by TJ Michaels
“Alex, please.”
“Sure, Alex. If complimenting someone or asking them to join you for a meal constitutes sexual harassment, then our society really needs help.”
Of course that isn’t what the wench had meant at all, but there was no way in hell Drew was going there. “But if you don’t mind, I could really use some help. From what I hear you’re the best person for this kind of stuff.”
“Sure. What can I do for you?” Her expression brightened. Genuinely brightened. Interesting.
“I’m working the legalese for Ms. Cannes’ division. And I’m trying to familiarize myself with how things are done. I know that after the contracts are signed for the division, they’re sent to your department for expedition. I figured I’d start with the small electronics account with Sony. It seems straight forward enough to jump in with both feet, especially since it’s already a done deal and I can’t possibly screw it up by messing with the contract language.”
The smile slid off her face and was replaced by a grim showing of teeth. Brrr. The chill was back along with…did the woman blanch? Drew could swear her skin color leached out of her face just now. Her expression was obviously glued on, but a flicker of concern reflected in those chipped emerald eyes of hers, he was sure of it.
“Sure. What questions can I answer for you?”
“Well, since you’re the project manager for this account, can you help me understand the part of the contract that determines the payment schedule?”
She rose with a crisp, “Of course,” then walked around the desk and sat down, pulling a cool curtain over her demeanor. So not good.
Chapter Nine
Fuming in her office a few hours later, Sydni tried to bury her head in some new contracts, a few mundane phone calls to clients and lots of dull paperwork. It wasn’t working. Not even close.
With a hand at the small of her back, she slowly pressed into the tense muscles and rose from her desk. Standing at the floor to ceiling windows, she watched the sunset off in the distance, loving the purples and pinks reflected on the walls of her office. The automatic blinds began to close, slowly blocking out the first twinkling of stars in the clear twilight sky. Must be six o’clock.
In the middle of packing her briefcase and laptop her office door opened and closed with a sharp snap. Sydni didn’t look up. No need. She’d recognize the heady scent of this particular visitor anywhere. Drew. She’d known it was him the second he walked in. Had actually expected him sooner. What had he and Alex been doing all this time? No, wait. Him doing Alex is what she wanted, wasn’t it?
“Want to tell me what the hell that shit was about at lunch?”
A scowl, laid from one end of his brow to the other, accompanied the near snarl wrapped around his words. She pulled a deep breath into suddenly depleted lungs and sighed.
Did she want to try to explain? “No, not really.”
“Too fuckin’ bad, baby. I want to know what’s going on in that beautiful, though no doubt misguided, brain of yours. Why did you bail on me and leave me with that…that woman?” He motioned furiously toward the door. His motions so sharp, even the sleeve of his exquisitely cut suit jacket snapped unhappily as he moved with irritated motions.
And the man was changing colors. If he got anymore pissed off he’d turn cherry-colored and blow a major gasket. In as soothing a voice as she could muster, Sydni spoke quietly and with conviction. Sort of.
“She’s perfect for you, Drew. Alex is settled in her career, smart, beautiful, perky.” There was that “P” word again. “And closer to your age.”
“Damn it, Sydni, if I wanted someone my age I’d have them. And yes, I said them. Why the hell do we have to keep having this conversation?”
“Look, Drew, I really don’t want to do this with you right now,” she sighed with annoyance, her expression hard and determined to steer him clear of her. After she got rid of him, she’d dive into some work. That always took her mind off of things. Pitifully, it was all she really knew how to do, and do well. Relationships? Not so much.
“Well that’s too damn bad because we’re going home and we’re going to deal with this. Then I plan to fuck you until you realize that I don’t want anyone in my bed but you. Hell, I can’t handle more than you.”
“I have plans this evening. I’m not going home right now,” she lied. Hell, all she’d done before meeting Drew was work, go home and work some more. Now after having him in her life, even for just a few weeks, the last thing she wanted was to totter around that big house alone…working.
