Dying for Love

by Angel Nicholas

  Snagging another file, she shifted a little to improve blood flow. A flash of white caught her eye. She tilted her head. Taped to the underside of her desk was a square piece of paper.

  “What now?”

  She snatched the paper free and sat up. Unclenching her jaw and deliberately relaxing her tense muscles, she unfolded the lined paper.

  Nice office, slut.

  You always did think you were better than me.

  Too bad I’ll be having the last laugh.

  You’re nothing but a trailer trash tramp.

  She sighed, closed her eyes and rested her head against the desk. The trailer trash thing again. Maybe one of the foster homes she was in early on had been a trailer. Memories from when she was little were fuzzy at best.

  “Grace?”

  Sweet dandelion blood. Pressing a hand to her racing heart, she peeked around the corner of her desk. Great. Luke.

  “Yes?”

  “Why are you sitting on the floor?” Frowning, he walked in and settled a hip on the side of her desk.

  “How else do you suggest I deal with this mess?”

  “Oh, the files? I don’t know. I guess I didn’t realize they were on the floor. Why would someone do that? I could see someone stealing them, though I don’t know what they’d gain from a bunch of construction estimates and invoices. I mean, you’d think if they were going to break into someone’s office it would be Mr. Duncan’s.”

  “Yeah.”

  She tucked the note under the desk, where he couldn’t see it. Recent events were too personal and disturbing to share with Luke.

  “So, is anything missing?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  There was no reason to take anything if his sole purpose was to terrify her. A headache throbbed at the base of her skull.

  “You wanna get lunch? A bunch of us are going out.”

  “It’s noon already?” She groaned. “Time flies when you’re having fun. No, thanks. I have yet to get any real work done.”

  “I’m sure Mr. Duncan will cut you some slack. You two looked pretty cozy.”

  Her head shot up and pain splintered up the back of her skull. She massaged her scalp and tried to come up with a reasonable response that didn’t involve throwing things. Dealing with petty office drama on top of the break-ins was too much. She didn’t know where this thing with Matt was headed. Burning her bridges for no reason wasn’t appealing.

  “I didn’t realize a ride in an elevator constituted a relationship these days. If that’s the case, I’m a real slut. I go both ways too, considering the women I’ve ridden up and down with.”

  “I didn’t mean—”

  A dry voice interrupted. “I don’t think I like hearing one of my executives called a slut.”

  Luke’s eyes widened. “Oh, crap!” clearly reflected in his expression. Stiff as a board, he turned to face Matt.

  “That’s not what I meant, sir. Grace was joking.”

  Matt nodded. “Good to know.”

  He didn’t move. Luke shifted and crossed then uncrossed his arms. Clearing his throat, Luke glanced at her. “Well, I’ll leave you to it then.”

  She bit back a smile. “Enjoy your lunch.”

  Matt stepped into the hall to let him passed. Grace watched him watch Luke. She’d swear he was jealous. He had to be aware she and Luke were friends, and had been for almost as long as she’d worked there.

  Luke had started a few weeks after her and they’d clicked immediately. As friends. She couldn’t remember the last time a man had been jealous because of her. She kind of liked it. She felt desirable. “Making any progress?”

  “Yes.” She set down a file. “I’ve got about half put away.”

  Matt glanced up and down the hall, stepped inside and closed the door. His gaze a little too intense, too knowing, he crossed his arms and leaned back against the door.

  Instantly defensive, she straightened her shoulders. “What?”

  “Anything I should know about?”

  Like a blazing bonfire, the little piece of paper refused to be ignored. Damn. Pretending she’d never seen it held a whole lot of appeal. With a sigh, she reached under the desk and grabbed the scrap of paper.

  “Here.” She thrust it at him.

  His eyes darkened. “This is from the same person who left the last one.”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “It’s pretty creepy, but there’s nothing threatening in all this. More pesky and annoying.” She grimaced. “Just ask the police.”

  “I’d say this note is pretty threatening.”

