by Lynda Aicher
“Not here,” she whispered, insistent. “Not now.”
He caught his immediate question before it slipped free. It didn’t matter why. Her request was enough. It would always be enough.
He lowered the fraction it took for his lips to hover over hers. Her pupils were enormous, the blue pushed back to bright rings that screamed her aroused state. He wanted to kiss her so badly. His lips pulsed with the need clamoring to taste her again.
The slightest swivel of her head gave him his answer. Disappointment slammed in even as understanding took hold. He rubbed his nose against hers in a gentle pass that he hoped she understood before he dropped down to take a nipple in his mouth.
She dug her fingers into his hair, her desperate sounds growing louder as he sucked and played. He could give her this. He’d gladly give her all the pleasure she could take without overstepping his bounds.
The scene was hers.
The scene was always hers, even when he controlled it. And tonight, now, here, she needed that to show.
He dragged his teeth over her nipple, teased it until she cried out. Yet her fingers dug into his scalp as she urged him on. He cupped the fullness, kneading her breast before he drew back, her nipple firmly clamped between his teeth.
She gasped, arching her back in an attempt to follow his retreat, her breaths heavy when she stilled. He held her there, suspended in the unknown of what he’d do next. Would he pull more? Let go? Her eyes were closed, that small wrinkle present between her brows. A flush tainted her cheeks and chest, those beautiful freckles darkened beneath the stain.
He freed the tip from his teeth, suckling it gently before switching to her other nipple. He tracked every hitch of breath, rumbled groan and shift of her body as he focused on fulfilling her desires. She was beautiful, bold, and he refused to take any of her strength.
“I’ve got you,” he whispered near her ear when he gave her nipples a break. Her shudder trembled down her body in a small wave he doubted anyone could see. He felt it, though. It vibrated into him on a swell of satisfaction. His own needs were nothing when balanced against hers.
He’d missed this so damn much. This give when it seemed like take. The caring that went with the sex. The connection that came with the trust. The growing bond that had him reassessing the limitations he’d placed on himself.
He laid a trail of kisses down her neck and over her chest, every peck and lick communicating his message. The salty taste of her skin coated his tongue and tempted him with memories of her juices. Anticipation tightened in his groin with each inch closer to his final destination. Her musky scent drew him down while enticing him with a promise of more.
The first hit nailed him with a longing so strong his approval came out as a savage snarl. His head buzzed with the ecstasy flooding him. He dragged his tongue through her pussy again and again, pausing to play with her clit before dipping down to lap at her entrance. She squirmed beneath him, but he held her legs wide, keeping her at the edge of the table.
His balls tightened into agonizing knots of suppressed release that shot up his dick. He savored that too. He wasn’t ruled by his dick, even if it had propelled him here.
Kennedy curled forward, her nails digging into his scalp. The tiny bites of pain drove him harder.
“Yes,” she mumbled, the word indistinct but clear. She rocked her hips, directing his mouth to her clit.
He followed with ease, focusing on the swollen nub that’d hardened so beautifully. He sucked and flicked, drawing her closer to her crest without rushing. The end would come soon enough and then… He refused to think about that.
He slid his fingers into her on a slow glide that allowed him to savor the clench, coating his fingers in wet softness. He groaned his approval against her clit, his eyes squeezing tight as he remembered how sweet she’d felt around his dick.
He reached for the vibrator, easing back to blow a stream of air over her heated pussy. Her lips pulsed and fluttered, the muscles contracting when he removed his fingers. Her scent surrounded him even after he wiped his mouth with his hand. It took a dose of pure determination to lock down the almost overwhelming urge to free his dick and sink into her. A sticky pool of precome dampened his lower abdomen in a declaration of the urgency that crawled through his groin.
A deep breath, another, and his control slid back in on the reminder that this was about her. He stood, moving his hand so his thumb could work her clit. He ran his gaze from her strappy black heels to her exposed pussy and up her torso to her full breasts, her nipples still puckered, and on to her dazed expression, her hair spread in a dark halo behind her.
She was stunning.
And she met his gaze without hesitation, her tongue slipping out to tease him with a pass between her lips. Damn, how he wanted to kiss her, spread her flavor back into her until another groan fell from her lips.
He moved with deliberate slowness as he slid the head of the vibrator over her pussy. Her swallow was pronounced before she lowered her chin, that fierce strength flashing in her eyes. She slid her hand down her stomach until she nudged him away from her clit, taking over. Her moaned purr was cut short when he slid the fake dick into her.
He gritted his teeth to hold back the urge to touch his own dick, just a hard rub or adjustment to ease the ache as he stroked the lifelike phallus in her. Sweat beaded down his back, his heart racing to keep pace with the building tension.
Her mouth parted, eyes going heavy the faster her finger moved. He studied every cue, keeping pace with her before slowing to tease her entrance with small, quick pumps. Her hips lifted, fell before he pushed the vibrator deep, flicking it on as he did.
She lurched up, mouth gaping. A cry broke free when she fell back, her orgasm breaking in a rush of shudders. She arched, her finger moving wildly until she reached her peak on a choked groan. Only then did he turn off the vibrator and slide it free, her muscles going lax.
