by Tina Folsom
She swallowed visibly, clearly aware of the reason for his current state of fury. “It was necessary in order to—”
He marched toward her with long strides. “It was necessary to freeze my bank accounts and credit cards? If you think I’ll just take that lying down, then you’re wrong.”
“It’s standard procedure during investigations where there’s a suspicion that—”
He snatched her wrist. “Suspicion? For a week now you and your colleagues have been investigating me. And what have you found? Nothing. Because there’s nothing to find. And now you’re freezing my accounts? What are you trying to achieve by doing that?”
Rochelle’s chest heaved. She tried to free herself from his grip, but he didn’t allow it.
“Damn it, Rochelle. You know as well as I do that I’m innocent. And you also know that freezing accounts is not standard procedure. So don’t fucking lie to me. This is a witch hunt. Are you still so angry with me that you want to get back at me? Is that what’s going on here?”
“The SEC has its rules. I’m only executing my orders.”
Zach huffed angrily. “Not even you believe that. This has nothing to do with your orders. I wasn’t born yesterday. What’s next? Demand I hand over my passport?”
Her lips trembled when she answered, “You’re overreacting. We only wanted to make sure that—”
“I know exactly what you were trying to do,” he cut her off. “By freezing my accounts you’re trying to get me to reveal any other bank accounts I might have. Secret accounts. Because you think that I used a secret bank account to make those trades. Well, here’s some news for the SEC: I don’t have any secret accounts. The only bank accounts I have are the ones you just froze.”
“Zach, please.” She gestured to his hand, which was still clamped around her wrist. “I had no choice.”
Annoyed he shook his head. “You always have a choice. But you decided to bring in the big guns. Do I really deserve that?”
Something flickered in her eyes. Regret? No, he had to be wrong.
“I can’t treat you any differently than any other suspect.”
“Is that all I am to you? A suspect? Did the night we spent together mean nothing at all to you?”
She pressed her lips together and avoided his gaze.
“Fuck, Rochelle! Don’t you feel anything at all? Are you really that cold?”
“I’m not cold!” she cried out all of a sudden. Her eyes glaring at him, she ripped her arm from his hold.
Before she could turn away from him, he grabbed her. “Then prove it to me.” He pulled her to him. “Show me that you’re not cold.”
Without waiting for a reply, he captured her lips. All the sexual need he’d held back over the last few days now burst from him, and he kissed her with a passion and a demand that he couldn’t hold back any longer. He was so dazed by Rochelle’s closeness that he didn’t even notice at first that she didn’t resist him.
On the contrary: she put her arms around him and pressed her body to his, grinding against him with such obvious lust and need that he turned hard within seconds. He slipped his hand to her ass and hauled her against his erection, while tilting his head to the side so he could take her mouth even more ferociously. He couldn’t get enough of her taste. With each stroke of his tongue against hers, his pulse kicked up and his breaths turned into shallow pants.
Rochelle’s reaction to him wasn’t any less passionate than in the night in the hotel. Her hands roamed his body, caressed him, explored him, while she rubbed her sex against him rhythmically.
Christ, how he’d missed this. How he’d missed her. For a week he’d been longing for her. Every night he’d been in his bed, imagining that she was with him. And every night he’d fallen asleep, unsatisfied and alone. No wonder his cock was demanding satisfaction now, thrusting against her in an unmistakable rhythm.
Without letting go of Rochelle’s lips, he dragged her toward the desk. With his hand, he pushed the papers off it, tossing them to the floor. Then he lifted Rochelle onto it, placing her on the edge of the desk.
A surprised huff came from her and she separated her lips from his. “Zach.”
He looked into her eyes. “I need you, baby. Now.”
He lowered his lips back to hers. His hands weren’t idle either. Deftly, he pushed her jacket over her shoulders, freeing her of it. Then he started opening the buttons of her blouse. Only when he felt the naked skin of her torso, did he breathe a sigh of relief. He squeezed her breasts and felt how her nipples hardened under the fabric of her bra.
He pushed the cups down, away from her boobs and sank his lips onto one of them to pull her nipple into his mouth.
Rochelle threw her head back and moaned.
But to only kiss her breasts wasn’t enough. He needed more. Much more in order to sate his hunger. Standing between Rochelle’s spread legs, he laid his hands on her upper thighs and pushed her skirt up.
“Zach, we can’t…”
She fell silent when he brushed his finger over her panties.
“But you’re already wet for me.”
Zach pulled on her panties and stepped back so he could drag them down her legs. He let them drop to the floor and moved back into Rochelle’s center. Lowering his head to her chest, he sucked one hard nipple between his lips, while he bathed his fingers in her wet heat.
A moan rolled over Rochelle’s lips. He took it as encouragement and started to caress her tenderly. With his moist digit he teased her clit and felt her tremble.
He lifted his head from her chest and looked at her. “I know you need it, too.”
He wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. He let go of her center of pleasure and reached into his pants pocket, pulling out his wallet.
He noticed her look at him questioningly. “What are you doing?”
When he pulled a condom out, then tossed his wallet on his desk, her mouth dropped open.
