Something was going on here, something I should be concerned about, but when she revealed a sheer black bra that showed off hard pink nipples all I could think about was getting another taste of her. The dress pulled down more, revealing matching panties that showed off the red strip of hair covering her sex. “Fuck.”
“Exactly.” She was so sexy, and she had no idea, standing there tempting me. Teasing me. Torturing me. “Should I start without you,” she purred as her hand disappeared into her panties, fingers moving through slick heat. My cock hardened and I was on her, kissing her ferociously until she sank into me. The weight of her body was perfect, just the pressure I needed to know I wasn’t alone in this insanity.
She speared her hands through my hair and I lifted her, smiling against her mouth when she wrapped her legs around me. The desk was where I wanted to take her last time she was here, but, as usual, we were too eager for each other to make it all the way over there. “Luke,” she hissed when I laid her down.
“I can’t hear you.” She huffed out a laugh and said my name again as I dropped to my knees, tearing the tiny panties at her hip and licking at her until she nearly choked me with strength of her orgasm.
“Oh, Luke! Yes!”
I chuckled against her and pulled more aftershocks from her as I kissed my way up her body. “That’s much better, but I think we can do better still.”
“This is your office,” she whispered.
“I’m aware. Let’s test out the soundproofing,” I told her and slid deep until we were completely intertwined, bodies fused too closely to ever separate. But she felt too good. Too hot and too tight. Too fucking good. I couldn’t control myself, and the truth was, I wouldn’t even if I could have. Being inside Talia felt too damn good. I was addicted to her, to her sex and the sounds she made while I gave her pleasure.
“Luke,” she warned, but it was unnecessary, I felt every shiver and tremor that shot through her. Pulsing flutters squeezed my cock, faster and faster until her pounding orgasm shot through her and triggered my own. “Luke,” she said again on a loud huff, panting to get much needed oxygen to her brain and lungs.
“Good quickie?”
She chuckled. “Amazing quickie. Thank you.” She pulled me close and kissed me long and hard, giving me so much tongue I was starting to grow hard again. Sucking my tongue and teasing me. I thought I might die as her pussy grew wet again, just from kissing me. When I pulled back, Talia lay there for a few moments with a lazy, sleepy smile on her face.
“I think that’s my line.”
“Nope, it’s definitely mine.” She smiled, only wincing slightly as I pulled out of her core. “And now I have a meeting to get to so, thanks again. I’ll talk to you soon.”
I blinked at her retreating form, disappearing into my executive bathroom to clean up. When she returned a few minutes later, she was all put together again minus the panties in my pocket.
“Payback. I didn’t realize it until just now. That’s what this is.”
She blinked innocently. “That was not my intention, which is why I told you I had someplace to be. Soon.”
“Right.” She was lying right to my face, but calling her out on it wouldn’t make the situation better. Hell, I didn’t know what the situation was, never mind how to make it better.
“I don’t have time for this. I’ll see you around, Luke.” She left without another word, which serves me right for doing the same thing to her.
Now, we’re even I suppose.
Talia
“Perhaps it would be best if we wait for Ms. Masters to return.”
Theo Cardigan looked down the slope of his patrician nose at me, just in case his shitty attitude didn’t drill home his disdain for dealing with ‘the help’.
“That’s fine by me,” I told him and packed up the leather document holder I’d brought into the conference room. “Ms. Masters will return to the office in approximately two and a half months, I’ll pencil you in for then.”
“I’ll just give her a call myself,” he threatened.
“You do that, Mr. Cardigan.” It didn’t matter to me either way. I promised Poppy I’d hold down the fort in her absence, but I wasn’t about to beg some condescending jackass to listen to me in order to help his business. “Do you plan to do that now, or once you’ve left the building?”
He sputtered his outrage. “Your boss will be hearing from me young lady.”
