Tall, Dark and Charming

by Erika Wilde

  “Then let’s establish some rules before we go any further,” she said in a more businesslike tone, the practical woman in her coming through. “Just to make sure we’re in agreement about tonight.”

  He gave her an understanding nod. “Okay.”

  She exhaled a breath, the look in her eyes serious as she absently played with her drink napkin on the counter. “Tonight is a one-time deal and just about sex. Whatever happens once we leave this bar and go up to your room, we never talk about it again. I don’t want anything complicated and messy to interfere with our working relationship, or any expectations from either one of us beyond tonight. That won’t be a problem for me, and I’m assuming, based on your track record with women, that it won’t be an issue for you, either.”

  She was speaking his language. Her spiel was very similar to the one he, himself, imparted to a woman before sleeping with her—no strings, he didn’t do commitments, and he certainly didn’t do all that emotional crap that came with forever promises. All he’d ever seen love do was break hearts and tear families apart. Specifically, his family.

  He’d learned by example that love didn’t come with guarantees, and neither did marriage, but the one thing he could commit himself to one hundred percent without the risk of failure was his career. He’d long ago decided that’s where his time and energy were best spent, since being successful at his job was something he could control and didn’t require any emotional involvement. Women and sex were just a fun extracurricular activity that made his dick happy.

  But as he listened to Daisy deliver his own views on relationships and protecting emotions—because basically that was the purpose of casual sex—he heard something more in her voice . . . the sound of vulnerability. As if she’d been through something in her past that had made her equally cautious when it came to letting down her guard with a man during sex and keeping it all about physical pleasure. Hence, her rules, which he totally agreed with and respected—even if it did leave him curious as to what had made her so jaded.

  “And just so you know . . . it’s been awhile for me,” she said candidly. “Also, I’m not on birth control, so I hope you have condoms with you.”

  He nodded. Yes, he traveled with protection, because he was a firm believer in the better safe than sorry motto. “How long has it been?” he asked curiously.

  She hesitated before replying, that adorable blush of hers sweeping across her cheeks. “Since before I started working at Roth Owens.”

  It wasn’t difficult to do the math, and he was shocked that she’d gone three years without sex. He couldn’t even imagine relying on the stroke of his hand to relieve his sexual needs for that amount of time.

  “Is that a problem?” she asked while he was in his own head envisioning how Daisy might have provided her own orgasms for three long years.

  He heard the first thread of uncertainty in her voice and he immediately squashed it. “No problem at all.” Knowing how deprived she’d been just made him more determined to give her a night to remember. To make it—mostly—about her pleasure, her needs, her orgasms. Which wouldn’t be much of a hardship, because he was going to enjoy making her come so many times she’d eventually lose count.

  He lifted his hand and touched the ends of her gorgeous hair, which he’d been itching to do since she’d sat down again. It brought his fingers precariously close to her exposed cleavage, and he had to resist the urge to dip inside her unfastened blouse and stroke the curve of her breast.

  Instead, he met and held her dark green gaze. “Now here are my rules,” he murmured, wanting to make sure she knew exactly what to expect this evening with him. “Once we get into my room, you’re mine. I get to dictate how tonight goes and what happens and how the flavor strawberry plays out. And I promise you, there will be plenty of dirty, x-rated foreplay and fucking.”

  He caught the anticipation that flickered in her eyes and the rapid pulse fluttering at her throat before she spoke. “I sure do hope so.”

  “Sweetheart, I always aim to please,” he said as he paid for their drinks, along with a generous tip, and draped his jacket over his arm. Then he grabbed her hand and tugged her off the barstool. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

  If he only had one night with her, he intended to make the best of every minute they had together.

  Chapter Three

  Daisy followed Aiden out of the bar, through the hotel lobby, to the bank of elevators. With her hand tucked securely in his, they looked like any ordinary couple retiring for the evening. Except they weren’t a couple, and she was about to take part in her first ever hookup. Sometimes, being a good girl and doing all the right things was overrated, and tonight, she really, really wanted to be bad with the hottest, sexiest man she’d had a secret crush on for the past three years.

