by Lynda Aicher
Her head spun, and her brain shut down until there was nothing but him. God, how she wanted him. This. Everything he was doing to her.
He bound her to his chest with his arm, her own arms trapped between them. He controlled the moment. The kiss. Her. If he let go right then, she’d crumble to the ground.
He forced her head back, and she arched to give him what he wanted. Every insistence she’d had fled with his heady touch. She could only think of getting more. Of feeling him in her, thrusting until she came.
She was alive with want, every cell burning to get closer.
The world went on around them, and she couldn’t get herself to care. The party was just down the hall. Anyone could walk by. Find them.
He spun them around, and her back hit the wall before she’d registered the move. He pressed in, his thigh spreading her legs, and she gave him everything. That wild freedom unleashed beneath his demand. Yes. She struggled to release her arms, her purse getting lost in her bid to hold him.
She dug her fingers into his hair and returned his kiss with the dark passion he’d released. Everything was adrift. Nothing else mattered but this moment. This heat. This man.
His groan was a low rumble that got consumed by their kiss. He inched back. His breaths heated her lips with quick gusts. He searched her, his eyes stormy with the lust he’d dragged from her.
Her chest rose and fell in a rapid pace, before he reclaimed her mouth. Yes. Her silent cry slammed through her on a desperate note. This wasn’t her. She didn’t attack a man in public.
But she was this woman with him.
And she loved it. Every gasping, naughty, wild second of it.
He ripped his mouth from hers to drag her closer. His breath cut over her ear. His whiskers scraped her jaw with each kiss down it. She struggled to land her own sloppy kisses, yet couldn’t break away from the line of fiery kisses he layered up her neck.
“I want to see you fall apart,” he mumbled near her ear, his tongue tracing a line around the shell. “Swallow your cries as you shatter.”
“Yes,” she whispered, the deep rasp tearing at her raw throat. Her hips undulated in a slow grind against his leg, but it wasn’t enough. An ache grew in waves from her pussy and demanded fulfillment.
He’d done this to her. He’d shown her how great sex could be. How thrilling it was to break from her own confining mold. And she didn’t want to go back.
Ever.
A door banged nearby, the vibration trembling through the wall behind her. The tactile reminders of their location added another layer to her lust. They could get caught at any moment. By anyone. Including someone from work.
He reclaimed her mouth, and she fell back, giving him everything. She trusted him, even here. Now.
He shoved the hem of her dress up, his fingers snaking between her legs to find her pussy. She whimpered at his touch. A hard, pressing swipe that dipped into her on a firm thrust before sliding up to her clit.
Oh, fuck yes. She shivered with the need that shot from aching to volatile in a heartbeat. He stroked her hard and fast right where it drove her crazy. He knew her body and used his knowledge to bring her orgasm crashing over her.
She clenched down, muscles constricting before her release broke free. It ignited from her core to shudder through every nerve ending before tingling out her toes and fingers. She gasped, her cry halted by his palm. He clamped it over her mouth, cutting off her voice and air.
Her eyes flew open as another ripple of passion clenched through her womb. He stared down at her, eyes crazy with desire and awe, his want so clear. He didn’t hide anything, and she soaked up every addicting drop of his focus.
Their connection strengthened her release until the last raking spasm mellowed into a languid drift. She sank into the wall, and he slowly removed his hand from her mouth. Her first deep inhalation was snatched away by his kiss. It was firm yet slowly gentle. A soft brush. A peck. Another. And then another until he rested his forehead to hers.
His breath rushed over her cheek mimicking her own. Her pulse raced, the rhythm pounding in her ears. He nudged his nose against hers in a tender touch of lazy want. He kissed her again, his hand coming up to cup her cheek.
She floated in the buzz that ripped logic from her head and filled her with hope. It was dangerous and scary and impossible to stop. Not that she wanted to. Not now.
The door slammed again. A pair of women’s voices drifted down to break their bubble. A small sound of protest leaked from her lips when he eased back. He stroked a thumb over her cheek with those tender brushes that eased down to flutter through her chest and circled her heart.
He was so dangerous to her, and she couldn’t get herself to care.
She drew in a long breath and caught the musky scent of her own arousal. There was something so very naughty about that. Was it on his fingers, or had she come that hard that it filled the air? Either one was raunchy and delicious at once.
He swiped his thumb under her lip, his eyes tracking its path. “Did you bring a coat?”
It took a moment for her brain to catch up to his question. “No,” she answered on a raspy croak.
“Fix your lipstick and then meet me outside.” He sealed his command with a soft kiss that had her stomach fluttering again. That mix of hard and soft was totally her weakness. One she’d never realized before him.
Her slow nod was an automatic confirmation she didn’t question when she probably should have. But she wanted to go with him, and that was all that mattered right then.
He bent down to retrieve her dropped purse. Her hand shook when she reached to take it from him. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice lost behind the silly fantasies spinning free with the hope that’d escaped.
