Twenty Times Tempted: A Sexy Contemporary Romance Collection

by Petrova, Em

  Did he go back up?

  To make sure, she rushed to the lobby. The crowd had thinned and there were only a few lingering, but no Logan.

  He must’ve gone back up to meet her at his office. About to step on to the elevator again, she heard a voice behind her. “Excuse me, miss. You lost?”

  She swung around to the security guard who’d risen from his seat behind the desk. “Uh, no,” she told him.

  “If you’re going up, you need to sign in and wear a visitor’s badge.”

  “Oh, please, just let me go. I swear I’m not dangerous.”

  He didn’t care. Grabbing the clipboard, he slapped it on the counter and jabbed a finger on the paper. With a whine under her breath, Jordana marched over. She scribbled her name and set down the pen. The security guard—name tag said Joe—lifted his wiry, gray brows. “Reason for your visit?” He pointed to the blank space.

  Holding back a harsh sigh, she retrieved the pen and filled in her answer. She tapped her foot in impatience as he took his sweet time opening a drawer and writing her name on a card. He slid the temporary ID into the holder with a superior, artificially polite smile. “There you are, miss.”

  She plucked it from his hand. “Thank you so much,” she said a little sarcastically.

  A male voice boomed in the lobby. “Savant! What do you mean, you’re done for the day? What the devil? Where are you going?”

  Jordana snapped her attention to her right and saw Logan striding from the bank of elevators.

  Heart in her throat, she pushed away from the desk, unable to conceal the absolute joy on her face. His shoes squeaked on the floor as he stopped.

  She started to smile, repeating the words he’d spoken to her that first night, “I really hope you’re looking for me.”

  A slow grin spread across his face while he strode toward her.

  She shortened the distance, hurrying to him.

  And with everyone watching, he captured her face and kissed her. Kissed her long, with passion, adding force that caused her to lean back. Hoots and whistles surrounded them, echoing off the walls.

  When he broke off, she was lightheaded and breathless. “What happened to your poker face at the office?”

  Staring into her eyes, shaking his head, he skimmed his fingers over her cheek. “When it comes to you, there’s no such thing.”

  The Vice President of Client Relations strolled over to the security desk as employees and visitors alike watched the two with amusement and awe, keeping their distance. “Who’s that, Joe?” he asked.

  The guard shrugged and checked the visitor’s log. “Jordana something. On the reason for the visit, she wrote, ‘In love with your boss.’”

  ***

  Logan’s world felt right for the first time in weeks, and he was only vaguely aware of the scene they’d caused in his lobby. Perhaps he might care about it later, but at the moment, he really, really didn’t. It was amazing to have Jordana back in his arms, especially since, for a while there, he thought he never would again. When they came up for air after another inappropriately long kiss, he spoke, his voice raspy. “Maybe we should go up to my office.”

  Her hazel eyes gazed up at him with sweet lust. “We can make love in there?” she asked quietly.

  He clenched his jaw, suppressing a needful growl. “Jordana—”

  “People are staring. You’ll never live this down.”

  “I don’t care. Now everyone knows.” He took her hand. “Forget the office. Let’s get out of here.”

  With many pairs of eyes on them—no doubt, people were wondering why the CEO was kissing the girl in the butterfly scrubs—he kept his eyes ahead, unable to suppress his grin.

  As soon as they were in the car, he directed Tom to take them to his house. While he wanted nothing more than to kiss her, hold her, lose himself in her, first things first. “I have so much to say. How can I ever rectify how I treated you at the gala?”

  She squeezed his palm. “If I’d been in your shoes, I would’ve been just as upset.”

  “But you would’ve listened to my side. How I spoke to you is unforgivable. I let my emotions get the best of me. If I could go back, I’d…at least, tell me you forgive me. I’ll never treat you like that again.”

  She cupped his face. “Of course I do, but it doesn’t matter now.”

  “It does to me,” he emphasized. “I don’t know why I acted like such an unreasonable ass. The only excuses I have were intoxication and total refusal to be persuaded to change my mind about you, even though, deep down, I knew something was off. It still blows my mind I let my mother tell me what kind of person you are, as if she knew you better than I did. All I could see was you kissing Zack. I went a little out of my mind, I guess.”

