by Opal Carew
She jerked back from Storm, her gaze darting to Dane’s. “Yes, Mr. Ranier.”
She felt guilty having been caught almost kissing Storm. Even though Dane knew about their past, and her relationship with Dane was only physical. Still, she was with him, no matter how casual the relationship and she felt as if she’d almost cheated on him.
Storm’s highly observant gaze locked on her and her heated cheeks. Then he glanced at Dane. “Is there something going on between the two of you?”
“Right now what’s going on is that I need my assistant to accompany me to the airport. I’m going to Chicago to close a deal—something you’d know if you’d been here where you should be.”
“Is she accompanying you just to the airport, or to Chicago?”
“To Chicago, of course.”
“And do you have separate rooms?” Storm’s eyes flared with anger.
“That’s none of your damn business,” Dane retorted.
“Yes, they’re separate rooms,” Jessica snapped, then turned and left the office.
* * *
Jessica sat beside Dane on his private jet as it sped along the runway, then lifted off. The off-white leather seats were very comfortable and she settled back as they accelerated into the air.
“So, do you want to talk about you and Rafe?” Dane asked.
She pursed her lips and shrugged. “I don’t know what to say. It was a shock to find out he wasn’t who I thought he was, and the fact he’s your brother is…”—she glanced at him—“really awkward.”
“That’s an understatement.” He glanced out the window and asked casually, “Do you think you want to take up where you left off with him?”
“Where we left off was him walking out on me.”
“But he’s back now. When I met you, it was clear you were still in love with him.”
She shook her head. “I was in love with Storm. I don’t know who Rafe is. And Storm broke my heart.”
Dane nodded, his expression giving away nothing.
Once the plane was in level flight, the steward brought them lunch and offered them a selection of drinks. When they arrived in Chicago, they would go straight to their first client meeting. Dane had told her it would probably take a couple of days to hammer out all the details of the contract before they could close the deal.
It wasn’t a very long flight, so she ate quickly, but ever aware of Dane’s powerful presence beside her. The steward cleared away their dishes and poured them coffee. Dane filled the time between them with conversation about their upcoming meeting.
Once the steward disappeared, she glanced at Dane’s profile as he stared at his tablet, going over some of her notes for the meeting. If Storm hadn’t walked back into her life, she and Dane would probably not just be sitting here. They were high above the air in a luxurious private jet. It would be exhilarating to take advantage of this exciting situation.
She gazed at his handsome profile and imagined unfastening her seat belt and lowering to the floor, then stroking his crotch. She could imagine him quickly rising to attention. Would he then decide to punish her, or order her to unzip him then bring him to climax?
He glanced toward her, catching her staring at him.
She smiled. “Is there anything you’d like me to do for you, Mr. Ranier?”
“No. Just relax until we get there,” he said with a deadpan expression. “It will be a busy afternoon.”
Was he just focused on the important meetings to come, or did he have an issue with the fact she used to be his brother’s lover?
She needed to talk to him about it but before she could find the words to start, the pilot announced that they were approaching Chicago and they should fasten their seatbelts.
She would have to bring it up later.
The afternoon rushed by in a flurry of meetings, followed by dinner with the key players at Bright Lights, a company that did research into green technologies.
By the time the day ended, and she and Dane walked down the hotel hallway to their rooms, she was dragging her heels.
“Get a good night’s sleep,” Dane said as they reached her doorway, then he continued on to his suite next door.
“But—”
“Goodnight,” he said as he opened his door, then disappeared inside.
She sighed and stepped inside. Their luggage had already been delivered to their rooms and her bed was turned down and was oh, so inviting.
Even more inviting was the thought of sliding into Dane’s bed, naked and ready for him.
But she knew deep inside that what she was really looking for was a distraction from thoughts of Storm and what his return meant to her. How would it change things?
Was she still in love with him?
* * *
Rafe tried to get work done, but he found himself just staring at the document on his screen, one of the many Melanie had gathered together for him to summarize what had been going on at Ranier Industries in his absence.
Thoughts of Jessica kept pushing through every effort he made to concentrate on work. She’d been gone a day and wouldn’t be back in the office until Monday. Not that he’d wait until he saw her in the office. He would fly to Chicago right now if he didn’t think that course of action would cause more problems than it solved.
Damn it, he just didn’t know if he’d been imagining something between Jessica and his brother. When she’d used Dane’s first name rather than calling him Mr. Ranier, as Dane would expect of any of his employees, it threw him. She’d claimed to use his first name to differentiate between him and Dane, but he had his doubts. Then her cheeks had flushed when Dane came into the office, as if she’d been caught cheating on him.
He pushed his chair back from the desk and stood up, then paced across the office. He was probably reading way too much into the incidents. Old fears rising. There was not substantial evidence that Dane was stealing Jessica from him. His lips compressed. Maybe it was time to let go of the past and move on.
* * *
Jessica walked through the small boutique looking for an unusual nail polish to bring back for Melanie, but it was difficult to find something that her friend didn’t already have. She considered the bottle of blue polish with gold and purple flakes which the clerk told her was brand new, but Melanie tended to order a lot online and often before they were available in the stores.