“Yes, Mr. Cardigan.” I stood with my back pressed against the oversized door to keep it open. “Right this way,” I told him in a tone that said, ‘don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out’.”
He grumbled under his breath throughout the short trip down the long hall and all the while we waited for the elevator. “Good day, Ms. Breckenridge.”
Yeah and fuck you too, Theo. With him gone, I had an extra fifteen minutes to call back the event stager I’d hired to handle setting up the church and reception area for the wedding. She’d left a frantic message for me that I’d gotten seconds before Theo strolled inside with his expensive suit and well styled hair.
“Talia, it’s Ashley and we have a bit of a problem.” She outlined the broken floorboards, the cracked step from a recent storm and a rogue hornet’s nest found in the center of what was supposed to be the dance floor.
“Crap.” I circled back from the reception area to the main receptionist on the executive floor. “Vanessa I’m going to be out of office for the rest of the day, please reschedule anything on the schedule, and double up if you have to later this week so we don’t fall too far behind.”
Vanessa’s long pink nails flew over the keyboard as she wrote up notes while I spoke. “Got it. Is everything all right?” I didn’t make friends with many people in the office because I never planned on staying, but Vanessa was as sweet as she was beautiful.
“Yes. No. There are a few problems with the wedding venue, and I need to handle it myself.” Because there was no one else to do it. Blake and Poppy were taking ‘hands-off’ to a new level, and Luke only did what he was asked, or tasked with by someone else. “Can you get me the number of the best concrete repair person in the city, an exterminator and a landscaper as well. Ask them ahead of time if they can do last-minute work, and then forward me their information. Please,” I added because I wasn’t a tyrant.
“Uh, sure. Maybe you should give me the address so we don’t have to go back and forth.”
I smiled at her. “Thank you, Vanessa. Go home at five, no excuses,” I shot over my shoulder as I went to my office and changed from heels to sneakers, removing my blazer to leave my arms bare and grabbing all the crap that was now essential to my life. “See you tomorrow,” I told Vanessa as I stepped on the elevator.
Today was one of those days where all the technology that makes life so easy, smartphones and Bluetooth and calendar apps, messenger services and all that shit, became nothing but a nuisance. The phone hadn’t stopped ringing from the moment my ass settled behind the steering wheel, but I didn’t bother to look at it. Today’s priority was the wedding site, which we only had a few weeks to get it in order, or else the backup church in town and the hotel ballroom would have to suffice.
Ashley was frantic, but well put together when I arrived on site. “Oh Talia, I’m so sorry to interrupt your day, but everything seemed to happen at once.”
“It’s better to know now and deal with it, right?” She nodded nervously and stayed by my side while we dealt with contractor after contractor who showed up with a wide smile, eager for the rate hike for a rush job.
“So, everything will be ready by the end of the week?” I understood Ashley’s disbelief, being financially handicapped myself, it strained credulity to believe people would pay that much money for something as ridiculous as a wedding. But people with money were different, a lesson it seemed the universe was determined to drill into me at every opportunity.
“Yep. Problem solved. Crisis averted.” By the time the guys had come to inspect, gave quotes
and finish estimates, the sun had slid behind the horizon and the area was mostly black since none of the lights had been strung yet. “Call if anything else comes up,” I told her and slid into my car, exhausted with at least an hour of driving ahead of me.
Yep, what a glamorous life I had.
As I got off the pitch black two-lane road and back on the high way, I listened to my messages. Eight were from Poppy who’d gotten an irate call from Theo, so I called her back first.
“What the hell, Talia? Theo said you were rude and not very helpful.” I ignored my annoyance and tamped it down, reminding myself this was her business. Her family legacy.
“I wasn’t rude, he just didn’t want to deal with your assistant, and he made it known from the beginning. He threatened to call you despite being informed you were on medical leave, so I told him to do it.”
“Dammit, Tal, he owns fifty sporting goods and apparel across the country, and he’s interested in our new line.”
