Derek had been right, and I was glad to have him on my side. He was the man responsible for me getting this job. I didn't want to let him down. I tended to get a little unnerved when a deadline loomed, and I didn't feel as if I had total control over the progress of a project. Arianna was the one who held that control, and I didn't like it.
That wasn't her problem—it was mine. I shouldn't have gone off on her, and I was man enough to admit it. I steeled myself and headed into the communal workspace, headed toward Arianna. It was eerily quiet. I quickly checked my watch and realized it was after five. Everyone had gone home for the day. I hoped she hadn't. I didn't want to sit on this all weekend.
A wave of nerves washed over me as I walked through the quiet space. Hopefully, she would be merciful and not make me beg. Saying the words would be bad enough.
Chapter 7
Arianna
I finally found my groove. All I needed was Mr. Frasier to back off. Our argument earlier had taken me by surprise. I had never spoken that way to a client before. I had tried to hold back, but he pushed my last button. I was stressed out. I had never had such problems putting together beautiful copy in the past, but being around him gave me writer's block.
I had thought since he left me alone yesterday and the first part of today, he understood I needed space. I was wrong. Never had I been treated so poorly. It still irked me, but it fueled my creative muse. I had accomplished quite a bit and was feeling pretty good about what I had done. I had transformed my anger into energy. I knew it was after five, but I didn't care. I was on a roll.
A shuffling noise startled me. I looked up to see Carter Frasier making his way toward my cubicle. I instantly went on the defensive, ready to go for round two or three. I lost count. I held his gaze as he stalked toward me.
“Can we talk for a minute?” he asked in a much softer tone than the last time we spoke.
“Sure. What's on your mind?” I asked in a cool voice.
A maintenance man plugged in a vacuum and the whirring noise filled the open space.
“My office? Please?” he asked.
I nodded, steeling myself for another scolding. Even though I had made some progress, I didn't want to show it to him. I knew that's what he wanted, but I didn't like showing my first drafts. They were not my final work, and no one needed to see them but me.
I followed him down the hall, staring at his ass as he walked. He had on a pair of black slacks, slim fit and riding below the waist. Damn, the man was fine!
“I'm sorry,” he blurted out the moment we were in his office.
“What?”
“I shouldn't have come on so strong before. This deadline is important to me, and I may have taken out some of that stress on you.”
I nodded. “Fine.”
I didn't buy it. I felt as if someone forced him to apologize, much like a sibling is forced to apologize for teasing another sibling.
We stood there staring at each other. I was close to the doorway, and he only a few feet inside the office. The tension between us was palpable. The arcing volt of electricity strumming between us made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
My breathing started to come faster. I could feel something in the air. I knew he did too.
“I should go,” I rasped out through my dry mouth.
“That's it?” he asked, clearly surprised.
“Yes. I' m not apologizing to you if that's what you are waiting for,” I said, trying to control my racing heart.
He growled. “Dammit!”
Before I knew what was happening, his mouth crushed mine. His lips slammed into mine, smashing my lips against my teeth. My mind told me to push him away, but my body had other plans. My hands flew up and grabbed his head, relishing in the feel of his soft hair between my fingers.
His hands were roaming my body. They were on my ass, up my back, squeezing my breasts, and coming to rest on my hips. His mouth was plundering mine. I opened my mouth wider, wanting him in deeper.
His hands moved to my skirt, yanking it up in a violent motion. I felt the breeze wash over my mound, and there was a very brief moment I thought about stopping him, but it was quickly shut down by my need for him. He pushed one leg between mine, using his knee to spread my legs wider before pushing his hard thigh against my pussy.
I moaned, and my legs felt weak at the first sensation of a climax building. His hands moved to my shirt, tugging it out of the waist of my skirt. I heard a growl and what sounded like a curse word a second before he tore open my blouse, my buttons flying across the room. I gasped, which only invited him deeper into my mouth.
He was pushing me backward, I stepped back again and again until I heard the door click shut under the weight of my body. It was all I needed to abandon all semblance of professionalism, and I attacked him with gusto. My hands were frantically working his belt all while continuing the dance with our tongues.
Once I got his belt undone, I undid the button on his slacks, giving me room to pull his shirt out and run my hands underneath. His chest was as hard as I imagined. I could feel the prickly hair under my fingers and chose to go with his method of clothing removal. It was not as smooth, but I tore open his shirt, pulled my mouth away from his and went, mouth wide open, for his chest. I bit down on his collarbone, pulling a growl from his mouth.
