Scandalous Lovers

by Diana Ballew

  Victoria almost felt sorry for Jessica when her face turned red with embarrassment, but the woman deserved it. “I never meant to—”

  Joe cut off her words with an impatient wave of his hand. “Clear?”

  “Yes, Mr. Bradshaw,” Jessica mumbled.

  “Good. You're free to leave.” He turned to Victoria. “Are you ready?”

  Chapter 6

  Joe noticed the pain in Vicki’s eyes from Jessica Neimier’s words, and he silently cursed the woman. One after-work drink with Jessica and she'd built up a lie to taunt others with. “Vicki,” he started.

  She shook her head and marched out of her office, stopping to talk with her secretary before leaving, not even looking back to see if he were following.

  Damn it! He was making progress with Vicki, and Neimier had to mess it up. He shook his head in disbelief as he quickened his pace to catch Vicki, barely making it to the elevator before the doors closed.

  “You don’t understand, do you?” There was pain and exasperation in her voice.

  “I guess I don’t.” The elevator ground to a halt and the doors opened. He cupped her elbow in his palm and escorted her through the lobby, out the double glass doors and to the waiting taxi he’d called the second she’d left his office.

  “Joe, you can let go of me.”

  “And let you run?” He’d seen the fight-or-flight response in her gaze.

  “I won't. Please let me go.” Her voice was soft.

  He stared down into her green eyes. They were clouded with unhappiness, and he needed to back off once again, or he was going to lose her. “Okay.” Joe released her arm, and she slid into the waiting cab. He didn’t know what the hell was going on; he only knew some man had hurt her, and it had been someone she worked with. He hated being at a loss about how to fix things.

  He needed to watch his step, especially if he didn’t want her bolting on him. Take it slow. Take only what she’s willing to give, and don’t push. But it wasn’t easy for him to take it slow. He wanted her like he wanted no other woman, and the taste of her filled every one of his senses. She was a challenge, one he relished.

  Joe handed his duffle bag to the cabbie, and then climbed into the cab after her. As soon as the driver got behind the wheel, he told him Vicki’s address. The second he shut the door, the cab shot forward. Vicki was thrown sideways toward the door. Joe reached out to help her, but she stiffened at his touch. Back to square one. “Talk about it,” he said. Better to get things out in the open.

  “About what?” She threw her hands in the air, just missing hitting him on the nose. “About the fact my reputation in the office is shot to hell because everyone thinks I’m another one of your playmates?” Her voice was low and tight.

  His brain picked out one word. “Playmates? What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Figures. Men are always so damn clueless.” She turned her face away, staring out the window.

  “Yes, we are.” And he was clueless. He didn’t have any idea of what she was talking about. “What’s going on inside that amazing head of yours?”

  She whipped around and pinned him to the seat with her gaze. “Do you really expect me to believe you and Jessica aren’t lovers?”

  “Yes.” He forced himself to keep his arms at his sides instead of taking Vicki by the shoulders and shaking some sense into her. She was the only woman in his life, and had been since he walked into TechTronics. Why was she so distrustful of him? “There is nothing between me and Neimier. The woman’s a barracuda, and I’ve avoided her as much as possible. I like determined women, but not aggressive women like her.” He lowered his voice and leaned toward her. “More like the woman you were in the elevator that Friday night.”

  Her lashes swept down, but not before he observed regret filling her eyes.

  “Vicki.” He couldn’t bear not touching her, so took her hands and waited until her gaze met his. “I didn't lie to you when I said I wasn’t involved with anyone, and I’m not going to begin lying now. There is nothing between Ms. Neimier and me. You’ve got to trust me on this. And trust me, what we have is special, not something to feel guilty about.”

  Her lower lip quivered. “I want to, Joe, but … ”

  A fist closed around his heart at the ‘but’. He couldn’t, wouldn't, let her go, not until he was able to free her from the ghostly ex's hold. “Will you answer one question for me?”

  Her gaze turned wary even as she answered him. “Of course. I haven’t lied to you, either.”

