Heated Secrets (Rose Garden Apartments Book 1)

by Elizabeth Lennox

  Oh boy! Drako had said all those wonderful, glorious words with a silky, sexy tone. But what, exactly, did they mean? Was she going to get a repeat of last night? Did he still want her? Did his words mean that last night wasn’t about pity?

  Drako watched the emotions play out over Lilly’s delicate features. She was so damn beautiful. And he’d been furious when he’d woken this morning and found her gone.

  “Drako, we can’t…” She stopped when his arm slipped around her waist, pulling her against him.

  “We can,” he interrupted. He wouldn’t let her deny last night. Not after the way she’d screamed his name. Not after the way she’d clung to him, the trembling after he’d made love to her. She’d snuggled up against his side last night and it had felt like the whole world clicked solidly into place.

  “We can’t!” she asserted again, doing that shoulder wiggle thing that warned him that she was going to be stubborn.

  He chuckled, watching her shiver in response. That was good, he thought.

  Bending his head, he kissed her gently. It wasn’t the kiss that he really wanted. He would have given her that kiss this morning if she’d still been in his bed, snuggled up against him as she should have been. Unfortunately, anyone could walk into his office, especially since his little tyrant was not sitting outside, guarding his door. Lilly never let anyone into his office unless he allowed it.

  So, instead of deepening the kiss, he sighed and pulled back. When he saw the disappointment in her eyes, he took her hands and led her over to the leather sofa on the opposite side of his office.

  “Let’s talk,” he said carefully, sitting down and pulling her next to him.

  “About my resignation,” she asserted firmly.

  “About how we can work our relationship going forward,” he countered. Unfortunately, that stubborn glint was still in her eyes.

  “We don’t have a relationship, Drako.”

  “Our activities last night would indicate that your assertion is untrue.”

  The blush that stained her cheeks was almost painfully alluring. The blush was so disarming, that it sent a stab of lust down his spine. Plus, it was so contradictory to her behavior last night. She’d been demanding and sensuously beautiful, touching him with the same level of urgency that he’d felt for her. The whole night had been…hot! Erotically intense and he couldn’t wait to do it all over again. And again! Hell, he wanted to pull her onto his lap right now so that her soft thighs straddled his body. He wanted to pull her dress down over her shoulders and kiss the soft, pale skin of her shoulders. He wanted to tease her rosy nipples until she sobbed for him to stop, only for her fingers to tighten in his hair when he stopped, silently begging him to keep going.

  With a groan, he shifted, adjusting his body as it tightened with need at the memories.

  “What do you want, Lilly?” he asked, forcing himself to concentrate on their future.

  Lilly pulled her hands away, folding them primly on her lap. He wanted to laugh at the image she presented. Those hands hadn’t been prim and proper last night.

  “I want the same thing that everyone wants,” she replied, pulling him back to the present. “Great sex,” she continued, smiling even as her cheeks warmed again and she stared at her lap. Slowly, she took a deep breath and looked him right in the eye. “I also want a husband to love and take care of.” She smiled weakly and shrugged. “I know that sounds silly, but I love taking care of people, Drako. I truly enjoy taking care of you.” Another blush, but this time, she looked out the window. “Last night, when you touched me, I wanted to do everything to you as well. I wanted to make you feel the way you made me feel.” Her hands tightened into fists. “I also want children. Lots of children to love and spoil. I want dogs and cats and a house full of love and laughter.” She smiled faintly, that sapphire gaze of hers enveloping him. “But I want to share all of that with someone I love and who loves me back.” She swallowed hard and he watched her long, dark lashes flutter, hiding her eyes. “I know that you can’t give me that, Drako. I know what you went through after your wife died.” She shifted and, even though she didn’t move away, he felt a distance appear between them. “I can’t…won’t ask that of you. Nor will I hold out hope that you can be that man for me. I’m not a stupid little girl who thinks I can change you.” Her gaze softened. “I know that your heart died with your wife.”