  She sighed, intertwining her fingers behind his neck. “He wasn’t a part of my world when you and I met, or even after we broke up.” Her voice started to shake as she continued. “And it infuriates me you thought I was the kind of person who would cheat on her fiancé or sleep with two men at the same time. That I would possibly settle for you because it didn’t work out with him. I’d never do that.”

  His gut filled with more regret, if that was even possible at this point. He hated causing her any ounce of pain. “I’m so sorry. This might be too little too late, but it never felt right, believing my mother, what I saw in the photos. I was jealous he had you and I didn’t. But, frankly, Jordana, it was easier accepting you had someone else than accepting I’d never had you in the first place. Easier to think I didn’t really know you, that you lied to me.” He sighed long. “That’s what you get from a cynic like me.”

  She searched his features for a few moments. “I didn’t trust you after what I heard, and you didn’t trust me after what you saw. I guess we’re both guilty of putting more faith in our cynicism than in each other. And I’m sorry for not telling you about Zack. With all our jokes about commitment and marriage, I was embarrassed to mention my sad story.”

  “You shouldn’t have been embarrassed at all. But I know I am for how I behaved.” He cupped her cheek. “You had every right not to trust me.”

  She shrugged. “You didn’t know about my past, and I kept it a secret.”

  Felt so good to get all of this out in the open. He covered his hands over hers and kissed her fingers. “I should’ve been honest with my mother. Remember the actress I was dancing with at Marguerite’s party? She was the one who told my mom what you meant to me. Had I just introduced you and my mother that night, this never would’ve happened—”

  She pressed two fingers to his mouth. “Let’s not talk about regrets anymore.”

  He could go on and on with apologies, but she was right, it was time to close the door on what happened. “Come here,” he whispered, pulling her into his lap. He could smell her soap and still taste her lip balm on his mouth. The combination fueled his desire, his cock surging to life as she sat flush against him. Bringing her forehead to his, he whispered, “I want you. It’s been too long.”

  Her lips parted on a whimper as she sank her hips in deeper and kissed him with slow sensuality. While his fingers dug into the back of her skull, he slid his other hand under her shirt, needing to feel her. He cupped her breast, felt the peak of her nipple through the thin bra. Desperate to put his mouth there, he couldn’t wait to make her wet and writhe on him, but her stiff top wouldn’t allow it to happen with ease. “Where’s the zipper on this thing?” he complained.

  She chuckled. “It doesn’t have a zipper. You have to pull it off.”

  “Scrubs aren’t designed for great foreplay, are they? All I want to do is touch you, see you.”

  She planted a soft kiss on his chin, a sexy smile on her mouth. “You will.”

  Logan removed his jacket, and Jordana loosened his tie. With her legs wrapped around him, he did his best to keep from tearing her scrubs off and making love to her in the backseat. Desire demanded release inside her soon; reason said he could wait.

  “I left my car a
t your office. Good thing I parked in an overnight garage,” she said. “And I don’t have a change of clothes, so you’re getting me as-is.”

  He chuckled. As-is Jordana was stunning. “Where do think we’re going? I don’t plan to let you leave my bed ’til Monday morning.”

  “I can’t just spend the weekend with you with only the scrubs on my back. I need my toothbrush, my hairbrush, something to wear…”

  “These are all minor details.”

  She gave a wistful smile, and a troubling look cast over her eyes.

  He crooked his finger under her chin and made her raise her gaze. “What is it?”

  She bit the corner of her lip. “That night at the benefit…or any night after it. I need to know. Were you ever—with anyone? I don’t want any secrets between us. I want to start fresh.”

  Other women. She fretted if he’d slept with any. Though he’d been sorely tempted to lose himself in an empty sexual encounter like he used to, he’d realized something in him had changed since he met Jordana. The vacant lust was not there. He wanted a connection, craved it, and knew it was a waste of time to seek it in a stranger. Smearing his thumb across Jordana’s bottom lip, hearing her intake of breathy desire, seeing the devotion in her eyes—he needed these things from her. “The answer is no. I never so much as kissed another. It was going to take more than that to get over you. A lot more.”