He pushed me away a brief second before grabbing my hand and pulling me across the room. My skirt was hiked up around my waist, baring my ass in the skimpy thong I wore that day. His hand slapped my ass the same time his other one landed on my upper back and pushed me down. I hesitated for a second before bending over, placing my hands on the edge of his desk.
I heard his zipper and arched my back in response, giving him full access. There was no warning except for the yanking of my thong being pulled down to my knees. He pushed into me with one violent thrust. I moaned with a mixture of pleasure and alarm and a pinch of pain. I didn't need foreplay. My body had been wet and needy since the moment I laid eyes on him.
He pounded into me from behind, his hand slapping my ass several times, creating a stinging pain that only heightened the pleasure within. He leaned over me, his hard thighs pressed into the back of my own, and reached up to squeeze my breast through my bra.
“Come!” he ordered in a voice that made me bristle and want to tell him to go fuck himself, but my body responded. I could feel the climax coming. I wanted to fight it off, but it was quickly spiraling up through my legs, into my belly, and back to the center where we were joined.
“Goddammit, come,” he said in a low growl close to my ear.
I couldn't hold it back. I could feel my body tense, and then there was a shattering of stars in front of my eyes. I arched and pushed against him, taking him deeper, feeling him eject his own release into my body.
He rocked a few more times before pulling out and stepping away.
“Shit,” he muttered. “Shit, shit, shit.”
I leaned my elbows on his desk, trying to catch my breath before I remembered my back end was fully exposed. I quickly stood up, pulled up my panties and pushed my skirt down. My blouse was ruined.
“I'm sorry,” he said, standing with his underwear hiding his cock but his pants still unbuttoned and hanging open.
“It's fine.”
I had to look away. He was the sexiest thing I had ever seen. His shirt was hanging open, his chest was heaving, and his hair was tousled. I couldn't have him, but my god, I wanted to ride him hard.
“We can't do this again,” he said. “It shouldn't have happened.”
I nodded. “Yes. Yes, you're right. It can't happen again.”
He stood there, not moving. I had to get out of there before it did happen again. I could feel that same tension between us. We had taken the edge off, but it was still there.
“I should go,” I said, holding my shirt closed as I walked by him.
He didn't say a word as I went. I could see the self-torture he was putting himself through. I considered tell
ing him it was okay, but I didn't want to remain in the office another minute. I knew what would happen if I did.
I hoped the maintenance person didn't notice me coming out of the boss's office with my shirt shredded and my hair a mess. When I realized the coast was clear, it was a mad dash to my desk. I quickly donned my coat and practically ran out of the office.
Once I was in the cold Chicago air, I took several big breaths, hoping the cool air would quiet my racing libido. I was hot and bothered. I decided I would walk home. I needed to work off the unspent energy. The sex had been too quick, but damn, it had been good.
Chapter 8
Carter
Everything was cool. I was going to go into my office, and it will be like any other day. I hoped. I was hoping the weekend away from Arianna would cool my fervor as well as give me some time to think about what the hell I had done. It had been incredibly stupid. My mind had zeroed out, and all I’d been able to think about in that moment was fucking her. Never had I acted so impetuously before. Not with an employee and never in my office. She made me a little crazy and stripped away all my good sense.
Now, it was Monday. A fresh week. A time to start over and pretend I never bent her over my desk. I strolled through the common area, doing my best to avoid looking toward her cubicle but failing. She was already in.
My heart skipped a beat when I saw her. She had her eyes glued to the screen of her laptop and seemed to be deeply involved in whatever it was she was doing. Then she looked up. Our gazes locked and neither of us looked away for several long seconds as I strolled in her general direction before turning to go into my office.
Once I safely made it inside, I knew I was screwed. There was no way I was going to be able to keep my hands off her. The woman wasn't only gorgeous. There was something about her that drew me in and made me want to ravish her all the time.
I knew it was a two-way street. The way she had looked at me said it all. She wasn't looking at me like the guy who worked in the same office. She gave me a look that screamed sex. Hot, dirty, angry sex, right now. Thank god we were surrounded by people, or I would have given it to her and enjoyed the taking.
Once in the safety of my office, I sat down and took a few calming breaths. My dick had grown hard after seeing her. That was going to be a problem. I couldn't walk around the office with an erection all day. I had to get myself under control. I had worked with beautiful women in the past. Hell, I had dated plenty, and none of them had this effect on me. She was some kind of intoxicating drug that was wreaking havoc on my libido.
There was a soft knock on my door, and without thinking I called out, “Come in.”
I looked up, expecting anyone except her. She stared at me but didn't move out of the doorway.
“Come in,” I said, standing behind my desk, figuring the furniture between us was a safe bet.
