by Angela Blake
Claudia swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Why should I?”
“Because deep down, you know you want to. Not even that deep down otherwise you would’ve pushed me away by now. Your mouth says one thing, but your body says something completely different.”
Archer’s fingers skirted over her breasts, lightly flicking her nipples on the way causing her to jerk in response. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you might have convinced your mind that you should stay as far away from me as you possibly can, but I don’t think your body has gotten the message. The goose bumps, and the way your pulse skipped a beat just now backs up my case.”
Claudia’s tongue darted out to lick her lips. “That proves nothing.”
Archer’s eyes darkened as he watched her tongue. “It proves a lot. God, the things that tongue could do given the right outlet.”
Claudia flushed as she tucked her tongue back into her mouth. “Archer, I—"
“Say it again.”
Claudia gave him a confused look. “What?”
“Say my name again,” Archer clarified as his fingers came back up to her breasts and lay atop them.
“Archer,” she breathed as she unconsciously pushed herself forward. Her brain was screaming at her to get out, to push him away, to literally do anything but stand there and be a prey to this man, but there was an equally strong part of her that told her to relax and enjoy this. It’s not like this could go wrong like all the other times.
“I want to hear you moan my name, Claudia. And scream it. And chant it.” He buried his face in her neck and sighed as he breathed deeply.
Claudia’s hands came up and grabbed a fistful of his shirt sleeve as she tried to calm her erratic heartbeat. “Archer, we shouldn’t.”
Archer stilled. “Don’t tell me that you don’t want this, Claudia. I can feel that you do. Everything in you is responding to me. Why are you denying it so much?”
Claudia sighed. “Because you don’t know the truth about me. I am like poison. I destroy everything I touch, and I don’t want to hurt anyone anymore.”
Archer kissed her neck. “I don’t think you are poison, but in any case, I have a darkness in me too, Claudia. Let’s give into the darkness together. It would be so easy. We’ll give in just enough to satisfy our most primal desires, but we’d still pull each other out.”
She ran her hands along the smooth plains of his back. “I can’t.”
“Can’t, or won’t?” he murmured into her neck as he began to nip it.
Claudia gasped as he pulled back his lips and bit her neck. “Either, both. I don’t know.”
Archer pulled back and gazed at her. “I’ll wear you down eventually, Claudia.” He brought his fingers up to her lips, and her mouth parted as he traced the outer part of her lips. He licked his lips as he looked at her.
***
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” She responded very unconvincingly.
One eyebrow shot up. “Well, I think I like my odds.”
He ducked his head and leaned forward, so that his mouth was mere centimeters from hers. His breath intermingled with hers, and Claudia realized that she actually wanted him to kiss her. She had never been more afraid nor more excited about a kiss in her whole life.
Every nerve in her body tensed as she waited to feel those lips on hers, but nothing happened. Seconds ticked by, and he just stood there, keeping very still. Only his hands were roaming up and down her body, leaving a trail of heat that had all her hot and bothered in its wake.
She made eye contact with him, and was surprised to find that he was smirking as he watched her. She raised an eyebrow as she realized she knew what he was doing. “I know what you’re doing.”
“What is that I’m doing?” he said, his voice tinged with lust.
“You’re trying to get me to take the first step.”
His deep throaty chuckle sent shots of desire zigzagging throughout her body. “Beauty and brains. You really are the whole package.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “It’s not going to work.”
“It’s working already.”
Claudia snorted. “You are delusional.”
“I think the word you’re looking for is confidence.” He swooped down and captured her lips with his. Claudia was shocked at first, surprise flooding her body, but his firm lips on hers made her want to respond. She sighed as she melted against him and began to move her lips against his.
He moaned as he tangled his hands in her hair and angled her head, so that he could have better access. She lay her hand on his shoulders and began to run them up and down his back until she felt him tremble beneath her fingers. He made low noises inside of her mouth and began to push her backward until her legs hit the front of the couch.
She toppled backward, and Archer maintained eye contact as he lowered himself on top of her. He used his leg to nudge her legs aside, and he positioned himself, so he was in between them. He began to suck on her bottom lip until Claudia parted her lips and allowed his tongue to plunge into her mouth.
He tasted like peppermint and tobacco, and she let her tongue explore the inside of his mouth, thoroughly enjoying the taste of his lips pressed against hers. He took her bottom lip between his teeth and began to tug on it until it turned a deep shade of red.
“Your lips, I could taste them all day long, and I can’t wait to have them all over me as well.”
He groaned as he nuzzled her neck and began to lap it up. His fingers all over her chest and back down to her legs, tracing the soles of her feet, the length of her legs, and the curve of her thighs then back up until she could feel was the delicious heat coursing through her.
His hands traveled back up to her breasts, and he cupped them over the fabric of her shirt. Claudia moaned and pressed herself against him as she wrapped one leg around his waist and squeezed. She could feel Archer smile against her neck as he began to bite it gently. She was sure it was going to leave a mark at some point, but Claudia didn’t care.
