by Opal Carew
Her breathing accelerated and she moaned as she clung to him.
“Are you close?” he murmured into her ear. He knew the answer, but loved to hear her admit it.
“Yes, sir.”
Fuck. He drove deeper, grinding her to the wall.
“You know what I want to hear.”
He drew out, then glided forward slowly, torturing her.
“Yes, Mr. Ranier.” Her breathless voice sent his blood boiling.
He drove into her and kept on thrusting. Faster and faster.
She sucked in a breath, then whimpered.
“Oh, sir…” She gasped, then stiffened. “I’m … going … to…” Her words came out between thrusts.
She threw her head back. “Come.” Then she wailed loudly.
His cock throbbed, then he felt liquid fire stream through him as he erupted into her hot, sweet body.
They both gulped in air as he held her pinned to the wall.
Finally, he drew back slowly, ensuring she was steady on her feet. He grinned at her, stroking back a few strands of hair that had escaped her barrette.
“Maybe next time, we should figure out how to work in a little foreplay.”
* * *
On Friday night, Jessica was sitting on the couch reading a magazine when Melanie breezed into the room in the brand new dress she’d bought at lunch. They’d spotted it in the window of a shop they’d passed on the way to the deli where they’d gone to eat. Melanie had been taken by it, so Jessica had suggested they stop in the store on the way back to the office. As soon as she’d tried it on, Melanie had fallen in love with it.
“That dress really does look great on you,” Jessica said. With its bright splashes of color and glittery trim, it was quite different from the conservative attire she wore to the office.
Melanie beamed. “Thank you. I feel like a million bucks in it.” She pulled on her coat and then picked up her purse. “Are you sure you don’t want to join us?”
“No, I don’t really feel like partying tonight.”
“You know Jerrod’s going to be there. He really likes you, you know. I thought you were at least a little interested.”
Jerrod was tall, attractive, and interesting to talk to, but he was no Dane.
“He’s a great guy, but I really don’t want to get into a romantic relationship right now.”
“I know, it’s too soon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t go out with the guy. Even sleep with him. Especially sleep with him. I think it would do you a world of good.”
“Don’t worry, I’m doing fine.”
“You do seem pretty relaxed for someone who hasn’t gotten laid in months.” Melanie pursed her lips. “In fact, maybe too relaxed.” She sat down on the couch beside her. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were seeing someone.”
“I told you, I don’t want—”
“A romantic entanglement. I know. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t getting some.” Her eyes narrowed. “Is it someone at work?”
“Melanie…” But she could feel her cheeks tinge red.
“Because that’s a really bad idea. A really, really bad idea. Tell me you’re not.”
Jessica tried to utter the lie, but she couldn’t get her mouth to cooperate. So she said nothing.
“Oh, honey, no. Who is it?” Then she waved her hands. “No, I don’t want to know. Is that what you’re doing when you’re running those errands at lunch?”
There were three times Jessica hadn’t gone to lunch with Melanie. Once because Melanie was busy, once because Jessica had some banking to do, and once was when she’d gone out shopping for the garter belt and shoes. Her cheeks burned hotter.
“Okay, it’s none of my business. I just think it’s a really bad idea to get involved with someone at work. And if Mr. Ranier found out, he would probably be livid. You remember I mentioned that I had a little crush on Mr. Ranier’s brother, Rafe?”
Jessica nodded.
“Well, it was more than a crush. I kind of fell in love with him.” Melanie waved her finger at Jessica. “And that stays between us.”
Jessica nodded. “Of course.”
“But I never acted on it, even though every day I wanted to throw myself at him and tear off his clothes.”
“Melanie…”
“I know, I said it was none of my business.” She frowned. “And I’m not judging. Getting laid is a great idea. I just don’t want to see you get into a tough situation. If the guy is more senior than you, it could lead to all kinds of trouble if it ends badly. And let’s face it, it’s going to end. Especially if there’s only sex between you.”
“Thanks, Melanie. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Okay. That’s all I’ll say about it then.”
“Mel, I’m sorry about you and your boss.”
Melanie nodded. “And it kills me that he’s gone. Before he left, even though I knew we could never be together, at least I could see him every day.”
Melanie’s wide green eyes turned to Jessica and the depth of pain and vulnerability there astonished her.
“I miss him so much.”
Jessica nodded, then pursed her lips. “I tell you what. If you can wait a few minutes, I’ll run and change.”
A smile crept across Melanie’s face, driving away the sorrow. “That’s great. I’ll wait right here.”
* * *
That night, Melanie’s words marched through Jessica’s brain.
And let’s face it, it’s going to end. Especially if there’s only sex between you.
She was right, of course. It would end. Then what would happen to her job?
But everything she knew about Dane told her he would do right by her. He would ensure she had a new job somewhere in the company, she was sure of it. And people changed jobs all the time. She wouldn’t expect to stay in this position forever, even though she loved working for Dane. And she would miss working with Melanie if that happened.
But all that was a long way off. She’d just started this relationship with Dane and was determined to enjoy it while it lasted.
