But that wasn’t in the plan. And she couldn’t tempt fate. The woman Joe was attracted to wouldn’t take the reins like that. She wouldn’t be the aggressor and let loose. It saddened her to think that Joe might never be attracted to the Real Ali.
She’d give him more credit than that but for the fact that they’d worked together for one year and the Real Ali had never interested him. She’d fallen in love with her boss, and he’d never known it. He wouldn’t allow himself to see the truth, much less give the idea any credence at all. He’d had his heart broken by a woman who’d worked for him, and he wasn’t going there again. She understood that.
Ali glanced at the digital clock. She didn’t have much time. She rose and quickly showered then dressed in a pair of slacks and a soft scoopneck knit top. She pulled her hair back and put on her fake eyeglasses.
She entered Joe’s room, and shortly after, room service knocked. She let the waiter in and watched as he set up the table by the large bay window. The food smelled wonderful, and Ali’s stomach growled.
Joe walked in just as she nibbled on toast and sipped orange juice. “Hi,” she said. “How was your swim?”
He swept into the room, looking magnificent, his dark hair wet and curling at the nape of his neck, his shirt rumpled and buttoned up only partway. Glancing at the clothes she’d put on, he tossed a bag onto the nightstand then strode over to her. “Too long.” He bent down to take her face into his hands. Searching her eyes first, he brushed his lips to hers. “I missed you. Couldn’t you sleep?”
“No, I, uh…I couldn’t.” She was still recovering from Joe’s admission that he’d missed her. “I didn’t have any clothes and with room service coming—”
“It’s okay, Ali.” He kissed her deeply this time, his mouth making love to hers in a slow deliberate way that curled her toes. Her mind went on autopilot, and she returned his kiss. She was becoming accustomed to Joe kissing her, taking liberties that only made her love him more.
“You should have seen the look on the clerk’s face when I walked in dripping wet and bought condoms.”
Ali laughed. “I wish I’d been there.” Then she thought about it. “On second thought, no, I don’t.”
Joe grinned. “No, I guess you don’t.” He lifted the covers from the food plates and seemed satisfied with what he found. “Go on and eat if you’re hungry. I’ll take a quick shower and be right back.”
“I’ll wait for you,” she said softly. “We’ll eat together.”
Joe inhaled and peered at her as if she’d granted him knighthood. “Thanks. I won’t be long.”
Ali heard the shower going on, and all sorts of erotic images played out in her mind. She imagined steamy water raining down his body, his skin sleek and slippery as he soaped up.
Ali rose from the table and peered out the window, trying to thwart her wayward, X-rated mind. The view from the sixteenth floor was inspiring. She wrapped her arms around her middle and enjoyed the rise of the sun over the Pacific Ocean. The San Francisco Bay was a sight she’d only seen on postcards.
“I’ll take you wherever you want to go today.” From behind, Joe put his hands on her shoulders and planted little kisses on the nape of her neck.
Goose bumps rose up her arms from the thrill. He smelled fresh and clean, the subtle scent of lime on his skin.
Could she tell him she only wanted to see him between the sheets again? “I’ll go wherever you want to take me, Joe.”
Joe chuckled. “Then we won’t get very far.”
She turned around in his arms and stared into his eyes. “Oh, no?”
“The bedroom beckons, Ali.” Then he gestured to the table. “And so does the food. C’mon,” he said, taking her hand. It was only then she realized he had nothing on but a fluffy white towel around his waist. How would she get through the meal? “I know you’re hungry. Sit,” he ordered. “Eat up.”
“Yes, boss.”
Joe squeezed his eyes shut. “Ouch. Let’s forget I’m your boss this weekend.”
She wanted to ask him, but then who are you? My boyfriend? My lover? But Ali was too distracted by his ripped upper body to formulate any questions. And his lower body and the pleasures he’d evoked last night made her head swim. “I can do that.”
She sat down and he joined her, sitting across the table. She had the most appealing view of a nearly naked Joe with San Francisco’s famous skyline in the background. A girl couldn’t ask for more.
