by Ashley Ladd
Mr. Wonderful? He liked the sound of that so he nodded.
Closing the gap between them, he towered over her and leaned slightly toward her. “That's me. What's your name?"
She licked her lips with the tip of her tongue and winked up at him. “Tati."
Naughty Tati. He liked it. It definitely suited her tonight.
He allowed himself to touch her magnificent hair, the hair he'd dreamed about touching. The red highlights in her hair glowed under the moonlight streaming in through the blinds. He sniffed and drank in her essence. “You're gorgeous, Tati. I'm the luckiest man in the world that you've chosen me tonight."
When her gaze became dazed, he congratulated himself on putting that exquisite look on her face. He dropped feathery kisses to her perfumed flesh. Like jasmine, she smelled heavenly. “You must be hot in that raincoat."
She quivered against his lips and closed her eyes. Her long, black lashes made a demure fan against her high cheekbones and he dropped kisses on each one.
"Absolutely sweltering."
"So take it off.” He couldn't wait to see those curves he'd dreamed about kissing and licking and suckling for so long. He spread his palms on the lapels of her jacket and let them slide down to the top buttons. “May I?"
Her splendid eyes darkened and she nodded. “Be my guest."
As he undid the buttons, she leaned forward and kissed his chest. Blazing fire alarms threatened to set off the China syndrome. Her magic wrapped around him as her warm lips continued to caress his bare chest. When her tongue swirled over his nipple, he quivered and pushed her coat off her shoulders.
"You're beautiful,” she said in awe as she blazed a trail of kisses to his other nipple.
His heart swelled as his cock flexed. He longed to rub it against her, to release it to her charms. “So are you. Why is it that no one has claimed you for his own?"
Challenge in her eyes, she glanced up at him coyly. “How do you know he hasn't?"
Oh oh. He was revealing too much. Suddenly, he didn't want her to recognise him just yet. He wanted her to be his for as long as he could captivate her. He'd make her fall in love with him before revealing his true identity. Thinking fast, he came up with an answer. Lifting her left hand and caressing her ringless fourth finger, he said huskily, “You wear no man's ring. And you're here with me instead of home with some other lucky guy."
She gazed upon her hand. “I could have taken it off."
He rubbed the smooth finger. “There's no tan line."
She made a moue with her lips. “Maybe I don't expose my skin to the sun's harmful rays."
He gathered her against his chest and rubbed his feverish cock against her pussy. “Ah, so are you cheating with me on some poor guy?” Intoxicated by her luscious scent, he buried his nose in her fragranced hair. “I hope not. I mean, I hope you don't have someone else."
She rubbed against him wantonly but let her gaze slide away from him. With a hesitancy and a catch in her voice, she asked, “Would it matter? This is a one-night fling. You've read my blog. You know my MO."
Not if he could help it. He heard her brave, big words, but he no longer believed them despite tonight's wantonness. She was feeling the chemistry. Finally! Hallelujah!
Unwilling to scare her away, secure in the knowledge that no one had laid claim to her heart, he lied, “No, it doesn't matter. As long as you're mine tonight."
"All yours.” She pushed his drawers down his thighs exposing his cock then curled her fingers around its length.
Blood throbbing through it, his hungry cock furiously pulsed. Yearning to know the moist tightness of her, it strained against her. He thrust his hips against her, sliding his hard cock between her legs and moaning when she squeezed her legs tightly about him. Eager to know her more intimately and become one with his lady, he scooped her into his arms and cradled her against his heart.
She curled her arms around his neck, swung her legs gently at his sides and nuzzled her lips against his heart. In a husky voice she drawled, “You're a caveman."
Smiling, he growled just for her as he plundered her lips and drank deeply of her. Hypnotised more than he could have ever dreamed, his tongue mated with hers in the ancient dance. His cock longed to perform a riotous salsa and so he laid her reverently on the large bed.
Before joining her, he peeled off her diaphanous teddy. She lifted her shoulders from the bed as he pulled the top over her arms. She thrust her hips up while he stripped the tiny panties away from her wiry curls. Bewitching him, her musky scent wafted up.
