by Lily Rede
Ivy was relieved to see that Rafe had relaxed marginally, probably relieved that his business partner wasn’t actually a closet nympho after all.
“I suppose you don’t want to go back out there,” he noted.
“You suppose right. I’m going to stay in here until they’re all too drunk to remember anything except how to call a cab and stumble home.” She started for the couch across the room.
“That sounds like a good idea.” The words were delivered in a low, intimate rumble, and Ivy looked back in surprise.
Oh no. You can’t spend a whole evening in here with Rafe.
She started back to tell him all the reasons that would be a bad idea, when a sudden, familiar magical force had her snapping into a spot in the middle of the room by the desk like a giant rubber band.
Ivy shook her head to clear the sudden dizzy surge of magic, and looked up.
“Oh come on, not again! Glitzy was right.”
The mistletoe overhead was elaborate and cheery and festooned with candy canes and glitter.
“What’s the matter?” Rafe looked up, frowning. “I didn’t put that there.”
“No, I think I can blame that one on my sweet, rosy-cheeked, Machiavellian mother.”
“What – ”
“Seriously, you don’t want to know.” Stampeding frogs suddenly made their presence known in Ivy’s stomach as she realized what she was going to have to do to get out of her current predicament.
Poor me.
“I’m so sorry, Rafe, but I’m stuck here until…until you kiss me.”
“But I didn’t trap you.”
“It’s your office and we’re the only ones here. That’s close enough. Just a little peck will do the trick. Then I’ll grab a cab and you can have a couple of weeks of peace and quiet without any more of this magical nonsense.”
She waited expectantly for Rafe to free her, but he only settled his hip on the edge of the desk, his expression thoughtful.
“Touch your nose,” he abruptly ordered, and Ivy was shocked, but obediently lifted a finger to touch the tip of her nose.
“Are you serious? You’re going to mock me? Come on, Rafe! Let me go.”
Her finger was still on her nose.
“This is so embarrassing.”
“You can stop now.”
Grateful, she dropped her hand and glared at him.
“Are you done?”
“Oh, Miss Kringle, we are very far from done.”
THE LUST THAT SWIRLED through Rafe’s body made him dizzy. Through fair means or foul, he had Ivy Kringle at his mercy, forced to do whatever he asked of her until he let her go with a kiss on the lips. If she had any idea about the depths of his desire for her, she would never have admitted that little secret, but now, all he could think about was checking off his long list of wishes.
He shook his head to banish the idea of ivy as his sexual slave for the evening – despite his take-charge attitude, he wasn’t a man who was into forcing women. He wanted Ivy to want him because she couldn’t help herself, not because her magical genetics had given her a convenient little allergic reaction. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t find a way to take advantage of the situation.
Rafe craved her, almost more than he craved his next breath, and from her odd reaction to his touch earlier that evening, he had a feeling that she wanted him, too. The curiosity in her voice when she admitted that she didn’t specifically object to giving up control had had him hard in an instant, and for the first time he wondered if their sexual desires might not be more in line than he had previously thought.
To hell with it. This is my only chance to find out.
She was still glaring at him.
“What does that mean, we aren’t done?”
“It means that I want to finish what we started earlier in your office.”
The look on Ivy’s face was pure shock, but there was heat, too, sparking in her beautiful blue-green eyes.
“You can’t. I mean, we can’t.”
“Yes, I really think we can.”
“You would force me?” There was a note of pain in her voice, of disappointment and horror that had Rafe moving swiftly to cup her chin, tilting her eyes up to his.
“No. Never. Is that clear? I would never, ever force you.”
The relief in her eyes was palpable, until he continued, “But I’m still not going to let you go. Not yet.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to do. That you don’t agree to.”
“What if I don’t want you to do anything?” Her voice was slightly panicked, but slightly curious.
Rafe grinned.
“Then I’ll just have to experiment until we figure out what you like. Why don’t we say until midnight? No matter what, I’ll kiss you at midnight and you’re free to go.”
