I’d drop a quick, professional message into his voice mail and leave him in no doubt that professional was all our working relationship would be. Never mind the ache of my body reminding me of the one bright spot in my sex-life in the last fourteen months.
Hell, who was I kidding? My life.
Marcus had certainly kept his end of the bargain when it’d come to our one night together. He’d taken the time to get to know my body, not the wham, bam, thank you ma’am of my previous acquisitions. This time, something inside me had been filled, the ache soothed and appeased. For now.
“This is Marcus Brookhein…”
Marcus’s recorded voice snatched my attention and heat rushed to every cell of my body as my heart started pounding. Down girl. I took a deep breath, steadying my nerves to deliver the message I’d written down in my neat, block handwriting.
“Mr. Brookhein. It’s Ms. Harkness from StratEG.” My first words came out in a rush and I closed my eyes. Fuck. That’d serve me right for reliving a night of hot sex right before I needed to speak. I sucked in another quick breath, glad it wasn’t Marcus answering in real life or I would have come across as a complete gibbering idiot. “I’m calling to confirm that we will take the contract for consultancy. Ms. Walker will be in touch tomorrow with the details—”
The phone clicked, stalling my now perfectly rolling speech.
“Ms. Harkness, I’m glad you called.”
Marcus’s smooth tones brought back every touch, every silken caress he’d lavished on me in a single, blood-rushed second. I dropped the phone, almost orgasming right there in my seat. Shit. Shit. Shit.
“Abby, are you all right?” Even from far away I could hear the sharpness of concern in his tone.
I flushed, barely holding back an uncontrollable urge to giggle. Get a grip. I plucked the phone up and brought it to my ear, reminding myself I held all of the power.
Professional Abby snapped back into place.
“I didn’t expect you to be in your office.” Damn. I dug my nails into my palms at the sultry quality in my voice.
“Oh, I think you’ll find I’m always ready for business.” Marcus’s voice held a hint of amusement. Smug satisfaction.
I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing my hormones back into my dampening panties. “Business?” I gave the word a good dose of sarcasm. Oh yes, this was the perfect time to set him straight. Did he think I’d fall into his bed, or tumble onto his boardroom table so easily? “I’m glad you’re bringing that up Mr. Brookhein, because we do have a few things to discuss which fall…ah…outside of contractual parameters.”
“Ahh, yes. We can’t forget the rules, can we, Abby?”
I could imagine him leaning back in his chair, tapping those long fingers together with a smirk on his face. Squaring my shoulders, I adjusted the page with my bullet point list.
“I require my own office,” I started. This was the first thing I had thought of. No way could I share an office with Marcus and not remember what we’d done with each other. To each other. In each other. I gulped in air and held it, my thighs tightening as I twitched in my seat. “You are contracting me to complete a job and I intend to do it in the shortest time possible with minimal distractions. To ensure you get a fair return on the commitment you’re making, of course.” Each word filled me with more confidence so that by the time I’d finished my sentence, I felt more like myself. “Also, I may decide to work weekends and after hours, so I will require access to the office at all times.”
Actually I intended to work 24/7 until the contract was completed. And maybe once it was over, we could…
I stopped that thought in its tracks. No. We really couldn’t.
“Come now, Abby. Surely you’ll allow a little time for play.” Marcus’s words wended their way through the ear piece and my bones melted until I was just a puddle of hormones clutching a phone.
I was panting. Panting. “I’m coming—” Another little shiver. “Uh, arriving to work, Mr. Brookhein. No more than that. Just so we’re clear.” I ran my fingers through my hair and wiped the sheen of moisture off my forehead.
“Of course,” Marcus replied easily, the amusement back in his voice. “And I have some requirements of my own, but I’ll discuss those with you when you get here.”
I swallowed at the implied threat. I just bet I knew what his requirements were. And oh, I wanted them. Very much. My nipples hardened, my body heat climbing a few degrees.
“I’d like you to start as soon as possible.” He was still talking. I clawed back my focus. “Let me know when you think you can get here.”
