by Foster, Lori
He oozed so much confidence, she couldn’t help but believe him. And she wanted to agree, she really did. But old habits were hard to break, so she raised her chin, narrowed her eyes, and smiled her most taunting smile.
“You want a chance, Ian? Then meet me at Wild Honey after work, and plan on playing. Because I’m not about to back out of my deal with Asia and Becky and that means I need a sex slave. It can either be you—or it can be someone else. You decide.”
A taut stillness settled over him, but his eyes remained bright, turbulent. “You’re pushing me,” he accused, still stroking her chin with an incredible gentleness in direct contrast to his tone. “I have to wonder if it’s because you really expect me to back off, or because you’re hoping I’ll push back.”
Erica gulped. “Just . . . just telling you the rules.” Damn it, she’d stammered so she quickly tried to compensate. “You do know how to follow rules, don’t you, Ian?”
She waited for him to lurch away. She waited for a dose of masculine anger, or at least annoyance. She waited for the typical male response.
What she got instead was a soft sigh and a butterfly kiss that came and went before she could even appreciate it. Resigned, he growled, “Have it your way, lady,” and to Erica’s astute ears it sounded like another warning, which had her heart beating double time.
In excitement and challenge.
She was still contemplating all the things he made her feel when he straightened, caught her elbows and pulled her upright so fast her head swam.
“I’ll be there,” he said, and chucked her chin. “But just remember, turnabout is fair play.”
Now that was a warning, no two ways about it.
He released her and Erica almost slid off the side of the desk into a molten puddle. He left much more quietly than he had entered.
Lord have mercy. What had she gotten herself into?
Ian smiled once his back was turned. Sexy, sultry Erica had looked so stunned, so confused, maybe even annoyed.
And definitely intrigued.
For months now he’d been studying her, getting closer to her though she didn’t seem to realize it and she sure as hell didn’t cooperate. But finally, he knew just how to get her where he wanted her—which for starters was in his bed, under him, her body open and willing and hot.
He’d seen the subtle signs, the prickly temper, the contempt she veiled behind sharp teasing, and he knew Erica Lee was a woman in need of a good, long ride. Not some half-baked quickie, which seemed to be the speed most men preferred these days. He liked things longer, deeper, more intense. When he made love, he liked to take his time, to appreciate every nuance, to wallow in the sensations.
And so did Erica. He’d bet his eyeteeth on that.
From the very first glance she’d turned him on, and he spent a lot of time contemplating what a perfect match she’d be, in more ways than one. Sexually she’d be ideal. He thought of the different ways he’d take her, how he’d make her muscles burn, her skin sweat, her body melt. Once he got inside Erica, he wouldn’t stop pleasuring her until she throbbed in satisfaction from her ears down to her dainty little toes. He’d leave her every nerve ending tingling and begging for more.
From him.
But Erica liked to play games and he’d never been a player. He did things his way and only his way. So he’d dredged up patience and watched for the right opportunity.
In the meantime, he’d gotten to know her better and he liked what he’d learned. He liked her. A lot.
She was a hard worker, always on time, rarely calling in sick. And she was loyal. No one could question her dedication to her friends. Ian knew she truly cared about Asia and Becky. They were a trio.
On top of those fine qualities, it had only taken him moments to recognize her intelligence, which gratified him since he had no tolerance for stupidity. Erica had a quick wit, a sharp sense of humor, and a massive chip on her shoulder that should have weighed down her slender body, but instead kept her backbone rigid and her shoulders stiff in cocky defiance.
Once he got her naked, though, he’d rid her of that rebellion. She’d bend to him—and enjoy doing it. He’d see to it.
“Hey, how’d it go?”
Ian stopped, startled to see George and Cameron standing just inside his basement office. Management rarely ventured into the gloomy bowels of the building, as they liked to call it. Ian preferred to call it quiet and private.
Whenever one of the suits wanted to see you, you were summoned upstairs.