Shit, I nearly got hit by a motorcyclist with his lights off, barreling down the interstate at one hundred miles an hour. “Then maybe you should have found someone actually capable of doing this job in your absence.” Dealing with assholes like him only reminded me of how far I was in over my head.
“You can do this, hell you have been doing it.”
“Poppy, be serious, I’m your assistant and they all know that. Rich pricks like that don’t want to make deals with a glorified secretary. Which is why my providing him with information was deemed rude and useless.” The angrier I got the heavier my foot became on the pedal until I was inching towards ninety miles an hour. “Do I need to reschedule with him?”
“No,” she sighed. “He’s insisting I handle the meeting.” Which she should have done in the first place, though I didn’t say as much.
“I offered that too, when you returned from medical leave.” I’m sure he failed to mention that as well. “Anything else?”
“We missed you at dinner last week.”
“I had something else to do.” We’d never been so disconnected, and I didn’t know how to feel about it, or what to do about it other than retreat.
“Is this about Luke?”
“If it was about Luke, what would skipping out on a few hours at dinner do?” He was mostly useless anyway. Okay that wasn’t fair, he wasn’t useless, but his job as CFO meant he didn’t have as much time as an assistant. “I had a lot of work, and then other plans, no big deal.”
“You never miss dinner.” She was right, I’d always made it a priority, because I was always so excited to spend time with Maple and Poppy at the end of the week. But with more people around, it didn’t have the same intimate feel, and it wasn’t like I wanted to spill the secrets of my life in front of strangers.
“It was one dinner Poppy, and you had your whole family there.”
“Not my whole family,” she said with a hint of a sniffle. “What’s going on, Talia?”
I shrugged even though she couldn’t see me. “Nothing other than work.”
“Bullshit. You’re still mad about the Luke thing, I know it.”
“I have to go, Poppy.”
“No, you don’t,” she argued. “You just don’t want to talk about this, but we need to. Shit is different between us, weird and I don’t like it.”
“You have other things to worry about right now, namely taking it easy for that kid. I’m helping by doing a job I’m not qualified for, and that means we can’t hang out the way we used to. Now I really have to go,” I told her as I pulled onto the shoulder.
“But we’re not done yet.”
“Poppy, the cops have pulled me over. I have to go.” I ended the call and grabbed my license and registration before the uniformed officer tapped on my window.
This day just kept getting better.
Luke
“What the hell is an engagement shower?”
Blake leaned in and whispered as guests started to filter into the restaurant Talia had rented out for the evening.
“Apparently it’s a celebration of modern love, blending an engagement party with a baby shower. So, people can give two people free stuff for their kid.” It sounded like a total scam to me, but people were showing up with brightly wrapped gifts, so what the hell did I know?
“We could have bought all this stuff, and then the nursery could have been done, but Poppy wants to see all the gifts first to see ‘what calls to her’.” Blake’s eyes rolled telling me being in love hadn’t changed him as much as I thought. “Things going to be civil between you and Poppy tonight?”
Here we go. “Why wouldn’t things be civil? You mean because your fiancée insults me, and you expect me to just take it? Well don’t worry brother, I’ll keep my mouth shut all night. Just for you.” I clapped his back and walked away, suddenly wishing I had a work emergency to get out of this evening. At least until I caught another glimpse of Talia in a simple black dress that hugged her body like a lover, and those red stilettos that pushed her ass out just so. I couldn’t look away.
It pissed me off that I hadn’t gotten my fill of her yet, and it really pissed me off that fucking her was having the opposite effect. The more I had her, the more I wanted her, and this lust showed no signs of slowing down.
Talia didn’t appear to feel the same way, though. I hadn’t seen or heard from her since I left her place nearly two Fridays ago, which should have made things easier. It hadn’t. It only made me think about her more, specifically about the way she so easily threw herself into sex, giving and taking more and more, all in the pursuit of pleasure. She was a dynamo in bed, and just watching her flash a professional smile at friends and family who entered, directing them where to put coats and gifts. For the past hour she hadn’t glanced at me once, and I knew because I’d barely taken my eyes off her all night.
