Just Business (Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies Book 1)

by Sidney Bristol

  She sighed into the kiss, all of her committed to this moment.

  The loud shriek of a phone started them both.

  Haley blinked at Konstantin, trying to figure out the source or whose phone.

  “I have to get that,” he said in a voice gone ragged.

  “You do?” She was tempted to ignore any and all distractions.

  He grimaced. “Yes.”

  Konstantin pushed up. She wrapped her arms around her and watched him, while trying to ignore the way her body missed him already. One taste and she was addicted.

  The gray sweatpants did little to hide his arousal. For some reason, that made her smile. She rolled onto her stomach and watched him stalk across the space to where his phone lay on the kitchen bar.

  “Yes?” His voice was clipped and almost normal. “Oh. No, everything’s fine. I think I’m headed to bed, so I’ll check in after breakfast. Good night.”

  Everything’s fine? Why wouldn’t it be fine?

  They were headed to bed? Now? She kind of liked the sound of that.

  Konstantin hung up the phone and turned toward her, a bemused smile on his lips.

  “They saw something in the window and wanted to make sure everything was okay,” he said.

  “Oh.”

  Well, shit.

  He tapped the phone and half the lights went out.

  “Come on,” he said.

  “Come on where?” Haley pushed up off the sofa. She had a fairly good idea what he was thinking. Or at least she hoped she did.

  She kept some distance between them as she retrieved her side arm. That was one thing that couldn’t be left lying about.

  Konstantin held out a hand to her.

  Haley looked at it for a moment, not because she was uncertain but because she wanted to remember this. The way she felt, how he looked, the full-body awareness that made even her most comfortable bra seem scratchy. She took his hand and he pulled her toward him for a brief kiss.

  He backed away from her, breaking the kiss. She let him lead her up the stairs while the rest of the lights flipped off.

  Was this smart? Did she care anymore?

  The one truth she knew was that things could not continue as they had been. She couldn’t remain in her current role. Things had to change. If that change was acknowledging the mutual desire, should she fight it? Or should she follow her heart?

  Haley didn’t know what the big picture held for them, but she did know that tonight she wanted to indulge. To give in.

  Konstantin led her into his room. He stopped at the dresser and pulled out the middle drawer.

  Half of the drawer was taken up by a gun box.

  She placed her sidearm in the drawer next to the box.

  He shut the drawer and placed his phone on a charging pad near the door.

  Simple, routine actions. And yet, they felt like a precursor to something else. Something more.

  An arm snaked around her waist. Konstantin pulled her to him, his mouth once more devouring hers in the toe-curling kiss she was beginning to crave. She slid her hands up and over his shoulders, surrendering to the kiss. He turned them, pressing her against the dresser.

  This man and flat surfaces. It seemed to be a thing and she did not mind it one bit.

  Konstantin palmed her breast in a bold move. She groaned at the feel of someone other than herself touching her. It was such a delicious almost foreign sensation after so long, and so much better because it was him.

  She let go of Konstantin and pulled her shirt up over her head, eager for the feel of skin on skin. He looked down at her, his eyes gone dark with lust. She smiled while her insides squirmed.

  Of all the men, why did she have to fall for this one?

  It would be easier if he were anyone else.

  Too bad she’d never liked things easy.

  He unfastened her bra and she let it fall to the ground.

  Konstantin went to a knee, plumping her breasts with both hands. He licked and suckled her nipples. She clung to the dresser to stay upright while her body throbbed to the point that it felt as though she were on the brink of orgasm.

  This had gone on long enough. There was years of pent up desire to deal with and she wasn’t that patient.

  Haley wanted him now.

  She planted her hands on his shoulders and pushed. He sat, blinking up at her. She came down on top of him, pushing him flat on the floor. The plush carpet was more than enough of a cushion.

  Haley reached between them and fisted his cock. He groaned as she pumped him and his eyes rolled back into his head. It was exhilarating to see her own need reflected back in his eyes. Every bit of this moment was perfect.

  Konstantin hooked his leg around hers, wrapped an arm around her middle and rolled. She couldn’t help but laugh as he captured her hands and held her there under him.

  His gaze narrowed as he lowered his head and forced her hands up over her head.

  She ignored the slight glare and lifted her head, kissing him because she wanted to and she could. His muscles relaxed. She pulled her hands from his grasp and burrowed her fingers into his hair.

  He sat up, but only to toss his shirt aside. She couldn’t help but smile as she slid her hands up the planes of his chest.

  “There is a bed,” he muttered.

  “Too far away. Come back down here.”

  One side of his mouth hitched up in an almost smile as he braced himself over her.

  She wrapped one leg around his. He pressed his pelvis to hers and she groaned.

  “I really, really hope you have a condom or something,” she said.

  “Or something?” He chuckled.

  “Right now I’m not all that picky.”

  “Is that so?”

  By some trick of his fingers he got her pants unbuttoned and the zipper down. The next moment he cupped her mound, pressing his fingers between her folds. Her hips came up off the carpet. Or she tried to.

