How could she not, especially when her body was still sore from their lovemaking?
Two of his fingers slid beneath the scrap of satin and he let out a rough groan. His hips pressed into her side, giving her a hint of how hard he was beneath his suit.
“You were so wet,” he murmured, the pads of his fingers sliding along her moist folds. “Just like you are now.”
He was right. All it took was a few words about last night and she was dripping with desire for him.
“James,” she all but panted.
“And your pussy,” he whispered, his voice rough and low, “it clenched me so fucking tight.” He punctuated his words with the slide of his tongue into her ear, as his fingers thrust deep into her wet channel.
“Oh, god. James!” She cried out hard and snatched the fabric of his shirt, holding on tight as a climax began to rip through her.
“Yeah baby, just like that.” He worked his fingers in and out of her hard, catching her earlobe between his teeth and biting down. The mind-blowing feel of his fingers deep inside her, the wet sound of them plunging in and out, made her orgasm go on forever. Wave after wave of pleasure rolled through her quivering body.
Finally, she collapsed back against the wall, spent.
“Have I told you how much I love the way you respond to me?” James whispered, his breathing harsh and shallow against her ear. His fingers crooked inside her as if to accentuate his point.
Apparently, she responded way too easily. A few choice words and she was putty in his hands. And a couple movements of said hands was all it took to make her fall apart.
Now that sanity was returning, she found herself pissed off by it.
She finally found the will to do what she should’ve done in the first place. She shoved him away.
Staggering backward, James frowned at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Are you serious?” Lyssa scowled at him as she shimmied her skirt back into place. “What game are you playing at, James? You come in here under the guise of checking my business out, and next thing I know you’re practically on top of me.”
His jaw tightened. “You weren’t complaining at the time.”
“I don’t know what sort of edge you think you’re getting by coming here, but I’ll tell you one thing, mister.” She poked her finger toward him. “I’m not backing down from this fight.”
His brow furrowed and he gave her a disbelieving scoff. “You can’t actually believe any of what you’ve just accused me of.”
Now that she’d said it, it did seem sort of crazy. What edge could he practically hope to gain? But she wasn’t about to admit that, so she crossed her arms over her chest. “How would you like it if I came into your place of business, sticking my nose where it didn’t belong?”
He stared at her for a long moment, anger emanating from him. But instead of responding, he finally tore his gaze from her. Looking down, he very deliberating smoothed the front of his business jacket down, then painstakingly adjusted the rigid length of his erection beneath his trousers.
Blushing, she forced her gaze up from the evidence of how their interlude had affected him.
James surprised her by reaching into his back pocket and withdrawing his wallet. He slipped a white card out of it and handed it to her.
Lyssa took it, reading his name and business information. “What is this?”
“The address to my company.” His voice was deep and smooth, without a hint of the roughness that had decorated it moments ago. “Come by my office tomorrow. Check it out.”
Her mouth dropped open as her gaze lifted to his. The heat that had been there before was gone, leaving his expression stone-cold. “Are you serious?”
James shrugged. “It’s up to you. Come before lunch if you want. I’ll treat.”
His hands slid into his pockets, and he walked out without another word.
Lyssa stared down at the business card in her hand. She lost track of how long she stood there, but eventually her feet started to ache in her heels and sanity returned. Shaking off her stupor, she forced her feet into gear and returned to her desk.
What was he getting at? Why would he invite her to his office? Just because she’d thrown out that comment in the heat of the moment?
“This is ridiculous.”
She threw the card into her garbage can and forced herself to get back to work.
Ten minutes later, she still hadn’t done a thing.
Maybe she should take him up on his offer. After all, what could it hurt to check out the competition? She didn’t think she would learn anything that would lend credence to her proposal, but you never knew. Right?
Still wavering with indecision, she dug the card out of the trash and slid it on top of her desk. Just in case.
***
The next morning, Lyssa stood in front of her closet trying to decide on her outfit for the day. She still hadn’t decided whether she’d go check James’s office out. Truthfully, there didn’t seem to be any reason to do so, but instinct told her to go. At the very least, she’d get an inside view of how a big company like his operated.
Or maybe that was just her brain’s rationalization for going. Even though she knew it wouldn’t amount to anything, she still wanted to see James again.
The door to her bedroom opened with a bang and her eight-year-old nephew Carlos stomped inside, coming to a stop beside her and looking her up and down. “Titi, you aren’t dressed yet?”
“No, as you can see, I’m not,” she replied in Spanish, fighting the childish urge to finish her sentence by sticking her tongue out at him. It was something the old her would have done, but now that she was his guardian, she had to act more like the adult in their relationship. He didn’t always appreciate it, but he needed a parent figure in his life. “And how many times have I told you to knock before you barge in?”
“Sorry,” he said, without looking the least bit concerned. “Come on, Titi. If you don’t walk me to school, Nana will do it, and you know she always pinches my cheeks in front of my friends.”
