THE PLAYBOY'S VIRGIN (Complete Set)

by Mia Carson

  The entire car smelled like him, and it drove her over the edge. She hugged the wheel and cried at her own stupidity. She was always the strong person, but she let herself fall for a guy with good looks and money. Maybe there had been nothing between them but lust. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was amused at his lack of arousal for another woman. How she did that to him was a mystery, but that was his problem, not hers. She sped out of the garage and drove around aimlessly in the city.

  When the sun was setting and the workday was technically over, Belle pulled out of the commuter parking lot she had parked in because it was safe to head back to the office. She’d left everything there and needed her laptop for the weekend. She should probably explain her half-day absence to Kelly, say she was sick or something, unless Greyson had taken care of it.

  “Great, you just messed up again,” she lectured herself. “Strike two for Belle.”

  The parking garage was mostly empty when she pulled in, and Belle waited at the elevator for the doors to open. She’d go in, grab her things, leave a note for Kelly on her desk, and get out of there. The office was empty, everyone having escaped for the weekend, and she walked to her desk. Tim had carried her laptop over and left a note with his cell number, hoping she was alright, and told her to call in case she needed a drinking buddy for the weekend.

  Belle tucked it away, muttering to herself. How the hell did everyone know something had happened between her and Greyson?

  “Doesn’t matter,” she whispered to the empty shadows of the office. “You’ll come back Monday and be professional. That’s all you can do.”

  She glanced over her calendar for the day and cursed. She’d forgotten to print papers Greyson needed for Monday. It was curious that he wasn’t in his office. The proposal wasn’t finished yet, but maybe he took it home for the night. She hit print on the documents, but her printer jammed. Instead of wasting time trying to fix it, she rerouted the job to the copy room printer and read over a few more papers as she walked.

  The printer hummed to life as she stepped inside, and she waited impatiently for it to finish. Heavy steps echoed in the room, and she whipped around to see Greyson blocking the doorway. The heat in his eyes ignited a want deep inside her, and the papers slipped from her hands, scattering to the floor at her feet.

  “Greyson,” she whispered, their shared kiss in her mind. She struggled to speak, but she was too torn between her undeniable attraction to him and her own desires for him to hold her again. The woman from before… She knew nothing had happened, saw the honesty in his eyes, but she wanted to use it as an excuse, needed to push him away.

  Greyson reached behind him and closed the door. When the bolt slid home, Belle licked her lips, wanting to find a reason—any reason—to turn him away. He prowled towards her, and like a deer caught in headlights, she couldn’t move away. Her breath quickened with each step. When his hand reached out to cup the nape of her neck, the fiery explosion inside her lifted her to her toes and their lips met in a furry of passionate heat. She was still angry with him, hated him for destroying her walls, and her hands tugged at his beard, dragging his mouth closer so she could devour him, but she was inexperienced with this dance, so he took control.

  His hands glided up beneath her sweater, pressing against bare skin, and she moaned, leaning into his touch, wanting to feel his hands caress her whole body. She nipped at his lips, and he growled, his mouth claiming hers in a fierce battle for her moans. The storm raged around her, lifting her off her feet and straight into the turmoil of Greyson’s raging want, a rival to her own. She fought the buttons on his shirt, wanting to see the muscles beneath the fabric, and he groaned when she pressed her hands on his pecs, tracing his ribs until he captured her hands and lifted them over her head.

  Her back hit the wall, and his kisses trailed down her neck as the swell of emotions burst free from their dam. Belle gave in and moaned with need, her hips grinding against his.

  “You see what you do to me?” he growled as he ground his hips against her and the swollen bulge in his jeans pressed into her belly. “This is all because of you.”

  Belle couldn’t find the words, and when his hands lifted her sweater over her head, she didn’t care to. His eyes narrowed, and he cursed. She shifted nervously, having never let a man see her in a bra before, but the way Greyson’s eyes caressed her skin without even touching it, the way his lips parted and eyes darkened with his growing arousal, soothed her nerves and she relaxed easily into his touch.