  Konstantin kissed her, silencing her moans. She held tight to his shoulders while her body quivered.

  “Fuck,” he muttered.

  She whimpered.

  He pushed up, pulling his hand from her pants.

  “I’ve got a condom. Somewhere,” he said with a desperate note in his voice.

  Konstantin turned, opening the top drawer and pulling out a travel bag.

  Haley shimmied out of her jeans and underwear. She was kicking them off when he turned toward her grinning. The gold foil packet was the best thing she’d ever seen. She snatched it from him and ripped it open.

  “Haley?” his voice wavered.

  She pulled the condom from the packet and looked up at him. There wasn’t enough light to properly see his face, but she felt the shift.

  She reached up, cupped the back of his head and pulled him down to kiss her. Whatever her head had to say about this, it wasn’t louder than her heart. She cared about this man. Deeply. And she’d wanted this.

  Konstantin pulled away long enough to shove his pants down. He took the condom from her and rolled it on.

  Haley reached for him the same moment he reached for her.

  His body slid along hers, so warm and real. The feel of him was nothing like her dreams. It was so much better.

  Haley grasped his cock and guided him to her entrance.

  Konstantin stared down at her and in that moment she felt beautiful and wanted. All from a look.

  His body tensed and he pressed against her. She sucked in air as he thrust gently. Her body stretched around him. She gripped his bicep and held her breath.

  It had been a while since she’d been with anyone. Her heart was hung up on this man.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She made herself relax, not that it worked terribly well. “Keep going.”

  He lowered his head and kissed her.

  Warmth flooded her body as he moved in and out of her.

  She’d never thought of sex in flowery words, but she felt them now.

&nbs
p; This was different. Maybe because her heart was mixed up in her pleasure, but she couldn’t help that. Not now.

  Konstantin thrust hard enough her body slid along the carpet and she gasped.

  “Shit.” His voice was strained.

  “No, that was good.” She wrapped a leg around his hips.

  His eyes glittered darkly. “In that case...”

  He nibbled kisses down her neck. She tilted her head back and sighed.

  Suddenly Konstantin surged into her. She groaned and her vision blurred.

  “Oh—God. Yes,” she hissed.

  He gripped her hip, his fingers pressing into her as he shifted with her. She didn’t want to just lie there, but he gave her no choice.

  Konstantin lowered his head, his brow resting against hers, and stared into her eyes as he thrust. She felt stripped bare in those moments. He had to see how she felt, how vulnerable she was.

  Did he know her secret?

  Her insides tightened and she whimpered, arching her back as he moved.

  He had to know...

  Deep within her, a long held secret rattled its chains.

  There was no going back from this.

  Konstantin thrust again. She gasped and her mind seemed to shatter. Her body tensed as pleasure rippled through her. She tilted her head back and groaned her release as he continued to pound into her.

  And just like that her secret broke free.

  She loved him.

  She loved him deeply and without the expectation of that feeling being returned.

  She didn’t know when it had started or what made it happen, it was simply a fact of her life.

  Haley was in love with Konstantin.

  He groaned something then cupped her head. His fingers curled into her hair and he kissed her with desperation. She felt the moment of his orgasm, the deep, full-body shudder followed by limpness.

  He kissed her and she held on, pouring herself into that.

  Haley’s limbs were locked around him. She didn’t want to let go. All she wanted was to stay in this bubble forever. It was perfect. Utterly and completely perfect. She burned her face in the crook of his neck and drew in a deep breath.

  The warmth in her chest was a blazing, neon sign.

  How had she not realized this was happening? Was she blind? Or just willfully ignorant?

  Konstantin turned his head and kissed her, long and slow until her limbs began to warm again.

  “We just had sex on the bedroom floor. The floor,” he said against her cheek. She’d never heard his voice this silky smooth and...dare she call it happy?

  “We did.” She chuckled.

  He hissed and pulled away from her, but only to settle next to her.

  The absurdity of it hit her then.

  The floor?

  Really?

  She sputtered a laugh.

  Konstantin laughed, which only made her laugh harder. For several moments it was impossible to do anything except clutch her stomach.

  She wiped at her eyes, keenly aware that they had reached the next turning point, what comes next? Did they have an actual conversation? Did they go to their separate rooms? What?

  “This isn’t going to work,” Konstantin said.

  Her heart leapt into her throat and she felt the sharp prickling sensation of oncoming tears. Her words clogged her throat and she froze while he pushed up to his knees.

  Konstantin turned and grabbed her hand.

  “Hey.” Her legs were a bit too rubbery still.

  He hauled her to her feet regardless then pushed her toward the bed.

  His bed.

  Not the door, not back to her own room, but a more comfortable place to lie. With him.

  “I’ll be right back,” he said and ducked into the bathroom.

  She turned and stared at the now closed door for a moment.

  Haley stood there, naked, considering the last hour. Was it only an hour? And was she really going to curl up in his massive bed?

  Absently she picked up her clothes and folded them.

