She shook her head. “No, I feel as if I’m being admired. There’s nothing lewd or lascivious about it.”
“I’m glad it comes across that way. Because I’m all about admiring you, Lara.” He’d put her on a pedestal and admire her all day long if she’d let him.
“Why?”
She had to question everything. It was in her nature. He liked that though. Curiosity ran in her veins like blood. Even though her actions were measured, she was driven by a keen edge, the need to know and achieve and understand.
“If I’m not wrong, you like it too.” He paused. “Can you say why?”
Visibly surprised, she was silent for a moment. “I guess it makes me feel feminine, and that’s kind of... fulfilling.”
“You’re the most feminine girl I’ve ever met, despite the prim and proper armor you adopted to hunt me down in.”
The desire was clear in her eyes. Just thinking about being inside her again made him hard. She was so damned hot. Every time she was near he wanted to hold her captive in his arms, to feel her body under his. Thankfully, it was going to happen.
Anticipation shot through him, real hard need.
She wandered to the master bedroom, glancing back at him over her shoulder.
“That’s some invitation,” he murmured to himself, willing himself not to bolt after her. He needed a moment, so he collected two glasses and a bottle from the kitchen, pacing himself.
When he got to the bedroom she was standing by the bed. He caught her in the act of pulling off her top, and as she lifted it over her head and off, her hair fell, tussled, over her shoulders.
“You’re half naked already. That’s good.”
She sent him a warning glance, but there was laughter in her eyes too. She nodded at the bottle in his hand. “You think we’ll have time for a drink?”
He put the bottle and glasses down on the bedside table. “Maybe not right away.”
She chuckled softly. It was such a sexy sound.
As he closed on her, she turned away and gasped as his arms closed around her. She liked that, liked being tucked in against him. It made him smile. He ducked his head and breathed along the soft skin of her shoulder, then drew her hips close against his with a firm grasp. The perfume she wore was musky and sweet, and beneath it, the scent of her skin. He couldn’t get enough of her.
When he kissed the side of her neck she whimpered and her head feel back against his shoulder. She purred in approval He swayed and she swayed with him. Synchronised, that’s what they were. He was so ready to be inside her.
Moving his hands lower, he tugged at the zipper on her skirt and eased it down her hips, allowing it fall on the floor. She stepped out of it and kicked it aside.
Clad only in her matching underwear, she was femininity defined in his arms, voluptuous, all curves and softness.
He cupped the plum mound of her pussy through her panties.
She swayed again, meeting his touch, her weight centring on his palm.
The heat coming off her made him hard.
“On the bed, on your back.” He squeezed her again before he released her.
She crawled up the bed on her hands and knees.
He forced back a growl. That was hellish sexy.
Laying down on the pillows she stared back at him.
“Good girl,” he commented, and took of his trousers and jockey shorts. She watched as he stripped. Before he took off his jeans, he pulled a condom from his wallet and threw it on the bed beside her. He clasped her ankles as he climbed on the bed after her, drawing them apart so he could dive straight between her legs.
“Panties,” he instructed, reaching for the skimpy barrier and began hauling them down. “Lift your leg.”
She gasped and stared at him in surprise but did as he said, allowing him access to pull them off. “If I’d known you were going to take charge of me so thoroughly I—”
“What? Never would’ve moved into my apartment?” Teasing her was too good.
“Your apartment?” Her gaze dropped to where his fingers were resting on her thighs. Her eyes had dilated and she was looking at his cock, which made him harder still.
“Bra.” He nodded at her. “Off.”
She unhooked it with one hand and it was gone.
She looked positively delicious.
He closed on her, finding his way into her intimate warmth he kissed her at the apex of her thighs. “Mm, hot.”
Wrapping his hands around the top of her legs, he kissed her slit, moving his tongue into the curves of her most sensitive places, tasting her. He was painfully hard, throbbing, but he wanted to explore. Besides, her reactions were too good. While he kissed and licked her clit, she alternated between rolling her head against the pillows, eyes closed, face flushed, and peeking down at him for under lowered eyelids. When he changed direction and eased one finger inside her, her hips lifted from the bed, her body undulating.
Observing her was a reward in itself, and this intimacy she was allowing him— it made his blood roar. When he coaxed her some more, she moaned and clutched at his head, and he increased his actions. Her body shuddered and she cried out. Triumphantly, he lifted his head and watched her face. She was one hot lady, and he wanted to be inside her when she reached orgasm again.
He had to squeeze his cock in one hand, because it pounded so heavily.
“Please, Draco, please.”
The urge to be inside her took over. Lifting her legs further apart with his hands under her knees, he climbed over her. She arched up from the bed to make contact. When he kissed her, they melded at every point.
He took a deep breath to stop rushing, reached for the condom packet and opened it. Her eyes shone as she watched him roll on the rubber. When he resumed his position her hands ran over his hips possessively, her nails scratching over his buttocks. The sensation made him groan, he was having the hardest time pacing himself, and he wanted to make it last. He wanted to see her moaning with pleasure while he was inside her, before he gave in too.