  He slid one bra strap down, followed by the other, sending goosebumps down her arms. His lips curled in a dangerous grin, and he kissed her again, his lips seeking the depths of her soul. Belle held onto his shoulders, needing to grab something to keep herself grounded, but he turned her around and held her against his chest. The words were on her lips to tell him she’d never done this before, but when his hand slipped into her bra and held her firmly, she moaned and forgot everything else. His erection pressed into her back, and she bit her lip, wanting to feel him, grasp him as he kissed her, but when her hands moved to do so, he stopped them gently with a chuckle.

  “Not yet,” he whispered.

  He undid the button on her jeans instead, sliding down the zipper, and she gasped when his hand moved easily down the front of her body. His fingers tugged gently on her curls before slipping lower, reaching for her swollen lips. She knew she was wet, felt it even before his hand cupped her. He groaned in her ear, nibbling the lobe before kissing down her neck to her shoulder.

  His fingers pressed against her clit, rolling it, and she squirmed in his arm as his other hand slipped back into her bra, tugging and teasing her nipple into a hardened point. The storm was fierce, unstoppable, as desires she never knew she could feel welled up inside her, ready to burst free. For the first time in years, she let her control go and tumbled down into a haze of raw emotions that shifted her hips, seeking out the touch of his hand against parts of her body never felt by a man before.

  His hand pressed into her and moved in a steady rhythm, back and forth, building momentum and heat until she couldn’t stand it. She wanted more of his touch though her body tried to get away, overwhelmed by the ecstasy growing inside of her. He maneuvered a finger within her lips, rubbing and thrusting until she cried out his name and her body shook in his arms. Her knees went numb, and she clung to him, needing him to hold her up as the storm consumed her.

  He kissed her neck sweetly, his hand slowly freeing itself from her jeans as he turned her in his arms.

  “Is it… is it always like that?” she asked quietly, her eyes hooded as the last waves of the orgasm rippled across her.

  He straightened with a frown. “Was this your first one? Ever?”

  She nodded as the reality of what had just happened slapped her hard in the face. “Shit, what did we just do? We’re at the office,” she yelped and backed away quickly. “You’re my boss! We can’t do this—oh God, holy shit.” She fixed her jeans quickly and glanced around frantically for her sweater. “I have to go.”

  “Wait, Belle, just hang on a second,” he urged, but she shook her head.

  “No, no we can’t do this… I can’t do this, I’m not ready,” she whispered, not looking back as she ran out of the copy room to her desk. Greyson followed, his shirt still unbuttoned, showing off his perfectly sculpted chest that made her lick her lips. For a second, she almost gave in, but she remembered she had no experience with this whatsoever and scooped up her bag and jacket. “I can’t, I’m sorry.”

  “Will you slow down for one second so we can talk?” He reached for her hand, but she pulled out of reach. “Just hang on.”

  “It’s not you, it’s me,” she said and laughed harshly at herself. “That sounds God-awful.”

  “Yeah, it does. What are you running from?”

  “Whatever this might be, or is, or… I have no idea. I can’t do this. I’ve never done any of this before, and you were great,” she added hastily, her lips lifting as she
remembered just how great. “Incredible, actually, but I can’t navigate this, and you’re my boss and I have to go,” she finished lamely and ran for the stairs.

  She heard him curse and follow her, but when she reached the stairs, she sprinted, nearly falling as she ran. Greyson called her name a few more times, but she had a head start and reached the black Mustang just as he burst through the door.

  “Hold on!” he called out.

  Belle shook her head, panic filling her at the way her life was suddenly too complicated for her to deal with, revved the engine, and took off, leaving Greyson in the dust. At a red light, she dug around in her purse for her cell and called Carrie.

  “Hey. I’m picking you up, and we’re going out,” she told her friend the second she answered.

  “Two weekends in a row? I like this,” Carrie said with a laugh. “Why are we going out? This have to do with your boss again? And why are you out of breath? Oh my God! You did the dirty at work!”

