For the Win

by Brenna Aubrey

  With one hand between my legs again, the other had my hair in his grip. In a voice thick with lust, he said, "Brace yourself. God, you feel so good."

  I did as he said and soon he increased the rhythm with which he was pounding into me, his hand tightening in my hair, pulling my head back so he could press his mouth against my temple and whisper dirty things in my ear about how good it felt to be inside me and how he wanted to fuck me senseless.

  He was close to getting his wish. The world seemed to turn around us, but I couldn't make sense of anything except the way he was making my body feel at that moment.

  Until I saw a bright light flashing from underneath my closed eyelids. At that same moment, Jordan froze. I opened my eyes to see a vehicle circling the large parking lot. As we were at the front of the car, we were hidden from view, but from the way the driver was shining a spotlight, it looked as if it were a ranger checking on things. As he made another circuit, I could see emergency lights on top of his truck.

  "Shit," I breathed.

  "Don't move. Don't say a thing. He'll be gone in a minute."

  Jordan may have stopped moving, but his hand hadn't. He still stroked my clit and the touch was maddening. I clamped my hand around his wrist.

  "Stop," I said. "I can't concentrate."

  "Shhh," he said as the truck slowed down. Goddamn it. He was going to get out, and I was going to get caught with my pants down--literally.

  I clamped my mouth shut as Jordan continued to stimulate me. I squeezed my eyes closed. He pressed his mouth to my ear. "Shh," he said again. As if he had to remind me.

  Jordan's hand moved faster against me and I stifled a whimper, biting my lip hard. He was watching the truck as it slowly continued its circuit, finally moving away from us. My heartbeat was drumming against my chest like I'd just run for my life to escape a serial killer in the woods. The thrill was intoxicating, and as I watched the truck drive away, I was close to coming again. Thankfully, instead of being a jerk and stopping like he did last time, Jordan started to move again.

  And I don't know if it was the danger of getting caught, the ferocity with which he was taking me or just the fact that we were getting to know each other's bodies better, but the orgasm that followed was beyond incredible. My head dropped back and I let out a little shout that echoed all around us as every muscle in my body tightened. I was coming in air-stealing waves, not even able to gasp my next breath. The stars may have started twirling overhead, too...mingling and swirling with those Northern Lights like a giant kaleidoscope in the night sky.

  I fell against the hood of the truck trying to catch my next breath, the pleasure wrung forcibly from my body. I was still coming even as he moved gently inside me, as if he wanted to savor the feeling too.

  "Oh God, that was... fuck yeah," I gasped.

  "Fuck yeah is right," he said tightly, and then he began pounding against me again. I locked my elbows, bracing against the car as he groaned behind me. "Fuck yeah," he breathed just before he stilled, stiffening against me. He let out a long breath as I felt the pulses of his orgasm deep inside. Pressing a flushed cheek to the cold hood of the car, I let out a low moan, loving the feel of him inside me.

  For a long time, he didn't move, just stood there holding me as his hoarse breathing normalized. Slowly, carefully, he released me from his tight hold and pulled out of me. I missed the feel of him already.

  I heard him remove the condom and shove it inside what sounded like a plastic bag.

  After buttoning himself up, he bent and pulled my underwear and pants up my legs, landing a kiss on my hip. I quickly zipped and buttoned my jeans, then turned around to face him. He took my shoulders in his hands.

  "That was a lot more fun than arguing," he murmured.

  "That was almost an international incident. I don't even have my passport with me."

  "Oh, chill... Bears do it in the woods. Why can't we?"

  I slapped his chest. "I'm not kidding. What if Mr. Canadian Mountie had gotten out of the truck?"

  "What if he had?" He shrugged. "Besides, I can't think of a better reason to go to jail. And it's Canada. How bad could their jail even be? 'Sorry I had to arrest you, sir. That was pretty impolite of me, eh?'" he mocked in a faux Canadian accent. I couldn't help but snicker.

  He pulled away and opened the passenger door for me. I slid inside and watched as he came around the front and climbed into his side. I shivered on the cold leather seat.