“Then I guess I’ll just have to follow you all over town until you end up at home. If I have to stay on your ass until you walk it through your door, Sydni, I have no problem with that.”
Storm clouds remained in his wake after he yanked open her office door and carefully closed it behind him. Well, she could say this for the man—he had class enough to keep their argument private rather than slamming the heavy wood door and letting the whole division know.
Damn it, there must be something else to do other than drive around pretending to be out on the town. Maybe she’d straighten up her office? After a brief look around that idea lost appeal considering Tsubaki-san kept the place spic and span. Perhaps she’d have dinner out at that little jazz scene she enjoyed all too seldom? Sigh. No denying the fact that she simply didn’t want to be in her own little one-some. She flipped her cell phone open, started to call Charli, then changed her mind. Sister or not, Charli would never understand what she’d been trying to do during that moment of—oh yes, she could admit it now—insanity when she’d pretty much abandoned Drew to the possibility of landing in Alex’s arms.
Abandoned. God, that sounded so dramatic. Besides, pushing him toward Mizz Voltier had seemed like a perfectly great idea at the time. But after seeing the disappointment and indignant anger in Drew’s beautiful grays, her grand idea now seemed plain old stupid.
Second guessing herself had never been a habit. But now it seemed as if every action, every idea, every thought was all wrapped up around a man she shouldn’t want. The problem was the reasons she shouldn’t want him were beginning to make less and less sense the more time they spent together.
Sydni took the elevator down to the second floor, then walked across the glass and steel skyway that connected Expedex to its private parking lot across the street. Row upon row of empty spaces left no doubt there was nobody else in the lot this late. The sound of her heels click-clicking against the pavement seemed to come from a million echo-filled miles away. Regardless of what Drew had said in her office, he’d obviously changed his mind about tailing her home. Could she blame him if he’d decided to say to hell with her and her emotional roller coasting? Wanting him one day, then tossing him at some other woman the next? Distracted, and practically running into one of the lampposts, Sydni made her way to her car. There was a hole in her stomach forty feet deep, and not from hunger, though she’d thrown away most of her lunch. What was she supposed to do now that she’d hurt Drew so deeply?
What a mess.
Briefcase tossed into the passenger seat of her car, Sydni climbed in, locked the door, fastened her seat belt and sat studying how the fluorescent lights shone over her car. On yet another forlorn sigh, her eyes slid closed and the marble-sculptured face of the man who had her tied up in knots appeared, then morphed from mad, to happy, to horny and back again. Suddenly her mind veered to the last time he’d slept over at her house. Wait, it had just been last night. Yet already her body missed him so much it felt like forever since he’d touched her, caressed and licked every inch of her skin. Just the thought of his talented hands working magic across her sensitive ass sent a warming pool of need to gather at the entrance to her suddenly glowing pussy.
The phone rang. Her heart jetted up into her throat.
“This is Sydni,” she stammered, quickly masking her shock with a calm “you’re bothering me” timbre—the one she used to use on Charli when she was younger. Didn’t work worth a da
mn now, but it still sounded good and solid.
“Move it, Sydni. I only have so much patience and you are pushing it, baby.”
She looked up and there he was. He’d pulled his car right up to hers and she hadn’t even noticed. No, you were too busy imagining his pole of a cock.
“Tantrums don’t suit you, Drew,” she blew out on a loud breath, then snapped the phone shut, amazed at how gorgeous the man was even when he was pissed off. Peeling out of her parking space, Sydni was glad he couldn’t see her biting her lip trying not to chuckle.
And true to his word, the man stayed on her ass all the way to her house.
In fact, instead of parking on the street like he usually did, when the garage door went up Drew pulled inside, right into the empty space next to her. She cut the engine, let the door down and slowly got out of the car. Drew was there to take her hand and help her out.
He reached for the briefcase in her hand. It was a sweet gesture for him to carry her things inside. Allowing him to take the case from her suddenly nerveless fingers, she lowered her head. His words had her snapping it back up.
