“It’s too good,” she rasped. “Not—ohhh—my fault.”
His lips sought hers, kissing her as he moved with her. Exerting every ounce of self-control he had, he teased her with another slow, deep thrust, then another, and she moaned again and swore. Her passion stunned him. She was so openly wanting, so raw, and Christ, he loved how she loved it.
She grabbed his ass and pushed him even deeper inside her. A groan erupted from his chest, raw and low. The feel of being that deep inside her, warm and slick and wonderful, enveloped and drowned him. “Oh, Julia . . .” He pressed his forehead to hers as he moved. “Christ, that’s so good.”
“Too good,” she panted.
“No such thing,” he grinned, nipping at her mouth.
She grinned. “Won’t last much longer,” she warned, gasping.
“Me neither,” he admitted, and kissed her again as his hips moved faster. As his breathing grew labored and his tongue tangled with hers, his free hand caressed her breast and pinched her nipple. She moaned helplessly into his mouth.
“Dane . . .” Her head fell back against the wall as he thrust into her, harder, again. And again. And again. Her nails raked down his back, over his ass, leaving trails of fire in their wake. “Oh God, I’m close already,” she gasped. Her nails bit into his skin. “Don’t stop, Dane. Don’t stop . . .”
“Not ’til you scream my name,” he rasped against her ear, swiveling his hips to grind against her, going as deep as he could, bringing another hot-blooded moan from her. She bit at his neck, licking him, grabbing at him everywhere she could, and he felt the last threads of his self-control fray and split apart. He wanted to possess her like no other man had. Bracing his free hand on the wall near her head, he picked up speed, driving into her faster, harder.
“Yes,” she groaned. She clutched his shoulders with both hands as her hips met his, matching him thrust for powerful thrust. Her nails dug in as their moans mingled and their breathing became panting. He lifted his head to look at her face. Her eyes were closed, lips parted, skin flushed, head thrown back in ecstasy. The sounds . . . Christ, the sounds she made lit him on fire. She was as lost to their passion as he was, completely carried away. She mesmerized him.
More. He wanted more. Wanted all of her. He pounded her with hard, quick thrusts, relentless as her breath caught, her back arched, and she cried out his name. He watched her come—felt her body spasm and shudder around him, listened to the erotic sounds of her release, and thought she’d never been more beautiful. Then his body tightened, his blood rushed, and the sensations swept him over the edge right along with her. He buried his face into the curve of her neck, grunting hard and low as he climaxed, holding her tight in his embrace.
Chapter Eight
They stood there for a minute, clinging, shuddering, their sweat-coated bodies sticking to each other. Julia couldn’t catch her breath. Her head was spinning, and the heavy thuds of her pounding heart filled her ears. Dane was panting as hard as she was, but sealed his mouth to hers for long, slow kisses as he pulled out of her and gently lowered her leg to the ground.
“Jesus,” he finally managed. He gave her a look of pure astonishment. “That was . . . oh my God.” He kissed her again, and again, raising his hands to brush back the strands of hair that were plastered to her dewy forehead and cheeks. Kissing her mouth with aching sweetness, he held her face in his hands. “You’re amazing.”
She looked back into his eyes and smiled with hazy, carnal satisfaction. “You did all right,” she teased in a sultry murmur.
He snorted and pinched her ass. She squeaked, making them both laugh.
“You’re a moaner,” he remarked, teasing her back. “Hot damn, porn star.”
“I am,” she said, chuckling ruefully. “Sorry if that bothered you.”
“Bothered me?” He huffed out a disbelieving breath. “You kidding? That made it a thousand times hotter.”
She rolled her eyes, but he caught the smile on her face. She slipped out of the stilettos at last, bringing her height down a good few inches.
“See, you needed the shoes,” he grinned. “The added height helped with . . . the angle.”
She snorted but was still smiling. “You’re right, I’ll give you that one.”
He leaned into her for another kiss and felt her body quiver, but it wasn’t from desire. “You’re trembling,” he noted. “Hey, your legs are shaking. You okay?” He rubbed her quivering thigh, the one he’d had hoisted over his arm the whole time.
