by Susan Arden
Carolina let him move her, until her bottom was pushed up against the edge of his desk. Matt’s hand roamed over her hips, blazing a trail as he went. Her fingers curled over his muscular arms, trailing upward until she looped her arms around his neck.
He plunged his tongue between her lips, driving her wild. Unable to hold back, she danced her tongue against his as they explored, plundered, and pushed boundaries. It was a kiss but it was also a battle of wills. This time, Carolina didn’t back down or away from the desire of letting go. Her body seared with a craving to be taken.
As if sensing her ache, Matt lifted her up on the desk. They both groaned as his large, demanding hands slid to her thighs, tugging up her skirt. Carolina opened her legs as he scooted her to the edge of the desk. Beneath her panties thrummed in carnal want.
“That’s it, sugar.” Matt nudged her thighs wider apart as he moved into the narrow V-shape between her legs.
The hardness of his body provoked a hunger to let him have his way. Pressing closer, she felt the rigid bar of his erection between her legs. The evocative contact made her gasp, “Matt, this could go too far.”
“I promise, it won’t.” For a beat, he held her in place. “Trust me, Caro.”
She found it hard, next to impossible not to want to believe him. Matt must’ve read her tells, her acquiescence, and dipped his head forward. Carolina offered up her mouth that he reclaimed in a burst of passion. With this man, all she had to do was unlock her desire, giving into what they both craved. The idea of her naked and open to him ignited a yearning housed in her core.
Matt’s fingers were at the buttons of her shirt and she wasn’t about to protest. The feel of his hands on her breasts, kneading and rubbing was too tempting to resist. Carolina moved her hands over his, pushing her chest forward, teasing him with her erect nipples.
More than anything, she wanted to sample his mouth on her aching flesh. Ever since their first kiss, she’d been haunted by every word he’d said. For the last two nights, her dreams were filled with visions of him doing things, things that made her crazed to the point of hollering his name.
Clinging to Matt, she almost wept from the feel of his hot wet mouth on her skin. He kissed, nibbling a path down from her lips to her neck, his sandpaper jaw scraping her cheek. As if riding a fast-moving wave, each kiss, each suck of his mouth sent her higher and higher. Her skin was on fire. When Matt lifted one of her legs, hooking his hand under her knee, she was weak from desire.
“Look at how good we fit together, sugar,” he drawled in a low chocolatey rasp.
Slowly, forcibly, he ground the bulge housed in his jeans against her panties. Darts of pleasure exploded in her core. She needed more and grazed her sex over his erection. It was the most erotic thing she’d ever felt, ever seen, and she cried out incoherent primitive sounds.
Sensations overtook Carolina’s body. Electrical jolts fired under her skin as his mouth captured hers in a kiss to best all kisses on human record! She wanted him, needed him, unclothed and pounding. That’s how he had her—ungrounded—a cresting wave, rising higher, faster, and still Carolina couldn’t halt the inevitable. The crash was too powerful a draw. Together, they were on a course that had one endpoint. Needing more, she ran her hands over Matt’s hard body. She relished the corded groove down his back, only outmatched by the sculpted muscle on his broad shoulders that flexed under her fingers. He’d be a vision to see. Undressed and over her…or better yet, under her in bed, or this desk, for that matter.
Yes, yes, she wanted to ride him until he was as undone as she felt. Never had she sampled an overpowering desire to collide with something hardwired and explosive. Oh God!
Matt’s sweltering lips touched her throat. He sucked a point on her skin — a magic keyhole unlocking her self-control. In a rush of wanton ache, they both pushed out harsh groans. This wasn’t simply pleasure, this was madness, and she gave in, throwing her head back, giving him…them better access.
So in need, Carolina journeyed her hands down his flat stomach. She was searching for one thing. Her fingers found him. A zing of carnal bliss shot up her arm. Matt was hard against her palm. Rigid and erect, ready and wanting her. Syllables spilled from Carolina’s lips, an unstoppable yearning to feel him, skin on skin. She traced the length of his long, thick erection.