After a long moment in which an intoxicating blend of anxiety and heat swirled in her eyes, Ivy nodded almost imperceptibly, and Rafe resisted the urge to beat his chest in triumph. She was still wary as hell, and if he didn’t handle this just right, it would be over before it started. He wanted her interested, but not scared of him. He wanted to show her that he could cherish her and bring them both great pleasure if she would only let him. It was an odd place to be as Rafe realized that while he finally had her completely at his mercy, she was the one with all the power. A little rattled, he stepped behind her.
“Tell me more about the mistletoe allergy,” he ordered, threading his fingers through her silken hair before easing it out of the way to bare her neck.
“Mom first noticed it when we were kids. We had to ban it from the village because Noelle was too good at putting it up everywhere and getting the rest of us to do her chores.”
Rafe set his lips to the curve of her neck, supremely pleased at the slight catch in her breath and the way she tilted her head to give him better access.
“You liked this before,” he murmured, “So I thought we’d start here. Do you like it when I kiss your throat? Tell me.”
“Yes,” she breathed as he gripped her waist.
Ivy didn’t protest as Rafe trailed his lips along her shoulder, nudging the miniscule strap of her dress out of the way.
“It’s a dangerous thing to give the wrong man all this power.”
“Are you the wrong man?” Ivy breathed, and Rafe chuckled.
“Probably, but I can’t help myself. I’ve wanted you since the moment you walked into my door with the proposal for Kringle Works.”
“But that’s – ” Ivy swallowed and tried again, “I didn’t know.”
“I thought that you’d run screaming for the hills if you knew half the things I’ve wanted to do to you. With you.” Rafe moved her hair aside to taste the other shoulder, letting the straps of her dress dangle by her elbows. She didn’t seem to notice.
“Like what?” Ivy murmured, and Rafe was stunned at the eagerness in her voice. Taking a chance, he slid his hands down to her hips and pulled her ass back up against his cock. She gasped.
“Like everything,” he gritted out, forcing himself to hold still and not rock against the lush globes. Under her clothes, he could feel that she was curvier than he had expected, and wondered what other wonderful surprises she had in store for him.
“Oh, princess, the things I could show you. But I don’t want you to use mistletoe as an excuse. I want you to accept everything I have to give because that’s what you want, too. Not objecting isn’t enough, Ivy. I need to know that you want me.”
He hoped he was making sense, but she was moving her ass against him – tiny little movements that had his eyes rolling back into his head. Fuck.
“I want you.”
The relief that crashed over Rafe was like a benediction, but he still didn’t want to scare her.
Gentle. Careful. Respectful.
“You are to tell me if I start to do anything that makes you unhappy or pushes you out of your comfort zone. And that is an order.”
Ivy hesitated, and then, “It’s all out of my comfort zone.”
Rafe laughed and nipped her shoulder, but she’d gone stiff and distant under his hands.
“You asked.”
The tiny seed of suspicion that had taken root earlier that evening burrowed deeper, sending out tendrils of doubt and disbelief. He turned her around to scan her face. Her lips were pressed together, her eyes wide and stormy.
“Ivy,” he ordered, “tell me about the last man you fucked.”
It would kill him to hear it, but he had to know – if something bad had happened to her, if some prick had disappointed her or taken her too far – so he waited, gut clenched, prepared for the worst.
Crickets.
Rafe frowned, “That was an order.”
“There isn’t anything to say.” A delicate blush heated her cheeks.
“I don’t understand. You have to tell me, right?”
“I can only follow an order if it’s within the realm of possibility,” she said, testily.
“What does that mean? That you’ve never – oh my God.”
Rafe stumbled back from her so fast that he actually tripped, banging his hip on the desk before fumbling into one of the visitor’s chairs.
“You’re a virgin,” he choked out.
“You don’t have to say it like that,” Ivy replied, waspish, “Everyone is at one point or another.”
