by Bianca Cole
I hate that I can’t see how it looks on me. The fact I’ve not seen my outfit in a mirror makes me ridiculously self-conscious. “I’m not sure I can go in there in this.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You look stunning.”
I bite my bottom lip. “You’re not just saying that?”
He growls and then wraps his arms around my waist. “If you want, I’ll rip it off right now and take you here.”
I shake my head. “I told you—”
“The hard to get act is getting a little old, don’t you think?”
I smile up at him and shrug. “Fine, let’s have dinner.”
He presses a button and speaks through to the driver, “We’re ready.”
“Of course, sir.”
The door opens, and the driver helps me out of the car and onto the street. I smooth the silk dress down over my hips. Food is the last thing on my mind right now. All I can think about his how perfect his body felt pressed against me. This is going to be a long and torturous evening.
11
Wes
“Reservation for Wes Peterson,” I say.
The host nods. “Right this way, sir.”
My hand remains firmly planted on the small of Ivy’s back as we walk to our table. We’re taken to a private booth near the back and I’m gagging to sit next to her. Instead, I keep my restraint and take the seat opposite.
This is a chance for me to prove to her I’m not just a creep. I want her to know that I can be a gentleman, even if every single encounter up to now has proved the opposite. The problem is she makes me crazy with desire. It’s impossible to control myself around her. She’s mine. I’m going to claim her tonight. There’s nothing that can stand in my way.
I grit my teeth together as my possessive side takes control again. Ivy is staring down at the menu in silence. Her red-hair looks perfect falling around her shoulders, complimented by the gold dress.
She glances up at me with those fiery blue eyes. That normal irritation in them isn’t present. Instead, they are filled with hungry longing. I’m not sure when she started looking at me like that, but I like it.
The thought of wrapping that beautiful hair around my fist, claiming her lips with my own makes me harder than nails. Ever since she slid into my car, I’ve been hard. My boxers are sticky with my leaking precum—it is torture. I’m not hungry for food, I’m hungry for her.
“Ivy, I want to cut the crap,” I say.
Her eyes flick up at me. “What do you mean?”
I shake my head. “We’re both grown adults. That email you sent to me was very graphic about what you desire.” I narrow my eyes slightly. “It’s clear that I desire the same thing.” I lower my voice so no one can overhear me. “I want to fuck you tonight.”
She swallows thickly and says nothing. Her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink as she shuffles in her seat.
“Don’t tell me you don’t want it.”
She shakes her head. “What about work?”
I frown. “What about it?”
She inhales a deep breath. “If we’re going to fuck, then we can’t let it affect how we act at the office.”
Hearing her say fuck has me ready to jump across the table and take her here on top of it. My cock throbs in my pants, straining so hard against the zipper it feels like it will rip through the fabric. A smile tugs at my lips, hearing her admit the truth out loud. She wants me.
Why the hell does a hole open in my stomach at the same time?
All she wants is a good fuck.
Isn’t that all I want? Normally.
Ivy is different. I can’t ever imagine letting her go once I’ve claimed her—no other man is going near her. I’m going to make sure she never wants another man. The thought makes me want to turn into a cave man and club any guy that even so much as looks at her wrong.
Ivy clears her throat.
“In the office, we will remain strictly professional.” I smile. “Although, that means we can’t fulfill the fantasy you detailed in your email.” I wink at her.
Ivy rolls her eyes, before biting her bottom lip. “Perhaps we can make an exception out of hours.” She blushes and glances down at her menu again.
She’s so vulnerable when she’s not biting my head off over the way I look at her or my cocky attitude. The waitress comes over and takes our orders. She orders a medium-rare steak, exactly how I like it. I order the same and her brow raises in surprise. It looks like we have more in common than she had expected.
“We should set out some ground rules.” She crosses her arms over her chest.
“In the office or in bed?” I ask.
She shakes her head, a small smirk playing at her lips. “In the office.”
I nod my head. “Let me have it then.”
Her eyes narrow. “You can’t come on to me in the office again, like you did that day against your door.”
I hold my hands up. “Okay, what else?”
She looks surprised at how quickly I agree. “Also, no kissing or flirting in the office unless after hours and no one is around. We can’t have rumors spreading, particularly not to my father.”
“Agreed.” Her father is a powerful man and I don’t want to get on the wrong side of him. If he learned I was banging his daughter, then I would probably never work in this town again.
I should have reconsidered this entire arrangement for that reason, but I couldn’t. Ivy is all I want. I’d do anything to have her even if my career is at risk. My career is all I’ve got in life and even that I’d risk for her.
I want to tell her the truth. That she’s the only woman I’ve ever wanted this bad, but I know it would only complicate things. She’s after a hot office affair and I’m not going to turn her down—I’ll take what I can get. This woman has me wrapped around her little finger. I may be a cocky bastard in her eyes but she has done something to me.
“Even when we’re in public together we have to act professional.” She glances around nervously. “You know how fast rumors spread in this city.”
