by Jess Dee
Lexi gulped in a breath.
“Are you wearing that sexy black thong again?” He licked his lower lip.
She wasn’t. Today her underwear was purple.
“I’d stand behind you and inch the black lace down your legs. I’d move slowly, so I wouldn’t miss one centimeter of your skin.” He looked contemplative for a minute. “Would I take them off with my hands or my teeth?”
Tingles ran up her legs as if his teeth grazed her outer thigh.
“My hands. So I can watch you thrust your ass toward me, teasing me with a glimpse of your pussy.” The timbre of his voice changed, lowered a notch. “Are you wet, Lexi? Like you were in Melbourne?”
As much as she wished she wasn’t, she was wet. Very wet.
Her breath caught. She had trouble focusing. All she could see was her naked butt in the air and him staring at it, hunger etched in his eyes.
She realized she was gnawing on her bottom lip in the exact place where his tongue had just touched his mouth. The realization was erotic in the extreme. She could almost feel the warm moisture of his tongue on her own lip.
His breath was uneven. “I’d touch you. But not with my fingers.” He clenched his hand into a fist. “Even though I’m dying to rub your clit again. You don’t want my fingers.”
Oh, dear Lord, was he ever wrong. She wanted them so bad she could imagine them between her legs.
“I won’t use my tongue either.” Again he licked his lower lip. “Much as I’d like to taste all that sweet honey, that’s not what you want.”
Oh. Yes. I. do.
“My cock,” he murmured, the sound echoing through his office.
Lexi swallowed audibly.
“It’s hard, like it always is when you’re around. And if I’m hard, and you’re wet…”
“I’d fuck you, Lexi.” He closed his eyes for a minute, as if in pain. “I will fuck you. I’ll thrust so deep inside you, you’ll scream for more. We both will. We’ll be so connected we’ll think we were one person. I’ll do it over and over again until we can’t take it for one…more…second. At which point…” He stared straight into her soul. “I’ll give you an orgasm so sweet, so powerful, you’ll be grateful for the desk beneath you.”
He was right. There was no way she’d be physically capable of taking all that pleasure standing up. Her knees would give in the second he plunged into her.
“I’ll come, too. The way you shudder when you come, the way you clench around my cock… Christ, you’d milk me of every last drop. Leave me exhausted.” He hummed softly, almost like a purr. “And satisfied.”
Neither of them spoke. They remained as they were—she standing, weak-kneed, he sitting—and stared at each other. The only sound was that of their uneven, raspy breathing.
An interminable length of time passed before Lexi broke the silence. “I… Well…” Because after that, what could she say?
It must have had an effect on Adam. He snapped out of his trance-like state, rested his elbow on the edge of the desk, and dropped his forehead into his hand. “Jesus, I’m sorry.” His voice was ragged with remorse. He shook his head. “I never meant for that to happen.”
Lexi gawked at him.
He raised his head. Both the icy glare and the hungry stare were gone. He just looked…tired. As if he bore the weight of the world on his shoulders. “I was way out of line, and I apologize.” He shook his head again, as though unable to believe what he’d done.
She could barely believe it herself.
Then he lifted his shoulders and straightened his tie. “The donation comes with no attached strings. I…Riley Corporation would be happy to give you the money. Your project is both necessary and useful, and anyone who takes part in it will benefit. It’s that simple.”
Holy shit.
The man changed personas faster than she changed outfits on a bad clothes day. He perplexed her.
“I’m not sure what to say.” Or to think. His behavior was giving her whiplash. He blew hot then cold faster than she could blink. Desiring her, reeling her in, seducing her, then shoving her away as fast as he could. Pause. Breathe. Repeat.
His verbal seduction left her body humming crazily from overstimulation and lack of fulfillment. His change in attitude left her stunned. Again.
Was she supposed to be the professional social worker, here to make a formal acceptance of a donation for her program? Or was she supposed to be the spurned, insulted lover who, for the third time, had fallen for the cold charmer who cherished and lusted after her half the time and treated her like dirt the other half?
At this point, the only thing she was capable of being was enormously aroused and virtually speechless.
“There’s nothing to say. Our financial director, Matt Brodie, will be looking after the sponsorship from here on. He’ll be in touch to discuss the transfer of funds. You can tell him whether you’d prefer a lump sum or monthly deposits. In addition, we’ll need to handle the press. As soon as they get wind that we’ve made the donation, they’ll be sniffing around for details. Matt will liaise with our PR department about that. I’ll expect monthly reports on the progress of the program and detailed analyses of where the funds have been used. I can get that from Matt.” He paused and made a note of something on his iPad. Then he looked her square in the eyes. “Any questions you have, Matt will be happy to deal with. Genevieve will give you his card on your way out.”
“You won’t be involved from now on?”
“I’ve done my share. The rest can be handled by Brodie.”
She could scarcely believe it. On the one hand, everything had fallen into place. She had the funds, she could start the program, and she could watch her idea come to fruition. On the other hand, he’d cut her out of his life and passed her on to someone else so he wouldn’t have to deal with her anymore. From now on, there would be no reason to meet Adam Riley again.
