by Tawny Taylor
Her wallet was in there, thank God. That was the only thing that mattered, really. Except her phone, of course.
Lifting an arm to rest it on the car’s roof, he angled over the window, peering down at her. “I didn’t find anything else on the ground. Just the phone.”
“My wallet’s here. That’s all I really care about.” Setting her ransacked purse back on the passenger seat, she turned to Tall, Dark, and Mysterious. “Thank you again. I would have been lost without my phone. Absolutely lost.”
He flashed a smile that was bright enough to illuminate the entire city of New York. “No problem. I’m just glad I caught you before you’d left.”
“Me too.”
Their gazes tangled, and Michelle became a little breathless and warm. There was something there. It couldn’t be her imagination. There was a chemistry that zinged and sizzled through her body. It almost made her forget where she’d been in such a hurry to go. Almost.
“Um, I’m sorry, but I have to go,” she mumbled a hundred heartbeats later.
“Oh, sure.” He stepped back and gave her another smile, this one not quite as bright. “See you tomorrow.”
“Yes. Tomorrow.” She made sure he had moved out of her way, then backed out of her parking space.
She couldn’t help peering at his reflection as she drove toward the road.
That was twice now. Twice, she’d spoken to him. She was on a roll.
Talen didn’t move.
What the hell was that? What the hell?
His cock was so hard it could bust concrete. And his heart was thumping against his rib cage as if he’d run a marathon.
That little brunette was so strange and quirky, an odd mixture of awkward and sexy. Never had a woman like that made him feel this way.
He thought back to all those times he’d ridden the elevator with her. She hadn’t spoken for the first, oh, ten or so days. And he hadn’t really noticed her much. But this morning . . . this morning his body had been tense all over by the time he’d reached his office. He’d thought it was because of last night, with Angela. Angela, his perfect submissive. Sexy as hell. Eager to please. Able to please—so fucking good at sucking cock.
But now, after running into the little stuttering brunette again, he wasn’t so sure it was the memory of last night with Angela that made him hot and tight all over.
Still standing exactly where he’d been since she’d roared away in her little compact car, he glanced down at his hands. He could swear he’d felt an electric current zap him when he’d touched her.
Static, he told himself. He was grounded. She was in a running car. It had to be static.
Shaking his head at his own foolishness, he strolled toward his car. He had a sexy, hot submissive waiting for him at the club. There was no time to stand around, imagining things that weren’t there.
4
For some silly reason Michelle held her breath the whole drive to her mom’s house. She hoped she was being paranoid. She hoped this whole thing was a silly mistake, and Mom would remember she’d either ordered the chocolates for herself or mentioned them to a friend. It was just so weird if it wasn’t.
But her heart rate hadn’t slowed down by the time she’d parked in her mom’s driveway. And, in fact, it sped up as she click-clacked in her painful shoes to the front door. It amped up another notch when there was no answer.
Michelle rang the bell a second time. At least a dozen gruesome images flashed through her head.
“That’s it. I am never watching another Lifetime movie again.”
She scurried over to the window and peered in. Her mother was on her way down the hall, heading toward the foyer. “Oh, thank God.” She teetered back over to the door and waited to be let in.
A gust of delicious cooking smells wafted out the doorway as Mom opened it. “Honey, this is such a nice surprise.”
Surprise.
“Dinner smells scrumptious,” she said as she stepped inside. She kicked off her shoes at the door. Her feet thanked her. “Where’s the box?”
Mom motioned toward the kitchen. “On the counter. I didn’t touch it after I called you. But I think you’re being silly about all of this.”
“I probably am. But that’s okay.” She padded into the kitchen, bare feet on linoleum, following behind her mother.
Mom smiled over her shoulder. “I hope I get more mysterious packages. At least I’m getting a visit from you.”
Guilt knocked Michelle in the belly, the impact as painful as a punch. “I’m sorry it’s been so long. I’ve been busy. But that’s no excuse,” she said as she approached the box. “I promise I’ll come over more often. At least once a week.”
“I know you’re busy,” Mom said as she headed for the pots boiling and steaming on the old gold-enameled stove. “It’s okay. Once a week is too much for a busy young woman like you. I understand.”
“No, it isn’t too much. And I mean it.” Michelle checked the outer shipping box first. There was a clear plastic pocket glued to one side. Inside the pocket was a receipt. The buyer’s name and an address were clearly marked on it. “Mom, do you know someone named Robert Kepley?”
“Robert? Oh gosh. Yes, I do. He’s a friend I met on the Internet.”
Michelle handed her the receipt. “He was the one who sent you this package.”
“Well, isn’t that sweet! Now that I think about it, I did tell him how much I loved Epiphany Chocolates, but I didn’t expect him to buy me some.” She looked down at the paper in her hands. “Where did you find this?”
“Inside an envelope glued to the side of the box.”
“Ah. I didn’t see it.”
“Now you know, if you get any more mystery packages, check for an envelope with a shipping order on the outside, okay?”