Joe waited for her to fill her plate before he took his share. They dined on eggs Benedict, roasted potatoes and crepes with fresh summer fruit compote. The coffee was heavenly.
Once they finished the meal, Joe rose from the table and reached for her hand. She lifted up and stood before him, puzzled by the solemn look on his face. “I’m not the crafty old lecher trying to seduce my hot secretary, Ali, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to make love to you again.”
Ali gulped air. She knew what Joe was trying to say. “I’m not doing anything I don’t want to do, Joe. As far as I’m concerned, the sights in this room are pretty darn appealing. I don’t need anything else.”
He drew her in slowly, placing both hands on her waist. “I know how to compromise. We’ll do a little of both. Well,” he amended, “we’ll do a lot of exploring in here and some exploring out there.”
He sealed the deal with a long, lazy kiss. “How does that sound?”
Explore away, Joe, and leave no stone unturned, she wanted to say. “Wonderful.”
Joe led the way, removing her clothes between kisses, and once inside the bedroom, he backed her up against the bed. They fell down together amid laughter, and Joe took his sweet time, discovering all of Ali’s erotic zones.
He stroked her throat, tonguing his way up to her chin. Then he kissed her again and again in a sensual frenzy of lips and tongues. His hands inched their way down, and he caressed her breasts, flicking the tips until she bit down with silent urgent need.
Next, he traveled farther down, kissing her torso, her hips, her navel, gently easing his way lower. When he parted her legs and positioned himself, raising her hips to meet his mouth, he made love to her soft folds, until she nearly melted on the spot.
Joe didn’t let up. He touched her everywhere, his hands roaming over her skin as he whispered soft endearments, his words muddling in her mind. He stroked her legs and arms with the same heat and passion, and once she was certain he’d caressed her everywhere, he stroked her apex again and again, this time pressing his palm against her silken, needy flesh.
“Joe,” she huffed out, holding back her innermost desire to unleash her passion.
Joe removed his towel, and she watched as he rose above her like a magnificent animal ready to claim his mate. He was so beautiful that she wanted to cry.
Then he made love to her, entering her body and deepening his place in her heart. He owned her soul, and there was nothing she could do about it.
After, they stayed in bed and munched on the leftovers from breakfast, then on each other again. Morning became afternoon, and after they’d dozed in each other’s arms for a few hours, she heard Joe stir beside her.
She opened her eyes to find him stretched out before her, his hands clasped behind his head. He’d put his glasses on, and the sexy picture he made with the silken sheet draped across his lower body and a look of pure contentment on his face, stole Ali’s breath.
“It’s almost three,” he said.
Was that a hint for her to leave? She wasn’t sure where she stood with him. They’d had hot sex, but he hadn’t made any declarations to her other than soft stirring murmurs during the throes of passion. “Hmm. I guess I should go.”
Joe turned to her. Shaking his head, his voice soft but commanding. “You’re not going anywhere. I’ll have your bags sent to my room. I want you here with me.”
It was music to her ears.
“Don’t you want that, too?” He draped his arm around her shoulder. She snuggled closer.
&
nbsp; “Yes, of course I do.”
“Look,” he began, “I don’t know where this is going, but I do know I don’t want to waste a minute of this weekend without you. It’s been a long time since—”
She lifted her head up to peer at him. “Since?”
“Since I’ve let myself get involved with anyone.”
“Why?” Ali asked, though she suspected she knew the truth.
“Because I was engaged once, and to say it didn’t work out would be an understatement.”
“Tell me, Joe. What happened?”
Joe looked deep into her eyes with reluctance and regret. Through pain and anger, he admitted, “She wasn’t the woman I thought she was.”
Ali’s heart plummeted. She was filled with dread and self-loathing at her own deception.
“I really loved her, or I thought I did at the time. A man has to think he’s in love to offer marriage. It’s only logical, right?”
“Right,” Ali agreed, her pulse pounding.
