No, I’m not.”
She thought of the work she and her sisters had already done. Thought of the e-mail from Camryn she’d reviewed just that morning outlining their next steps in presenting their own financial plans to the board. “And I’m not walking away from fighting you for it.”
“So don’t walk away. In the boardroom, we’ll fight it out. In the bedroom, we won’t.”
His words incited another round of fire underneath her skin, tempting. Tantalizing.
“It’s not that simple.”
“Actually, it is.” His arms fell from her sides and he took a few steps back. She immediately felt the loss of warmth, even though the night breeze was comfortable.
“I want you. I can separate that from my business interests. Rather easily, in fact, without a single shade of gray marring the decision. The real question is, can you?”
…
Desire pounded heavy in his veins as Nathan waited for Keira’s answer. He hadn’t had to ask a woman into his bed since he was a teenager, and it wasn’t until that moment that he realized how spoiled he’d been by that. Of course, the stakes had never been higher.
“You really believe that? You honestly can stand there and tell me you think you can separate the work from what’s between us?” She stared up at him. “Just put all of it into compartments?”
“Yes, I can.”
She shook her head at that. “And tomorrow morning, when the heat has passed. What then?”
He couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his features at her words. “Baby, it’s going to take a hell of a lot more than one night to cool the fire between us.”
Although the comment had sparked to life as a tease, as he spoke the words, he knew there was more to it. He wanted this woman with a ferocity that caught him off guard, even as it tempted him in ways he’d never felt before. This insatiable desire scared him, he admitted to himself. He’d never been a man to allow his wants to interfere with his ability to think, but he’d done damn little thinking in the last week.
Her dark gaze continued to drink him in while heavy chords of desire pounded through his overwrought body. And then that gaze dropped to the ground as whispered words floated toward him. “I like you too much to have regrets.”
Nathan had to lean forward to make sure he’d heard her correctly. He settled a hand on her shoulder as the other caressed the smooth column of her neck. “Who said anything about regrets?”
“That’s what I’m afraid of. That’s the only thing standing between me and your bed.”
“And why would you think that?” When she didn’t answer, he pressed once again. “Why do you think you’ll have regrets?”
“No matter how I look at it, I can’t imagine any other outcome.”
“I want you. I won’t lie about that. But it’s your choice. I want you to come willingly to my bed. To take what’s between us because you want to.” The urge to pull her against him once more was a tangible thing, but he held back. The choice was hers to make.
A light sigh escaped her lips. “You’re not going to make this easy on me, are you?”
“Best I can tell, nothing about us and what’s between us is easy.” He paused a moment before pressing on, the words that sprang to his lips unwilling to be kept quiet. “But I do know I have no regrets. And I won’t.”
“My sisters tell me I analyze too much.”
“One of them is an accountant. Isn’t that a bit of the pot and kettle?”
She did laugh at that, the reaction a mix of genuine surprise and remaining nerves. “Fair point. But they still think I’m the cerebral one.”
“It’s obviously done you very well so far.” Nathan marveled that he could even keep his voice level with the tension humming through his body.
“That’s the thing. It’s done me very well in some parts of my life, but hasn’t been so great in others.”
Sally’s words from the cocktail party came flooding back. Sometimes all the hard work in the world can leave you with nothing but more work.
A light desert breeze blew strands of hair around her face, and he reached out to lightly press one behind her ear before dropping his hand back at his side. “What parts would that be?”
“Relationships. Male-female relationships, specifically.”
“I see.”
“The guys I meet never quite measure up. And the few I’ve tried to make something with over the years haven’t ended up being a strong fit.”
“And do you have regrets about them?”
At that, she lifted her head and her shoulders set into a straight line. “It’s hard to have regrets when you don’t care all that much.”
“You think I’m different?”
“I know so. That’s why I can’t get past the circumstances that have thrown us together.”
In that moment, Nathan knew he had to tread carefully. While he wanted her, this moment was about more than sex.
“My interest in McBride Media is about a corporate acquisition. My interest in you is as a man sees a woman.” He took another step closer, settling his hands at her waist. “In my mind, Keira, it’s crystal clear. And the two things couldn’t be more different.”
With that, he leaned down and captured her lips once more. As her mouth met his, he knew she’d made her decision, knew the energy that arced between them had her in its thrall as much as it did him.
“Take me to your hotel, Nathan,” she whispered against his lips. “Take me to your bed.”
He didn’t need to be told twice.
Chapter Six
Now that her decision was made, Keira marveled at how easy it was to simply let go. The limo ride had passed in a blur of tender moments and heated caresses in Nathan’s arms and it hadn’t taken them long to arrive back in his hotel suite.
“The penthouse?” After stepping off the elevator, she spun around the large foyer of his suite, an acre of marble spread out before her. “I should have known.”
“I like to stay in style.”