Finally, she decided on a designer brand name, remembering that Melanie hardly ever indulged in the expensive brands. It was only fifteen dollars, but for an avid collector like Melanie, that amount for a bottle of polish added up fast.
Her phone chimed and she pulled it out and read the text message.
Need you back at four.
It was the second day of their trip, and they had started early and had been in meetings all day. After lunch, Dane had given her a break and told her to go see the city while he met one-on-one with the president of Bright Lights.
She located the higher-end polishes and found one in her price range—a pretty shimmery lilac—made her purchase, then headed back to the client’s office.
When she walked into the office, Dane sent her a broad smile, telling her all had gone well.
Then they met with the senior staff and Dane answered some of their concerns, but it seemed merely a formality. Afterward, the president invited them to join him and a few others from his team for champagne and hors d’oeuvres in the swanky restaurant in their hotel.
Jessica allowed herself only one glass. This was still a business meeting and she wanted to stay sharp. After about an hour and a half, the others excused themselves and soon she found herself alone with Dane.
He poured her another glass of champagne. “This is cause for celebration. I’ve been working on buying this company for six months now.”
“Congratulations,” she said, lifting her glass.
He tapped his tall flute against hers, then they drank.
“You were a part of making this happen, so congratulations to you, too.�
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She smiled impishly, feeling the warmth of the bubbly alcohol washing through her. “So do I get rewarded for my diligence?”
His eyebrows arched as he sat back in his chair. “Are you angling for a bonus?”
“I guess I am, but I’m not thinking money.” She slipped off her shoe and with a boldness she didn’t know she possessed, she slid her foot forward until she felt his shoe, then glided up his leg. As her toes ran along his inner thigh, he coughed.
“This is highly inappropriate,” he said.
“I thought you sometimes enjoyed inappropriate.”
He stilled her foot with his hand, but she pushed past and found his crotch, then stroked him, feeling his shaft harden immediately. Tremors of awareness rippled through her at the feel of his solid column.
“Jessica, you have to deal with the fact that Rafe has dropped back into your life. You were in love with him—maybe still are. You need to figure that out before we can continue with whatever it is we have between us.”
“Why? What we have is just physical, remember?” She pressed her foot against his erect cock, longing to hold it in her hands, then lifted her other foot and squeezed him between both of them. He looked in pain.
“Mr. Ranier, you don’t look well. I think we should get you up to your room.”
As she slid her feet away, she tortured him with a long, firm stroke.
Fire burned in his eyes, but not the kind she’d hoped for.
“You require some severe disciplining, Miss. Long,” he growled under his breath.
His menacing expression unnerved her.
“Yes, sir.”
“Stand up and give me my jacket.” Even though he spoke quietly, his tone vibrated with authority.
She stood up and grabbed the jacket that he’d draped over the back of a neighboring chair earlier, then handed it to him. He’d need it to hide the erection that would be all too visible when he stood up.
He snatched it from her as he stood up, then carried the jacket draped in front of him as they walked. Barely suppressed anger emanated from him.
There were people with them in the elevator on the way up, then she followed him down the hall to his suite.
He jabbed his keycard into the slot, then unlocked the door.
“Get inside,” he commanded.
She skittered through the doorway, barely able to catch her breath. She had never seen him so angry and she wondered what he intended to do. The air around her seemed to vibrate with his authoritative presence.
And a shiver of anticipation danced along her spine.
Despite her nerves, her eyes widened at his suite. Her room was nice, but this was impressive, and gorgeous. Huge. Open and bright, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. And the air was sweet with the fragrance of flowers from the fresh cut arrangement on the table.
“Oh, it’s lovely.”
“Never mind that,” he snapped. “Get over here.”
At the stormy expression in his eyes, she wondered if she’d pushed things too far. Warily, she walked toward him. He grasped her shoulders and turned her around, then took her arm and gruffly walked her across the room. Was he going to throw her out?
But she found herself facing the window, then being bent over the back of the couch. Her hands flattened against the fabric to steady herself, then she felt Dane’s hand smack across her rear.
“Oh,” she exclaimed in surprise.
“You were very bad. Now you’ll have to accept your punishment.”
“Yes, sir.”
The feel of his hand smacking across her clothed behind was titillating, but not enough.
Then she felt her skirt shift. His hand glided up the back of her thigh, then across her naked buttocks. She still wore a garter belt and thong every day as instructed by him. The feel of his warm hand on her flesh sent heat coursing through her.
His other hand found the button of her skirt and released the zipper. Her skirt slipped to the floor, leaving her ass naked to him. He smacked her, then again. Her flesh tingled. He smacked again and she moaned.
She felt herself twirled around, then his arms wrapped around her and his mouth covered hers. His tongue delved between her lips in a full assault and she melted against him.
Then he tore his mouth away. “Fuck, Jessica, I was trying to be sensitive to the fact you’d need time. I knew you might want to call it off between us. I didn’t want to mention it yet, because I thought it would just pressure you.”