Yet there they both stood, expectant, impatient. Hell, he hadn’t even been aware of taking the elevator down, he’d been so engrossed in his plans for seduction.
Ian shouldered his way around George and dropped into the enormous leather chair behind his sturdy metal desk. “I hope you two don’t expect a blow by blow report?”
George scowled. “No, of course not. But we don’t want her unhappy either.”
Cameron leaned against the wall. “If you manage to piss Erica off, she’ll tell Asia and Becky and—”
“And ruin your marital bliss, yeah I know.” Ian leaned back and surveyed the two men who, due to short association, couldn’t quite be called friends yet, but were certainly on their way there.
The fact that they actually cared about Erica helped a lot in gaining his respect. “Everything’s fine. I’m not going to make her mad or unhappy. Just the opposite. But you know Erica. She’s bound to do some blustering before she settles down.”
“But it will be just bluster? You’re sure of that?”
Ian shrugged. He wasn’t about to tell them that Erica’s grumbling would turn to soft moans soon enough. “I’m meeting her at the shop after work tonight. Just avoid her till then and you should be in the clear.”
George turned to Cameron. “He’s awfully damn confident, don’t you think?”
“Yeah.” And then, with a dose of suspicion to Ian, “Just how well do you know Erica?”
Ian almost laughed. They honestly expected her to chew him up and spit him out. Neither of them had understood Erica’s subtle signals, but because the sexual chemistry Ian shared with her was enough to choke a horse, he’d recognized her silent pleas for satisfaction on a gut level.
She was a complex woman, more so than most. She intrigued him, amused him, and made him hot enough to burn. He looked forward to discovering all the facets to her personality. He looked forward to calling her his own.
He needed to reassure Cameron and George, and he tried to do that without telling them things that would be private between him and the woman under discussion. “I know what Erica hides, and what she wants exposed.”
Judging by their expressions, they didn’t believe him.
Cameron’s brows rose and he almost laughed. “God, she’s going to hang you by your balls.”
Groaning, George said, “I should never have gotten involved in this. When you told me you wanted Erica, I really thought you’d use a little more finesse.”
“She’s not a cactus that has to be approached carefully,” Ian said.
George gave him an incredulous look before turning away. “I should have called a halt the second you told me this harebrained plan.” Hands deep in his pockets, he began to pace. “Becky is going to be so upset.”
Ian could clue him in on a way to get around Becky’s temper, but George didn’t look open to coaching. And anyway, a man in love could be very prickly about hearing his woman’s name mentioned—especially by another man.
Then George chuckled and said, “I guess I’ll be doing some making up.” He rubbed his hands together. “I do love how sweetly Becky forgives me.”
Ian grinned. Maybe old George knew just what he was doing after all.
Cameron pushed away from the wall. “It’s not that I don’t find this fascinating, but I need to get back to work. So just tell me if things went according to plan.”
“Perfectly. I told her George here had spilled the beans to two men—”
Georg
e whirled around. “Two?”
“—but that I didn’t know who they were.”
“Shit, shit, shit.”
Ian barely hid his grin over George’s distress. “She wouldn’t admit it, but she’s embarrassed.”
“Erica?” Cameron asked with a fat dose of incredulity.
“We’re talking about Erica Lee, right?” George seconded, just to make sure there was no confusion.
“One and the same.” Ian frowned at both men. “She’s first and foremost a woman, you know.”
“Gotcha.”
“Whatever you say.”
If he hadn’t needed their help, Ian never would have confided so much to them. What he did with Erica, the way their relationship evolved, was nobody’s business. But she was skittish at the idea of giving herself to him, so after he’d heard the gossip of how the other two couples had met at the porn shop, he’d cornered George and Cameron before things could progress without him, and he’d insisted he be included—for Erica. “Being embarrassed makes her more likely to accept me before either of the two imaginary guys can make a move.”
At least with George and Cameron, he knew they cared about Erica without being romantically involved with her. Not only were they both already in solid relationships, but they spoke about Erica with the fond exasperation they might have doled out to a pesky younger sister.