“You’re spoiled.” She couldn’t stop the tease, nor could she resist one more barb as a light blush crept up his neck. “This looks like something out of a movie.”
“I’ve given a fair portion of my annual income to this casino. It’s the least they could do.”
A bubble of happiness settled in her chest. “So you’re what they call a high roller.”
“Or stupid,” he added in a wry tone before gesturing toward the large living room that boasted a gorgeous view of the Las Vegas Strip. “Come on in. There’s a very lovely bottle of champagne in the fridge.”
Keira moved deeper into the suite, the lights drawing her to the windows. Her nerves had increased steadily since they’d arrived at the hotel, and the bright neon was a welcoming beacon as she sought to calm her racing pulse. Seeking something to do, she drew back one of the filmy white curtains that filtered the light as she stood before the glass. “Who knew something man-made could be so beautiful?”
The loud pop of a champagne cork had her stomach jumping as she turned away from the window and her gaze narrowed in on Nathan immediately. He’d rolled up his sleeves, and she couldn’t help but focus on the long, corded lines of his forearms as he held the bottle and poured glasses for both of them.
He crossed the living room toward her, his movements unhurried. Purposeful.
Deliberate.
And then he was next to her, a glass lifted for her. “The lights are beautiful. As are you.”
She accepted the flute, warmth running the length of her arm whe
n their fingers brushed. Rushing to hide her nerves from him, she offered up a quick toast. “And to your hotel, which will contribute to all that beauty.”
He clinked his glass with hers and took a sip, then set his flute on a nearby table. “A lovely toast, but I was actually thinking of something far more interesting than real estate.”
Anticipation hummed through her veins at the intense way he stared at her. “You mean world domination isn’t on your mind every moment of the day?”
“I actually think about quite a few other things throughout my day.” He narrowed the small distance between them and leaned in, his lips barely an inch from hers. “I’ve not thought of much else other than you for almost a week now.”
“Oh.” The heavy crystal trembled in her hand as his words registered.
“Oh, yes.” And then he closed that last inch, his lips pressed to hers, the cool taste of champagne fresh on his tongue as he deftly took her glass from her. Abstractly, she heard the light clink when he settled it on the table next to his before his arms came around her waist. He used his mouth with tender precision, painting a path from the side of her neck up to the sensitive flesh behind her ear. “Let me love you.”
“Yes. Oh, yes, Nathan.”
And then there were no words as he walked them backward to the large bedroom. His mouth never left hers as his hands roamed over her, relentless in their drive to draw pleasure. Each caress of his fingertips had a wave of sensation coursing through her body, and she’d barely registered that they’d stopped when his arms came around her and the room suddenly tilted.
“Nathan! What are you doing?” Thick muscles bunched around her back and arms as he lifted and carried her the last few feet before placing her on the bed. She managed to kick off her heels before landing on the thick, silky duvet.
“I should have thought of that sooner.”
“Taking off your shoes?”
“No, silly, although that’s not a bad idea.” He toed off his own shoes as he stared down at her, his gaze scorching a path wherever he looked. “Carrying you in here like the conquering hero.”
She lifted her arms, the move so easy, so natural, she could only marvel at it as her hands locked with his. “I’ll give you a chance to try it again later.”
“Practice makes perfect and all that.”
“Exactly.” She tugged on his hands. “Now would you please come here?”
He climbed onto the bed and settled himself over her. The blue of his eyes were a deep indigo in the muted light of the room and the intensity she saw there sent a shiver straight through her chest. This was a man who knew what he wanted. Who took what he wanted each and every day.
And he wanted her.
To be the object of that passion was exhilarating in a way she’d never have thought possible. In that moment, her sisters’ words admonishing her that she was a woman first gripped her and wouldn’t let go. For every reason she’d given herself that being with Nathan Cooper was a mistake, in this moment, in his arms, it was absolutely right.
She traced a path over his shoulders, her gaze hungry. He supported his weight on his forearms and the glimpse of skin she had seen as he opened the champagne bottle now cocooned the sides of her body.
Fascinated by their differences, she lifted her hand to rest against his cheek where the day’s growth of beard scratched lightly against her fingertips. He was deeply tanned and the contrast in the color of his skin to her own was a tantalizing indicator of his vitality. This man was no desk jockey. The body that covered hers was full of thick muscles and hard edges.
His erection strained between them, and Keira was suddenly desperate to remove the barrier of clothes so she could feel him, could run her fingers over the heat of his skin and touch every inch of those hard edges.
She met his gaze once more and reached for his dress shirt. With a heavy tug, she dragged a fistful of material from his waist.
“I can help you with that.” Nathan shifted his weight until he lay next to her.
“And take away all my fun?”
A wicked grin lit the corners of his mouth and he rolled back, his gestures exaggerated as he put his hands behind his head. “Be my guest, then.”
