The man must have a death wish. Calix looked at one hand and cracked his neck, not in the remotest way worried about the guillotine hanging over his head. In fact, it was like no warning had been issued. “You’ve been moody, Giga. You’re acting like”—he looked around—“like an ass. If you’re going to act like this, go do so at your office. Not here.”
He couldn’t argue that. It was true. He’d been ready to bite anyone’s head off—not a common thing for him. He was a man used to being in control in all aspects of his life. His reaction to not being able to get Katiya alone was unfamiliar and unpleasant. And not doing him any good.
“Right,” he said in a monotone timbre. “Anything else or will you be getting back to work now?”
His brother’s gaze twinkled and he looked behind him. Rhia moved around a corner, a scowl on her face as she averted her eyes from the two of them.
Calix and Rhia?
“What are you up to?” he asked Calix.
“Nothing, brother. Absolutely nothing.” He winked and strode off in the direction Rhia had just vanished.
Right. I believe that, just like I believe pigs fly.
Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, he swivelled his head and frowned when he realised Katiya was no longer in sight. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he rotated his shoulders and strode down the hall to her office. The door was closed and he hesitated briefly, hand hovering over the doorknob. He knocked sharply with one knuckle and just about groaned in relief when her sultry voice poured through the wood.
“Come on in.”
He pushed through, twisting the lock on the handle before pushing the door closed behind him. As she had been the first day they’d met, Katiya sat on one of the two sofas in her office, her legs stretched out on the cushions. She’d removed her shoes and set them on the floor beside her.
He waited until the decisive click from the door had brought her head up from the stack of papers in her lap. Her eyes widened and she dropped the pencil from her hand.
“Wa…Warwick, what are you doing in here?” she asked, her voice slightly breathless.
Nice to know he still affected her. He leaned against the door and crossed his arms, a slow, sensual smile lifting his lips. He was content now, knowing he had her all to himself.
“You’ve been avoiding me, Katiya.” He rolled the words off his tongue, doing his best to remain in control of his emotions that seemed to go haywire around her.
Her chin snapped up a bit and her eyes narrowed. “I’ve been working.” She picked up the pencil and tapped the stuff before her with the eraser.
“I’ve noticed.”
“Good. Then do you mind?”
He narrowed his gaze on her and shook his head as he slowly pushed away from the door and prowled towards her. “Yes, actually I do. I mind a hell of a lot.”
She sighed and put her pencil in the notepad then closed it. “Something you need to get off your chest?”
His eyes raked her form. She couldn’t hide her shiver. He didn’t stop until he had one hand on the arm of the couch and the other on the back, caging her in. Her nose flared and she swallowed hard, but she didn’t back down. She’d pasted one of the most bored expressions he’d seen on her. The closer he got to her, the faster the beat on the side of her neck moved.
“Oh yeah,” he growled right before he slammed his mouth over hers.
Katiya remained stiff beneath him for all of a second. Then it was like kissing liquid fire. She melted into him only to explode and meet his passion with a fiery one of her own. Her tongue didn’t wait for an invitation. She just thrust it into his mouth, yanking the reins of aggressor from him.
The sound of papers hitting the floor didn’t even deter him. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing her close, revelling in the fact she was in his arms again. Her taste, ever addicting, flowed through him straight to the hard rod in his jeans, making it throb with anticipation.
One hand cupped the back of her neck as he readjusted them so she was on his lap on the sofa. Like in the truck, she shot electricity through him as she rubbed along his straining erection. Her panting and whimpers played havoc on his thread of control.
“Katiya,” he growled against her plush lips.
She slowly backed away, holding his lower lip in her teeth before releasing it with a pop. Her eyes were smoky with desire and her chest rose and fell enticingly with each rapid breath she took.
“What?” Even her voice was more raspy than normal.
Focus. He had to focus. And was he—totally focused upon the full breasts before him, the tunic, which was a gorgeous colour against her skin. Not to mention the way her core was cradled up against him.