"Have you really done this before?” he couldn't help himself from asking.
She frowned, her thrusting hips coming to a halt midair, just short of his waiting cock. “Made love?"
"Met strangers in hotel rooms?” Wrangling with his jealousy, he wanted to kick himself. He was one inch from paradise and if he drove her away now, he'd never forgive himself.
Shock flashed across her passion-glazed eyes before it was quickly masked. She murmured, “But of course. You've read my blog."
"Of course,” he repeated numbly. At least he hadn't driven her away. He decided to lose himself in the night and let fate take things from here as he buried his cock and his heart deep inside her.
Conflicted with raw emotions, Tatiana opened herself to her lover. This man was not only everything she'd ever dreamed of in a man, but so much more. Not only was he handsome, sexy and strong but sweet and tender. His eyes glowed with a rapt intensity that filled the void in her soul. They cherished her as no other pair of eyes had ever done.
But no! It couldn't be love. They'd just met.
So why was her heart singing? It was practically conducting an opera!
The only thing keeping her from totally opening up to this glorious man was his strange questions. Just as she was drowning in him, he'd open his mouth and say something to pull her from her exquisite dream.
She sifted her fingers through his soft, wavy hair, hair so dark it almost gleamed blue. His eyes were such a deep, dark ebony she could happily drown in them, but it was the love and kindness and devotion in them that so mesmerised her.
Strong and chiselled yet warm and oh-so-soft, his lips delighted her. She could feast on him forever and never starve. Again, she parted her lips and pressed them to his. Delving her tongue inside, she invited him to tango with her. When she came up for air, she murmured against his lips, “Why aren't you taken?"
He pulled back a fraction of an inch and then hesitated. Finally, as she clung to his every word, he said, “Because I'm invisible to the woman of my dreams."
Shocked and dismayed on several levels, Tatiana gasped. She ground her hips harder against his, straining to be closer. “How can any woman be so blind?” Yet, she was ever so glad that her competition hadn't unearthed this precious gem, that she still had a chance to claim the treasure.
She backed up and admitted to herself that she wanted this to be more than a one-night stand, that she wanted the chance to know her lover better. Yet she didn't want to scare him off so she kept mum. Hours of moonlight and magic remained, and she longed to savour every second.
He blinked down at her with a flash of pain in his eyes which quickly, inexplicably fled and then he chuckled. “I don't know."
"I would never be so blind.” How could any woman be so callous? Angry and perplexed, she reached up and caressed his cheek and then pressed a light kiss to his lips. Against them she murmured, “I'm so glad you found me. I hope you can forget her."
He opened his mouth as if to speak, and then closed his lips as if he'd thought better of whatever he'd been about to say. With a moan, he crushed her to him, heart to heart. His cock nested between her legs, and he ground his hips, seeking entrance.
Breathless and panting, she held tightly onto her last shred of sanity and stopped him only long enough to roll on one of the condoms she'd brought for the occasion.
He merely muttered “um” before he ravaged her lips then drove into her incessan
tly. He crushed her breasts against him, cupped her buttocks in his hands, and plunged his cock into her with a fury she'd never before known.
When the spasms of desire struck his body, she grappled him onto his back and slid down his throbbing cock. Bucking and writhing, she rode him hard. Panting, breathless, she gyrated on his shaft until fireworks exploded and all the stars in her heaven exploded into a super-nova.
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Chapter Three
As the cold light of day cruelly struck her eyelids, Tatiana rolled away from the blinding rays. She came up against her lover's rock-hard chest and rubbed sensually against him, cursing the daylight, and wishing it away. She wanted to bargain with God for more time.
"Will I ever see you again?” she started to say, but bit down on her lips to stop from sounding so needy. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled close. She laid her ear against his chest and listened to his beating heart. Turning her head, she kissed his nipple through his softly curling hair.
Love beat strongly in her own heart and she cursed her foolishness. Could she have fallen in love so fast? How?