Love and affection rolled through her for the boy she loved like her own. “And you’re so eager for me to walk you, then, when you know I’m going to do this in front of them?” She reached out and ruffled his hair.
“Titi, stop,” he complained, ducking out from under her grasp, but the smile on his face indicated he was only whining about it because she expected him to.
“Did you eat your breakfast?”
His face went blank.
“Go.” She pointed to the door and he scrunched his face in rebellion but did as she asked. As he made his way for the door, he called out, “We’re leaving in ten minutes. Put some pep in your step.”
“Hey, that’s my line,” she murmured as the door swung shut. Her face broke out into a grin. God, she loved Carlos. He’d had such a hard couple years, and he was finally beginning to adjust.
After everything he’d lost, he couldn’t lose his grandma, too. It would destroy him.
The harsh reminder of why she was fighting so hard to grow her company propelled her into action. She would go to James’s office today. If she discovered anything that would sway Martin to her side, she would use it without an iota of guilt. Because she would do anything for her family, including fight dirty.
She dug her favorite lavender silk blouse out of the closet and reached for the black slacks she generally wore it with. They weren’t particularly feminine, but they were businesslike, and that was all she required.
Her hand wavered in front of the slacks. Right beside them hung her black skirt with loose, flowing pleats that ended several inches above her knees. The material was light, so she usually only wore it during the summer, but she always felt so pretty when she did.
After hesitating a moment, she snatched the skirt off its hanger. It was only late October, and she’d be in her warm office most of the day anyway. Besides, she needed clothes that made her feel powerful so she could face down her nemesis. It had nothi
ng to do with wanting James to find her attractive.
That was what she told herself as she wiggled into her clothes and headed for the bathroom where her makeup was.
***
The morning seemed to drag on forever with no sign of stopping. James resisted the urge to peek at the timestamp on his computer for the umpteenth time, and instead tried to concentrate on his work. It was next to impossible.
He couldn’t stop thinking about Lyssa. About the way her body fit with his. Or how quickly she’d exploded in his arms yesterday.
Though getting another taste of her hadn’t been his intent when he went to her office, he couldn’t bring himself to be upset about the way things had worked out. Their chemistry was undeniable. Spontaneous and combustible. In thirty-one years of living, fifteen of those being sexually active, he’d never experienced a connection such as he had with her.
Even though it was probably crazy to continue to seek her out, knowing that what they’d shared was just a one-night stand and that serious relationships weren’t for him, he couldn’t help himself.
Maybe he’d just play this thing between them out. Focus on the pleasure they could give each other and ride the wave of passion until it inevitably wound down. He’d have to get her to agree, however, and despite what had happened the night they’d met, he wasn’t so sure casual was her thing.
If there was going to be anything between them, it had to stay casual. He had no interest in relationships, and despite his natural curiosity about who she was, he’d already told himself he didn’t need to know any more about her. That would only complicate things, and the pesky little matter of their competition for Martin’s funds had already made things exponentially more difficult.
He’d meant what he’d said; from where he sat, she didn’t need Martin or his money. But saying so had only seemed to piss her off, and it wasn’t like he could walk away from Martin. His company was so close to completing the expansion.
Unlike Lyssa, he was truly desperate for the investment funds.
Damn, it was so hard to concentrate on the expansion. All he could think about was how much he wanted her again. Stroking her to climax yesterday had only increased his desire for her, something not even two sessions of self-pleasuring had been able to fix.
Would she come to see him today? Or would she leave him hanging?
The suspense was killing him. It took every ounce of his strength not to rise from his chair and go seek her out. Again.
By the time his older brother Andrew wandered into his office, he was strung so tight he could snap.
“Going to lunch?” Andrew asked.
James finally allowed himself another glance at the time. His stomach constricted when he saw that it was nearly one o’clock.
She’s not coming. The tidal wave of disappointment that flowed over him was surprising.
Scrubbing his hand over his chin, he said, “I’m going to get a little more work done first.”
That was a lie. He’d barely done anything that morning as it was. But he wanted to give her a few more minutes. Maybe she’d change her mind and decide to show up after all.
Andrew shook his head. “You’ve been working even more than I have lately. Maybe I should start telling you to take a break like you used to do to me—”
“I’m fine,” James snarled.
Andrew’s hands rose up defensively. “Okay, don’t bite my head off.”
Taking a breath, James forced himself to calm down. Andrew was right. “Sorry. Just working on a few important things.”
“I understand.” Andrew hesitated, searching his face, and for a moment James feared he was going to ask him what was wrong. Instead, he merely shrugged. “I’m going out with Hailey. Be back in a few hours.”
“See you later.”
Half an hour passed before James was forced to concede the truth. Lyssa wasn’t coming. No point in sitting around starving all day.
He told himself it didn’t matter as he rose and headed for the door, but the fact was, he’d wanted to see her again.
“I’m going to grab a bite,” he told his assistant as he strode down the hall.
“Okay, Mr. Everly.”
