by Laura Lee
“How dare you... you misogynistic, egotistical asshole! I hate you!” I was too blinded by rage to give my next action any consideration. Before I realized what I was doing, I raised my hand and slapped Mr. Maxwell across the face. The crack reverberated throughout the vehicle. I was pretty sure people ten cars up could hear it.
I think we were both shocked. I sat there speechless as Mr. Maxwell rubbed the spot where I had struck him. The silence stretched before us as his lips thinned and a muscle ticked in his jaw.
“You know...” he began. “You certainly seemed to like me well enough while we were fucking. When you were bent over my desk, loving every second as I pounded into you from behind. Or as you were riding my face, your juices dripping all over my chin. How about when you raked your nails down my back so hard, you drew blood and ruined my three-hundred-dollar shirt? You didn’t utter one single word of protest then, did you? No, in fact, you couldn’t get enough. You couldn’t stop screaming my name, begging for more. You seemed to like me an awful lot. I’d bet a year’s salary that if I reached inside your panties right now, I’d find that you were a slippery hot mess. That your clit was already swollen, begging me to suck on that juicy little bud.”
My chest heaved. My pussy ached. I cursed my body for reacting to this man like this. “Fuck. You.”
He looked me up and down. “I agree, Miss Montgomery. Fucking does sound like a fantastic plan to temporarily drive the bitch out of you. It hasn’t failed me yet.”
“In your dreams,” I huffed.
“You’re right; we do fuck in my dreams. Often.” He took his time removing his suit jacket, uncuffing his cufflinks, and rolling his sleeves up before continuing. “You know, playing these games and denying our attraction to one another is getting really old, really fast. I’d much rather spend my time actually fucking you than fantasizing about it.” He gestured to the obvious hard-on beneath his slacks. “At least I have the balls to admit that. The question is, do you?”
I hated the way my mouth watered at the thought of unzipping his pants and watching his huge cock spring free. How my nipples hardened into sharp points, visible through the thin fabric of my dress. I hated even more how I launched myself into action and started undoing his belt like a woman possessed.
The moment his pants were low enough to free his erection, I straddled his lap. “This doesn’t mean I like you.”
Mr. Maxwell pulled my thong aside and swiped his finger through my slit. He smiled as he found exactly what he had predicted earlier. “You keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. Your body says otherwise.”
I grabbed his length and lined it up with my entrance. “Just shut up and fuck me.”
He groaned as I began lowering myself over him. “Condom?”
I shook my head. “We don’t need one. We’re both clean and I’m on the pill.”
He looked at me curiously. “How do you know that I’m clean?”
I moaned as I sunk farther, pausing halfway down to adjust to his width. “Because when your doctor sent over the results to your latest physical the other day, I read the email.”
His lips quirked to the side. “You nosy little wench. You’re supposed to ignore anything that’s flagged as a personal message.”
My ass was now in his lap. “Yeah... well... how ‘bout we just stop talking?”
Mr. Maxwell fisted the hair at the nape of my neck. “Give me that gorgeous mouth and I will.”
He didn’t need to tell me twice. Kissing Ronan Maxwell had officially become one of my new favorite things. I groaned as he slid his tongue into my mouth, roughly grabbing my breast at the same time. We started out slow, but that quickly escalated as I lifted myself up until I reached the very tip of him, rolling my hips before sliding back down.
Mr. Maxwell reached behind me and lowered the zipper on my dress, pushing it off my shoulders until it pooled at my waist. He yanked my bra down as well without bothering to unclasp it, leaving it to hang upside down around my abdomen. His pillowy lips formed a tight seal around my nipple, sucking hard enough to leave a sting behind before moving to the other one and doing the same.
As he alternated between kissing and sucking on my breasts and my neck, I wrapped his tie around my wrist for leverage as I picked up speed. In that moment, everything else became insignificant. The only things seeping through my consciousness were the heat of his body rubbing against mine. The ragged sounds of our breathing or slapping of skin. The way he held my hips so possessively, as if he would rather die than let go.
