Temptations: A Limited Edition Contemporary Romance Collection

by Blue Saffire

  Clint shakes my hand and says to my boobs, “Yes, of course. Avery was quite the star here in New York. Nice to see you again.” But I’d rather see you naked, is clearly implied in his tone. “So this guy dragged you out to the West Coast, did he? If you ever get tired of all those Hollywood types, there’s always a spot for you on my team.” And in my bed, is what he doesn’t say.

  I'm used to dealing with guys like this. Publicists are overconfident in general, but men like Clint take it to a new level. Not only is he arrogant as fuck, but he's also a misogynist. Lord knows I got enough of that working for Stuart's father.

  Liam looks like he's about to punch this guy, so I offer a saccharine smile and say, "Thanks for the offer, Clint, but I'm quite happy at Maxwell.” I lean into him conspiratorially and lower my voice. “Besides, you could never pay me enough to work for a prick like you.”

  Clint narrows his eyes. “I see your new boss is rubbing off on you.” His gaze flicks to Liam. “If you’ll excuse me, I see other people I’d rather chat with.”

  “Yeah, you do that,” Liam mutters. When Clint is out of earshot, he turns to me. “You okay?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” I shrug.

  “Because that guy is a dick,” he replies. “And he wouldn’t stop looking at you like you were the juiciest steak he’d ever seen.”

  “You’re always a dick and look at me the same way.”

  “True, but you love it when I do it.”

  I laugh. “Always so full of yourself.”

  “I’d rather you were full of me. We should make that happen. Haven't we been here long enough?"

  “We could make this faster if we split up,” I suggest. “How about you cover the left half of the room, and I’ll cover the right? I’ll meet you upstairs in an hour.”

  Liam nods. "Make it forty-five minutes, and you have yourself a deal."

  Forty-minutes later—not that I’m counting—I’m about to duck out of the ballroom where the party is being held, but an all too familiar hand on my arm stops me in my tracks.

  I recoil away from him. “Stuart, you lost the right to touch me ten months ago.”

  My ex-fiancé gives me a smarmy smile. “Aw, c’mon, Aves, don’t be like that. I haven’t seen you in forever.”

  “Also something you lost the right to when you lied to get me fired.”

  "I really thought it was you," he insists. "But afterward...I realized I was wrong and I'm sorry about that. I even told my father, but you were already in California."

  I take a moment to look him over. How did I ever find this man attractive? Sure, he’s handsome in a conventional sort of way, but beneath the surface, he’s a venomous snake searching for any opportunity to strike. Why did I not see that?

  I’ve obviously been staring too long because Stuart takes that as an invitation to get into my personal space. “I miss you, Aves. I miss us. You have a room upstairs, right? I’d really love to get...reacquainted.”

  I shrug off his unwanted touch, yet again. “What would Callista think about that, Stuart?”

  He waves his hand dismissively. "Callista was a blip on the radar—an err in judgment if you will. She couldn't hold a candle to you, Avery. No one can."

  Can you believe the nerve on this guy? Right before I’m about to go off on him, a deep voice rumbles behind me.

  “Avery, are you ready to go?” Liam places a proprietary hand on my lower back which does not go unnoticed by Stuart.

  "Yeah...sure," I say. "I was done with this conversation before it ever began." Liam puts a little pressure on my spine to lead me out of the room.

  “Is that how it is now?” Stuart scoffs.

  I halt. “Is that how what is, Stuart?”

  He gestures to Liam and me. "You're sleeping with your boss? I guess that explains how you got such a big promotion. Although, Maxwell's standards are clearly low considering you're such a lousy lay."

  What happened to, no one can hold a candle to you? Before I have a chance to tell Stuart to fuck off, Liam has him pinned against the wall.

  “Listen to me, you fucker,” Liam growls. “First of all, Avery got the job because she is more talented than you will ever be. Hell, she’s more talented than most people in this industry. You and I both know that she did all the work and you just went along for the ride.”

