by Raquel Belle
“Then hurry,” she said. “Take me.”
His breath left in a whoosh and washed over her like a caress. Jared nipped her earlobe, moving down to graze his teeth over the sensitive skin of her neck, making her shiver while his fingers trailed up her thighs. They inched higher, and slipped between her legs to brush her mound.
She jerked, her inner muscles clenching with anticipation and impatience. “Jared ...”
“Just moments ago, you took pleasure in torturing me. It’s your turn for sweet punishment.” Those roaming fingers slipped into her panties to circle her lips. “Don’t worry, It won’t last long, not as long as I would want. Not when I’ve waited months to have you again. I just need to make sure you’re ready.”
She wanted to scream that she was ready and had been for months. But she held her tongue, gazed into his heavy-lidded eyes, her lips parted on a gasp, as he slipped a finger between her folds. How many times had she dreamed of him touching her there? She was so wound up and dangerously close to shattering with just that one touch.
His finger came away slick with her arousal, and he hummed his satisfaction. He hooked his thumbs into the waist of her barely-there underwear and slid them over her hips. She lifted herself, so he could rid her of the only barrier between them. He was poised at her entrance. All he had to do was enter. She was open, waiting, eager for his possession. Each second that passed without him making a move nearly drove her out of her mind. Her heart lurched when he frowned. Had he suddenly decided that he didn’t want her after all?
“This doesn’t feel right somehow,” he said.
Disappointment unlike she’d ever felt before, surged through her. “But, I thought you wanted to…”
His eyes flew to hers. “I want to. Hell, I need to. It’s just that, we’re doing this here, on my desk.”
Evie threw her head back and groaned. “This cannot be happening. Are you deliberately punishing me for something? Is this some kind of game?”
“What?” There was genuine confusion clouding his expression. “Of course, not. It’s just that this feels different than the first time.” In a tender gesture that shocked and melted her heart, he cupped her cheek. And swiped a thumb across her lower lip, swollen from his ravenous kisses. “You’re not a stranger this time.”
Needless to say, she was stunned. Since when did Jared Hawthorne care about anything concerning his sex partner other having sex with her? By the looks of it, what she’d seen on social media, and what she’d heard—he wasn’t the sentimental type. “And that’s a problem?”
“It’s turning out to be,” he said.
She’d had many mental battles about her feelings for Jared. So, she understood. She knew she would have the same mental battle he was having, eventually. The panic about what they were doing was reserved for later. Circling his neck to pull him close, she let out a breath, “Look, if you’re afraid things are going to change between us, they won’t. I’m not going to get attached, or feel like we’re suddenly in a relationship. This is just sex, Jared. You can put your mind at ease. Let’s just be in the moment and ‘worry about things’ later, like you said.” Was that really Evie Davis talking? The words were coming out of her mouth, but who was this strange woman reciting them? She surprised herself. Sexual deprivation did strange things to the mind, it seemed. “Please, Jared … I need this,” she added silently. It took a few teasing kisses to get him back on track. A graze of her mouth to his, a light touch of her lips to his chest, until he was back in a lustful frenzy.
Soon he was kissing her back with fervor, melting into her with a resigned moan. He didn’t take her on the top of his desk, as she’d assumed. Instead, she was hoisted up to straddle him as he took long strides to the long leather couch. She’d never look at that couch the same way again. Jared hovered over her, positioned between her thighs. “This should be better, not rushed like this.”
“Shut up, and make love to me, Jared. Since when are you so hesitant to stake your claim?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “Something is wrong with me.”
“We’ll figure out what after. Hurry.” He still didn’t move. Frustration nearly rose inside of her like a deadly storm. “What is it this time?”
“You think this is me ‘staking my claim.’ Are you saying you belong to me?” His irritatingly sexy smirk was in place, the one she always wanted to slap away. This time she kissed it away. With an aggravated growl, she gripped the nape of his neck and forcefully pulled his head down, swallowing his amused chuckle. Her legs wound around his waist, locking him to her, so that he had no choice but to enter slick, waiting folds.
