by Zara Cox
“How much time?” Chance snapped.
I bit my lip. “A week. Ten days, tops.”
Silence greeted me.
Walter Green rose and left the room without saying a word. The other SDM executives also left.
Chance Donovan’s gray eyes lanced me. The rest of him looked as harmless as a middle-aged CEO with a wife and three kids could look. But from the moment we met, I’d glimpsed a layer of menace in his eyes that pushed all my self-preservation buttons. “This is disappointing, Lily,” he rasped.
I forced myself not to waver. “Who’s Walter Green?”
“He’s the guy who decides whether SDM sinks or swims. Delivering this algorithm, correctly and on time, and earning the freedom you claim to so badly crave, feeds directly into that. Is that clear enough?” he said.
“Yes,” I murmured.
“Good. Now, what’s this I hear about a new consultant?” he asked.
I struggled not to tense up as I trotted out the line Caleb and I practiced. “He’s from LA. He’s helping me with preliminary info on a possible gaming app my team is working on.”
Suspicion flickered through his eyes. “Why don’t I know about this? And why is he staying at your house?”
Why wasn’t I surprised he knew Caleb was staying with me? “Because this is still preliminary. And because I don’t need your permission to have a houseguest.”
His eyes narrowed and he didn’t speak for a long time. “Remember what’s riding on this project, Lily,” he warned, then left without further comment.
I buried my face in my hands.
A minute later Caleb arrived, swiveling my chair to face him before tugging my hands down. He’d been listening on my laptop so I didn’t need to repeat what had happened. His solid presence took away some of my apprehension.
“Apart from my regret that I wasn’t here to punch that asshole in the face, the problem is only a minor bump in the road, right?”
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
He frowned, crouching down in front of me. “Meaning?”
“The mistake looks...sophisticated. I triple-checked everything yesterday. I could’ve missed it—”
“You think you were hacked?” he asked.
The icy hand on my nape wouldn’t let go. “I don’t think so but it’s possible...” I stopped as another thought occurred to me.
“What?”
“I added a last-minute tweaked version this morning from the team.”
“Which team?”
“Sanjeet’s team. But—”
His fingers brushed my lips, halting my words. “You want to think the best of everyone. I don’t want to take that away from you, but you have to accept sooner or later than not everyone is decent.”
My heart lurched. “I know, but I trust them.”
“Give them the benefit of the doubt if you want. Let me worry about who’s at fault here. Okay?”
Chest tight, my gaze settled on my laptop. “What’s their end goal, Caleb?”
“The stalking is most likely to keep you off balance while they try to get their hands on what you’re working on.”
The thought drew a horrified shudder. “That can’t happen.”
“It won’t,” he ground out. With a decisive click, he shut the lid. “It’s almost eight. You’ve been up since five this morning. I’m taking you home.”
I shook my head. “I can’t. The team always goes out to celebrate after a presentation. They’ll expect me to be there.”
“Where’s it happening?”
“Q Base in Cupertino.”
He pulled out his phone to relay the instruction to his security team. Then he cupped my shoulders. “You’re officially clocked off for the day. Understood?”
Feeling numb, I nodded.
I was grateful when Maggie called and kept Caleb on the phone for most of the time it took to drive to Q Base.
Thumping music when we entered the club further prevented me from making meaningful conversation with Caleb or my team.
I exchanged high fives with anyone who stopped at the VIP lounge reserved for SDM, but the first chance I got, I headed to the main bar.
“You want a lemondrop?” Caleb leaned down to ask in my ear.
Memories of last night flooded in, knocking aside a bit of my melancholy. “Not unless you’re making it,” I said before I fully grasped how revealing my answer was. His lips curved in a smug smile. “They don’t make it that well here. I’ll have a noche azul,” I added in a rush.
He ordered my drink and bourbon for himself.
Since it was early by clubbing standards, we had most of the dance floor to ourselves. But an hour later the place was packed.
I excused myself to go to the ladies’ room, and returned to find Miranda seated next to Caleb. Frozen, I watched her lean in close and whisper in his ear.
A smile crept up his face but he shook his head. She leaned in closer, her bare leg sliding against his.
Hot, green bile curdled in my gut, merrily aided by the two cocktails I’d consumed. I wanted to stalk over, uproot her by the hair and lay my claim on him.
But other than the two orgasms he’d given me, a few shared confidences and a promise to screw each other’s brains out sometime in the future, what hold did we have on one another? For all I knew, Caleb could be gone from my life this time next week.
The thought slashed through me, sharp and unexpectedly agonizing.
I made a U-turn, heading for the bar. Someone stepped in front of me. He looked familiar.
Mark, the ex who’d turned out to be harmless.
“I thought that was you,” he said.
“Hi.” I summoned a bright smile.
“Long time, no see.”
“Yeah...”
He cocked his head at the dance floor. “Wanna dance?”
I looked over my shoulder. Caleb’s eyes were fixed on me, narrowing as it flicked between Mark and me. Even from across the wide space, I witnessed tension climbing into his body.
I turned back around. “Sure, why not?”
