7 Minutes in Heaven (Are You Game?)

by Cahill, Rhian

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  Their height difference meant he had to bend his knees to mesh his mouth fully with hers. Widening his legs dropped his head a few inches and placed his thighs either side of hers while his straining erection pressed into her softness, sending blood, hot with need, rushing into his already throbbing groin. He flattened his hands on the wall beside her head so he wouldn’t give in to the temptation of grabbing her and dragging her into the bed she’d offered him. He’d be a fool to rush her. She’d never let him get closer if he used their sexual chemistry to win her over. How he knew that he wasn’t sure, but he did. If he wanted to get to know Cassie, spend time with her, he’d have to tread carefully—needed to produce some of his legendary control and back away.

  Only that wasn’t so easy when her mouth ate at his like she couldn’t get enough. When she gripped the back of his shirt like it was a lifeline. Or when she came up on her toes, arched into him and rubbed against his straining flesh. With a growl, he tore his lips from hers.

  “Fuck.” Luc laid his forehead on Cassie’s and tried to catch his breath. Pleased to note her breathing came in ragged gasps as well. “Damn, you’re potent.”

  “Me?” She fisted her hands in his shirt and he couldn’t recall when she’d moved them from his back to his chest.

  “Yeah, you.” He raised his head a few inches and met her gaze. “You scramble my brains without trying.”

  Cassie laughed and pushed him away. “Pot, meet Kettle.”

  Luc grinned. He liked that she wasn’t playing coy or using his reactions to her against him. She was a breath of fresh air and Luc couldn’t wait to saturate his blood with her. But not yet. Tonight they needed to get their balance, regain some sanity and think about where this was leading. Well, at least he did. “So, is there anything you want me to do? Unpack the van?”

  Her smile faltered. “Ah, no. We’ll do that in the morning when we get to the warehouse.” She ducked her head, but before she could sneak under his outstretched arm and escape, he slid his hands lower down the wall, effectively trapping her.

  “Look at me, Cass.” He waited long seconds for her to comply. When she finally did, he could see the uncertainty swirling her eyes. “Make no mistake that I want you in that bed.” Luc tipped his head to indicate the room beside them. “But I want far more than a quick tumble, and if you’re honest I think you’ll admit you do too.”

  She started to shake her head, but he stopped her by gripping her chin in his hand.

  “You can lie to me, but don’t lie to yourself, Cass.” He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip and watched it tremble under his touch.

  “I don’t have time to get involved. Don’t want to,” she whispered.

  Luc could understand her hesitancy, but he wasn’t about to ignore the intense attraction between them. And it was between them, her body told him she was as equally affected even if her mouth didn’t. “I’m not sure what exactly it is between us but it’s far more than one night of pleasure, and I’m willing to wait because I know we’ll end up in that bed eventually.”

  A burst of air fanned over his thumb when she gasped, and a shudder rolled through him as he thought about how her warm breath might feel on other more sensitive parts of his body. Leaning forward, he planted a quick, hard kiss on her lips before he stepped back and broke all contact.

  It was the hardest thing he’d done in recent memory, but Luc smiled and said, “See you in the morning.” He strode into the bedroom and closed the door behind him before he could change his mind and take her against the wall.

  Cassie flopped face down on her bed and groaned. Her body thrummed with arousal. She felt achy and needy and empty. Sensations she hadn’t experienced in a long, long time. The last man to pique her interest had made it more than clear he didn’t want to date a workaholic, and Cassie couldn’t blame him. When she’d first started Are You Game?, her whole existence had revolved around making her business a success. And obviously Jared hadn’t been enough of a draw for her to put that aside and satisfy his demands for more of her time. There was no doubt in her mind that Lucas was enough incentive to test her all-work-no-play schedule.

  He’d already made her forget the job. Twice. Hell, she was pretty sure it would have taken her minutes to remember her own name if someone had asked after he’d kissed her. With another groan, Cassie rolled over and stared at the ceiling. He was in the room next to hers and he’d made it perfectly clear he’d welcome her in his bed. Only he wanted more than one night tangling the sheets and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Until Lucas had spoken his intentions she hadn’t thought beyond the overwhelming desire he provoked, but now she was forced to examine what she wanted. And Cassie had the uncomfortable feeling she wouldn’t like what she uncovered.

