by Litte, Jane
“That you’re not sorry.”
“I can’t.”
He squeezed her hand and then let go, trying to ignore the kick behind her words. “Allie, you’re killing me here.”
“You work—”
“For you. Yeah, I get that.” He reached into his suit pocket and dropped a small envelope on her desk blotter. “Here.”
“What’s this?”
“The key to my condo.”
“Why are you giving it to me?”
He thought she could have looked less appalled by the gesture. “Be there at seven and plan to stay the weekend. If you don’t show, I’ll hunt you down.”
“Colin, no.”
“I’d give you until eight but you’ll over-think this.”
She shoved her chair back as if the key would jump in her hand if she got too close. “You’ve lost your mind.”
“And don’t bother packing a bag. You’re not going to need any clothes.”
She frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”
“You naked for days. You’ll be lucky to go five minutes without me inside you all weekend.”
Three
She didn’t give him a second to say anything. Hours later he opened his front door and she shoved him out of the way to step inside. Didn’t even let her gaze sweep over the room before turning on him. “I didn’t appreciate the caveman act in my office this afternoon.”
He locked the door then leaned against it. “I think you did or you wouldn’t be here.”
She was going to do this. Just let the moment take her, enjoy the feel of him without worrying about the consequences later back at the office. But she still had to be smart. She couldn’t let the sexy faded jeans and slim gray T-shirt he wore or the hint of stubble on his chin take her to a place she’d regret.
She glanced around but barely saw the sectional sofa on one side of her and the big-screen television mounted on the wall on the other. “We need to set some ground rules.”
“No.”
Her carefully crafted speech fell apart in her brain. “What do you mean, no?”
“This isn’t about work or who we are or even that damned employee handbook you’ve been waving around. It’s about two people naked and knocked speechless with need.”
“The handbook is there to protect you.”
He snorted. “I’m a big boy. I can handle myself.”
“No kidding.”
“And you aren’t the boss tonight.” He pushed off the door and came toward her nice and slow. “I am.”
He didn’t so much walk toward her as he stalked. Circling her until she felt cornered and out of breath while standing in the middle of the open family room. “You.”
“Yes.” He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. “Your body is mine. Your thoughts, your desires.”
Their bodies didn’t touch anywhere else, but the soft contact from the pad of one finger was enough to send every nerve inside her jumping to awareness. She knew what he could do with those hands, that tongue, how he could bring her to orgasm in a wild frenzy and then soothe her only to start again.
His hand dropped to his side. “Take off your shirt.”
“What?”
“Now, Allie.”
Her brain balked but her fingers went to the pearly white buttons. One by one she slipped the material apart and exposed inches of bare skin. “I suppose you think I’m one of those women who just needs a good fuck to loosen her up.”
“I happen to know you had a good one earlier this week.” His gaze dipped to the top of her lacy pink bra. “And, no. You’re not cold or stiff.”
“Is this about your ego?”
His gray eyes lasered in on her. “Your shirt is still on. I want it off.”
She thought about refusing but knew she wouldn’t. Need danced through her belly as every inch of her flesh flamed to life. With the buttons open, she let the silk slip to the floor behind her. The coolness of the room couldn’t extinguish the burn racing through her.
He didn’t move. “Now the bra.”
She ached for him to strip her, skim his fingers over her, kiss her. Fast or slow, it didn’t matter. She craved the sensation of having every last barrier torn from her. Of seeing him lose control as he gave his body over to her. She wanted him to feel as helpless and trembling as she did.
She ran her fingertips across the tops of her breasts. “Can you help me?”
“The bra then the pants.”
With a slice of regret she unsnapped her bra and caught it in her hands in front of her. “There.”
“Let it fall. I want to see you. All of you.” He reached out his hand and she dropped the undergarment into it. “I missed this part on Tuesday. I plan to savor every inch of you now, just as I do every night in my fantasies.”
His words washed away the unease rumbling in her chest. “Do I get to savor you?”
He nodded in the direction of her waist. “The pants and panties.”
She tamped down all her insecurities about the soft curve of her stomach and fleshy tops of her thighs, all those dark voices in her head that told her to eat less and actually use her gym membership for once. But despite her obvious flaws, she could see the growing bulge in his pants. She remembered the way he sucked on her nipples as she lay on her office floor. He wanted her. With every problem and every obstacle, he still wanted her.
Without another thought, she lowered the zipper and let her pants slide over her skin. The matching pink panties she picked with him in mind that morning followed. Kicking off her shoes, she stood before him naked and shaking. She could barely control the mix of want and anticipation pulsing inside her.
He watched, his gaze roaming as a clock somewhere behind her ticked loud enough to echo in her head. She was just about to break the quiet, to beg if she had to, when she saw it. A fine tremor moved through his hands. The stiffness in his shoulders hid the truth but he felt it, too. The realization gave her confidence. He was thirty and heart stoppingly handsome with his firm jaw and wide eyes. A man everyone liked. She was four years older and a mass of insecurities and concerns she tried to hide behind her office door.
