by Kwan, Coleen
“Well?” She shook her hair back and aimed for a nonchalant stance, reluctant to show him how nervous she was.
Giles seemed not to share her anxiety. He leaned towards her, hands still buried in his pockets as if he didn’t trust them anywhere else. “Of course I accept,” he said in a low, firm voice. “And it goes without saying that you can depend on my discretion.” He let out a soft sigh as though he couldn’t believe what was happening, and his eyes warmed on her, causing her stomach to flip as his attraction wove through her, stronger than ever. “Where would you like to go? Your place or mine?”
“Yours,” she said instinctively. “It’s closer.” She knew he lived in Potts Point, a five-minute taxi drive away at this time of night, whereas it would take at least twenty minutes to get to her Leichhardt apartment. Also, going to his place meant she could leave when she wanted and on her terms.
With a smile, he draped one arm around her shoulders and drew her gently towards him. She quivered, her body eager for the contact. Her head tipped back automatically against his arm, and it seemed only natural for him to bend over her and kiss her, a light, feathery kiss that left her tingling for more.
“Let’s go,” he muttered, and the dark hunger in his voice made Anna shudder even more.
***
Her heart was beating in her throat like a hummingbird when Anna entered Giles’s apartment. She glanced around but barely took in anything, her senses consumed by the man closing the door behind her. She was vaguely aware of high ceilings, white walls, and a striking abstract painting before Giles cupped her elbow and steered her down the hallway, pausing at the entrance to a spacious living room.
“Uh, would you like a drink?” The hesitation in his voice surprised and charmed her. She’d assumed Giles was a smooth operator at this, but it seemed—at least with her—he wasn’t so suave.
She reached up to stroke his jaw, enjoying the feel of his stubble breaking through at this late hour. “No drink,” she murmured. “Just you.”
His fingers laced through hers and gripped her firmly before he towed her further down the hallway and pushed open a door to his bedroom. The room was airy and minimally furnished to make a bold statement. White walls, dark stained wooden floorboards, a big bed with a padded leather headboard and piles of crisp white linen.
She had a second to take it in before his urgent hands spun her to face him, and finally he kissed her. It seemed like forever since they’d kissed in the street. His mouth moved hungrily over hers, seeking and giving, warm and voluptuous. Standing on tiptoe, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his, eager for every inch of contact. When his tongue stroked against hers, fire streaked through her veins. She purred her pleasure, and he gripped her even tighter.
Still kissing her, he walked her backwards until the back of her knees met the edge of the bed. He paused, lifting his head to gaze down at her. In the buttery glow of a bedside lamp his eyes sparkled like the sea, and a lock of chestnut hair fell untidily over his brow.
“Anna.” His earnest tone contrasted with the wild emotions zigzagging between them.
“Giles.” She tried to match his solemn note but couldn’t. Recklessness had her surging up, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him with her as she let herself topple backwards onto the bed.
He broke the fall by bracing his arms on either side of her, his face so filled with surprise she couldn’t help chuckling. “What’s the matter, Giles? Didn’t you expect me to go through with it?”
Propping himself up on one elbow, he gazed down at her, his weight easily pinning her to the bed. “I don’t know what to expect from you.”
She writhed under him, enjoying the sensation of his body compressing hers. Through the thin fabric of his trousers she could feel muscled thighs and a swelling groin. The image made her skittish with anticipation and brought with it also a small burst of nerves. It had been a while since she’d been with a man. But that didn’t matter, did it? Sex was like riding a bike. Once you knew how to, you never forgot. Or so she hoped.
She popped open the buttons of his shirt. “Is this what you expect?” she murmured, running her hand over his bare chest. His skin was lightly tanned and firmly muscled with a faint smattering of hair. My God, he was gorgeous. She traced his pectorals, dizzy from his masculine beauty, and pushed the shirt off his shoulders.
He obliged by shrugging the shirt completely off him before he leaned over her, his shoulder muscles flexing as he reached for the buttons of her shirt. His deft fingers undid the row of buttons and drew the fabric aside. He paused to inhale a breath, his eyes glowing like gas as he took in her satin and lace bra.