His smile was warm if small. He ran a hand through his hair, straightened his tie and jacket before stepping up to place another kiss on her lips. She closed her eyes and savored the unspoken promise that remained. The gentle confirmation flowed down to eradicate any doubt that’d tried to sneak in. He was giving her something and she’d take it, whatever it was.
“Go,” he murmured.
Her eyes fluttered open, her strength returning at the nugget of truth sprouting to life. This wasn’t the Boardroom. This wasn’t prearranged.
This was something else. Something more.
She reached up and used her thumb to wipe away the ring of pink that stained the edge of his lips. Heat blazed in his eyes as his tongue snaked out to lick the pad, the tease both a reminder and a temptation. Need swelled swift and hot to crest over her chest and clench her pussy. She wanted him again. Right now. Here.
He cleared his throat, stepping away. “I’ll get my car.” He glanced down the hallway before looking back. “I’ll see you in a few.” Promise burned in his gaze and seared her lust with every intention outlined within it.
He strode away, back straight, composure in place when she still doubted if she could stand without the support of the wall behind her. Wow.
A smile curved over her lips in a secret slide of wonder. This was happening—had happened. Her stomach flipped, and she pressed a hand to it, inhaling. There were so many risks involved. Her job, her dignity, her heart. And every one of them was worth it if it meant she could keep feeling like this. Wild. Free.
Powerful.
Understanding dawned in a spark of awe followed by an amazed giggle. She’d never applied that word to herself and sex before. Not before Carson. Not until he’d shown her how her sexuality affected him and other men. Not until she’d owned the sensual side of herself—and set it free.
And I’m not going back. She shoved away from the wall, shoulders pulled back. A sense of ownership trickled down from her full breasts to her damp panties. She lifted her chin and stepped from the alcove. She smiled at the women exiting the bathroom, a delicious wickedness igniting at their quick double takes.
She waited for the flash of shame that threatened only to find none. Not even when her reflection confirmed that she looked as thoroughly debauched as she felt. Her lipstick was smudged in a telling smear of pink, and more than a few strands of hair had escaped the clips that held it up.
Her grin was knowing and wonderful. This woman staring back at her was someone she’d never dared to be—until Carson.
And Avery really, really liked her.
Chapter Sixteen
The streetlights flickered by on a consistent bloom and fade as Carson drove through the San Francisco streets. He glanced at Avery, his gaze lingering longer than it should. The shadows played off the curve of her jaw and line of her nose. Her mouth was parted, lips still puffy from their romp in the hotel hallway.
He’d almost fucked her right there. Pants down, dick in, propriety lost to her.
Almost.
His grip tightened on the steering wheel, and he refocused on the road. His erection ran a hard line over his lower abdomen fueled by the desire simmering just below his guise of civility.
“Where are we going?”
Avery’s soft question cut through the silence to remind him of how abnormal this was. Her, him, where he was taking her. “My place.”
“Oh.” Her response was more of a sound than a word. It whispered through the air to dance over his nerves.
Nerves. Why the fuck was he nervous?
“Is that okay?” he asked.
He could feel her studying him, her gaze singeing those sensitive nerves he’d thought long gone. Her low “yes” came without preamble and no follow-up.
The weight pressing on his chest lightened, and he sucked in a long, slow breath. Visions of her sprawled across his sheets, hair splayed around her head, eyes heavy with passion almost had him groaning aloud. He’d never imagined a woman in his bed before, and now the thought of Avery in it was seared into his brain.
The air crackled with a note of promise tied to the unknown. In many ways, this car ride with Avery was the same as the ones they’d taken to Boardroom events. Yet it was very different. It was just them. No pending scene or audience.
And that was both frightening and exciting. He was making a big leap here. Hopefully, he wouldn’t fuck up their arrangement by doing so.
The car coasted down the hill, dipping with each flattening for a cross street. The darkness of the bay was a pitch of oily black and gray visible at the end of the incline. His place was tucked into the Marina district, just a few blocks from the water and the Palace of Fine Arts.
His headlights flashed over the front of his building, highlighting the gray stucco and crisp white trim on the three-story structure. Avery’s low giggle caught his attention as he pulled into the garage, which defined the first floor of the building.
“What?” he asked, a smile pulling at his lips. Her laugh was contagious, especially when paired with that open smile of hers.
“Nothing.” She shook her head, a teasing mischief twirling in her tone. He lifted a brow and cut the engine. The dome light came on to reveal the same amusement sparking in her eyes. “Really,” she insisted with a small shrug. “I was just envious of your garage. Which is silly.”
“My garage?” That pricked at his ego for some strange reason. “I have no idea how to respond to that.”
“Right?” She squeezed her eyes shut, that adorable red flush rising over her cheeks. She was nervous, and the understanding eased his own.
He cupped a hand around her nape and drew her in. Her eyes sprang open to trap him with the purity of her emotions. Want and fear. Desire and hesitation. “Only what you want,” he told her, his lips hovering a breath from hers.
“What?” Her brows dipped.
“I won’t push you, Avery. Into anything.”
