I wanted to say no just to be spiteful, but I couldn’t do it. Something about the way she looked at me was impossible to resist. How could I tell her no? “Fine, but if he’s an ex-boyfriend or some shit like that, I’m going to be pissed.”
She laughed, her eyes dancing with amusement. “I’m not opposed to older men, but when they could be my father, I tend to stay away.”
“Interesting,” I murmured and walked into my office. I closed the door, knowing she would come in if she wanted me.
It wasn’t long before her telltale knock, followed by the door opening, pulled me from the latest designs for the fall line. Willow walked in with an older man behind her. The guy had the look of a man that could be a priest. Or maybe the younger, thinner brother of Santa Claus.
“Ashton, this is Nathan,” Willow said. I was still trying to get used to the idea of her using my first name. I was used to being called sir or Mr. Wolfe.
I stood, buttoning my jacket out of habit before stepping forward to shake his hand. “Thank you for coming by.”
“No problem at all. I’m happy to put a face with the voice.”
“Have a seat please,” I said, looking at Willow to show her I could play nice.
She winked. “I’ll leave you boys alone.”
I settled into my chair and listened as Nathan talked. He had me sold yesterday, but meeting him in person and seeing the systems gave me new peace of mind. I liked the guy and understood why Willow liked him too. After I signed the contracts and had been given his personal contact information, I walked him out to the front door.
“He was nice,” I said to Willow.
She smiled. “I know. Did you sign on the line?”
“I did. I think I just made your friend a very happy man with a fat bonus coming his way.”
“His family will appreciate it,” she replied.
“I’m going to be on the phone. I have a call with a guy overseas. He’s getting out of bed to talk to me. No interruptions please.”
Her eyes danced. “Not a problem. I’ve got things to do. You are the one bothering me. I’ll send in your lunch at one.”
I smirked and walked into my office, closing the door behind me. I had a long day ahead of me. I liked the idea of telecommuting, but it was a little exhausting. I spent the rest of the day on the phone and answering my emails. I missed having Kyle around to shoulder some of the responsibility. I knew I was going to have to hire someone. I couldn’t do it all on my own. At least not well.
I got to my feet, rolled my shoulders, and headed for the door. I was looking forward to a nice soak in my hot tub with a cold beer. Maybe I’d go with a glass of scotch. I could use it. I assumed Willow had gone home for the day. It was after five and she never liked to stay a minute later.
My mouth fell open when I opened the door. “What the hell?”
Willow stood up from where she was bent over, lighting a candle sitting on her desk. Her desk was cleared off, and a white tablecloth had been draped over it. Two long tapered candles cast a pretty glow over the area. I could hear soft music playing and smelled something vaguely Italian. Lots of oregano and garlic that smelled amazing.
“Dinner,” she said with a smile, shaking out the burning match in her hand.
“Dinner? I don’t understand.”
She walked to the wall and turned off the lights, plunging the place into soft light coming from the candles. I could almost imagine myself being at an Italian restaurant. “You asked if I wanted to get dinner. I couldn’t, but I thought we could have dinner here. I hope you like lasagna.”
“I do like lasagna.”
“I’ve got a bottle of red. It’s cheap, but if you don’t let it sit on your tongue too long, you’ll never know the difference.”
I was amazed. “You did all this?”
“Well, the food fairy certainly didn’t.”
“Wow. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Now have a seat.” She gestured at a chair she had dragged over from the lobby area.
I grinned, the feeling a little strange on my face. “I will do that.”
I sat down while she peeled off the foil from the pan, releasing even more of the delicious aroma into the office. I was assuming it was just me and her in the office. She poured me a glass of wine before pouring one for herself. I couldn’t ever remember someone, beyond the servers I was paying, serving me.
She took a bite of the gooey lasagna and closed her eyes. “This is amazing. I’ve never had their food before, but I’m going to start eating there more often.”
“Fernando’s?” I guessed.
She smiled. “Yes. I saw the menu in the stack of other menus.”’
“Thank you for this. I hope you don’t feel like you were obligated to do this.”
“Not at all. I wanted to.”
I wiped some sauce from my mouth. “It’s very nice. I was starving.”
“You work too hard,” she said.
I shrugged. “It’s all I know. I’ve been doing it for so long, I don’t know anything else. I like to stay busy.”
“How long have you been running this business?”
“I’ve been an official business for three years, but I’ve been working at this for probably ten years.”
“How old are you?” she asked, never one to be shy.
“Thirty-four,” I answered.
She nodded. “You’re fairly young to be this successful. That’s a sign of hard work. Did you go to design school?”
I almost choked. “No. I probably should have, but no.”
“Do you come up with the designs?”
I didn’t want to take credit that wasn’t mine. “Not alone. I work with an actual designer. I can envision the idea, but I can’t put it to paper. That’s what he does. We’re not coming up with cutting-edge fashion. I’ll leave that to the big names. My goal is to dress the real guys, the guys that wear suits to their bank jobs, the realtors, and the other men that just want to be a step above the basic suit.”
She smiled, nodding. “I won’t pretend to know a lot about men’s fashion, but I know what looks good. You’re always dressed to kill, and it looks good on you.”
