“I know you’re busy.” A familiar female voice from somewhere to his right muted most of his other thoughts. “But do you have ten minutes for a friend?”
His already racing pulse kicked up another gear. Rae?
He spun to find her lounging in the doorway of a dark conference room, hesitant smile dancing on her lips. She looked incredible. She was wearing one of their shirts, and it hugged every inch of her torso like it had been made for her. He couldn’t find any words.
In a few short strides he crossed the distance between them, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her completely into the room, out of sight of foot traffic. He dipped his head and kissed her hard, hands sliding under her top and up her bare back, holding her as close as he could. Every inch of her rubbed against him. Her hands rested on his chest, a tiny whimper rising from her throat.
He finally broke the kiss with a gasp, but didn’t let her go. “Did you know about any of this?”
She smirked. “Of course not. What my sister does in her spare time is completely up to her. It’s called plausible deniability.”
“You’re so much trouble when I leave you alone.”
She laughed and rested her forehead against his chest, muffling her reply. “You know you love it.”
“I hate leaving. I love you.” He kissed the top of her head. “The surprise in the DM presentation? I’m not sure I’m fond of.”
She stepped back, putting enough space between them so she could look him in the eye, but not breaking his grip. She pulled something from her pocket and held it up between her thumb and forefinger. “Hopefully this will help.”
He reluctantly let go of her to take the USB drive. “Naughty pictures?”
She shook her head, smile never leaving her face. “Three things, and that’s not any of them.”
Curiosity tried to worm its way into his already heavy onslaught of emotions. It wasn’t easy given the nagging voice reminding him people were probably really pissed about the stunt Chloe and Jordan had pulled in the DM panel.
Even though he didn’t want to admit it out loud, that single stunt had mocked his failed marriage proposal, reminding him things were a lot better now, and made DM look as bad now as he had back then. It would speak to fans and the media — anyone who remembered the original viral video. If he hadn’t been worried about the consequences he’d have a hard time complaining about the entire thing.
And he definitely wasn’t complaining every time Rae’s hip rubbed against him. His cock wanted him to forget everything but finishing what the kiss had started.
“Do tell.” He forced the question out. He could do normal conversation for at least a couple more minutes. Damn it she was going to make it hard to focus on damage control.
“First.” She leaned back against the wall, hooked her fingers in his front pockets, and tugged him closer. “An investor agreement that keeps you both in complete control. Grant Lent, who I believe you met earlier, is very interested in the details.”
Investors. The thought made his stomach lurch. They needed the money, but at the same time, the idea of outside voices didn’t sit well with him. “Okay?”
She brushed her lips over his. “Just give it a look. Second is solid, hardcore evidence that DM knew what Kelly was up to with the whole insider trading thing, and they helped her figure out the details. Use it as leverage or however you see fit.”
Oh, that was big. He’d always suspected — it was difficult not to — but to be able to prove it. There was a lot of potential there.
She kissed him again, more deeply this time, nipping at his bottom lip before pulling away. “So forgive me maybe?”
She knew exactly how to distract him, but he’d been paying attention. “Maybe. Depends on what item number three is.”
She traced a line down his chest, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “Chloe and Jordan are with Scott. A press release is going out now about how the two of you knew nothing about this, and while it was funny as hell, you don’t condone the action.”
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, forcing his expressing to stay serious. “Letting Scott send out press releases doesn’t earn you bonus points. And that means it’s not the third item on the drive.”
Her flush was visible, even in the poor lighting, and she ducked her head. Her reply was soft. “It’s an employment agreement for your new COO. If you decide to talk to Grant and the people he knows, you can afford it. Along with other things.”
She meant her. His heart leapt. His, “Presumptuous much?” didn’t have any force behind it.
“Hopeful.” She shuffled from one foot to the other. “Very, very hopeful.”
“You should have told me what you were up to.” Why was he still fighting this?
“I couldn’t,” she said. “You have to be able to honestly say you didn’t know what we were doing.”
Damn, she was good. And severely pushing the limits of his self-control. “So you’re back for good?”
She shifted her weight against him, pulling him closer. “Most likely. It’s not all up to me. You’d have to talk to the guys making the decisions.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” The entire conversation had lightened his concern about the incident, but a new tension thrummed through him, heavy and anxious and having everything to do with the soft curves pressed against him. “Any plans until then?”
“I was kind of hoping you were available.”
The teasing confession kicked his need into overdrive. “Only kind of?”
She slipped a finger inside the waist of his jeans and slid across his bare stomach. “What do you think?”
He was seconds from pinning her to the wall and finding out just how far out of the line of traffic they were. That’s what he thought. “Tell me you know somewhere no one will find us or bother us for the rest of the night.”
She laughed. “It’s only five-thirty.”
He nipped her shoulder with his teeth. “Good, then we have plenty of time. Can you think of a better way to lay low?”
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
She was back, she was his, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she didn’t leave again.