I do know. Her words only make the hole in my chest widen. I was about to ask if I could join her over on the other side of the booth, but looks like she’s struck that through before I even asked. I lean back in the chair and try not to let it get to me.
This is a casual affair—a business transaction. It’s what I’m used to. I don’t do relationships. So why do I feel so disappointed Ivy doesn’t want to be seen with me? I nod my head unable to speak past the lump in my throat.
She turns her head and smiles at me. “Is that it?”
My brow furrows. “Is what it?”
“No snide remark or sexist comment? No rules of your own?” Her blue eyes hold my gaze.
I shake my head. “Nope, I think you’ve covered everything when it comes to the office.” My smirk widens. “But, in the bedroom I have a rule of my own.”
Her cheeks turn pink and her eyes widen. “What kind of rule?”
I lower my voice again to a husky growl. “In bed, I’m in charge. You do as I say when I finally claim that tight pussy for my own. Do you understand what I’m asking from you?”
I see her shiver at my words. She licks her lips and nods.
“Good,” I growl. “I’m going to make you feel things you never believed possible.”
Her ears have turned pink now and she can’t look me in the eye. It is even more of a turn on to see how my words can make her so vulnerable.
She clears her throat. “How about we try to enjoy dinner and talk about something else?”
She’s so flustered by me I bet her panties are soaked through. I want to throw some cash down on the table and get out of there right away. I’m hungry to taste her not the food, but I control my primal urges. “Sure.”
I take a sip of wine and she sips her water. As the night wears on, we manage to have a conversation without her trying to bite my head off. I learn she hates being a lawyer.
“Why do you do the job then?”
&nbs
p; She shrugs. “It was never a question what I was going to be when I grew up. My father had mapped out my life before I could walk.”
I run a hand through my hair. “That seems pretty fucked-up. What do you want to do?”
She glances up at me with wide eyes, as if I’m the first person to ever ask her. “I don’t know.” She shrugs. “No one has ever asked me. It’s not a question I’ve ever considered the answer to.” She bites her lip and I know she’s holding something back.
I’d heard rumors about her dad. I knew he was a hard ball, but this is ridiculous. To force his own daughter into a profession she hates is just plain wrong. “Well, consider it now.”
She gazes into her glass of water for a moment. All of a sudden, a wide joyful smile crosses her face and I feel my stomach flip. “I love writing.”
Writing.
“You want to be an author?”
She shrugs. “I’d love to be, but it’s never going to happen.” She shakes her head. “There’s no point talking about it. It’s not like I could ever leave the firm.” Her head dips and the smile fades.
I clench my jaw. That’s bullshit. “Okay, hypothetically, if you were to be an author what would you write?”
Her cheeks flush again and she gazes up at me. “I have been working on a romance novel when I get the time.”
I smirk. “I’d love to read it some time, if it’s anything like that story you emailed me.”
She turns even redder at that. “Oh, no one has ever read it. It’s not good enough.”
I hate her putting herself down. I hate that her father has suppressed her dreams, especially since she is only twenty-three years old. She should be able to do what the hell she wants. “Don’t put yourself down like that, I bet it is great.”
She gives me the most beautiful smile ever and glances down at her plate. I feel anger building in my gut that her father has controlled her so much. “Ivy, it’s your life and you can’t let someone else rule it. Do what makes you happy.”
She places a hand against her chest. “Is that a hint of concern I hear in your voice?” She shakes her head. “I never thought I’d hear Wes Peterson be so soppy.”
“I’m not being soppy. It’s the truth.” I run a hand through my hair. “Life is too short. Why waste your life doing something you hate?” I take another sip of my wine. “I got into law because I love it. The thrill of standing in court and arguing the case, and the thrill of winning, which I always do.” I raise an eyebrow.
She laughs a beautiful, natural laugh. “There’s the cocky bastard I know.”
I don’t even care that she calls me a bastard, in fact, I relish it. I know how much she wants me. It’s surprising how comfortable I am with her. She’s interesting. I rarely find women I intend to sleep with interesting, but Ivy seems to be the one exception to all my rules.
I have a feeling that fiery facade is one layer of many. I wonder about the rest of them. What makes her tick. What is she hiding behind all that angry passion? I want to get to know this girl in the bedroom and outside.
Shit.
What is happening to me?
12
Ivy
I’m ready to explode as Wes sits close to me in the back of his car. He moves his thumb in soothing circles over my back. His thigh rests against mine, and he seems so at ease. He’s probably done this so many times.
I’m the total opposite. A mess of nerves. I never do one-night stands or hook-ups like this. It’s just not like me. Wes hasn’t said a word since we got in his car. It makes me more nervous. The silence hums with this anticipation. My fantasy sex story is about to become a reality.
My thighs clench at the thought. His car rolls to a stop and he squeezes my hand. “We’re here.”
I force a smile despite the nerves twisting my gut. He gets out of the car and then turns to help me out, offering me his hand. It’s shocking how much of a gentleman he can be when he’s not acting like a total asshole.
As I tried to fit him to the mold I’d had him pegged to since our first meeting, he made it impossible. He was flirty throughout the dinner, but other than that he was respectful—kind, even. In fact, our conversation after the agreement about sleeping together was nice.