  She stood up and crossed her arms protectively over her chest. “I won’t ask that of you, but that also means that I can’t keep working here. That’s why I put my resignation letter on your desk this morning.”

  “The letter I just rejected,” he pointed out, an eyebrow lifting as if he needed to remind her.

  Lilly laughed and that urge to spank her rose up again. Leaning back, he watched her, noticing small things about her that he hadn’t before. Such as how tight her nipples were, pressing against her navy dress. And the slight flush that stained her cheeks. It wasn’t a blush. The heightened color was more…arousal perhaps?

  “You’re right. I can’t give you love, Lilly.”

  Her lips pressed together and he wished with everything inside of him that he could give her what she wanted. “Long ago, I wanted a family. I wanted lots of kids.” He shook his head, chuckling softly. “I’m not sure I would go so far as to say that I wanted dogs and cats. But children and a family? Yes. But with Sophia, that hope died.”

  “I know,” she whispered, her lips white now with the pressure she applied to keep her emotions still.

  “I can give you part of your desires though,” he offered. “It isn’t the whole dream, but last night was amazing. Last night, I was on fire for you.” He watched her carefully and noticed that her lips softened. “You felt the same for me, didn’t you?”

  She shuffled her feet, one hand moving to smooth her hair in a nervous gesture. “Yes. Well. Um…last night, I wasn’t–”

  “Don’t you dare try to tell me that you weren’t yourself yesterday,” he interrupted, lifting a hand to halt her words. “You weren’t your normal self, I’ll grant you that. But if you try to tell me that last night was just an aberration, that you aren’t normally that sexual, then I’ll just have to prove you wrong.” Drako took a step closer, watching her carefully.

  She gasped and took a step back. “I’m not!” she told him, shaking her head for emphasis. “I’m never like that during sex!”

  He laughed, delighted with her answer. “Good. Then you’re proving my point. We set each other on fire.” He leaned forward, his eyes dropping to her lips. “I want you again, Lilly.”

  He sensed her intake of breath even though she was too far away for him to actually hear it.

  “You don’t!”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” he asked, curious about why she would deny something that was so easy to prove. “You’re a beautiful, sensuous, intelligent woman. I enjoy spending time with you in the office and out. You’re insightful and determined at work.” He grinned slightly. “And I suspect that you’re the same way during sex.”

  One hand came up to cover her mouth as she shook her head.

  He chuckled and stood up. “There’s just one thing to do then,” he said. Before she could question his intentions, he swept her into his arms and kissed her. He felt resistance for a moment, but suspected that it was just surprise.

  Then her hands gripped his shoulders and she tilted her head, kissing him back with a ferocity that incited his lust in ways he hadn’t believed were possible. His hand moved up to her neck, careful not to mess up her hair, angling her head even more so that he could deepen the kiss. His body responded and he pressed his erection against her soft stomach.

  Skoni, he wanted to carry her to the sofa where he could make love to her all over again. Hell, he wanted to grab her hand and bring her back to his place so that he could spend the rest of the afternoon making love to her!

  But he pulled back, still holding her, watching as her lashes fluttered open.

  “Are you still going to t
ry to tell me that you’re not that person?” he asked, his voice gravelly as desire assaulted him.

  “Yes,” she whispered back, and he laughed.

  “Little liar.” He took her hands and led her back to the sofa, but this time, he pulled her down onto his lap. He wanted to feel her against him in ways that surprised even himself. “Why?”

  Lilly shifted on his lap, but he only put his hands on her hips, holding her still.

  “I can’t sit like this, Drako,” she hissed, glancing over her shoulder at the door, which was, thankfully, still closed.

  “Yes, you can.”

  “No! It isn’t professional!”

  He laughed, one hand sliding around to cup her bottom. It was just too temptingly close.

  “Stop that!” she hissed, laughing when he lifted an eyebrow.

  “Why would I stop?”