“Ms. Walker will communicate my travel plans.” My words squeaked out. I cleared my throat and tried again. “As you are well aware, I’ve just got back, so I have a few things to take care of.”
A wall of silence followed my answer and I wondered if Marcus had heard me. I was about to repeat myself when he came back, his voice barely more than a hiss.
“Don’t take too long, Abby. I don’t appreciate being kept waiting. So if you have personal needs, attend to them on your own time.”
I lifted the phone away from my ear and looked at it, frowning. What did he think I meant by personal needs?
Smiling grimly I brought the phone back to my ear. “I said I’ll be there and I will. But, I’ll tell you this, Mr. Brookhein.” I waited a beat, making sure I had Marcus’s full attention. “I have many needs, far too many for just one night. So don’t expect me there tomorrow.”
Chapter Eleven
Marcus
Damn it!
I tossed my cell on the desk. That wasn’t how I’d imagined my much-anticipated phone call with Abby going. Then again, nothing the woman did was expected.
Under normal circumstances, I would never have considered using a tax consultant, but after seeing Abby at work in the boardroom—both during the presentation and after—it’d seemed like the perfect opportunity, especially with the current shakiness of the Nagasaki deal. Going public globally would give my Japanese investors more confidence in my companies moving forward, and assure them success wasn’t completely reliant on me.
And I couldn’t forget bringing her onboard would give me the chance to taste Abby again. On my terms.
Such a prickly woman. God forbid she should let go and enjoy the invitation to work with me, fuck with me, in the spirit I offered it. She wanted me though, of that I was sure. The sexy little kick in her voice when I’d first spoken had all but given it away.
A pity she’d then let her head get in the way of her hunger. I enjoyed the fact Abby set me a challenge. A hard win always made for the sweetest victory. She’d prevailed last time, which made her a worthy opponent. And a rare one.
I leaned back in my chair and hooked my hands behind my head. Abby was something special. My natural curiosity wanted to figure her out and put a label on her, understand why she needled me. The animal part of me just wanted her again.
Staring up at the ceiling, I ticked over various strategies, using the same single-minded focus I employed with my businesses. Hell, with anything I did. Once I’d set my mind on something, it was as good as mine.
Abby. She liked games. She enjoyed having somewhere to hide, a safe place to pretend. I knew all about the sanctuary of competition. That was what had gotten me through school, when my parents barely had enough money to provide me with lunch, let alone protect me from years of elitism. As far as they were concerned, I’d been the one who wanted to go to a highfalutin school and I had to deal with whatever came my way. They’d been content with what they had in life and hadn’t understood my need to better mine.
I’d graduated early because I’d pushed myself. Hard. Competing at every level against rich, entitled kids who thought they deserved more than me. Time and again they’d tried to break me, but I’d pitted myself against every one of their taunts, the bullying, the cheating and the lying. I might have been left bruised and battered, but I’d controlled the game the only way I knew how. By not
giving in. That was how I’d risen to the top.
Abby was like me. I sensed her edge of hardness, born from a place of desperation. Something had happened to her. Something bad. There was nothing she wouldn’t do to protect herself.
Except break the rules. I’d already figured out that rules allowed Abby to do what she wanted without the need for emotion.
I shifted in my seat to give my growing erection a little more room as the memories of just what she’d allowed rushed to envelope me. Licking at her honeyed juices while my fingers were buried deep in her wet folds, her hands clawing at my hair. My cock thrusting between her sweat-slickened breasts, balls pulling tight as her mouth engulfed my head, in and out of kiss-swollen lips. The sight of her glistening pussy as I’d pushed all the way in, again and again.
Fuck! My cock throbbed, fast becoming a painful pleasure as it strained against the seam of my jeans. I could take care of it easily enough. Free my pounding hard-on and imagine my fist was Abby’s mouth, her hand, her tits. I hissed out a breath as I struggled to tame my wild urges. I refused to beat off to a fantasy of Abby like some school-aged boy with a dirty mag. No, I wanted to savor the burn and build the aching tease until I had her again.