“Ali, she worked for me before you came to Global.”
He looked at her with guilt as if he’d done something unimaginable, while she was the true guilty one who was playing a dangerous game. “Go on.”
“I should have never let it happen. She was a flashy woman, and I knew she was high maintenance when I got involved with her. I should have known better. She wanted me to change. To be someone I’m not. She thought after we got engaged that she’d be able to make me into someone more like Nick, for lack of a better example.
“The truth is, she wanted someone who liked to play at life, someone who tossed his money and power around to climb some sort of social ladder. Well, you know, I’m the green guy in the family. That’s just not my thing. When she figured out that it wasn’t going to happen, she found someone else. She left me for a wealthier, more powerful man.”
“She broke your heart.”
“I’m over it now. Have been for a long time.”
“Oh, Joe, I’m deeply sorry.” Ali meant it. She hated that Joe’s heart had been broken, but at the same time she prayed that she wasn’t going to do the same thing to him. Her deception haunted her, and she hated the weakness in her that caused her to lie to the man she adored, over and over again.
“I hope not too sorry?” He grinned and caressed her arms until she could barely think coherently.
“What do you mean?”
“You wouldn’t be here with me if—”
“Oh.” Then she smiled, too. “Yeah, I’m not that sorry.”
Joe kissed her into oblivion, and she forgot all about her deception, his ex-fiancé and his heartbreak.
Nine
On Sunday morning, Joe took Ali to Chinatown, and as they strolled along the streets hand in hand, window-shopping, Joe found pleasure in buying Ali trinkets that sparked her interest. He held a shopping bag full of hand fans, embroidered handkerchiefs and little China dolls. He’d noticed Ali admiring a jade necklace, the delicate round disk an image of a Chinese garden, and he’d gone back to the store to purchase it.
“Oh, Joe,” she said, with surprise in her voice. “I didn’t expect you to—”
“I know, Ali. But I saw how much you liked it. I wanted you to have it.”
Tears filled her eyes. “Thank you.” She held the necklace to her chest. “I’ll cherish it forever.”
Joe took her hand, touched by her genuine appreciation, and they continued to stroll along. He spotted a shop selling hand-painted tea sets and tugged her along. “You have to have one,” he said.
Ali shook her head. “No, Joe.” She stopped on the street. “You’ve already given me too much.”
Joe turned to her and cocked his head to one side. “Not as much as you’ve given me, honey.”
And Joe realized the truth of that statement. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so content. Ali had restored his faith in the opposite sex. He trusted her. They were compatible on every level. She was a decent, hardworking woman who didn’t have an agenda where he was concerned.
“What have I given you?” she asked, puzzled.
Joe grinned. “A real good reason to get up and go to work every morning.”
Ali let go a little gasp of surprise. “Joe.”
“It’s true. Now, c’mon. I want to show you the Golden Gate Bridge before lunch.”
When they returned to the hotel room after lunch, Joe closed the door behind him and took Ali in his arms from behind. He pressed his body to hers and relished how right it felt to be near her. He kissed the back of her neck. “It was a good weekend.” Then a chuckle escaped. “I dreaded coming here. I hate these things. But it turned out almost perfect.”
Ali questioned him with a look. “Almost perfect?”
Joe nibbled on her neck some more. “You never invited me into your shower,” he murmured.
Ali turned around in his arms and gazed deep into his eyes. “You don’t need an invitation.”
Joe raised his eyebrows. “I don’t? Well then, I think you need a shower, Ali. You really worked up a sweat this morning.” He sniffed the air around her playfully. “Yes, definitely. Oh, man, you really need to get clean.”
Ali turned away from him and headed straight into the bedroom, kicking off her shoes and shedding clothes as she went.
Joe swallowed hard, watching her strip out of her clothes quietly. When she reached the master bathroom, he heard the shower door open then close and water rain down. He wasted no time yanking off his clothes and following her.