  “Do you want me?” He thought she craved his touch, but he had to know for certain. Even with her telling him earlier she was willing to have a relationship with him, he needed it confirmed with recent events.

  Her gaze lowered once again, concealing her expression from him, and for a moment he had doubts. She took a deep breath, and her breasts swelled, her nipples pebbling against the thin fabric of her blouse. She shifted slightly against the vinyl seat. Hope flared as he waited. He wanted the answer from her lips. “Yes,” she whispered.

  “Yes, what?” he pressed, even though he had promised himself he wouldn’t. He needed to hear her say the words. Her lashes rose, and passion, lust, and still a bit of apprehension filled her gaze. Her hesitation punched him in the gut. He had a lot of work to do.

  “Yes, I want you.” While her voice was low, the words were clear. "I want to have a relationship."

  Joe let out a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding. “I want you, too. Day and night.”

  “Don’t say that.”

  “Why not?” He lifted her right hand and kissed the center of her palm, feeling the slight shiver his kiss produced.

  “Because I’m not like other women.”

  “Damn straight.” Her eyes widened. “You’re more, and I can’t wait until we’re alone after business hours. Then I can show you how much I want you and revel in the fact you aren’t like other women. Don't let another man's opinion of you ruin mine.”

  Another shiver shook her slender body just as the cab pulled to a stop. Joe glanced up. They were outside her apartment building. “I hate to cut this short, but we’d better get you packed so we can make our flight.”

  “You want to help me pack?” Her voice was breathless yet yearning.

  “Yep.” He opened the door, climbed out, and offered his hand. For once, she didn’t even hesitate and placed her palm in his, allowing him to help her from the taxi. Joe moved his lips next to her ear. “I want to make sure you pack the black teddy.” He turned and paid the driver, then asked him to wait to take them to the airport. Once the driver agreed, he slipped an arm around Vicki’s shoulders and started walking.

  “Are you always this physical?” she asked.

  “Only with you.” He found it was true. He wanted, no, needed physical contact with her at all times. It would make keeping their relationship impersonal during business hours difficult, but he’d do it. Once they were off the clock, he wasn’t going to hold back. “Does it bother you?”

  “Sometimes,” she said as they made their way up the steps. As he reached for the door, she said, “I need to get my card key out.” She opened her purse and extracted what looked like a credit card, then slipped it into the small slot on the wall.

  When he’d arrived on Saturday, someone had been leaving the building, so he hadn’t noticed it. After a faint hum, then a click, the green light flashed. He pushed open the door. “Nice security feature.”

  “It was one of the reasons I moved here.” She waved at the security guard behind the desk, a different one than from the weekend. Vicki stopped and talked to the guard about feeding her cat, another nice service of renting in the building, before they went to her apartment.

  Once there he was surprised again. She had to unlock two deadbolts along with the heavy door lock. After they entered her apartment, Joe shut the door and stared at it. In addition to the two deadbolts, she had three chains. He hadn't noticed on Saturday. Why so much hardware?

&nb
sp; “Break-in?” he asked.

  “No.” She gestured him forward. “I just like to be safe.”

  From what? Who the hell had scared her so much she had to lock herself away in her own apartment? The ex, more than likely. He needed to know the whole story, because if this man was still a threat to her, he'd make sure she was safe. Forcing back the urge to question her about it, he sauntered into her living room. On Saturday he’d been too busy concentrating on Vicki to notice much of anything else. He blinked several times, staring. Everything was beige. The carpet, the walls, the sofa, even the bookcase had been stained to match. Was she that much of a perfectionist?

  “I’ll go pack—alone,” she said, leaving the room.

  He paced around the compact living space. There were no family photographs. He knew her parents were still around, so why no pictures? Stopping at the bookcase, he ran his fingers over the spines. Shakespeare, Plato, War and Peace. Sexy and intellectual.

