by Ju Ephraime
When Jake asked her to go over the paperwork with Damien in his stead, she knew she was going to be tested like she’d never been before.
She’d tried talking him into going, but he said he was just swamped at the moment, trying to catch-up. And assured her she’d do fine. Lisa knew she could handle the work, but whether she could handle her boss was a different matter altogether.
Jake wasted no time calling Damien on the house phone to inform
him of the switch. Damien didn’t pick up the phone, so he left the message on his voice mail, knowing he would check it the moment the recording stopped.
Even so, Lisa was still reluctant to go to Damien since he had made a point of avoiding her since their time together. She didn’t want him to feel pressured. So, she stood in the doorway, hesitating and seeking reassurance from Jake.
“Did Damien say it was all right? Is he okay with me instead of you?” she asked Jake.
“Sure,” he answered, pounding away at the computer keyboard, stopping only to give her a brief glance.
“What’s the matter, Lisa? Is there something you want to tell me? I don’t understand your reluctance; sooner or later you’ll be the only one here with him, besides Angie, of course. You do realize I’ll be leaving soon?”
“It’s just that Damien has been in a strange mood these last few days,” she informed him.
“Damien is always in one mood or other; that’s just Damien. It has nothing to do with you, so don’t take it personal.”
“Okay, I’m going, but it’s on you if he bites my head off.”
Eight
As soon as Lisa stepped into Damien’s office, she knew it was a mistake. But no one could accuse her of being a coward. So, keeping her chin up, she approached his desk. She refused to feel guilty about what had happened in Damien’s room. After all, she had not attacked him; it was the other way around. Even so, her voice still came out wobbly when she tried to announce herself to him. She cleared her throat and tried again.
“Jake is swamped, so he sent me up to go over the paperwork with you.”
“He did, did he?” Damien responded with a smile. “Let’s see how far we can get with this then.”
Good, she thought. At least he’s not snapping at me as he’s been doing lately.
She was a bit thrown off when Damien did not stay behind his desk as was his custom but walked toward her, holding out his hand for the papers. He walked unerringly straight to her and placed his hand on her wrist. Lisa was surprised. She was still impressed by the length and breadth of him. He was a tall man, with broad shoulders that tapered into an exquisitely muscled torso. He was wearing a workout-protection belt, which only served to draw attention to the width of his shoulders in relation to his waist. He only wore that belt when he was going to work out in the gym. So, he’d either been working out or on his way to the gym, which brought another thought. Jake always accompanied him to the gym during his workout. She hoped she wasn’t expected to be his workout partner. She made a mental note to talk to Jake about this. She did not think she was strong enough to assist Damien with his workouts; he most definitely needed a man for this. But now she had a more immediate concern.
“Are you able to see, Damien?” she asked.
“What do you mean?” he responded, his voice deep and husky.
***
He knew where she was standing by her scent, and he could tell by the direction her voice was coming from which way she was facing. He pulled her toward him until she was standing toe to toe with him. This was the first time she’d been this close to him in a vertical position, and she was surprised to see that, tall as she was, her head only came up to his shoulder. It was a heady feeling standing this close to him. She couldn’t help imagining for one forbidden second what it would be like to have his arms around her, erasing the distance between them. What she wouldn’t give to be able to press up to him, against all that male hardness and heat surrounding her, and to feel him welcome her in.
She shook herself, reminding herself that this was not what she’d come in here for. She turned to move away but froze as his hands reached out to bring her even closer. The pressure of his firm touch felt wonderful to her starved body. The warmth of his hands sank through the layers of clothing she was wearing, sending her pulse rocketing. She held herself rigid, thinking how easy it would be to turn into the comfort of his arms. She could not help wondering how good it would feel to run her fingers through that dark, wavy hair. To pull him closer, harder—to do what she’d wanted to do for God knows how long. She wanted to reach up and cover his gorgeous, sensual mouth with hers. God, how she wished she were so bold, so daring.
In the end, the decision was taken away from her as he shifted ever so slightly, bringing his body in line with hers. She couldn’t help thinking that he smelled like what male testosterone would smell like if it could be bottled---sin and sex mixed with his own unique scent. He always wore a slightly musky, spice scent. That scent, together with his unique body chemistry, teased her already heightened senses, turning her willpower to mush. But she told herself she had to make some attempt to stop him, even if it was just a token attempt.
“Damien?” was all she managed to say just as he leaned into her and began rubbing his face against her neck like a male leopard claiming its mate.
His breath was a hot feathery caress on her skin, awakening dormant desires, irresistible needs, unwelcomed in their intensity. He was sniffing her neck, on the pulse that was beating there erratically in anticipation. He stopped on that erratic pulse and ever so gently pressed his lips against it, the touch so light it was as if he were counting the beats. He moved to her eyes, her cheek, as if no part of her face should remain untouched by his lips, skirting her mouth and going back to the pulse, as if he were fascinated by it.