“Darlin’, what do you want?” Matt rasped in a hoarse voice.
Touching him made the throbbing pulse between her legs echo as if a second heartbeat, impelling her onward. She squeezed his hardness. “This,” she whispered. There was no denying how much she wanted this man.
One zipper stood between their fulfilment. This was exactly what she’d experienced the other night. Exquisite torment. She ran her hand along the length of him, down one side and up the other edge. Matt’s breath changed to short rapid exchanges. His fingers worked the button of Carolina’s shirt. As he undid button after button, she pulled at the thick leather of his belt.
Matt spread apart her shirt. Wafting cool air didn’t douse the fire blazing over her skin.
“Caro, you’re so beautiful.”
The hungry expression on his face filled her with the buzz of heady anticipation. She cupped her breasts, squeezing them for his pleasure. Desire thrummed in her veins and pushed her to tease him by tracing the top edge of her bra. “I don’t want to be beautiful, I want to be filled.”
Matt groaned softly as his gaze followed her fingers. Was this how it felt to be so close to exploding? Tender, hungry, and hot. This moment didn’t involve plans. There was no need to consider what lay beyond this room and this man’s body. There was no need for conversation.
Carolina didn’t want words — she wanted his mouth on her body. Their skin sliding against skin.
His stare was hot enough to boil water, incinerate metal, vaporize regret. In that instant, she understood how sex could be so evocative it was addictive. There was no possible way to back away from this type of fire. Not with this man in how he made her feel.
Starting now, she pulled the plug on rational thinking. She didn’t care about today or tomorrow. All she wanted was to give into Matt. Never had she been this alive and this implosive. He was right. Regret sucked. What they had didn’t have to be forever. They were adults. One time, and she’d see for herself what it was like to know the other side of desire.
He tugged her straps down, running his calloused thumbs across her breasts. Carolina’s breath hitched. Her nipples tightened so in need of his touch. His mouth. Unable to stand another moment, she unsnapped the hook at the front of her bra. Her breasts spilled out from the confines of lacy lingerie.
Matt’s eyes feasted on her chest, his eyes darkening as he blew out a breath. “Slow down, Caro. You can’t imagine how much I’ve wanted to see these beauties.” He cupped each, flicking his finger over the top of her nipples.
“Please,” she begged, consumed by how he made her feel so feminine and adored.
Matt lifted, squeezing and kneading her bare hot flesh as if she’d given him a prize that he fully intended on savoring. He lowered his head. The decadent suck of his warm, wet lips on her nipple sent a jolt right between her legs. This was beyond intense elation. Hot sensation rippled over her skin and there!
Pleasure burst up her spine. She had to bite her lip hard to keep from calling out. Instead of relenting, Matt traced her erect nipple with his very talented tongue, watching her through hooded eyes. Without warning, he sucked her peak back into his mouth, exorcising the thoughts right from her head. Deep in her core, a sweltering tension built, getting hotter, thudding harder.
Matt changed breasts, sucking and kissing and driving her to the point of whisper-screaming, “Please, don’t stop!”
As he worked her flesh, she yanked handfuls of his thick dark hair. Between her legs ached for his hardness. One more suck, one more kiss, and there! Oh God, what was happening? All at once, between her legs pulsed and throbbed in sweltering ecstasy.
&
nbsp; “That’s it. Come for me,” he whispered against her skin as she convulsed uncontrollably.
A tsunami of pleasure hit her hard. Her muscles clenched. Bliss coated her body as she clung to Matt, burying her head against his sculpted shoulder.
Down the hall, the front door slammed shut. Voices rumbled at the front, near the previously empty offices. Several male voices jostled the silence and Carolina jolted upright in Matt’s arms.
Good Lord, she was at the brink and about to be a public spectacle! Carolina tried to shove away from Matt to cover her chest, and whisper-shouted, “It’s like Grand Central Station here!”
