Red Consumed

by Allyson Lindt

  “Have lunch with me when you’re back in town. I want to catch up. Talk about that sexy fucking redhead you’re seeing. The stripper.”

  Wyatt’s blood turned to ice, and he hung up.

  It was a bluff. It had to be. Wyatt had a thing for redheads, and strip clubs were a part of the business, so it was a lucky guess on Devin’s part. Please God, let it be a bluff. Still, he sent Ginny a quick text along with Devin’s name, and told her to be careful.

  Then he sent a follow-up, emphasizing she needed to look into him, and please, be extra careful.

  If Devin were to talk to the right people at Wyatt’s work about the wrong things, what was the worst-case scenario? Mid-level was damage control, after his colleagues found out Wyatt was the one originally charged with felony assault, before he handed over Devin.

  But Devin digging into his life? Making his next target personal? Fuck.

  FIONA HANDED PARKER the keys to the rental car as they left the park. One thing she liked about traveling for business, rather than being in a city for his videos, was she could charge the transportation back to the client. They weren’t stuck on busses.

  She was processing what happened. The entire conversation. It was difficult to think, with Parker running his fingers up the inside of her thigh—an almost absentminded, feather-light touch whenever his hand was free. It wasn’t like him, but it was pleasant. Okay, it was enticing and tempting.

  They chatted about how her day went, and then his. The parts that came before he ran into Wyatt.

  At the hotel, on the elevator ride up, he stood behind her. He teased up the back of her skirt, not pushing it out of the way, but making anticipation thrum over her. She loved it, and it was so out of character for Parker.

  Wyatt flipped this switch. She didn’t know though—was Parker acting like this out of jealousy or desire or...

  Was this what he went through with her?

  Parker let them in the room, and before the door finished swinging shut behind them, pinned her to the wall. He slid his hand up between her legs and shoved aside her panties.

  She groaned and pressed into him. Her logic forced its way past arousal. “You’re as transparent as I am.”

  He kissed along her neck, while he teased his fingers along her slit. He inched closer to her sex, but not enough to offer relief. “I’m trying to see things from a new perspective. Are you complaining?” His words vibrated against her skin.

  “No.” She gasped when he sucked on her shoulder. “I want to make sure...”

  “Of what?”

  “That you’re good with this. With all of it.”

  “I don’t know yet. But that kiss... Hearing him talk to you like that again... I’m willing to find out.” He plunged two fingers inside her.

  She clenched at the sudden intrusion, then leaned into his touch.

  Her phone rang with a familiar tone. “It’s Nick.” She breathed the words.

  “Leave it.” Parker pumped at a steady pace. “Unless you’re going to tell him we have a new traveling companion.”

  “I’m not.” She reached down to tease her clit while Parker fingered her, and he grabbed her wrist and pinned it to the wall.

  Her phone chimed with a new voicemail. Then a text. Then started ringing again.

  She sighed and reluctantly extracted herself from the play. “I should see what he wants.” She grabbed her phone and hit Answer. “Hey.”

  When she looked up at Parker, he made a show of sucking his fingers clean. Slowly. Meticulously. Her pulse hammered in her ears.

  “You must have rocked it at the call center,” Nick said. “There’s already an offer on the table.”

  “That’s awesome.” Fiona tried to focus on the conversation and remember she wasn’t supposed to have much of an idea this was coming.

  “Right? I need a week to run it by Legal, but because we’ve worked out so many details up front, it won’t take much longer. This is ours.”

  “I’m so excited.” Did she sound excited? Did she sound surprised? She needed to. Instead, her mind fluctuated between Parker, the potential for what they could get up to with Wyatt, and wondering if Wyatt had a part in this, despite his assurances. She hated that she couldn’t trust him when he said he was hands-off in this process.

  “I thought you’d be happier,” Nick said. “This is huge for us, and you made so much of it possible.”

  Parker slid up behind her again, and brushed her hair aside to kiss the back of her neck.