"You awake, baby?” Act1 gently squeezed her and tucked the stray strands of hair behind her ears. He gazed deeply, lovingly into her eyes and kissed the tip of her nose. “Thank you."
Craning her neck, she gazed up questioningly through her lashes. “Why?"
"For letting me love you. For one incredible night."
For one night. So that's all he wanted. Nearly shattering, her heart dropped to her feet. Not wishing for him to see her heartache, she buried her face against his chest. She had to get out of here. She had an appointment this morning about her taxes, anyway. To keep Uncle Sam happy, she had to sign more blasted forms.
"You're welcome.” Her voice held no flavour, no honesty, but he didn't seem to notice. Suffocating, she had to escape. She couldn't expose her heart to this torture any longer.
Loosening his arms from her, withdrawing her arms from him, she moved away and climbed out of the bed. Suddenly shy, she turned her naked form from his dark gaze, snatched up her coat and fled to the bathroom. Unable to stand to take long enough to shower their muskiness away, she threw on her coat and buttoned it over her nakedness.
She couldn't bear to look at him as she grabbed her purse and flung a hasty goodbye over her shoulder before fleeing the room. The door slammed behind her. She wished she could slam it as easily on the memories of this night. And on him.
"Woe is me,” she whispered sarcastically as she tripped down the stairs. She wasn't about to get stuck in the elevator if he came after her, not that a one-night stand would bother. Hadn't he said loudly and clearly that he wanted only one night with her?
Afraid of the censure of knowing eyes, she avoided looking at anyone on her way out. She swore never, ever to do anything so foolish, so naughty, again. She'd delete the terrible blog and purge her mind that it had ever existed.
Damn promotion!
Damn damn damn!
* * * *
Ace blinked and blinked again. What in the world had just happened? Tatiana had gone from lover to banshee in mach three.
He picked up her forgotten teddy and stared at the little ball of fluff in his large hands. If not for it, he'd think this was all a wet dream.
His heart ached. Was it regret that swam in her eyes? Or anger? Or maybe a mixture. She couldn't even look him in the eye on her way out. In her eagerness to get away from him, she'd practically stumbled over herself.
With a huge sigh, he ambled into the shower, sluiced off the night's remnants, and then dried off with the fluffy hotel towel. After pushing his horn-rimmed glasses onto his nose, he combed his damp hair. His elbow knocked into the container holding contacts he only wore for special occasions as his eyes ached after a couple of hours of use. He must have left the contacts out the night before. Shaking his head, he chastised himself. He couldn't afford to lose them so he stuck the case in his pocket. Then he stepped into his slacks, buttoned his shirt, and tightened his tie. As part of his morning ritual, he ran a lint roller over his suit to make sure he lived up to the impeccable image of “Accountant".
Within a few minutes and without an ounce of enthusiasm, he turned his sports car toward the office. Suddenly he stomped on the brake when recollection punched him in the gut. He had an early appointment with her. He didn't know if he could face her and considered instructing his secretary to cancel. His fingers played with the edges of his cell phone, on the brink of speed dialling the office.
But he released the instrument. His patron, who just happened to be Tatiana, was fighting a deadline and his professionalism wouldn't permit him to cause harm to a client. Not that he wanted to hurt her. He just wanted to stop his own pain.
He laughed without mirth. Would he ever get over this? Would he ever get over her? Now that he'd been in heaven, he was so much the worse for falling back down into hell. Mirthlessly, he laughed at himself. “When things backfire on you, they really explode,” he muttered under his breath as he punched his steering wheel.
As he strolled into the office, pretending a nonchalance he didn't feel, he smiled at his assistant, Mrs. Brown. He toyed with the idea of telling the secretary to have Tatiana sign the papers and fulfil his obligation that way. But perversely, he longed to see her. Maybe she'd stop haunting his dreams if he gave himself these final moments of closure.
Pausing in front of his secretary's desk, he hitched up his briefcase to get a better grip. “Tell me when Miss Reece arrives, please."
