by Bella Rose
“The water is hot. Would you like some tea?”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Is peppermint all right? I think that’s all I have at the moment.” That wasn’t true, of course, but she wasn’t about to let him start picking out of the secret stash she got from the Asian-owned corner market. That stuff was imported and expensive.
“Certainly,” he told her. “Peppermint will be fine.”
At least getting his tea gave her something to do with her hands. It was far less uncomfortable like that. When the two of them finally sat down in her miniscule living room, she felt slightly less awkward. As if that could even be considered much of an improvement.
Maxim dove right into the conversational swamp territory without even bothering with pleasantries. “So you believe that what happened between us earlier today was an error in judgment?”
“Don’t you?” She frowned and wrapped her hands around her mug to warm them. “We’ve had nothing but troubles since I started there. Human resources got involved, there was a mass e-mail that was complete bullshit, and yet contained one gram of truth. It’s all a mess and we need to be aware of that!”
“Or perhaps we should just come out to everyone and end all of the speculation,” he suggested.
She gaped at him. Even his sexy good looks weren’t distracting her from what he’d just said. “Are you kidding? Correct me if I’m wrong, but any relationship between you and I is a direct violation of the no-dating policy at your company.”
He shrugged. “I’m the boss.”
“Oh that’s rich,” she snorted. “You’re the boss so you can break the rules, and to hell with fairness and all that.”
He looked a little abashed at her sarcasm. Or perhaps surprised was a more accurate description. Did anyone ever argue with him? She was beginning to think that whatever Maxim dictated became law. That had to be very—well she had no idea what that would be like. Nobody ever gave a shit what she thought about things.
“Look,” she began in what she hoped was a reasonable tone of voice. “You’re a great guy. I really like you.” She took a deep breath. This next bit was awkward as hell. “And sleeping with you is amazing. Don’t get me wrong.”
“But?” He cocked his head.
She sighed. “I need this job. This is my career we’re talking about here. This was—is a great opportunity for me. I can’t screw it up just because I think you’re really hot and you melt my brain just by looking at me.”
“I melt your brain, hmm?” He’d obviously liked that. And yet she had a feeling he’d discarded everything else she’d said because of it.
“Maxim,” she insisted. “I can’t be with you. And I think it’s time we get over it.”
Chapter Sixteen
Maxim set down his mug and then reached for Landry’s. He could feel the reticence in her demeanor. She was attempting to push him away and he refused to stand for it. He was not going to lose this opportunity. Not this time.
He moved from the chair to the sofa, nudging his way onto the seat beside Landry. She seemed stiff. He didn’t let that put him off. He knew exactly how to get past her defenses. It was simple. He would overwhelm her with the desires of her own body. Problem solved. He would be in her bed before an hour had passed.
“What are you doing?” Her tone was flat.
He put his hand on the back of her neck and began to knead the tight muscles there. “I’m trying to help you relax. You’ve gotten yourself all worked up about this and there’s really no reason for it.”
“No reason?” She turned, pulling away from his touch. “Are you insane? I’m going to get fired. You can’t get fired because you’re the boss. But me? I’m completely expendable.”
He had to admit that the thought had drifted through his mind on occasion. If Landry were no longer working for his company, she would not be considered forbidden fruit. Nobody would care what he did with her. He would be perfectly willing to compensate her for her lost income. But he was not foolish enough to believe that she would be the sort of woman to go for an arrangement like that. It was one of the reasons he respected her so much.
Maxim leaned in and kissed the side of her neck. She had taken another breath to speak, but it rushed out of her lungs on a soft sigh instead. He smiled. She might not want to admit it, but she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. Pressing a line of kisses to her neck and her jawline, he sought her lips until he could take her mouth in a drugging kiss that left his own control in tatters.
She wound her arms around his neck and twisted her fingers in his hair. He loved the feel of her touching him. He loved the way she scraped his scalp with her nails and made tiny noises of pleasure in her throat. She all but climbed into his lap as he continued to kiss her. Blood rushed to his groin and he felt his cock begin to throb as his erection reached nearly painful proportions.
Maxim let his hands move down her torso. She was wearing a soft cotton dress. The dark navy fabric was stretchy beneath his touch. He gathered the garment in his hand and dragged it up her body. In seconds he had her nearly naked on the couch, but kept her too distracted with kisses to care. He stroked her sides, feeling his fingers bump over her ribs even as his hands cupped the curve of her hip and the fullness of her breasts.
It took less than two seconds to pop the clasp on her bra. Her breasts spilled out and Maxim groaned. He lowered his head and took one in his mouth. Using his hands, he kneaded the full flesh until the blood rushed into her nipple and it elongated in his mouth. She gasped and writhed against him as she pushed herself into his mouth to beg for more. He sucked hard, bending her over his arm and holding her so close he could not tell where he ended and she began.
The taste of her skin was intoxicating, but it awoke a desire to taste her in a more intimate way. He let go of her breast and moved off the couch and onto the floor. Settling her on the sofa seat, he hooked his thumbs in the sides of her panties and began dragging them down her legs.