She searched him, more questions flashing before the dome light faded out to leave them in the hazy glow of the garage light. “What if I want you to?”
His dick twitched a leap of want that matched the twisting lurch of his heart. That one question opened so many doors. Ones that led to things he’d avoided for so damn long.
Ones he suddenly wanted to set free and explore.
“I trust you,” she whispered.
Her words nailed his heart as her lips closed over his. She pressed in, taking the kiss into a deep clash of tongues and heat. Her brazen honesty twisted every burning want that dug through his groin and ran rampant over his logic.
He dug his fingers into her hair and slowly forced her head back, following her movement until he had control of her and his wild thoughts. He kissed her until she gasped for breath and he ached for her heat.
He reluctantly released her with a last nip at her bottom lip. He could suck on it all night, taste her peppermint flavor and get lost in the sweetness. But not here. He exited the car before he acted like a hormonal teen and tried to fuck her in the front seat. Not when there was a king-size bed waiting for them two stories up.
Her smile was weak when she met him at the back of the car. He took her hand and led her up the stairs to his unit on the top floor. The one-bedroom condo was spacious and maxed with the upgrades he’d demanded before moving in.
He flicked on the entry light and led her straight into his bedroom, which was off the foyer. Their shoes clicked on the hardwood floors and echoed through the room. He took her purse from her free hand and set it on the dresser. Her grip tightened when he turned to face her, but there was no hesitation in her eyes. No doubts.
The light drifted in from the entry to cast a halo around her blond hair, leaving her face in shadow. His heartrate kicked up with the sucker punch to his chest. “You’re so damn beautiful,” he whispered before claiming her mouth yet again.
He couldn’t get enough of her, still. Even after weeks of having her, tasting her, watching her grow and explore and revel in her desires.
The kiss deepened immediately. Passion and fire and lust exploded in a rush to escape. It was always like this with her. Crazy, heated, intense beyond a normal hookup.
She clutched at the back of his head, her fingers digging into his skull. The bite was familiar now and set off a chain reaction to his balls. He swung her around and backed her up to the bed, never breaking their kiss.
He swept his tongue over hers, each stroke a mirror of what he wanted to do to her pussy. The memory of her musky scent assaulted his mind, and he groaned with his hunger. He tore his mouth free to nibble up her jaw before trailing his tongue down her neck. She hummed in approval, drawing him closer. That fresh peppermint scent of hers was missing tonight, replaced by a sultry heat that matched her red dress.
One he wanted off, now.
She slipped her hands beneath the collar of his suit jacket to shove at the material. Yes, damn it. The need to feel her skin against his, to finally touch every part of her unhindered after weeks of fucking half-dressed, overrode caution and any remaining patience.
“I want you naked,” he said near her ear. “Sprawled on my bed. Legs spread wide and open for me.” He scraped his teeth over her neck, her throat working with her hard swallow.
“Yes,” she whispered. “Please.” She ground her hips into his, and he bit down on her tender skin. Christ. His dick had been hard for what felt like years, his need at a boiling point.
Her cry drove him even more. He had to have her soon, yet he wanted to do so much more too. The rush to reach fulfillment was tempered by his first chance to fully play with her.
To tease and nurture her desire like he’d been able to do in the Boardroom scenes, but this would be just for them.
For her.
The slash of her zipper broke through their rough breaths as he eased it down the back of her dress. The material loosened, the front sagging when he straightened. Her eyelids were heavy with lust, her passion so visible he could’ve drowned in it.
He stepped back, and her lips curled up in a wicked tease that was so damn sexy. She kept her eyes locked on his as she reached up and removed the little clips holding her hair up. Curls tumbled down to fall around her shoulders in a waterfall of silky temptation. And she knew it.
She bit her lip, let it slide out before slicking her tongue over the same spot. The move was obvious yet so damn hot coming from her. This was the dangerous, wild Avery who’d emerged in the Boardroom. The one who owned every part of herself along with the wanton desire she harbored.
And she was all his.
He loosened his tie, tugged it off. His jacket followed, his eyes glued to hers as he tossed it over his dresser. Her smile turned sultry when she drew her dress down her arms. The bodice fell free to reveal full breasts beneath a lacy pink bra. Dark nipples were outlined under the design.
His mouth watered as his throat went dry. He undid his cuffs before working his way down the buttons on his shirt. She tracked his movements, a flush darkening her cheeks when he tugged his shirttails free and tossed the material to the side.
Cooler air swooped in to caress his heated skin. Anticipation prickled over his chest and swirled in his stomach. Her breast rose and fell in telling beats with each inhalation. The tension strung between them on a note of promise based on past knowledge. He could already feel her clenching around him, hear her shortened gasps right before she came. His neck and shoulders tingled with the coming crescent-bites of her nails.
A little nudge was all it took to have her dress falling in a pool of red material at her feet. She opened her hand and let the collection of hair clips tumble to the floor. He swallowed hard, his gaze traveling from her saucy red heels, up her long legs to the matching pink lace of her thong. He licked his lips, the thought of her taste whetting his palate.