“Why have you been avoiding me?”
The heat in her eyes died. He could see it replaced with frustration.
“I know this is difficult for you to understand, Warwick Taylor of Taylor Bytes, but my every moment isn’t spent thinking about you. I have a community centre to run. I don’t have others to do it for me. This is my baby. My blood, sweat, and tears were poured into making The Oasis. I oversee it all. This…is my life.” Her words were clipped and the tone could have rivalled Siberia for warmth.
If not for the flash of heat in her eyes, he would have sworn she meant every bit of that blather about how her every moment wasn’t spent thinking about him. It may not be every moment, but he’d bet his fortune it was a hell of a lot more than she wanted him to know.
She began to get off his lap but he grabbed her hips and held her in place. His hips flexed instinctively against her and he was arrogantly pleased when she whimpered and answered with a movement of her own.
Is that how she thinks about me? That I’m all about myself?
“I know, Katiya. Don’t go, hear me out.”
She relaxed but her eyes were wary. He’d been told how passionate she was about her centre and he’d seen her dedication to it, but until this very moment, he never realised how much of herself she actually gave. It wasn’t something she did during the day, turned it off at night and went home. That was the difference between them. He had his business, too, but he had a board who could—and did—make decisions, leaving him to do what he wanted. Katiya had her hands in every single aspect of this centre, ensuring it ran smoothly and giving it her all, every second of every day.
How to say what he wanted to get across? Be blunt.
“I want you, Katiya.”
Those stunning eyes darkened and she pulled part of her bottom lip in her mouth.
Jeez, she’s going to kill me. I’m ready to explode inside my pants. Okay, I need to focus. Get it out. Tell her what you have to say.
“I—”
He placed two fingers over her mouth and shook his head. “Let me finish. I know you feel it. I’ve been watching you like a starving man for the past four days, waiting…no, expecting you to come to me. You didn’t. And yes, when I came in here, I’m sure it was about me. But that’s not what I want. I want it to be about us—us, Katiya.”
She stiffened and he flashed back to the memory of her at his house. How her body seemed to be stiffer than before. Something else to think about and figure out.
“I don’t want to be caught necking in my truck.” He shrugged easily. “Well, the necking part would be fun.” Her smile was tentative but there. “I want more. Dates, meeting family”—he winked—“sleepovers. Lots of them.”
He could feel her tremble even though her expression never changed. Moving his fingers from her lips, he trailed them over her cheekbone and along her chin before sliding down her neck and along the edge of her tunic.
“I want to hold you all night. Fall asleep with you in my arms and wake that very same way.” He stared at his fingers as he travelled them farther down towards the belt. “I want to make love to you, Katiya. Strip off all these damn clothes you wear and see your body, which has haunted my dreams since the day I met you. Learn every curve, memorise each inch, taste your skin.”
She whimpered
and he raked his gaze back up to her eyes. Her lips were shiny and he longed to take them again.
“See me tonight, Katiya.” He put it all out there on the table for her. “Make some time for us to be together, without the distraction of work or anything else that may pop up while we’re here.”
Her tongue sneaked out and dampened her lips again, making him want to growl with primal desire.
“I’m here late,” she said, her voice barely residing above a whisper.
“Don’t care.”
“I won’t be home until around nine.”
“Want me to bring dinner?” he asked, refusing to give in to any of her lame excuses. If he had to wait until midnight to see her, then that’s exactly what he’d do. Whatever it took.
He could see her weighing it in her head. When she nodded, he expelled a breath he’d not even realised he’d been holding. Relief flooded him.
“Okay.”
Sinking his hands into her soft hair, he drew her close and dragged his tongue along the seam of her lips before delving inside her waiting mouth. She sighed and kissed him back. While all the heat and fire was still there, this kiss was slower, more tantalising. It had a deeper intensity and meaning behind it.