  Liam leans in closer and lowers his voice so only the three of us can hear. “Secondly, she is a fantastic fuck. Incredibly responsive. Enthusiastic. Willing to try anything. She’s so insatiable that she blows me under my desk on her lunch hour. I really want to strangle you right now, but I suppose I should be thanking you for screwing up.” Liam steps back and straightens his tie. “She’s the best fucking thing that’s ever happened to my business or my dick.”

  Stuart's face is so red, it's turning purple. His eyes widen when he glances around the ballroom and sees how much attention we've drawn. Mine do the same. I want to throttle both men before me, but that would only cause a bigger scene. Instead, I calmly straighten my spine and walk out the doors without another word.

  Liam’s right behind me. “Avery, wait.”

  I whip around and pin him with a murderous glare. “I will not have this conversation right now. You’ve caused enough trouble. I can’t be seen with you.”

  He adopts a casual stance. “Fine. I’ll get a drink in the bar and meet you upstairs after.”

  “Fine,” I huff.

  I ignore the curious glances as I wait for the elevator. Once I’m inside my room, I kick my shoes off and pace back and forth, taking deep breaths. One thing’s for sure: When Liam Maxwell steps through that door, he’s going to get an earful.

  18

  Liam

  In hindsight, attacking that douche wasn’t the smartest move, but I couldn’t let him get away with speaking to Avery like that. When I saw him standing next to her, with his hand on her arm, I didn’t think; I reacted. Like a Neanderthal, at that.

  I step into my hotel room and glance at the adjoining door. Avery had insisted on having her own room in case we drove each other crazy, but I wasn’t going to let her get very far. I called the hotel immediately after she left my office that day to ensure we had connecting rooms.

  Her side of the door is closed so I knock, preparing myself for her wrath. Is it wrong that my dick gets hard just thinking about seeing her all fired up?

  After a few beats, she opens the door and steps aside so I can cross the threshold. A lesser man would’ve pissed his pants with the look she’s giving me.

  I pointedly glance at the bed. “You’re obviously angry. We should probably just fuck it out of you. It’d be a shame to waste the opportunity to use a bed now that we finally have one in front of us.”

  She eyes the king-sized mattress before crossing the room and taking a seat at the desk. “The last thing I want to do right now is have sex.”

  I loosen my tie and unbutton the top two buttons of my shirt. “I didn’t say anything about having sex. I said fuck—something you and I do very well, especially when we’re mad.”

  Avery rolls her eyes. “You have no idea how precarious of a situation that you’ve put me in, do you? You have no idea how your jealous boyfriend routine may have ruined my reputation.”

  “Jealous boyfriend, my ass,” I mutter.

  She bolts out of the chair and throws her hands up in exasperation. “Are you even listening to yourself, Liam? The way you behaved down there was unacceptable! Not only am I going to be the subject of every gossip ring in town, but now people are going to actually question my accomplishments. They’re going to think I’ve screwed my way up the ladder!”

  “That’s fucking ridiculous,” I scoff. “Anyone with half a brain can see how fucking smart and capable you are. I was defending you down there, Avery. You should be thanking me. Preferably with my dick in your ass but I’d accept your mouth, too.”

  "Are you fucking crazy? I don't want you anywhere near me." She slams her hands into my chest, trying to push me backw
ard. "You're a goddamn narcissistic sociopath!"

  I close my hands around her clenched fists when she tries shoving me again. “Watch your fucking mouth.”

  Avery struggles against my hold and stumbles backward when I release her. "Or what, Liam? What could you possibly do to me that would be any worse than what happened down in that ballroom? You fucking humiliated me!"

  “Will you open your goddamn eyes?” I yell. “You’re missing the point!”

  “What point?” she screams.

  “That I fucking love you! I can't stand you half the time, but somehow, I fell in love with you anyway." I take a deep breath and add, "He had his hands on you, Avery. No one touches what’s mine. And. You. Are. Mine.”

  She blinks rapidly as if she's stunned. Then in the next moment, she launches herself at me and crashes her mouth against mine.

  “I’m so pissed at you right now,” Avery mumbles.