She didn’t even care that she was just telling him off earlier. She couldn’t seem to find the part of her that warned the girls to keep their distance because he was a player. She couldn’t even seem to find that part of her that found him arrogant and overbearing.
All she saw, felt, or tasted was this raw, sexual masculine energy that had her entire body feeling like it was made of jelly. She pressed herself against him and began to trail her fingers over the smooth planes of his back. She felt an inner sort of thrill at the way he was responding to her touch.
Archer’s hands moved down over the slope of her breasts and towards the edge of her shirt. It hovered there for a second before his hand snaked underneath her shirt and moved up, so that he was cupping her over her bra. Claudia sucked in a breath as he began to lower the straps of her bra and fiddle with her nipples.
He knew exactly how to twist and pinch, so that the tip was erect. He went through the motion with one breast then his hand moved on to the other one. He stopped for a second and pulled his head back. He gazed at her quietly for a moment before he began to slip his shirt off.
He tossed it to the side of the room, and Claudia allowed her eyes to feast on muscles she dared only let herself day dream about. He was as well defined as she thought he would be. With toned muscles that she wanted to run her fingers through, and a patch of hair that led down to his happy trail.
She placed her hand on his chest and allowed it to trail all over, relishing the feeling of his taut muscles beneath her fingers. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his chest, parting her lips slightly, so that he could feel her hot breath gliding over his skin. He responded by tightening his hold over her head and letting out a small sound that was somewhere between a moan and a growl.
She let her lips trail up until they were hovering over the pressure point in his neck. She parted her lips, allowed her tongue to dart out and lick his neck then she closed h
er lips and pressed them firmly there. She felt his pulse skip a beat, and she smiled against his neck as she pulled back.
Archer was watching her with an unfathomable expression, his silver eyes a million shades darker. “I knew I’d love how those lips felt. You are already a natural, Claudia.”
“However, I think we should spice things up a bit.”
Before she knew what he was doing, he had whipped out a blindfold. He reached down for her hand and placed it on top of her head before he leaned down and did the same with the other one. He tied the blindfold around both her hands so that she couldn’t move them.
The blindfold was made of silk, so it actually felt good against her skin, but Claudia felt an odd rush go through her at the thought of being completely at his mercy. She’d never have admitted it to anyone, but she actually wanted to submit to him, and see exactly what he would do to her.
He let his hands trail over her stomach before he began to pull on the edge of her shirt. He lifted it up over her head till he got it off, and he tossed it to the other side of the room. Archer allowed himself a moment to gaze at her appreciatively. “You really are a stunning woman, Claudia. I cannot believe I get to see this. That blue bra is definitely sexy, I love the way it shows off those delectable breasts of yours.”
Claudia felt herself blush under his scrutiny. She didn’t know what to say. She wanted to open her mouth and say something witty or sexy, or maybe even both. But, she was afraid that if she opened her mouth right now, all that would come out is a bunch of nonsense proceeded by her asking him to take her right then and there. She swallowed at the thought as Archer began to play with her breasts again.
His hands went behind her back and began to undo the clasp of her bra. Her breasts sprang forward, erect and proud, and he grinned at them as he took one breast between his lips and began to suck.
Claudia began to moan as she pushed herself forward. Archer brought one hand up to rest atop her bound arms, and the other began to rub her furiously down there. He began to bite on the nipple hard enough to elicit some pain, but not so hard that it actually hurt. He kissed the tip of her nipples when he was done then he moved onto the next one and began to do the same.
Claudia felt red hot desire coursing through her, and she began to buck her hips against his, suddenly feeling like there were too many layers between them, and not nearly enough friction.
“Somebody is impatient.” He chuckled as he pulled back to look at her.
“Of course I am,” she said, her voice sounding hoarse and husky and loaded with lust.
“That’s hot as hell,” he replied as he ground against her hips giving her some much-needed friction. Claudia’s eyes rolled to the back of her head she wrapped both legs around his waist and bucked.
She could feel the surprise radiate through Archer, but he tried not to show it as he ground back. Claudia’s fingers trailed over his back, over the curves until it landed on his ass, and she squeezed hard. She let her fingers trail back up until she dug her nails into his back.
Archer began to breathe hard against her. “Damn it, Claudia. You’re going to make me lose control very fast, if you keep doing that.”
“Who says that’s a bad thing?” she said throatily as she twisted her hips just a little. She felt Archer’s moan vibrate against her body as he ground against her.
Suddenly, Claudia’s phone rang. They both grew very still as she stared at her purse on the other side of the room and contemplated whether or not she should get it. Archer’s gaze met hers, and he gave her a slow smirk.
Her phone stopped ringing a while later, and they both breathed deeply before Archer crashed his lips against hers. He began rubbing her once more until she had to wrench her lips away from his just to be able to breathe.
Her phone rang again, so they pulled apart, and Archer shot it a dirty look across the room. Claudia huffed as she sat up. “I should probably get that.”