  “No, I didn’t… well, mostly,” she said but sighed when Carrie squealed so loudly on the other end she had to put her phone down. “Just get ready. I’m almost there.”

  She hung up and gripped the steering wheel hard, trying not to remember how Greyson touched her.

  This is going to be a long weekend. What was I thinking?

  It didn’t matter. They had crossed a line together, and there was no going back.

  Chapter 7

  “You’re doing it again,” Greyson’s mom, Sally, said and rapped her knuckles on his arm as she passed.

  Greyson started and straightened in his chair. “Sorry, Mom.”

  “What’s on your mind today? Work again?”

  “No… no, I think we figured out the problem,” he told her quietly. He fiddled with his beer bottle, rolling the end around on the kitchen table, watching the rings left by the condensation. “I’m fine, I promise.”

  “You can’t hide from me. I’m your mother,” she reminded him with a laugh and set down a plate of apple pie for him. “And you barely touched anything at dinner.”

  “I'm not hungry,” he said and pushed the pie away. Sally huffed and leaned back in her chair, kicking his shin hard with her boot. “Ow, what?” he grumbled. “I said I was fine.”

  She kicked him again and he flinched. “It’s a woman.”

  “I never said anything,” he said and reached down to rub his shin. When she jumped up from her chair, he couldn’t help but grin. His mom was a bit on the crazier side, did what she wanted when she wanted, never listened to anybody, not even his dad. “Mom? What are you doing?”

  “It’s about time you found yourself a girl to drive you crazy,” she called back from the hall and hurried back down a few minutes later, his cell phone in her hand. “What’s her name? I want to meet her.”

  He cursed and leapt up for his phone, but she held it out of reach. “You can’t call her,” he argued and reached for it again. His mom barely reached his shoulders, but the glare she shot him made him feel ten times smaller.

  “Why not? Are you ashamed of this woman? She’s not one of your weekend flings, is she?”

  “What? No, none of them,” he said, and when she raised a brow, he sighed. “She works with me, alright? Can I have that back now?”

  Sally smirked and tossed him his cell. “Why won’t you let me meet her?”

  “We’re not really together yet,” he admitted and held his cell tightly in his hands. He’d tried calling her last night, but she didn’t answer and he’d been too much of a coward to leave a message. He didn’t even know what to say, had no idea what had happened. It wasn’t like he did anything wrong. They both wanted to be together, and she freaked out for no reason.

  “Or you’re trying to be and you pushed, didn’t you? So impatient,” Sally mused and tugged on his beard, dragging his face down to her level. “A trait you inherited from your dad.”

  “Yeah, well, I got your stubbornness and temper to match,” he muttered, and she let him go. “And I wasn’t pushing. Things just got out of hand very quickly.”

  “So call her and ask her to dinner,” she said. “Explain yourself and take it slowly.”

  Greyson ran his hand over his head and leaned against the kitchen island. “I'm not sure how to do that. She’s under my skin, and I don’t know what to do about it. She’s driving me crazy! I can’t think straight, I haven’t slept, and all I think about is her.”

  Sally laughed and pointed to his cell. “You’re scared after the last one.”

  “No,” he bit off bitterly then blew out a breath and shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. I’m lost with Belle in the picture.”

  “Belle,” Sally repeated quietly. “I like the name.”

  “You’d like more than just that,” he said and grinned. “She’s a spitfire. Reminds me a lot of myself, actually.”

  Sally patted his cheek and lifted his hand with his cell again. “You’re falling for this girl; I see it in your eyes. What are you waiting for? Everything to make sense?”

  He unlocked his cell and found her number, his thumb hovering over it. Was he ready for the storm they made together? He wasn’t kidding when he said his anger rivaled hers. Same with the stubbornness that reared its ugly head in both of them. She was just like him in every way, but thinking of the coming days without her at the office, without talking to her, or hearing her laugh… His thumb hit the button, and his mom squealed in delight.