  “Because…” she huffed slightly, trying to wiggle away. “Because my butt is too big!”

  He stared at her, stunned. “You think your…”

  “Fat!” she spat the word, looking down at her hands which were resting on his shoulders in a futile effort to stay balanced.

  He still didn’t understand, but a moment later, he threw back his head, laughing. When his amusement passed, he smiled at her, charmed by her disgruntled expression. “Lilly, I love your bottom. It’s one of the parts that I can’t help but watch,” he admitted.

  Lilly’s delightful mouth fell open. Then her eyes narrowed and her mouth snapped shut. “You do not!”

  He chuckled again. “I’ll never understand women’s issues with their bottoms. So many women think that men want a skinny woman. But I love a woman’s curves. And Lilly, you have the most amazing curves I’ve ever seen. Just seeing you makes me want to do things to you that I shouldn’t mention here,” he leaned forward, “although, if you’ll agree, I will show you every damn night how much I love your curves.”

  She stared at him, her lovely lips soft now, and he could see the curiosity in her eyes. “You…like my butt?” she asked.

  “Love it.”

  “And you…” she leaned into him ever so slightly, “…you watch my butt?”

  “Every chance I get,” he confirmed, his hand caressing the curve of her bottom as if to prove his point.

  He watched as she bit her full lower lip and stifled a groan.

  “Why?” she whispered, as if the question were illegal.

  He realized that this was a serious question and eyed her carefully. “Why would you think that I don’t like every part of your body?” he asked.

  She shifted, but he felt her relax slightly. Almost as if she were accepting his touch, which turned him on even further.

  “Because yesterday…” she paused and Drako didn’t interrupt, realizing that this might be why she’d been so upset yesterday. “My mother mentioned that I needed to lose weight. That the clothes I wear would look more flattering if I lost a few pounds.”

  He was too stunned to react immediately. But when he realized that she wasn’t kidding, that her skyla of a mother had truly said that, he wanted to go out and find the woman and…and what? He’d never hit a woman before in his life!

  Still, his little tyrant was hurt, even hours later. He knew that a parent’s words could hurt more deeply than a stranger’s.

  Shifting their bodies, he tumbled her backwards so that she was underneath him on the sofa. “You are a beautiful, amazing woman, Lilly,” he told her, his voice gruff with the need to soothe the wound left by her mother’s hateful words. “Don’t listen to your mother. Listen to me. Your mother is wrong. You’re beautiful and if you even try to go on a diet, I will bring in blueberry muffins every day.”

  He heard her whimper because Drako knew that blueberry muffins were her weakness. She could resist chocolate and chips, other pastries, even pizza. But there was just something about blueberry muffins that shattered her self-control. Which was why he asked his housekeeper to bake them every few weeks, so that he could bring them in as a treat for Lilly. Or when he sensed she was feeling down, he’d call up the bakery around the corner and have a dozen muffins delivered.

  “You wouldn’t!” she hissed at him, her eyes narrowed.

  Drako shifted so that their bodies were better aligned. Her suspicious gaze transformed to one of desire. That he could understand and appreciate more thoroughly.

  “I would in a heartbeat. Don’t do it, Lilly. You’re beautiful! I don’t know what your mother’s perception of beauty is, but mine is you. You’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever met in my life.”

  Lilly couldn’t stop the smile. She knew that he was lying, but it still felt really nice to hear him say it. Really nice! Especially after her mother’s harsh words yesterday.

  “Thank you,” she replied politely, even as his hips shifted, pushing the hem of her dress higher and higher, exposing her thighs. It was positively indecent, and she loved it. She wasn’t even worried about someone coming in. Not when he nibbled her neck like that. Oh goodness, that felt…too good!

  “Drako!” she gasped, then rolled her hips, pressing his delicious erection exactly where she needed it most.

  “I’m here,” he whispered, and moved his tongue around to that spot where his teeth had just sensitized her skin. The feeling was shocking!