  He moved to the next shelf. Ah, these were more like it. Erotic romance books by different authors and publishers. Picking one at random, he opened it and began reading. Holy shit! He slammed the book shut and put it back. The passage he'd read had the hero spanking the heroine, and while it gave him ideas, this wasn’t what he needed right now. He was hard enough as it was; reading one of those books was better than watching soft porn. If his Vicki liked reading them, they could have some fun.

  Feeling something soft twirl around his ankles, he glanced down and saw her gray cat, entwined around his feet. “Hello, Sly.” He reached down and stroked the feline’s sleek coat. Before he realized what he was doing, he lifted the feline into his arms and began scratching him behind the ears. The cat gave a soft purr. He could swear Sly was giving him permission to pursue Vicki. Needing to be with her, he strode into her bedroom.

  Damn, this woman was a study in opposites. While her living room looked bland and monotonous, her bedroom was a different matter. The walls were painted white, and she’d hung several landscape paintings to brighten up the room. A black suitcase sat open on her bed, and beneath it lay a patchwork quilt. For a moment he wondered if her sheets were the plain cotton type or something sexier. Sexy, he decided, and promised himself he’d find out.

  His gaze found her by the walk-in closet, her hand hovering over what looked like a sexy black dress. “Perfect.”

  Vicki swung around, her hand covering her heart. “You scared me. And I thought I told you to wait in the living room.”

  “You did.” He grinned as he crossed the room to see what she’d already packed. Setting the cat down, he picked up the item lying on top. “Very nice,” he murmured, holding the lacy red teddy by the straps.

  “I’m glad you approve.” She marched over to him, snatched the garment from his fingers, and put it back in the suitcase. The dress followed.

  “What else do you have in there?”

  “Joe!” She grabbed his hand before he could investigate.

  He glanced up at her, noting her flushed cheeks. “When was the last time you had a man in your bedroom?”

  “Saturday.”

  He frowned, and she laughed. “Remember, you followed me in here then as well.”

  “True. Before then?” Why was he prying? She had mentioned it had been a while since the ex.

  She shook her head and placed her hands on her hips. “To set your mind at ease, Mr. Nosy, I’ve never had a man in this bedroom except you.”

  “Hmm. Maybe we should christen the place.” He took her hand and raised it to his lips, allowing his breath to caress her knuckles.

  “What time does our plane leave?” she asked, her voice breathless.

  “One.”

  Her eyes widened. “It’s eleven. We’ve got just enough time for me to finish packing, get to the airport, check in, and clear security.”

  “So we miss it. We can take the next one.” He drew her into his arms with a soft touch, his lips finding her earlobe and nipping at it. “Think about it, Vicki—us together in your bed, naked. My cock pumping into your wet pussy, my lips on your breasts as I bring you closer to your climax. But at the last minute, I stop moving. Then I flip you onto your stomach and take you doggy style, hard and fast until you’re screaming.” Oh, hell, he was arousing himself with his words.

  Her hips pressed against his, and she let out a tiny moan.

  “Just say the word, my beautiful Vicki.” He cradled her closer. For a moment he figured she was going to give into him, then she leaned back, and he gazed into her eyes. Regret filled them.

  “Joe … ”

  “No, precious.” He placed his finger against her lips. “You’re right, now is not the time. I want you to trust me. The next move is yours.” With those words, he released her and strode out of the room so he wouldn't give into temptation.

  Ten minutes later he yelled, “We’ve got to go.”

  “I’m coming,” she called back.

  Her words slammed into his libido and he smiled. Oh yes, he’d have her coming, all right. All night long.

  “Want to join the mile-high club?” Joe asked, after the pilot announced their cruising altitude and turned off the seat belt sign.

  “Joe!” She glanced around. It didn’t seem as if anyone was paying attention to them, not that it mattered all that much; outside of the flight attendant and pilots, they were the only people on the charter plane. She hadn't been able to believe it when she and Joe were escorted out onto the tarmac. She'd stared at him as they boarded the small plane, but he'd grinned and said, "Perks."

