by J. S. Scott
“I did promise,” he said, sounding almost pained.
Ally swiped the keys. “I promise I’ll get us to Harrison without a scratch on the car.”
Travis shrugged. “It’s not the car I’m concerned about.”
He helped her into the driver’s seat and buckled her in, and then took his own seat on the other side. “You’re not used to the vehicle.”
Travis proceeded to give her clipped instructions all the way to work, even though Ally handled the car just fine. She may not have ever driven a Ferrari, but she understood all the car had to offer. Occasionally, she accelerated too fast, causing Travis to snarl at her to slow down. When she finally pulled the sports car into Travis’s personal parking space, he grudgingly admitted she had driven well, but spoiled the compliment by reminding her that she drove too fast. Like she was going to drive a Ferrari like a grandma? Had Travis not been snapping at her for her speed, she would have liked to open the engine up a little more, although there were few places where she could do that in the city. Still, the experience had been exhilarating.
“Thank you,” she told him sincerely as she handed back his keys outside the Harrison building. “You just helped me complete one thing on my bucket list.”
“I hardly think turning twenty-eight requires a bucket list, Alison,” Travis replied, straightening his tie as they walked into the building.
Ally shrugged as they stepped into the elevator. “You never know. I might get the death penalty after I kill my billionaire boss from Hell,” she answered smoothly, shooting him an evil smile. “Do you have your phone?”
Travis scowled at her. “Yes. Why?”
“I just wanted to add some reminders.” She was such a liar, but whenever he started to act like he had a stick up his butt, she had wicked thoughts.
He handed it over with a masculine sigh. “If you change the ringtone, you’re fired.”
“Would I do that?” She put a hand to her chest, giving a false look of horror and dismay.
Travis glared at her. “Yes,” he growled.
Ally did put in a few reminders as they stood in the elevator.
And then she changed his ringtone to a popular and very sexually explicit song, making sure the volume was full blast.
She smiled at him innocently as she handed it back, reminding herself to call him during one of his meetings today. With that supremely satisfying thought in mind, she stepped out of the elevator and made her way into the office, her grin broadening with every step she took.
“You’re fired!” Ally had to hold the cell phone away from her ear to diminish the sound of Travis’s booming voice. “I was in a meeting with a bunch of very uptight old men when you called me. I thought they were all going to have a heart attack.”
Ally stifled a laugh as she put the phone back to her ear. “I’m sorry, Mr. Harrison, but I’m on my lunch right now. Feel free to berate me as soon as I get back to the office and I’m on the clock again.” She clicked the Off button on the phone, cutting off what she was certain would have been another long lecture from Travis. “He fired me.” Ally sighed and smiled wickedly at Asha Harrison. She and Asha had become friends since Asha had married Kade, the two of them getting together as often as they could.
Today, Asha had brought her a bouquet of flowers for her birthday, and insisted on taking her out for lunch. They were currently seated in a casual Italian restaurant, devouring sinful plates of pasta.
Asha looked radiantly pregnant and happy, and that fact made Ally genuinely smile. After all that Asha had been through, she deserved the happiness she’d found with Kade. Unlike Travis, Kade was a very likable man, and almost the complete opposite of his twin. While Travis was dark in both appearance and personality, Kade was blond and gorgeous, a former pro football player who almost always seemed to be wearing a grin, especially since he’d married Asha.
“You know…it isn’t like Travis couldn’t just check his phone and turn off any ringtone you set,” Asha mused, wiping her mouth with her napkin. “He’s a brilliant man, smart enough to think of doing that every day.”
Ally had often contemplated the same question. “I think he likes a reason to fight. He’s obstinate that way,” she replied, taking a sip of water to wash down the pasta.
So much for my diet. I might as well take the fettuccini and apply it directly to my hips.
“I think he does it on purpose,” Asha replied. “So he has a reason to seek you out.”