She gently pushed him off as she walked over to the other side of the room and answered the phone. Reality came crashing back as she heard Chastity’s voice on the other end asking her where she was.
“I’m sorry, Chas. I got caught up with um -” She eyed Archer who was sitting on the couch on the other side of the room, devouring her with his eyes. “Work,” she finished lamely.
“Well, come on. Don’t take too long. We’re waiting for you.”
“I’ll be there soon.” She hung up and stood there for a second, allowing the air to enter her lungs as she ran her hands through her hair. Self-consciously she brought her hands up to her breasts and covered them. “I should probably go.”
She heard a shifting on the couch. “Should or want to go?”
Her eyes snapped up to meet Archer’s. “It’s probably best if I do go.”
Archer strolled towards her lazily. “Why is that?”
“Archer,” She laughed nervously as she shook her hair out. “You know why. Don’t make me say it. We got caught up back there, and it was great, but—“
“Don’t do that.” Archer shook his head as he stood in front of her.
Her eyebrows drew together in confusion. “Do what?”
“Attempt to write it off as another sexcapade just like that.”
She sucked in a deep breath. “I wasn’t trying to, but I wasn’t under any illusions, Archer.”
“Neither was I,” he said casually, his gaze smoldering as he began casually strolling towards her. Claudia wanted to take a step backward, or maybe she wanted to take a step forward. She couldn’t even tell. There was even a part of her that was telling her to run. As if Archer was some kind of predator, and she was a prey.
Except she was the willing kind, and that not only made it so much harder for her, but it also made it so much easier for him. It wasn’t typical at all, but it was what was happening.
She thought about sidestepping around him, but she realized she couldn’t. He was a big man, and rather burly, so there was that to take into account. But it was also the fact that even if she ran away from how she felt about him, she wouldn’t have anywhere to go. This was place was her home.
“You need to move,” she said firmly.
Archer raised an eyebrow and crossed his arm over his chest. “Why should I?”
Claudia let her eyes meet his, defiantly. “Archer, you’re only making this harder on yourself. You need to move because as I said repeatedly, nothing can happen between us. Also, my friends are waiting for me, so I should be going.”
“Something did happen between us.” He pointed as he uncrossed his arms, his muscles flexing in the process causing Claudia to momentarily stare and forget why she was arguing against this in the first place.
“I’m not denying that it did. I’m simply saying that it can’t happen again.”
“Are you going to spew forth that crap about how you can’t be near anyone again?”
Claudia’s eyes flashed dangerously. “It’s not crap. Just because you don’t believe it doesn’t make it any less true. It’s my truth, my beliefs, and you don’t get to invalidate that.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “I’m not trying to invalidate it. I’m trying to make you see reason.”
They stood in front of each other, breathing heavily, the tension in the room was so thick, and you could cut through it with a butter knife. They were both in the middle of a staring match, neither one willing to be the first one to break.
Finally, Archer turned his gaze away, the frustration rippling off of him in waves as his mouth pressed into a thin line. “This isn’t over, Claudia, and you know it. You will be the one to ask me to kiss you next time, you’ll see.”
Claudia crossed her arms over her chest. “I doubt it.”
She knew that he was probably right though. Her heart was already hammering in her chest at the mere thought of it, and she didn’t if she’d be able to handle being around him now that she’d gotten a taste of him, but she knew that she h
ad to at least try.
Archer bent over the couch and began to slip on his shirt. He picked up her shirt and bra and tossed it to her from across the room without even looking at her. Claudia’s hand snapped up and caught them mid-air, and she began to put them back on, all the while wondering if she’d made a big mistake.
Besides her belief that she lost everyone she cared about, she really had no convincing reason not to do this. Realistically, he wasn’t asking her to care about him nor him her. He was just asking her to give in to her carnal desires and enjoy it, so he could enjoy her too. In retrospect, it didn’t sound like such a bad idea especially if it meant she could break the loop she was stuck in.
Before she had any chance to consider it further, Archer had turned his back on her and walked straight out without even saying bye. She flinched as she heard the door slam shut behind him, the sound resonating throughout that empty hall. She sighed as she ran her hands through her hair, picked up her purse and headed out the door.
Chapter Four
Claudia’s nose crinkled in distaste as the smells of the pub hit her nostrils. It was packed tonight. They usually liked to come here because it wasn’t. Given the nature of their work, they tried to avoid clubs because they actually wanted some privacy for a change while they were out. But O’Malley’s had a larger than usual crowd.
Claudia’s eyes scanned the room as she looked for her friends. She finally spotted Chastity waving her arms about furiously to get her attention. She smiled at her as she weaved in and out of the throngs of people.
“You made it,” Chastity said, a little too loudly.
Claudia smirked as she realized that she probably had quite a bit to drink by then. “I see someone’s already started the fun.”
Chastity waggled her fingers at her. “Why not? Life’s too short, Clo. I wanted to wait for you to get here, but you took way too long.”
Claudia shrugged off her coat as she slipped into the booth next to them. “Yeah, I had some unfinished business that I had to attend to.”