Was she flirting with me? “Thank you. It’s something I take a lot of pride in. I think you have to dress for success. I think if you dress like you are worth a million bucks, people tend to take you seriously.”
She laughed before taking a sip of wine. “I don’t think anyone would not take you seriously. You are always serious.”
“I am. I don’t know how else to be.”
“You don’t have to be anything else,” she said, her voice soft.
The way she said it made me feel very warm. Too warm. I took off my jacket and draped it on the back of the chair. I loosened my tie, giving myself some room to breathe. We finished eating, both of us lingering. I didn’t want to leave. I was having a good time. It was a little strange to be so comfortable with someone. I didn’t have to hide my feelings or pretend to be anyone I wasn’t. She knew me and knew I wasn’t the warm and fuzzy type.
“I should probably clean this up,” she said.
I nodded, bummed it was over. I helped her toss the paper plates in the trash and blew out the candles. “This was really nice,” I told her.
She stood near the edge of the desk. The only light in the office came from the security lights near the floor. It cast us in shadows, hiding her expression. “It was nice. I’m glad we did it.”
I stepped closer. “Are you? Glad we had dinner together?”
“I am. I like getting to know you a little better.”
I took another step, my body less than twelve inches from hers. “You’ve barely scratched the surface.”
I stared at her, waiting for her to tell me to go away. Waiting for her to move away. She didn’t move. I could feel the tension humming between us. Her gaze held mine before dropping to my mouth. That was all I needed to see. I told myself it was just one kiss. One small kiss to satisfy my curi
osity about what it would be like to feel those full lips under mine.
I reached for the back of her neck, my fingers resting against her warm skin. I heard her breath hitch and knew she was feeling that same electric tension between us. It was too powerful to ignore. One kiss.
My mouth closed over hers, a gentle brushing of my lips over hers, testing the waters. It was just as amazing as I had thought it would be. The sizzle of heat between us sent a tingle down my spine that demanded I step closer to her. My mouth opened, using pressure to make her open up for my invasion. The moment she did, I swept my tongue inside, tasting the wine and oregano.
The woman was dangerous. I felt all my defenses slipping away. The heat from her body emanated through my clothes and under my skin. She was definitely dangerous. There was a little voice in the back of my mind telling me to stop, to turn back and run as far away from her as possible. It wasn’t going to happen. I needed her as much as I needed the very air I breathed.
Chapter 18
Willow
His lips felt so good against mine. His hard body crowded against me, making me feel things I had not felt in a very long time. I had been convinced that after years of celibacy, I could proclaim myself a virgin once again. Ashton was going to be the man to take that renewed V-card from me and I was going to very willingly give it.
His tongue dueled with mine, our bodies melding together. I reached up, finally getting to feel the silky black hair against my palm. There was a little crunch from the hair product he used to keep it looking perfectly styled. I rubbed my hand over his head, pulling him closer to me even though a piece of paper couldn’t slide between us.
I was suddenly ravenous. I couldn’t get enough of the man. I felt like a woman on fire and only he could extinguish the flame. I moaned into his mouth, my hands sliding down his back, taking in every ribbed muscle. I reached down, squeezing his hard ass and finding it exactly as I had imagined it would feel. He was toned and muscular all over.
His hands were roving over my body, pressing hard and squeezing here and there as he moved. I arched against him, rubbing my lower half against his and finding he was just as hot as I was. I could feel the erection straining against his pants and nearly lost my breath.
“Office,” he murmured against my lips.
He hoisted me up, my legs wrapping around him as he carried me the few steps inside his office. It was just a little more privacy in case someone happened to show up. I doubted it would happen, but I appreciated him thinking about my modesty.
He dropped me back to my feet and attacked the skinny belt I had on. It was unbuckled in record time. I felt the zipper on my pants slide down, and a second later, my pants and panties were being pushed down my legs. He acted like a man starving. His moves were shaky, yet deliberate.
I figured if I was going to be naked from the waist down, he was going to be as well. I attacked his belt with the same gusto, surprising myself with how fast I got it undone. I didn’t get his zipper down all the way before I started to push at the pants. I wanted them off. I wanted the prize that was waiting underneath the clothes.
My eyes dropped when I got his pants halfway down his legs. I was going to have a very good evening. I used my foot to push the pants down the rest of the way while I reached for his swollen cock and squeezed. “Fuck,” he hissed through clenched teeth.
“That’s the plan,” I teased.
Feeling his hard strength in my hand only made me want to touch him more. I slid one hand up his shirt, pressing my palm against the flat stomach and over his pectoral muscles. It was so good, so sexy, and so damn impressive.
“Off,” he growled.
I was in a daze, lust wrapping me up and making it difficult for me to think straight. I looked up at him. “What?”
“I want the shirt off,” he growled, his eyes flashing with desire.
I swallowed the lump of excitement that had lodged in my throat. He looked dangerous, like a man that could eat me alive. I decided I rather liked the idea. I reached for the hem of my short-sleeved blouse and yanked it over my head. I didn’t let myself think about the fact I was standing in front of my boss with only a lacy black bra and my dress socks on.