“You won’t need this, Syd. No working tonight, except with me.” Then he tossed the thing into the back seat, slammed the car door, and pulled her in his wake.
“Look, Drew, I’m not one for being manhandled, damn it. Let go of my hand, or slow the hell down.”
He paused in the hallway leading from the garage door into the house, looked down at her feet and growled. The heat in his gaze flared, then ratcheted up a notch to flat out blazing.
“Damn, I’d forgotten you were wearing those fuck-me pumps. When I saw you put them on this morning I wanted to drag you back to bed and fuck you silly with nothing on but those sexy-as-hell shoes.”
“What the hell does that have to do with what I just said?” She scowled for all she was worth, but his one-sided “I’m gonna wear you out” grin had her knees practically knocking together to keep her cunt from twitching. Damn man.
“As for manhandling, I don’t believe it in.” He leaned down and gently removed her shoes. “But tonight you’re going to submit to me, Sydni.”
On a step back, she said, “I don’t do domination, thank you.”
“You mean you didn’t do domination. Tonight, you will.”
He took her hand and they were once again flying through the house, straight to the bedroom.
“Drew, what the hell?”
“No talking.”
“No talk…? What?”
This time he didn’t answer, but stripped her where she stood until there was nothing between them but her goose bumped skin. When he was done, the man simply pointed to the bed. And expected her to do it?
Puh. Right.
Sydni fixed her mouth to tell him to go to hell, but one glance at the thunderclouds roiling in his stormy gray eyes and she snapped her mouth shut instead. Her feet obviously had no qualms with obeying Drew considering they took off for the bed without a second thought, leaving her mind to stand there in front of him with a defiant glare. Not bothering to pull the covers back, Sydni climbed onto the bed and lay there shivering with anticipation. Knowing he would never harm her, her body hummed with excitement and wonder at what he would do next.
“Scoot to the middle, Syd, and close your eyes.”
With an indignant and completely non-heartfelt huff, she complied by rolling over twice and resting on her back, eyes closed, muttering under her breath. Eyebrows pulled down into a frown as she concentrated on the sounds around her. The slight squeak—she should really get that fixed—of the closet door opening answered some of her questions. But not all. What could Drew possibly be looking for amongst her clothes? A few moments later the bed shifted under his weight. Heat from his body told her he was very close. The breath against her cheek said he was closer than she’d first thought.
“No, don’t open your eyes.”
“Fine,” she growled. Gorgeous bastard.
“Hands above your head.”
Soft, wispy fabric sluiced over the flesh of her wrist and wrapped securely around it. Bare skin brushed against her forearm as he reached for the other hand. Something scalding hot and hard as metal thumped her shoulder. Oh-ho-ho! He’d obviously stripped while rummaging through her things ‘cause Drew was now naked. His cock was a living flame and, from the swipe of moisture smeared on her shoulder, gloriously aroused.
Hmmm, what would that cock feel like nuzzled between her breasts while Drew pushed the mounds together and tugged on her nipples? Immediately the traitorous little nubbins stood at attention, drawn into tight little points. All from a thought?
A moment passed. There was no movement on the bed now but he was near. The heat from his skin enticed and tempted, just out of reach.
“Drew?” No answer. She called again. Still nothing.
In the deafening silence, Sydni’s mind ran off on a tangent. It considered the wonderful possibility of things working out between her and Drew. What was stopping her from embracing this chance that destiny had brought to her doorstep anyway? After all, it wasn’t everyday that a settled and seasoned man who was kind, possessed a keen mind, and looked fashion-magazine-quality gorgeous dropped into a woman’s life…er, jail cell? Bed? Whatever.
She’d always taught her sister that it was not her responsibility to determine other people’s choices. Was she doing the same to Drew? Trying to persuade him not to make a choice that he was well determined to make? Lord knows she wanted to be with him, so it wasn’t like the attraction was one-sided. Sacrificing, or rather sabotaging, her own happiness to protect Drew from himself? Geez, what the hell kind of sense did that make?