Cameron chuckled, but he could barely be heard over George’s grumbling about ending up in the doghouse.
“Hey, I’m all for making the little witch squirm,” Cameron said. “It’s only fair.”
She’d squirm all right, Ian thought, but not the way they meant.
“Amen,” George added. “God knows she loves to dish out the barbs, and I’ve got the holes in my hide to prove it. It’ll do her good to get knocked off her high horse.”
Ian had no intention of bringing Erica down, but he did expect to get all that energy and attitude normally used for sarcasm funneled into a new direction. When he thought of Erica concentrating fully on him, his muscles clenched in anticipation.
“Just don’t hurt her,” George tacked on. “I mean that. She rubs me the wrong way sometimes, but deep down I like her.”
Ian eyed him. “Deep down, huh?”
“Same here,” Cameron added. “Erica can be a little hard-edged, but she has a good heart.”
“When I’m done,” Ian promised with a smile, “she’ll be thanking you both.”
Neither of them appeared convinced, given the way they rolled their eyes and snickered. But they did finally leave his office, giving Ian the opportunity to plan. He tilted back in his chair and propped his booted feet on the desk. He was semi-hard and had been since first walking into Erica’s office. She’d looked downright edible in her miniskirt, her glossy black hair loose, that taunting smile. And those slanted green eyes. . . His hands curled tight. Damn, he could just imagine how sexy she’d look in the middle of a screaming climax.
He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing.
Afterward, he thought, once Erica was softened up and more relaxed with the release of sexual tension, they’d talk. Her guards would be down and she’d be open to him, emotionally vulnerable. The image of Erica curled beside him, all womanly warm, was almost more satisfying than the idea of taking her sexually.
It was definitely as big a turn-on.
He’d never get rid of his boner thinking like that. To distract himself, Ian pulled out a pen and paper and started jotting down notes. He’d need to make a few purchases at Wild Honey and he wanted things that would give the most impact, items that would rock her feminist foundation.
He put body oil at the top of the list, and worked his way down from that—and all the while, he smiled in anticipation.
Chapter Two
Erica was in the lounge waiting when Becky and Asia finally strolled in. They took one look at her and balked. Becky even tried to turn around to sneak back out but Asia snagged her arm and dragged her to the table.
“My, my, my,” Erica quipped. She hadn’t been able to locate George, so Becky and Asia would become the recipients of her discontent. “Don’t you two look apprehensive. Now why would that be, I wonder?”
Asia plopped down into her seat and even rolled her eyes. “Knock it off, Erica. You’re terrorizing Becky with all that nasty sarcasm.”
Wide-eyed Becky showed a lot more caution in seating herself. “Are you mad?”
Erica shot her a look. “Now Becky, why would I be mad? Just because your honey manipulated things a bit for me?”
Becky nodded, making her dark blond curls bounce. “George told me that he was trying to help you out by telling someone about the plan, but—”
“Do you know who he spoke to?” Though Erica asked the question casually, curiosity burned inside her. Who besides Becky, Asia, Cameron, and George knew about her risqué plans?
According to Ian, all of Cuther. Erica bit back a groan at that possibility.
“He didn’t say,” Becky ventured carefully. “And I didn’t think to ask, not after he told me that Ian Conrad had overheard it all and that now you and Ian are . . . well. . . .”
Suddenly Asia leaned forward. “George and Cameron said you’re going to play sex slave with Ian.”
There was a priceless look of scandalized trepidation on her friends’ faces. Trying not to laugh, Erica said, “That’s right,” and she was proud of how cool she sounded—as if the idea didn’t give her a little apprehension herself.
“But with Ian Conrad?”
Erica’s reaction had been the same as Asia’s, but she shrugged. “Yeah, so? What’s wrong with Ian?”
With a worried look, Becky said, “Nothing’s wrong with him, exactly.”
Asia agreed. “Nope. Not a thing.”