Ally snorted. “I doubt that. He avoids me like the plague. He’s been a bit…different. He’s only been a little less of an asshole since I broke up with my fiancé.” She’d told Asha about her breakup on the way to the restaurant.
And now he’s taken to kissing me breathless! Ally decided not to share that little fact with Asha. More than likely it would get back to Kade.
“How different?” Asha questioned curiously.
Ally shrugged. “He listens occasionally. And he let me drive his Ferrari today because it was my birthday.”
Asha let out a low whistle. “That’s major,” she said sincerely. “He rarely even lets Kade drive his vehicles.” She put her fork down on her plate and picked up her water. “I think he has the hots for you. And so does my handsome husband.”
Ally nearly choked on her water, swallowing it with difficulty. She actually flushed when she thought about the heated kiss Travis had laid on her that morning. “I’m his assistant, and I irritate the hell out of him. I doubt very much that he’s lusting after me,” Ally denied, giving Asha a dubious look. He might have kissed her, and maybe he really would screw her, but Ally suspected it was just because she was single now, convenient and available.
“I’ve watched him when you’re around. He’s lusting,” Asha stated adamantly. “And neither of the Harrison men have ever been players. Kade had a longtime girlfriend to whom he was faithful for years, even though the bitch dropped him the moment he wasn’t physically perfect anymore. And Kade said that Travis is never seen with a woman. He had a few brief relationships in college, but nothing much since then.”
Asha was right. Travis did do everything alone. “Are you trying to tell me that Travis Harrison never gets laid?” she asked Asha curiously.
“If he does, he’s quiet about it,” Asha replied thoughtfully. “Travis likes to play the badass, but he does have a heart. He’s done some wonderful things with his charities.”
“I know,” Ally admitted. “If he wasn’t such a jackass, I’d probably worship him because he’s a brilliant businessman and humanitarian.”
“I think since he’s the oldest, he feels totally responsible for repairing the Harrison name after the scandal with his parents. The whole family was completely humiliated, and hounded unmercifully by the press. Their life was a living hell for a very long time.”
Although Ally hadn’t known Travis at that time, she knew about the Harrison scandal; she knew that the siblings’ father had killed their mother and then took his own life. “It had to have been horrible for all of them,” Ally admitted, her heart bleeding for a younger and more vulnerable Travis.
Asha nodded. “It was. And Kade says Travis always got the worst of it from his father because he was always trying to protect them. ” Asha visibly shuddered. “The man was completely insane, and I can only imagine the kind of abuse Travis suffered. I know what Kade went through, but he swears that Travis took most of it.”
Ally’s heart squeezed in her chest. The thought of a very young Travis taking abuse from his father made her clench her fist in indignation. She’d had a chaotic upbringing and a humiliating one, but she suspected her sad childhood with her alcoholic mother had probably been nothing compared to what Travis had suffered at the hands of a madman. “What about their mother?”
Asha hesitated for moment before answering. “I don’t know, but from what Kade has told me, I’m not sure she was all there either. She was terrified of her husband, and did nothing to protect the kids.”
“So they w
ere all completely screwed,” Ally mused aloud.
“Speaking of getting screwed, how are you holding up after what happened with your lowlife fiancé?” Asha asked in a hushed tone. “Are you really okay, Ally?”
Ally nodded at Asha as she toyed with her pasta. “I am. I have some things to clear up, but I’ll survive.”
“I hope karma bites him in the ass,” Asha said venomously. “You’d tell me if you needed anything, right?”
Ally probably wouldn’t, because she rarely asked for anything from anyone, but to make Asha feel better, she answered, “Yes. I’m okay. I just need to clean up the mess and move on. Some of it’s my fault. I was so blinded by my plans and what I wanted for our future that I never saw the signs that he was a snake.”
“I’m so sorry you were hurt, Ally. But I’m glad you didn’t marry him. Since you’re on vacation next week, do you want to meet up with Maddie, Mia, Kara and me? We do lunch once a week. It’s a lot of fun. We all complain about what protective pain in the asses our husbands are, and then we sigh over the sweet things they do.” Asha laughed softly. “But we could focus more on the man-bashing for you.”