The elevator doors opened as he stalked toward them, and much to his shock, Lyssa stepped out. He stopped cold, taking in the unexpected sight of her.
She wore a pretty, flowing black skirt and a shiny purple blouse, over which she’d slung on a black jacket that looked to be made of cashmere. Something in her expression made her look like a frightened lamb.
Her eyes landed on him and a soft blush crept to her cheeks. Her chest rose and fell, and then she stiffened her spine and marched over to him. “I decided to take you up on your offer.”
“I see that.” He drank in the sight of her, unable to help himself. Her gorgeous wild hair had been tamed into a loose knot at the base of her neck, and when he trailed his gaze down, he saw her shapely legs were bare. The memory of those very limbs wrapped around him made his cock stir with renewed desire.
“I’m supposed to be checking your office out, you’re not supposed to be checking me out,” she said dryly.
Chagrin rolled through him as he forced his gaze back to her face. He gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Can’t seem to help it when you’re around.”
Lyssa looked taken aback, as if she couldn’t quite believe that. Then she very purposefully shifted her gaze, taking in the space around them. “So, this is your office?”
“Yes.” One floor of it anyway. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”
Half afraid she’d decide to turn and run, he didn’t give her an opportunity to respond before whirling around and stalking past the receptionist who guarded the front reception area. He opened the double glass doors leading toward the back and waited for Lyssa to catch up.
She did, her gaze shooting from here to there as she walked past him, as if she were trying to memorize every detail.
“The executive offices are here,” he told her, falling into step beside her and heading down the office-lined corridor.
When Lyssa snorted and shook her head, he tried to see the space through her eyes. Yeah, he supposed it must seem obnoxious to her given the size of her office back in Brooklyn. He could practically imagine what she was thinking: Poor little rich boy.
She had no clue the staggering amount of funds that went into a foreign expansion such as the one they were in the midst of. Yet, he couldn’t very well suggest that his venture was any more important than hers. In her mind, her marketing firm’s expansion at that point in time was crucial as well, no doubt. She wouldn’t be seeking investors if that weren’t the case. So instead, he decided to simply explain to her what Everly Publications was all about.
“The company was started by my father and passed on to me and my brothers. We each play a role.” He pointed at his younger brother Sam’s office as they passed it. “Sam is the youngest, and he’s the Art Director. My older brother Andrew, the CEO, has the corner office.” He passed his assistant and stopped in front of the open door to his office. “This one is mine.”
She crossed the threshold, scanning every corner of his space before turning to him with a raised brow. “Cozy.”
The word dripped with irony, and he could see why. The room was three times bigger than her office, one wall lined with large windows that displayed a breathtaking view of midtown. Thinking back on it, he didn’t recall seeing a single window in her tiny little box.
James stifled a wince. Maybe inviting her here hadn’t been such a great idea. He had wanted her to see the legacy his father had created, to understand why it was so important to him that the expansion be completed. But now, seeing things from her perspective, he feared he would just end up coming across like a spoiled businessman born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Despite that, he couldn’t bring himself to regret inviting Lyssa here. Not when something within him had grown lighter at the sight of her.
Lyssa moved around the ro
om, the thick, sensible heels of her shoes thumping on the carpeted floor. She came to a stop in front of a wall displaying framed personal photos and awards his father had won over the years for Distinguished Gentlemen.
She paused at one particular picture and her gaze searched him out. “Your brothers?”
“Yes.” Taken years ago during Sam’s first art opening. He remembered the genuine joy his younger brother had shown at meeting that accomplishment. The only thing that would’ve made the night better would have been their father deeming to show up. But he hadn’t approved of Sam’s hobby, so he hadn’t gone.
Lyssa gave it another glance before looking appraisingly at him. “You look alike.”
“They’re everything to me.” He stepped up beside her, gazing down at the artistic features of her face. Unlike the elegant, painted beauties he normally spent time with, she wore little makeup that he could see. She certainly didn’t need any. Her light mocha complexion was flawless.
Another stirring of desire wound through his body, but he forced it away. Something told him jumping her right now probably wasn’t the wisest course of action, but that was exactly what he’d do if he kept thinking of how beautiful she was. How luscious her body was. How well they fit together.
“My brothers are all I have left,” he continued, “now that both of my parents are gone.”
When a shadow passed over her eyes, he got the disquieting feeling he’d just said something wrong. But what?
“It’s good that you have your brothers to rely on,” she said.
Again, there was a hidden subtext to her words. It activated his base instinct to dig further, despite his prior resolution not to complicate things by getting to know her. “Do you have any—”
“You’ve all done very well for yourselves.” She turned from the wall of photos, her gaze rolling over the view afforded by the windows. “The company has continued to flourish after your father’s death. Now you’re on the verge of expanding to Paris and London.” Her sharp gaze rove over him. “Milan as well, right?”
His lips curved into a grin. “Someone’s been doing their homework.”
She gave him a cheeky look. “Can’t let you be the only one.”
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