  I bite her lower lip. “Yeah, well, I’m not so crazy about you right now either.”

  “Just shut up.” She pulls my shirt out of my pants and starts undoing the buttons.

  I fumble with the zipper on the side of her dress, then momentarily break our kiss so I can pull my shirt and tie over my head. Our desperation is unmatched—a kind so consuming, it wouldn't be satisfied until it caught fire and burned to the ground. We're a tornado of sloppy kisses and greedy hands as we undress each other. We laugh when our tangled limbs tumble to the floor in our haste until finally, we are blissfully skin to skin. It's no longer a laughing matter once her naked body is pressed against mine.

  Instead of moving to the bed, I grab Avery's thighs and scoot my body down until her glistening pussy is right above my face. She gasps when my tongue darts out and finds her hot center, already swollen with arousal. I feast on her beautiful snatch until she's moaning loudly. I tilt her pelvis up so I can rim her ass while plunging my fingers into her cunt. I don't usually eat ass, but I can't seem to stop with her. Avery is so vocal, telling me how much she wants it—how much she loves this—I wouldn't be surprised if people two floors down could hear us.

  This stunning woman is riding my face unabashedly, throwing around pleas like more, harder, right there, and don’t stop until she’s coming so hard I fucking see stars. Probably because her thighs are squeezing my head like the most exquisite vise. Once the tremors subside, I scoop her up, bend her over the edge of the mattress, and slam into her tight channel over and over as she claws the duvet, crying out in pleasure.

  I lube my finger with her juices, spread her ass cheeks, and finger her puckered hole. Her back arches when I add a second digit. She pushes back into me eagerly, climbing higher and higher from being stretched so wide. As uptight as Avery seems on the surface, she’s a fucking lioness in the sack. My filthy girl loves double penetration.

  I scissor my fingers in her tight hole. “I want your ass, Avery. Are you going to give it to me?”

  “Yes! Yes! God, yes!” she screams as another orgasm rips through her body.

  I pull my dick and fingers out as her muscles fall lax. “Don’t move.”

  I run back into my room, going straight for my toiletry bag to grab the bottle of lube I brought with me. You never know when you might need it, and I'm a man who believes in always being prepared. I coat my dick with the slick gel, and stroke myself as I return next door. Avery's done just as I asked and hasn't moved a muscle. I trail a finger down her spine and spread her ass cheeks with my hands.

  “You ready for me?”

  She moans as I press the flared head against her tight little rosebud. “Stop screwing around and get your dick inside me.”

  Avery moans when I slap her pussy for having such a smart mouth. I press forward, and my cock easily slides into her tight little ass. I pinch her clit, easing the way to go farther and farther until my balls are touching her round cheeks.

  We’ve done this several times now so I should know what to expect, but I can never seem to prepare myself for how tight she is.

  I groan against her back. “Fuck.”

  “God, Liam,” she pants. “Move, damn it.”

  “Give me a second.”

  I'm going to blow my load in two seconds if I move right now. She's wrapped around me so tightly, I actually worry she might cut off my circulation. Avery squirms as I tilt her forward even more so my fingers can toy with her pussy. She whimpers as I slide two fingers in and out, waiting until my dick calms down enough so I finally can move inside her ass.

  Once I’m confident I won’t embarrass myself, I begin a slow glide, in and out, matching the tempo with my fingers in her cunt. No more than two minutes later, her thighs are tensing again, signaling another impending orgasm. I know I won’t last once she begins clenching around me, so I pick up the pace, shoving myself into both holes until she’s shouting incoherently, gripping my cock and fingers so tightly, I couldn’t pull out if I wanted to.

  “Fuck...Liam...right there...don’t stop!”

  “Not going to happen, sweetheart,” I grunt.

  I thrust into her a few more times before my balls tighten and lightning shoots down my spine. I bite into her shoulder as I empty into her, progressively slowing my strokes until I’ve stilled completely. We both lie here as we catch our breath until I reluctantly withdraw and prompt her to flip over.