  But a moment later, he pulled away, looking down at her as he braced his arms on either side of her head. “What do you think?”

  Think? He expected her to think? She could barely breathe and he wanted her to think?

  Blinking, she stared blankly up at him. He must have realized her state of mind because he smiled. It wasn’t the kind of smile that she was used to. The kind he used in the boardroom or when she accompanied him during an evening event.

  Nope, this smile was…predatory. Dangerous! And delicious!

  “What was the question?” she asked, shivering with tension when he moved to sit up. He reached down and pulled her up, right back on to his lap.

  “I suggested that we enjoy each other. I know that you are looking for more. But you understand why I can’t give that to you. But why not enjoy this attraction between us while you’re looking for someone else?”

  Lilly blinked, not sure how to respond. Carefully, she shifted so that the hem of her dress was at a much more decent level. “I don’t know if that’s going to work,” she admitted, thinking about her deep love for this man.

  “Why not? We’re both adults. We’re intensely attracted to each other. Why not enjoy each other?”

  No way would she reveal the true reason. So, she fell back on her previous excuse.

  “Because we also have to work together.” With that, she stood up, backing away from him. Thankfully, Drako stood as well, smoothing down his tie as he moved to lean against his desk. The suave, dangerous businessman was back in control. Lilly loved these moments, she thought, smiling as he folded his arms over his chest.

  “That’s true,” he replied. It took a moment for Lilly to remember the thread of their conversation. He glanced toward the conference room table on one side of his office. “I actually think that could be an asset.”

  Lilly licked her lips, her eyes darting to the table as well. Yes, she could very easily see herself spread across that table and enjoying a brief interlude in Drako’s arms. She could see it clearly! Probably too clearly!

  “I don’t think we’d actually get any work done,” she finally admitted.

  Drako laughed. “You’re probably right. At least initially.” He took her hands. “Why don’t you think about it? Just consider the possibilities. Let me take you out to dinner tonight and we can discuss the pros and cons.”

  Lilly tilted her head thoughtfully, contemplating Drako’s stubborn expression. “What if I decide it won’t work?”

  He bowed his head slightly. “I will respect whatever decision you come to,” he promised solemnly.

  Lilly stared up at him, aware of everything about this man. But that was nothing new. Every time he
touched her, she could feel him, knew where he was in a room no matter how far away he was and wanted to scratch out the eyes of any woman who spoke to him, or even approached him.

  Oh, to have the right to push them away. To claim him as her own!

  But for how long?

  Did it really matter? Drako was giving her the option of experiencing bliss in his arms for however long their attraction lasted. Maybe he was right. Maybe they should just work this out of their systems.

  Was that even possible?

  “Okay, I’ll think about it,” she said and saw something in him relax. Had he really been worried about her response? Somehow, that made everything so much more…wonderful!

  “Good. Thank you.” He leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers. But instead of the brief contact Lilly expected, his lips lingered, brushing back and forth against hers. It felt…really nice!

  In the end, her common sense reminded her that they were in the office and kissing her boss wasn’t appropriate. Pulling away, she backed up several steps. “You have a meeting with Killman Associates in…” she glanced at the time, “…ten minutes. After that you have…” she continued, reciting his day’s schedule from memory, just as she did every morning when he arrived. For some reason, going over his schedule seemed to calm her, help her separate her emotions from the day’s business. No matter what happened between them off the clock, she knew that business always came first with Drako. Many of his mistresses over the years had grown frustrated with that fact. But Drako would never step out of a meeting to speak with them. Business was his life. He thrived on the challenge of outmaneuvering his competition.

  What’s more, he outmaneuvered with deadly accuracy!

  “Okay, I’m going back to my desk now,” she announced, but she couldn’t stop the secret smile as he made a point of watching her leave. She started towards the door. But then something stopped her and she glanced back over her shoulder. Sure enough, he was watching her! Watching her butt!