“Zach, we can’t just—”
He laid a finger across her lips, stopping her protest. “Yes. Now. Here.”
Quickly he opened his pants and pushed them and his boxer briefs down to his ankles. Then he tore the package open and pulled the condom out. Breathing hard, he rolled the latex over his cock.
“Oh God!” she murmured.
Zach grabbed her hips and pulled her forward to the edge of the desk. Then he lined his cock up with her center, before lifting his head and locking eyes with her.
“Kiss me,” he demanded.
~ ~ ~
Rochelle followed his demand, even though she knew it was crazy. She pulled his face closer, one hand on his nape, and put her mouth to his. When she slipped her tongue between his parted lips, Zach thrust forward and sank into her.
A shudder slithered down her back and sent a river of white-hot lust and passion to her sex. At the same time she felt his cock jerk in her.
What they were doing was crazy, forbidden, impossible. It shouldn’t happen, but she hadn’t been able to stop Zach. Just as she hadn’t been able to stop herself. The moment she felt their lips touch, she realized that she could never refuse this man, could never say no to him.
To feel him inside her, to feel how he filled her and how perfectly they fit together, to feel how he kindled flames in her cells and set her entire body on fire, was something she couldn’t resist. She didn’t have enough willpower to fight against her body’s needs and desires. Zach taking her on his desk filled her with too much pleasure to rouse any resistance.
Oh God, she couldn’t believe this was happening, but she had to face facts now. She was having sex with Zach in his office, where at any time his assistant could intrude and discover them. Despite that risk, she didn’t stop him. Instead, she pushed her pelvis toward him every time he plunged into her and sank deeper, because she was longing for that delicious friction she felt every time their bodies slammed together. With each thrust Zach delivered, she let go a little bit more of her control.
Nothing mattered no
w. Not her job. Not her family. Not even her reputation, which would be ruined if anybody saw her like this. All she wanted was Zach. To feel him. To be close to him. To surrender to him. Just like she’d done during that night in the hotel.
But even during that night, Zach hadn’t been this passionate. He was wilder now, more unrestrained. Almost like a dangerous predator. She should recoil from him, save herself, but she didn’t, because to feel how he desired her, how he wanted her, did something to her. As if it was contagious, she felt the same wildness rise in her. Any sort of restraint she might still have had vanished and made space for torrid lust and passion. The flames inside her consumed everything in their path, incinerated any sense of shame or decency. Instead, they controlled her body now.
She felt her muscles clamp around his hard-on, trying to pull him deeper into her.
“Take me!” she cried out and threw her head back.
His hands on her hips held her as tightly as a vice, while his cock pistoned into her, harder and faster. Relentless. Zach’s moans bounced off the walls of his office and made her insides vibrate. Her nipples ached with the need to be touched and she couldn’t stop herself and rubbed her fingers over them. A touch of relief charged through them and she moaned.
Then she caught Zach’s gaze, fixed on her breasts, watching how she pleasured herself. His cock seemed to only get harder and thicker as a result.
“Fuck, Rochelle!” he ground out, his jaw tight and his eyes turning more molten with every second. “You turn me on like nobody else.” He took his hands off her hips and snatched her legs instead, stepping back and letting his erection slip from her.
He lifted her legs and at the same time pushed her back so she came to lie with her back on the desk. Then he placed one foot against each shoulder. In this position she had no chance of moving away from him, of moving at all, and judging by the way Zach looked at her now, possessively and lust-drunk, he wanted it that way: so she would submit to him.
“Tell me you want me.”
On a moan she answered, “Yes, take me.”
He plunged back into her, deep and hard. Her eyes closed on impact and she let go of the last vestiges of her control. Shocks like little earthquakes rocked her body and she allowed it, allowed the pleasure that Zach was giving her to carry her away. Only the here and now counted. Only Zach’s touch. His cock spasming inside her.
“Fuck!” His cry collided with her climax.
All the air rushed from her lungs when waves of bliss spread in her body and took her to a place where only passion existed. Boneless, she lay on the desk, her legs still in the air, while Zach continued to thrust into her and caused one small explosion of pleasure after the other until he finally stopped, breathing hard.
With an unreadable expression he looked down at her. And with each second of silence she became more and more aware of her nakedness and the situation she was in. Sobering, she lifted herself up on her elbows.
Zach stepped back and let his cock slip from her sex. Dismay and embarrassment filled her. What had she done? Having sex with Zach again, only made things worse.
She sat up and tugged at her clothing, trying to readjust her bra and button up her blouse. “This can never happen again. It has to be over between us.”
She watched how he got rid of the condom and pulled his boxer briefs and pants up. He let out a huff, making her look up at his face.
“Nothing is over between you and me, Rochelle. Not by a long shot. This is only the beginning, and you know that as well as I do.”
He turned abruptly and marched to the door. He ripped it open and charged outside. When the door fell shut behind him, the sound vibrated through all her limbs and every cell of her body.
Rochelle slapped her hand over her mouth, trying to hold in a scream. She knew he was right. And that meant she had to make a decision: either her job or Zach. Because she couldn’t have both.