…
Nathan pillowed his head in his hands. The casual pose belied how close to the edge he was as he gave Keira easier access to his body. If done right, sex was supposed to be intense. But this was off the charts.
Need gripped his system like a fever as Keira’s hands played about his waist. She’d unbuttoned his shirt and had moved on to his slacks. Every effort at casual fled as her hand grazed his already overly sensitized body.
“Let me.”
The small smile that peeked out over her pretend pout let him know her movements had been more deliberate than accidental. The sense of fun and playfulness was an unexpected boon and he had no idea how he was going to last long enough to prolong what was between them if the process of simply removing his clothes was causing such a rush in the blood.
Nathan made quick work of his slacks and briefs, impatient to remove the remaining barriers to skin-to-skin contact before rolling Keira underneath him.
“Now it’s my turn.”
His hands ran a path up her thigh to where her dress bunched around her waist. Silently grateful for whatever brilliant fashion designer had created her silk confection as all one piece, he continued moving the material up the length of her body before lifting it over her head and dropping it to the side of the bed.
“That’s an original design,” she admonished lightly as his hands settled underneath the heavy globes of her breasts.
He leaned forward and pressed his mouth to the soft skin of her abdomen. “My undying gratitude to the designer for the incredible forethought on how the piece would be removed.”
Without giving her an opportunity to reply, Nathan fastened his mouth on the pert nipple that beckoned him through the cream-colored satin of her bra. Her low moan of approval turned darker, deeper as his fingers reached up to ply the fabric over her other nipple.
“Nathan…”
His name reached him on a sigh as he shifted position, tracing the line of her bra toward the clasp in the back. Her breasts came free of the material and he granted himself a moment to simply look, visually feasting on the perfect curves of her body.
She was beautiful, every inch of her skin intoxicating in its perfection. Impatient, he pressed her back against the pillows as the fevered need raged once more. “I want to love you.”
Her arms came around his back and he felt the tightening of her fingers against his spine. “Yes.”
His lips pressed to hers, his hands resumed their restless exploration of her body. Want and longing coalesced, then expanded in heavy waves of pleasure as the moment spun out between them, their threads wrapping them up tighter in each other.
Nathan pulled himself from the exquisite softness of her lips and kissed a trail down the underside of her chin, over her smooth throat. Lifting his head, he focused on her, his body growing even harder at the arousal that glowed in her passion-glazed eyes and wet lips. Her already dark eyes grew hazier as his fingers played over her breasts before circling her nipples. His straining erection pressed against the soft skin of her thigh and he fought to maintain the razor’s edge of control, even as his body screamed for release. He wouldn’t give in yet, not until the need that arced between them became a living, breathing entity.
But then Keira turned the tables on him.
Her lazy smile broadened and her gaze turned predatory as her fingers closed over the thick length of him. Tight pressure encircled his flesh, dragging his breath in a heavy exhale that quickly became a moan.
“Keira.”
“Hmm…” She added movement to the heavy pressure and stars shot in a wavy pattern behind his eyes as pleasure built at the base of his spine.
“You’re driving me crazy.” He grabbed her hands and locked them above her head before pressing his lips against hers once
more.
“That’s the whole point, Nathan.”
His fingers glided against the apex of her thighs before finding purchase in the warm wetness of her body. Her tight inner muscles clamped against him and he added another finger of pressure, all the while pressing his thumb against the tight bundle of nerves at the core of her pleasure.
A heavy moan escaped her as she clutched at his shoulders. He leaned down and pressed his lips to her ear, desperate to keep his own raging needs in control, on opposite sides yet reaching for the same victory. “Come for me, baby.”
He knew the moment she went over, the hard clutch of her fingers on his shoulders a match for the tight clench of her inner muscles as they pulsed around his hand. Long, glorious moments stretched out as he watched her, and was nearly undone in the process.
…
Another wave of pleasure crested over her body as Keira fought to hold back a deep, dark moan. Nathan still cupped her core, although he’d stilled his movements as if he’d instinctively known the exquisite pressure had almost crossed over to painfully sensitive.
As she slowly came back to herself, she could only stare up at him, shocked at the intimacy of their lovemaking. She’d thought she knew what good sex was, but nothing had prepared her for the mind-numbing power of his touch. Or the hard, demanding, desperate need for fulfillment that still rode her body.
“I want you. All of you.”
The hard line of his jaw flinched at her words, his struggle to remain in control evident. The muscles under her hands were rigid, his arousal clear in every inch of his hard body.
With stiff movements, he shifted off her and reached for his discarded slacks. A quick fumble with his wallet turned up a foil packet. She nipped his chin with a quick kiss as he settled himself between her thighs. “Nothing like a man who comes prepared.”
“You’re not upset?”
The moment was strangely sweet, his question even more so.
“No, I’m not upset.” She laid a hand against his cheek. “In fact, at this moment I’d say you’re rather inspired.”