He joined her in the shower seconds later, and the sight of her, her hair wet and straight, hanging past her shoulders, her eyes brilliantly green and her body glistening with moisture, stole all of Joe’s breath. “I wish we’d thought of this sooner. You’re beautiful,” he said. “Need some help?”
Ali handed him the bar of fragranced soap. Joe made a thick lather in his hands and stepped behind Ali. Winding his arms around her, he pressed the lather gently to her arched throat, then down along her shoulders, stroking her softly as his body became rock hard. Next, he slid his hands lower, soaping up under her arms and sliding his hands just under her ribs. Her intake of breath amplified his desire. He cupped her breasts, filling his hands with her weight, lathering her in circular motions, giving each perfect globe his undivided attention.
Ali moaned softly as he caressed her. She arched toward him, her body fitting his frame. His lust became almost tangible, his erection straining against her.
Joe spent a good deal of time massaging Ali, teasing and tormenting her breasts until she squirmed under his ministrations and huffed out deep breaths.
Joe was in no better shape. He was ready for more. He slid his hands lower, soaping her navel and just below. Steam built up in the shower, but nothing clouded Joe’s vision of Ali, in his arms, bending to his will, allowing him the freedom to bring them both immense pleasure.
Joe cupped her between her legs, and she parted them, her moans of ecstasy mingling with his whispered demands. “Let go, baby. Let it happen.”
He stroked her over and over, her body gyrating with his, his finger finding her core and breaching it. Beating rapidly, she moved with him, but Ali held back. He felt her control tight and sure.
Joe wanted to see her release, to see her relinquish that control and let go.
When she called his name like a plea, Joe’s control snapped. There was only so much he could endure before realizing his own satisfaction. And Ali had him at his limit.
Joe moved against the thick shower glass and grabbed Ali’s hips, sliding a hand along her back, bending her slightly. He leaned over her and cupped her breasts, then entered her soft folds from behind. She accommodated his body and both made quick adjustments to this new position. Then Joe drove a little deeper, holding Ali tight, their bodies joined in an erotic stance that heightened his pleasure even more.
He thrust slowly, deliberately, and Ali’s body moved with him in a sensual rhythm. He slid his hand down to torment her most sensitive spot
, his fingers urging her to completion as his thrusts grew more rapid, more demanding.
Joe kissed her shoulders, murmured loving words and moved with quicker strokes now, his body at its brink.
“Joe, now. Now,” she rasped.
The soft flesh of her buttocks against his groin driving him crazy, he gripped her hips and pulled her against him. He drove deeper into her and split them both in two. Her release matching his, they moved in sync, Joe enjoying every movement, every gyration, until both were spent and fully sated.
They stayed in that erotic position until they caught their breath, then Joe whipped Ali around in his arms. When she wouldn’t look into his eyes, he tipped her chin up and kissed her, wondering about her sudden shyness. She puzzled him in many ways, but all that was forgotten when she finally looked at him. Her gorgeous green eyes appeared soft and vulnerable, and a sudden flash jolted him. He was smart enough to realize that what he had with Ali wasn’t just about sex.
He cared for her.
Deeply.
And he knew he was in trouble.
Joe left a sizable tip for housekeeping in his suite and then tipped the bellboy with a twenty after he’d brought their bags down to the lobby of the hotel. With Ali by his side, he’d never felt more content, and the staff was reaping the benefits of his good mood. The truth was that he hated to see the weekend come to a close.
As they waited for the valet to bring his car around to the front of the hotel, a familiar voice called to him.
“Joe! Joe, is that you?”
Joe turned around, and his good mood vanished when Sheila Maxwell, his ex-fiancée, strode up, her blond waves bouncing off her shoulders. She walked like a fashion model, her clothes Beverly Hills classy, white on white, and no one could miss the diamonds dripping from her ears and throat.
“Hello, Sheila.”
Sheila walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. “It’s good to see you, Joe.” She glanced at Ali with assessing eyes before turning back to him.
Seduction on the CEO's Terms Page 10
