He gave me a look. "I'm not?"
"Not now, you're not."
"So you're quitting."
I lifted my chin. "Yes."
Now, he was frowning again. "Why?"
"Because," I said, "tomorrow you're gonna hire me back."
"Tomorrow's Saturday."
I almost rolled my eyes. "You know what I mean. I’m just saying, you're not my boss in the bedroom." I hesitated. "Or on the couch, or the desk—"
His lips twitched. "The desk, huh?"
My gaze drifted to his office door. Somewhere inside that office was one of the biggest desks I'd ever seen. It looked really sturdy, too. It even had one of those big leather writing mats to cushion the hardness.
In truth, I'd thought about his desk often, and in ways that were totally unrelated to business. In my fantasies, he'd done me on that desk at least a dozen times.
Would the reality match the fantasy? Hard to say. The fantasies had been obnoxiously good.
I gave myself a mental slap. We were getting off-track. I looked back to him and said, "And I only want to do this once."
Now, he looked almost ready to laugh. "You mean one time or –"
"One night," I clarified. And then, feeling incredibly self-conscious, I mumbled, "Not that it has to be one time during the night. I'm just saying…" Cripes, what was I saying?
He eyed me with mock innocence? "Yes?"
I made a sound of frustration. "Well, I guess I’m saying, I just want to get you out of my system, that's all."
He gave a low scoff. "Good luck with that."
Whatever. "Do you have to be so cocky all the time?"
"Cocky, huh?"
"I'm not joking," I said. "I mean it. Afterward, it might get awkward, and I don't want it to be."
"Yeah? Why's that?"
I so didn't want to say. But as long as I was laying my cards on the table, I just put it out there. "Because I don't want to lose my job."
He stiffened. "You think I’m gonna fire you?"
"Isn't that what you were just doing?"
"No. I was trying to spare you."
"From what?"
He gave a rueful laugh. "From watching me go nuts."
I couldn’t resist saying, "Oh, please. You've been nuts from the first moment I met you."
"You're telling me."
I was pretty sure I'd just been insulted. But I refused to let myself get sidetracked. "I'm just saying, if we get it out of our system, I don’t want to feel all funny after."
"If you feel funny," he said, "someone's doing it wrong."
"I'm not kidding," I told him. "If we do this…"
His mouth was twitching again. "This?"
"You know what I mean. I'm just saying, come Monday, we'll both pretend it never happened." I paused. "Deal?"
"I can if you can."
In theory, it sounded so good.
But the reality turned out to be very different.
Chapter 48
For a long moment, we stared into each other's eyes, as if the reality was finally hitting home. Holy hell. We were seriously going to do this.
I heard myself say, "I like your office."
Hint, hint.
He smiled. "Yeah? You're gonna like it a lot more in five minutes."
I breathed, "I am?"
Silently, he turned and strode toward his office door. He opened it wide and then turned back to face me. He flicked his head toward the interior and said, "On the couch."
"What?"
The corners of his mouth lifted. "Unless you want to talk about it some more."
"No," I blurted. "I just mean, it's all settled, right?"
He moved toward me. "We'll see."
My stomach fluttered. "We'll see what?"
He never did answer. Instead, he closed the distance between us and pressed his lips to mine. If I'd thought our first kiss had been amazing, this one almost put it to shame. His lips were warm and sweet, and his arms wrapped so perfectly around me, cradling me against him as his lips moved against my own.
When his tongue darted between my lips, I gave a muffled sigh of pure bliss. He tasted like sin and candy – or maybe that was just me and my own emotions running wild like the feel of my heart racing in my chest.
By the time he pulled back, my knees were weak and I was having a hard time catching my breath. This was so wrong. But it felt so very right.
He smiled. "On second thought…"
I froze. Oh, crap. He wasn't going to change his mind, was he? I reached out and yanked him closer. "If you tell me 'no' now, I swear, I'm gonna…" I tried to think. What could I do? I didn't know, and I was far too distracted to come up with a decent threat. Lamely, I finished by saying, "I'll do something, that's what."