“Whoa,” he drawled, capturing her hands. “Not so fast.”
“What if they come down here? Neither you nor me are in any position to receive visitors.”
Matt’s warm fingers pressed into her skin. He arched upward and held himself partially aloft, their hips still pressing against each other. Her breasts were bared, her nipples pink and sensitive. “I’ll deal with them,” he growled, grinding his cock against her crotch.
Decadent pleasure fireworked deep in her core, leaving her speechless. How did he know just what to do?
“Please,” she begged for more and—for the love of God—for her sanity to return!
Sprawled across her boss’s desk without a shirt was a new experience, and so was being taken over a cliff into a cascading pool of desire so penetrating, she’d never be the same. The full realization hit Carolina. She’d just experienced her first orgasm at the hands, no the mouth of this man.
And God had it felt amazing!
Her head fell back and she gazed up at Matt. Their eyes met. He brushed his mouth against her lips, lingering and tasting. As if having a mind of their own, her hands reached up and forked into his hair. She kissed him back, danced her tongue across his in a quick flirty dip.
“Matt! You here?”
The voices outside the door were another matter. “It’s after five,” he murmured as if that explained the mixture of bravado, a combination of high whoops and low laughs.
“Quitting time,” she returned. Of course, for men who worked hard, the end of the day was something to celebrate.
“I’d better head ‘em off. It’ll give you time to…” his voice trailed off.
Carolina smiled. Without thinking she caressed her fingertips along his carved angular jaw. This was simply too crazy for words and she sighed.
It was consuming to be here with McLemore. Heady, earthy, nearly naked, their passion flaring, hot and exciting as his tongue delved into her mouth, again.
Chapter Ten
Carolina’s body was a temptation more intoxicating than anything he had ever sampled. One last taste of her lips and they came apart.
“Hold that thought,” Matt drawled, squeezing her waist.
Leaving Carolina would be impossible if he recaptured those gorgeous breasts of hers. Just because his office door was closed, didn’t mean much to anyone in his family. Knocking was more of an afterthought. Matt had to ward off what sounded like a rowdy entourage down the hall. The usual, no doubt, which included crew leaders, maybe a hired hand or two, his uncle, and his father.
Pulling her up from the desk, he didn’t try to pretend he wasn’t ogling her breasts. The bulge in his jeans was testimony enough that she got to him in a way he’d never allowed himself to be pulled into. Sex in his office, on his desk was novel. Not that he didn’t want to finish what they’d started.
Cursing under his breath, Matt lifted her shirt off the floor. Carolina slipped on her bra, no longer half-naked.
“There’s a washroom right over there,” he whispered against Caro’s floral-scented hair, “This is the end of the day. Won’t take long. Miller’s got to leave to get ahead of the traffic. The others will end up drinking a couple of beers before leaving. If I don’t head them off, one of them will come through that door in about thirty seconds.”
“No joke,” she sassed him with a wry smile.
Instead of feeling less on fire, his hunger for her roared like a wildfire, again. Dr. Rodriguez clothed wouldn’t help this condition. He threaded his fingers through the cascading dark waves of her hair. “I like that mouth of yours. A lot.”
“Good to hear. Now, if you don’t mind. I’ve got my marching orders, sir!” Carolina mocked saluted him.
Matt hesitated. For some reason, it felt as if he’d said the wrong thing. The sound of voices reminded him that there wasn’t time to delve into anything but stopping his family and the ranch staff from barrelling into his office with news of the herd and how they stood insofar as branding and vaccinations.
Carolina’s skin was flushed the color of a summer sunset. He kissed her shoulder and his hands sought her body again. She tried to back away, but he pulled her to him. “In case you missed the memo, I’d rather stay here.”
Her gaze was unwavering. “I’m fine. Really.”
“Go,” he said, more to himself than to her. The feel of her soft seductive body against him had him rethinking installing a lock on his office door, right now. Only that would involve a conversation with his family and a round a questioning he was already sure was getting lengthier and weightier by the minute. Miller had already given him a heads-up that Carolina’s appearance had created a stir alright. Not that he had shared that detail with her when she’d asked.