“Now this I definitely did not expect,” he said as he traced a finger over the pearl-coloured cups with their delicate edging of black lace.
She gulped as his finger created a trail of burning pleasure across her flesh. “It’s one of my hidden vices,” she gasped out.
“Expensive, sexy lingerie under your conservative business clothes?” His fingers swirled over the tip of her bra cup, and she automatically arched her back, following the delicate caress. “My God, Anna. All these weeks I’ve been at the office and this is the kind of thing you’ve been wearing every single day?” He groaned before lowering his head and closing his mouth over her breast. Even through the satin his heat made its mark on her and her nipples peaked, aching for his touch.
He was breathing faster now, and the bulge in his pants had grown heavier and hotter. She thought maybe he’d let himself go and get rid of the rest of her clothes in a hurry, but it seemed he had more self-control than she. Shuffling lower, he eased his hands behind her waist to unzipped her skirt and pushed it off her legs.
“Glad to see you bought the matching set,” he said, sounding hoarse as he took in the skimpy satin and lace panties.
The look of pure lust on his face made her feel incredible. She shuddered as she basked in his appreciation, aware that no other man had ever triggered such a visceral response in her. He’d barely begun to touch her, but already she was drenched with need, her body burning to be joined with his.
Giles’s gaze roved slowly over her before settling on her face. She felt flushed and unsteady and slightly exposed, though she wasn’t even naked yet.
“You’re full of surprises,” he said, brushing a strand of her hair away from her cheek.
The gentleness of his fingers caused her breath to catch in her throat. Giles was a constant surprise, too, she realised. She’d assumed once she’d agreed to spend the night with him that he’d be something of a caveman, impatient to get to the main course, but instead he was being thoughtful, tender, careful. Something she hadn’t bargained for.
Eager to smother her vague misgivings, she hooked her fingers around his belt and fumbled with the catch. “Do you have a surprise for me? Silk briefs, perhaps? Or boxers with Santas and reindeers?”
Laughing, he helped her undo his belt and shucked off his trousers to reveal plain black briefs stretched across his hips and bulging groin.
“No Santas, no silk. Sorry to disappoint you.”
“Who said I was disappointed?” She wasn’t fooled by the plainness of his underwear. They were a top quality brand. Only the best for Giles.
She didn’t have time to admire his underwear as Giles gathered her in his arms and proceeded to explore her with his mouth and hands. He kissed and caressed her until she was on fire and gasping for air. Half-delirious, she was vaguely aware of her bra being unclipped before the satin slipped away, and Giles’s breath warmed her skin as his lips coasted over her breasts. A hum of mindless gratification gathered in her throat and then thickened into a muffled yelp as he sucked her nipple, hard and greedy.
Her body seethed with sensations as she contorted towards his mouth, desperate for that forceful, almost painful suck. He lavished attention on her breasts until her nipples were stiff, damp peaks before moving on to her belly, his hands sliding inside her panties to cup her
arse. He squeezed her butt cheeks as he eased off her underwear. She couldn’t disguise the wet neediness between her legs, didn’t want to, either. With Giles she felt completely safe to abandon every caution.
She tugged off his black boxers, confident of herself, of him, of this night. The sight of his straining erection made her pause—heavens, she hadn’t realised he’d been packing this!—before anticipation got the better of her.
He laughed as she stroked his length and measured his girth. “Anna,” he groaned unsteadily, hands fisting into the sheets as he clearly strove for control. “You’re killing me here.”
“Don’t make me wait, then,” she whispered back.
Reaching over her, he opened a bedside drawer and found a condom. When he was sheathed, he turned to her, hands on her shoulders as he lowered her to the pillows and positioned himself between her legs. His movements were gentle, yet she could feel the strength roiling in him, the primeval power harnessed because of her. The realisation only made her more frantic for him.