He laughed. "Got that right."
I pulled back to glare up at him. "What?"
"I was saying, 'On second thought…'"
I held my breath.
He leaned close and whispered in my ear, "I'm gonna fuck you on my desk."
I sucked in a breath. Wow. Did he know that was my fantasy?
Oh. Of course. I'd actually mentioned it, hadn't I?
I wanted to say something coherent in return, but nothing broke through my addled, lust-filled brain. So instead, I gave a slow nod and murmured, "Okay."
Okay?
The word didn't begin to describe how I felt. Then again, it probably would be unseemly to say, "You'd better. Or else."
He pulled me close once again and kissed me until I was a breathless, quivering mess. His hands on my back slid lower until they reached my ass. His hands crept under my skirt and caressed my cheeks through my panties.
His hands were big, and my body felt small and tight in his firm grip. Almost before I knew what was happening, he was lifting me up against his muscle-bound body. My skirt hiked high, and on raw instinct, I wrapped my legs around his waist as he turned, still kissing me, and moved us through his open office doorway.
Using his foot, he yanked the door shut behind us and then headed straight for his desk. Gently, he set me on the edge, facing the door we'd just come through. My thighs were parted on either side of his waist, spreading me open and ready.
Yes, I was still fully dressed, but inside, I was warm, slick, and waiting.
In a low voice, he said, "Don't move."
"What?"
He pulled back, leaving me staring up at him. Self-consciously, I began to close my legs.
"Don't," he said.
I didn't ask why not, because whatever he had in mind, I was willing and ready.
And then, to my endless surprise, he knelt down in front of the desk and kissed me first on the inside of my left thigh, and then my right.
He looked up to meet my gaze. "I've been thinking of this, you know."
I was almost too excited to breathe. "You have?"
"Oh yeah." He lowered his head and pressed his lips to my thigh again, higher this time.
I sucked in a ragged breath. This wasn't what I'd expected, and I almost didn't know what to do. But then, there wasn't much I could do, because with a trail of tender kisses, he reached the intersection of my thighs, where the crotch of my panties was the only barrier between his mouth and my aching need.
Through the silky fabric, he ran his tongue lightly across the surface of my clit. Oh, my God. I wasn't even sure how he'd found it so quickly. I mean, I hadn't been with a ton of guys, but Jaden was the first one who'd known exactly where to go – and holy hell, what to do.
I was still fully clothed, and so was he. But already, I felt dangerously close to losing it right there in his office.
He nudged aside the crotch of my panties and slipped a long finger inside me. My hips rose and I gave a little moan of encouragement. I was slick and ready, and even moreso when he further nudged the panties and took my aching clit into his mouth. He suckled it gently and then moved his tongue in maddening circles around the outside and then over the tip.
I murmured, "Oh, wow."
Wow?
What was I saying?
I hardly knew. But I did know that I didn't want him to stop. My eyelids drifted shut as his tongue danced across my aching nub, making me moan and squirm against the smooth surface of his desk.
I wasn't even sure how he did it – timed the motion of his finger and tongue and lips so perfectly in tune with what I wanted – or rather, what I hadn't even realized I wanted.
Already, I was the feeling the pressure building deep inside me. I should've felt self-conscious. He was still my boss, and technically, we were at work, even if it was after hours.
My hands were behind me, with my palms pressed flat against the desk. Otherwise, I might've simply toppled over from raw excitement. Heaven knows, my stomach muscles wouldn't be keeping me upright, not with him turning my whole body to jelly.
And yet, I was so desperate to touch him. Keeping my left hand in place, I lifted my right hand and reached out in his direction. I ran my fingers through his thick hair, letting it sift through my fingertips as he continued to drive me absolutely crazy with his mouth and tongue.