I hated that he could make me feel this way. That he could have this much power over me. But if I was being honest with myself, there was also a little part of me that loved it. Whenever this man was inside of me, I felt safe, yet at the same time, reckless. He made me feel like it was okay to lose control; that he would be there to catch me if I fell. I had never felt as much freedom as I did when I was with him.
Our bodies were glistening with sweat. The tinted windows were covered in fog. I braced my hands on the inside roof as he grabbed my hips and took control.
“Christ, look at you riding my cock.” Mr. Maxwell began moving his thumb in circles over my clit as his eyes remained glued to the spot where our bodies joined. “You’re so fucking sexy... you fit me like a goddamn glove. Nothing feels better than this.”
“Not even Cressida Cole?” I regretted asking the moment the words left my lips, but I couldn’t take them back now.
He stopped moving and placed his palms on each side of my face. “Look at me.” He waited a moment until I complied. “I haven’t fucked Cressida Cole, or any other woman for that matter, in over a year.”
He couldn’t have shocked me more if he’d said that he shit rainbows and unicorns. “What? But... you said—”
He gently pinched my lips together. “I know what I said. It was a dick move. A knee-jerk reaction to thinking about you with the dinner party guy.”
“Why haven’t you slept with anyone else?” My voice was so small, I wasn’t sure if he could hear me.
He gave me a soft smile. “Because I don’t want anyone else. I haven’t for a long time. As for lunch, I was ignoring you because it was the only goddamn way I could stop thinking about how badly I wanted to be inside of you.”
I searched his eyes, trying to determine if he was being serious. When I found nothing but true sincerity shining through his beautiful blues, I was breathless. Ronan Maxwell had just told me that he’d wanted me for over a year. That he hadn’t been with another woman because he didn’t want anyone but me.
Holy shit.
I pressed my forehead against his and whispered, “Ronan.”
He groaned as his dick jerked inside of me. “Oh, fuck, say that again.”
It took me a moment to figure out what the big deal was. I smiled when I realized that I had never called him by his first name before. I circled my hips and glided up and down a couple times before repeating myself. Apparently, the first name basis was really doing it for him because he took control again, thrusting into me harder and faster than before.
We were in such a frenzy that neither one of us could maintain any sort of rhythm, but that didn’t lessen the experience. If anything, it heightened it. We were so desperate for one another; we were running on pure animal instinct. It was raw and gritty, but it was also intimate. Humbling. If we weren’t kissing, we were gazing into each other’s eyes. When I climaxed, he brushed his thumb over my jaw and looked at me with so much reverence, so much wonder, I was nearly overwhelmed by emotion.
I didn’t know exactly what was happening, but it was definitely one of those game changing moments.
Mr. Maxwell tucked his face into the crook of my neck as he chased his release. “Quinn... fuck... I don’t know how to not want this.”
I closed my eyes, loving the way my name rolled off his lips. Resting my cheek against the top of his head, I admitted, “Me neither.”
As his orgasm waned, he lifted his head and placed a soft kiss on m
y lips. “Then, let’s not fight it. I’m sick of fucking fighting it.”
I was taken aback. “What? What do you mean?”
His lips trailed a path down the side of my neck to my bare shoulder. “Let’s stop the back and forth. Let’s continue doing this—discreetly, of course—and see what happens.”
I shook my head. “I don’t—”
Before I could finish my sentence, the intercom buzzed.
Mr. Maxwell sighed before pressing the button. “Yes?”
Lawrence cleared his throat. “We’ve reached our destination, sir.”
I blinked rapidly, wondering how that was possible. I didn’t even recall the vehicle moving through traffic.
Mr. Maxwell was eyeing me the entire time. “Thank you, Mr. Slater. Give us a few moments. No need to get out; I’ll get the door myself.”
“Yes, sir.”