  “I am. Super excited.” She was thrilled about something. Mostly the need between her thighs, and the desire for Parker to finish what he started.

  “You almost don’t sound surprised.” Nick’s tone went flat.

  Parker glided his hands up her stomach, to tease the bottom of her breasts. She was going to smack him when she was off the phone, but she didn’t want him to stop. “We did a good job, and we came in with a reasonable bid.” She fought to keep her voice even. I guess I was counting my chickens before they hatched. Probably shouldn’t have, but it all worked out.”

  “You need to stay away from Wyatt.”

  She pulled the phone away and glared at it. Her brother wasn’t reading her mind now, was he? She pulled away from Parker’s touch. “Why are you bringing him up?”

  “He tried to cost us our company. I don’t like him. Why aren’t you assuring me it’s not an issue?”

  Because it was none of Nick’s business. “You don’t know him.”

  “You do? This conversation might make me feel better if you said, Okay, Nick. I get why you’re concerned, and I was going to keep my distance anyway.” Nick’s voice held an edge.

  So did Fiona’s mood. “I shouldn’t have to tell you, because it should be a given.”

  “It should be.”

  She bit the inside of her cheek, to temper her response. Nope. She was losing that struggle. “Maybe I’m reacting to the fact that you think you have a say in my sex life.”

  Nick sighed. “I’m not... Look—I don’t want to fight about that. You know how I feel. I know you’re wrong.”

  “I think you meant that to be funny, but it’s not.” She spoke through clenched teeth.

  “I realized that after I said it. But I swear to God, Fiona, if this man costs us a lucrative deal—”

  “Okay. I get why you’re concerned. It won’t be an issue.” She wouldn’t promise to stay away from Wyatt, but they’d already agreed on the need for discretion.

  Nick’s growl crawled up her spine, making her grit her teeth. “Not quite what I was looking for, but close,” he said.

  “Let me know where I need to be and when, and I’ll be there.” She was done with this conversation. How had something so wonderful turned sour?

  “Be careful,” Nick said.

  “I always am.”

  As she hung up, his doubt sank into her, rather than evaporating. Were she and Parker making the same mistake with Wyatt as last time? Was there an angle she’d missed?

  CHAPTER NINE

  WYATT SAT AT THE BACK of the conference room, watching Fiona go through her on-boarding presentation, and trying to ignore the occasional glare she sent in his direction.

  He didn’t expect to get pulled into the meeting, but when the New Orleans office found out he was going to be in town anyway, they said they’d like his input on the implementation.

  He didn’t protest the opportunity to watch her move and work in couple of hour blocks. And he definitely didn’t put up a fight at the suggestion of fifteen-minute one-on-one meetings, to let everyone weigh in on features they’d like to see.

  After the morning session of her explanation, Fiona held her individual department-head meetings. Wyatt snagged the first spot, with the excuse that he hadn’t expected these meetings. It was tempting to wait until last and take some extra time with her, but the discussions were being held in the fishbowl conference room.

  There were times the thought of an audience was tempting. This wasn’t one of t
hem.

  Fiona gave him a cool smile when he took the seat next to her despite the large conference table.

  “You promised me, no more surprises like this,” she said before he could offer up any hello, witty or otherwise.

  He held his hands up. “This is all on the manager in charge. I don’t run things this way, and I didn’t know about any of this until I got in this morning.”

  Some of the chill faded from her expression. “That’s fair. I only get fifteen minutes with each of you, so we should talk features. What are you looking for?”

  “I’m partial to redheads.” He couldn’t help himself

  The way the corner of her mouth tugged up implied she didn’t mind. “Is that the only reason you like me?”

  “Definitely not.” The question caught him off guard, but it shouldn’t have. She tended to veer right when he expected a straight line, and that always made him think.

  “You also like my pants around my feet?” she asked.