She was screaming for him to kiss her. She felt as if her skin was too tight for her body. She desperately wanted to remove all restriction from her body and his, to feel him against her, naked—skin-to-skin. She had fantasized about the feel of his body against her for so long that she was almost breathless with need. She was breathing through her mouth, as if she had been running a marathon. She wasn’t aware of the level of her distress until she heard him whispering to her.
“Shush, shush, sweetheart, it’s going to be all right.”
***
Damien told himself he was giving her an opportunity to escape, to call a halt, so he’d left for last what he had wanted to do from the moment her scent had assaulted him in his office. He’d convinced himself that there was no harm in inhaling her unique scent, in touching only her face and neck and avoiding her mouth, but every part of him ached for the deeper contact. He returned to her mouth, skimming it ever so lightly with his lips as he shifted his body against hers seeking an even closer contact, if that were possible.
Listening to her breathe so heavily, with a need just as powerful as his, his resolve quickly crumbled. He blindly searched for the soft seam of her lips, his body trembling, and allowed himself to kiss her, just once.
***
Lisa had tried to stop him by attempting to move away, but as she moved, he followed, doggedly. She had become more and more flustered by the way he rubbed his face against hers. When she saw that he was about to kiss her, she felt she had to say something to remind him of his silent decision to refrain from any romantic contact between them. This was easier said than done. She had to try three times to get her vocal cords to work properly.
“Damien, what are you doing? I thought you didn’t want this,” she squeaked out.
He responded by inhaling her even more deeply, before saying, “I just wanted to feel you, smell you, and taste you, to determine for myself if you tasted as good as you smelled.” With this, he opened his mouth over her left ear and ran his tongue from her ear to her lips and back again, drawing in her scent even more deeply into his lungs.
Lisa was shaking like a leaf, but she pressed herself against him in return, seeki
ng the warmth of his gorgeous physique, wanting whatever brief respite she could gain from being this close to him. She would worry about the repercussions later. For now, all she wanted was to have him continue what he was doing to her. She didn’t have the willpower to try to stop him.
***
Her mouth was soft and succulent. He could feel the heavy weight of her breasts against his chest and the low ride of her pelvis against his stiff erection. She was so soft and hot he wanted to sink his throbbing erection inside her and remain there for a while. But even as he flexed his pelvis against her, seeking some relief, any relief, in the back of his mind, he knew that there would be repercussions for his actions. She was his employee for crying out loud. He had to get a grip, and fast. But he didn’t have the strength to move away from her. He would leave that move up to her; he was too weak.
When she made no move to retreat after her initial attempt, he penetrated her with his tongue. Urgency made him clumsy at first, his open mouth dragging along the line of her neck, down to the rise of her breasts, and back again. The pulse in her throat was beating even more erratically as she gasped against his mouth. His arms tightened, bringing her even closer into his body as he rubbed his erection against her. The friction was torture, causing his cock to pulse in eagerness as he attempted to seek any release he could get from the demon riding him hard.
When he felt the shudder that went through her, he knew she was right there with him, especially when he felt her nails digging into his back. He used his thigh to spread her legs farther, to gain better access to her heat. He used the strength in his legs to lift her off her feet, forcing her to ride his thigh as he took her mouth in the full deep kiss that he craved. He played with her tongue, tasting her, allowing the sensation to burgeon into the raw and unrestrained desire he felt for her, applying pressure with his thigh at the same time. A shudder went through her again as she felt the pressure against her most sensitive part, eliciting a responding one from him.
Her response was hesitant at first, her mouth moving tentatively upward in a questioning stroke. He deepened the kiss, palming her breast in his hand and applying pressure to the erect nipple. Feeling her balance faltering, he slid his other hand to cradle her firm butt, pressing her even harder onto his thigh. He kept kissing her until she was making small pleasure sounds as she reached up and delicately began running her fingers through his hair, effectively keeping him just where he wanted to be.
***
Lisa began to tremble. Her knees had gone weak. She had to brace herself against the door to keep from falling. She was grateful for Damien’s thigh between her legs. Without it, she would have collapsed. Feeling the heat and wetness dampening her panties, she began to breathe through her teeth. The sensation between her legs had her so on edge she wanted to scream. She glanced up at his face as she fought for control. The expression on his face was intense. His mouth was a harsh line from pressing his teeth together so tightly.
She wanted to scream in frustration. She could not take much more of this. As if sensing her need, he moved his hands between their bodies and reached between her thighs to her damp heat. Moving her panties aside, he used his finger to massage her clit, applying pressure in just the right spot, causing her to whimper with need. She wanted to touch him as he was touching her, but she needed all her strength just to hold on. So for now, she was completely at his mercy.
“What am I going to do about you, Lisa?” he asked.
She could not respond because, just then, he had somehow managed to get into her shirt, had removed her left breast from her bra, and was busy with her breasts. He was kneading and rubbing her nipples, which had become erect under his onslaught. She felt a heat rise up from her feet and center between her thighs, right where his right leg was putting pressure on her most vulnerable part.