Ally laughed. “I’d like that. I haven’t had much time for friends in the last few years.” She hadn’t had any time, but she wanted to. Although she wasn’t as well acquainted with the other women, she liked them all. Sliding out of her seat, she grabbed up her purse to take out some money for her lunch. “I suppose I should get back to the office so Travis can give me his daily lecture and hire me back again.”
Asha got to her feet and grasped Ally’s wrist. “My treat. It’s your birthday.” Asha handed the waiter the small folder filled with cash.
“Thanks, Asha. And thank Kade for the flowers in case I don’t see him today. They’re beautiful.” She hugged the slender Indian woman, grateful that the two of them had become friends.
“I have no doubt you can handle Travis. You always do. I think you’re the only one who can,” Asha replied, squeezing Ally before letting her go.
Ally wanted to tell Asha that her skills at handling Travis were a little off lately, ever since he’d thrown her off-balance with his odd behavior and panty-melting kisses. But she simply bade her friend good-bye, agreeing to call her about lunch the following week, and drove back to the Harrison building.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the office and found Travis gone, apparently out at meetings for the rest of the day according to the brief note he’d left for her. She was grateful for the reprieve, and tried to deny to herself that she was also slightly disappointed. How sick was that? She actually missed getting one of his lectures?
The afternoon flew by quickly. With Travis out of the office, she had to deal with whatever calls that she could handle, plus finish a mountain of paperwork that needed to get done. Before she knew it, she looked up at the clock and it was past time for her to leave.
I need to get to Sully’s!
Quickly shutting down her computer, she opened the large bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out some spare clothing she now left at the office just in case she forgot her casual clothes for bartending. Snatching a red tank top, jeans, and her sneakers, she hesitated a moment before dashing into Travis’s office and closing the door. She could be changed in a minute, and she didn’t want to go down the hall to the restroom because she was short on time. The blinds were open, but the office was so far up that nobody could see her unless they were in the next building, and even then, they’d probably need binoculars.
She toed her heels off and quickly stripped off her dress, pulling the tank top over her head. She was just reaching for her jeans when Travis’s office door opened, taking about ten years off her life as she let out a horrified screech.
And then…there was complete silence.
Ally froze, her gaze on Travis, his hand still on the door handle as he stared at her, his hungry eyes roaming over her body. She’d planned on covering up the sexy lingerie she was wearing with her jeans, and pulling her sneakers on over the stockings. Thinking about the image he was seeing right at that moment, she blushed, her whole face burning with embarrassment. The only thing she was wearing was a tight, red tank top, the sexy “barely there” black panties, and a matching garter belt and stockings. And with her full hips, she was fairly certain she didn’t exactly look like a sex kitten. “I’m sorry. I had to change and I didn’t think you were coming back.”
The tension was palpable, and Travis made no attempt to leave. He just stood there in his immaculate suit and tie, his face unreadable, nearly burning her with the heat in his eyes.
Uncomfortable, Ally reached for her jeans again.
“Don’t,” Travis barked, closing the door behind him. He stalked toward her, his dark eyes never leaving her, almost as if he were afraid she’d bolt.
Ally couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t do anything except watch him as he moved slowly and deliberately across the room. Travis was stalking her, and it was the hottest thing she’d ever seen, but also a little more than terrifying. He was dangerous when he was like this, unpredictable. She could handle the Travis who was a jackass, the boss who argued with her daily. But this man, this darkly compelling and beautiful male who stopped in front of her, his eyes still roaming hungrily over her scantily clad body, was possibly more than she could handle.
He reached for the clip in her hair and released the curls as he growled, “Did he see you like this? Did you wear this for him?”
Ally swallowed before replying. She knew what Travis was asking. “No. It was an impulse buy, something he never saw and the only ones I have. I don’t usually wear these. I was out of panty hose,” she rambled nervously.