  "Here, take the blanket." He grabbed it off the box in the back and handed it to me. I tucked it around myself. "The concierge packed some food. Are you hungry?"

  "I don't know. Did you poison it?"

  "Only the apples." He winked and smiled that devilishly handsome smile.

  I reached back and pulled out a package of cheese and crackers, handing it to him, then grabbed one for myself.

  "So much for the 'one-night thing,' huh?" I cocked a brow at him.

  "Technically, all three times have occurred within a twenty-four-hour period."

  "Ah," I said, rolling my eyes. "I guess we are safe, then."

  His gaze cut to mine. "You're not safe, Weiss. Take my word for it."

  I set down the slice of cheese I was about to eat. "The cheese is poisoned, too?"

  "The cheese is fine. But the Big Bad Wolf is hungry for more than food." His eyes roamed my face.

  "What if I still don't like you?"

  "You don't have to like me. You just have to like what I want to do to you."

  I swallowed, thrilled again by his words. "Well...we are out of the country. Maybe it doesn't count if we're across international borders."

  "I like how you think. I think we should make the most of our Canadian carte blanche."

  I snacked on my cheese and crackers and watched through the windshield as the Northern Lights continued to dance across the inky sky.

  Our differences had not been resolved--not by a long shot--but we silently agreed to table it.

  And we did table it, quite literally. We had sex on the dining room table when we got back to the penthouse. Followed by the bed.

  Apparently, this was all I was ever going to get. So if I went home walking bowlegged like a cowboy, then so be it. At least we'd enjoyed ourselves.

  The only problem was... I wasn't ready for it to end. But I'd be the last person in the world to tell him that. Because, like it or not, he was ready.

  Chapter 22

  Jordan

  A driver in a town car took us home from the airport. It was late afternoon and we both had to be at work early the next morning. I'd resolved to stick to my guns, meaning no more sexual contact with April once we returned to the country. What happened in Canada stayed in Canada--at least I hoped it would.

  I was more than a little worried because I was already starting to crave the smell of her hair, the feel of that soft skin at the small of her back, the taste of her neck and earlobes. The feel of her thighs wrapped around me.

  Christ. I watched her as she worked, bent over her laptop. The car inched down the 405 freeway on the drive from LAX in rush-hour traffic. I faked checking my phone. I had a shit-ton of emails to go through, but I couldn't concentrate on work right now.

  "It's too bad you couldn't stay to enjoy the rest of the conference," she said without looking up from her screen.

  I supposed I could have taken in some of the talks, but I would have loved enjoying her for a few more days even more. Because honestly, our time together had been fucking amazing. I couldn't get enough of her. I sure as hell hadn't gotten enough of her.

  "So, uh..." I said, clearing my throat.

  She looked up from her laptop and fixed her dark blue eyes on me. "Yes?"

  "Are we cool?"

  Her brows pushed together. "You mean, do I know my place? Oh, Mr. Fawkes, I've never forgotten it."

  My lips thinned. "That's not what I meant."

  "Are you worried I'm going to rat you out? Because--"

  I scowled. "I didn't mean that ei
ther."

  She smiled. "Then I guess you'd better tell me what you mean."

  "I hope you don't feel used or anything like that...that you understand why..."

  She sighed and turned her head, looking out the window at the same time she closed her laptop. "I understand. You don't have to say anything more about it."

  "So tomorrow at the office..."

  "Business as usual. I've got it."

  I swallowed. I didn't particularly like the idea myself. And if circumstances were different... Maybe after her internship, when she was no longer working for me, I'd ask her out. Or had too much dirty water gone under the bridge for that?

  We rode along in tense silence before she shifted, leaning toward me conspiratorially. "Don't you think it might be better if..."

  "What?"

  "Well, I'm just thinking about the video. There's always a danger of our identities getting out, right?"

  I said nothing but was quite sure I didn't like the direction she was taking.

  "What if we warned Adam about it? Just in case things flare up again? You guys could devise a plan and have it ready to head off a PR situation if it arises. And if you go to Adam, then it might not be as bad as if it came out some other way."