Rafe scrubbed his hands over his face.
Fucking hell.
He knew she was the kind of woman who would be picky about her liaisons, and in a delicate position because of her family, but…never. This beautiful, vibrant woman had never had a man. Rafe was filled with horror and anticipation in equal measure. She had admitted that she wanted him. He would be her first. No matter what happened between them from now on, she was going to remember this forever.
I don’t think I can do it.
Not giving himself time for the swift mental kick at his own stupidity in letting her go, Rafe stood and crossed back to her. He was going to kiss her and send her on her merry way before he did something that shocked the innocent Miss Kringle into the middle of next week.
“What are you doing?” she breathed.
“This was a bad idea. I should never have – let’s just forget it. I’m sorry, Ivy.”
He lowered his head, regret and frustrated lust churning in his belly.
She turned her head away.
“Ivy –”
“I thought you wanted me.”
Shit.
IVY COULDN’T HELP THE rush of tears that filled her eyes and clogged her voice. This whole night was turning out to be her greatest fantasy and her worst nightmare all rolled into one. Rafe had her trapped, at his mercy, and had seemed determined to make sure he was giving rather than taking, insisting that she participate, not just follow orders. Ivy had swiftly melted under the teasing strokes of his lips on her shoulders and throat, and the shockingly hard and huge press of his cock against her ass.
I want this, she had thought. He hadn’t thought of her as Santa’s daughter or his cool business partner. He had thought of her as Ivy, a woman he wanted to seduce.
And then she’d ruined it by giving up the one piece of knowledge guaranteed to send him running – her complete lack of real sexual experience. He wanted to kiss her? Fine. That didn’t mean she had to like it.
Ivy waited for the press of his lips, fighting tears, but it never came. When she looked up, he was watching her, bemused.
“I don’t know what to do here,” he admitted, and the note of uncertainty in his voice warmed her considerably. Ivy grabbed his tie and used it to blot away tears, and then composed herself, taking a deep breath. He didn’t want to hurt her. That was good. She just needed to get him past the idea that he ever would.
“I do,” she said, gathering her courage, “It’s not midnight yet, so I think you should forget about kissing and just fuck me instead.”
Not waiting for an answer, Ivy reached behind herself to find the zipper of her dress and pulled it down. With a whoosh of fabric, the dress landed at her feet, leaving her standing in front of Rafe in silver stilettos, the snowflake pendant, and a tiny pair of emerald satin panties.
“I don’t want you to hold back. I’ve been stockpiling fantasies for a long time, and one of my favorites is having you teach me everything I need to know. Since I’ve never done this before, you’re going to have to tell me what you want, Rafe,” she insisted, trying not to let the roller coaster in her stomach show on her face.
Rafe made a choked sound, but apparently she’d managed to squash his inhibitions, because his hands came up to grip her waist, his eyes fixed on her breasts. They weren’t very big, but Ivy had always thought they were nicely shaped. She stopped thinking entirely when his hands slid up to cover them, warm and strong and slightly rough.
“You’re sure?” he asked, unnecessarily.
Ivy nodded, nibbling her lower lip, and whimpered when he let her breasts go, missing the contact immediately. He eyed the mistletoe above and then reached for the desk, yanking it forward with a mighty screech that Ivy was sure the partygoers heard outside. Rafe lifted her, setting her ass on the edge of the desk.
“Round, plump little tits,” he breathed, “with the prettiest pink nipples. Do you want to put one in my mouth?”
Ivy hesitated, even as the words speared sensation into her pussy, and then nodded.
“Good. Then open up, princess, and make room for me.”
Her stomach fluttered, but she did as he asked and he stepped between her spread thighs, pressing the heavy bulge in his pants against her soft folds. She sucked in a panicky breath, but pressed back.
God that feels nice.
Rafe took her hands and placed them flat on the desk behind her.
“These stay here. Now, arch your back for me.”