  Another hard right, but he was prepared this time. “I’d say the thought keeps me warm at night, but I’m about more than that. Give me some credit.”

  “Give me a reason to. You’re in sales. Sell me on the notion you see more to me.”

  Nope. Wasn’t expecting that at all. “You’re not only re-reading The Siren for the sex.” The answer slipped out easily, propelled by the truth. “It was a gut punch at the end of an intricate story that told you exactly what was coming and yet still surprised you.”

  “That’s where the attraction is to me?”

  “That’s the tip of the iceberg, because you get the reference and everything behind it.” How did she get him to segue from light flirting to an open line to his thoughts? And why didn’t he mind? “You yell at movies when they’re stupid. You’ve cut yourself off from living for so long, and now that you’ve tasted it, you want more. You manage to temper that desire with responsibility. You’re sitting across from me, wishing this weren’t work, but you’ll do your job anyway, despite my best or worst intentions.”

  Her smile reached her eyes, and she pressed her pen against her bottom lip, to catch the base with her teeth. Such a simple gesture, but it stole the rest of the blood from his brain.

  “What brought you back?” he asked. He wasn’t going to be the only one exposed in this conversation.

  “This is all about the software for me.”

  He raised his brows. “Insert a joke here about hardware and wetware, and then answer my question. You know I’m not talking about the job. What brought you back?”

  She licked her lips. “This.”

  “Cop-out answer.”

  “Nope. All-inclusive answer.” She leaned in, bringing her several inches closer. Her gaze never left his. “It’s because of what you see in the world around you. You look at a person, and you analyze and deconstruct them without breaking a sweat. It’s what makes you so good at sales and so shitty at long-term relationships. You overanalyze, and arrogance convinces you the most beneficial answer you is always the right one. And it’s not. Not always. When you over-analyze that way, you scare people. You push them away.”

  He frowned. Opening up was one thing, but he wasn’t sure he appreciated her crawling inside his head like... well, the way he tended to do to others. “You’re getting to a point, I assume.”

  “I like it. I love having someone see me for me. You cut right to it, and most people are afraid to do that.”

  “I have a choice at this point. I can deflect your odd compliment with a joke about wanting to see more of you more often, or I can tell you what I’m actually thinking.”

  “Let’s try that second one. I’d like to see you telling the truth more often.”

  Ouch. “Phrasing.”

  “Well-deserved phrasing.” She twisted her mouth around the pen, leaving a faint smudge of red on the white plastic.

  He envied her pen more than he thought possible. He leaned in as well, until there were only a few inches between them. “All right. The truth. If I thought you’d let me, I’d strip away every layer, a piece at a time—and I’m not talking about clothing—until I saw you. All of you.” His voice was low, and her faint scent drifted toward him, tempting and teasing. “And I’d pray to any god who exists that you can do the same for me.”

  “I’d like to.” Her reply was breathy.

  He straightened, needing the distance to clear his head and remind himself they were on display. “Your next appointment is in five.”

  “Yeah.” She nodded and shuffled the stack of papers in front of her. Pink dotted her cheeks.

  “As for software features, tell me what it does and what everyone else is asking for, and I’ll sell it.”

  She stood, and he did the same. “It was a pleasure meeting with you, Mr. Lindberg.” She shook his hand, and the need inside ran faster.

  “I’m hoping for more one-on-one sessions.” He slid back toward casual and playful. “If you’ve time later, they’ve set me up with a temporary office. I’d love to chat in more detail about my requirements for what you’re offering.”

  She stepped back, expression neutral. The only hint of what she was thinking was the pink racing down her neck and over her chest, which heaved with each breath. “I’ll see if I can break away this afternoon.”

  WYATT LOOKED UP AT a knock on his office door, and couldn’t hide his grin when he saw Fiona.

  “Do you have a little time to talk?” Her voice wavered on the last word.

  God, yes. “Come on in.” He stood and closed the door behind her. When he pushed the lock in place, a smile whispered across her face, and he was instantly hard.