Fucking… Matt search for air, finally giving into the need to touch himself. He palmed his rock-hard dick through his slacks, counting backwards until he regained control. The world slammed back in on a harsh grunt and the smacking of flesh.
His head snapped up, gaze tracking the room in a blink. One of the men eyed him, envy clear on his dark scowl as he stroked himself. Another guy was cleaning himself up, while the other two were apparently done or content just watching.
He straightened his shoulders and held the gaze of each man. Possessive pride roared to life in his chest despite him having no claim to it. But he saw the curiosity along with the impressed awe in their eyes. He had zero idea what it was for, yet it still managed to pluck at the strings of authority he’d tried to suppress.
The high buzzed through him when he wanted to reject it. But Kennedy still lay on the table, vulnerable now. His heart clenched at the sight of her closed eyes, her expression soft, her breaths slowing as she came down.
He set the toy aside and reached for her.
“That’s it, gentlemen.” Trevor’s voiced cracked through the room. “Scene’s over.” He laid a hand on Matt’s arm, stopping him before he could touch her.
Matt whipped his head around, annoyance flaring before he caught Trevor’s hard glare. Questions assailed him from Trevor’s steely gray eyes, his anger clear when he tightened his hold.
What the ever-loving fuck?
Should he give in? Demand answers? Defy Trevor? To what end?
Matt looked back to Kennedy, who still hadn’t moved. She hadn’t even opened her eyes. Understanding hit him hard. This was it. No explanation. No conversation. Not even a goodbye. His stomach twisted around the sour note as he stepped back.
This wasn’t right.
Was she okay? Did she want to be left alone? Could they really expect him to just walk away without ensuring she was fine?
No. He couldn’t. He didn’t work that way.
He yanked his arm out of Trevor’s hold and leaned over Kennedy before Trevor could stop him. “Thank you,” he murmured ne
ar her ear. He brushed a kiss over her cheek, holding it as he got his sudden rush of emotions under control. He longed to scoop her up and hold her tight, but she gave no indication that she wanted that, and he wouldn’t force it. He’d never force her.
He skimmed his fingers down her hairline before he dragged them through the silky ends of her hair. Her eyes fluttered, a breath escaping on a soft sigh.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“She’s fine,” Trevor bit out from his spot by the door. The rest of the men had left, and Matt had clearly overstayed his welcome.
He put all his animosity into the glare he shot across the room. He didn’t care what he was supposed to do. Trevor could kick his ass from this little Boardroom group if he wanted. Kennedy was more important.
A touch to his cheek drew his attention back to her. A soft smile lifted her lips before it fell away on a tiny tremble. Warmth sunk deep when she cupped his cheek in the softest of connections. “Thank you.”
He saw more than heard her words, but each one kicked at the walls he’d held strong for so long. How, when he barely knew her?
“I’m fine,” she reassured him. “Really.” He frowned, doubt holding. “You should go,” she added when he didn’t move. The last knocked him back. He should go.
She was done with him—again. Of course.
What had he expected? No, what had he been thinking?
He nodded, then dropped one last kiss to her temple before he straightened. “Take care, Kennedy.” He was already kicking himself when he turned away. Sex was just sex. He obviously needed to have it more often or go back to his dry spell.
And if it’d actually been just sex, he wouldn’t be this conflicted.
He’d barely taken a step before she shot up, grabbing his arm to haul him around. She cupped his face and had her mouth locked to his in the next instant. She licked his lips, sunk deep when he opened to her. How could he not?
He drew her in, doubts and questions gone beneath the sweet heaven of her kiss. Heat and passion chased the carnal assault as she claimed every inch of his mouth. A desperate edge tinted her taste, her soft cry laced with something he didn’t understand.
She retreated as quickly as she’d attacked. She blinked a few times, her fingers drifting over his lips. “I owe you an explanation. But…” She pressed her lips together.
“You owe me nothing,” he told her, meaning it. Both of their encounters had happened without expectations. They’d simply been. He had to remember that. “Goodbye, Kennedy.”
He walked away while he still could. An ache built in his chest, but he held his resolve. He slipped past Trevor and strode to the smaller room to claim his phone. The more he knew about her the harder it’d be to stay away. And he should, right? Stay away. What could there really be between them?
Yet…
He came up short after he almost plowed into one of the men leaving. “Sorry,” he mumbled before he ducked into the room. He grabbed his phone from the table and was turning to leave when Trevor stepped in.
“Got a minute?” His question really wasn’t one.
Matt checked his phone, using the excuse to school his features into the emotionless mask that hid his turmoil. He had one message from Ben stating he was heading to bed. Ten minutes ago. If Matt had gone straight home, he could’ve seen him, talked to him about his day.
Instead, he’d chosen to have sex in a room full of strangers—and Kennedy. Had the temporary high been worth it? His slowly deflating dick said no.
But he couldn’t shake the longing that lingered, the awareness that there was another he’d started to care for. Someone he wanted to know better despite the danger she could bring.
When the last guy exited the room on a gruff “see ya,” he tucked his phone into his pocket and finally looked to Trevor.