She let out a soft laugh. “Yeah. My muscles got worked, that’s all.”
“Oh, you got worked, all right.” He smiled and gave her a smack of a kiss. “Tell you what. I have to clean up, you need to lie down. You go on, I’ll meet you in bed.”
She looked into his eyes. “Um . . .” She didn’t know how to say what she wanted to without sounding crass. I don’t need to stay. I can go now. That was some of the best sex I’ve ever had, but there’ll be no cuddling here. Check, please.
By his slight frown, she knew he sensed her hesitation. His eyes narrowed and he commanded, “You’re not leaving so soon.” And before she could open her mouth to disagree, he took her hand and pulled her farther into the dark suite. They walked together, naked and sweaty, through what she imagined was a large sitting room, around a sofa, into an adjoining bedroom.
He nudged her toward the bed. “Let me clean up.” He gave her a soft poke in the shoulder, enough to make her fall onto the edge of the bed into a sitting position. “Get. In. The bed. Relax, lie down.”
“Back to being the boss,” she muttered, but with good humor.
He chuckled. “Damn right. Be right back.” He kissed her lips and walked away. She glanced at his broad back and very fine ass as he went into the bathroom, then heard the sound of running water as she sat still, deciding what to do. Leave? Stay a little while? The truth was she wanted to stay, and that bothered her. In the darkened room, she could make out where the arch of the bedroom door was. Her dress was on the floor by the front door....
But she crawled up the mattress and burrowed in under the covers. His king-size bed was soft and welcoming, and she sank in with a contented sigh. All her muscles relaxed.
Well, there goes that, she thought. Nothing like putting your dream job in jeopardy for a hot romp. An unbelievably hot romp, but still. Dammit!
“I can feel your brain churning from here,” Dane called from the bathroom. “Knock it off, Julia. Everything’s cool.”
A shiver ran over her skin. How the hell had he known what she’d been thinking right then? It was more than uncanny, it was unnerving. It made her want to jump out of bed, find her clothes in the dark, and get out of there.
But Dane came back into the room and slid under the covers. He reached for her in the dark, pulling her close, encircling her in his strong arms. His mouth found hers to steal slow, luxurious kisses as his big, warm hand caressed her back. He smelled of sweat, sex, and a trace of soap, a heady, masculine combination that made her senses swim. Despite her instinct to flee only a minute before, she felt herself melt into his embrace, reeling from his tenderness.
“So,” he murmured jovially against her lips, nipping, kissing. “You okay, Red?”
“I’m fine, Boss,” she replied. “You?”
“I’m more than fine.” His other hand reached up to brush her hair back from her face. “I’m pretty great right now. But I told you if you called me ‘Boss’ in bed, I’d have to spank you.” His eyes sparkled with mischief as the hand on her back moved down to squeeze her ass. “Final warning, Ms. Shay.”
She laughed and kissed him to shut him up. He held her head in his hands, pushing his fingers through her hair as he deepened the kiss. He explored her now, taking his time, slow and sensual. It made her body start to tingle all over again. Her fingers plowed through his tousled curls and she edged in closer, instinctively pressing the length of her body against his.
He groaned and shifted, rolling so they lay side
by side and he could hold her close. They kissed for what felt like hours, and she realized he liked the kissing part. It wasn’t just a means to an end for him, he genuinely reveled in it. She loved kissing, but had met very few men who did. Most saw it as a necessary part of foreplay to get to the good part. Dane’s enthusiasm for it surprised and delighted her. The luscious waves of delicious passion took her under, and she went willingly.
Time seemed to get fuzzy. How long had they been kissing now? Ten minutes? Half an hour? Two hours? Who knew. She felt too good to care. They luxuriated in the feel of each other, taking their time to explore and discover. Even though the initial flames of passion had been quenched, they still craved each other. She let his greedy hands and mouth do what they wanted, and took the same pleasures herself.