Maybe he should’ve. His mother was in a dither, trying to plan dinners and inviting family to the ranch. It was like the floodgates had opened that possibly the eldest McLemore son might actually be on the hook.
It wasn’t like he was some manwhore. He sure as hell hadn’t been out on the town in months. It burned him that his family had some preconceived notion that he couldn’t or wouldn’t ever find a woman to marry. One relationship gone bad had not soured him to the idea of matrimony. It had opened his eyes.
In silence, Carolina gathered her clothes and purse. His imagination reignited in response to the swaying of her breasts. She’d need a forewarning on his family’s plans and he almost followed her into the bathroom. The gossip mill never rested in town and trickled back to the ranch. The last thing he wanted was Carolina hearing anything. Whether good or bad, rumors always blew things out of proportion.
Matt bent to pick up a shipping box.
He ran his fingers through his hair, watching Carolina cross his office. She turned to close the bathroom door, her body outlined by the light and his thoughts flatlined. She gave him a little wave.
Right, he had to get going.
After setting the box down on his desk, Matt readjusted himself in his jeans. A crinkle erupted under his foot. No wonder, papers and the entire top of his desk (minus the computer screens) were scattered over the floor. Putting it all in order would take minutes he didn’t have.
Talk about upheaval. All his family had to do was take one look and he’d never hear the end of this. He’d never worked with a woman besides family in this office. Never brought a woman to visit. His office had never looked this unkempt. It looked like a free-for-all had occurred. Even so, something made him want to remember this scene.
Matt made it to the doorway right as his father and uncle tried to enter. “Just coming to find y’all.”
“Then our timing is perfect,” Uncle Calvin chuckled.
Not in his book. Instead of moving, Matt planted his boots wider apart. He had to get hold of the door without turning.
His father’s forehead furrowed as if troubled that the path was blocked. “How’d your day go? Saw you and Carolina in your Jeep.”
“Great,” he replied. “How was yours?”
Eyeing him peculiarly, both his father and uncle were stopped right outside his office. Still, Matt stood in the doorway, refusing to budge.
Wade pushed out a sigh, “A might long. Sure glad, it’s time to kick back.”
His uncle’s gaze was focused on a spot behind Matt. From their expressions, he didn’t need to glance over his
shoulder. He groped for the doorknob without turning around. Clearly it was an awkward way to deal with the door.
“What’s going on?” his Uncle Calvin asked. “You got something ya don’t want seen?”
Leave it to his uncle to speak his mind. Matt got hold of the knob and jerked the door shut. He glared at his father’s older brother. There was no point in being silent.
Just as he was about to address Calvin, his father said, “Came to see if you and Carolina would like to have a drink.”
Matt lowered his voice. “She’s under the weather. Had a long plane ride. Her head is bothering her.”
“Of course.” Wade tipped up the rim of his hat and cleared his throat. “Come down to my office if you get a chance. I’ve got aspirin, if Carolina would like some. And there’s the repairs that were made today.”
“What about the herds? I didn’t hear anything over the walkie-talkies about illness.”
“We had a good day,” Calvin commented.
“About time,” Matt muttered.
“Seems like Miss Carolina has brought a ray of sunshine with her from Miami. Heard she’s a real looker.” A smile was spread over Calvin’s face. But the clap on Matt’s back from his uncle said it all.
Before this escalated into further talk on Carolina, he jutted his chin toward the end of the hall. “Lemme take a look at the repair logs. After lunch, Miller mentioned that one of the combines was having trouble.”
“It turned out to be nothing but a clogged oil filter,” Wade supplied with a shrug. “Took care of it lickety-split.”
“Not by yourself, though.” Calvin chuckled, holding out his oil-stained fingernails.
“Thanks for holding the pail,” his dad snorted. “Couldn’t have done it without you, Cal.”