“Why? I’m the one who brought us here. You have nothing to apologize for. Why don’t we blow off work and spend some time getting to know one another better? I haven’t had a lazy afternoon in far too long.” Try never.
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.” He rose, hoping her gaze wouldn’t go straight to his crotch, and then realizing he hoped it would. He wanted her to know how seductive she was. “How about this. I’ll take you back to your office so you can pick up your laptop, and then we can spend some time in the fake outdoors. Afterwards, we’ll go back to my place and get some work done. I’ll make you dinner.”
“Not as much food as lunch, though. I doubt I’ll be very hungry the rest of the day.”
“It’s a deal. A light dinner only. Maybe we’ll skip real food and just have dessert and coffee?” In bed.
Her smile was sexy and delightful, and it was all Dominic could do not to kiss her. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”
He stared into her dark eyes for a long time, and then he threw caution to the wind for the first time in five years. This girl wasn’t Becca. She wasn’t after his money, she knew nothing about his family, and she wouldn’t go poking around to look for dirt. She had dark secrets of her own to protect. She knew how to hide, and she was terrified of something or someone. If anything, she’d be pushing him away way before he did the same to her.
If he pushed her away at all.
Which he doubted he would.
When he leaned in to kiss her, she already had her arms up to wrap around his shoulders. Dominic was only a man, after all. How on earth could he resist this stunning, warm woman?
Chapter Seven
Angela moaned loudly into Dominic’s open mouth as his tongue parted her lips. Holy fuck, this man can kiss! Her pussy was soaked, and every inch of her skin ached to touch him. She forgot where they were and pushed closer to his warm, hard body, going so far as to rub her abdomen across his erection. Holy shit. This was nothing like she’d imagined it would be. She didn’t care if he was her brand new boss, or that they’d just had a two and a half hour lunch. She wanted to be horizontal with him in the worst fucking way.
She’d even take semi-upright. She’d bend over this table and lift her skirt if that’s what he wanted. Fuck it all. It had been way, way too long since she’d been kissed and held, and no man had ever moved his lips and tongue over hers like he was doing now. She wanted more. So much more.
When he released her mouth, she stared at him until he finally picked up her purse and handed it to her. Then he took her hand, and she simply walked, letting him lead the way. Her legs felt like jelly. His hand was so warm it made her entire body hot. She could only imagine what the rest of his skin would feel like next to hers.
They said nothing on the walk back, but she felt the lust and heat coming off him in waves. Inside the elevator, they were alone, and this was the same private elevator she’d taken before her interview. He keyed in a code, and then the floor she now worked on. It wouldn’t stop for anyone else. They had it all to themselves.
He turned toward her, and then he cupped her face and stared into her eyes with so much intensity she thought her heart would stop. “This is madness,” he whispered. “But I can’t stop.”
She didn’t have a chance to ask him what his cryptic comment about this being madness meant because he pushed her up against the wall of the car and kissed her like he might never do so again. She reached for his hair, and he caught her wrists, pinning her arms overhead. The gesture was so damn sexy and dominant that she nearly came. He moved closer to her, grinding his bulge against her body until she was so damn wet she knew she’d need to change her panties.
And then just as quickly he stopped as the elevator doors opened. There was no way anyone who spotted them would miss the fact that both their faces were flushed and covered with a fine sheen of sweat, or that their eyes blazed with lust.
He took her hand, and she walked next to him, screaming inside from sheer happiness. Merrick wasn’t in his temporary office, for which Angela was grateful, but Trish was in hers. The bright smile she gave them when they approached faded quickly as her gaze dropped to their clasped hands.
Angela wasn’t sure what to say, but Dominic didn’t seem to be the least bit embarrassed or uncomfortable. He stepped into the office and addressed Trish. “Angela and I are going to be working from a remote location for the rest of the afternoon. Do you need her for anything else today?”
“Um, no. No, I don’t.”