  Lucas Wilhelm was trouble with a capital T. He’d managed to do what no other man had. Distract her from the most important thing in her life. Nothing and no one had been able to pull her focus from Are You Game? since the day she’d overseen her first event. She couldn’t afford to be sidetracked. Not now that she was launching the adults-only line of parties. Tonight had been a resounding success, but that didn’t mean she could relax. Far from it. If anything, she had to be even more vigilant. She’d taken a huge risk in diversifying in a direction that might offend future customers, especially those who booked children’s parties or her corporate team-building packages.

  Cassie sighed and brought one arm up to cover her eyes. Worrying wouldn’t do her—or the situation—any good, and she’d never fall asleep if she didn’t shut down her racing mind. She needed a shower. Needed to wash away the day’s grime and hopefully the negative ions would clear her head as well. Sighing, she rolled off the bed and padded over to her dresser to grab some PJs. The idea of running into Lucas in the hall had her pausing at the door. Like a thief, she stuck her ear to the timber and listened before venturing out of her room. All was quiet, so she cracked the door an inch to see if he was using the bathroom. No light showed beneath the closed door and she wasted no time sprinting the two metres to the bathroom and safely shutting herself inside.

  Although tempted to linger beneath the hot spray, Cassie made quick work of cleaning up and pulling her PJs on. Using the same caution as before, she snuck back to her room and closed the door behind her. Breathing a sigh of relief, she switched off the light and climbed into bed. The house was warm, the residual heat of the day remained trapped inside, but it wasn’t hot enough to turn on the central air. It would be a waste anyway, she’d be leaving for work in a few hours and she wouldn’t be home all day, plus she figured Lucas would expect her to stay at his place tomorrow night. She shivered. Staying with him would be dangerous. He was already hard to resist, but Cassie got the impression spending the day with him would make it next to impossible.

  The floorboards in the hall creaked a second before the bathroom door closed. Vivid images of Lucas standing beneath her shower, his body wet and slick as water cascaded down every ridge of muscle in his magnificent physique played through Cassie’s mind like an X-rated movie. Her pussy fluttered and moisture seeped out to soak her panties. She clenched her thighs, but the action brought no relief from the ache burning in her sex. Cassie couldn’t remember any guy producing such an intense reaction, and Lucas wasn’t even in the room. His potent sexuality required no more than a thought to have her panting for breath and struggling to keep from marching across the hall and making him finish what he’d started.

  Old pipes rattled as water rushed through them and another spasm gripped her lower belly. She was wound so tight it wouldn’t take much to get her off. Her breasts felt heavy and her nipples puckered, throbbing to the beat of her racing pulse. Sliding a hand over her abdomen and into her pants, Cassie zeroed in on her clit and circled the protruding bundle of nerves she knew would bring her relief quickly.

  Dipping lower, she spread her body’s creamy essence through her folds and back to her clit. Her breathing shallowed—shortened—and she bit her
lip to hold back the moans of pleasure bubbling in her throat. Cassie’s hips rocked with her hand as she inched closer and closer to orgasm. She brought her other hand to her breast. Pinched and pulled at her erect nipple and pretended it was Lucas delivering the delicious sensations screaming through her system. Vaguely, she registered the water turning off and realised he wasn’t showering, but she was too far gone to worry if he could hear her whimper and moan as she approached the jagged edge of release. Using a second finger, she pinched her clit and sent herself flying.

  A cry tore from her chest, the sound of pleasure unmistakable in the quiet room—and probably the rest of the house—only Cassie didn’t care. The hum of satisfaction settled over her, the discharge of tension softening her muscles until every limb—every cell—grew heavy. Her eyelids drooped, her mind floating on a wave of bliss as the day finally caught up with her. With a smile curling her lips, Cassie thought of Lucas across the hall and wondered if he was seeking his own pleasure.