His eyes dropped to my breasts before he reached out, taking a handful and squeezing. If my shirt was off, I wanted his off as well. I reached for the buttons of his shirt, my fingers suddenly not willing to cooperate. He was squeezing and massaging my breasts and turning my brain to mush. I forced myself to concentrate enough to get the buttons undone.
With his shirt hanging open, all bets were off. I pounced. I felt like a tigress and didn’t hold back. My mouth opened wide, slapping against his chest and tasting him. I sucked and nibbled and lost all control. His strong hands went to my hips, jerking me against him. His erection nestled against my stomach, hard and powerful and promising so much pleasure.
He backed me up until the back of my thighs pushed against his desk. With one quick move, he hoisted me onto the surface. I was so glad he had cleared off his desk. I opened my legs as his mouth moved to mine once again. There was a sense of urgency between us that I knew we both felt. It drove us on, demanding we join our bodies.
I ran my nails down his back, squeezing his ass and pulling him toward me. He slid his hand between my legs, finding my heated core and sliding his hand over my folds. I gasped, sucking his tongue deeper into my mouth. His fingers slid over my sensitive flesh, parting me before pushing one deep inside.
I cried out, the sound swallowed by him. I heard him grunt once before pulling his hand away and bringing his bulbous head to my core. He pushed against me. My body resisted the invasion. I slid forward, opening my legs a little more and pulled him closer. He thrust once again, finally breaking through. I gasped, wincing with pain. He stopped moving, kissing me until the passion had been reignited, easing the way for him to slide deep inside.
My head dropped back, pulling my mouth from his as I relished in the feel of him deep inside my body. His mouth dropped to my neck, his hands on my hips as he pushed himself impossibly deeper inside my body. I held on to his shoulders, leaning away with my torso while pushing forward with my lower half.
I heard his slow hiss of desire as he began to move. My head was spinning, overwhelmed with a myriad of sensations. Some new, some familiar, all of them absolutely wonderful. I leaned forward, running my hands down his back and planting my mouth against his neck. I suckled, biting the skin and sucking it between my teeth.
“God dammit,” he growled. “Don’t fucking stop.”
I slid my mouth a little lower, nestling right between his neck and shoulder, and sucked again. I felt his body jerk and somehow grow larger inside me. I reached down to grab his ass again, digging my nails in while I sucked at his flesh. I felt like a vampire. I moved over his neck, sucking and biting before licking away the stinging of my bite while his body drove inside mine.
It wasn’t long before I felt the coil of an orgasm winding tighter and tighter. Everything blurred. Every one of my senses was tuned in to him. I could smell his musky cologne combined with his natural scent. I listened to his grunts and groans that mingled with my own. His touch was hard and rough. It was sensory overload. I was going to explode.
I held on to him, my nails raking up and down his back as I tried to brace myself for the coming orgasm. I knew it was going to rock my world. I knew it was going to be mighty and powerful. The moment it hit, I cried out, not trying to hold back as I jerked forward. My back arched, my head dropping back as stars erupted before my eyes.
“Holy shit,” he breathed, his voice full of wonder. “Oh shit, oh shit, hold on.”
His body went stiff, his grunt and release of air telling me he was feeling the same thing I was in that moment. My chest constricted and I could barely draw a breath. All I could feel was him inside me. When the orgasm began to ebb, I released the breath I had been holding and quickly sucked in another for my oxygen-deprived lungs.
I fell forward, my head re
sting on his shoulder as we both regained control of our breathing.
“Holy shit,” he said again with his mouth close to my ear. The breath brushed over my heated skin, sending goosebumps cascading up and down my body.
“I agree,” I said with a smile, turning to kiss his jaw. “Holy shit is a pretty apt description.”
There was a soft chuckle before he pulled away from me. His shirt hung open and his hair was absolutely messed up. He looked gorgeous. The image of him standing before me while I sat on his desk was going to forever be etched in my mind.
I hopped off the desk, my state of undress making me feel a little weird. I quickly started pulling on my clothes while he did the same. I wasn’t going to regret what happened. It was sex. Really good sex and I was a grown woman. I wasn’t sleeping with every man in sight. I refused to feel guilty for having a little fun. Even if it was with my boss. I was the proverbial secretary banging the boss. I didn’t care.
“Is this going to make things weird?” I asked him, pulling my shirt over my head.
He grinned, not bothering to tuck his buttoned shirt back into his pants. “You’re weird enough for both of us. I don’t think I could make things any weirder if I tried.”
I softly giggled. “Gee, that’s so sweet.”
“I only meant—”
I shook my head. “I know what you meant and I’m glad it’s not going to be awkward between us. I know it probably sounds like a line, but I swear, that has never happened before.”
He raised one of those dark brows. “I think it has definitely happened before.”
“I mean me banging my boss. I’ve never done that before. I want to say I’m not like that but that would be a blatant lie, considering I just did what I did.”
“You didn’t do it alone,” he reminded me. “I think I had a role in it.”
I grinned, stepping forward and putting my hand against his chest. “You had a very big role in it.”
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