“I have the first draft ready for you to review,” she said, still holding the doorknob in her hand and not leaving the doorway.
We were both uneasy. I had to be the professional.
“Please, come in, and let's go over it.”
She took a deep breath, looked behind her, and then softly closed the door. I came out from behind my desk and despite my best intentions, I crossed the room and pulled her close to me. My lips slammed down over hers. I drank in her sweet taste, wanting more. Her body pressed into mine, her soft breasts rubbing against my chest. I groaned in frustration. There were too many layers of clothing between us. I wanted her naked. The first time had been too hasty. I wanted to see her body and enjoy every bit of it.
Her hands were on my chest, pushing me back. “We can't.”
I nodded. “I know. I'm sorry.”
She shook her head. “We can't do this.”
I looked at her, knowing exactly what she wanted. “This is going to keep happening. You know that,” I said with a small grin.
She sighed. “Dammit.”
“Tell me about it,” I groaned, adjusting my erection in my pants again. I was going to pass out if my dick continued to be the hog of my body's blood supply.
“Arianna?”
“Hm?”
“This isn't going to go away.”
“I know, but I can't risk my reputation. Sleeping with the boss is not something I want to be known for.”
I stepped toward her feeling a little more in control, put my hands on her waist and waited until she looked up at me. “Then no one finds out. I can't stay away from you. You drive me crazy, but I can't stop thinking about you.”
She nodded. “Me too.”
“Okay, so we'll keep it G-rated.” She looked at me aghast with horror. “PG-13,” I corrected. “Behind closed doors. No one will know. I think it's the only way I'll be able to be around you. You tempt my self-control to the limit.”
“Why?” she moaned. “Of all people, why you?”
I knew she wasn't expecting an answer. I had asked myself the same question about a million times over the past two days. Of all the women in the world, why did it have to be the one who irritated me, the one woman who challenged me at every turn? I didn't think I liked that, but apparently, somewhere deep down, it was what turned me on.
I shrugged. “Chemistry. Biology. I don't know, but it is what it is. We need to make the best of it. And for the record, I'm not that bad.”
She giggled. “Of course not. You're just the arrogant prick who’s pushed me to the point of wanting to do you bodily harm.”
I kissed her. “When you talk like that, I want to bend you over my desk again.” I said the words on a breath, close to her ear. I felt her body shudder with delight and knew she wanted me as much as I wanted her.
“Stop. I can't. We can't. Not here and not now.”
I stepped away, straightened my pants again and went back to my desk. She followed me across the room and took a seat in the chair.
“Okay, so let's see that copy,” I said, all business.
“It's in your email. Do you not use email? I rarely use hard copies. They get messy, and I end up losing them.”
I looked at her. “I prefer hard copies. I like to have my hands on what I’m working on.”
Her eyes drifted down, and I watched as she licked her lips. There was no way I could work with this woman without wanting to fuck her. Everything she did, even when she was pissing me off, made me think of her naked and writhing below me. My mind drifted back to her sweet pussy coming on my cock. It was a memory I would never forget, and I wanted to replay it again and again.
“You're making me wet,” she whispered.
My dick jumped up, screaming for attention.
“You're making me hard.”
“This is insane.”
“Asinine.”
“We can't,” she reminded me.
“We already did.”
“We can't do it again.”
“You want it. I want it. Why not?”
“Carter,” she practically moaned my name.
“Don't,” I said through gritted teeth. “I'm barely keeping myself in this chair. You can't moan my name and expect me not to fuck you right here on my desk.”
Her mouth dropped open, her eyes drifted to my desk, and I knew she was thinking about what it would be like. The danger of doing it in the office only made it more exciting. More daring. I was a risk taker. I liked the idea of pushing the boundaries.
“I need to get out of here before I do something I shouldn't,” she said, abruptly standing. “Look it over. Add your notes, and I will go at it again.”
Her words were referencing the work, but I took them another way. I wanted to go at it again. I needed her again. I had many, many ideas about the different ways I wanted to fuck her. It was all-consuming. A part of my brain was stuck in sex mode. It was making it a little difficult to concentrate on anything else.
I watched as she strolled out of my office, my eyes focused on her hips and their gentle sway. Her outfit wasn't outrageously sexy, but it made me think of her skirt
hiked around her waist. She had worn pants today. I wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a deterrent, but it wasn't working. I could work around pants. I considered calling her back in so I could prove the pants were not an issue, but then, I thought twice. I didn't want the reputation of the office man-whore either.
I would keep it in my pants for now, but I knew it wouldn't be long before I had to have her again.
Chapter 9
Arianna
One Hot Winter Page 4