He surged forward. “Do you know how much your aggression turns me on?”
“Be quiet, and show me.” Evie was a different woman when she was with Jared, and she couldn’t understand why. She wasn’t normally so easily irritated or aroused, and she certainly wasn’t so aggressive when it came to intimacy. The changes in her were something to analyze another time. Right now, her mind was being consumed with pleasure. The flames ignited by his urgent thrusts heated her blood to a boiling point, yet she couldn’t get enough. Arching into him, she matched his movements, silently begging for more. It was all going to be over too soon. Already she could feel the tension in her core mounting, and she wanted to prolong her pleasure but craved the sweet release. Right before she exploded, Jared momentarily stilled, stalling her explosion, and shifted, sitting up to have her straddle him.
“Ride me, Evie.” The sensual octave of his command drove her wild. He pulled the pins from her hair and her wavy mane cascaded around her shoulders. “I’ve pictured you like this often. Hair down, eyes glazed with desire, straddling me like a sensual goddess sent just for my pleasure.”
His words weren’t supposed to warm her so much inside. The pleasure she took in knowing he fantasized about her was too much for her comfort. Before her fear of getting in too deep with Jared overwhelmed her, her release, this time was more intense than before, and nearly knocked her to the floor if not for him holding her hips in place.
His name spilled from her lips in a keening cry as spasm after spasm of bliss tore through her.
His eyes were glued to her face, taking in every emotion that she was too weak to hide. “The way you fall apart from pleasure is one of the best sights I’ve ever seen.”
His words were strangled, a fine sheen of sweat lining his forehead, and his hold on her tightened to an almost bruising grip. He was about to follow her over the edge, and she anticipated it, wanting to watch him lose control. With a guttural growl, he shuddered but he ensured that she didn’t see his vulnerability. Jared ducked his head, rested his forehead on her chest, as he shook beneath her and apparently fought to regain his composure. Slightly disappointed that she didn’t get to watch him come undone as he had her, but completely physically sated, she sighed and rested her head on his.
Their ragged breathing filled the otherwise quiet room as seconds ticked by. Evie could feel the atmosphere shifting between them, from basking in the afterglow of satisfaction to a rising tension. Her body could feel the changes taking place in his. Jared’s muscles stirred and tensed beneath her, and she knew the exact moment when the reality of their actions hit him. His arms flexed around her waist, his shoulders tensed, and his breath, that had been like a light breeze brushing across her skin, stalled.
She dropped her hands from his shoulders and braced herself for the unreasonable emotions that she knew were going to strike. Evie was under no illusion that their moment of passion meant anything more than satisfying an urge that they’d both harbored for a while, but that woman deep inside that wanted something more felt the sting of disappointment. Slowly, Jared raised his head, his eyes clouded with more than one emotion, making it hard for her to make out any of them. The frown on his face spoke volumes, however.
Swallowing, Evie reluctantly moved to separate herself from him physically and emotionally, but he held her tighter, his stormy eyes meeting hers. “We
didn’t use any protection this time.”
Her heart plummeted because, for a second, she thought he was holding on to her out of some kind of emotional sentiment. He was just worried that he might have gotten her knocked up. Forcing out a nonchalant laugh, she said, “Now you remember protection? How irresponsible of you, Jared. I hope you move smarter with all of your other women.”
He scowled, and she gritted her teeth and pulled away from him. She was being petty but that devious and unreasonable part of her wanted to hurt him because she was hurt.
“How quickly that insulting schoolmarm has returned to deliver a lecture,” he said.
Lifting her chin, Evie tried not to blush about the fact that she was standing over him naked, in her heels. “Don’t worry, Jared, I won’t show up nine months from now demanding a cut of your billions for child support. I’m on the pill, and I’m clean.”
One side of Jared’s jaw ticked, and his nostrils flared, showing his irritation. As she turned to search for her clothes, she heard him bite out. “Here I was feeling like an ass and worried that you might think me less of a man for not remembering something so important. Thank you for letting me know what you think of me. And I’m relieved to hear that you had everything covered. I’m clean too, by the way. I’ve never gone unprotected before.”