His hand entwines with my own as he walks into his building. I glance around to make sure there’s no one I know can see me. He seems to notice how tense I get and stops. “Worried about being seen holding my hand?” His eyebrow raises, and he looks almost hurt.
I shrug. “One of the rules. We need to be professional in public.”
He cocks his head and nods. “Fair enough.” He continues toward the elevator a few paces ahead of me. If I were to call it, he seems a little pissed off that I didn’t want to hold his hand.
I ignore it and step into the elevator next to him. The doors shut, plunging us into total privacy. It’s less than a second before his hands tighten around my hips, pulling me into his body. I place my hand on his hard chest as he bruises his lips to mine.
I melt into him, allowing myself to give over control to him entirely. His tongue teases over my own and I moan into his mouth. The throb of his huge cock against my lower abdomen makes me gasp. He grinds into me, as our bodies writhe together in the elevator. It’s hard to believe I’m kissing the asshole who hit on me at the firm’s party.
I hate him. I want him. I need him.
The ding of the elevator startles me away from him. His arms snake around my waist and he pulls me close as the doors open. I try to push him away worried we’ll be seen.
“Don’t worry. We’re not in public anymore. This is my floor,” he purrs into my ear.
The entire floor?
We’re on the top floor of one of the largest and most expensive apartment blocks in Wynton. I glance over at the man standing by my side. I don’t know anything about him. According to my father, Wes was a big shot lawyer in New York. I’m sure the pay was better there than in Wynton, but no lawyer has this much money.
Before I can question him his lips bruise against mine, making me melt into his hard body. His tongue dueling with mine as he kisses me. I moan into him, enjoying the feel of his muscular body pressing into me. His hands grab my ass possessively, pulling me even closer.
I feel his pulsing length press into my lower tummy as he grinds into me. My arms wrap around his neck and Wes lifts me into him, forcing my legs around his waist. He pushes me higher and higher, as his tongue teases against my own, coaxing moan after moan from my lips.
I can barely focus on what he’s doing as he forces my back against the door of his apartment. He fumbles to unlock it, holding me with one arm as I kiss him desperately. Finally, the lock clicks and he forces the door open, tumbling into his apartment with me still in his arms.
He sets me down on my feet once we’re inside. A fierce possessiveness burning in his chocolate brown eyes. My thighs quiver as I let my eyes rake down his body, halting at the thick bulge in his pants.
I glance around at my surroundings and my mouth hangs open. It’s the largest apartment I’ve ever seen. The place is filled with expensive furnishings and plush decorations. My eyes return to the man who is staring at me hungrily, wondering how he owns a place like this. “Can I take a look around?”
His eyes narrow. He looks like he’s considering whether to agree or pull me against him, again. “Sure, anything you want,” he purrs.
I step into the cavernous open-plan living room, dining room, and kitchen. The place has floor to ceiling windows looking out over the city. A huge terrace wrapping the entire front of his apartment. My eyes linger on the hallway leading off the room and deeper into the place. I walk down there, exploring. Wes remains close behind me. His footsteps echoing as I poke my head into a door ajar to the left.
I gasp. It’s a huge library with floor to ceiling bookcases and a desk to one side.
“Go inside,” he growls into my ear.
I lick my bottom lip and then step inside, walking toward the bookshelves. He
has so many books. Wes doesn’t cease to amaze me this evening. I read a few of the book titles and chuckle to myself when I see Pride and Prejudice. Wes doesn’t strike me as a Jane Austen kind of guy.
“What is so amusing?”
My heart skips a beat as I hadn’t realized he was standing so close. “Pride and Prejudice?” I raise an eyebrow.
He shrugs. “It’s a classic.” His eyes have that same hunger burning in them. As if he wants to devour me. “Does my library meet your approval?” he asks, stepping even closer. “Am I good enough to fuck you?”
My heart rate spikes and my whole-body floods with that teasing heat. “The fact you even own a library, or books for that matter, puts you a cut above most men I’ve been with.”
His jaw clenches and his eyes flash. “How many men have you been with?”
I glare at him. Did he just ask me that? As if it is a normal thing you discuss with someone you’re about to have a fling with. “That is none of your business.”
He steps toward me, melting me with his eyes. “It is my business. While we’re sleeping together, I own you. No other man can touch you.” He steps even closer, warmth spreading from his body into me. “Do you understand?” he growls.
My panties get even wetter and a shiver runs down my spine.
“Answer me, Ivy.”
I bite my bottom lip between my teeth and nod. I never thought I’d be so turned on by the way he wants to take charge and dominate me. I want him to take me. His fingers wrap around my throat gently and he presses his lips to mine in a searing kiss.
I melt into it, giving over to this fiery need he’s ignited inside of me. A strange desire to let him do any dirty, filthy thing he wants to me is ruling me. His tongue teases against my own, stoking that fire even hotter inside of me. The gentleness of the kiss along with the roughness of his hands slipping to grab my ass cheeks possessively as if he owns me makes me crazy.