Zach tugged Rae down next to him on the hotel bed. No one knew her name, so no one would be knocking on her door asking about the stunt on stage. With any luck, he really could occupy her the rest of the night.
She tucked her legs under her, leaned forward, and brushed her lips over his. The faint scent of strawberry combined with the taste of her kisses obliterated his control. He caught fistful of her hair and tugged. Her head tilted back with a gasp, elongating her neck.
He ran his tongue up the tender skin, blood hot, cock already straining against his jeans. He brushed the outside of her ear. “Here’s the thing.” He couldn’t keep the gravel from his voice. “You’ve dominated my fantasies for more than a year. I’m not going to be so great at taking this slow.”
She scooted out of reach and stood a few feet back, corner of her mouth pulling up. “Then I guess you don’t get to control how fast we go.”
He grabbed for her and she took another step back. Damn it he wanted her. And yet part of him was intrigued to see what she was up to. “I’ll play. For now.”
She winked. Hips swaying, she ran her hands down her sides. She grabbed the bottom of her shirt, still moving to a silent song. God, that was seductive. He leaned back on his hands, watching the show and trying to ignore the throb of need straining to get out of his jeans.
She tugged the shirt over her head and tossed it aside. Fuchsia bra. Nice. Her hands glided down her stomach and back up in a lazy spiral. She cupped her breasts through fabric, eye lids fluttering as she caressed herself.
Spinning so her back was to him, she unhooked her bra. It slid down her arms and joined her top in a pile in the corner. She twirled back to face him, palms on her tits, and rolling her nipples between her fingers.
This was getting painful, and he was lovi
ng the hell out of it. She stepped closer, eyes narrowing when his hands came off the mattress. “Not yet,” she warned.
His argument died in the back of his throat when she leaned over him and rested one hand on his upper thigh. She stroked the inside of his leg with her thumb while her other hand sought out his zipper.
He groaned involuntarily when she slid it down, and then wrapped her hand around his cock, freeing it. She lowered her mouth until it was right next to his ear. “Your hands can do whatever they want to you,” she whispered. “But keep in mind, I want to feel you inside me.”
His heart hammered in his chest. He took his dick in his hand, making sure not to stroke too fast when she stepped away again. It wasn’t the same anyway.
She went back to her slow, seductive dance. Her hands slid back down her sides, hips always moving, and undid her own jeans. She pulled the zipper open, but didn’t strip them off.
Inside she dipped her hand lower, sighing softly as her fingers disappeared inside her panties.
He wanted to be doing that. He couldn’t peel his gaze from the show. He swore he was about to come when she raised two glistening fingers to her mouth and ran her tongue over them. He growled when she hooked her thumbs in her bottoms and pushed the rest of her clothes to the ground.
She dipped her fingers between her folds again, slowly stroking for a moment before moving toward him. The moment she was in reach he grabbed her wrist and tugged her in the rest of the way. He placed one of her fingers in his mouth, running his tongue along the pads and sucking it clean before moving to the other.
Her laughter died in a long groan. She nudged his shoulder with her free hand, pushing him onto his back. She straddled his legs, but didn’t lower herself. She dropped her head next to his ear again. “Here’s the thing.” Her voice was breathy and low. “I don’t think I want to do this whole ‘protection’ thing anymore, but you have to be good with it too.”
No condoms. For the first time since ever, that sounded appealing for more than just physical reasons. He grabbed her hips and pulled her closer. “Sounds fantastic to me.”
She lowered herself until her opening rested on the head of his cock, wincing and gasping when she dropped lower, driving him deep inside. She sat straight up.
That was incredible. He pumped against her as she rode him, hands resting on her thighs. The teasing had been almost as harsh as the last year of waiting though. He couldn’t hold out much longer.
He moved one hand higher, thumb easily sliding between her slick lips and searching out her clit. She increased her rhythm as he stroked her swollen sex. Her short pants for breath matched his. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, her cries echoing through the small room.
He’d missed that sound. It acted like a trigger, and he came hard inside her, pounding hard until he was spent.
The frantic pace slowed and then came to a stop. She leaned forward, resting against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close as he could. He was definitely doing everything in her power to make sure she didn’t have to leave again.
****
Rae pressed into the warm body behind her. She’d missed so much about Zach, and waking up next to him was even more comforting than she remembered. He didn’t stir, and his steady breathing brushed the back of her neck.
The clock said it was seven. He’d have to be up soon to make it to the exhibitor hall so there was no point in her going back to sleep, but she also wasn’t ready to get up.
She grabbed her phone off the nightstand instead, careful not to jostle him. Time to see what the fallout from yesterday looked like. Please let her have made the right call.
Her smile grew as she scanned industry headlines, E3 hashtags, and forums. DM was taking serious heat for the stunt. People talking about how their arrogance was catching up to them. And the old-new-comers who had pwned the big boys and put DM in their place.
Lips glided along the back of her neck, sending a pleasant chill through her.