In the process of grabbing her underwear, she whipped around and nearly toppled over. Did he just imply that he’d never gone bareback before? Unbelievable. “You, you mean you’ve never …”
He flung an arm over the back of the chair and quirked a brow, appearing totally smug and at ease. He was going to make her say it. “I’ve never what, Evie? Ask me what you want. Come on, don’t go all shy on me now.”
Stepping into her underwear, she sent him a glare. “I can’t believe you’ve never had unprotected sex before.”
His mirthless laugh made her cringe. “What’s so hard to believe? Like you implied, I’m always worried about some gold-digger aiming to trap me with a kid. You might have been right, Evie. Subconsciously, I do think about that, but it’s never been high on my list of concerns. I’ve always been more worried about being plain old safe and smart, and keeping just a small piece of me out of the clutches of those women who are only interested in me for what I can give them. Yet, none of that even crossed my mind with you because I know you’re different. I was more worried about you, but of course, you wouldn’t believe that because to you, I’m just an asshole who thinks only of himself. Right?”
He studied her with a tilted head and a blank expression. Right then, she felt like the worst person in the world. “Jared, I didn’t mean …” The corners of his mouth kicked up, but there wasn’t a trace of humor. She ran her fingers through her hair. “I’m sorry if I offended you. How did we move so fast from what we just shared to this?” She was more asking herself than him, and she was aware that it was her fault, but he answered.
“Because that’s what you and I are best at, Evie. It just doesn’t feel right if we’re not hurling insults at each other, does it?”
Evie stepped into her dress. “That’s not true.”
“Sure it is. Yet, I can’t get enough of you,” he drawled, his gaze sweeping over her.
Evie gulped, refusing to be seduced by the way his eyes lit up with hunger. She found his pile of clothes and threw it to him. “Put something on, will you?”
His mouth curled wickedly. “What, are you too distracted by my body?”
She sighed. Yes. “No. You just look ridiculous sprawled on your office couch naked.” He didn’t. He looked like a sex god ready to pleasure her again, and it took every ounce of her self-control not to walk over to him and straddle him.
“Right.” Jared grinned knowingly but got up and began to dress.
She breathed a sigh of relief. She felt terrible for possibly hurting his feelings earlier, but he seemed to have gotten over it rather quickly. He was once again the infuriating man that got under her skin. They dressed quietly, and she wondered what was going through his mind. Hers was in serious turmoil, but she fought hard to keep her expression neutral, as if she made a regular thing of having hot sex in her client’s office. She was treading a dangerous path, both professionally and personally. One wrong move could bring everything crumbling down. Wait, she might have already made that wrong move.
She reached behind her to struggle with her zipper until a warm hand covered hers, stopping her movement. Her hands fell to her sides, and she held her breath while Jared slowly brought her zipper up, making sure that his fingers brushed her skin ever so lightly.
“Freaking out on the inside, Evie?” His tone was low, vibrating with need, but he made no move to touch her again. “I know that’s why you tried so hard to piss me off with your comment about being irresponsible. You were trying to deflect because you enjoyed our little office play a bit too much, and you’re worried. I understand. That’s why I let your insult slide. Isn’t that mature of me?” He looked skyward. “I’m pretty sure you’ve called me ‘immature’ at least once. I’m losing track of all of your insults.”
She fought the smile that threatened to split her face, but resistance was futile. “I might have called you ‘immature’ before ... I really am sorry, Jared. I shouldn’t have …”
A finger was placed over her lips. “Don’t. You and I both know that the more we talk, the greater chance we have of talking our way into another argument. Look, Evie, I know that you’re worried about your job, your father, and other things that you shouldn’t even be worrying about. Give your poor shoulders a rest. Take the world off of them at least for the rest of the night. What happened here wasn’t a crime. Relax.” He lifted his finger from her mouth, but his eyes remained on them and she thought—maybe hoped—that he might kiss her. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and pulled in a breath. “Are we good?”