I quickly climbed off his lap and began putting my clothing back in order. I shivered when I felt the evidence of our encounter drip onto my panties. I couldn’t believe we had sex without a condom. I had never done that before. And God, we did it in the back of the company car! There was no way our driver didn’t know what had just happened. Neither one of us had attempted to keep the volume down. Plus, the unmistakable scent of sex clung to the air. How was I going to face him ever again? What if he told someone?
Mr. Maxwell must’ve read my mind. As he was tucking himself back into his pants, he said, “I pay Mr. Slater very well for his discretion. You have nothing to worry about.”
I bent over to grab my purse. “That shouldn’t have happened. I can’t imagine what he must be thinking about me right now.”
“Who gives a fuck what he thinks about you?”
I jabbed my index finger into my chest. “I do. I’ve worked too hard to be labeled a ladder-climbing whore.”
He frowned. “Don’t you think you’re being a little dramatic?”
Of course, he wouldn’t understand. He was the big boss. Nobody would dare question his actions. I, however, was not that fortunate.
“I can’t do this.” I reached for the handle and opened the door. “I’m not feeling well all of a sudden. I need to leave early.”
His blue eyes widened in panic as I began stepping out of the vehicle. “Quinn, don’t do this.”
Tears pricked at my eyes. “I’m sorry, Mr. Maxwell.”
He exited the car and grabbed my elbow. “Just hold on a second. Let’s go somewhere and talk about this.” I was saved from responding when his phone rang. He swore when he checked the caller ID. “I have to take this.”
I gestured to the phone. “Of course. Business first.”
He looked hesitant but answered the call anyway. I took that as my chance to escape. Thankfully, our driver had pulled into the underground garage and my car was parked only three spots away. I turned the ignition, wiping away an errant tear. As I drove away from the corporate building, I told myself that I needed to stick to my guns this time. It wasn’t worth risking my career for sex, no matter how hot it was. Now, I just had to convince my heart.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
RONAN
My goddamn assistant had called in sick for the last three days. She had never called in before—I’d swear that woman would be drafting spreadsheets from her deathbed if she could. Quinn Montgomery was every bit the workaholic that I was. It was no coincidence that her sudden illness occurred immediately after I proposed we continue this... arrangement of ours.
Was the idea truly that repulsive?
That wasn’t possible. I had never had chemistry like this with another woman. She enjoyed every second of fucking me just as much as I did with her. I was half tempted to show up on her doorstep and call her on her bullshit. The only reason I hadn’t yet was because an irritating voice in the back of my head kept telling me to give her time. That she was a woman, who if pushed, would do the exact opposite of what I wanted simply out of spite. Then where would I be?
We were supposed to leave for Hawaii tomorrow. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d try getting out of it somehow. If that happened, I’d really be fucked, and not in the pleasant sense. She was the best EA that I’d ever had, by a mile. I depended on her to take certain things off my plate so I could focus on the tasks that only I could handle. Her absence over the last few days had certainly not gone unnoticed, but things around here were running fairly smoothly, all things considered. Quinn was organized to an almost obsessive degree—she had backup plans to her backup plans, so we could continue operating as a well-oiled machine, with or without her. At least temporarily.
That didn’t mean I was okay with her being gone. I wasn’t even the slightest bit okay with that.
“Mr. Maxwell?”
“What?” I barked.
“Uh, excuse me, sir, but you weren’t responding to my previous attempts to get your attention.”
I turned my head toward the man’s voice to find our lead receptionist standing in my doorway.
“What do you need, Mr. Vasquez?”
“I have Miss Montgomery holding for you on line three.”
“Why isn’t my temp telling me this?”
He cleared his throat nervously. “Uh... because she quit about an hour ago.”
“What?” I roared. “Why the fuck would she do that?”
I’d swear he was holding back a grin. “I believe her exact words were, ‘I refuse to work for that pompous ass another second. Tell him I quit.’” When I glared at him, he added, “Her words, sir. Not mine.”
I scrubbed a hand over my face. Why was it so hard to find good help these days?
I picked up the receiver but didn’t press the button since my receptionist was lingering. “Is there anything else, Mr. Vasquez?”