“They really like us, huh?” Zach’s soft voice caressed her skin.
She set her phone aside, leaning more weight against him. “How much did you read?”
“Enough. Your shoulder was in the way of some of it.” His palm rested on her stomach, holding her close. “We’re lucky it didn’t take a different turn. It might not have gone so well.”
The reminder made her gut lurch, and she pushed it aside. “True. But since it did we’re not dwelling. Besides, you built your career on being high risk.”
“Hmm.” Every time he spoke, it rumbled through her back. “Fair enough.”
He was growing hard against her ass, and she pressed into his cock. “What time do you have to be downstairs?”
His hand slid up her chest, cupping one breast, and then tweaking her nipple. He kissed along her shoulder. “Too soon.”
She frowned even though he couldn’t see it. “We can be quick.”
He rolled away and tugged her onto her back. Seconds later, he was straddling her, steel eyes tracing her face. “It’s tempting.” He rested his hands on the bed on either side of her head, and kissed her. “You’re tempting.” His mouth moved along her jaw. “But I have to do something first, and it’s important, and I promise if it goes well I’m all yours in my free time.”
She tried to smile. Of course business still came first. She knew that. “I’ll let you get to it then.”
He rolled off her and grabbed her hands, pulling her to sit up across from him. “How much longer are you in town?”
“Until the end of the show. Like I said last night, I was hopeful.”
He grinned. “God, I love you.”
The words warmed her, and even though they didn’t erase her disappointment, they tempered it.
“Here’s the thing,” he continued before she could respond. “We’re doing a live demo this afternoon.”
“Right?” Why was he telling her this? Didn’t he have somewhere to be?
“And it’s going to be hard to top what happened to DM yesterday.” He took her hands in his, thumbs tracing over the backs. “But I’d like to at least make a splash.”
“Which you will. Your game is brilliant.” He wanted his ego stroked? That didn’t make any sense. She was missing something.
“And I was thinking maybe we could announce we have a new COO, maybe turn some heads by bringing you up on stage?”
She laughed and ducked her head, heat flooding her cheeks. “I hardly think I’m media worthy.”
He placed a finger under her chin and raised her face again. “It worked yesterday. Is that a yes?”
“Absolutely.” Giddiness floated through her. They were going to bring her on after all. She hadn’t realized how much she missed the idea, but knowing she could have that back — a solid job with a company she actually believed in — filled her with all sorts of happy things.
He exhaled. “That was easier than I thought.” His laugh was nervous. “Next one is a bit harder for me.”
“Oh?” She leaned closer, curious.
He rested his hands on her cheeks, locking his gaze on hers. “Where are you staying when you move back?”
“Chloe’s guest room, some long-term motel until I find a new place. I’ll figure it out.” She had a couple of options, but hadn’t wanted to set anything in stone until she knew the company would take her back.
“With me?”
She blinked as the words sank in. “Like, long term?”
He kissed her deeply, holding her face, hunger and need on his lips. She gasped when they broke apart. That sensation was still incredible.
He didn’t let go. “Like long term. Move in with me?”
She should think about it. It was such a rash decision to make given how much planning had gone into everything else. “Okay.” Her mouth stole hesitation from her. As soon as she agreed she knew it was exactly what she wanted. “Yes. I’d love to.”
He kissed her quickly again and then climbed to his feet, tu
gging her after him. “Good. We should get downstairs.”
She draped her hands at the base of his neck, fingers interlocked, and pulled his head down. She pressed her lips to his, tongue darting in his mouth, entire body rubbing against his bare skin.
She was breathless when they broke apart. “I guess. But you owe me later.”
“Without question. I’m so glad you’re back.”
“Me too.” She felt lighter than she had in a year.
He slid a hand down her back, over her ass, and between her legs. “Maybe we can take a little longer in the shower before we make our entrance.”
She kissed him again, pressing close, growing wet at the hard arousal digging into her stomach. “I’m in.”
The End
About the Author
Allyson Lindt is a full-time database developer, and a fuller-time contemporary romance author. She was lucky enough to marry her muse and soul mate. Their cats are their children, and when they’re not spending way too much time gaming, they’re building new worlds together. She loves a sexy happily-ever-after and helping deserving cubicle dwellers find their futures together
Acknowledgments
Every time I write an acknowledgement, I worry I’m going to leave someone out. That’s never been the case more than with Holding Her Close because so many people have helped at so many points along the way with this book.
I’ve known these characters for decades, and their story has changed and morphed more times than I can count. Along the way I’ve written about half of them down, and someone has always been there to read for me and give me feedback and offer support and encouragement.
My real life critique partner and a brilliant and amazing writer, Rae (no relation to story Rae) has read everything I’ve ever sent her, and is never afraid to tell me the good or bad.
Sofia, Eva, and Rosanna took on the task of reading this in depth as well, letting me assault them with ‘what if’s over and over, and helping me work out even more kinks along the way.
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