  I crawl up the mattress beside Avery, smiling as I see her sleepy, sated expression. Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her into me and kiss her tenderly. We continue like that for a while before she pulls away with a sigh.

  “What are we doing, Liam? What is this? What happens when we get back to L.A.?”

  I press my forehead to hers. “I don’t know. But I’m sick of pretending it’s nothing. If we’re going to do this, we’re not going to hide it anymore. We’ll just look guilty, and that’s the last thing either one of us needs. I want more, Avery.”

  She studies me for a moment. “More?”

  I run the bridge of my nose along the slender column of her neck. “Yes, more. More fucking, more sleepovers, more fighting, more everything.”

  She laughs. “More fighting? Don’t you think we do that enough?”

  I pull her flush against me so she can feel my growing erection. “Don’t pretend you don’t love it. You get off on it just as much as I do.”

  Her eyes dance with amusement. “I plead the fifth.” She gasps when my hands wander below her waist. “Seriously, though, how are we going to fix what happened last night? I want more too, Liam, but not at the expense of my career. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am. I have to be a realist here. If people find out we’re sleeping together, they’re going to assume the worst.

  “I’ll fix this, Avery. After I’m done, nobody will dare accuse you of any wrongdoing.”

  She frowns. “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because this is what I do. This is what I’ve made billions of dollars doing. I just need you to trust me, okay?”

  Avery sighs. “Okay.”

  19

  Avery

  “Mmm, good morning, beautiful," Liam grumbles.

  I stretch languidly as he presses his body into mine. Every muscle in my body aches in the most delightful way. I guess there’s something to be said for sleepovers with him after the night we had.

  I yawn. “It would be if some asshole didn’t keep me up most of the night.”

  He chuckles into the back of my neck. “I’m not sorry.” He grinds his erection into my backside. “Fuck, I love waking up with my dick nestled into this ass.”

  I moan when his hand snakes around my front and starts playing with my clit. I can feel myself getting wet, and I'd be embarrassed by how little effort it takes him, but I'm too busy appreciating the stretch when he thrusts into me from behind. This is a position we haven't really been able to enjoy at the office, so there's definitely something to be said about having sex in a bed. I love the way his muscular torso feels sliding against my back—how he hugs me close as he grinds into me, easily reach
ing my breasts or my slick flesh.

  Something shifted between us last night. The push and pull is still there—I don’t think we’re capable of not inflaming each other’s tempers, and truthfully, I wouldn’t want that. But there’s something else now...as if we’ve stripped back a few layers, exposing a tenderness that wasn’t there before. We talked for hours—in between all the sex—and discovered that we have a surprising number of things in common.

  I can’t believe he dropped the L-bomb. We haven’t addressed that elephant in the room yet—I’m still trying to process it, really. I know I have feelings for him, but is it love? All I know is that I’ve never been drawn to a man like I am to Liam.

  Like he said last night, we drive each other crazy, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. I've never felt anything remotely close to this with another man, not even Stuart. With him, I think I was more indifferent than anything, as pathetic as that sounds. I never knew two people could have so much passion before I met Liam. And passion is something we have in spades, personally and professionally.

  Liam and I take our time with each other’s bodies, gentle touches punctuated by hard thrusts. Soothing kisses mixed with filthy words. My skin is on fire, yet goosebumps scatter across my flesh as an orgasm takes hold. Everything about this is so uniquely us. With every touch, every word, every kiss, we strengthen our connection.

  When we're done, we shower together, get ready side by side, and head downstairs to face hundreds of our peers. I try quelling the sense of panic rising within me, but I'm not doing the best job. I'm certain Liam knows what he's doing, but the fact that he hasn't shared his plan with me makes me nervous. I thrive on control and willingly handing it over to someone else is not an easy task. Especially not when my future is on the line.

  We’re once again at the scene of the crime. The opening keynote speech will take place in the ballroom before we all break out into workshops for the day. Liam and I are scheduled for separate sessions to cover as much ground as possible so I won’t see him again until the evening reception and award ceremony.