She looked slightly bemused. Her eyes were hazy with passion and her hair was a tangled halo around her head. “What are you doing?” she panted.
“I’m going to taste your pussy.”
That took a second to sink in. “Wait. What?”
He didn’t wait for her to argue or demure. Taking hold of her calves, he lifted her legs and settled her feet on his shoulders. Then he spread her thighs and gently blew on her sex. She whimpered and he could see her inner muscles flex. The hair covering her mound was damp with her juices and the scent of her was sweet and enticing.
The first lick of her pussy made him groan with need. She was exactly as he’d known she would be. Her feminine salt and spice was perfect on his tongue. He delved into the soft folds of her sex and felt her quiver in response. Then he found her clit and gently worked it with his lips. He nuzzled and teased and finally felt her give way in an orgasm that left him panting with the need to be inside her.
Landry was panting and cursing and begging him to finish her. He reveled in the sounds of her pleasure. This was what he wanted from her. This was genuine enjoyment of sex and just being in the moment. It was incredible. He vowed to give her one more climax before burying his cock completely in her wet warmth.
He gently used his hands to press on the outer lips of her sex. He lightly massaged until he felt her trembling beneath his touch. Then he leaned forward and took her swollen clit between his lips. He flicked the little nub with his tongue and then sucked hard. She came in a sweet gush of juices that soaked his face. He lapped up every bit and wished for more.
***
Landry was going to die and there was nothing she could do to stop it. There had never been anything in her life that had ever felt so good. Sex with Maxim had always been incredible. Hell, the first night they’d fucked so many times she had lost count. But she had never experienced this. Being the single-minded focus of his erotic attention was almost more than she could bear.
“Please,” she whimpered. “I need you so badly,
Maxim. Fuck me. Fuck me!”
Her words finally seemed to have some effect. He gave her pussy one last kiss before withdrawing. Landry was so weak with the overwhelming sensations she was experiencing that she couldn’t even manage to get up off the couch. Not that she needed to. Maxim picked her up like a doll and flipped her over onto her belly. Her bent her roughly over the sofa and began rubbing his crotch against her butt.
It should have been ridiculous, but it felt too good for her to care. She arched her back and pushed back against him. She heard his zipper and knew what was coming. The bare skin of his cock brushed her ass. She shuddered and thrust her backside at him. He cupped her nether cheeks in his hands and spread her wide.
The penetration was swift and decisive. There was no hesitation and no apology. Maxim took her as though she were property to be claimed and Landry loved every second of it. The hard thrusts were exactly what she longed for. Her breasts bounced and quivered with each pounding thrust of his cock into her pussy. The angle created new friction and she gasped at the sheer pleasure. Her clit throbbed as it pulsed and pouted. This position left the root of his cock barely brushing her clitoris with each stroke. She was dying for a little pressure. Just one tiny bit and she would come.
He began to make guttural sounds with each hard press into her pussy. Her belly knotted and tightened and a low pulling sensation began in her lower extremities. The extreme sense of fullness and friction made her groan. She needed this. She needed him. She wanted so badly to belong to Maxim and only Maxim.
“Come for me,” he growled at her. “I want to feel that pussy squeeze my cock.”
“Yes!” she gasped. “Touch my clit. Please. Please.”
“Put your fingers between your legs and do it yourself,” he told her roughly.
The idea gave her a thrill she did not expect. It felt naughty and wanton and she could not help but shudder when she reached between her legs and felt the place where their bodies were joined. Her fingertips brushed the root of his cock as he buried it inside her. He groaned and dug his fingers into the soft flesh of her buttocks. Then she found her clit with the pads of her second and third fingers and she thought she might completely lose her mind.
She pressed down hard and began to rub in tiny circles as she would if she were trying to masturbate. Her inner muscles responded instantly. Everything clenched tight around Maxim’s cock and she heard him grunt something in a language she did not understand.
“Yes!” he shouted. “Just like that. Make me come, baby.”
A feeling of elation at being able to bring Maxim pleasure was lost in the overwhelming sensation of her climax as she came so hard and fast that she nearly forgot to breathe. It was instant and consuming. She heard a noise in the room and realized that it was her. Her throat was nearly raw with the sounds coming from it. She gasped and bucked and thrust herself back at her lover. It was as though she had lost her mind and did not care. There was nothing but this moment and this man and this chance for the ultimate fulfillment.
Then he slapped her ass cheek. It startled her more than anything else, but the sharp pain only intensified the goodness of what she was feeling inside.
“Again!” she shouted.
He smacked her ass again and she quivered. Oh God. One more time and she would come again. “Maxim!” she moaned.
He swatted her one more time and the hot piercing sensation lanced through her body like the most delicious of aphrodisiacs. She climaxed again and felt Maxim do the same. He wrapped his arm around her waist and held her hard as he pumped her full of his essence until the two of them were both completely spent.
Maxim flopped down on the couch and pulled her with them. They lay in a tangle of limbs, clothing and fluids. Landry didn’t care. Right now she did not care about anything. Her butt was stinging from where he had spanked her, and she felt strangely satisfied with that.
“You are one incredible woman,” he said huskily.
She considered that statement. “You make me crazy.”
