by J. H. Croix
“Well, he’s yours to eat up,” I countered, trying and utterly failing at tamping the tiny curl of jealousy. Jana wouldn’t even think of making a play for a guy she thought I liked, but I desperately wanted to not want Ethan the way I did. My mind flashed to the blaze of fire his fingertip left behind on my skin last night. Or this morning, I supposed.
Just thinking about that tiny, brief touch, and I got hot all over.
“Oh hon, I can appreciate a sexy man, but I don’t want to personally eat him up. I want you to,” Jana said.
I could see the sly grin on her face. Of late, she’d been on me to ditch my virginity. She’d declared I was her project. I had mixed feelings about that. I was kind of annoyed I was still a virgin. It wasn’t because I was a prude, or saving myself. No, it was as stupid as just being too focused on other things, namely my career. It didn’t help I’d been a redheaded beanpole in high school and most of college. I’d been what people called a late bloomer. I didn’t get curves until later. By that point, I was a tad bit self-conscious what with being teased for my height all the way up into my twenties.
“Hey Zoe, you there?” Jana asked.
“I’m here. Can you tell Ethan I’m busy?”
Jana sighed dramatically into my ear. “No, I’m not lying about your schedule. I’m telling him you’ll be available in five minutes. Oh, and if you were hoping to throw me off the scent of how much you want to screw his brains out, trying to avoid him only proves my point.”
“Jana, fuck off. Okay?”
Jana chuckled softly. “Don’t you wish.”
I could hear her footsteps and was about to hang up the line when I heard her speak again. She could’ve muted her speaker, but I knew she wanted me to hear her. Dammit. I wanted to hear Ethan.
“Mr. Walsh, do you mind waiting five minutes?”
“Be happy to,” was Ethan’s reply.
I could hear his teasing tone even in those three small words, and just the sound of it sent flutters twirling in my belly.
I was screwed. I had the hots for my client. Make that double screwed.
Restless, I stood up abruptly and dashed across my office to the decorative mirror between the windows. Oh hell. I’d temporarily forgotten I’d taken my hair down. It was a tousled mess now, and I didn’t have time to fix it. I ran my fingers through it, trying to make it look tidy somehow. I almost always wore it up in a knot because my hair was wild. It was thick and wavy when it was loose. Nothing seemed to tame it, so I kept it out of the way. Throw in the fact it was a deep auburn and my hair drew way too much attention when it was loose. No one took me seriously then. All they did was stare at my hair. After getting teased so much about it when I was little, it was hard not to be self-conscious even though I intellectually knew it was silly.
There was a knock at my door, and I jumped away from the mirror. I couldn’t believe I was obsessing about my appearance all because a client showed up unexpectedly. Well, not any client—the obscenely hot client whose kiss had left me hot, wet, and bothered and occupied nights of fantasies since.
Why not? Ethan’s hot as hell. If you want to ditch your virginity, might as well make it worth your while.
My naughty voice was in full swing today. It was safe to say I hadn’t heard much from this voice. Very few men caught my attention. If they did, they rarely noticed me, or not that I knew. Ethan had gone and set me loose inside with his random kiss months ago and then flirting so blatantly with me last night.
Another knock at my door. Right, I was dithering about how I looked while Ethan was waiting to meet with me.
I started to walk to the door when it opened and Jana slipped inside, closing it quickly behind her.
“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice just above a whisper.
My cheeks heated, and not for the first time, I silently cursed my fair skin.
“Nothing,” I replied, striving to keep my voice calm and bored sounding.
Jana’s perceptive gaze coasted over me. “Right. Nothing. Well, you look gorgeous. Good move to take your hair down,” she said with a sly grin.
My cheeks got even hotter. “I did not take my hair down for Ethan. I’m tired, and I took it down before. Trust me, I was just thinking about putting it back up, but…”
Jana shook her head. “Do not do that. I’d give an arm or a leg for your hair.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. Send Ethan in, would you? Let me get this over with,” I replied, cringing a little at my snappish tone.