Mark grinned. We headed to the dance floor and, with a sense of wild abandon, I threw myself into the dance. Seconds later Caleb materialized beside me.
“You. Beat it,” Caleb snarled at Mark.
Like a true analyst, Mark assessed the situation, saw he was on a losing streak and beat a hasty retreat.
Furious blue eyes glared at me. “What the fuck are you doing?”
I lifted an eyebrow. “I should ask you the same thing. You just deprived me of my dance partner.”
“You said you were going to the bathroom,” he accused.
“I did. Only when I returned, you seemed...busy.”
His jaw clenched. “So you decided to let some punk drool all over you?” he bit out.
I shrugged and his gaze dropped to my cleavage. I discarded my jacket a while ago, and without it my attire had transformed from quirky but acceptably professional to risqué.
“Not just some guy. I let my ex dance with me. Now that you’ve driven him away, are you going to take his place or just growl at me? You’re certainly putting on a great show for our audience.”
He didn’t so much as flick a glance at said audience. He stepped closer, towering over me. I tilted my head, met his furious gaze full-on. Then I placed my hands on his waist. He tensed. Still watching him, I began to move, swaying my hips to the slower tempo of the song now playing. Then I added subtle shoulder shimmies.
His gaze dropped again to my cleavage and a light shiver rolled through him. I dragged my nails across his abs as I swayed deeper. His hand landed on my back and yanked me closer.
“Are you trying to make me lose my shit, Lily?” he rasped in my ear.
I pouted. “I’m just trying to dance.”
He st
ared down at me for tense seconds. “Fine. Let’s dance.”
Over the next five songs, Caleb effortlessly proved how incredible he was on the dance floor. Smooth moves drew increasing attention until every pair of female eyes was fixed on him.
His wicked smile flashed with increasing frequency, until I was turned on beyond belief.
Enough to make me forget my disgruntlement. Enough to make me grip his hand tight as he led me off the dance floor.
“Want another drink?” he asked as we found a quiet spot near the bar.
“No, thanks.”
“Okay.” He smoothed a lock of hair behind my ear, then caressed my jaw.
I looked into his gorgeous face and smoldering eyes.
Heart hammering, I bit the inside of my cheek. It was now or never. “Caleb?”
“Yeah?” His voice was gruff, as if the feelings swirling inside me gripped him, too.
“I don’t want to wait.”
He pulled back, blue eyes piercing as they searched mine. “If this is because of what happened at your presentation—”
“No, it’s not.” I swirled my tongue over my lip, nerves consuming me. “Please, Caleb. You said you wouldn’t hurt me with anything that happens while on this case. I’m saying the same to you. I want you...”
Then he leaned in, one hand braced on the wall above my head. “Just so we’re clear, you want me to what, exactly?” he demanded.
I slid my hand up his chest, over his shoulder to his nape and drew him down to me. “I want you to break your rule and take me home,” I whispered in his ear. “I want you to take my panties off. I want you to undress me. Or I... I can keep my dress on if you want. And I want you to fuck my lights out. Like you promised.”
A deep shudder rolled through him. He continued to stare at me for several heartbeats. “Jesus.” He buried his face in my neck, breathed out harshly, then plucked my hand from around his neck. “I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold out for much longer. Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
His jaw clenched as he tried to fight it for one more minute. Then: “Let’s go.”
Each mile from Cupertino back home felt like an eternity.
I was hot, getting hotter and wetter every time I glanced at Caleb’s tense profile. At the thick rod of his cock pressing against his fly. He changed lanes suddenly, his thighs flexing as he stepped on the gas.
“I like the way you drive.”
He flicked me a heated glance. “I like the way you’re looking at me.”
On impulse, I reclined my seat by thirty degrees and propped up my legs on the dashboard. The skirt of my dress slid down to midthigh.
Heat turned to flames. “Christ, Lily, you’re going to get me arrested. I swear to God, if I get pulled over before I’ve fucked your phenomenal pussy, I’ll spank your sweet ass until you can’t sit down for a week.”
Why did the thought of that sound insanely heavenly? “I have bail money. I’ll help you out,” I said, sliding my skirt higher.
He swerved into the faster lane, splitting his fevered attention between the road and my thighs. Then he groaned. “Stop. Please, baby, let me get us home in one piece. Then you can show me this insanely sexy, naughty side of you.”
My fists bunched. “I don’t know if I can wait.”
“Well, I’m not fucking you on the side of the road our first time, that’s for damn sure,” he growled. He reached over and gripped my thigh, pressing my flesh a little roughly before snatching his hand away. “Behave.” His terse plea almost made me smile.
“Okay.” I released my skirt and draped my arms around the headrest, exposing a generous amount of breasts.
“For fuck’s sake! You think that’s better?” he rasped hoarsely.
“Hmm. Maybe I’ll take a nap. Wake me up when we get home?”
He cursed again as I closed my eyes. A few sharp turns threatened to dislodge my feet from the dashboard. My saucy smile melted away as the minutes ticked by. By the time we arrived home, I was as breathless and as on edge as Caleb.
He turned off the ignition without glancing my way. Stepping out, he stalked over to my side and yanked the door open. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he scoured my reclined body.