  Grace sighed and rubbed the back of her neck, exhausted. “I really don’t want to deal with this right now, okay? It’s just some messed-up stuff and a few not-nice notes.”

  “Are you serious?”

  She closed her eyes. “Shouldn’t you be heading out to lunch?”

  “Yes. Why don’t you come with me?”

  Was he insane? “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because everyone will think we’re dating.”

  *****

  Matt maintained a neutral expression despite the fury boiling through his veins at the bastard who was messing with Grace. The strain on her face and her uncharacteristic hesitance drove his frustration higher. He ached to protect her, to soothe her, but he’d settle for distracting her. The desire to date her, and potentially more, added a few nerves he didn’t need to the mix.

  “Is that a problem?”

  Grace shrugged. “I don’t know. Are we dating?”

  “Considering the things I’d like to do to you, I’d say we’re definitely dating.” His voice emerged a husky drawl.

  She cast her gaze to the side, one corner of her mouth turned down and a little frown pulling at her brow. Her vulnerability tugged at him.

  A step closer and her scent teased him. He braced his hands on either side of the desk, fencing her in, and leaned close enough to make out the dark flecks in her eyes when she reluctantly met his gaze. Matt nuzzled the soft skin below her ear.

  “I’m not easy and I’m not a one-night stand, Grace.”

  She chuckled and tipped her head to the side, giving him better access. “I thought that was my line.”

  Matt skated his lips lower, her unique blend of sweet spice singing through his veins. “I’m borrowing it. Things are about to get complicated, sweetheart.”

  “Complicated?”

  He nibbled at the delicate spot where her neck met her shoulder.

  She sighed softly. “How?”

  “I’m your boss.” He followed the deep v of her blouse with his mouth, pulse thudding thickly. Desire was making it hard to remember why he’d set this course.

  Her head dropped back. “Mm-hmmm.”

  “There could be implications from your co-workers. Can you handle that?”

  Nudging aside Grace’s silk blouse with his nose, he traced the edge of her lace demi bra with his tongue. So close. The scent of her was richer, stronger, more enticing there. Her soft, flushed skin enticed him deeper. He fisted his hands on top of the desk.

  “Yes,” she moaned softly.

  Satisfaction curved his lips. Her desire played a siren’s song, clouding his judgment. No way he was risking her reputation and dignity by fucking on her desk.

  “Good. Because I have no intention of letting you go.” Not until he’d sated his desire, at least. Time to end this before he lost the strained thread of his control. He lifted his head, straightened her blouse and dropped a quick kiss on her stunned, parted lips. “Come on. I’m starving.”

  He opened the door then stepped back, waiting. Her jaw snapped shut audibly. Eyes narrowed, Grace rose with feline grace. She smiled sweetly as she passed, her hand brushing across his throbbing erection on the way. He bit back a groan and followed, eyeing the seductive sway of her hips.

  Glancing back over her shoulder, she fluttered her lashes. “Better button yo
ur jacket, honey-pie.”

  The vixen had come out to play. He dutifully buttoned his jacket to cover his obvious arousal.

  “So, where are you taking me?” Grace smiled cheerfully at the heads peeping over the cubical walls. Eyes wide, they disappeared just as quickly.

  Matt couldn’t hide his grin or stop the bloom of pleasure in his chest. They were officially dating. His gaze dropped to the sassy sway of her ass, and he narrowed the distance between them.

  “In the elevator,” he growled in her ear. “On the floor. In a chair. Even the old-fashioned way, in a bed. I’m not picky.”

  She drew a sharp breath and her steps stuttered slightly as they stepped into the elevator. The doors sighed closed. Back ramrod-straight, Grace stared straight ahead. He deliberately invaded her personal bubble, forcing her to focus on him and not the asshole terrorizing her.

  Matt skated his palm over the curve of her bottom and she swallowed audibly.

  She spun to face him. “You’re doing this to distract me.”

  Her brilliant mind attracted him as much, if not more, than her beauty.

  He smiled slow and easy. “I certainly hope you find me distracting. I know my ability to function is severely impaired around you.”