  He'd guided her past the single seat to a pair of double ones. Now she knew why. The man was outrageous, and she didn’t have much resistance where he was concerned. Excitement surged through her veins, because with Joe she was able to be herself. She’d almost given in to him at her apartment. She couldn’t get the images of them on her red satin sheets, fucking, out of her mind. But they had a plane to catch--of course, at the time, she didn't know it was a private plane.

  “What?” A devilish grin curved his lips. “No one will notice.” His palm rested against her thigh.

  Heat penetrated through the skirt with a direct effect on her pussy. If she hadn’t been so aroused already this would have gotten her there, and fast. She shifted in the leather seat. She’d never flown in such luxury before, and while she liked the extra room, they couldn’t … “You can’t be serious?”

  “No?” He raised an eyebrow as his fingers inched up her hem. “With your skirt covering us when you straddle me, who would know?”

  “Everyone.” With a gentle grip, she removed his questing fingers and put them on his armrest before she turned from his blatant sexual gaze and stared out the window. God, it was hard not to give into the excitement running through her body, but they were in a public place. But I had sex in an elevator with him. That was different. Only the two of them knew about it. Warm skin against her jaw brought her out of her thoughts. He applied soft pressure until her gaze met his. She was becoming addicted to his skin against hers.

  Joe leaned down and brushed a light kiss against her lips, then raised his head. “You’re so easy to tease. I said the next move was yours, and I meant it.”

  When the words penetrated, she almost smiled. Yes, the next action was hers. Slipping her hand behind his neck, she lowered her lips to his. First she gave him a teasing kiss, but then each kiss became, little by little, longer and deeper. She enjoyed the way their tongues tangled together, dueling with each other. She whimpered when he pulled back and knew she was a goner the second she viewed the fire in his eyes. Satisfaction filled her. He wasn't as unaffected as he appeared.

  “Let’s go to the bathroom,” he said, undoing his seat belt and reaching for hers.

  Grasping his fingers, she lifted them from the metal buckle to her cheek. “No, Joe.”

  He gazed at her, his blue eyes blazing with passion. She’d take care of his passion, but she wasn’t going to have sex in an airplane lavatory—or at least, not today.
<
br />   The flight attendant stopped next to his seat. “Excuse me, can I get you anything right now?”

  “Yes.” Victoria smiled at the woman, a wicked idea already forming in her mind. “We need a couple of blankets, please.”

  “Of course.” Within minutes the flight attendant handed her two good-sized blankets wrapped in plastic.

  “Thank you.” Victoria took them and gave them to Joe. The attendant continued, "I'll be dimming the cabin lights in a few minutes so you can rest. I'll have your meal ready in two hours."

  "Thank you," Victoria said with a smile.

  “What are you up to?” he asked after the flight attendant walked away.

  With a grin, she undid her seat belt, kissed his cheek, and stood. “I’ll be right back.” She slid by him and down the aisle.

  Inside the luxurious lavatory, she stared at herself in the mirror. Who was this woman? Her cheeks glowed with excitement, her eyes danced with mischief, and her body tingled with sexual need. Never had a man made her crave his caresses, his kisses, or his cock the way Joe did. It frightened her, but at the same time desire flowed through her. Her cheeks flushed, and she knew it was from arousal rather than embarrassment.

  “What do you want?” Joe. A simple answer. She wanted him. But was she ready to take the risk on a relationship? She took a deep breath, because there was always going to be a risk to her heart no matter what.

  The answer came back in an instant. Yes! Time to start living again. She’d never had this sexual connection with Derek, and they’d been engaged. Heck, sex with Derek hadn’t gotten beyond the kindling stage, but with Joe it was a raging forest fire that continued to build. She needed to see where this relationship could go, to grasp the need with both hands and see where it led her. It was time to allow Vicki out and let her have control. A little laugh escaped her lips. She wasn't schizophrenic. She was very aware she kept a part of herself under tight control. The wild kinky side. While a part of her still worried she could be risking her job, she also trusted Joe when he said that wasn’t an issue.