"Will do, Sir,” Mrs. Brown, at least twenty years his elder, smiled up motherly at him. She shuffled her papers and tsked. “Miss Reece is a pretty young thing, isn't she?"
Ace almost swallowed his tongue and struggled for composure as he wrangled his features into a noncommittal expression. Had she noticed his obsession with their client? Had the whole bloody office? It was past time to pack away his dreams of Tatiana and keep his pants zipped in the office. He swore to himself he'd never look at another client, never let himself fall into this predicament again.
He entered his office and quietly closed the door behind him. Then, he looked out his window, wondering when “she” would arrive and how he would react when they came face to face. He prayed he'd be able to hang onto his composure and decorum.
Unable to sit still or concentrate on numbers, Ace tossed his glasses on the desk and massaged the bridge of his nose. He draped his jacket across his couch, and then lay on the floor. He did stomach crunches until he was panting.
The speaker buzzed and Mrs. Brown's voice squawked nasally through it. “Miss Reece is here..."
The door opened without permission and Tatiana sashayed in, clad in short jean cut-offs, a tight T-shirt, and pink-tinted sunglasses that hid her eyes.
Unable to breathe, feeling like Clark Kent caught without his disguise, Ace swore under his breath and dove for his glasses which he shoved on. Then getting further into his Accountant mode, he shrugged into his suit jacket. Sitting down, he studied her tax forms instead of looking at the siren.
Tatiana didn't move, she just stood by the door not moving a muscle.
In no mood to stall this session and prolong the inevitable, he growled, “Please take a seat."
The door closed with a snap and she sashayed across the room to him. When she reached his desk, instead of taking a seat, she leaned over his desk and yanked off his glasses. With a sneer mutilating her lovely face, she spat, “It's you. Act1. Ace. How could you humiliate me like this?"
Mortified, Ace grabbed for his glasses, but she backed away with her booty as she clamped her fists on her hips. “I can't believe it. You found out about my blog and decided to make a fool of me. Was I easy enough for you? Did you have a good laugh at my expense? Did I at least give you a decent roll in the hay?"
Fury welled up in him and he leapt to his feet.
"Easy?” He advanced on her. “How easy do you think it's been for me that you haven't
noticed me for two years? That I might as well have been part of the wallpaper?"
Tatiana bristled and her hand itched to slap the man. “How dare you! This was payback?"
Ace scowled at her as his entire countenance darkened. He took a predatory step toward her. “Payback?"
He said it so deadly quietly she shivered and rubbed her arms trying to instil her former warmth. This wasn't the quiet, unassuming accountant she'd met. This was another, dangerous creature altogether. This was Ace, not Horace Dyer. How could she have been so blind to this man?
Blind?
Dumbstruck by the thought, she froze. Her blood iced over and then super heated. His words flooded back to her. She was the one who'd been blind to him all these years? The one who had broken his heart? The one he'd yearned for?
Maybe the blog had been a good thing. If not for it, how long would it have taken them to get together? If ever?
Feeling like a fool—a happy fool—her heart sang. Eager to wash away the scowl from Ace's handsome face, Tatiana stepped forward. When he tensed and took a step back, she scowled. Gentling her voice, unleashing her joy, she reached out to him and brushed a stray lock of his glorious, unruly hair away from his eyes. She permitted a mischievous, happy smile to curve her lips. “I'm the one who's been blind all these years, aren't I?"
Suspicion pooled in his eyes, and she cursed herself for putting it there. She vowed she'd make it go away or tie herself into knots trying. “I was blind. And stupid. Why didn't you tell me?"
Ace snorted and looked over her head. “What? Tell a gorgeous, totally impervious woman that I love her when she had absolutely no interest in me? When I wasn't even on your radar?"
She steeled herself against his recoil and stood on tiptoe, placing a kiss on his lips. Gazing into his eyes, she held onto his shoulders. “Maybe if you had loosened up before like you did last night, I could have seen the real you."
"Was that the real you last night?” he asked with an uplifted brow. He removed her sunglasses and gazed into her eyes. Nonchalantly, he lobbed her glasses onto his desk.