  It wasn’t all that surprising to have feelings for Konstantin. She’d been part of their lives for years. Caring about him seemed obvious. But love?

  Love was a big one.

  She loved Zasha.

  And now Haley loved Konstantin, too.

  She clutched the folded clothes to her chest and lived in this exhilarating, precarious moment. She was so in her own head she never heard the bathroom door open.

  “You are off the clock, you know?”

  “Hm?”

  She glanced over her shoulder at a naked Konstantin standing in the darkened doorway of the bathroom.

  He stepped into the bedroom and took his sweatpants from her, then dropped them on the floor.

  “Stop working and get in bed,” he said.

  “You aren’t the boss of me.”

  Konstantin scooped her up. She yelped, but in her current state she was no match for him.

  He yanked the blanket out from under her then slid in beside her.

  “What if I wanted to sleep in my own bed?” She didn’t, but she wasn’t about to just go along with his plan.

  “You don’t.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back snug to his chest.

  “How do you know that?”

  His hand drifted down to her abdomen. Her stomach quivered.

  His lips brushed her ear as he said, “I know.”

  She shivered, and damn if her nipples didn’t perk up at those two words. Most of all, her heart sang. She’d denied her feelings for so long, and now there was no going back.

  Maybe sleep could wait awhile?

  9.

  Saturday. Lake House. VA.

  Konstantin remained perfectly still. His internal alarm had woken him up first at five, at which point he’d realized that his highly sexual dreams hadn’t been dreams at all.

  Haley was in his bed.

  She was still there, more than an hour later, and very much naked.

  Part of him couldn’t accept what had happened as reality.

  How could he allow himself to slip up like that? Twice? And let it lead to this?

  He wasn’t the only architect of this design. Haley had been there. She’d been more than an equal participant. And yet the responsibility was on him.

  Konstantin swallowed and stared up at the ceiling.

  From the day they’d met, he’d known they had chemistry. It was impossible to not feel it, see it reflected back in her eyes. But they’d drawn their boundaries and stayed away from each other.

  Until now.

  He stared down at the top of her head. She’d wrapped an arm and leg around him, choosing to use his shoulder as a pillow instead of the ridiculously expensive, hypoallergenic, cooling pillows.

  Did this have any impact on her leaving? If she went through with transitioning away from working for him, did he want to pursue her in another capacity? Was that smart? Would he be putting her at risk if he did that?

  How much he wished he could be an average guy without these concerns.

  Haley deserved better. And that was what mattered. She should have someone in her life who cherished her. Konstantin wanted her to have that, but he never wanted to meet this fictional person.

  What he really wanted to do was to keep her for himself, but she wasn’t a possession. He couldn’t lock her up and keep her safe.

  “It would be really nice if you’d stop thinking so loud,” Haley muttered. “Some of us would like the chance to sleep in.”

  She lifted her head and covered her face with a hand to hide a yawn.

  Konstantin chuckled. “I’d say sorry if I meant it.”

  “You don’t.” She wiggled around a bit, treating him to her smile. “I should have warned you about sleepy me. She doesn’t understand personal space.”

  He stroked a hand down her hair. “I hadn’t noticed.”

  She turned her face into his shoulder, muffling her laugh.

  In that mome
nt he felt like the luckiest man alive.

  Konstantin turned to her and let his hand coast down her side and hip. He hooked his fingers under her knee and pulled her to him. She draped an arm around his waist and settled there.

  He doubted this was what she’d meant when they said they could figure things out.

  She sighed dramatically. “I take it I can’t convince you to go back to sleep?”

  “Sorry.” He dragged his thumb across her lips.

  “Is there a schedule to keep today?”

  “No, but I’ll probably have to take calls at some point.”

  “But not at six thirty in the morning?”

  He curled his fingers into her hair. “I don’t think so.”

  Haley smiled lazily at him as he leaned in to kiss her. He kept waiting for something to happen, some imperfection to mar this whole thing. Instead, it was simply perfect. Her. This moment. Everything.

  She clung to him, and in that second he felt like the most powerful man alive.

  Haley wasn’t just any woman, and she was in his bed.

  He rolled her to her back, relishing the way their bodies fit together.

  Her hand wiggled between them. He pushed up the tiniest bit. Her hand wrapped around him, stroking him with a new familiarity.

  That was becoming his favorite thing. How she touched him without hesitation.

  “Morning,” she said in a sing-song voice.

  Konstantin kissed her again while blindly reaching for the nightstand and the condoms. He found one by feel, opened it and quickly rolled the protection on. In the early morning light, her smile birthed a need for her he wasn’t sure he could ever satisfy.

  He thrust into her, watching the way her eyes widened. Her sharp intake of breath was oddly satisfying. Every tiny detail mattered, because this was Haley. The woman he did not deserve.

  She arched her back and drove her heel into the back of his thigh. He was fairly certain he had a bruise on his hip from her grip last night.

  He bent his head and licked one breast, ignoring her implied command.

  “Oh, God,” she muttered.