Eyes narrowed, she gazed at him suspiciously. “You’re being sweet again. What are you up to?”
His lips twitched, and his eyes twinkled with amusement. “I have the capacity to be un-asshole like when the need arises.”
Evie knew she was in trouble then. The possibility of falling for Jared Hawthorne presented itself yet again. She swallowed. “We’re good. I’m going to get going.”
“I see you’re the love ‘em and leave ‘em type.”
“Jared.”
“Come on, I couldn’t let you leave without one more tease. I’ll walk you to your car.”
“No, it’s fine.” She reached around him for her handbag and phone. “I’ll see you.”
Jared raised a brow and grinned, probably amused by her unease. “See you.”
Evie could have sworn she heard him chuckle, as she pulled the door closed. She dashed to the elevator, her heart and mind racing. She’d given in to temptation, gave into Jared’s allure, and she’d enjoyed every minute of it.
Chapter Twelve
Jared
His penthouse felt empty. He felt empty because he didn’t have Evie’s company. He should have invited her to his place for a few more rounds of sex. He’d almost issued the invitation, but he refrained. The second they’d finished, she started freaking out. He’d felt it before she even said a word. He’d nearly gone into a panic, too. After getting into her panties again, craving her, he still wasn’t over her. One more time wasn’t enough. The realization that he would want more of Evie had hit him before he buried himself into her warmth.
The panic had started right when he’d stood between her thighs with her perched on his desk. He’d looked down at her and had been hit with an emotion that was too dangerous for his psyche to handle. Gazing at her, he’d felt like a jerk for rushing things, for taking her in his office. She should have been wined and dined first, then taken to his place to be made sweet slow, love to where every inch of her body would be touched and savored, where he’d take his time to ensure her pleasure. Have her screaming and moaning and drunk with pleasure. He wanted more than one more hook up. Evie was nowhere near out of hi
s system, and that was terrifying.
There was no way he could have verbalized that to her. She would have likely run from his office at breakneck speed. The woman was determined to keep him at arm's length. For the first time in his life, that bothered him. For the first time in his life, his feelings had been hurt after what was supposedly just sex. The words she’d thrown at him had cut deeper than he cared to admit. The way she’d instantly withdrawn emotionally had cut even deeper. But she had been in defense mode. He knew that mode well, which was why he couldn’t be mad at her. How many times had he treated women the way Evie had treated him? So, he’d pulled up his big boy pants, shoved aside his hurt, and gave her the impression that all was well.
“Karma really is a bitch,” he huffed, throwing back the bourbon he’d been nursing. Evie had managed to do to him, what he suspected he did to countless women because he was afraid to get too close. But, he still liked her a lot, and he would make it his mission to get her into his bed. Surely, they could fool around a bit more until either he or she had enough, without complicating their work relationship too much. After all, he was Jared Hawthorne, the king of compartmentalizing.
Making his way to his huge bed that also felt as empty as his apartment even with him sprawled in it, he stared at the ceiling for god knew how long. Not once did his mind shift from thoughts of Evie. When Evie prancing around in his mind became too much, he let out an aggravated growl and picked up his phone from the nightstand. Before he could talk some sense into himself, he’d video-called Evie. Since when did he video-call anyone outside of business? His mother couldn’t even get him to do it. Yet, there he was, anticipating that Evie’s face would appear on his phone screen. He wouldn’t be satisfied with just hearing her voice—he wanted to see her.
It took a while for her to answer, and he nearly hung up, but the call connected at the last second. Evie appeared, flushed and out of breath, and wearing glasses. He had no idea Evie wore glasses. As a matter of fact, what did he really know about her, other than that she was stellar in the sack? He wanted to know more. Shock followed by confusion danced across her freshly scrubbed face. She was even lovelier without makeup, younger, more innocent. “Jared? Is everything okay?” Concern filled her eyes, as she peered at him with furrowed brows.