  Never would she have imagined the scenario about to play out with a man who was her co-worker and a friend. But here she was, going up to Aiden’s room and getting naked with him and indulging in a night of risqué sex—and her body was already vibrating with excitement for all the wicked things he might do to her. He was perfect for a one-night stand, because neither one of them was looking for anything serious.

  The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside the empty space, and as he stood beside her, she cast a surreptitious look at his profile. Aiden Stone was so insanely good-looking it was almost a crime. He was tall, dark, and a charismatic charmer . . . and exactly the kind of guy her mother had warned her about since the day she’d bought Daisy her first training bra at the age of thirteen.

  Hell, who was she kidding? she thought, glancing down at the marbled flooring in the elevator. Her mother still went on about smooth-talking men and how they couldn’t be trusted, especially the ones who charmed their way into a woman’s life and made promises they had no intentions of ever keeping because they couldn’t commit to just one woman. It didn’t help matters that Daisy had ignored her mother’s advice and had paid a steep price for falling for a man who’d swept her off her feet with romantic gestures and said all the right things to steal her heart . . . only for her to discover everything had been a devastating lie.

  It had been three years since Troy’s deceit, and Daisy’s mother still hadn’t let her live down that error in judgment. Daisy often wondered if she ever would.

  But despite Aiden having similar personality traits, he’d always been honest with her, and she knew this situation was no different. She was going into this tryst with her eyes wide open and absolutely no intention of falling for him beyond the mutual attraction they shared. This wasn’t a date, there were no emotions involved, and her heart . . . well, that part of her was still very cautious as far as letting a man permanently into her life again.

  “You’re awfully quiet,” Aiden said as the elevator moved upward, a tinge of concern in his voice. “What are you thinking, Daisy?”

  He still held her hand, and she loved how possessive and protective it felt, like she was his, if only for the night. She glanced up into his kind eyes and realized he’d probably taken her silence as her having second thoughts, which wasn’t happening. But she wasn’t about to share the details of her dysfunctional relationship with her mother with Aiden, so she refocused her mind onto something more pleasurable. Like his full, sensual lips and what they’d feel like against hers.

  “I’m thinking that I wish you would kiss me.” Yeah, she wanted that, so much.

  He groaned, and the gentle look from a few seconds ago heated with something deliciously dangerous. “Trust me, not kissing you right now is taking all of my restraint. But I already know that once I start, I’m not going to stop until you’re naked and filled up with my cock, and I don’t think the hotel management would appreciate us fucking in the elevator.” The corner of his mouth quirked with a hint of a devilish grin. “Then again, if it’s some kind of hot fantasy of yours, I’d be more than happy to make it happen.”

  Her entire body heated at the thought. She didn’t doubt him, because
Aiden always followed through on his word. In business . . . and she knew that same trait would apply to anything else he set his mind to. Like seducing her in an elevator.

  But she wasn’t that much of a thrill seeker or an exhibitionist. “I think it’s best to wait until we’re alone,” she said with a touch of humor.

  He chuckled as he lifted her hand and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles. “I promise to make it worth the wait.”

  Daisy’s stomach fluttered at the sweet, swoon-worthy gesture, and her knees went weak. She really couldn’t wait to have that mouth on hers, and anywhere else he might want to put it.

  The elevator chimed as they arrived on their floor. Aiden led the way to his room, used his key card to unlock the door, then let her precede him inside. They both had standard king-size beds, and the room itself was spacious and luxurious. One of the nightstand lamps had been left on, and it was just enough light to illuminate the area.