He massaged the back of her head while their tongues duelled. He was so hard he could have split rocks with his cock. The scent of her, coconut and strawberries, flowed around him and he longed to know how she tasted. Everywhere.
A beeping sound drew them apart. Her eyes were unfocused and passion filled as she pulled away from him. She blinked a few times and gave him a final kiss before climbing off his lap and moving to her desk. She didn’t walk—she flowed with this innate grace he’d never seen so natural for a woman before.
“Yes?” she asked lifting the receiver.
He readjusted his shaft in his pants and crouched to the floor to gather up her dropped papers. Pushing to his feet, he noticed she sat on the edge of her desk, watching him. Almost a thoughtful look.
“Time to get back to work?”
“Yes,” she said and he was positive he picked up on some regret in her tone.
He strode towards her, loving how her gaze trailed over him, full of appreciation, before meeting his eyes again. He handed her the pile of papers and was blessed with a soft smile.
“I’ll see you tonight then, Katiya,” he murmured, skimming her cheek with his knuckles.
“Tonight.”
One final kiss then he walked to the door, unlocked it, and walked out, closing it softly behind him. His body was already tense in expectation of what it would be like to be with her. There was no doubt what was going to happen. And he was beyond ready.
* * * *
“Kat. Kat!”
Katiya looked up from the clipboard and tried desperately to remember what they were talking about. Her sister, Delicia stood before her, dressed in her work uniform.
What the crap were we talking about?
Her mind was on tonight. Warwick at her house. And what that would lead to. She had something this man was more than capable of soothing. All that muscle would be hers, at least for the night. Those sexy dimples, she could finally lick. She’d analyse it later. Right now there were matters involving The Oasis to tend to.
Like whatever thing my sister is going on about. Crap, if I could just recall what we were discussing.
“What, Lis?”
“Rhia said you changed the room for the CPR class but she didn’t know which one you wanted us in.”
Glancing behind her sister, she noticed a group of fifteen people waiting. Shit. “Sorry.” She flipped through the pages on her clipboard. “Use two-oh-five.”
Her sister eyed her up and down but thankfully didn’t say a word about her space cadet behaviour. “Okay.”
Lis walked away, her partner, Thom, falling into step with her, and the rest of the group who’d signed up for the CPR certification class following behind. There wasn’t any time to dwell on that, however, because soon after, Rhia came up to her and they got to work on setting up more classes and finding the people who would come in and teach them.
By eight that night, everyone had gone home except for her. She sat in her office and finished up some paperwork. With a groan, she stretched her neck and shoulders before taking a deep breath. Eight-thirty. She was hungry and tired.
Things were coming along swimmingly. The new systems were a godsend. Not to mention how Warwick had left some of his people to teach classes and more. An ugly thought raced to the forefront. Was he so sure they would sleep together because of his donation?
“Don’t think that way, Kat,” she reprimanded herself. “Things were donated before you met him. Besides, I’m sure he has more than enough willing women to sleep with him.”
That thought soured her. Shaking it off, she logged off her computer and began straightening up her desk. Finally ready, she headed for the door. The phone rang right before she got there and she paused. With a firm shake of her head, she left and headed to the front, knowing whoever it was could leave a message and she would deal with it the next time she came into her office. Right now, she had something more important to tend to. Warwick waited for her. Setting the alarm and locking the door, she headed for her car.
The closer she got to home, the more nervous she felt. Butterflies gathered in the pit of her belly and all seemed to flap harder when she pulled into her drive and parked next to the car where he waited for her.
Warwick.
He’d driven a Mercedes-Benz SL-Class Roadster and got out when she stopped her vehicle beside his. The light from her porch framed his physique. And just like that she was wet and could hardly focus on anything but what his touch allowed her to feel. How intense, how heady, how damn addicting he was.
“Good lord,” she muttered, turning off the engine and climbing out. She couldn’t help it. He just looked…divine.