Once again listening keenly to the sounds around her, a sliver of apprehension worked its way down the nerves of Sydni’s spine. It was too quiet. Had Drew undressed her, then left her laying there like some half-trussed idiot? Maybe she should just forget this and get up now? A tug against the scarf on her wrists revealed she was going nowhere fast. The man had indeed tied her to the headboard in such a way that the scarves felt weightless unless she pulled against the bonds.
Her eyes flew open and her startled gaze crashed into Drew’s determined one. Busted. He jerked his neck back and stared at her like she was out of her damn mind.
“Did I say you could open your eyes?” It was little more than a deep, very serious sounding whisper.
Not bothering to answer she slammed the lids shut. Now came uncertainty, followed by self-chastisement and a fair bit of guilt at being caught. On the other hand, she bit her lip to keep from chuckling at how girlishly silly it was to feel guilty at all.
“You’ve made this bed, Syd. Now lay in it.”
And when a palm settled over the close cropped curls of her pussy, Sydni’s slick folds parted easily and welcomed his questing fingers. It couldn’t be helped. The man just brought it out of her, and with so little effort it was downright disconcerting.
Yet, she had to make him see reason. Right? Had to make him see that…oh, god, see what? The little expedition traveling up and down the path between her legs was working her nerves, and so not in a bad way. Obviously, Drew was set on tipping the scales of reason in his favor.
“But…”
“Shush!”
“Oh hold the door. Did you just shush me, Drew Caruth?”
This time one hand played while the other landed over her mouth and stayed there. And without an ounce of remorse, either. Her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before a frustrated sigh left her lips. She’d just have to let her expression tell it all because she couldn’t think of a single word.
“Yes, Syd, I said shush. What? You have something to say?” he challenged.
A groomed brow winged upward in question, but not another sound—harsh breathing didn’t count—came forth.
“Close your eyes and keep them that way. Now woman, you will listen closely so I don’t have to say this again.”
He waited a moment until the tension leached from her shoulde
rs and slid down to her thighs. Thighs that were beginning to quiver given the fact he played with her pussy. Stroking, parting, giving more than a woman could stand only to back off until she wanted nothing more than to beg him to continue.
“I need a woman who can handle me, Syd. Someone with a strong spirit who knows what she wants and won’t be bowled over by an equally strong man. And that someone is Sydni Cannes. You. But for some reason you think I can’t manage to remember how old you are, as if it matters or something.”
As he spoke, those same gentle, but insistent fingertips teased her pussy lips until they throbbed, ached, wanted. How as she supposed to listen when he was hell bent on plucking her strings like a newly strung banjo at somebody’s southern ho-down? Good lord!
“If you let me, Syd, I can love you like no one else. All I want is to give you everything I have, everything I am. Do you need me? No, but I’m glad you don’t. The fact that you can and have taken care of both you and Charli only makes me want you more. And I always get what I want, baby. What do I have to do to convince you that you’re the one, Sydni?”
Now came soft but firm pats just above her clit as two fingers slid into her juicy depths to add to the torment. Her stomach clenched, hips rolled as her body sought more of the exquisite sensation, needing her soul to ring with only the music he could create there.
Then his mouth was in motion, molding itself to the very shape of her cunt, lapping the tender folds. When his fingers slid out, his tongue dipped low to feast on the nectar creaming his face. His fingers slid in and that tongue wrapped around her clit, tugging, sucking. In…suck. Out…lick. God, it was too much.
Orgasm number one began as a tingle just below the crease where ass met thigh, then circled around to her pussy. Sweat soaked the comforter beneath her. Even the back of her knees were slick with moisture. A scream gathered at her toes, traveled up her trembling body and blasted out of her mouth as she came long and hard, until her head flew from side to side in entreaty. It was too much, yet not enough.