  “No. I mean, yes.” She narrowed her eyes. “I mean, you’re doing this to distract me from the break-ins and notes.”

  Shrugging, he leaned back against the elevator panel and crossed his arms. “Trust me, making love to you is no burden.”

  “You weren’t. We weren’t. That was just …” she waved her hand, “…necking.”

  She had a gorgeous neck. Smooth and sweet. He’d like nothing better than to nibble for hours. Well, there were a few other things he’d like to do as well.

  “Where would you like to go?”

  She blinked. “What?”

  “For lunch.”

  “Oh. I don’t care.”

  They stepped off the elevator into the basement-level garage. Matt placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward his black F350. He opened the passenger door as laughter reached them. A group of people from the office passed. One of them glanced their way and stopped. The frank assessment on Luke’s face narrowed Matt’s eyes. He stepped closer to Grace.

  Luke crossed his arms. “You said you weren’t going out to lunch today, Grace.”

  The rest of the group stopped. As they each spotted them standing together, the open door a flashing sign of the obvious, their chatter died. Grace shifted and he glanced down. Her arms were crossed and her chin high, staring them down. Pride filled him.

  “I changed my mind.”

  “For a better offer, I see.”

  Luke’s snide tone drew Matt’s gaze and he contemplated the younger man. Interesting attitude. His dark eyes flashed to Matt then back to Grace.

  “Good luck with that.” Luke strode off.

  The rest of the group was slower to follow. As the last one disappeared around the rear of the truck, Grace’s shoulders sagged.

  “Well,” she glanced at him, lips trembling on a smile. “That could have gone better.”

  Causing her additional stress had not figured into his plan. Ticked off at himself, he rubbed her arm. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart.”

  “Easy for you to say.” She scrambled into the truck. “You’re the boss.”

  Matt leaned in and rested his hand on her thigh, rubbing his thumb back and forth. The height of the truck put them at eye level. “You can’t let other people’s attitude problems affect you or your decisions. I learned that lesson early on.”

  “I know.” She sighed. “Trust me. I know. It doesn’t always make it easier.”

  Her sadness pulled at him. He’d screwed up royally. Now she was upset over her co-workers behavior, something she didn’t need on top of everything else. While rudimentary at best, he knew of only one way to totally relax her.

  Cradling her head, he slid his hand higher up her smooth thigh and leaned in to brush his lips against hers. With a soft moan, Grace opened for him. He didn’t hesitate to delve into the sweet depths of her mouth. Tangling her tongue with his, he slipped his hand beneath her skirt, moving aside the silky barrier of her panties. Using one fingertip, he teased her folds. So hot and wet.

  She gasped into his mouth. He pushed his finger inside her and her intimate muscles clamped down—to keep him out or pull him deeper, he couldn’t tell. Arousal wound around the base of his neck and pressed against his zipper, testing his self-control. Her arms wound around his neck. Tension held her body tight as she fought an orgasm. Not happening. Deepening the kiss, he pressed another finger inside her slick heat and rubbed her clit with his thumb.

  Grace’s muscles clenched tight around his fingers, she fisted handfuls of his hair and sobbed into his mouth. The world could have ended right then, with her convulsing around his fingers, and he wouldn’t care.

  He didn’t release the pressure until the last muscle spasm passed. Slow and easy, he slid his fingers from her. She moaned. Holding her gaze, Matt brought his damp fingers to his mouth and licked them clean, never breaking eye contact. The taste of her nearly killed him. His cock throbbed painfully.

  “Matt…”

  He kissed her again, unwilling to allow regrets or recriminations to sour the moment. Letting her taste herself and his hunger. He wrapped his arms around her, battling back his desire to cradle her tenderly.

  An effort Grace almost blew to hell and back when she wrapped her legs around his hips. Balanced on the edge of the leather seat, she kissed him deaf, dumb and blind. He squeezed her bottom and pulled her tight against him. The heat of her against his aching length was sweet torture. He dipped his head and gently sucked on her neck, careful not to mark her.

