#1 Rival

by Gephart, T

  I left him with his ruined sheets and went back to my apartment. There I showered again, changed, getting a knowing look from my sister before I went to work.

  He was already in his office when I arrived, wearing his fancy suit and sipping on coffee as he went through files on his desk.

  “No coffee for me?” I stood in his open doorway, my hip leaning against the jamb.

  “I tried to give you breakfast in bed but you didn’t seem interested in it.” He hid his smile behind the paper cup. “So now you’ll have to get your own coffee.”

  “I’d like to take that coffee and pour it in your lap.” I rolled my eyes, making sure I kept my voice low so no one else could hear.

  It was risky, while we weren’t doing anything other than talking, it wasn’t exactly office appropriate conversation. His door was open and I hadn’t even stepped inside, the idea we were rolling the dice made it just that little bit more exciting.

  He took another sip, licking the remnants of coffee from his lips. “If you want to give me a blowjob, Harper, you just need to ask. No need to ruin a perfectly good suit.”

  “You’re pretty obsessed with yourself, you know that?” I yawned, pretending to look bored. “Does narcissism come naturally or is it a concentrated effort?”

  “Hey, is it safe to come in?” Stephanie smiled at us both, strolling past me to Roman’s desk. “Hoping there’s a cease fire long enough so I can go through these reports with Roman.”

  We hadn’t even noticed the arrival of Daniel’s secretary, completely oblivious as to what was going on around us. God knows how long she’d been standing there, and what she’d heard.

  “Ah, yeah, I was just leaving.” My words came out slightly fumbled and not at all smooth. We’d been stupid and that had been too close. “I’ll talk to you later, Pierce.”

  “I’d say it was my pleasure, Harper.” He gave me a cocky grin. “But we both know it was all yours.”

  It was lucky that Stephanie was busy getting herself seated so she completely missed my eyes bulging and my mouth dropping open.

  He couldn’t help himself, pushing the envelope a little more because he could.

  I flipped him off discreetly, not waiting for a response as I closed the door and went into the next office. Mine, the shared wall separating us yet again.

  It was both new and weird as I sat down at my desk, wondering how the dynamic was going to work. But it did.

  During business hours, it was exactly that—business.

  Roman was still argumentative with a tendency to be a jerk and our conversations were constantly heated. And in the boardroom, we often found ourselves in fierce disagreement like we always had been. But they now involved kissing and touching whenever we’d get a private moment alone, the risk of getting caught increasing every time.

  Dating—even in the loosest possible terms—was discouraged among employees. While it was not an outright violation of our contracts, Moss, Byrne and Carter didn’t want to have to deal with the mess if there was a Charlie Sheen/Denise Richards style breakup.

  So technically we weren’t breaking any rules, but it would have been frowned upon. And there was no way I would do anything to risk the partners’ respect, especially not Daniel, who went to bat for me every time.

  So we walked the knife’s edge, alternating between fighting and flirting, both giving me just as much of a thrill.

  And when the day ended, we left separately, reuniting later at either his place or mine. We alternated to make it fair, but I warned him that if he ever tried that syrup shit at my apartment he’d be losing testicles. While his breakfast in bed routine was hot as hell, there was no way I was messing up my obscene thread count Egyptian cotton sheets.

  I loved our angry, high-powered days and our wild, crazy nights. Thankful for right now, I didn’t have to make a choice.

  “PLANS TONIGHT, HARPER?” HE WALTZED in like he always did, not bothering to knock. It used to drive me insane, now I didn’t mind it as much.

  “You taking a survey, Pierce?” I didn’t bother looking up from my screen, knowing he hated when he wasn’t acknowledged with eye contact. It gave me a stupid thrill to push his buttons.

  He casually strode to my desk, his hand reaching across and shutting off my monitor. “I said, what are your plans tonight, Lauren?”

  There was always something about it when he called me Lauren. Nothing I could pinpoint, but no matter what was going on, how much I was trying to play the game, that one word—my name—unarmed me in the most curious way.