Fidgeting, glancing at Asia, Becky said, “Except that he’s, well . . .”
“Enormous,” Asia supplied.
Becky nodded. “Yes, enormous. Perfect description. And maybe . . .” She searched for the new word.
“Forceful.”
“Exactly. Very forceful.” Becky looked quite concerned by that fact.
Maintaining her lazy pose, Erica looked first at Asia, then Becky. “He’s so quiet, how do you know he’s forceful?”
Asia pushed back her long brown hair and propped her chin on a fist. “Maybe it’s because he’s so quiet, and still everything gets done. He’ll have some guys start working on wiring something and if they don’t get it right, he doesn’t say a word, he just has this . . . look.”
“He does have a look,” Becky said.
Asia shivered. “All the new guys stammer around him.”
“So do the women,” Becky confided. “I’ve heard them asking him out, coming on to him. And you know what he does?”
Despite herself, Erica was fascinated. “No, what does he do?”
“He gets this little smile and this real gentle look in his eyes and, oh, man, it’s . . .”
“Devastating.” Asia sighed.
“And then . . .” Becky bit her bottom lip, building the suspense.
“Then?” Erica prompted her.
“He says no.”
“No?”
“That’s right, no. He turns all the women down.”
Erica snorted. Ian Conrad was not a monk, and he sure didn’t strike her as the type who favored celibacy. The man oozed sexuality out of every pore. “Like I’m supposed to believe that?”
“It’s true. Ask them. Yesterday in the ladies’ room they were speculating about whether or not he’s gay.”
After a disgruntled huff, Asia rolled her eyes. “Wounded vanity. Just because a guy’s selective . . .”
Erica started laughing. Sometimes her friends were downright nuts. “I had no idea you two had taken so much notice of him. And here you’re both supposed to be happily involved women.”
“We noticed you noticing,” Becky explained, “so naturally we paid closer attention.”
Erica studied her two best frien
ds—her two guilty best friends. “And then you sicced Cameron and George on Ian to set me up because you thought I’d need help with that?”
Asia flattened back in her chair. “No way! We told you that was an accident. George was just talking about it—”
“About me.”
“Yeah.” Asia grinned. “But you give them both such a hard time, you know they’re dying to see how this turns out for you.”
“They’re dying to see me get my comeuppance, you mean.”
“Not true.” Becky appeared affronted by such an idea. “George is actually a little worried about you.”
“Worried? Why?”
Becky’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Ian makes everyone nervous. He wouldn’t have been my choice for you.”
Damn, if they kept this up, she was going to get more nervous. And she was plenty anxious enough already without any added help.
Hoping to convince herself as well as her two friends, Erica boasted, “I can handle Ian, don’t you worry about that. He might seem like the big, quiet, intimidating type, but he’s still just a man, and like all men, he’ll—”
Becky suddenly looked beyond her, and her face blanched. She elbowed Asia, who followed Becky’s gaze and then immediately slid lower into her seat. Her cheeks turned red.
No, Erica thought. No, no, no . . .
Warm breath touched the back of her ear, along with the hot scent of a big man who’d been hard at work. “Just a few more hours, Erica, and you can see just how well I handle.”
Erica stared at Becky and Asia, willing either of them to lend a calming influence to help even out her tripping heartbeat. But they weren’t looking at her. No, their panicked gazes were directed over her shoulder.
At Ian.
Now how in the hell had he gotten behind her?
Becky and Asia were horrified enough for all three of them, so Erica refused to join in. Instead she fashioned a snide smile, slowly twisted her head around to face him, and met his oh-so-close piercing blue eyes dead on. “Hey, Ian. Skulking around the break room, are you?”
“Repairing a busted circuit, actually.” He surprised her by crouching down next to her seat, which put him slightly below her. In her experience, a man always chose a position of power, choosing to tower over a woman in an effort to intimidate her with his size. That Ian should lower himself beside her, giving her the advantage of looking down on him, was curiously touching.