His hands went to their default hold at his back, a position the military had hounded into him. Even now, years later, he found comfort in the stance. His world condensed to just that moment the second he gripped his hand. He became centered, his strength pulling from the core foundations that’d honed and molded him into an officer.
His suit was his uniform now, and he let the security of that sink into him. Rank was only implied here, not openly marked on a sleeve. Authority came in part from confidence, which he’d never lacked.
Trevor slid his palm over the back of a chair with an air of nonchalance that didn’t reach his expression. “Do you care to explain?”
Matt bristled at the order stated as a question. “No.” He didn’t report to Trevor.
Trevor’s chin hitched up, mouth compressing slightly. His grip tightened on the chair. “What was that?”
“A scene.”
Trevor was in his face in three quick steps. “Do not fuck with me.”
Matt held his glare without a thought of flinching. Icy anger shot from Trevor’s steely eyes in a display of emotion that hit Matt with its authenticity. He softened then, undone by the raw concern Trevor wasn’t trying to hide.
“I’m not fucking with you,” he said after a moment. “That was a scene. I followed the scene rules.”
“You called her Kennedy.”
He balked at that. Regret barged in on his next breath. “I’m going to assume that was against the rules. I apologize.”
Trevor’s expression hardened. “How do you know her?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” Trevor’s directness didn’t startle him, but he had no obligation to confide anything.
Trevor stepped back. A smirk that was anything but humorous curled his lip. “Are you sure you want to play this that way?”
Again with the question command. Matt let his hands hang loose at his sides as he tried to dissect Trevor’s reaction. This wasn’t a pissing contest, but Trevor had clearly marked Kennedy as his territory.
“Are you two involved?” Matt asked. His stomach knotted at the thought. He had no beef against open sexual play, obviously. But he wasn’t cool with being used as a tool to incite jealousy.
“Trevor.”
Matt whipped his head around at Kennedy’s curt reprimand. She stood in the doorway, collected and poised. Her black pantsuit screamed class along with the subtle power she expertly wielded. The only hint that remained of what had just happened in the other room was a slight flush to her cheeks.
“It’s okay,” she said, her steady gaze locked on Trevor. She stepped up to him, laying a hand on his arm. “But thank you.”
Doubt showed for a moment before Trevor looked back to Matt. “You hurt her, and I’ll ruin you.”
“Trevor!”
He took Trevor’s threat as real, but he refused to react. His stony silence was all he offered before he inclined his head. “I believe that’s my cue to leave.”
“Matt, wait.” Kennedy snagged his arm before he reached the door. He stilled, doubt and anger clashing with curiosity. She sent him a pinched looked before turning back to Trevor. “There’s no reason for this macho big brother act. I can take care of myself.”
Matt made a quick assessment of the two and saw zero resemblance between them. The predominance of gray in Trevor’s hair hid what used to be darker, but their facial features were dramatically different.
“Ken,” Trevor said before releasing a sigh. He straightened his suit coat and passed Matt on his way out the door. He glanced back to her. “Call me if you need me.” He sent one last warning look to Matt before he headed down the hall.
Matt’s focus swung back to Kennedy as she faced him. The night had turned into another round of want and confusion centered on her. How? Yet even now, after being dismissed and threatened, he couldn’t deny his attraction. Because stuffed behind the formal exterior she presented to him now was a gorgeous, bold woman he suddenly had a second chance with.
Was he truly willing, let alone able, to walk away from her again?
Chapter Twelve
Silence dropped in on an ominous note. The entire night had gotten out of hand and
it was up to her to right it, only Kennedy wasn’t sure how or what she wanted.
She gave Matt a small shrug. “Sorry about that. Trevor gets a little overprotective with me.”
“How come?”
She studied him, ignoring the distant front he was putting off. “We’re old friends. I’ve known him since my teens.” Those slightly wild, definitely formative teenage years.
She moved toward him, her heart doing a strange twist and thump she had no idea what to do about. Yet another thing she was lost on when she worked so damn hard to avoid that state. He gave away nothing as she approached. A part of her loved the challenge it presented along with the dark mystery that still clung to him.
His beard scruff was fuller tonight. It complemented his suit with an odd bad boy vibe she bet he hadn’t planned. She met his steady gaze, her host of questions falling away to just one. “What are you doing here?”
His brow popped up. “I could ask you the same thing.”
She gave him that one. A smile quirked before she pulled it flat. “You’re not in the app.”
“What app?”
That explained a lot. He was either super new or a guest if he didn’t have access to the app where the Boardroom scenes were scheduled. “Did someone invite you tonight?”
“Trevor.” He glanced out the door. “But I think he’s regretting it now.”
Her short laugh came out as more air than sound. “I’m thinking you might be right.” She waited for him to look back to her. “But I’m not.” A shiver of fear blew down her spine in the beat it took her to comprehend what she’d admitted.
His head cocked just a tad, eyes narrowing. “No?”
The innocuous action took her straight back to their night. To the way he’d assessed her and then taken control. Just like tonight. She smothered the shiver that quaked through her chest and contemplated her options.