“Take it easy, Sweetheart, or I’ll make a fool of myself.”
She looked startled. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I want to make it last, is all.”
“Okay,” she said, but sounded unsure. She wanted to come. She wanted him to make her.
Grinning, he cupped her breast. The nipple was hard as a diamond. He ducked his head and chaffed it with his teeth.
She moaned, her fingers clutching at his shoulders. She was so sensitive. His cock jerked. He almost came immediately when he eased inside and felt the firm, moist grip of her body on his. She was so slippery, and she gripped him, stealing his breath away.
“Yes, oh yes…” As he drove his full length into her, she cried out with pleasure. The relief in her expression mirrored his. She wanted this as much as he did. The knowledge let him loose.
He rose up onto his arms, fully owning the lust that roared inside him.
His thrusts were urgent, the clasp of her body urging him on. Meanwhile her hands roved over his back and his buttocks, snatching at him, pulling him deeper while she moved in synch with him.
The threat of orgasm beat at his back, tensing his spine, his balls lifting. He slid one hand down to stroke her clit. A startled moan crossed her lips and he felt her spasm rhythmically, her lush flesh embracing him over and over. That was what he wanted and he let rip. Grinding deep, owning her to the very depths, Draco came.
Even in the throes of his orgasm, he remained fixed on watching her face, adoring the way she looked in release.
He didn’t want to withdraw, didn’t want to let her go.
The night ahead suddenly seemed too short, he didn’t want to get up and log in remotely, and he didn’t want to sleep.
For the first time in over two years, his obsession with code had been replaced with something else—his obsession this woman.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The next morning Lara found herself awoken by a kiss. She gasped in surprise, jerki
ng bodily, then melted when she remembered.
A hunk of masculinity lay next to her, arms wrapped around her, his hips spooning hers, her feet being teased by his.
What a way to wake up, she thought, rolling onto her back so that he could climb over her and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
She purred with pleasure, blinking and smiling up at him when the kiss ended.
“Hello, sleepy head,” he said. “I thought I’d better wake you. You slept through the alarm.”
“Wow. I’ve never done that before.” Struggling to get her bearings, she glanced at the clock. “Oh my God! We better get a move on.” She scrabbled out from under him. “If we’re late, Susanna is bound to report back to my dad. Can you imagine?”
Even so, she laughed. She felt the happy and silly and ridiculous all at once, running round the room naked, grabbing bits of clothing from cupboards and drawers. It didn’t help that Draco was lying on his side, watching her, as if he intended to stay there all day.
“You better get ready quickly,” she said as she headed for the bathroom,
“No worries.” He rolled onto his back and put his hands behind his head.
So this is what it was going to be like, she mused. Nevertheless, she couldn’t be annoyed.
Darting into the shower she raced through her morning routine while she thought back. Being with him was awesome and special – an experience she would savor. How could she not want more of the same while they worked together?
He’d been warm and loving beside her on waking, and watched her with hungry eyes while she grabbed her clothes. Perhaps he was the kind of guy who sought a new woman every time he wanted to make love, though. Who knew?
Thankfully he was up and holding his clothes by the time she was dressed, waiting his turn in the shower. He saluted her with a smile as she shot by him.
Racing toward the kitchen she saw her shoes on the way and shoved them on.
There were croissants in the cupboard and she pulled them out. Serving up two glasses of orange juice she tore the packet of croissants open. A couple of minutes later, he joined her, fully dressed, collar up, tie half on.
“We’ll get a coffee at work.” She glanced at the clock. “There isn’t time to take the tube. I’ll ring for a taxi once we’re ready.”
Draco nodded and ran his fingers through his wet hair. He sat on one of the high bar stools at the kitchen counter and downed the orange juice.
He was staring at her, a smile playing around the corners of his handsome mouth. “What?”
“I was just thinking you look even more beautiful this morning.”
“And I suppose you want to take the credit for that?” Laughter bubbled up inside her. She wasn’t going to massage his ego though.
“I’d like to think I paid some small part in making you happy.” The look in his eyes made her melt and she had to grip onto the edge of the kitchen work surface steady herself. The sincerity in his comments made her wonder. Did that mean she could rely on him? She still wasn’t sure, and probably never would be until they got through this task, but it was kind of reassuring and she appreciated that.
“I guess I’ll give you that.”
“No regrets about…us?”
Wow, he really was concerned for her well-being. It was rather gentlemanly and old-fashioned, and completely unexpected. “No regrets. You?”
“Of course not.” He grinned, looking at her as if she’d asked a really silly question.
She had, she supposed, but she wasn’t building too much into it, even though she wanted to trust him. It was really getting to her, the trust issue. Why? Because they’d slept together, or because he’d joked about accessing the family code vault the night before? “You won’t take advantage of your access will you?”
His expression darkened instantly. “Is that why you slept with me, as an added incentive to stay on the straight and narrow? Perk of the job?”