He wore jeans, as he had today when he’d cornered her in her office. But instead of a T-shirt, he wore a long-sleeved crewneck shirt—her guess, to ward off the chill of the spring night. In one hand he had a bag that she assumed held their meal. Her stomach growled at the thought of food. Her pussy pulsed at the thought of after.
Swallowing hard, she locked her car and met him at the base of the steps.
“Hello, beautiful,” he murmured, before brushing their lips together in a gentle kiss.
She almost dropped her keys. “H…hello.” This man has entirely too much magnetism for my own good.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Starved,” she admitted, and she was. Today had been so busy all she’d grabbed was an apple from the kitchen.
“Me too.”
Those two words were delivered on silken velvet along with erotic decadent promise. Somehow she didn’t think he spoke of food. Another wave of heat slammed into her and her vision flickered. I have got to keep it together. Somehow she made it up to the door and unlocked it.
“Come on in,” she said, stepping through and flipping on the living room light while turning off the one which illuminated her porch.
He was right on her heels, taking up a lot of her air. She sat her purse down on the small mosaic table by the door and sighed. Her deep breath brought to her nose the evocative scent of Warwick. It was totally unfair for a man to smell so desirable. So fresh, pure and masculine. The notes teased her nose and made her want him even more.
She swallowed hard and silently led the way to the kitchen. He unpacked the bag while she gathered plates and silverware then set the table.
“How was the rest of your day?” he asked, glancing up from the bag.
“Busy. Good, though. We’ve got a few more new classes that we’ll be starting.”
“Great.” He dished up the rice pilaf and chicken before splitting up the steamed vegetables.
She filled the glasses with ice water and sat down across from him. “How about with you?” My goodness, this is like we’re a married couple talking about our day. And that didn’t
scare her like she thought it might.
“Also busy. But time seemed to take forever to pass by.”
His indigo eyes smouldered as they held hers. So intense and heated was his stare that her fork wobbled in her unsteady hand. Unsure of how to respond, she ate a bite of the chicken and chewed slowly.
A masculine and knowing smile lifted his lips, showcasing those sexy dimples. He saluted her with his fork and dug into his own meal. The talk was polite as they ate. Unfortunately for her, it did nothing to cool down her craving for this man. The way he took food off the fork, the up and down bobbing of his Adam’s apple when he swallowed. How his mouth formed words when he spoke. All it did was increase her desire for him until it was almost unbearable.
He got up and approached with two containers. “I didn’t know what you liked as far as dessert so you have two options. Chess pie and lemon cake.”
She smiled. “Lemon cake.” Her eyes met his. “One of my favourites.”
Warwick popped the top on the plastic container and set it before her. She licked her lips in anticipation. Three layers of lemon cake with creamy lemon frosting. One of her weaknesses.
“This looks divine,” she said on a half moan.
The sound of a chair sliding across her floor pulled her attention from the confection. Warwick had settled himself right beside her. He lifted her fork, cut into the cake and held it to her lips.
“Open.” His command was a whispered thread of passion.
She did. The cake had been done to perfection and seemed to melt in her mouth. Oh my goodness. His eyes watched her the whole time and she could see the desire in their depths. Another bite, and another—he continued to feed her until she shook her head at the offer. She couldn’t possibly eat another bite. Warwick finished off the final piece on the utensil.
He placed the fork down and kissed her. Covered her lips with his until she opened for his questing tongue. He took his time and explored her mouth, allowing his taste combined with the lemon cake to flood her.
Lord help me.
Her hands settled upon his shoulders, drawing him in closer. His touch intoxicated. Her nipples pressed tightly against the material of her bra. With a possessive growl he yanked her from her chair and settled her across his lap. Tightening his hold on her hair, he plundered her mouth, taking what he wanted. Her submission. Which she gave. Willingly. From her mouth he progressed down along her chin, across her exposed neck to her shoulder, where he nipped. A spear of electricity shot through her at that. She hung her head back, exposing herself to him, offering herself to him.
All the Wright Moves Page 6