“I’m okay with that if crazy is about the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever experienced,” he told her.
He was idly tracing designs on her bare back with his fingertips. She knew that she should be outraged or…something. But she could not bring herself to even move. Her mind was completely at rest. It was as though every bit of tension had just been wrung out of her body. She was satisfied and sated for the moment. Nothing else mattered.
“What are we going to do?” she wondered out loud. “We’re really stupid. You know that?”
He chuckled. “What a way with words you have.”
“We are,” she insisted. “And right now I can’t even bring myself to care. I think you fucked all of the sense out of my head.”
“I’m glad.” He gently placed a kiss on the top of her head. “Sometimes I think your brain is too full of sense for its own good. Perhaps now you can rest.”
Chapter Seventeen
Landry groped for the alarm clock, trying to turn the damn thing off before it became so loud that her neighbor would start banging on the paper-thin walls between their apartments. This was essentially an every morning ritual. Except this morning was different. Landry was warm and snuggly in bed and there was a very large male body sharing it with her.
Maxim muttered something incoherent and gathered her closer to his body. He tucked her securely against his chest with her butt pressed up against his groin. Landry could not help but laugh. The entire situation was so incredibly surreal that she did not even know how to classify it. Was Maxim her boyfriend now? Of course he would have to be her secret boyfriend since she was still working for him and technically there were a lot of human resources rules against the two of them dating in any capacity. Ugh! What a pain!
“You’re thinking too much,” he murmured. “Go back to sleep.”
“Okay, for starters,” she began, “I can’t go back to sleep because some of us have to shower and get to work by a certain time.”
“I’m the boss. I say you can call in.”
“Yeah.” She groaned and tried to extract herself from his embrace. “About that. You can’t give me a day off or even sign off on my being late, Maxim. We’re not even supposed to be dating or together or anything. Remember?”
“I’m getting rid of that stupid rule as soon as I get to work this morning,” he growled irritably.
She sat up in the bed and turned around to gaze at him. He looked so very disgruntled and still managed to look sexy and adorable all at the same time. How did he manage that so effortlessly?
“Maxim.” She tapped the end of his nose. “I’m not kidding. Time to get up.”
He rolled away in response. She sighed. Maybe if she got up and got into the shower he would get the message. She was already going to be late unless she ditched her morning stop for breakfast.
Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, she stood up and stretched. She was pleasantly sore and her butt cheek stung just a little. But all of that felt deliciously good in its way. She was glad to be sore because of spending the night with Maxim. That was a win-win, right? Except the part where she was violating a term and condition of her employment and could possibly be fired for the infraction.
“I’m so stupid,” she muttered as she got out of bed. She called over her shoulder to Maxim. “I’m taking a shower. Don’t you dare try to crash. There’s not enough room for two in there.”
He didn’t budge. She decided she’d have better luck hosing him down on the bed if she really wanted him up. But he was a big boy. He could decide if he needed to get up or not.
***
Maxim blinked away the sleep and tried to locate Landry. She was not in the bed. Had she gotten up? Then he heard the shower and their earlier conversation came rushing back. Or really their earlier discussion, as in her talking and him making incoherent grunting noises because he’d been too tired to devote much in the way of brainpower to the topic.
He sat up and rubbed his face. R
eaching for his cell phone, he checked his texts and messages. It was Friday. He had a meeting with the West Coast investors at ten o’clock in the morning to talk with them about the latest software release. Fortunately they were several hours behind him timewise, which left him with plenty of wiggle room in his schedule.
Shit.
He needed the wiggle room too. Especially since Boris’s demands were making the investors twitchy and Boris was currently in a hotel somewhere in the city—even though he wasn’t supposed to be—and he was colluding with Taylor Pearson to somehow force Maxim into doing something he still hadn’t figured out. Why did people have to make everything so damn complicated?
Maxim sighed and got up. He looked around for his pants. Most of his clothes were in a heap on the floor. He sorted through the pile and got dressed. He hated just running out on Landry like this, but he really needed to figure out a little more about the Boris and Taylor connection before he tried to convince a bunch of West Coast prima donnas that they needed to fork over more money.
Maxim stuck his head into the bathroom. Steam billowed out of the shower and he tried not to think about how much he wanted to see rivulets of water running down Landry’s delectable body. She would look so good with her hair all slicked back and her nipples hard from the warm water and contrasting cool air.
“Landry, sweetheart,” he called out. “I have to go.”
“All right.” She stuck her head out the side of the shower. There was frothy shampoo all in her hair. “I’ll sort of see you there while trying to pretend that I don’t see you.”
He didn’t even attempt to decode that. “I don’t like it.”
“Yeah?” She raised her brows. “Well that’s the way it is, bub.”
Maxim didn’t say anything else. What was there to say? He couldn’t very well attempt to change her mind right now. He had to show her that he truly intended to make it possible for them to be a real couple. That was going to take some maneuvering. And he was probably going to really piss off Mr. Danvers. But that was something else altogether. Nobody told Maxim he couldn’t have what he wanted. Especially not when they were his rules anyway. What good was it to own the company if he couldn’t manipulate things to suit his needs?