  Luc stood in the dark and cursed. Barely in control, he fisted his hands and clenched his jaw. He’d come close to losing it in the bathroom. With Cassie’s sweet scent surrounding him on the humid air, he’d known she’d showered only moments before, which had his imagination spinning visions of her naked in the glass-walled shower cubicle. Add in the red lacy underwear dangling from beneath the hamper lid and Luc had to douse his head under cold water to cool off. And now, in the hall, with Cassie’s cry of pleasure echoing in his skull, Luc knew nothing short of drowning himself in the Arctic Sea would cool him down. He still couldn’t work out what it was about Cassie that set his blood boiling so quickly.

  Forcing himself to move, he walked to the room she’d given him—not hers, even though a voice inside his head was screaming he should. After listening to Cass get herself off, he’d love nothing more than to go to her and slake his own lust. However, he had enough control to know that wouldn’t get him the ultimate prize. And at some point between going toe-to-toe with the diminutive Cassandra Moreland for the first time and now, he’d come to the realisation that she was the goal, not the pleasure they’d find in bed together. Which meant he had to get his head—the one on his shoulders—in command of his body.

  He stripped out of his clothes and crawled beneath the covers. His cock ached and Luc couldn’t help palming his throbbing flesh. With a firm grip, he stroked from root to tip. A shudder rippled through him, and he closed his eyes and imagined Cassie’s hand in place of his. On each pass, he increased the pressure, sped up the pace and in an embarrassingly short amount of time, he found himself on the brink of coming. Stomach muscles clenching, balls drawing up tight, Luc let his orgasm take him and came in hard spurts over his hand and torso.

  Cursing his lack of control and the arousal still humming in his veins, he got out of bed and stalked back to the bathroom. Uncaring of his naked state, he didn’t even glance in the direction of Cassie’s room. Didn’t dare—she’d just proven, without being in the same room, she could get to him. He’d never felt so out of control. Not with a woman, not with his job. Flicking on the water, Luc stepped beneath the cold shower and rinsed away the evidence of his weakness. She’d gotten under his skin—in his blood—and he didn’t have a clue how to get her out or even if he wanted to.

  With a groan, he closed his eyes and ducked his head under the spray. The water pelted his scalp, the sound drowning the voice in his head that told him to go to Cassie and finish what they both obviously wanted. He had no idea how long he stood beneath the cold shower, but he finally roused himself and switched it off. Eyeing the only towel on the rack, he couldn’t bring himself to use it, knowing she’d rubbed it all over her body first. Glancing around the room, he spied the cupboard tucked in behind the door and opened it to find shelves filled with female toiletries as well as fresh towels.

  Grinning, Luc snagged one and ran it over his face only to have the smile die a quick death when he caught Cassie’s distinct scent. With a moan, he buried his face deeper into the soft fabric and drew in a breath. Her smell surrounded him. It wasn’t as pronounced as when he’d held her in his arms, but it was just as effective. The erection he’d so recently satisfied re-emerged, and he wondered if he’d ever quench the thirst for Cassie his body seemed to have. One thing he was sure of was this wasn’t your everyday run-of-the-mill kind of lust.

  For a start, he respected her—admired her—and he could tell they held the same moral codes when it came to working hard and going after what they wanted. She wasn’t hard on the eyes either. In spite of her lack of height, she wasn’t what he’d call short, just shorter than his usual preference. Of course, those preferences hadn’t found him anywhere near the pleasure he’d found with Cassie, and he hadn’t even fucked her yet. He had to assume there would be fireworks once he managed to get her beneath him.

  Dry, Luc hung the towel on the free rail and made his way back to his room. The house remained quiet around him and he assumed Cassie had gone to sleep after she’d come loud enough to shake the rafters. He chuckled. Hearing her scream when he made her climax would be music to his ears. A symphony he couldn’t wait to conduct. With a smile, he climbed into bed once more and thought about tomorrow and how he’d win Cassie over. He expected her to fight him—in spite of their combustible attraction, they hardly knew each other—and he relished the chance to tussle with her again.

  No doubt about it. Cassandra Moreland fired his blood and went close to driving him insane, but he wasn’t about to walk away. Not until he’d explored every inch of her, discovered everything that made her tick and convinced her she wanted to do the same to him.