And enjoy it she was. Every afternoon they had sex in his office and it was always fast and furious. They had yet to work out having anything more than minimal foreplay, because they were always so intensely turned on by the time they started. He was so freaking sexy. And there was something about being in an office. She was sure they would explore other scenarios. But right now the relationship was still new and intense. Not that it would ever stop being intense with Dane. But she remembered the long, thorough lovemaking they’d enjoyed that first time.
Her body ached at the memory.
No matter what happened in the future, this time with Dane was definitely worth it.
* * *
Jessica sat down at the table in the little café. She and Dane had been at a meeting on the outskirts of the city until late morning and had another across town at one o’clock, so he had suggested they grab lunch out.
This was the first time he’d taken her to lunch and, in fact, the first time they’d been together in a social setting since the dinner event she’d accompanied him to. It felt a little awkward as she watched him over her water glass while he checked his phone messages. Should she review his e-mails while they waited for lunch?
She opened her purse, which sat on the chair beside her, and pulled out her tablet.
“You aren’t thinking of working, are you?” he asked as he slipped his phone into his jacket pocket.
“Well, I wasn’t sure.”
“Relax. It’s lunchtime.”
The waitress arrived with a basket of freshly baked bread and took their order. Dane recommended she try the soup as an appetizer. The waitress returned a few moments later with two steaming bowls.
Jessica tasted it and glanced at Dane. “This is the best clam chowder I’ve ever had.”
He smiled. “I wouldn’t steer you wrong.”
She tipped her head and smiled. It was true. Everything he’d advi
sed her to do had worked out amazingly well. Her finger brushed against the stone in her jacket pocket.
“You know, I really appreciate the advice you gave me when we first met. It really helped build my confidence when I was at the career fair.”
She drew the light blue stone from her pocket and laid it on the table. “I still carry the stone you gave me.”
He casually picked it up and gazed at it.
“And I’ve never really thanked you for hiring me,” she continued.
“You’re doing an excellent job.” He stroked the stone with his thumb. “You know, I originally got this for my brother, Rafe. Our mother taught us about crystals and Tarot cards and other crazy stuff like that when we were kids. Our dad thought it was all hogwash, and it didn’t much interest me, but Rafe was fascinated by all her quirky ideas. Once Dad died and the problems got worse between Rafe and me, I bought this for Rafe, to show him I respected his beliefs, even if they were different from mine.”
“That’s really nice.”
He placed the stone back on the table in front of her. “But he left before I had a chance to give it to him.”
She would have thought he’d want to keep it as a reminder of his brother, but maybe it had become too painful.
Trying to lighten the mood, she smiled. “So you’re telling me you never believed in any of the things you told me about the stone?”
“On the contrary. It is soothing when you rub it. And that calms your nerves. Right?”
“True.”
“That doesn’t mean I believe the stone has any healing powers.”
She slipped the stone back into her pocket as the waitress took away their soup bowls and placed a plate of pasta in front of her and a steak in front of Dane.
“You said after your dad died, the problems got worse between you and your brother.” She knew she was treading on sensitive ground, but she really wanted to know more about this man. “What kind of problems were you having?”
“Typical things between brothers.”
She poked her fork into the long strands of fettuccine on her plate. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry.”
He gazed at her solemnly for a long moment, then sighed. “You know what? It felt good to talk about it the other day, so why not now? Let me tell you what happened that destroyed our relationship.”
He leaned back in his chair. “About two weeks before his senior prom, Rafe skipped class to spend some time with a girl he wanted to ask to the prom. He was caught and our father, who valued hard work and a sense of responsibility above all else, berated my brother and then grounded him for a month.”
“Including the prom?” she asked.
He nodded. “I was home from college at the time. I tried to change Dad’s mind, but he wouldn’t budge. There was already a huge rift between Rafe and Dad and if Rafe missed such a memorable event in a person’s life, he would resent Dad forever. So, I decided to help. I knew if I suggested to Rafe that he slip away to the prom, he’d reject the plan. I tended to fall in line with what Dad wanted, so Rafe didn’t trust my opinions. He accused me of trying to control things and would often do the opposite of what I’d suggest.”
“So what did you do?”
“I had Rafe’s best friend tell him to sneak out the back on prom night and meet him down the street. I had one of the servants ready to cover for Rafe if our dad went looking for him, and I arranged to pick up Rafe’s date and deliver her to the prom.”
“Wouldn’t it have been easier to just have Rafe and his friend pick her up?”
“Easier, and smarter as it turns out. But there was a part of me that wanted him to know that he could depend on me.”
She smiled. “I can understand that.” She could just imagine Dane beaming with pride as he presented the young woman to Rafe. But the purpose of this story was how the rift between the brothers had started. “So what went wrong?”
“Rafe’s date—I don’t even remember her name—is what went wrong. Years earlier, in high school, I had dated her sister and it turns out she’d had a crush on me. Wishful thinking convinced her that I returned her feelings and this had all been a ploy for me to hook up with her.”
“So she kissed you, and that’s when your brother turned up.”