  Greyson frowned and ducked out of the kitchen as the phone rang on the other end. When it went to her voicemail again, he rubbed his forehead and gritted his teeth when the time came to leave a message. “Belle, it’s Greyson. Look, I know things are a little crazy, but can you please give me a chance, or us a chance? I’ll text you my address, and if you want, come over tomorrow night for dinner. Just to talk and figure out what this is, but whatever it is, I want to be with you,” he added and cursed quietly. “Uh… That’s it, call me back.”

  He hung up and sagged against the wall. “Idiot. I’m an idiot,” he grumbled, and his mom laughed from the doorway.

  “Yes, you are, but I love you anyway,” she teased. “It’ll work out, you’ll see.”

  “I hope so,” he whispered and tucked his cell away. “Think I’ll have that pie now.”

  She grinned. He sat with his mom the rest of the evening at her small, stucco ranch sitting on thirty acres of open land. They used to live in the city, but when his dad passed, his mom moved out of their old, stuffy mansion. She said she needed to breathe in the fresh air and watch the sunsets and sunrises without hearing the noise of cars rushing by. He worried for her in the beginning, out here alone, but his mom was tough and she looked better than she had in years. Her all-white hair was braided and tossed casually over her shoulder, and her wrinkles were hardly visible on her weathered face. Sally was happy, and that was all that mattered to Greyson.

  He was getting ready to leave a few hours later when his cell vibrated and he hesitated.

  “Is it her?” Sally asked.

  “Yeah,” he breathed and opened it. “She’s coming over for dinner tomorrow at seven.” He laughed, and his mom hugged him.

  “See? Everything always works out for the best.”

  “Unless she’s already sick of me,” he muttered and texted her back. “We’ll just have to see.”

  ***

  Belle couldn’t believe the choice she had made, but Carrie cheered her on, raising her water bottle as they hung out in their dorm together. The gallery opening had gone perfectly, and their boss was ecstatic. Belle told him she might be taking a leave of absence for the rest of the semester, and he’d told her not to worry about it. Her job would always be there.

  “Why aren’t you happier about this?” Carrie asked, flinging a pretzel at her. “This is great!”

  “How is it great? You know what could happen if this goes wrong?”

  Carrie flung another pretzel at her. “So? It’s time you had a little fun, take some risks. Live for once in you
r life. You’ve earned it.”

  “And what if it goes wrong?” she asked quietly, picturing a relationship with Greyson ending with her quitting and both of them hating each other forever.

  “Then it goes wrong, but no reason you can’t have some fun until it does. Just do it, please, for me?”

  Belle frowned until Carrie flicked another pretzel at her and another. They threw them back and forth, covering the dorm room in pretzels and laughing hysterically. She hadn’t laughed like that in a long time, and her worries about tomorrow night with Greyson shifted to the back of her mind. Carrie was right, as annoying as she might be. What harm could there be in seeing where things went?

  The next evening, Belle stared into the depths of her closet, wondering what she should wear. Her dreams told her exactly how she wanted this night to go, but the rational part of her mind said she was only going to talk their potential relationship over, nothing more. After half an hour, she pulled on black skinny jeans with gray, knee-high boots and a dark gray sweater that hung off her shoulders. She wore her hair up in a loose ponytail, letting the waves trail down her back. She put on some light makeup and all her rings.

  “What do you think?” she asked Carrie, twirling.

  “You look good enough to eat,” her friend teased and wiggled her eyebrows. “He’s going to love it. I won’t wait up.”

  “Whatever, we’re just having dinner and talking,” she insisted as she grabbed her purse and the Mustang keys.

  “Any man who lends a woman his 1975 Mustang is not just wanting to talk,” Carrie warned and waved as Belle exited their dorm room quickly. She was running a few minutes behind, but he lived outside the city limits, so reaching his house shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

  She slid behind the wheel of a car she’d never be able to afford and was quickly falling in love with, threw it in reverse, and took off. Her hands trembled against the wheel as she drove, the windows down and the cool evening air running through her hair. It’d be a mess when she got there, but she knew Greyson wouldn’t care. Images of his shirtless body danced through her mind as she drove toward the city limits and stopped at a red light.