  While she slipped off her shoes, Aiden took her purse from her and set it on the dresser, then tossed his jacket onto a nearby club chair. Before she could advance any farther into the room, he placed his hands on her waist and backed her up against the wall. She’d expected him to get right down to business on the bed, but if he wanted to mix things up, she was certainly game. Besides, there was something incredibly sexy about having a hard, unyielding surface at her back and an equally solid, muscled one pressing in from the front.

  His eyes fell to her mouth, his gaze filling with a breathtaking hunger for her. “I owe you a kiss,” he murmured.

  Grabbing the loosened tie he still wore, she gave it a playful tug. “Yes, you do,” she agreed with a soft, needy sigh.

  He lifted his hands and threaded his fingers through her unbound hair, playing with the strands before pushing his hands deeper into the waves. “We didn’t establish where that kiss would be, so I’m going to have to cover all bases.”

  She wasn’t about to object, and she tipped her chin up toward him, her lips already slightly open and waiting for him to claim. “Please do.”

  The last thing she saw was his smirk of satisfaction as he lowered his head and touched his mouth to hers. His initial kiss was soft and sweet and much too tame for the restless longing building inside of her. He gently nibbled on her bottom lip, then skimmed his tongue along that plump flesh before placing a chaste kiss at the corner of her mouth. If he was trying to drive her crazy, he was nearly succeeding.

  “Aiden,” she moaned in frustration. “Stop with the vanilla crap and move on to the chocolate already. I want the good stuff.”

  He laughed, getting her reference. She didn’t want to be treated gently. Not tonight.

  His big hands tightened in her hair as he pulled her head back, causing her neck to arch and forcing her lips to part so that when he took her mouth she’d have no defenses against how he kissed her. He held her head immobile, and in that moment, it was clear that he’d taken complete control and that, whatever happened next, she had no choice but to go along for the wild ride.

  His eyes darkened, heated in a way that made her pussy clench and ache, and when he claimed her mouth this time, the kiss was immediately hot, deep, and fueled with lust. It was the darkest, richest chocolate imaginable, and she wanted more. So much more. The memories of these kisses had to last her a good long while after tonight, and she suddenly felt greedy and ravenous.

  The deep, erotic, tongue-tangling kisses continued as he unbuttoned her blouse and tugged the hem from the waistband of her skirt. His mouth never left hers as he pushed the fabric off her shoulders and down her arms, until it was falling off her body and onto the floor. He reached around to her back, and like a man who knew his way around women’s lingerie and who’d clearly honed his skills, he easily unhooked her bra in one try. That silk and lace garment joined the rest of her clothing on the floor.

  She moaned against his lips as her tight, aching breasts swung free. She fully expected him to cop a feel, wanted him to, but his hands moved down her spine until he found the button and zipper of her skirt. While he took care of getting rid of that piece of clothing, he showed off his impressive multitasking skills, his mouth never letting up on hers as he assaulted her senses with more blistering, toe-curling, panty-melting kisses—and she wasn’t exaggerating about her panties melting. Her underwear felt hot and wet enough against her flesh to disintegrate.

  Once the skirt was off, he finally released her mouth and took a step back so he could look his fill of her, and feeling emboldened, she leaned seductively against the wall and let him. His gaze drifted over her flushed face, taking in her tousled hair and the lips that felt swollen and bruised from his unrelenting kisses. He continued the trek, admiring her full, firm breasts, the swell of her hips, and her curvy thighs. She was still wearing her panties, but when his scorching gaze momentarily stopped at the white lace concealing her sex, she felt as though she might as well have been completely naked.

  His eyes came back to her face, the depths filled with lust and awe. “Jesus, Daisy,” he said, his voice rough as sandpaper. “That was like unwrapping a long-anticipated present on Christmas day and discovering what you asked for was so much more than you’d ever expected. You’re fucking gorgeous.”

  She shivered at his compliment. She was well aware that she didn’t have the tightest, skinniest figure—she was a girl who liked to eat more than just a salad and she’d never refuse a cupcake—but she’d never felt so adored. So beautiful. So desirable. “Thank you.”