She’d suspected he had a good body, but he’d been hiding a taut, powerful physique under his expensively tailored clothes. His body was even hotter than she’d imagined. He wasn’t overly muscular, but muscled enough that she knew he put in time at the gym. Her hands roamed with slow delight, learning him—his broad, strong shoulders . . . his deliciously defined arms and legs . . . his solid chest, not covered in hair, but enough to let her fingers play through . . . and good Lord, a tight ass so fine it made her a bit self-conscious.
But he seemed to like her lush, womanly figure; he hadn’t done anything but revere it. She was all softness and curves; he was hard muscles and defined lines. The contrast was delectable. And that mouth of his . . . good Lord, what his mouth could do. What it did to her now as he kissed and sucked and licked his way down her neck, her throat, to close over her breast . . . his teeth grazed her nipple and liquid heat seared through her. Soon she was breathing harder, wanting more, and her hips rolled sinuously beneath his, nudging his growing erection.
“Wanna go another round?” she purred.
A low chuckle rumbled out of him. “You’re insatiable, aren’t you.”
“Yup. You complaining?”
“Hell no.” Eyes sparkling, he grasped her hips and ground his pelvis against hers, showing her just how much he wanted her. “Does that feel like I’m unhappy?”
“Nope,” she said, grinning, and tangled her fingers in his soft, curly hair to pull his head back down to hers.
Dane lay sprawled on his bed, exhausted, floating in a satisfied postcoital haze. He let his fingers trail lazily up and down Julia’s smooth back. She lay quietly beside him, her fingers playing softly with the sparse hair on his chest. Their skin glistened with sweat, the air felt thick. The only sounds in the dark room were the low hum of the air conditioning and the muffled noises of street traffic from far below.
“You’re an animal,” he drawled with a grin, turning his head to look at her. “In the best way, of course,” he added quickly.
“I guess I am a cougar, then,” she joked, and they both laughed.
“More like a wildcat,” he said. “Jesus. You’re amazing.”
“Back atcha.” She smiled and dropped a kiss on his shoulder.
“And you said I couldn’t handle you. Ha!” He shot her a victorious look.
“Well, with all the practice you’ve had,” she taunted, “I guess it readied you for me.”
“Wow. Talk about a backhanded compliment.” He rolled onto his side to face her. “Look. I haven’t been with as many women as you seem to think I—”
“Dane. Stop.” Julia’s voice was firm. “It doesn’t matter. I was teasing you.”
“It does matter,” he insisted, realizing with surprise that it did. “It matters to me. I’m not a sleaze. I know you may have . . . heard things . . . but I haven’t slept with half the world’s women. So even if you’re joking? I just need to know you know that.”
She exhaled softly and nodded. “Fine. Now I know that. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You’re all but calling me a whore,” he quipped. “Why wouldn’t that upset me?”
“Because I’m lying next to you after we fucked each other’s brains out all night,” she said. “Even if I thought that, which I don’t, it obviously didn’t keep me away from you, or out of your bed.”
Tension hung in the air. She scooted closer, cupped his chin, and kissed him.
He pulled back and stared at her, unhappy with the turn in the conversation.
“Dane. Hey . . .” Her brows furrowed and she frowned. He saw the remorse in her eyes. She kissed him again, softly, with something akin to tenderness. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I really was just teasing, I didn’t mean to offend you. Let’s forget it, okay?”
He nodded and decided to do just that. His arms wrapped around her to pull her in and he brushed his lips against hers, soft and slow, nipping, then kissing, to show her he’d accepted her apology. They kissed for a while, letting the melding of their mouths and bodies take down the friction. He lost himself in her mouth, in the feel of her soft, naked curves against him, and felt the tension leave both of them.
“Julia . . .” Relaxed again, he wanted to talk. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” She rested her head on his arm and laced her fingers through his hair, playing absently with his curls.
“Can you give me a clue . . .” He paused, wanting to choose his words carefully. “I know you think I have this reputation, and I get that you don’t trust me yet, but like you told me, you don’t trust anyone. Which means some time, something . . . went really bad for you. Clue me in. I want to know.”