When all the guests had arrived, she herded them to their seats and I smiled, watching for the moment she realized I made some last minute changes to the seating arrangement.
“We have kind of a different evening in mind for you tonight. Blake and Poppy wanted this to be a family affair so we have a fantastic tasting menu that will give us time to show off gifts between courses. So, find your name and place your drink order.” Talia’s smile was strained, but no one seemed to notice as she took her seat, frowning at her new dinner companion.
Me. “You look beautiful tonight, Talia.”
“Thanks,” she grumbled. “So do you.”
I smiled, but she didn’t seem to notice. “Thanks. I was going for ‘beautiful’ when I got dressed.”
“I’d say you were more of the pretty sort,” Lacey said, laughing at her new spot across from Talia.
I barked out a laugh and pointed at Walker. “Have you seen that pretty boy you’re sleeping with?”
Walker faked a frown, and stroked his jaw. “Screw you. This is rugged handsomeness at its best.”
“That’s right, babe.” Lacey stroked his jaw and the look he gave her was enough to heat the whole place up a few degrees, which only made it worse because it was directed at my sister. “This looks great. You guys did a bang-up job.”
“Thanks,” I said because Talia was on her feet again, heading off to do something or the other. All night she’d been up and down, putting out fires before a flame flickered, and doing it all with ease. “It was mostly Talia.”
“Duh,” Lacey said with an affectionate eye roll.
The first dish came out before Talia returned, a delicious shot of gazpacho that I was happy to have for her because shot glasses were for tequila, not food. She hadn’t returned when the second or third dishes came out, and even Poppy began to look worried. “Where do you think she went?”
Blake rubbed a soothing hand on her shoulder. “Probably making sure all this goes perfectly, Poppy. It’s a big ask.”
“We’re supposed to be enjoying this together,” she insisted in an uncharacteristic whine I chalked up to baby hormones, for Blake’s sake.
She pr
obably should have thought about that before dumping her work and her wedding on her best friend. But I was being civil, so I kept those thoughts to myself.
When the third dish came out, I stood. “I’ll go make sure she’s all right,” I said and ignored the grateful look Poppy sent. I wasn’t doing this for her, no matter what Blake said. Talia deserved to enjoy the food more than anyone, because without her none of it would have happened.
I found her at the end of a dark hall, standing right in front of the emergency exit with her back to me. “You’re right, that is a problem. No, I understand. I’ll be there first thing Saturday to take care of it,” she said as she nodded. “Of course, thanks for letting me know.” She ended the call and growled.
“Hot date this weekend?”
Talia froze and turned to me, arms crossed with an icy look on her face. “How is that any of your business?”
I took three steps forward until my chest brushed against hers and her back was against the wall, leaning in close so our lips just brushed. “Because you’re my business.” Where in the hell had those words come from? She fixed her mouth for what I was sure would be a smart-ass comment, a denial, a rejection or all three, so I cut the words I didn’t want to hear off with a kiss. She relented and melted into me and nothing else mattered. My cock strained against my zipper, and when she rubbed against me wantonly, I knew I had to step back before I ripped her panties off and fucked her right here in this dark hall. “And don’t you forget it.”
Talia was dazed, her red lips parted slightly, and those big eyes were wide with surprise. Good. It was time she felt a taste of what I was feeling, because even though I didn’t want to put a name to it, I knew it was something. “Excuse me,” she said and ducked inside the bathroom.
I smiled at her hasty exit. Unlike the quickie in my office, this wasn’t payback. She was as overwhelmed as I’d been the night in her apartment, and needed a moment to gather herself. A nice guy, hell a gentleman would have given it to her.
Naughty Takeover_An Enemies to Lovers Romance Page 7