  “I’m having sex with you.” I smiled sweetly, turning to give him the attention he wanted.

  God, he was sexy. So powerful, yet so contained, wrapped in an amazingly cut suit. I doubted there was ever a time where he didn’t look good, or that he wasn’t in control, but the possibility I might see him unraveled excited me more than it should.

  “I like these plans.” His finger skated across my jaw. “But before sex, I want to do something else.”

  There was an almost childlike glow to his perfect blue eyes while his mouth curled into a mischievous grin.

  “Dinner?” I teased, desperate to know what he had in mind but pretending I didn’t care. “Dinner would be good actually, I’m pretty hungry and it’s been a long week.”

  “I’ll feed you after.” He smirked, reaching across and brushing a kiss against my lips. “What I need for you to do is go home and get changed. And as much as I like these amazing legs of yours, wear jeans and bring a jacket. I’ll pick you up in about an hour.” He didn’t kiss me again, pulling back as he took a step toward the door.

  “You’re not going to tell me what we’re doing?” I stood up, wondering why the mystery. “It better not be something lame like hiking or sports related. I hate that stuff in the daylight; I’m interested in doing it in the dark.”

  He laughed, hesitating with his hand on the doorknob. “I promise you’ll like it. It’s something I like to do from time to time, and it’s been a while.”

  God, I hope he wasn’t talking about some weird sex club where he was hoping to have a threesome. Why the jeans though? Gah, I had no freaking idea.

  “Roman.” Nerves spiked inside of me, mostly excited but a little worried.

  He winked, cracking open the door. “Trust me, I won’t hurt you.” And then he walked out.

  He wouldn’t hurt me.

  I wasn’t sure what those words meant. Sexually? Emotionally? Physically? Too many possibilities I couldn’t even begin to process. But as dangerous as it sounded, I wanted to find out.

  Whatever work I’d hoped to finish was ignored as I logged off my computer, grabbed my bag and left the office. I didn’t even bother saying goodbye to anyone, making a beeline for my car and drove straight home.

  “Hey!” Morgan met me at the front door of our apartment. It was one of the few times we were getting home at the same time. “Why the rush, you need to pee or something?”

  I didn’t even bother trying to hide my smile. “I’m going on an adventure with Roman. He’s going to be here soon and I need to change.” I pushed open the door, undressing on my way through the house.

  “Bring condoms,” she shouted after me. “I have a feeling you’re going to be needing them.”

  My feet barely touched the floor as I quickly dressed in jeans and T-shirt, and freshened up my makeup. My pulse thumped wildly as I debated if I looked okay, the knock at the door almost making my heart stop.

  “She’ll be out in a minute.” I heard Morgan’s voice with Roman responding. I wasn’t able to hear what he said, giving myself one final look in the mirror before I stepped out of my room.

  Oh. My. God.

  Wow.

  My eyelids peeled back as any words I was hoping to speak got lost on their way out of my mouth. I wasn’t even sure I was still able to breathe, my body paralyzed as I stood unable to move.

  His grin widened, looking extremely pleased with himself. “You’re going to need a jacket or a swe
ater.”

  Roman Pierce, a man who I was almost positive had been born in a suit, was wearing a pair of jeans. Not just any old jeans either, these looked like they’d been custom made to showcase the perfect curve of his thighs and ass, like an advertisement for the good time that was promised inside of them. He topped the look off with a fitted black T-shirt—the cotton stretching across his chest like body paint, a leather jacket that he’d left open so I could admire the body-paint-T-shirt thing happening underneath, and a pair of heavy black boots.

  And if not for the cocky smile hiding under the slight shadow of stubble, there was no way I would have believed it was him.

  “Roman?” I finally found my voice, wondering if he hadn’t been possessed by an alternate being or spirit on the way over. The man standing in front of me, not the man I knew.

  “Sweater or jacket, Harper.” He tilted his head to the side. “I want to get on the road.”