He gulped. “No, sir.”
I took the call off hold as I said, “Well, then get out of here. Stop by H.R. on your way back to your desk and tell them I want another temp here within the hour.”
Mr. Vasquez nodded. “Yes, sir.”
I waited until he closed the door before speaking. “You’d better have a damn good reason for not being here right now.”
Her throaty chuckle made my dick perk up. “Still as personable as ever, I hear. How about next time you try, ‘Hello, Miss Montgomery. We’ve missed you around the office. How are you feeling?’”
I rolled my eyes. “Well, Quinn, considering I know damn well you’re feeling just fine, that’d be pointless, wouldn’t it? You’re lucky you’re so good at your job or I would’ve fired your ass for this stunt. Although, I will admit that my cock misses you terribly.”
She took a moment before replying. “Why would I call in sick if I were feeling fine, Mr. Maxwell?”
I released a harsh exhale. Christ, this woman was infuriating. “Can we please cut the bullshit? Those of us who actually showed up for work today have things to do. In case you’ve forgotten, we’re scheduled to leave in the morning, so I have quite a bit to accomplish beforehand.”
“Of course, I haven’t forgotten,” she snapped. “That’s why I was calling, actually. I wanted to let you know that I’m meeting you at the airport instead of taking the company car as planned.”
“Why would you do that? Afraid you can’t control yourself alone in a car with me? You do realize we’re going to have plenty of alone time together during this trip, don’t you?”
She scoffed. “Get over yourself. This has nothing to do with that.”
“Oh really?” I challenged. “Then, give me one good reason why you can’t use the service that you’ve already scheduled?”
“Because I don’t want to. I’m getting a ride from a friend.”
“What friend?” I growled.
“That’s really none of your business, Mr. Maxwell.”
I rubbed at the tension coiling in the back of my neck. “Would you quit with the Mr. Maxwell bullshit? I thought we’ve moved past this.”
“We most certainly have not.”
“Really? Well, you most ce
rtainly didn’t have any trouble using my first name the other day. ‘Oh, Ronan, just like that. God, Ronan, you feel so good. Fuck, Ronan, I’m going to come.’” I smiled, even though the sassy wench couldn’t see me. “Any of that ring a bell?”
Quinn released an adorable little growl. “Are you done? Can we get back to business now?”
I picked up a pen and twirled it between my fingers. “Fine.”
“Like I was saying earlier, I will meet you at the airport. The driver will be at your condo to pick you up at quarter to nine. I’m going to check us in online right after I get off this call, but I need to know how many bags you’re checking first.”
“One. Is that it?”
“Yes, that’s it. I should be there shortly before you arrive, so I’ll meet you by the baggage check area. I’ll see you then.”
I clenched my jaw. “I have one thing to say before you hang up.”
She sighed. “What’s that?”
“Don’t think for one second that you’re off the hook, Quinn. I’ll be more than happy to remind you how much you love screaming my name when I see you tomorrow.”
I didn’t give her a chance to reply before ending the call. If she thought we were going back to formalities, she had another thing coming. I was not going to tolerate this cat and mouse game anymore.
***
Fuck me, this was going to be a long flight. When I arrived at LAX, I headed straight for the baggage check area and spotted Quinn. I rarely had the opportunity to see her dressed so casually, but whenever I did, I had to fight an erection the entire time. Today, she was wearing those obscenely short denim shorts again and a sleeveless top that hugged her tits perfectly. I shouldn’t have been surprised—she almost always wore shorts and a clingy shirt whenever we flew to warmer destinations.
It damn near gave me a heart attack every time.
I’d made several requests—okay, more like demands—that she’d adopt a more business casual attire on our travel days. So far, she had yet to comply. I wasn’t proud to admit this, but I’d never fought back on the matter for the simple fact that she looked fucking hot like this. I’d seen this woman in fitted Gucci dresses, sexy as hell Prada pantsuits, and even completely naked as of recently, but there’s something about how well that cotton molded to her curves that really got me going.