  I was silent for a long time. She was feeling guilty. Only natural, and it wasn't like I didn't feel like shit about it, too. Maybe her suggestion made sense on some level, but most of me just wanted to believe that this had died down forever.

  "I understand what you are getting at, but you don't know Adam like I do. He'd pop blood vessels if he found out. It would be messy."

  "Aren't you afraid that it will get out, though?"

  "Not really." I shrugged. It was a total lie. She stared at me with narrowed eyes and I tried not to sweat it.

  "I just know in my gut that if he had that info--"

  "Let me handle it."

  "Does that mean you're going to tell him?"

  "No. It means I'm going to handle it. Don't worry about it, okay?"

  She frowned. "That's a lot easier said than done. I worry about it all the time."

  I couldn't resist. I stroked her soft hair. "Don't. I'll take care of it."

  But she still looked doubtful, worried. Suddenly, her head was on my shoulder and it was hard to breathe. This unfamiliar feeling of fierce protectiveness overwhelmed me. I wanted to take care of it--take care of her. Ridiculous thought, I knew, because she was capable of doing that herself. But...

  What were these feelings she was drawing out in me? I leaned my head against hers for maybe a second before that feeling just grew heavier and more uncomfortable in my chest. It was too hard to think or feel anything else but her. Slowly, I pulled away, though it was probably one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

  With a shaky breath, I forced myself to turn away from her, to think about something else. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her straighten, watching me as I sat back and stared out my own window, fiddling with the whiskers on my jaw. I'd finally gotten it looking how I wanted only to have to go back to a clean-shaven look come tomorrow. Those bankers were conservative, and I'd taken out my earring and let the hole close up last year before entering their conventional world. I wondered again why I'd wanted to be a part of this world so badly, this world that wasn't really me.

  What was I trying to prove and to whom?

  As always, it came back to that shadowy figure--my old man--staring over my shoulder. I huffed and blew off that thought.

  When we stopped at April's, I'd already decided that I wouldn't get out and walk her to her door. I'd allowed this to go too far already. But I couldn't resist reassuring her again. "April..." I said before she got out of the car.

  She turned back to me, grasping the door handle. Our eyes locked.

  "I'll take care of things, all right? Trust me."

  The corners of her mouth turned up and her eyes closed, and the expression hurt because I could see that she was torn, reluctant to put that trust in me. She leaned forward and kissed me, an affectionate, innocent kiss.

  "I know you'll do your best." She didn't look at me again as she turned to leave.

  I watched as the driver helped her with her luggage, taking it to her door. I kind of hated myself for letting her go like that, but I didn't trust myself to go near her place. If I did, I knew I wouldn't want to leave.

  Strangely, after spending those days with her, I suddenly felt at a loss and lonelier than ever. I closed my eyes, rubbing them with the palms of my hands. I'd told her not to care. That she wasn't allowed to care. I should have sent the same memo to myself.

  I'd only been gone four days, but when I got home the place felt empty. I had to fight the inclination to pick up the phone and send Weiss some teasing text. To get my mind off her once and for all--yeah right--I grabbed my board to catch a few good waves before the sun set for the day. But my heart wasn't in it.

  ***

  The next morning, I was at the office an hour early, ready to take on the day and get to work planning our IPO roadshow. We'd be making a series of presentations in an appeal to large-fund managers across the country. We had a two-week window to put the shiniest, most impressive face on our company to get them interested in taking on our stock. The IPO roadshow had to be perfect, and to that end I'd hired a professional director and camera crew who would interview Adam, me and the other officers.

  Today was also the scheduled photo shoot for Entrepreneur Weekly magazine, all a part of our big press push for the IPO. I arrived in my second favorite suit with a spare slung over my shoulder in a garment bag, just in case my assistant got a little crazy with the coffee. I smiled a little at that thought.

  There was hardly a soul hereabouts. The interns and assistants were filing in slowly, and I noticed that Adam's door was ajar. I knocked and then pushed the door open.