  I nodded, not bothering to ask any more questions because who the hell cared what we were doing when he looked like that. Instead, I ran to my bedroom and grabbed a jacket, hoping I hadn’t imagined the whole thing.

  “You better bring her back in one piece,” my sister warned as I returned; her eyes narrowing as she looked at Roman. “If there is one scratch on her, you are a dead man.”

  “Noted.” He nodded, not at all worried by my sister’s curious warning. She obviously knew more than I did, Roman grabbing my hand. “You ready?”

  There was no hesitation.

  “Yes.”

  His arm moved around me, leading me out the front door as we waved goodbye to Morgan. He decided to take the elevator, his lips on me the minute the metal doors closed.

  “Roman,” I moaned into his mouth, my hands clutching at his T-shirt. “You are so freaking hot.”

  He chuckled, his teeth pulling at my bottom lip. “Really? I’m not an asshole or cocksucker today? Well, that’s different.”

  The elevator doors opened before I could continue to maul him with my mouth, which I guess was a good thing because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to stop if I kissed him again.

  His hand draped on my hip as he led me outside, the night air still a little warm, especially since we were wearing jackets.

  “Where’s your car?” I looked around, his cherry red Ferrari not anywhere to be seen.

  “We’re not taking my car.” We stopped at the curb, his eyes gleaming with the same childlike excitement he’d shown earlier in the office. “We’re taking my bike.”

  I hadn’t been paying attention, too distracted by the sexed-up version of Roman who had shown up to take me out to notice we’d stopped in front of a motorbike.

  Not just any old motorbike either. It was black and sleek, accented with florescent green, and looked like its only purpose was to go fast.

  “That isn’t a bike,” I pointed out, my hand reaching out and touching the gas tank. “It is a reckless menace.”

  He handed me a helmet, his grin widening. “So you should feel right at home on it. Just make sure you hold on.”

  I watched as he slid on his own helmet, the dark visor hiding his eyes as he threw a leg over his bike. The action so natural he’d obviously done it a million times before and yet so completely at odds with whom I knew him to be.

  “Get on.” He shuffled forward, his hands gripping the handlebars as his feet steadied the bike. “She gets impatient if she sits too long.” His voice barely audible underneath the helmet.

  “Well, that makes two of us,” I mumbled under my breath as I pulled on the helmet and settled in behind him. It was probably the hottest non-sexual thing I’d ever done, my arms wrapping around his waist as he fired up the ignition.

  The engine rumbled, sending vibrations through my body. And as the bike moved forward, it pushed me closer to Roman, my knees gripping him as well as my arms.

  I didn’t need to be able to see his face to know he was probably grinning. Which was funny because so was I, a new kind of excitement spiking as we took off on the road.

  He commanded the bike the way he did a courtroom, with confidence and authority. There was no hesitation in his movements, no sign of fear as we traveled through traffic leaving Los Angeles as we headed in the direction of Santa Monica.

  There had been no discussion on where we were going, and I didn’t care, the landscape passing in a rush as we roared down the interstate.

  And if I had assumed the beach was our destination, I’d have been wrong as we jumped on the 405 and passed Brentwood and then Bel Air, finally slowing when we reached Mulholland Drive.

  He turned his head, his helmet bobbing in a nod as we continued down the road, winding around the mountains between the L.A. Basin and the Valley, the view absolutely breathtaking.

  I’d been there once, after graduating high school, with my sister. We’d taken Morgan’s beat-up Hyundai and laughed the entire time. But as I rode on the back of the bike with Roman, it felt like I was seeing it for the first time. Everything new and amazing—more beautiful than I’d ever seen before.

  We pulled off at a lookout, his boots hitting the gravel as he steadied the bike and pushed down the kickstand. The roar and vibrations stopped as he cut the ignition and pulled off his helmet.

  “You doing okay?” His fingers undid my chinstrap before helping me off the bike.

  I could barely speak, my feet feeling slight unsteady on solid ground as I shook out my hair and wrapped my arms around him. “That was amazing. It was by far one of the coolest things I’ve ever done.”