  She smiled softly. “I had no right to ask because we both thought it was over between us, but I didn’t want to wonder.”

  “I understand. What about you?” He brushed a finger under her chin.

  She brought him in for a kiss. “As if you had to ask.”

  Tom’s voice came through the speaker. “Ahem…Mr. Savant. We’ve arrived.”

  He and Jordana chuckled as they disentangled themselves. “Sorry, Tom. I’ll get the door.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And take the rest of the weekend off. I won’t be needing you.”

  “I understand, sir. It’s great to see you and Miss Shaw together again,” his usually reserved driver remarked.

  When Logan rounded the car and walked up the pathway to the front door where Jordana waited, his hunger intensified. He wanted to ravish and ride and wreck himself inside her. She had no idea how much he ached, but she would have an inkling of it in about, oh, five seconds. After he punched in the code for the keyless lock and opened the door, she stopped in the foyer, fingering the gleaming new side table by the door.

  “Is this new? Whoa!” she cried as he hoisted her up over his shoulder and proceeded to remove her Crocs, dropping them as he climbed the steps.

  “Don’t touch anything in the house until you’ve touched me.”

  She laughed. “I can’t believe you’re taking me up the stairs like this.”

  “This way, I know exactly where you’re going.” He made it to the bedroom and set her down on her feet, smiling devilishly.

  “Logan, I don’t feel very sexy. I’ve been working all day.”

  “I don’t care.” He unbuttoned his shirt. “You could be covered in mud and I’d still want to make love to you. Please don’t make me wait.”

  With a lilting smile, she raised her arms up, and he lifted her shirt over her head. As he unbuckled his belt and removed his pants, she slid off her scrub bottoms. Damn, how he missed her body. All its curves and lushness. With a soft groan, he pulled her to him and kissed her down to the bed.

  He jutted his arm under her and hoisted her fully onto the mattress. His cock was so hard, he envisioned one caress from her hand, one thrust inside her tight warmth would make him come. To satisfy her first, he’d, of course, do his damnedest to stop that from happening too soon.

  She arched as he hungrily moved his mouth on her breasts, gently biting over her bra to draw out her sweet nipples. Her little cry of passion fueled him on. He unclasped the hook, kissing the hot center of her breasts. “Turn over.”

  With a seductive smile, she complied, resting on her elbows, trying to watch him from over her shoulder. His cock surged at the sight, but he ignored it. Every part of her turned him on, from her shoulder blades to the smooth column of her back. While he kissed his way down her spine, she lifted her butt and he smiled, gently scraping his teeth on her skin. Smoothing his palm over her ass, he pressed openmouthed kisses on each cheek.

  When he played a finger over her wet pussy, she moaned low, lifting her ass higher. He loved how responsive she was to his touch. As he inserted his middle finger inside her, his cock twitched to be where his finger was, stroking in and out as she pushed against his hand.

  Unable to stand any more, he flipped her to her back, a fire roaring in his blood.

  The first time wouldn’t be slow and sensual; he had to go deep inside her, fast, or go crazy. Next time, he would be sure to take it slow.

  He sat up and removed his boxer briefs.

  She spread her legs for him, held out her arms, and raked her hands through his hair as he positioned himself at the entrance to her body. Skin to skin, body to body, this was his particular kind of bliss. He came down and kissed her, dipping his tongue into her mouth while he pinched her nipple between his fingers. Her hips rose, and her slickness rubbed against his throbbing cock. Logan gripped her left hip in his hand and slowly slid inside. Her pussy closing around him was the ultimate satisfaction.

  She gasped, moaned long, clinging to him.

  A low, guttural sound vibrated from his throat. God, yes. He began thrusting, one hand holding him up, the other holding her hip.

  Jordana bent her leg to her chest, placing it on his shoulder, and he groaned, pumping harder, feverishly. Every stroke inside her took his breath, multiplied the hunger. Logan lost his sight, blind with a lust so pure, he thought he’d die from pleasure long before a climax.