“I will. Thank you, dear.” Grinning a little guiltily, her mom set the paper on the counter and went back to the stove. “Now, how about something to eat? Are you hungry?”
Did her mom . . . ? Had she intentionally overlooked the shipping order?
She wouldn’t.
Yes, she would.
“You knew all along who sent you those chocolates, didn’t you?”
Her mom shrugged and batted her fake eyelashes. “Maybe.”
“Please don’t do that again. You had me terrified.”
Her mother’s coy smile wilted. “Okay. I promise I won’t.”
Michelle went to her sneaky little mother and gave her a hug. “I’ll make sure you don’t have any reason to trick me into coming over again. I promise.”
“Good. Now let’s eat. I’ve been smelling the food cooking all day. I’m starving.”
She had learned from the best. She’d learned to outwit the enemy, to find a weakness and use it to her advantage.
And all men, including the Lion, the Dragon, and the Eagle, the Black Gryffons, had one common weakness.
After weeks of waiting, planning, preparing, she was ready.
The first step: to set the trap.
Twice in recent months the Chimera had tracked down the Black Gryffons. The Secret had been within their grasp. But then they’d fucked up.
They’d sent the wrong man.
Not this time. She knew exactly what to do. The brothers would be subdued, separated, manipulated into revealing the location of The Secret. This time they would not fail.
She would not fail.
Already, her plan had been set into motion.
He was watching her. Oh God.
Michelle’s skin sizzled. Her heart pitter-pattered.
Trying not to notice Tall, Dark, and Mysterious standing in the corner of the room, tracking her movements with dark eyes, she cut through a thick crowd of dancers. As she passed between the writhing, gyrating bodies, hands caught her by the waist, spun her around.
She looked up.
It was him. How had he caught her so quickly?
He pulled her flush against him. His heat made her blood burn. The heavy, throbbing beat of the
music pounded through her system. His lustful stare made her heartbeat erratic. “Are you running from me?”
“Running? No. Are you . . . are you following me?”
His hand skimmed down her side, stopping at her hip. Every nerve in her system electrified. His gaze darkened. “You should run.”
“Why?”
Without warning, he spun her around and slammed her against the wall.
Trapped. She was pinned against a cool wall and a hot man. Both were hard. Both were immobile. The sensation thrilled her.
He tipped his head slightly, eyes fixed on hers. “I’m dangerous,” he whispered.
Dangerous.
He looked like a god.
He was strong and sexy.
He made her feel things she had never felt before.
Oh yes. He was most definitely dangerous.
She opened her mouth to respond, but he slammed his mouth over hers.
The kiss was darkly erotic. A feral possession. His tongue pushed into her mouth and caressed and tasted and claimed. His hands explored her body, making her writhe and shudder and whimper.
When one hand cupped her ass, his fingers slipping lower, to her hot center, she gasped.
Was he going to take her right here? In a crowded club? With people all around them?
His fingers slid beneath the crotch of her satin panties.
He groaned. “Wet.”
That she was. Wet. Ready. So warm. Her tissues clenched.
Empty.
He hooked his fingers in the sodden material and yanked. It tore away, leaving cool air to caress her simmering, sodden tissues. “Unzip me.”
Ohmygod, he was going to take her.
She said, “Shouldn’t we—”
“Unzip me.”
She could not resist his demand. Reaching between their bodies with shaking hands, she unbuckled his belt, then unfastened his pants.
No underwear.
She pushed the sides of the zipper apart to expose his erection. It sprang free. Thick. Hard. He would fill her. Perfectly. Completely.
He grasped one of her legs by the knee and lifted it, opening her center to him. The head of that gloriously big cock prodded at her opening.
“You’re mine,” he said, cupping her face with his free hand. “Mine.” His hips slammed forward, driving his cock deep inside her.
The pleasure was almost unbearable. Her body went instantly tight. Everywhere. Stomach. Chest. Legs. Her inner walls clamped around his cock as it glided out, then slammed back in, filling her over and over. Erotic heat rippled through her body in waves, each one building bigger, hotter. And all she could do was cling to him and ride through the bliss as it threatened to overtake her.
She could feel the heat blasting from his body. His hips slammed forward and back, forward and back. Fast. Faster. Hard. Harder.
This was fucking. Reckless. Wild. Feral. She had never been fucked before. She’d never thought she was the type of girl to fuck.
Oh, she was.
She felt herself losing control. A scream of ecstasy was gathering in her chest, whirling around and around. Enormous waves of pleasure were crashing through her system, sweeping her toward a swift, hard, tooth-gritting climax.
Almost there.
He rammed into her hard and demanded, “Now. Come for me now.”
His words sent her tumbling over the precipice. Her body spasmed. Her pussy rippled around his cock. That scream that had been trapped in her chest surged up her throat and out.
Breathless, Michelle jerked upright.
What a dream.
Her pussy was still spasming. She was sweaty, trembling, breathless. She’d had an orgasm in her sleep. That was a first.
She’d had an orgasm dreaming about him.