Why wasn’t she filled with elation at the prospect?
“Well, then.” She smiled nervously. “I suppose all that remains to be expressed is our gratitude.” She tried to slip back into social work mode. “On behalf of POWS and the hospital, I thank you for your donation toward the sibling program. Please rest assured the money will be put to good use, and many children will benefit from your generosity.”
He gave a brief nod. “You’re welcome.”
Lexi had spent several awkward moments in Adam’s company. This had to be the most uncomfortable one yet. She didn’t want to thank him and leave. She wanted him to press her down over the desk and fuck her—like he’d described. Not in exchange for the money, but she wanted Adam. Reluctantly.
Wanted him with a ferocity that stunned her.
“So I guess this is it.” She gave him a half smile.
“I guess it is.” He nodded in agreement.
“I should probably be going, then.”
“You probably should.”
Well then, why were her legs not moving? “Good-bye, Mr. Riley.”
“Good-bye, Miss Tanner.”
She bit her lip, wanting to say something more but not sure what. Finally, she sighed, walked to the door, and opened it.
She turned back to him. “Adam—” Her voice caught.
His face was haunted by sadness so profound it whipped the breath from Lexi’s chest.
“Yeah?” he prompted, his voice soft.
“You…” What could she say? She couldn’t intrude on his thoughts. “I…” In the end, the only thing that came to mind was a simple, “Thank you.”
His only response was a single nod of his head.
Chapter Seven
“Doesn’t anybody knock anymore?” Adam muttered as, five minutes after Lexi left, the door to his office opened yet again and Matt Brodie sauntered inside.
Routine was routine. Why should it change now? Matt never knocked. He merely walked in and made himself comfortable—usually stopping at the glass cabinet to fix a drink first.
Adam checked his watch. Even by Matt’
s standards, it was too early for a scotch. Damn pity. He could use one himself. A double, straight up. He hadn’t meant to pitch that seduction line at Lexi. But God help him, she’d stood there, a silhouette in the sunlight, her hair a halo of gold, and he’d only been able to think about two things: making love to her first, and holding her after.
He would have given his left arm to press her down on his desk and fuck her, to plunge his dick into her repeatedly until she convulsed around him.
It wasn’t the physical need that scared him. It was the psychological one. The need to keep Lexi at his side and never let her go.
That terrified the crap out of him.
“Word is you’ve made another hefty donation to the hospital,” Matt said as he took a seat, stretched his legs out, and rested his hands on his stomach.
“Word gets around fast.” Adam’s tone was a notch lower than he would have liked, and he cleared his throat.
“So it’s true?”
Adam nodded.
“Don’t you think you’ve given enough?”
“Don’t you think it’s none of your business?”
“Hmm, let’s see. Financial director…five-figure donation…Riley Corporation?” Matt scratched his chin. “Well, gosh and doggone it, I do believe it could be my business after all.”
Adam smirked, focusing on the man he viewed as a brother. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever.”
“You want to tell me what’s going on? I thought we’d decided not to donate any more to this particular cause.” His voice held no edge, just concern.
“No. You decided. I hadn’t come to any conclusion.”
“You’re too close, Ad. You have zero objectivity when it comes to dealing with this shit. The request should have been referred to me from the start.”
“Relax. It has been. Miss Tanner will be dealing directly with you from now on.”
Matt was not placated. “Why’d you take it on yourself to meet with the woman in the first place?”
Adam smiled ruefully. He never should have met with Lexi, but some forces even an adult man couldn’t fight. “She made the appointment with Genevieve while I was away.”
Matt shook his head and stood. “It screws you up every time.” He opened the bar and, to Adam’s immense relief, pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. “Here,” he said, placing a glass in front of Adam and half filling it with the tawny liquid. “Single malt, no ice. Yeah. It’s a healthy serving. You look like you could use it.”
He could, and he did, bolting back a large mouthful. The scotch burned its way down his throat and settled in a warm puddle in his stomach.
Matt raised an eyebrow, poured himself a tot and sat back down. “So, what charity is it?”
“Siblings of kids with cancer.”
“Siblings?” Matt snorted. “You mean the healthy kids who get to live normal lives?”
“I mean the healthy kids whose normal lives get buggered up by cancer.”
Matt nodded and swirled his glass. “Point taken.”
He set his drink down. “It’s a good project. She’s looking at cancer from a whole different angle, one we’d…I’d never considered before.” He gave his partner a brief synopsis of the program. “She’ll do good things with the money. This wasn’t a mistake.”
“Got any information on it?”
Adam opened a drawer and handed him the proposal. “It’s all in there. Anything else you want to know, contact Lexi Tanner. Her details are on the cover sheet.”
Matt took a couple of minutes to browse through the document. “It does look good. I still don’t think you should’ve gotten involved.”
Adam held back a cynical laugh. If Matt knew how involved he’d gotten, he’d fall off his chair. “Quit worrying. It’s the right decision.”
“For the hospital maybe. Not for you.”
Adam rubbed a tired hand over his face. Was it still morning? Seemed more like midnight.
“You know I’m right. The only time you get that look on your face is when you think about Timmy.”
His son.