Slowly, his eyes locked on mine, he reached over and unsnapped my seat belt. When I attempted to rise, he pressed a hand against my midriff. With his other hand, he trailed his fingers down my inner thigh. Torturously, he slipped beneath my skirt, just as he did this morning. When he reached his destination, his fingers fingers boldly against my mound, cupping me through my panties.
“Jesus, Lily, you’re fucking soaked,” he muttered with a groan.
He circled his fingers, applying pressure over my engorged clit. I whimpered before I could stop myself.
The sound triggered him into action. He scooped me up, kicked the door shut and strode to the front door. Opening it, he set me down and deactivated the alarm. “Stay put.”
The security check took less than five minutes. Anticipation had me breathless by the time he trotted back downstairs. On the second to last step he stopped, hands clasped behind his back.
“Come here.” The order was gravel-rough.
On shaky legs, I teetered over to him. With his elevated position, my eyes were level with his fly. And excruciatingly aware of what lay behind it.
He stared at me. Then he nodded at his crotch. “See what you’ve done to me?”
My head bobbed up and down.
“What are you going to do about it?” he demanded thickly.
I swallowed as a dozen erotic images flashed through my mind, all starting and ending with my hands on his body. My hands found his chest, felt the hard muscles shift beneath my touch, then trailed over his abs to his waist.
Then, breath held, I slowly slid his belt free. Twisted open his button and lowered his zipper.
His broad chest expanded in a deep intake of breath, his eyes dark pools of hunger tracking my every move. Whether it was those incisive eyes or my own insecurities that suddenly pummeled me, I wasn’t sure. I froze, my mouth drying as I struggled to breathe.
* * *
With a snatched breath, I slipped my hand beneath his waistband and closed my fingers around him.
His breath hissed out between gritted teeth. He swallowed hard but didn’t move an inch. I tugged his pants and briefs lower, exposing the cock that had fueled more lurid fantasies all day.
I stroked him once. Twice. He grew thicker, his dick pulsing in my hold. Emboldened, I tightened my grip, pumped him a few more times.
A tortured groan rumbled from his throat as his fingers sank into my hair. “Fuck, Lily, that feels so good.”
I stepped closer, breathed in his earthy scent. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted more. I wanted to devour him. I yanked down his pants, cupped his heavy balls. He groaned again, a drop of precum glistening at his broad head.
I flicked my tongue against his slit and he jerked against me. I went to taste him again, but his fingers clenched in my hair, pulling me away.
“No.” The denial was torn reluctantly from his throat.
My fingers tightened around him, making his abs clench hard. “Caleb, I... I want you in my mouth.” This morning hadn’t been enough. I wanted more.
He shuddered, but still shook his head. “I’d love for you to blow me again, sweetheart, but right now, I’m dying to be inside you.”
Before I could protest, he scooped me up again like I weighed nothing, pivoted and hauled ass up the stairs. The hallway passed in a blur, the door to my bedroom slamming shut to his kick.
He set me down on the side of the bed. Eyes pinned to mine, he made short work of his buttons and shrugged off his shirt. He was ripped and tanned all over, hairless except for the thin strip of silky hair that arrowed from his belly button to frame his groin.
“You’re so hot,” I gushed, unable to stop myself.
Dark color flared across his cheekbones, and his nostrils flared as he toed off his shoes and socks. “Keep talking like that and you won’t get to walk straight for a week,” he growled.
The very idea made me weak. I sagged onto the bed with a pathetic whimper.
With a smug smile, Caleb bent over me, pressed his forehead against mine as he nudged me backward onto my elbows. He grabbed my knees and made room for himself between my thighs, then fused his lips with mine.
The kiss was ravenous to the point of decimation. Strong fingers kneaded my calves, then drifted down to tug off my shoes. He continued kissing me as his hands reversed direction, trailed up my thighs to slip beneath my dress. He started to pull down my panties, then halfway through he muttered under his breath and ripped it free.
At my gasp, he smiled against my lips. “Sorry.”
“You’re not really, are you?” I challenged between kisses.
“No,” he confirmed, then sucked my tongue into his mouth in a move that melted my brain.
God, the man could kiss. I’d lost the ability to think straight when he pulled away. From his back pocket he took out a pack of condoms and tossed it on the bed.
I was staring at the box, wondering if I would be lucky enough to get through the pack by morning, when he grabbed my thighs and dropped onto his knees. Utterly captivated, I watched Caleb trail his tongue slowly up one inner thigh, then the other, but maddeningly staying away from my needy center.
“Get the lights up in here. I want to see your beautiful pussy properly,” he said as he bit lightly on my flesh.
Pleasure shivering through me, it took a moment to realize the only light in the room was the one on my dresser, set to come on automatically at nightfall.
My breath puffed out as my lungs remembered how to work. “Lights,” I croaked. Nothing happened. I cleared my throat. “Lights.”
The lamps on my nightstand flared softly, chasing away the shadows. Baring me to Caleb’s avid gaze. His mouth dropped open, a hot breath escaping as he stared.
And stared.