But he didn’t seem to care. That fact washed through her and wiped away everything else.
“I’m going to take you on the floor, so every time I walk in the front door I’ll remember you sprawled naked with me all over you.” He dropped to his knees in front of her. “Later we’ll move to the bed. I’ve dreamed about what you’d look like lying on my sheets.”
“You planned this.”
“Every night for months.” His fingers skimmed up her inner thighs, spreading her stance as he moved between her legs at her feet.
When his mouth settled on her, her mind went blank. His tongue flicked over her as his hands held her steady. She could feel her body grow wet, see it on his lips when he pulled back to slip two fingers inside her.
Her knees turned to liquid. “I can’t—”
“You can.” He mumbled the words against her clit. The vibration mixed with the heated air from his words.
His fingers pumped into her as he licked. The tempo increased until her lower body bucked and her feet stretched while her heels left the floor. The orgasm swept over her in a rush. Primed by his words and coaxed by his hands and mouth, she couldn’t hold on to the slim thread of control that kept her from falling over the edge. Her palms pressed against the side of his head and her body ground against his lips.
Before she could catch her breath, he pulled her down on the floor with him. Her muscles trembled and her hands shook while she slipped her fingers through his hair. His mouth met hers in a shattering kiss that stole the rest of her strength. His exotic scent wrapped around her as she tasted her body on his lips.
He pulled back, his gaze searching her face. “Are you ready?”
“I don’t think I can move.”
“Oh, you’re going to move. You’ll want to. Need to.”
His warmth disappeared as he slip
ped away from her to lay on the floor. With his arms folded behind his head, he waited. His erection pulled tight against his jeans and his eyes turned the perfect gray-blue.
“Undress me.”
The husky tone called to her to undo his belt and roll down the zipper. The staccato clicks echoed through the room. Denim rustled as she peeled the jeans down his legs and off. The sneakers, the boxer briefs, she stripped him of them all. She didn’t want anything separating his body from hers.
He reached down and guided her legs until she straddled his upper thighs. His erection brushed against her, not entering but pressing against her sensitive folds.
“The condom is in the pocket of my jeans.”
She didn’t talk. Couldn’t. Excitement filled her. She needed to satisfy the winding sensation inside her before she could manage anything else. To get there fast, she grabbed for the leg of his pants and dragged them across the floor to her.
All that moving around pressed her tighter against him. His sharp intake of breath mirrored hers, making her work faster. In two seconds she had the package open and the condom fitted over his length.
“Ride me.”
The rough words whipped through her. She was on top, but he was in control. “Yes.”
“Hard.” His fingers clenched against her outer thighs as he spoke.
With her hands balanced on his chest, she raised her body. She fit him against her and slid down slow and easy. The sensation stopped her breath but he didn’t allow her time to adjust.
He rubbed his thumb across her clit. “Move, Allie.”
She did. Without a signal from her brain, her senses took over. Up and down, increasing in speed with each plunge and retreat. She let the pressure build, let her hands explore his toned shoulders. Let the raw desire take over until her body was slick with sweat and her mind was clear of anything but pure pleasure.
“Damn, baby.” His upper body lifted off the floor.
She shoved him back down. Her rhythm never faltered. She followed her instincts and kept her pace until her body begged for more and a low moan escaped his lips.
His hips pumped faster, meeting her with equal pressure every time she slid back down. With one final push, she settled over him, holding him deep and letting him explode beneath her. His arms fell to the sides as the muscles in his neck pulled tight.
Seeing him surrender his control touched off her orgasm. Her mouth dropped open as her body splintered. Her last thought was that his body belonged to her.
AN hour later they lay diagonal across the bed with the sheets crumpled beneath them.
He traced her breast with the tip of his finger. “What happens now?”
The gentle touch set off a fluttering deep in her stomach. “I don’t see that anything has changed.”
He leaned up on his elbow and stared down at her with a face blank of emotion. “How can you say that?”
It would have been easier if he yelled or cursed. Instead, he continued to caress her breast until her nipple pulled hard and her legs shifted to make room for his hips between them. “You’re thinking more sex.”
“Definitely.” He leaned over to kiss the puckered skin around her nipple. He sucked then flicked his tongue against the hard bud.
She forced her hips to stay flat against the mattress. “What’s the plan here, Colin? We’re going to concentrate on work all week and then have sex all weekend?”
“Works for me.”
“I can’t separate my life like that.” She struggled up to balance her upper body on her elbows.
He finally pulled back. “You mean you won’t try.”
“I could lose everything.”
“You still don’t get it.” He sat up, sliding his hand down her body to lay flat on her stomach.
“Tell me.”
The skin pulled tight across his cheeks as his mouth went flat. “I’m thinking you’ll have to figure it out on your own.”