He felt her stiffen in his arms, her hand stop cold in his hair. Her eyes shuttered. It was kind of fascinating, watching her pull away from him without moving a muscle. With a sigh, he tried to continue. “I just don’t—”
“I’ve had some bad things happen,” she bit out. “Who hasn’t?”
“Everyone has. I’m just curious about your story.”
“Why?”
“Why? Because I like you. Because you interest me.”
“This is just supposed to be fun sex,” she said, rolling away.
“It is,” he said, holding her in place. “But the advantage of sleeping with a smart woman is you can actually talk to her afterward.”
“My being smart has nothing to do with my past.”
“I know. I didn’t mean . . .” He huffed out an exasperated sigh. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. Forget I did.”
She went silent. They stared at each other for a long beat. He wondered if she was going to leave right then.
But she said quietly, “No, Dane. Look . . .” She leaned up on her elbow to look at him. “Yes, I’ve been hurt, okay?” she said, almost in a whisper. “It was really bad. I’ve lost things . . . that no one should ever have to lose. It made me harder. I survived.” She swallowed and drew a deep breath. He stared into her eyes. Searching, he caught a flash of something there he’d rarely seen in her: stark vulnerability. In a sullen tone, she added, “Is that what you wanted to hear?”
“No.” His heart softened. He reached up and caressed her cheek, murmuring, “I’m sorry to hear all that.”
“Don’t you dare feel sorry for me,” she said, even as her voice cracked.
“I don’t.” He kissed her mouth gently. “I said I’m sorry to hear you had hard times, not that I feel sorry for you. Different things. Okay?”
She nodded in stubborn silence. The haunted look in her gorgeous hazel eyes made him want to hold her tight, soothe her. It was a strange feeling, this wave of... protectiveness.
“Dane.” Her voice didn’t waver now, it was back to steel. “You’re a powerful, extremely wealthy and well-connected man. I know you did a background check on me before you hired me. So why are you asking questions that you likely already know the answers to? I feel like you’re . . . I don’t know, setting me up or something. I don’t like it. That’s why I got defensive.”
Just when he thought all she’d ever offer him were cutting comebacks, she knocked him flat with her open, honest admission. He stared at her for a few seconds before saying, “I told you
I didn’t run a personal background check. I wouldn’t do that, to you or to anyone. Your life before here, away from here, isn’t my business. I don’t know anything about you other than you live in a one-bedroom apartment in Blue Harbor, you don’t have a criminal record, and you were a secretary until you quit your job a few weeks ago to take on this job. I don’t know anything else about you that you haven’t told me yourself. I swear.”
He saw the fight in her eyes; she wanted to believe him, but was afraid to. Whoever had hurt her in the past had done a sadly thorough job. He dipped his head to kiss her mouth with all the tenderness he possessed. She responded slowly, kissing him back timidly at first, then easing into it. Her arms snaked around his neck and she pressed herself closer. He held her face in his hands, kissing her until he felt the tension leave her body, until she was melting into him and responding as she had before. Only then did he pull back, look into her eyes, and whisper, “I really hope you believe me. For your own sake.”
She hesitated, then whispered back, “I do. I believe you.” Her hand lifted to run through his hair. He watched her eyes soften again. “Thank you for respecting my privacy. Not everyone in your position would.”
“You say that like someone who’s speaking from experience,” he said, frowning.
She murmured, “That’s right. You have no idea. Trust me, you don’t want to know. Okay?”
He kissed her, not knowing what the hell to say.
When they broke apart, she tried to grin and said, “I’m really sorry I was such a bitch before. Can we please forget that part?”
“Sure. Yeah. Look, Julia . . .” He smoothed her hair back from her forehead. “The other thing you said before. I know this is just sex. I’m fine with that. I’m not looking for anything more, and neither are you. We’re adults. We obviously enjoy each other. But like you said at the start: no strings, no ties. I won’t ask you those heavy questions again when we’re in bed. Okay?”
More Than You Know Page 11