  The boss had a woman attached to him at the lips. When they heard me enter, they pulled apart and stared at me, wide-eyed, looking like teenagers caught making out in their parents' bedroom. I almost laughed. Almost.

  "Hey, Mia," I said. "A little early for a booty call, isn't it?"

  "I was just...swinging by for a little moral support," she said, a blush staining her cheeks.

  Adam slipped an arm around his fiancee's waist. They were so cute together it was almost sickening. Scratch that, it was sickening. And Adam's obvious bliss didn't help matters.

  "It's Mia's first day of school today," he explained. He sounded like he was talking about a kindergartner. I guess Adam liked them really young...

  "Oh, right. Medical school. You get your own cadaver to work on and all that gruesome stuff. Dr. Frankenstein, why didn't you make your beau carry your books to class for you, then?"

  She rolled her eyes. "Don't give him any ideas. He wanted to drive me there, but we compromised and came here first. I'm taking the car to school and then coming back to get him tonight."

  I resisted the urge to smirk. They were commuting together, probably because she was still annoyed with Adam's recent transportation purchase--a sweet, vintage Indian motorcycle. Even I was envious of it.

  She turned to me. "That was a great presentation, by the way. I was impressed, even though I didn't understand half the stuff you said."

  "Sorry I couldn't make any commentary on the chainmail bikinis the characters wear in the game. I know that's your favorite subject. Plus, I like them and I vote we keep them."

  "Of course you do." Grinning, she slipped out of Adam's hold and bent to grab her sweatshirt and purse. "I gotta get going. Don't want to be late on my first day."

  Adam walked her to the door, where she paused to kiss him goodbye. "Text me later. Let me know how it's going," he said, hooking an arm around her and pulling her against him. She kissed him again.

  "Mmm. You have to stop, or I won't want to leave."

  "You've caught on to my evil plan."

  God, any more of this and I was going to start making gagging noises right here on the spot. I coughed
into my hand, "Get-a-room."

  Adam glared at me. "We did have a room 'til some douchebag decided to barge in on us."

  I raised my brows. "She's gonna be late, dude."

  He grimaced but let her go, then kissed her again on her cheek. "Good luck. Love you."

  "I know." She turned, waving to me as an afterthought, and was gone.

  Adam took a minute to watch her go, as if he wasn't going to see her again in months or a year instead of this evening. Something about that irritated me. And yet, underneath that layer of irritation was envy, if I allowed myself to admit it.

  I looked away, annoyed at that thought. Love. Who needed that shit? I turned back to Adam. "Should I step out? Give you a moment to recover?"

  "Go fuck yourself," he said with a good-natured grin, turning to join me by the window.

  "She'll be okay. Her docs gave her the okay for school, right?"

  "She's fine." He shrugged self-consciously, but I could tell he was still worried.

  "She's still not letting you ride the bike?"

  He gestured to the suit he wore sans jacket. "Like I was going to ride the bike in this."

  "Gotta look pretty for your pictures today."

  He rolled his eyes. "Speaking of looking pretty...we watched your TED talk a few times. It was really good. Well done."

  I smiled. "Thanks. It went over well. I've got some follow-up interviews to do for some of the newspapers who wanted more."

  "We need all the good press we can get. I also have some really good news. I'm bringing in someone who I think is going to be key in the formation of our board of directors." Adam turned to me, his mouth turned up in a self-satisfied smile.

  Uh-oh. I knew that smile. He was about to spring something on me. He glanced at his watch. "He should be here any minute. He's stopping by for a few so I can show him around."

  "And this person is someone I don't know?"

  "You've never met him, but he's been supportive of me and my ventures for a long time. I owe him a lot."

  "And his qualifications?" I bit out, trying to hide my irritation but not quite succeeding. "I really wish you would have run this by me first."

  "I'm running it by you now. And he has no idea what I'm going to ask him to do. I thought I'd introduce you first. I know that he'll be a good--"

  The intercom on Adam's desk buzzed, and his intern's voice came through, "Adam? You have a visitor to see you... Mr. David Weiss?"