Four
The message came at ten minutes after ten on Monday morning. Allie sat at her desk, replaying every minute of the weekend in her head. The memory of Colin’s touch warmed her. The stunned look on his face when she made her hasty exit still haunted her. The call from her boss demanding a meeting about Colin in a half hour made her dizzy with rage.
Colin betrayed her. She turned him down and he walked into Mr. Friedman’s office this morning and turned her in. She’d expected his anger and disappointment, but Colin had convinced her he wouldn’t go after her out of spite. Wouldn’t target her job while he ripped her confidence to shreds.
The more she thought about it, the harder the anger shook her. The least he could do was be a man and admit it to her face. If he was going to ruin her, smash her business reputation to pieces and make her out to be some sort of whore, he would not be able to hide while he did it.
She knew she should call her attorney and stay away from Colin unless there was a witness present . . . Fuck that.
She blew out of her office, not even bothering to hide her fury or slide into the office next to hers without attracting attention. If he wanted to make a scene, she would give him one.
She pushed open his half-closed door and then slammed it behind her. Trapped in the eight-by-eight space, it was all she could do to keep from reaching for the nearest object and lobbing it at his head.
She settled for walking right up to the edge of his desk and staring him down. “You lied to me.”
He didn’t even flinch. Just glanced up from his computer screen and kept typing on the keyboard. “About what?”
“You told me you could separate the office from what happened between us outside of work.”
The clicking of the keys stopped. “I was wrong.”
The comment sent her fury flaring in every direction. “You admit it?”
He sat back in his chair. “Before I say yes, why don’t you tell me what has you pissed off and stomping around.”
“You talked to Friedman this morning.”
“Yes.”
The simple word sliced through her. Ripped through her insides and plunged straight into her heart.
“You told him we had sex.” When Colin didn’t bother to deny it, the rage boiling inside her spilled over. “You know, I almost bought your act. When you begged me to stay last night, I nearly caved.”
“But you figured out I only wanted sex.”
If he threw her on the floor and punched her, kicked her right in the gut, it would have hurt less than the flat tone of disinterest in his voice. “Yes.”
He stood up. “So, you decided I’d turn around and tell everyone how good you were in the sack. That I bagged the boss.”
“It’s not bad enough you endanger my career. You have to—”
“Shut up.” He said the words as he stepped around the edge of his desk to stand next to her. He grabbed her elbow before she could race out of the office. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Why don’t you enlighten me?”
“I quit.” He shook her but it didn’t restart her brain.
The world whirred down to a stop. The edges blurred and words jumbled in her head. She saw him and the sharp tension drawing across his jaw. None of it made sense.
“What are you talking about?”
“I accepted a position with another company for one reason. You. And stop shaking your head. I realized I had two choices. If we’re not going to keep seeing each other, I can’t be in an office with you every day.” His fierce grip eased on her arm but he didn’t let go. “So close, knowing how good we are together, and forced to play the role of platonic subordinate? Not fucking going to happen.”
Her breath hiccupped inside her chest. “You’re not making any sense.”
“But if we’re going to figure out what’s going on between us, and I hope to hell that’s the choice we’re picking here, then I still have to leave because you’re never going to ignore that damn employee handbook and let yourself go.”
She still couldn’t put the words he was saying together and have them make sense. “So, Friedman . . . ”
“Doesn’t know a damn thing about us.”
Colin pulled her closer until her world consisted only of him. His voice. His scent. His blue eyes begging with intense need.
She balanced her hands against his chest, both wanting to stop the flow of words and urge him to keep talking. “This is your career. Your life.”
“You’re still not getting it.”
“Then explain.”
“The work is part of my life and leaving here is not exactly a sacrifice. This is the third offer I’ve gotten since I started working for you.”
“But you have a future here.”
“Damn it, woman. Stop talking about work and listen to what I’m saying to you.” His palms traveled up her arms to rest on her shoulders. One thumb traced a lazy pattern over the base of her neck. The other hand slipped into her hair. “The decision is now yours. I offered to work out two-weeks notice but Friedman told me to clean out my desk and get out. He also shut down my computer password, so all I can access is my calendar. I’m sure security will be here any minute to escort me out.”
“He can’t . . .” Her fury on Colin’s behalf died hard. “Well, he actually can.”
“This company has a real hard-on for rules.” For the first time since their play last night, he smiled. “And as of a few hours from now I am officially not a handbook violation.”
“We need to talk about this.”
“You know where to find me. You still have the condo key.”
This couldn’t happen. It was too fast, too risky. She believed in thinking things through and making plans. “You don’t change the entire course of your life for one night of sex.”
That fast his hands dropped from her body. “You refuse to see what’s right in front of you.”
“One of us has to be reasonable and put the last few days in perspective. We’ve slept together That’s it.”
“If that’s the way you really feel, throw the fucking key away.”
“You’re making this into some sort of test and I don’t like it.”