  “I was hoping to explore next steps, based on our conversation this morning.”

  The professional, vague lead-in was a turn-on too. Or perhaps it was because she was the one saying it. He should be more worried about how easy it was to let his guard down when she was around.

  “I was hoping the same.” He stepped closer, until his body pressed against hers, then nudged her back toward the desk. “Before we get started, are there any restrictions I should be aware of?”

  “Don’t leave any visible marks.” She licked her bottom lip.

  He knotted his fingers in her hair and yanked her head back. Her gasp was a direct line to his erection. He bit her earlobe, growling against her skin. “Fuck, I missed you.” He moved his hands to her hips and lifted her to sit on the desk.

  “I hope so.” Her tone was playful.

  Not the answer he expected. “You do?”

  “You went to a lot of trouble, to get us to this point.” She tilted her head up and met his gaze, her lips close enough to his that he felt her breath. “I hope I’m worth it.”

  He wanted to kiss her. Taste the shine of red. He also liked the anticipation. “So far. Are you complaining?”

  “I should be, all things considered. I should be over you. Should have moved on. Not let you haunt my dreams. And— Don’t you have a way to shut me up?”

  He crushed his mouth to hers, sinking into the sensation and into her moan. The buildup was nice, but now that he had her, his restraint was gone. He glided his hand down the front of her blouse, undid the first few buttons, and tugged the fabric open.

  Wyatt kissed along her jaw and then down her chest, to suck and bite the tantalizing swell of her breast above her bra. “No visible marks. I can do that,” he murmured against her skin.

  He scraped his fingers up her legs, pushing her skirt out of the way, and slid between her thighs. She traced his cock through his trousers, drawing his nerves to life. No marks above the collar. He tried to keep the request at the front of his mind, as he wove his fingers in her hair and yanked her head back.

  Fiona’s whimper-squeal was better than smooth whiskey searing through his veins.

  He kissed her neck, then lower. “Fuck, I missed you. The sounds you make. The way you smell. Your sexy brain.” He teased his finger over the leg of her panties and underneath the crotch. Her juices c
oated his skin. “Fucking your tight, wet cunt.”

  “You say the sweetest things.” She dragged down his zipper.

  Her cool touch on his warm shaft made him groan. He’d love to draw this out, but part of the fun was that they were running on borrowed time, and he didn’t know how much. Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to roll on a condom before the impulse to drive inside her wiped away his reason.

  He gripped her hips tight and nudged her opening with the head of his dick. “I mean every word.”

  When he plunged inside Fiona, her mischievous smile melted into a silent gasp. Her pussy hugged him and drew him in. Restraint vanished, and he slammed into her hard and fast. “Play with yourself,” he whispered against her cheek.

  She slid her hand between them, and her fingers brushed his cock with each thrust. “I wish we had more time.”

  “Tell me what you’d want if we weren’t on the clock.” The conversation was the right level of distracting. Without it, Wyatt wouldn’t be able to hold back.

  Her breath came in short gasps, and she thrust against him to the pace he set. “You’d have to surprise me.” Her words were punctuated. “I’d be blindfolded and tied up.”

  “I like the way you think.” His head swam, as the fresh images mingled with the feelings of here and now.

  “But I hope at some point it involves sucking you off while Parker fucks me.” Her voice hitched on Parker, and she met his gaze.

  He should be bothered she brought Parker into the fantasy, but he liked it. “With him stroking your clit, the way you’re doing now?”

  “God, yes.” Her gasps came in staccato bursts, and when she came, she bit her lip hard enough he saw the pale impressions around her teeth. She squeezed him tight, clenching and spasming.

  Before she could pull her hand away, he covered it with his own. “Keep fingering yourself.” The command came out as a grunt.

  She nodded and slid into another orgasm, milking him.

  Desire tightened in his balls, and flashes danced behind his eyelids. He buried his head against her breast, biting when he came, to keep silent.