She cupped his crotch, then stroked up the length of his cock and squeezed. “Then I pressured you.”
“God damn it, woman.” He stepped back, out of her reach, his hot, gaze searing her.
His loud, ragged breath filled the room and she wasn’t sure whether to stand there, or flee to her room while he collected himself.
Then he drew in a deep breath and his body relaxed as he regained complete control. But the fire remained in his eyes.
“Strip. Now,” he commanded.
Her eyes widened, then she worked hard to suppress a smile as she unbuttoned her blouse and slipped it from her shoulders. When she reached behind her to unhook her bra, he stopped her.
“Let me.” He stepped toward her and she turned around. His fingers played along her skin, sending electricity along her nerve endings, then her bra loosened. He dropped each strap from her shoulders.
“Turn around.”
She turned to face him and he reached for the lacy bra and drew it from her body, then dropped his heated gaze to her naked breasts. Immediately, her nipples puckered. He cupped her breasts and lifted, then caressed them. She sighed at the feel of his big hands covering her.
Then he stepped back and she shed her thong.
“The rest can stay,” he said as she stood in only her stockings, garter belt, and black high-heeled pumps. “Now,”—he unzipped his pants and pulled out his big cock, swollen and in need of attention—“you caused this. I think you should deal with it.”
She stepped toward him. “Yes, Mr. Ranier.” She wrapped her hand around the kid leather–soft skin surrounding a rock-hard core, and squeezed.
He rested his hand on her head and pressed down, so she sank to her knees. The plush carpet was soft on her knees as she settled in front of him. She stroked him several times, then brought his tip to her mouth and licked him. He groaned as she wrapped her lips around him and drew his plum-size head into her mouth. She licked and sucked a little, then took him deep. He twined his fingers through her hair and pulled her deeper still, then guided her head forward and back.
“Oh, fuck.” He stiffened and hot liquid gushed into her mouth.
She continued to suck until the flow stopped, amazed at how quick it had been to bring him release.
Now would he send her away? Not that he’d ever left her unsatisfied before, but this time she really had defied his wishes and manipulated him into this.
But he grasped her shoulders and pressed her backward as he lowered himself to the floor. She found herself on her back with him sliding his arms under her thighs and lifting her pelvis.
“I did promise you foreplay.” Then his mouth covered her and she moaned.
He licked the length of her slick slit, then pushed his tongue inside. As heat washed through her, she felt his fingers slip into her, too. Then his tongue found her clit. Wild sensations fluttered through her as he licked and stroked her.
“Oh, Mr. Ranier, that feels so good.” Her fingers glided through his hair, then she clutched his head to her as he sucked her clit. Waves of pleasure swelled through her and she moaned as he propelled her to ecstasy.
She arched against him and rode the wave to heaven.
When she finally collapsed on the floor, he swept her up and carried her to his bedroom, then placed her on the big bed. She watched him strip off his clothes, then he prowled over her, and she felt his hot, hard cock pressing against her.
“God, I want to fuck you so badly.” Then he thrust forward, filling her wi
th his huge erection.
“Oh, yes.” She clung to his shoulders, loving the feel of his hard shaft inside her. “Please fuck me, Mr. Ranier. Make me come.”
He groaned and thrust into her. Again and again. His big cock stroked her with his length each time he drew back, then propeled forward again. She gasped as he drove deeper still. Her breathing accelerated.
He nuzzled her neck. “Are you close?”
She nodded, then knowing he liked her to say it, found her words. “Yes, sir. I’m,”—she gasped at another deep thrust—“very … ah … close.”
He nipped her earlobe, sending her close to the point of no return, then murmured in her ear, “Tell me when you come. And use my name. Call me Dane.”
Then he thrust deep again, just as his finger found her clit.
“Oh, I’m coming.” Pleasure swamped her senses. “Dane. You’re. Making. Me.” She moaned. “Come!”
He drove deep and she felt his liquid heat gush inside her.
He kept thrusting, building her pleasure even more. Her orgasm went on and on, then he spiraled inside her.
“Oh, Dane.” She gasped and wrapped her arms tighter around him. “Oh, yes.” She nearly fainted at the exquisite pleasure he gave her.
Finally, it ebbed and she sucked in air as she collapsed against the bed.
“Oh, my God, that was,”—she pushed her hair back from her face—“sensational.”
His lips found hers and the passion of the kiss surprised her. His tongue stroked deeply as his hand caressed her face. He rolled her onto her side, then drew her close to his body. Her head rested against his muscular chest, his heart thumping under her ear.
She was tired, and she’d had a little too much champagne, and she definitely didn’t want to think about what all this meant, so she just nuzzled against him and allowed herself to relax until soon sleep took her.
* * *
Dane woke up and instantly knew he was in trouble. Jessica’s face was pressed against his chest, her soft breath caressing his skin, her warm naked body so close, acting like an aphrodisiac.
Damn it, he couldn’t be falling in love with the woman his brother loved. It was idiocy. It would ruin everything he’d done to mend fences with Rafe.