But I would make Abby pay for each time I didn’t allow myself release over her. Game or no game, I would have her back in my bed. My board table. My desk. My shower. My. My. Mine.
The litany of thoughts about what I could and would do to Ms. Harkness when I saw her was broken by the jarring ring of my phone. I snatched it up, sure it was her calling for another sparring match. My balls tightened, cock hardening to steel. Oh yes. I was more than prepared to tangle with Abby again.
“I hope you’re in bed and ready to make it two nights,” I purred.
“Yes, but I bet you’ll wish I wasn’t.”
I froze, trying to wrap my brain around the deep, masculine voice answering my question, and my fast disappearing image of Abby stripped naked and willing for a round of phone sex.
“Marcus?”
“Cole. Shit. I’m at work.”
“Yeah. I know. I called you there, Captain Obvious.”
I sat back in my chair. “So you’re in town?” Cole had been due to arrive yesterday, waiting for the last few pieces of his big mall deal to fall into place.
Despite his laid back appearance, Cole was an astute businessman and one of the only people I trusted. Cole used my house as a hotel while he was in Wellsford. It suited us both and it wasn’t like I didn’t have the room.
“Yeah. Just arrived at your place now.”
“Okay. I’ll head back shortly.”
“Hurry home, honey,” Cole teased and I groaned.
“You’re not going to let me forget this, are you?”
Cole hooted. “Not a chance.” His voice dropped to a seductive whisper. “See you soon, big boy. Let’s make it three nights.”
Chapter Twelve
Abby
My eyeballs were about to fall out of their sockets. I needed sleep, every part of my body ready to shut down. Except my brain. That just wouldn’t quit. It’d been a stupid idea to phone Marcus. His voice had called up all manner of sensuous images that now tumbled around inside my head, reactivating hormones that should’ve been beaten into submission.
At least that was better than coming home. The first thing I saw was the empty spot on the hall table where the answering machine used to sit. It was worse in some ways than a blinking red light. Once again Nicky had tracked me down. My sister and Nathan had invaded my home and my thoughts. Pregnant. The word seared my brain.
One look around my barren, airless apartment and I knew I couldn’t stay. I needed to recharge my batteries so I fell into bed and tried to grab a few hours of sleep. As soon as night lightened into the butt-crack of dawn, I repacked my partially emptied bag and walked out, deciding to drive rather than fly to Wellsford. I still couldn’t escape my sister. A couple of hours into my drive my cell started ringing. Nicky’s number flashed across the screen. Shit. Didn’t she ever give up?
I almost ignored it. Almost.
Something inside of me snapped and I sent my phone flying out the window. Yeah. I could have just kept the cell and changed my number but it wasn’t nearly as satisfying as seeing it disintegrate into a hundred pieces under an eighteen wheeler.
I drove until there were enough miles between me and Chicago to relax. No more Nicky. No more Nathan. And with the slow release of tension came mind-numbing exhaustion. By mid-afternoon I could barely keep my eyes open. The next hotel became my destination point, tiredness hitting in a wave that had me reeling on my feet.
I crawled into bed and was dead to the world for twelve hours straight.
Pulling up outside Marcus’s house the next afternoon, I wondered again why I was here, and not at his downtown headquarters. When I’d queried the change of address with Stacy, she’d said something about his offices being refurbished. That was after she’d reamed me out for not having a cell phone for the last twenty-four hours. I’d sheepishly given her my new number.
I’d thought I could handle this, but being here ratcheted my stress meter up a notch or two. An office was impersonal, a reminder to display professional behavior, but Marcus’s home was conducive to more than just financial sheets—let’s try on a pair of bed sheets for size. Would that be so bad? The inner voice I’d been battling with on the two day drive reinstated itself, joining in a happy chorus with my lecherous libido.
Gah!
I flicked up my wrist to look at my watch, weighing up whether to get the reunion over with or leave it until morning. I’d already checked into my hotel so I could turn around and start fresh tomorrow, leaving Marcus to stew for another day. I frowned. Then again, the thought of another few hours on my own was no less palatable. I didn’t need any more time to think about Marcus and whether there was more to his job offer. Or the fact I might want there to be.