For a moment neither man spoke. Matt’s words hung in the air between them.
Tension crackled up Adam’s spine, and he threw back the rest of his drink. He barely tasted it. Pain cut through him, raw and unforgiving.
It was about Timmy. It was always about Timmy.
“I think about him all the time.”
Matt nodded. “I know you do, mate.” His gentle tone only served to increase Adam’s pain. “Look, no worries. I’ll take care of the project from here on.” He gave him a no-nonsense glare. “You stay out of it. Understood?”
“Don’t you have work to do? Clients to harass?”
“Apparently, I have a whole new charity proposition to deal with.”
“Good, then take care of it and leave me in peace.”
Matt stood. “My leaving,” he said, his voice forceful yet compassionate, “is not going to give you peace. Only you can find that—when you’re ready to start looking.”
Chapter Eight
Friday afternoon found Lexi staring across her desk at Matt Brodie. They’d been together for about an hour and had managed to sort out most of the details pertaining to the Riley donation.
Over a week had passed since she’d seen Adam, and maybe forty-five seconds since she’d thought about him. The man occupied every inch of her head. Confusion about him etched its way through her heart. One minute she despised him and everything he stood for, the next she hungered for a glimpse of him. More than once she’d thought about the expression on his face when she’d turned from the door in his office to look at him.
She didn’t need the details to know Adam had experienced a trauma. Something that had devastated him.
Her instinctive reaction had been to soothe the hurt, but Riley had made it clear he wanted nothing to do with her. Offering comfort would probably have compounded the animosity of their already stormy relationship.
Dealing with Matt was a breeze compared to her interactions with Riley. Matt seemed like a decent man. He was good-looking in a wholesome kind of a way with brown hair, brown eyes covered by slim, wire-framed glasses, and a quick smile that put her instantly at ease. Perhaps her comfort with him was compounded by the fact that he lacked the brute sexuality his partner exuded.
His no-nonsense manner made their business interactions a pleasure. In less than an hour, they’d decided that the donation would be made on a monthly basis for a year. Thereafter they would assess the viability of the project and renegotiate funding. If the project was successful, Riley Corporation would continue to provide the necessary capital.
Lexi had given him a tour of the ward and the adjoining rooms that would be used for the project and introduced him to the staff members who would be participating in the program. They’d discussed a suitable salary for the soon-to-be appointed manager and identified a feasible commencement date. Now they sat ironing out the last few fine points of their contract.
Lexi glanced at the notes she’d jotted down before Matt arrived. “The last matter on the agenda—keeping you informed of proceedings. Adam has requested that we send monthly rep—” Her words trailed off at the astonished look in Matt’s eyes. “Is something wrong?”
“What did you say?”
“I was talking about sending monthly reports.”
“No, before that. Who did you say requested them?”
“Mr. Riley. Why?”
“You called him Adam.”
“Yes?”
“You called AJ Riley Adam.”
Lexi lifted her eyebrows in question.
Matt took off his glasses and grinned. “I didn’t think anyone in Sydney knew his first name.”
It was out of character for Riley to introduce himself as Adam? “Would it make you more comfortable if I called him AJ? Or Mr. Riley?”
“Not at all,” Matt assured her, a strange gleam to his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’ve gone off track.” He put his glasses back on. “Wh
at were you saying about monthly reports?”
“Just that…Adam has requested we keep you up-to-date with them. I’d also like to invite you over from time to time to see the progress we’re making. If the children are up to it, possibly even have you meet some of them.”
“I’d like that. Once you’re officially up and running and the rooms are ready, we’ll be sending a photographer around to document the project. There’ll be a lot of public interest in this.”
“Perhaps a week before the official opening, we can hold a press conference? That’ll cover any media needs for both Riley Corporation and the hospital, and it’ll give the project much-needed publicity. The more parents out there who are aware of it, the better. Once the program begins, I won’t allow press or photographers into the offices. I won’t subject our kids to that.”
Matt nodded. “I wouldn’t expect you to.” He looked down at his own notes. “Any other issues to discuss?”
“None,” Lexi said. “How about you?”
“Nothing right now. If you think of anything, contact me at any time.”
“Thank you, and same here.” Lexi checked her watch. “Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to have to call an end to this meeting. I have a pressing matter that needs my attention.”
“Hospital work. I understand.”
“Good guess, but nope.” Lexi smiled. “My brother’s getting married on Sunday. I’m going to spend some quality sibling time with him.”
…
Lexi repressed an envious sigh.
Her brother had a permanent grin plastered on his face. He’d had it since Amy had agreed to marry him. He’d also spent an inordinate amount of time hugging Lexi because she was his sister. Sarah had left the room minutes earlier to escape being crushed in yet another brotherly embrace.
“Can you believe it?” he asked with one of his stupid smiles. “In less than an hour, I’ll be a married man.”
It was pretty hard to believe. Daniel had always been a die-hard bachelor, a nonbeliever in the whole commitment story, and yet, today was his wedding day. Who’d ever have thought it? Daniel Tanner—a groom. No question, he was a changed man. There was a sense of completion about him that hadn’t been there before his best friend accepted his proposal.