“Fine. You can reach me on my phone if you need me.”
“Sure. Okay, Dominic.”
Angela waited until they were in her office to speak. “Well, that was awkward.”
He smirked. “Not for me. Gather your stuff and let’s get out of here. I feel the urge to work coming on just being inside this building again.”
“We can’t have that.”
He chuckled, and she wanted to pinch herself. Was this really happening?
Once she had her laptop and accessories in the bag she’d been provided, they left the department and went down to the lobby once more in the private elevator. Dominic didn’t kiss her again, but he did give her a look full of possibilities and even more questions.
Angela pushed aside her doubt and fear as much as she could. She only wanted to enjoy this afternoon, not fill it with insecurity and ghosts from the past. As long as she didn’t break any WITSEC rules, she was safe. That’s what they’d always told her and her mother.
Well, she hadn’t broken any rules. She was Angela Davidson as far as Dominic knew, and Angela Davidson was on a date. That was it. Nothing to see here, folks. Move along. There was no reason to fear him. She’d be fine. Just an afternoon with a gorgeous, sexy, powerful man who happened to be her new boss. It happened every day.
“Where are we going?” she asked as they walked out onto the pavement.
“First of all, let’s relieve you of having to carry around that laptop bag. My apartment is five minutes away.”
They were going to his apartment and then leaving it again? Why?
“We’ll drop off what we don’t need and then come back outside.”
“And then where are we going?”
He smiled down at her. “Have you been to the amphitheater across town? They have live music there every afternoon and evening.”
“No, never.”
“They’re featuring medieval music this week.”
“Medieval music?”
“Yes, on actual period instruments. I know some of the musicians, and I helped quite a few find their instruments. Each of us, in addition to funding these cities and the Storm Troopers, helps back the teams who go up to the surface and procure items.”
“You mean like medieval instruments?”
“Those, and just about anything that’s still available to find.”
“That must be expensive.”
“It is, and quite dangerous, but they’re well paid to risk their lives. Addison Carlyle, one of the Weathermen, owns Carlyle Imports. His company is a distributor for most of the items the teams go up to the surface to find.”
“Can individual people pay them to find things, or only businesses?”
“No, individuals can as well.”
“Have you gone up there to do that?”
“A few times, but honestly it’s not my thing.” He frowned. “It’s terrible up there. I mean really bad. There’s a disconcerting howling wind sound all the time, and you wouldn’t recognize anything. You’re from San Francisco, right?”
“Yes.” She gripped her bag tighter as her palms grew damp.
“The Golden Gate Bridge is gone. Alcatraz is nothing but a pile of rubble floating on a rock. You couldn’t pick out a neighborhood in the entire city if you had to.”
She took several deep breaths as the images floated through her mind. She didn’t want to picture it that way. It had been home for twelve years, even if it wasn’t her birthplace.
&n
bsp; “Here we are.”
He took her hand and led her inside one of the buildings in the most pretentious apartment complex in town. It was no surprise to her that it was professionally decorated. “You own this, don’t you?”
“Yes. I own the entire complex, actually. A lot of my employees live here. There are several empty units scattered throughout the buildings, so if you want to move into one of them, let me know.”
“I couldn’t afford it.”
They stepped into an elevator lined with dark wood. “Yes, you could. I rent them to employees at substantial discounts so anyone who wants to be closer to work can be.”
“That’s very generous of you.”
“I bought the complex for next to nothing as a package deal with the one that houses the offices, so I don’t need the rent to cover overhead or pay off a loan.”
The way he talked about money made her believe he’d grown up with plenty of it. Only someone who hadn’t spent hours on a Sunday afternoon clipping coupons, or figuring out how to make dinner from a loaf of bread, frozen peas, and cans of cheap tuna would take so much for granted.
That didn’t make him a bad person. She knew the company gave a shitload of money to charity, and he’d already shown that he was generous with his time. She hadn’t seen him treat anyone like an underling. He was polite to everyone, and had an aura of self-assurance that was captivating. She wanted to be near him and absorb the positive energy he radiated, and she was certain others must feel that way, too.