  And then he kissed me, his lips sweeping across mine with the headlamp of the bike being the only light.

  My hand gripped his jacket, pulling him closer as he took my helmet and put it on the seat. Both sets of fingers now free to roam over his chest while his found their way onto my ass.

  “I like this, Lauren. Being out here with you.” His lips moved to my neck as my nails dug into the leather of his jacket.

  “Thank you for bringing me here, I love it.” I kissed him back, each movement of my mouth more desperate than the last. I needed to get closer, the contact not enough as I sucked in hard breaths, my body needing more of him.

  “You keep doing that,” he squeezed my ass, “and the sex is going to happen sooner than I planned.”

  “Maybe you need to revise your plan,” I teased, one hundred percent okay with stripping down and having him take me right there in the dirt.

  He shook his head, shooting me wink. “Not yet, but I promise it will be worth the wait.”

  We made out a little more, dry humping like teenagers until he gently pulled away. I would have been happy to stay out all night, looking at those mountains and kissing him, but apparently he had ideas about dinner or something so we got back on the bike.

  My body eased against his with a new calmness as we rode back to his apartment. And there was no doubt there had been a shift. There was something deeper, more intimate between us. It both excited and terrified me at the same time.

  Was it too soon? We’d know each other over a year, but all of this was still so new. Was it reckless to try for something more than what we had? I wanted it, wanted him, and I believed he wanted me too. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that things were too good to be true and something bad was bound to happen.

  I closed my eyes and pressed myself against him, shutting out the thoughts of doom. There would be time to think about all of that after, but for now, I just wanted to enjoy being with a man who was deliciously complicated, but also—while incredibly well hidden—was also very sweet.

  We parked the bike and then ordered pizza, my half without the heart attack processed meat he seemed to love.

  And when dinner was over, he made love to me slowly on his leather couch. He took his time, worshipping my body with his mouth and his hands, making me come twice before he’d even entered me.

  I wasn’t sure if it had been the night air, the bike or something else, but it just felt different and part of that unn
erved me.

  “You staying?” He kissed my neck, our arms and legs a tangled mess on the sofa.

  “I should go.” I closed my eyes not wanting to leave but not sure staying was a good idea either.

  I didn’t want to ruin it, not after everything had been so perfect. Staying felt greedy, like I was somehow tempting fate. I couldn’t risk it, not yet until I was one hundred percent sure.

  His hands gripped me tighter. “I didn’t ask what you should do, I asked you what you were going to do. Are you staying?”

  “No,” I said, regretting it the second after I’d said it.

  “Okay, let’s get dressed and I’ll take you back.” His arms unwrapped as his weight shifted.

  He didn’t argue, didn’t ask me to reconsider, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that part of me was disappointed.

  I’d never been the type of person who’d wanted to be begged, desperately wanted by a man so badly that he’d never let me go. To me, it symbolized weakness on both our parts.

  But as I watched him get dressed, seeming to be unaffected by me leaving, I realized maybe I’d been wrong. It wasn’t weak to want someone, or to be wanted in return. It was human nature, something we were designed to do.

  I shook off the feeling, ignoring the urge to stay as I gathered up my clothes from the floor. “I’m just going to the bathroom,” I called over my shoulder as I slinked off naked. Human nature or not, I’d committed to going home so that’s where I was going.

  He was already dressed when I reemerged, still wearing those amazing jeans and T-shirt but this time minus the jacket. His hair was still mussed from the helmet and the sex, making him look both adorable and seductive at the same time.

  You said no to that, I reminded myself, again questioning my decision as I walked over to him.

  “We’ll take the car this time.” He dropped a soft kiss on my lips. “You ready to go?”

  “I sure am.”

  No, I’m not.

  My fingers linked with his as we walked out to his car. He opened the passenger side door and waited for me to get in before going around to the driver’s side.

  “Thanks for tonight, Roman.” My fists knotted awkwardly in my lap. “I had a really good time.”