“Now,” she gasped, clasping her hands around his neck as she arched her body, eager for him.
With a hungry groan he slid deep into her welcoming heat, causing her to gasp again as her body adjusted to his size. His hips rolled as he began to thrust into her, his movements measured and slow and inexorable. Pleasure spiralled from her centre, taking her higher and higher until she was in a plane where thought didn’t exist, just sensation, and the only sensation was that of Giles around her, above her, in her.
His electric blue eyes were fixed on her, and there was nowhere for her to hide the emotions foaming through her. This wasn’t just sex; this was rare, pure connection, their bodies moving in unison, their breathing in sync, their gazes locked together.
She couldn’t hold it together anymore. Heat burst from her core as she shattered, her body flexing beneath his as her climax rippled out. Something like elation flashed in his eyes before he thrust into her several times, hard and fast, his body rigid as he came in her with a muffled shout, his forearms stiff and shaking.
There was silence for a few moments, then, with a deep sigh of contentment, he rolled off her, pulling her with him so she lay tucked into his side. They were both slick from their exertions, but she didn’t want to lose physical contact with him. She couldn’t stop gazing at him in awe. His hair was rumpled, a thin layer of perspiration gleamed on his throat, and he looked gorgeously mussed up and disarmingly young. A far cry from the polished professional she saw at the office. The one she would meet in the morning.
She wouldn’t see tonight’s Giles again. And she had to admit that made her heart pang.
But she had set the ground rules for this encounter, and she had sound reasons for doing so. This was all she could have.
With a soft sigh, she snuggled closer into Giles and breathed in his scent. If this was all she could have of him, then she may as well make the most of it.
***
Languorous warmth drifted over Giles as his breathing gradually recovered. One arm was wrapped around Anna, his hand comfortably settled on her hip while her head rested on his shoulder. She seemed made to be there, their bodies fitting so naturally together. A long sigh escaped his lips as he stretched out his body, completely sated and relaxed, the euphoria of great sex still buzzing in his muscles.
Anna tilted her head up to him. In the dim glow of the lamp, her eyes were like liquid chocolate.
“What’s the big sigh for,” she asked teasingly.
He stroked a finger along the line of her jaw. “That’s a big sigh of enjoyment, in case you hadn’t noticed.”
“I noticed.” She traced a hand down the centre of his chest, following his happy trail. “Glad it lived up to expectations.”
He glanced at her with a slight frown, but she wasn’t looking at him. Had Anna worried about his expectations? Strange to imagine that; she projected such an aura of confidence that he hadn’t thought to consider her reservations. And the way she’d responded to his love-making... Well, she was truly mind-blowing.
Shifting slightly, he tipped her head towards him so he could see her face. “Anna,” he said with deep sincerity. “All my expectations were blown out of the water. You are a magnificent goddess.”
A blush rose in her cheeks, combining with her tangled hair to make her seem young and vulnerable and adorable. His heart constricted as he drank her in. Anna was such a complex creature. At the office she displayed spirit and tenacity, and tonight he had experienced her sensual wildness, but now he saw the softness she hid from others, and it floored him. He had underestimated her, like so many other men had, and that pained him.
“Thank you,” she murmured with aching simplicity.
“No, I should be the one thanking you,” he felt moved to say. He stroked her hair with hands that didn’t feel as steady as he would have liked. What was going on with him?
With an awkward laugh, she wrinkled her nose at him. “Okay, let’s stop thanking each other before it gets embarrassing. We both had a good time. End of story.”
She resettled herself in the crook of his arm and huffed out a sigh. The warm night closed in as silence drifted over them. In the distance, an ambulance siren wailed, but here in his room they were cocooned by white curtains and soft linen and the warmth of their bodies. After a short while, the regularity of Anna’s breathing told him she had fallen asleep.
By rights, he should be sleepy, too, but the vague nagging at the back of his mind kept him awake.
We both had a good time. End of story.