Jana eyed me for a moment and shook her head. “Just relax, okay? It’s okay to think a guy’s hot. You know I’m only teasing about him, right?”
“I know,” I muttered. I took a gulp of air and straightened my shoulders. “And it’s not okay to think one of my clients is hot, so this won’t be going anywhere.”
This was my first tacit admission that Jana was right. Her eyes took on a gleam.
“I think that makes it even more fun. What’s more perfect than losing your virginity to a totally hot soccer star who happens to be your client?”
“It’s not worth my career,” I said flatly.
Jana put a hand on her hip. “Oh, get over yourself. You already kissed him when he wasn’t your client, so you have some wiggle room.” With a sly grin, she asked, “Ready for Mr. Sexy?”
I glared at her and walked back to my desk. I sat down quickly, needing the barrier to keep me sane when Ethan came in. I heard Jana speaking and then Ethan stepped through the door, and it was whisked shut behind him.
The second I looked up at him, my belly somersaulted, my pulse shot off like a rocket, and heat spread through my veins like wildfire. Sweet hell. He was too much. His golden hair was mussed, and his green eyes dark as he swept his gaze over me. He oozed raw masculinity and had the body to go with it. He wore nothing remarkable—just a navy t-shirt and jeans—yet somehow his clothes showcased his obscenely fit body. My mouth watered just looking at him—the corded muscles of his arms, his broad shoulders, and the way his jeans hung low on his hips, giving me a flash of bronzed skin and abs, just enough to make my panties wet.
Oh. My. God. I needed to get a grip.
Chapter 5
Ethan
The door clicked shut behind me. I’d meant to say something flirty, just naughty enough to get under Zoe’s skin and make her blush. But then I saw her. Her rich auburn hair was down, and the sight of it rendered me speechless. Seeing as I’d only seen her before when her hair was pulled back in a tidy knot, I had no fucking idea how wild her hair was. It fell in lush waves around her shoulders. Streaks of gold ran through the deep auburn, and the ends of her hair swirled just below her breasts. I knew what I wanted to see—her naked, riding me with that amazing hair letting me play peek-a-boo with her breasts.
Of course, I’d never seen her anything but fully clothed, every inch of her delectable body covered up. I had an excellent imagination however and could fill in the blanks perfectly well. Problem was, my cock twitched. Bloody hell. I couldn’t be standing here with a hard-on in front of her—definitely not smooth. I forced my attention to her face. That didn’t help. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright. She stayed right where she was behind her desk. Despite the blood rushing straight to my groin, I flashed her a grin. Old habits died hard after all.
“Hello, Zoe luv. How are you this afternoon?” I said as I strolled to take a seat in the chair across from her.
Her eyes flashed and her lips tightened. Perfect. Bloody perfect. I just needed to rattle her enough to get my footing. It was like sparring, and I loved it with her.
She drummed her fingertips on her desk and crossed and uncrossed her legs. I doubted that she ever considered the benefits of the modern desk she had. It had a sleek chocolate brown surface with nothing other than a slider for a keyboard. There was nothing to obstruct my view of her fantastic legs underneath. Really, it was a table with a keyboard tray and that’s it. I fucking loved it. Even her legs were flushed. Okay, maybe best not
to stare at her legs because now I had to talk my cock down again.
It suddenly occurred to me she hadn’t even answered me yet. “Did you forget how to say hello?” I asked.
I’d be the first to admit, half the reason I got my reputation as a player and a flirt was because when I wasn’t sure what to do, teasing was my fallback position.
Zoe’s cheeks flushed deeper. She uncrossed and crossed her legs again.
“Shall we go for a walk?”
“Excuse me?” she countered, her voice a tad snippy.
Oh this was perfect. I loved riling her up. She didn’t let much through, but her cheeks were pink and her eyes pinned me with a haughty glare.
“Well, you seem a little restless. I thought perhaps a walk might help,” I said in my most polite, bland tone.