Mr. Tall, Dark, and Mysterious.
Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dangerous.
She settled back down and, smiling, closed her eyes. Maybe if she fell asleep quickly she would have another dream about him throwing her against the wall and fucking her brain-dead.
Maybe, if she were really lucky, someday he would fuck her brain-dead for real.
5
Today things were going to be different; better. The sun was shining. The birds were tweeting. Her belly was full of her mom’s wonderful home cooking—she’d indulged in leftovers for breakfast this morning. And Tall, Dark, and Dangerous had just stepped into the elevator.
Oh, the dreams she’d had about that man last night. If only they could come true.
He gave her one of those stunning, traffic-stopping smiles as he stepped in. “Good morning.”
Her heart did a triple flip. “Good morning.” Today she didn’t move over. She stayed right where she was. Instead of standing there like a goon and staring at the glowing numbers above the door, she pivoted to face him. Oh, was he big. Tall. Strong-looking. His shoulders were very broad. His chest, too. His clothes fit him perfectly, as if they’d been made for him. And they emphasized his perfect proportions.
Life had to be good for him, looking so freaking perfect.
She said, “Thank you again for finding my phone.”
He slid one hand into his pants pocket and leaned against the wall. “It was no problem. Really.”
“My phone’s my lifeline.”
“Yes, mine, too. Now that I’ve had it for a couple of years, I can’t imagine life without it.”
“Me, either.”
There was a brief silence as the car slowly climbed higher. As time ticked slowly by, the tension between them amplified.
Say something, you twit. Now’s your chance. You were doing so well.
“My name’s Michelle,” she said, extending a hand.
He took her hand in his. It was big and warm and strong. “Tage.”
“It’s good to meet you, Tage.”
Once again, a heavy silence fell over them. He was still holding her hand, and her skin was warming. Her face, her chest. Her stomach. It was such a strange and unexpected reaction. Yes, he was insanely handsome, with his penetrating eyes and chiseled features. He held himself tall and proud, and he emanated a strength and command that she couldn’t seem to ignore.
His concentrated gaze remained tangled with hers as his tongue darted out and swept across his lower lip. She felt herself mirroring him, moistening her lips, holding her breath. The air between them was so charged with energy it practically crackled, and her heart was pounding so hard she could count the heavy beats. Thump, thump, thump.
The elevator stopped, and the bell chimed. Her gaze hopped to the illuminated numbers above the door. The sixth floor. Her floor.
“I . . . this is my floor,” she whispered.
“Yes. Okay.” He released her hand, and a little buzz of disappointment swept through her. His touch. She missed his touch. The touch of a stranger?
Slightly shaken, she took a step toward the door. Before she crossed the threshold, the doors started rumbling closed, trapping her inside. A strong, thick arm shot past her shoulder, so close. His bulky frame leaned toward her as he caught the door. Instantly, her right side, the one closest to him, simmered, her skin tingling, nerves sizzling, pulses of awareness blasting through her. The intensity of the sensations took her breath away. She stood transfixed. Her eyes found his again, and she murmured, “Thank you.”
“Have dinner with me,” he blurted. Then he blinked. His brows scrunched ever so slightly, as if he was confused by his words.
He shifted back and the doors shut, closing them inside again. The elevator started climbing up to the next floor.
Had he just... had he just asked her on a date?
“When?” she somehow managed to utter.
“Tonight.”
“Tonight?” Her mind raced. Did she have plans for dinner? What day of the week was it? Was it Friday? Yes, Friday. Did she have plans? She never had plans. What was she thinking? “I—I think it’ll be okay. What time?”
“You were working late last night. Should I make the reservatio
ns for . . . seven? Seven-thirty?”
“Seven-thirty sounds good.”
“Okay, then.” The elevator stopped again, this time at the top floor. When the doors rolled apart, he stepped out, then turned to look at her. “I’ll come down and pick you up at seven.”
“I’m in suite six-ten.”
The doors shut, and she took her first breath in at least ten minutes. Down she rode, to her floor. The door opened, and Angela, the company’s lead account rep, grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the elevator. This was not a common occurrence. No. In fact, since Michelle had started working for the Bauer Agency, Angela had spoken to her maybe three times, total.
“Who was that?” Angela asked, jerking her head toward the elevator doors.
“Who?” Michelle echoed, feeling her face warming with embarrassment.
“That guy,” Angela said, tugging her around and escorting her toward suite six-ten. “The one with the eyes. And the body. And the hair.” She sighed.
“He’s . . . his name is Tage. He works upstairs. On the tenth floor.”
“Ah, I thought I recognized him. He is to die for, isn’t he?” Angela opened the door for her. “Are you seeing him?”
Angela knew Tage? “Not . . . technically.”
“What do you know about him?” Angela asked as she dragged Michelle past Lauren.
“Not much.” On the way by the reception desk, Michelle gave Lauren a quick confused look and a wave. “We’ve only spoken a couple of times.”
“Did you see a ring?” Angela asked as she steered Michelle toward her cubicle.