Ivy did, and the move pushed her breasts up and out, his for the taking.
Rafe licked his lips. With his hands stroking her spread thighs, he bent and sucked a tight nipple into his mouth. The blistering wet heat made her cry out, and he raised his head.
“Hush, princess. Unless you want an audience.”
With a naughty grin, he returned to her breasts, licking and nibbling as she writhed against him, the long sucks sending sharp tugs of answering pleasure to her pussy. When she was sure she couldn’t take one more second, he pulled back, admiring his handiwork as she panted, her wet, swollen nipples tightly furled and flushed a brutal rose. He cupped her breasts, rolling the sensitive nipples gently, pinching lightly until she gasped.
“Hot and tasty,” Rafe groaned, “I’d like to rub my dick between them until I explode. Does that upset you?”
Ivy swallowed, hard.
“No.”
His eyes gleamed as they swept the length of her, from her eyes down to the damp panel of satin between her legs.
“Let’s save that for later,” he murmured.
Later? There was going to be a later?
He eased back and helped her up, his warm hands kneading and stroking every inch of her as he turned her around and pressed her face down on the desk. The wood was cool against her breasts and cheek, but his hands were hot, raising goosebumps as they stroked the length of her spine. She reached up and gripped the edge of the desk, needing something to hold on to.
“What are you going to do?” Ivy asked, nervous.
“Anything I want, princess,” he replied, and her pussy clenched in excitement, “Now, spread those gorgeous legs as far as they’ll go.”
Helpless to resist, Ivy did as she was told, the position leaving her incredibly open and vulnerable. She moaned as Rafe trailed a light finger down the crease of her ass to her center, and then delicately rubbed her clit through the clinging satin.
“Do you want me to stop?” he asked.
“God, no! Rafe, please – ”
“Don’t move.”
Ivy felt him move away, heard the clink of ice in a glass, and the
n he was back, setting the glass on the desk and his hands on her hips.
“You don’t know how many times I’ve dreamed of you, just like this, spread and waiting for my cock. Are you wet for me?”
Ivy was too overwhelmed to say anything, but a sharp little slap to her ass sent fire zinging to her clit, and a gasp burst from her lips.
“Answer me.”
“Yes,” she managed, “yes, I’m wet for you.”
She felt him tugging the scrap of satin to the side, and then the warmth of his breath against her most sensitive flesh.
“Let’s get you wetter.”
RAFE WAS GLAD THAT he’d had the presence of mind to lock the door, because he couldn’t have stopped now if there was a gun to his head.
She’d been fantasizing about him. She wanted him. Sweet God.
With an impatient yank, he ripped the flimsy satin from her body, leaving the swollen, lush curves of her pussy glistening and bare. Almost bare, that is, and he stroked the tiny patch of blond at the top of her cleft. The rest of her was pink and cream, slippery with her juices, and every delicious inch hypersensitive to his touch. Those fucking noises were going to make him come before he ever got inside her.
He slid a finger through her folds to tease her opening.
“Ever had a toy here?”
“No. Just fingers.”
“Tsk, tsk, Miss Kringle. I can’t wait for you to show me. But we’ll have to get you some toys, too. For here,” he rubbed gently, and then traced his finger up to the sweet pucker of her anus, “and for here as well.”
Rafe chuckled and kissed each cheek, watching her try to absorb the information. She was breathing hard, holding onto the desk as though her life depended on it, and so wet that a drop trickled down her thigh. He leaned forward to swipe it with his tongue.
Peppermint and chocolate. Holy fuck.
Rafe sat back on his heels, forcing himself to slow down. For all of her naughty demands, Ivy was still innocent, and he wanted to make sure that he gave her everything she wanted and more. Which wasn’t going to happen if he fell on her like a ravening beast. There would be plenty of time for that in the months and years ahead. He had already accepted that their future was together – the kiss at midnight would free her from his office, but she’d have to actually reject him to free herself from him.