Zoe’s lips parted, which drew my attention to her perfect mouth. Bloody hell. Her lips were plump, soft and pink. I was torn between remembering what it felt like to kiss her and what it would feel like to see those perfect lips wrapped around my cock. Oops. Not a good idea to let myself think like that. Way too distracting.
Zoe uncrossed her legs again, and I could’ve sworn I saw a glimpse of black silk between her thighs. Wow. If she had any idea of the view I had, I was certain she’d be replacing her desk post haste. I could only imagine how many men had sat here and enjoyed the view of her legs and trying to catch a glimpse of her panties. She was wearing another fitted skirt. She seemed to like those. I glanced up to find her still glaring at me.
“We don’t need to take a walk. Perhaps you could let me know your reasons for stopping by,” she said, all prim and proper.
“Coach mentioned you were planning to follow up with the police again today, so I thought I’d stop by and chat about that.”
She spun in her chair to face the computer screen at an angle on her desk. “Of course, let me check to see if the lead officer has replied to my email yet.”
I waited quietly, watching her as she clicked and scrolled through something on the computer screen. After a moment, she spun back to face me. Definitely black silk. My eyes had a mind of their own, and I couldn’t help but peek again.
“Okay, here’s where we stand. We’re going to let them try to talk some sense into the guy charging you. The problem they have is if they don’t charge you while there were witnesses who saw you hit him, it looks bad. They’re recommending you support them filing charges against him.”
“But that’s bloody ridiculous! I don’t think the fool meant to hit me. He meant to sock his mate. I just got in the way. Why can’t he leave well enough alone like me?”
Zoe was all business now and back in her element. She exuded a sharp confidence. “Because people are foolish and stupid sometimes.”
“Coach is worried this guy thinks he’s got leverage and I’ve got money he can chase.”
Zoe shrugged. “Maybe so, but I don’t think we need to worry about that. If he wants to make it a nuisance for you, he can. I’ll handle it. The entire incident is on the security cameras, so I think you’ll be fine no matter what.”
I nodded, pondering that the last fucking thing I wanted to deal with was some bullshit legal issue, but whatever. I loved my job. I mean, for crying out loud, I balled for money. I’d take my lumps when I had to. It was just bloody stupid that I walked into the guy’s fist. Had I not been sloshed, I’d have been less likely to reflexively swing at him. But it was what it was. I had complete confidence in Zoe. I also wanted to get in her black silk panties.
I ordered myself to behave. At least for a few more minutes. “Right then. If you say so, I believe you.”
There was a knock at her office door. Zoe stood and walked to open it. I turned in my chair, eating up the sight of her body. Her skirt fell to just above her knees. It was proper enough, but she had a lush bottom, which filled it out perfectly. Her glorious hair swung with her steps. Fuck me. I wanted to wrap it around my hand and kiss her senseless.
She opened the door, and I heard her friendly receptionist say something. They kept their voices low so I couldn’t hear what she was saying. I didn’t realize I was standing and walking toward her as she closed the door until I was almost there. Bloody hell. This woman was like my own personal magnet. My body just did its thing. I was accustomed to being more calculated when it came to women. I couldn’t have calculated what happened next, but it was fucking perfect.
Zoe turned back. She was in her all-business mode and moving fast. She never even looked up, and she was walking so fast, I didn’t have a chance to react. In two strides, she collided with me.
“Oh! I…”
Her breath came out in a whoosh, and her eyes widened. She was right up against me, and my body had something to say about that. Hell, my cock had been at half-mast ever since I laid eyes on her today. The feel of her full breasts against me, the heat of her body and the flush on her cheeks—all inside of a second and I was rock hard. I knew she could feel it against her because it was impossible to miss.
I didn’t really care to play it smooth just now. It felt too good to have her this close. I was surprised she didn’t jump back, but she didn’t. I lifted a hand and ran it through the ends of her hair. Her hair alone was an unholy temptation. It was soft and silky. The back of my fingers brushed across her blouse, and I could feel her nipple pebbling through the thin cotton.