  By the time their challenge was over, Luc hoped to have made inroads in his quest to not only win her over but to win her heart. He had the feeling she guarded that soft centre with razor wire, but he planned to breach her defences, because suddenly he wouldn’t be happy with anything less than all of her.

  Chapter Five

  Cassie rolled over with a grunt when her phone alarm blared from across the room. Burrowing her head beneath her pillow, she tried to ignore the offending noise, but that only allowed the voice in her head to remind her no one else would run Are You Game? or today’s event. Just the thought of a lively bunch of six-year-olds made her want to weep. Of course, once she mainlined some caffeine and showered she’d be right to go. It was those minutes until then that were always the killer.

  Eyes closed, Cassie tossed the pillow aside and all but fell out of bed. With her eyelids barely cracked, she staggered the few steps to her dresser and stabbed at the screen of her iPhone until the screeching stopped. Silence. Her lips tipped up on the ends while her ears sighed in relief. Floor boards creaked beneath her bare feet as she made her way to the kitchen and the coffee pot. The aroma of coffee hung on the air and Cassie thanked the inventor of the humble timer mechanism. She also thanked herself for having the foresight to set the timer yesterday before she left for work so she woke to the much needed kick start to her morning today.

  She grabbed her favourite mug from the dishwasher and filled it to the rim with the dark liquid that was her saving grace every day. Cassie had never been a morning person, and even after years of getting up at dawn, her body refused to be trained to enjoy the first light of day. With a sigh, she leaned against the counter and took a sip. Hot, but not enough to scald, she rolled the coffee around her mouth and savoured that first taste before she swallowed then proceeded to gulp down the rest of the cup. Warmth filled her chest and belly, and it would only take a few minutes for that initial shot of caffeine to hit her blood stream.

  Topping up her mug, Cassie resigned herself to the inevitable and headed back to her room. She had a lot to do this morning. Unpack last night’s equipment from the van, repack it for the bead party today’s birthday girl had requested and do the last-minute food prep. Dan would meet…

  Cassie stopped mid step, the sip of coffee she’d barely swallowed catching in her throat. Standing in her hallway—naked—was the mo
st gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on. Lucas Wilhelm was every woman’s fantasy, and here he stood in all his bronzed glory. All she could do was stare. And drool. Definitely drool. How had she forgotten he was in her house? He moved the bundle of clothes in his hand to cover his groin, but it was too late. She’d already seen his semi-erect cock, and her mouth wasn’t the only thing drooling. Heat bloomed between her legs and moisture coated her folds, her body making it perfectly clear where she wanted that magnificent appendage.

  And his cock was magnificent. Cassie had never seen one better. Or bigger. A shudder gripped her as her pussy clenched with delight at the thought of being impaled on his length. She’d never been this affected by a guy before. Sex—while enjoyable—hadn’t delivered this burning need to touch and be touched, and she wasn’t all that happy about it. There was no denying the way he made her feel. Even if he couldn’t see her dripping pussy he’d have to be blind to miss her nipples doing their impersonation of Sydney Tower. They all but poked holes in her tank top, they were that hard.

  Lucas cleared his throat and Cassie’s gaze darted up to collide with fiery black orbs. The flare of desire he aimed at her had heat washing up her neck and into her face. “Um…”

  “I was going to grab a quick shower.” His voice, rough and deep, skipped over her nerves and sent a shiver down her spine.

  “Oh, right. Yes.” She licked her bottom lip. “Go ahead. I’ll go after you and we’ll leave in about thirty minutes. Coffee’s in the kitchen.”

  “Thanks.” He didn’t move.

  Acutely aware of his every breath, Cassie sidled past him and escaped to the safety of her room. Only there was nothing safe about her bedroom. Not when she could still see him in her mind, and when the old house’s plumbing rattled, she imagined him naked—wet. Sleek and hot as he stood beneath the falling water. Her breathing stuttered and her lower belly warmed with arousal that dripped down into her core to remind her of what she was missing. There was no way she’d last through his shower. Yanking her bedside drawer open, she put her cup down, grabbed her ear buds and plugged them into her phone. Within seconds, the pounding beat of the latest dance-floor tune filled her head and drowned out the sound of water rushing through pipes. Unfortunately, the music didn’t erase the images her memory continued to play.