“It wasn’t just a kiss, it was a full body assault. When Rafe arrived, her arms were around me and her tongue was halfway down my throat.”
Jessica couldn’t help but laugh at his description.
“Of course, Rafe didn’t believe it was innocent on my part, and his date insisted I had made the first move.”
“Leaving your brother believing you were stealing his girlfriend. That is so unfair.”
“True, but clearly our problems were deeper than that one incident; otherwise Rafe would have believed me.”
He sipped his water as he glanced at her almost empty plate. “I’ve been sharing a lot of my past with you. Now it’s your turn.”
“Okay.” She finished her last bite of food and pushed her plate aside. Dane had been doing most of the talking, so his plate was still almost full. “Since you shared a painful memory with me, I’ll share one with you. I already told you about my ex-boyfriend Storm.”
“The musician.”
She nodded. “We had been living together for almost five months.” Memories of his big, naked, tattooed body stretched out beside her in bed sent goose bumps along her flesh. It had been exciting to be with someone like him. And it was devastating when he’d left.
“Then one day I came home from work and he was sitting on the couch waiting for me. Said he was going on tour in California with the band. When I asked him when he’d be back, he shrugged and said he wasn’t sure he’d be back, that he was a drifter and had been in one place too long. Of course, I was devastated. All he said then was, ‘Hey, you knew this was just a casual thing. But maybe if I do come back and you’re still free, we can hook up again.’”
The awful pain stirred in her gut again. “Then he picked up his pack and walked out.”
Dane shook his head. “The guy sounds like a total jerk to me.”
She stared out the window at the street outside. “Yeah, I guess.” She gazed at him. “But the thing is, Storm had never seemed like a jerk before. He had always been caring and attentive. And I was so sure he loved me just as much as I loved him. That’s why the whole thing blindsided me.”
Dane reached out and covered her hand with his, and even with thoughts of Storm filling her head, awareness of Dane crept through her body.
“I’m sorry that happened to you. You deserve better.”
She pushed aside the painful memories and smiled. “Well, I have better now. I have a great job.” Her smile turned to a grin. “And this interesting relationship with you.”
“Since you’ve brought up our interesting relationship … Remember when I told you I would occasionally give you new rules or assign you special tasks?”
At his words, she became intensely aware of the satin lining of her skirt against her naked backside, and one of the garters holding up her stockings pressing into her lower thigh. “Yes, I remember.”
“Well, I have a task in mind.”
* * *
Jessica couldn’t believe she was doing this. She’d waited until Melanie was away from her desk to sneak into Dane’s office and now she stood beside his desk, waiting.
He had an appointment in a few minutes with Mr. Lane from Human Resources about a new benefits plan for the employees. The door to the office was open and she heard the elevator bell ring, then the doors open. Melanie greeted Mr. Lane and told him Dane would be along shortly.
At lunch yesterday, Dane had challenged her with the task of doing something to surprise and excite him. She glanced at her watch. He should be returning from his two o’clock any second now. She heard the elevator again and Melanie greeted Dane.
That was her cue. She ducked under Dane’s desk. She heard Dane talking to Mr. Lane and his voice grew louder as they approa
ched. Her heart thundered as they came into his office.
She didn’t want to startle Dane when he pulled out his chair, because then her presence would be given away to Mr. Lane, so she sent him the text she had ready to go on her phone. He received texts only from Melanie and herself, and they sent only time-sensitive messages, so she knew he’d check it right away. She heard his phone beep, signaling that it had received her text.
“Take a seat, Jerry.”
A second later, he stepped behind the desk and pulled out his chair. He dropped a piece of paper and leaned down to pick it up, then peered at her, his eyebrows arched questioningly. She grinned at him.
Her text had told him she was under the desk and it was part of his surprise. If he chose to end it now, he might whisk Mr. Lane away briefly, then order her away. Possibly exile her to his private bathroom to wait out the meeting if she couldn’t sneak past Melanie.
* * *
Dane sat down in his chair, facing Jerry Lane, well aware of Jessica crouched on the floor in front of him, hidden by his desk. Jerry had no idea what was going on.
Her soft hand stroked over his crotch while Dane opened the file folder she had left on his desk in preparation for this meeting. His cock swelled as she stroked over the fabric of his pants. He glanced at the report in front of him which summarized Jerry’s recommendations. It was hard to concentrate with her soft little hand gliding over his hard flesh, her fingers wrapped around him as best she could while he was still contained in his clothing.
As Jerry began to discuss the first point in his report, Dane felt her fingers slide down the length of him, releasing his zipper. As Jerry talked about the benefits of extending the number of sick days allowed to employees, Dane stiffened at the feel of Jessica’s fingers slipping into his pants and wrapping around his erection.
He drew in a slow breath as she drew his shaft from its confines. He asked Jerry a question about how many sick days he recommended for each employee per year and if it should differ based on seniority, even though he vaguely remembered seeing the answer in the report.
It was hard to concentrate with the soft fingers gripping him firmly and stroking his length.