“No! Bloody hell, Draco!” How dare he think that?
Fuming, she rushed off and grabbed her shoes and bag, then phoned for a cab. Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, but she wasn’t going to give into them.
They traveled to work without further comment, each of them silently looking out opposite windows.
Once they got out of the car he grabbed her hand, and drew it to his mouth to kiss it. “Hey, friends?”
Melting, she nodded. “If you get me a large, strong coffee, yes.”
As they walked inside he kept hold of her hand. Lara enjoyed his touch, but it had been a good reminder of what her priorities should be.
Later that day, Harry called by.
“How are you into doing?” His hands were locked firmly over the low wall of their cube, and he peered at them both in turn. “Anything to report?”
Harry wanted this done and over with as quickly as possible, and she had agreed, before she got involved with Draco. Now she wanted to string it out for as long as possible. That was wrong though. She had to get the prize before her brother’s. Feeling conflicted, she offered him a smile. “Everything’s under control. Thank you.”
“We’re concentrating on the first task,” Draco chipped in, steering his office chair nearer to hers to get into the conversation without the risk of being overheard.
It meant his knees brushed along the side of her thighs, sending her into a spin. How was it possible that the mere touch of him through layers of clothing could muddle her thoughts even more than they already were?
She reached out and grabbed her keyboard, rearranging it on the desk.
Harry watched her, his eyebrows drawing together.
“I want to be sure the database is well in hand and we can show good progress across the time the other task will take us.”
Lara could only thank goodness Draco was responding to Harry.
“Did Compton Senior seem suspicious at all when you met him?”
“I didn’t think so,” Lara said.
“I don’t know the guy, obviously, but I didn’t think so.”
Harry nodded. “Let’s hope to God you’re able to keep it that way.”
“Chill,” Draco responded. “If I get found out, I’ll take full responsibility. Lara will not be implicated. I can easily say I tricked her into asking for a placement here.” He looked directly into her eyes. “You’ll be protected, don’t worry, I thought about it.”
Astonished, she studied him silently for a moment and had to remind himself of Harry’s presence by glancing at him. “That’s not in the contract.”
“Should have been,” Harry said gruffly under his breath.
Harry’d been the one who wanted to include all the points on the contract, he took on the task for her protection. But she was ready to take responsibility for her actions. It was the honorable thing to do. Besides, if this didn’t impress her father, nothing would. If it went belly up, she’d be little girl lost on the outside of the family forever. Which was pretty well what she was, given he was throwing her crumbs from the table with this placement offering the first place.
“It doesn’t matter whether it was in the contract or not,” Draco shrugged. “I thought about it and I’ve got a cover story ready. If any mistakes are made on my part, you stay out of it.”
Harry ducked his head closer. “What about the other project?”
Draco shook his head. “Too dodgy to do it here, people are curious about what we’re doing. The systems are easily accessible but it’s almost like an open gateway, you know?”
“What do you mean,” Lara asked.
“Well it’s too easy. You don’t want to step through and open door when somebody’s watching.
“So what are you going to do?” Harry looked genuinely intrigued for the first time.
“I’ve been working on it at night. We’ve got the access codes and no one looking over our shoulder.”
“Isn’t that the same thing?” Lara asked. “I mean won’t IT be able to see and track those times you access it remotely?”
“I cover my tracks either way, that’s not the issue. I can do it more easily at a distance without people breathing down our necks all the time.”
When Harry had gone, she took the chance to ask him. “Why did you say that about taking the rap?”
He smiled at her, a slow suggestive smile.
“Was it because of…You don’t owe me any special favors” As soon as she’d said it, she regretted it.
His eyelids lowered and he looked back at his screen. “There’s no point in both of us taking the rap. I just figured out a story to avoid that.”
It might not work, and she wasn’t comfortable about him taking the blame for her project. She would own this, whatever the outcome “What if I don’t want you to take the rap?”
With a quizzical expression, he looked back at her. “You’re making me think you want to be standing in front of your dad, accused of causing trouble in the ranks.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Flustered, she turned away.
It was too weird he’d said that, because her mode of operation had always been to consider all eventualities and be ready for them. She would face up to it herself. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Silence hung heavy between them. Then Draco leaned in and touched her knee with his hand under the desk.
Lara’s head dropped back and she had to take a deep breath and try to control her erratic pulse. He just had to touch and she melted. “Okay… Scrap that, I’ve obviously upset you and I don’t want to do that.”
She almost wished he wasn’t being so caring. It was making it more and more difficult. When they were at odds she could stand her ground.
“But answer me this,” he added, “how in hell did you get Harry on board?”
Relief hit her hard and fast and she giggled. And she did want to tell him, because it was too funny, as far as she was concerned. “Harry had a bit of a crush on me.”
And you, you hardhearted woman, are making the most of that?”
It wasn’t that way, not at all. But his scrutiny made her wonder what he was thinking.
“Mind you, I don’t blame him for wanting you.”
Draco (Coded for Love Book 2) Page 9