It was like he knew my body almost better than I did. And even in my addled state, I had to admit that he was right. It wasn't bragging when you delivered.
And boy, did he deliver. Almost before I knew it, my stomach muscles contracted, and I couldn't stop the waves of pleasure washing over me, even if I wanted to, which I totally didn't. As I shuddered my release, he didn't stop. Instead, he kept on going, teasing and coaxing more shudders out of me as I whimpered and ground against his face.
It was almost too much, and yet I loved every moment of it. Already, I felt almost too breathless and dizzy to stay upright, and I had to wonder if this was all just a dream.
If it was, it was very, very good.
When he pulled back, I gazed down at him and murmured, "You didn't have to do that."
He smiled. "Yeah. I did."
With a smile of my own, I asked, "Why?"
"Because I wanted to." He stood and gazed down at me. In a low voice, he said, "And because I want you to be ready."
"For what?" And then, I gave a nervous laugh. "Oh. Never mind. Stupid question."
But was it any wonder? In truth, I was almost surprised that I could speak at all.
Even so, it suddenly struck me that both of us were still fully clothed. Cripes, I was still wearing my panties, even if they were slick and soaked with the product of my desire.
I was ready and then some – and beyond eager. I pushed myself forward and reached for the button of his jeans. A few fumbling motions later, I had his pants open, and his erection in my hand. He was massively hard and even larger than I'd realized.
I felt myself swallow. Maybe it was a good thing I was so ready.
I encircled his length and smiled as it pulsed in my hand. I looked up to meet his eyes and was surprised to see him gazing at me with a look that I couldn’t quite decipher.
He looked almost like a guy in love – but of course, that was beyond crazy. He didn't love anyone, and besides, this was just a one-time thing.
I looked back to his erection and felt my tongue brush against my lips. I knew I'd never be able to take all of him into my mouth, but I was so tempted to try.
I made a move to get off the desk. But he stopped me saying, "Don't move."
"Why not?"
"Because," he said, "remember what I told you?"
He'd told so many things that I had no idea what he meant. I shook my head. "Actually, I'm not sure."
He smiled. "I said, I was gonna fuck you on the desk." He made a show of looking down. "And look, there you are."
My pulse quickened. Yes. Here I was.
And there he was, so achingly close. Even now, my hand was tight around him, stroking him, feeling him, and anticipating how he'd feel inside me.
Oh, boy.
Suddenly, I couldn't wait another moment. With my free hand, I tugged at his jeans, shoving them further down. But my panties – they were still on. I didn't want to move, but I didn't want them between us either.
I murmured, "A knife."
"What?"
"A knife," I repeated. "I wish you had one."
Sounding mildly amused, he said, "Oh yeah? Why's that?"
I glanced down to my panties. "So you could cut these stupid things off me."
"Hang on," he said.
"What?"
But already, he was reaching down into the pocket of his half-removed jeans. A moment later, his hand emerged with some sort of pocket knife.
With a smile, he said, "You asked for it." He flicked the blade open and nudged it under the flimsy waistband of my panties. One flick of the knife, and the panties fell away.
I almost giggled. "I can't believe you just did that."
"Hey, you asked."
He was right. I did. And now, there was something else I wanted. I smiled. "So, about that promise…"
A moment later, I was guiding him to my opening – not that he'd need any guidance, obviously. But it felt good to have him in my hands as he first entered me, slowly at first, and then with one long smooth motion.
The fit was tight, almost too tight at first, but then, as his hips moved backwards and then surged forward yet again, I welcomed the fullness. It was unlike anything I'd ever felt, even in my fantasies.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and leaned back to enjoy the view of him. It was silly, really, because both of us were still mostly clothed, which meant that I wasn't seeing nearly as much of him as I'd planned.
But this, like everything else tonight, felt vaguely wrong but oh-so right.
As he drove into me – filling me again and again – I couldn’t stop looking at him – his face, his physique, his eyes.