My sexual encounters were notoriously one night only. The cardinal rule had churned through my mind on the drive to Wellsford. But what if I wanted more? Marcus might not fit my mold in all the ways it counted. Only players. No. Only sex. No. Only one night. No. No. No. But he did seem to fit me. And I wanted him again. I sighed. That was one fact I couldn’t seem to get past.
Now, sitting outside Marcus’s house, I was prepared to accept the truth of the situation. The next few weeks presented a near perfect opportunity to slake my sexual hunger and stave off my yearnings for a hit of humanity. Marcus wasn’t averse to mixing a little pleasure with business, and surely as long as I held the balance of power, I could handle it. I’d done it once. My game. My rules.
One more time before the contract started couldn’t hurt.
I smoothed out the creases in my pants, thinking of all the ways to beat Marcus at his own game. Rocking up to the door, I pressed the buzzer, unprepared for Marcus himself to open the door. He was casually dressed in jeans and a gray T-shirt. I paused to catch my breath. Marcus’s welcoming smile was all it took for my panties to go damp. He filled his tee out so nicely… Worse still, I knew exactly what lay underneath and my fingers itched to lay a trail across that well-muscled chest.
Too late, I remembered myself and flicked my gaze upward. His stare was a whisky glass full of warmth and expectation. One hundred proof.
“Abby. Nice to see you.” His welcome was warm and genuine.
It was all the incentive I needed. “So, what are your rules, Mr. Brookhein?” I leaned back and let loose a mocking smile. If we were going to play, I was eager to gain the upper hand straight off the bat.
Marcus’s brow quirked in amusement. “And I think that’s my line. But then, I guess they are my rules this time.”
His voice hinted at the promise of bodies entwined and for a moment, I swore I caught the scent of sex on the air. I licked my lips as Marcus stood aside for me to pass. I brushed against him, sensing his rigid stance belied his casual demeanor. I relaxed further and the tremble in my legs eased. He wan
ted me too.
“No. You know the game. If you want me the same rules apply, Marcus.” I sent him a smoldering look over my shoulder, enjoying the flare of heat that widened his eyes as I spoke his name.
He leaned against the door to close it with a definite click and beckoned to me. I went willingly, allowing his hands to frame my hips and pull me close. Closer. The hard outline of his cock pushed into my belly and desire traced down my body straight to my clit. I tilted back, pushing past the tingling awareness of desire that slid like a dark caress along my senses, needing room to take a breath even though I wanted nothing more than to melt into him. Take everything Marcus had to offer.
“I want you. You know I do. But I believe I mentioned a few requirements.” Marcus paused, his stare scorching a path down my body, hitting all the right spots. “You’ll enjoy my own special adaption of the game.”
I wet my bottom lip with the tip of my tongue, vision clouding as my imagination spun out a wish-list of Marcus’s needs. Naked. Pounding. Orgasm. Not necessarily in that order.
“Anything.” My voice was little more than a whisper.
“I’m glad you say that.” Marcus’s lips slanted upward into a knowing smile that spoke of secrets and smacked of victory.
I wriggled and he pressed his fingers into my hips to hold me still. I couldn’t draw away and the image of me becoming caught in a sticky web of Marcus’s design was far too vivid. A prickle of unease scudded across my skin and I pulled away as far as he would let me, my eyes tightening as a frown formed. Did he think I’d be offended if he only wanted sex? The thought brought a brief smile to my lips. No. All I wanted was one more night.
“I want you, Abby. I think that’s obvious.” A quick flex of his hips emphasized Marcus’s words and had me clutching at his shirt to steady myself. “But that’s not all I want. I want more. I deserve more. And so do you.” Low and melodic, his voice was like erotic brush strokes against my skin, sending shivers of delight to pool low in my belly. “I want you to give yourself to me. Not just sex. All of you.” Like a splash of icy water, his words knocked me out of the sensual cocoon he’d wrapped me in.
His Rules (One Night Stand Series Book 1) Page 5