“Good. You’re beautiful, Alison,” he rumbled, thrusting a hand into her curls and fisting her hair. “I can’t stomach the thought of anyone seeing you this way except me.”
Ally shivered, but not with the cold. Travis’s eyes turned a dark chocolate color, nearly black, and his fierceness turned her on in a way she’d never experienced before. “I’m sorry I used your office. I have to go.” God, she was both weak with desire and mortified at the same time. She reached for her jeans again, but Travis caught her by the wrist, stopping her.
“Fuck! I can’t let you go. Not now.” Travis’s voice was tormented. He used his body to back her up against his massive desk, one hand on her ass and the other still clutching her hair. “Seeing you like this makes me crazy. The only thing I want when I look at you right now is to watch you come.”
Ally gulped as she stared into his eyes, as though they were having a private battle, and Travis was winning. Her treacherous body responded to his words, his nearness, and she wasn’t sure she could deny him this time. The air between them was vibrating with tension, and her body was screaming from the unbearable ache to have a piece of this man, even if it was only a fling. Just for a small stolen length of time, Ally wanted to…feel. Travis wanted her. He’d made that very clear. And God, how she wanted him.
Travis lightened his hold on her hair, his fingers smoothing out the tangled strands. “Tell me that you don’t want this, Alison.” His voice was tense, harsh. He was challenging her even as his big body crowded her against the desk.
Ally shook her head. “I can’t tell you that. But I guarantee we’ll regret it later.” They worked together. He was her boss. It would make their rocky working relationship even more awkward. But none of that really seemed to matter as Ally’s nipples hardened to painful peaks when Travis wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her body up hard against him.
“The hell we will,” Travis rumbled against her lips as his mouth came down on hers. He brought everything on his desk bar the computer to a noisy collision and then to a fall to the carpeted floor with one swipe of his powerful arm behind her. His hands went to her ass as he lifted her onto the desk, giving him better access to her mouth. He groaned against her lips, his hands pushing under her flimsy tank top to touch her bare skin.
Ally wrapped her arms around his neck, reveling in the feel of the coarse hair between her fingers as she speared her hands into his hair. Intoxicated by the masterful strokes of Travis’s tongue, she shivered and opened wider to him, giving him the access he was ruthlessly demanding. He slid one hand under her hair, stroking the back of her neck, the action both sensual and dominant as he held her head in place for his rough possession.
She whimpered into his mouth as he caressed the skin of her abdomen, and then yanked her bra up and let her breast spill into his hand. He wasn’t gentle, but the last thing Ally wanted was tenderness right now. Her body was on fire, her core flooded with heat and clenching with need. Travis’s touch was what she needed: hard, hot, and unrelenting. And he gave it to her. He pinched and stroked, first one nipple and then the other, repeating the action while plundering her mouth until the tension in Ally’s body was nearly making her insane.
He ripped his mouth from hers, his breath coming in heavy pants. Ally was just as breathless and she let her head fall back, giving him access to the sensitive skin at her neck as he explored it with his tongue, his whiskered jaw abrasive against her cheek. She closed her eyes, every nerve in her body pulsating, electrified. “Please,” she hissed, begging Travis to end her torment.
“Tell me you want me,” Travis commanded, his warm breath caressing her ear.
“Please,” she repeated, unable to say anything else.
Travis reached up and grasped her arms, tilting her back until she was lying sprawled out on his desk. “You look like a fucking wet dream,” he growled, his eyes wild and feral.
Their eyes caught and held as Travis leaned forward, his forearms resting on both sides of her. For Ally, it was like time stopped completely for just an instant, and she could see her own passion reflected in Travis’s liquid, dark eyes.
He broke the stare as his head lowered to her breasts, his hands cupping and stroking her nipples before he sucked, biting down gently on one of the sensitive peaks. The pain and pleasure of it nearly broke her, her body thrashing beneath him with unsated desire.