Another private elevator that required a code took them to the top floor. The décor in his penthouse apartment was nothing like that of the offices or the lobby of this building. No metal doors or boring gray tones here. She took in the bright airy views, the open spaces, the ceramic and stone walls, countertops, and accents, plus the tree branches and seashells everywhere.
“Do you like it?” His voice held a note of uncertainty, and it surprised her he’d give a shit what anyone thought of his home.
“This is the real you, isn’t it? This open, fun atmosphere that makes me think I’m outdoors, or at the beach. I mean the real beach on the surface.”
“You’ve discovered my secret obsession.”
She turned to face him, struck again by how damn gorgeous he was. In this light, his five o’clock shadow was even more pronounced, and the memory of it grazing her skin as he’d kissed her washed over her. She wanted to know what it felt like rubbing her nipples. “I love it. Honestly. Does the entire apartment look like this?”
He grinned, and the effect was to make her soaked pussy even wetter. If this didn’t stop soon she’d have to change her skirt as well as her panties. “If I give you a tour, we might not make it to the amphitheater.”
“We can go another time.” Whoa! Did I just say that? Yes, you did.
Dominic sauntered slowly toward her. Her pulse raced, and breathing was difficult. His eyes blazed with desire, but as he reached her the emotion changed to one she couldn’t interpret. “This is madness,” he whispered.
“You said that in the restaurant, too. Why is it madness?”
He sighed loudly and brushed a finger along her face, and this time she didn’t even try to suppress her soft moan. He shook his head slowly. “When you do that I can’t stop myself from wanting to take you. Hard and rough. On the floor if necessary.”
Oh. My. God. She swallowed hard. Every fiber of her being ached for this man. “Then don’t try to stop yourself.”
The indecision on his face confused her even further. What the hell was going on here? “Angela … I don’t want to hurt you.”
She took his hand and held it against her left breast. His soft moan sent chills down her spine. “You won’t. I know you date a lot of women, and I know you’re never seen with the same one twice. I have no expectations of happily-ever-after. So tell me why we can’t do this. Help me understand.”
Pain filled his eyes, but it was gone so quickly she was sure she’d imagined it. “I’ve never had such an immediate visceral reaction to any woman. And don’t let the tabloids fool you. I don’t date nearly as much as they make it seem.”
Angela held her breath as she listened to that deep sexy voice fill the lonely spaces inside. She should stop him now while they still could, but she didn’t want to. Tears threatened as she gazed into his eyes, and she had to blink them back. She wanted him so badly it actually hurt.
“In reality, I’m quite lonely, and you’re the most alluring woman I’ve ever met. I want to make love to you, Angela. I want to take you to that amphitheater, and out to eat, and every other place in this town and in the others that you’ve always wanted to go.”
“I want the same thing.”
He let out a loud exhale. “Are you sure about this? I don’t do anything half-assed. If we start this, I want all of you. Not only your best work at the office, but I want you in my bed. I want to possess you.” He cupped her breast, kneading it, and she cried out in pleasure. “I want all of you, Angela. Your body, your mind, and your soul.”
He grasped her right breast, and teased both nipples through her clothes into taut points. Her mind whirled with erotic images, and she fought to keep breathing. She’d never been this ready to fuck any man. She wanted him right here, right now, rough and hard. “Are you ready for that? Are you ready to give yourself over to me?”
“Yes,” she whispered. She’d never been this ready for anything in her life.
Chapter Eight
Angela cried out again as Dominic nearly tore her clothing in his haste to undo the buttons on her suit top. He grasped her breasts again through her bra, grazing her nipples with his teeth. Holding her gaze with his own, dark and dangerous, he pulled the suit top down her arms, and then he reached around and unhooked her bra. When that was gone, too, he stepped back and eyed her breasts. “Fucking exquisite. You’re beautiful.”