  “Please…” she whimpered.

  He sucked a little harder, struggling to rein in his desire in the face of hers. No way was he going to take her in the basement parking lot. He pried his fingers from her ass and rubbed her back. Softened the kiss. Eased their bodies apart several inches, every nerve ending screaming in denial.

  Murmuring softly, he cradled her against him, gentling her. Denying himself in an effort to honor her and who she was, to herself and to him.

  “Orgasms in public places aren’t really part of my sexual repertoire,” Grace murmured.

  He glanced down. Her lashes were lowered and a blush stained her cheeks. Adorably flushed.

  Matt grinned. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  Grace jerked her head back and met his gaze. Her flush spread. She licked her lips, and he clenched his jaw against a surge of desire that shot straight to his groin.

  “Can’t say it’s a familiar experience for me, either.” He stepped back and lifted her legs into the cab. “I liked it, though.”

  He winked and shut the door. At the rear of the truck, he gripped the tailgate and glared into the distance. Lust and fury tangled potently in his gut. Grace’s eyes were free of fear and strain, but he remembered all too clearly how she looked in her office. He longed to get his hands on the asshole tormenting her.

  Forcing his anger aside, he climbed into the driver’s seat and headed for his favorite restaurant. Ten minutes later he pulled into a parking spot and shut off the ignition.

  Grace looked at him. “Oh, you are good.”

  He grinned. “Thanks. Although, if you’re just now realizing it, I need to up my game.”

  “I’m a little slow. Either that or you seriously scramble my brain waves.”

  Matt shook his head and reached across the console to wrap a tendril of her hair around his finger. “You are many things, sweetheart. Slow is not one of them.”

  Her cheeks colored, but she held his gaze. “Thank you, Matt. For distracting me.”

  Shrugging aside embarrassment, he jumped from the truck. Instead of letting her climb down, Matt grasped her around the waist and lifted her down. The feeling of her curves beneath his hands killed him all over again.

  *****


  Grace jogged down the Greenbelt, enjoying the chilly air and the moonlight dancing across the path with the sway of the trees. It had been too late to knock on Mrs. Freeman’s door to take Apollo with her, so she’d dragged Lisette away from her painting instead. She glanced sideways and stifled a grin at her disgruntled expression.

  A midnight run might not be the most brilliant idea, but she wasn’t alone. Plus, exercise cleared her mind and released tension from her muscles. The atmosphere in the office had been strained when she got back from lunch. She hadn’t seen Luke all afternoon.

  There was no reason for everyone to get their panties in a knot over her dating Matt. He was a man. She was a woman. Both single. Both adults. Heck, there wasn’t even a policy preventing inter-office dating.

  The slap of another shoe on the blacktop reached her, and she glanced over her shoulder. Between the bright splashes of moonlight, shadows lay deep over the path and in the trees. She didn’t see anybody. Their isolation settled between her shoulder blades like a target. This stretch of the Greenbelt was quiet, with no other late-night exercise enthusiasts to keep them company. Bare tree branches scraped together and the hair on her nape rose. She tried to shrug it off, shooting another glance at Lisie. There was safety in numbers, right?

  “Um, did you hear something?”

  “No.” Lisie turned in a full circle without breaking stride, her long ponytail bouncing with each step, and shot her a look. “Did you?”

  The taunting notes she had received loomed before Grace, and she unconsciously quickened her pace. Her bursts of breath misted in the cool night air, her normal well-regulated breathing gone. She squared her shoulders and forced a deep breath. There was nobody behind them. No one had ducked into the trees as soon as she’d glanced back. Just her overactive imagination at work.

  Except, she hadn’t been thinking about the notes or someone breaking into her condo, her car and her office. She’d been thinking about Luke’s irrational anger and her co-workers’ sidelong glances and whispered conversations. Her body had been busy remembering the feeling of Matt’s long, skilled fingers inside her.

  A branch snapped and she stumbled.

  Holy dog treats.

  “You heard that, right?”