She knew she was lost when he left her mouth and moved down her neck to her breast, where he began nibbling all around the nipple, close, but not fully touching it. She was anxiously anticipating the feel of his wet mouth on her nipple and was almost ready to come out of her skin.
It was as if he knew he was torturing her because he kept this up for a good five minutes before he finally took her left nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. Lisa felt the response so powerfully a burst of fresh wetness pooled between her legs, but he did not stop there. He released her other breast from her bra and began going from one to the other. She thought she would die from the sensation. She began to breathe heavily, and she was dangerously close to having an orgasm.
***
Damien sensed the change in her, but he did not want her to find any relief….not yet….not here….not this way. He left her breast and returned to her mouth, running his tongue over her teeth before he took her tongue into his mouth and began caressing it with his. He then returned to her breasts to begin the onslaught all over again.
The sensation was too much for Lisa. She felt it all the way to her toes. She felt pleasure like she had never felt before running beneath her skin then melting and spreading. She gasped from the intense feeling and went willingly, eagerly, striving to reach that point of sweet release. She knew it was there, just out of reach. One more pull from Damien’s mouth on her breast, and she knew she’d explode.
The ringing of the telephone caused them to break apart. They stood looking at the ringing telephone as if it were a foreign object and they did not know what to do with it. He was so violently aroused he had to draw deep passion-roughened breaths, willing his tortured body to calm down.
Damien recovered first. Moving to his desk, he answered the phone. It turned out to be Jake inquiring how the meeting was going.
“Just fine,” Damien responded. “We’ll be done soon.”
With that, he placed the papers on his desk, leaning over the desk as if for support. Lisa, busy adjusting her clothes, went to stand next to the window.
The silence was awkward. Damien was the first to speak.
“We’ll have to deal with this later.”
Lisa did not know what he meant and did not question him, but proceeded to get the adding machine to begin totaling up the numbers.
Tonight, she vowed, would be an altogether different matter if she had anything to do with it.
Nine
Lisa did not know how she got through the rest of the day. She was like a cat on a hot tin roof. She could not wait to retire to her quarters. Several times throughout the afternoon, she saw Jake giving her those questioning, searching glances, which told her she was acting somewhat erratically. But, at this point, she didn’t give a damn. She just wanted to be alone to try to sort out what was going on between her and Damien. She did know one thing. She could not allow this to happen again. Getting to that point and stopping had left her too frustrated and unfulfilled. It was not good for her work ethic, because it left her feeling so distracted and had her nerves on edge.
To escape Jake’s all-seeing eyes, she retired early with a headache. She was so wrung out she did not even undress; she just flung herself across her bed, shoes and all. She was dead to the world until she was awakened by the persistent beeping of her alarm clock.
The clock was set for her to make her nightly rounds to check up on Damien. Now given the situation between them, she didn’t think that it was a good idea to spend any time alone with Damien, especially not in his room and definitely not in the middle of the night! God! How could she shirk her duties? It was a dilemma she couldn’t handle considering the way she was feeling. Every time she thought of being in that room alone with Damien she broke out in a cold sweat. She just did not have it in her to face Damien any time soon, even if that made her a chicken.
She reached for the house phone and called Jake. She was praying he was still in the house and that he had not gone out, as has been his custom since she’d begun to work for Damien.
She breathed a sigh of relief when he picked up on the third ring.
“Jake, can you look in on Damien tonight?”
“What’s the matter, Lisa, shirking your duties already?” he said with a brief laugh.
“No,” she lied. “I’m feeling a bit under the weather. I think I may have picked up a bug, and I don’t want to expose Damien to anything.”
“You won’t be exposing Damien to anything you may have picked up, Lisa. Damien has the constitution of an ox. I’ve never known him to be sick in all the years I’ve been working with him. Everyone gets sick, but not Damien. You may rest assured on that fact. But I will look in on him for you tonight.
“Thanks, Jake, I owe you one.”
“You owe me more than one, Lisa. I’ll give you my accounting before I leave for Scotland. All kidding aside, do you want me to call Dr. Chavez? He’s used to making house calls to Damien. I know he won’t mind coming to check up on you.”
“I think it might just be a twenty-four hour bug. I’ve taken two aspirins, so I should be fine in the morning. Thanks again, Jake.”
She felt guilty having to lie to Jake this way, but it was either that or lose her sanity. She would apologize to him later. For now, she had bought herself a reprieve, and she was not going to beat herself up any more about it.
Ten
Lying on his bed, his body still primed from the unfulfilled activity he’d indulged in with Lisa, Damien knew he would have a difficult time falling asleep. He did not know how much more of this he could take, but he had to admit he loved knowing all his parts worked. He felt alive for the first time in years, the first time since Shelly had made him feel like half a man. She’d claimed she couldn’t bear making love with him, knowing he was handicapped. Hearing those words from the woman he’d thought himself in love with—the woman who he’d been on the verge of proposing to-—-nearly destroyed him. How naïve he had been, thinking Shelly felt about him the way he’d felt about her. Thinking about how he would have ruined his life had he married Shelly was enough to make get him out of bed.