Lust scored me straight through. I wanted Zoe. I wanted her like mad. I looked to her. Her cheeks were flushed, and there were tiny freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. I’d never given a thought to freckles. Hell, I’d never even noticed them on anyone. On her, they were another thing I was suddenly enamored with. I wanted to peel off her clothes and find every freckle on her body, preferably with my lips.
I could feel her breath coming in shallow pants. Her pulse fluttered in her neck. Well, I’d been waiting to kiss her again. Now seemed like the perfect time.
“Zoe.”
Her eyes whipped up, a swirl of green and gold growing darker by the second.
“Yes?” she asked in a breathy whisper.
Oh that did it. I’d meant to say something witty, to tease her a bit. But all I wanted was to kiss her.
I slid my hand up under her hair and cupped her nape, prepared for her to shove me away at any second. She didn’t. I waited a beat. I suppose I was a glutton for punishment because I fully expected her to knee me in the balls at any second. I loved how tall she was. She fit against me just so. I barely had to tilt my head to kiss her. I meant to go slow. What I meant to do and what I did when it came to Zoe were never the same thing, or so it was coming to seem.
The moment I brought my lips to hers, she tensed. I thanked every god I could think of when she didn’t shove me away.
“Ethan?”
Somehow she managed to say my name against my lips. This, of course, got me even harder.
“Yes?” I countered, not moving an inch.
“Mm…what…?” She paused and moved back incrementally.
Well, now this would not do.
Her eyes locked to mine, searching. Something flashed in the depths of hers, but it came and went so fast I couldn’t interpret it.
“What are you doing?”
Her voice was all husky and breathy and made me want to spin her around, bend her over the desk and shove her skirt up.
Pump the brakes, mate. Zoe is not that kind of girl.
I wanted her so much, I could barely think. I stared into the layers of her eyes—green dusted with gold and flecked with brown. With her wild hair tumbling about her shoulders, her pink cheeks and her plump lips, it was a fucking miracle I kept a leash on myself.
“Kissing you,” I belatedly replied.
I kept expecting her to shove me away, but she didn’t. She shifted on her feet, her eyes scanning my face. She bit her lip, her teeth denting the delectable cushion.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she finally said.
Mind you, she said
that, but she didn’t fucking move an inch and every curve of her front was pressed against me with my cock nestled in the cradle of her hips.
“And why not?” I countered.
“Because you’re my client, and…”
“Unless I think it’s a problem, how is it a problem?” I asked, injecting a touch of haughty in my tone.
Her eyes narrowed. Fuck it. I wasn’t waiting to debate this with her. I dipped my head and fit my mouth over hers. Little did I know she’d be opening her mouth to say something. Perfect. I swept my tongue inside, tangled my hand in her hair and devoured her mouth. If she really thought kissing me was a problem, she seemed to immediately forget that. Her tongue warred with mine.
When I slid my hand down her spine and cupped her bottom, pulling her tight against me, she moaned in my mouth. That did it. Holding her tight to me, I took a few steps until her back bumped against the door. My palm flat against it, I drew back, catching her bottom lip in my teeth before drawing my tongue along the soft skin of her neck. She tasted so fucking good—a little sweet, a little tangy. I needed more. I tore at her blouse to find proper Zoe had a thing for naughty lingerie. Her full breasts were encased in sheer black silk, her pink nipples taut and begging for me to taste them. So I did. I laved my tongue over the silk, grinning when she moaned.
Chapter 6
Zoe
Ethan’s mouth closed over my nipple, and I almost melted to the floor. Sweet hell. Just kissing him sent me tumbling into madness, yet this was beyond good. The hot, wet suction of his mouth and the nip of his teeth while he rolled my other nipple between his fingers nearly made me come on the spot. Hot shivers raced over my skin while my pulse skittered wildly. I could hardly breathe with my breath coming in pants and gasps.