  He tugged at the knot of his tie until the loop was big enough for him to remove the accessory over his head, then he started in on the buttons of his white dress shirt. She licked her lips in anticipation, because it was now her turn to watch him strip and enjoy what he was about to reveal.

  “I’ve always wondered what you were hiding beneath those conservative suits you wear, and now I know,” he said, revealing to her that he’d fantasized about her, too. “A banging body meant to be thoroughly fucked, with soft, sexy curves designed to take a cock hard and deep, just like you’re going to take mine.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. Holy shit. She was already wet from his kisses, but now her panties were absolutely soaked by his explicit, unfiltered words. Aiden was the consummate gentleman at work, the nice, easygoing guy who flirted and teased. But in the bedroom, she was quickly learning that this man was a dirty-talking alpha who liked being in charge, and it was seriously hot. That dominant edge had her body softening, ready and willing to submit to whatever he demanded.

  No wonder his little black book app was constantly pinging with notifications from interested women. He’d definitely be her go-to guy for a booty call if she did this kind of thing on a regular basis.

  He shrugged out of his shirt and stripped off his pants, and now she had intimate knowledge of what he looked like beneath his tailored suits. Her imagination didn’t do the real thing justice, and she committed everything about his gorgeous, delectable body to memory . . . his solid chest, the cuts in his muscled abdomen, and that deep, carved V that disappeared into the waistband of his black boxer briefs. Despite him still wearing his underwear, she brazenly looked lower and swallowed hard. The thick length of his cock outlined beneath the cotton fabric was testament to exactly what was coming her way, and she realized it was going to be a deliciously tight fit when it happened.

  A sly, knowing smile curved his lips as he stepped back to her, and as soon as he was close enough, she didn’t waste any time in tucking her fingers into the waistband of his briefs to pull them down so she could look and touch and play with his cock. Before she could execute the move, he grabbed her wrists and pinned her hands against the wall at her sides.

  “No touching yet, sweetheart,” he said, releasing her so that his fingers could tangle in her hair again. He tipped her head to the side and skimmed his lips along her jaw and up to her ear, nipping the lobe. “I’m already rock hard and throbbing, and I’m not about to come in your hand like a goddamn teenager. Not
only that, I still haven’t covered all those other bases with kisses.”

  She laughed, then moaned as his mouth, open and hot and damp, pressed along the side of her neck, causing goose bumps to break out all over from the divine sensation, as well as the arousing scratch of his trimmed beard on her skin as he gradually made his way lower. His tongue stroked languidly over the hollow of her throat, then down the center of her chest, eliciting a delightful shiver as his mouth reached her cleavage.

  He pressed the sides of her breasts together, and when he licked and sucked and bit roughly at the pebbled tips, she felt that sharp, tugging sensation all the way down to her core. She moved restlessly against the wall, pushing her nipples deeper into his mouth and rubbing her thighs together to help ease the swollen, heavy feeling in between. It did little good. She needed direct stimulation to give her the orgasm that already felt so close to consuming her.

  She speared her fingers through his hair, gripping the strands tight. “Aiden . . .” His name fell from her lips on a desperate note of sheer need.

  Keeping his mouth latched onto her nipple, he let one hand drift down her rib cage and along her stomach before sliding into her panties. Her legs were already anxiously parted, and profound relief and pleasure poured through her at the first glide of his fingers along her sensitive slit, and he let out a low, possessive-sounding growl at what he found . . . an abundance of slick heat that instantly coated his hand.

  “Oh, fuck.” The crude words were filled with acute appreciation, because he obviously knew he was responsible for that hot mess of arousal that greeted him. He lifted his head from her breasts to look at her face, his expression darker and more intense than she’d ever seen it before. “You’re so fucking wet and your clit is so hard,” he murmured, pressing his thumb against that excruciatingly sensitive bundle of nerves while two fingers slid deep inside her. “You’re so ready to come, aren’t you, sweetheart?”