17
Rochelle pushed the still almost full plate away from her. She had no appetite. She’d been home for two hours. It was dark outside now, and through the open window that faced the street, she heard the voices of pedestrians drift to her.
The incident from this morning still troubled her. She’d acted without thinking and had let her emotions guide her, not her mind. Bad enough that she’d slept with Zach that night, but to get involved with him during the course of the investigation wasn’t just idiotic, it was against so many rules that she couldn’t even count them on one hand.
She was in a bind. And deep inside she knew that there was only one solution to her predicament: she had to tend her resignation before things got even more out of hand. Before somebody found out about her and Zach and her boss took disciplinary action against her. And before somebody accused Zach of trying to unduly influence an agent of the SEC, which, even if untrue, would get him even deeper into trouble.
She’d seen it in his eyes, felt it when he’d branded her in his office. Yes, branded, because that was exactly how it had felt. Their encounter had been raw and untamed. Even now, many hours later, she felt her sex pulse at the thought of him. As if her body were still connected to Zach’s.
Rochelle shook her head. No, she shouldn’t think like that. It would only hinder her in making a sane decision. She was at a crossroads: which road would she take? Would she admit her mistake and resign, knowing that she’d broken the SEC’s rules?
If she went in that direction, it would mean that she would suddenly find herself penniless, and next month she wouldn’t even be able to pay her rent.
What would become of her brother? The money she’d taken from her savings account and her retirement fund wasn’t sufficient to pay off his debts. The investment company had withheld taxes from the funds she’d prematurely withdrawn from her retirement account. Therefore, the money she’d received was less than she’d expected. She needed her job in order to apply for a small loan from her bank. Without a job they wouldn’t even consider her application. And what would the loan shark do to Steve then? Hurt him.
No, she loved her brother too much to let anything happen to him.
But the alternative wasn’t much better. She would continue to lie to her colleagues and her boss and break the rules of the SEC, until her deception was finally revealed. And then? She would lose her job and be facing the same problem. In addition, Zach would get in even more trouble. To try to influence an agent of the SEC wasn’t a misdemeanor. Nobody would believe that he hadn’t wanted to bribe her. Even if she were defending him. After all, who would believe her? She was the one who’d gotten involved with a suspect. That just about killed her credibility.
Rochelle cursed. No matter what she decided, somebody would suffer. There was no solution to her dilemma.
Resigned, she took the plate and carried it into the kitchen. She placed it in the sink when her cell phone rang. Probably her brother, wanting to know when he could get his hands on the money. Did she have enough energy tonight to confess that she’d not yet been able to raise the entire amount he needed?
With a heavy heart she walked back into the living room and reached for her cell phone. The display didn’t show Steve’s number, but Zach’s.
She swallowed hard before answering the call.
“Yes?”
“Rochelle, it’s me, Zach.” His voice sounded calm and collected. Almost sober.
“I know.”
“We need to talk.”
She knew that, too.
“Please. I’m outside your apartment.”
“You’re here?” Immediately she walked over to the window and looked outside. She found him standing on the sidewalk opposite, his cell phone pressed to his ear.
“Please talk to me.”
She hesitated. She couldn’t invite him into her place, because she knew exactly what would happen if she did. She couldn’t be alone with him.
“Zach, I—”
As if he’d read her mind, he interrupted, “Meet me down here. Please.”
; Slowly she nodded. “I’ll be down in two minutes.” She disconnected the call and turned away from the window.
While she searched for a light cardigan and took her keys, she pulled in a deep breath of air. She could only hope that she wasn’t making a huge mistake by agreeing to meet with him.
~ ~ ~
Zach waited impatiently, until Rochelle finally exited from her apartment building. He walked across the street to meet her. As much as he wanted to take her into his arms, he suppressed the urge and instead nodded at her in greeting.
“Thank you for coming.” He motioned toward the street. “Shall we walk a little?”
She nodded silently, and they began to walk side by side.
“You wanted to talk.”
He took a fortifying breath. “What happened in the office today… was inevitable.” He caught her stunned sideways glance, but continued nevertheless. “Even though I know that our actions were reckless, I can’t regret them.” He shoved his hand through his hair. “Nobody has ever gotten under my skin like you have. And the fact that we’re on opposing sides doesn’t change that either. Damn it, Rochelle, I want you now just as much as I wanted you that night in the hotel. And the longer we keep denying each other what we really want, the more likely it is that the incident from this morning will repeat itself.”
He looked at her from the side and noticed how she was fighting with herself. “You know it’s mutual. This morning you wanted me just as much. The way you pressed yourself to me, the way you took me inside you… Rochelle, you didn’t fake that. That was you.”
He noticed her swallow hard. “Zach, I don’t know what came over me. I know it was wrong.”
He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Yet so right.”
She stopped walking and turned to him. “Nevertheless, nothing can come from it. I’ve risked too much already. We’ve been incredibly lucky so far that nobody has noticed anything, but how long do you think this streak is going to continue? At some point they’ll catch us, and you know exactly what will happen then.” Slowly she pulled her hand from his grip. “I’ll lose my job and then—”