He wholeheartedly agreed with the first sentiment, but the second? Not so much. Not if the dull ache in his chest had anything to do with it. But it was no use wishing this wasn’t the end. No use wishing this was only the start of the story. The story of him and Anna. No, he’d agreed to her terms, so he had to honour them. His only hope lay in Anna wanting to change those terms.
***
It had been a long time since Anna had last snuck out of a man’s apartment at five-thirty in the morning, shoes in her hand to lessen the noise. She felt terrible about her furtive exit. Only a woman with regrets would do this, and she did not regret a single moment of the night she’d spent with Giles. In truth, it was the opposite of regret that made her slide out from under his arm at the crack of dawn and quietly pick up her discarded clothing.
When she looked down at Giles fast asleep, his big, strong body sprawled beneath the sheets, her breath caught, and it was all she could do not to crawl back into bed and seek his warmth. But somehow she stopped herself; she couldn’t allow herself to get involved with Giles. Not after all her hard work and sacrifice. She had set the rules—one night only, no exceptions—and she bloody well had to stick to them.
Which was why she couldn’t wake Giles up and say goodbye because she wasn’t sure she could resist the temptation of his warm, sleepy body.
Feeling like a thief, she crept out of his apartment, easing the door closed until it shut with a faint click. Early morning sunshine slanted through the trees as she exited his building. The air was balmy with the promise of soaring temperatures later. She had things to do, deadlines to meet, goals to achieve. She couldn’t afford to get hung up on one night, no matter how spectacular it had been. Squaring her shoulders, she set off down the street, never once looking back.
Chapter Five
Resting her elbows on the desk, Anna rubbed her gritty eyelids as she stifled a yawn. It had been a long week, but finally all the coding and unit testing was done, her project was ready for user acceptance testing, and she had made the Friday afternoon deadline. Relief ballooned over her, leaving her feeling a little shaky as it hit her how stressful the last few days had been.
She hadn’t suffered alone; Giles had been right there with her, working long hours into the night with the kind of ferocious concentration she’d never encountered before. It had lifted her regard of him even higher.
Footsteps sounded as someone neared her desk. Even with her ey
es closed she knew it was Giles. Over the past week she’d become so attuned to him that she could sense his presence just by the cadence of his footfalls.
“Here you go.” His warm voice wrapped around her, causing a shiver of awareness to slide down her back.
The fragrant aroma of coffee teased her as she opened her eyes and leaned back in her chair. Two chocolate and hazelnut biscotti rested on a serviette next to a fresh coffee. Over the past week she and Giles had taken turns buying coffee, but she had decided that the biscotti would have to wait until after they’d made the deadline.
“Two?” She swivelled in her chair to glance across the pod where Giles had already retreated to his desk on the opposite side.
“A reward for all your endeavours.” The corners of his eyes crinkled up as he sipped his own coffee.
“Then you deserve one of them at least,” she said. “You’ve worked just as hard.” She placed one of the biscotti on a tissue for herself, picked up the serviette with the remaining one, and walked it over to his desk.
Giles’s eyes widened as she approached him, and she was hyper-aware of his scrutiny. Her heart thudded disconcertingly as she placed the biscuit on his desk.
“Thanks.” His voice was cautious.
Their eyes met, and for a moment she was lost as his vivid blueness sucked her in, triggering images of their night together to play out on the canvas of her mind. When she blinked back to awareness, she saw that Giles was tensed as if he might leap out of his chair at any second. Oh God, did he fear she was about to make a pass at him right here in the office? The realisation made her ribs constrict.
A group of people walked past their pod, chattering noisily. Anna swung round and hurried back to her desk. It took several minutes before her breathing recovered.
She’d tried her hardest to suppress her memories, but every now and then she was ambushed, and her body was overwhelmed as she relived the night she’d had with Giles. But Giles didn’t appear to suffer the same weakness. Since that night, his behaviour had been impeccable. He’d treated her with respect and humour, never once displaying any familiarity or alluding to their night together. He was the soul of discretion, just as she’d hoped for...yet perversely she couldn’t help feeling a pang of disappointment.