He cupped her face. “How long has it been since you’ve had sex? I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Almost a year.”
“Fuck.” He let go of her face, and then shocked the hell out of her by picking her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing. She wasn’t a thin waif. “Lube and condoms are, unfortunately, in my bedroom.”
Angela simply stared at him as he carried her down a hallway, up a flight of stairs, and to the end of the hall. He placed her on her feet, and then he grinned again. “Last chance, Angela. Once we enter that room I own you.”
“I don’t want you to stop.” She’d rather cut off an arm than end this now.
He pushed open the doors and then picked her up again. She let out a loud exhale, and then caught the scent of sage and his cologne. The room was light, and the decorating matched what she’d seen downstairs, but he gave her no time to look around. He carried her to an enormous four-poster and laid her on it, then covered her body with his.
Angela nearly came as he kissed her, hard and rough. She wrapped her arms around him but her legs were pinned, and she didn’t care. It was so damn fucking sexy she couldn’t even stand it.
He tangled his fingers in her hair and assaulted her neck with tiny nips and tender kisses until she cried out and moaned loudly. When he worked his way down to her breasts, she muttered incomprehensible words as he fastened his mouth first on one nipple, and then on the other. She grasped fistfuls of his soft hair, pushing his head closer.
He came up for air and sat back on his heels, gazing at her, his shoulders rising and falling with the effort of breathing. Without a word he scooted off the bed and opened a drawer in the nightstand. He tossed a bottle of lube and a box of condoms onto the bed, and then he rolled her over to unzip her skirt. He pulled it off, taking her wet panties with it, and then he removed her shoes.
Before she could turn onto her back again, he covered her body once more, kissing her neck and working his way down. She moaned and grabbed the comforter, silently begging him to fuck her. When he licked her ass cheeks, she thought she’d go out of her mind. “Get up on your hands an
d knees.”
Angela couldn’t have disobeyed that voice if she’d wanted to. She did as he asked, and he licked her pussy from behind. She pushed back against his mouth, groaning loudly now, and when he slipped a finger into her wetness, she almost came.
“You’re so damn tight, Angela.” He withdrew his finger, and she heard the lube bottle. When his finger slid inside again, it was warm and wet. “That’s better. You’re beautiful.” He finger-fucked her, still kissing and licking her ass cheeks. “Do you know that?”
No. “Thank you. So are you.”
“I think I’ll fuck you like this first, and then I’m going to put you over my knee and paddle this luscious ass.” She cried out in surprised pleasure as he gave each ass cheek a few good hard smacks. “Have you ever been paddled? I mean really paddled?”
“No,” she whispered.
He removed his finger and slipped two inside, teasing her with them, and she was so close to coming it was ridiculous. This was really happening! She was in Dominic’s bedroom, and he had his fingers inside her. She was naked in his bed. Angela could barely process all the competing sensations. So many emotions fought for control that she had to shut them all out and simply feel. It was too overwhelming to do anything else.
Dominic swatted her ass again, and the endorphin rush from his strikes took her breath away. “I have a huge collection of toys, including paddles, and I have this fantasy … would you like to hear it?”
He pressed down on her clit with his thumb while he continued to fuck her with his fingers. “Yes,” she whispered, hanging on as much as possible. Would he mind if she came already? There was no way to stop it if he kept this up.
Dominic pulled his fingers out and flipped her onto her back. He lay on top of her and moved her arms overhead. “You, in one of those plaid schoolgirl skirts and a white blouse. You’ve been a bad girl and I have to punish you.”
His eyes danced with amusement and lust, and she wanted to scream with joy. “I would do that in a heartbeat.”
“Oh…” He smiled like she’d just told him he had made even more money. “Thank you.” He flipped her over again. “But first, I can’t take it any longer. Back on your hands and knees, beautiful.”
The Price of Secrecy Page 5