And then, there was the feel of him, sliding in and out, even as his hand caressed my face more tenderly than I might've expected.
By the time we shuddered against each other, I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven.
And that's when I knew – he was the best cookie I'd ever had, maybe the best I'd ever have, which made me love it all the more when we moved to the sofa for round two.
By midnight, he'd made nearly all of my fantasies come true – and all without leaving the office.
Afterward, we lay naked together on his office sofa. Now that our lust was spent, I should've felt uncomfortable or at least a little embarrassed at how I'd practically thrown myself at him.
But there was no embarrassment, just a deep satisfaction with zero regrets.
He was stretched out on his back, and I was cradled naked against him. With a laugh, I lifted my head to say, "I don't suppose you have any pizza?"
He made a show of looking around. "Not that I know of."
I snickered. "Oh well. Maybe next time." And then, I froze as the implication hit fast and hard.
Quickly, I added, "Not that there'll be a next time. I'm just saying, it's too bad I didn't think ahead." I gave a nervous laugh. "I would've packed a sandwich or something."
At that dreaded word, sandwich, I had to laugh for real. After all, sandwiches were nothing but trouble, at least when it came to Jaden.
With a warm smile, he said, "Would you settle for a candy bar?"
Oh man, a candy bar sounded nearly as blissful as, well, him actually. I nodded. "Do you have one?"
"Top drawer," he said. "But you've gotta get it."
"Why me?" I asked.
"Because," he said, "I want to watch your ass when you go. And then, when you return–"
"Oh shut up," I laughed, pushing myself up, and then off the sofa.
As I did, Jaden gave me a long, sleepy look. "That view's pretty good, too."
I gave an epic eye-roll as I turned to walk naked toward his desk.
When I reached it, he called out from the sofa, "But it's gonna cost you."
"Oh yeah? What?"
He gave it some thought. "A pen."
"What?"
"A pen," he repeated.
"Because I see the way you mangle them."
I knew what he meant. When I got agitated, I tended to write a little too hard. I had to smile. If he didn't like what I did with pens, I could only imagine what he'd think of all the pencils I'd massacred over the years.
"Alright. One pen," I said, returning with the candy bar.
He pulled me back into his arms, and we shared it, feeding it to each other in small nibbles.
All of this felt surprisingly intimate, and there was a huge part of me that never wanted the evening to end.
But it had to sometime, right?
So, after the candy bar was gone, so was I, along with Jaden, too. And why? It was because he absolutely insisted on walking me to my truck, where true to his word, he demanded full payment in the form of the only pen I had on me.
It was a cheap ballpoint, and yet, I still put up a mock protest when he actually demanded the thing by reminding me, "Hey, you made the deal, remember?"
Yes. I had.
But when I handed over the pen, that wasn't the deal I was thinking of. Rather, it was the other deal – the one where we'd agreed that this would be a one-time thing.
Suddenly, the deal didn't sound so great after all. But it was smart, and so I said a silent vow to keep it no matter what.
Still, I had to wonder, Would I be able to?
In truth, I wasn't so sure.
Chapter 49
The next day I woke feeling totally cheated – not because the sex hadn't been Earth-shattering, but because already, I wanted it again. With him.
Talk about frustrating.
And stupid, too.
After all, the plan had called for me to eat that cookie and be done with it, not to make myself hungry for more.
It was just past sunrise, and I was lying alone in my double bed. Almost before I realized what I was doing, my hand had already strayed between my thighs. I was slippery with desire and slightly sore from the previous night. But it was the good kind of soreness, like a souvenir from the best theme park ever.
I loved souvenirs. And I wanted one again.
I wanted him again.
Damn it.
But it didn't matter. That wasn't going to happen, as I'd told both of us in no uncertain terms. So I tried the next best thing, replaying last night's events and letting my own fingers substitute as best they could.
One Bad Idea: A Billionaire Loathing-to-Love Romance Page 21