  Jordana threw her head back and cried his name, holding on.

  She gripped his buttocks as he rocked inside her with increasing speed, the tip of his cock ready to explode. Wordless rapture seized his mind and induced a crescendo in his heart as he drove into her. It claimed him whole, and everything inside him, whatever was left of him, wanted to reach out and hold on to this woman. Closing his eyes, he opened his mouth as if in pain and let out a cry of blissful release.

  Out of breath and spent, he moved to his back and brought her in close to him.

  Damn. Now that was better than any makeup sex.

  “Logan?”

  “Hmm?”

  “I’m never happier than when I’m with you,” she whispered.

  Emotion clogged his throat and squeezed his chest. He kissed her forehead, overcome. No woman had ever said anything like that to him; he never had that effect. Not to his knowledge. Most of his exes would call him a cold, detached bastard when it came to sex, and he knew he deserved it. But Jordana… He was anything but detached. “That was amazing,” he said, downplaying the impact of her words and smoothly rolling on top of her. “I missed you so much.”

  “So you’ve said,” she remarked with a smile, stretching her arms around his neck, “and shown me.”

  He bent down to kiss her cheeks, her lips. “I’m about to show you a second time.”

  She gave a breathless laugh, turning her head as he explored her neck. “Already? I need a bath.”

  “Why? I’ll just get you dirty again.” As he pressed soft kisses under her ear, down to her shoulder, she shuddered and a smile tugged at his mouth. “I’ll take one with you.”

  “Will you keep your hands to yourself?”

  “I don’t exactly plan to read a book while you’re naked and wet in front of me, no.”

  Her soft laughter tickled his ear as she arched, starting to slide her hands up his arms when she gasped. “A book.” She pushed him away until he relented and lifted his head. Her eyes were alight. “Logan, you won’t believe it.” As she scrambled to sit up, he frowned in playful reproach that she’d interrupted his progress, but her growing excitement over what she had to share had him curious.
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  “What won’t I believe?” he teased, brushing the wild strands from her flushed face.

  She broke into a grin, pausing with a deep breath. “I got a contract offer from Triton Press. For three stories.”

  The joy on her face, the pride and elation, made his stomach flip. He’d completely forgotten about Triton. “Yes! Yes, of course you did. Oh, my…Jordana, that’s incredible news.”

  “I got a letter in the mail two weeks ago. I spoke to an editor and the contract is on its way. I still have to pinch myself!” She lowered her lashes, shaking her head. “You were the first person I wanted to tell. But I couldn’t. I thought if I reached out, you would say you didn’t care.”

  He did care. After all, he was partly the reason she received this good news. “Oh, baby. I’m sorry.” Once again, he cursed his stupidity and his mother’s actions for causing such a rift between them. She kissed him, and a spring of old desperation burst in his chest, though he was thankful he could hear the news with her in his arms. Was her contract offered because he’d called an editor and smooth-talked her to moving Jordana’s manuscript to the top? Considering how quickly she’d been contacted, there was a chance. A small pang of guilt hit him, because he sensed she wouldn’t like it if he told her what he’d done. No, he would keep that information to himself for now.

  He grinned at her, cupping her pretty face. “We have to celebrate. Tonight. Something excessive and fun and worthy of an up-and-coming children’s author. What do you say?” Holding her waist, he lay on his back so she straddled him, and then folded his hands behind his head as she arched a smile, her hair wild around her shoulders.

  “Excessive?” She flipped her heavy mane to one shoulder and bent down, resting her hands on his chest and setting her chin on them.

  Wow. He must’ve done something right to bring her into his life. “As I see it, we have a few things to celebrate now.” Capturing a lock of her hair, he began making up a plan as he went along. “I’m going to make love to you again, obviously, and then we’re going to take a shower. Where I can’t promise I won’t want you all over again, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he smiled as she laughed. “We’ll pick up your car and take it home, and there you can pick up some clothes. You’ll change and get whatever you need for a weekend stay at the all-inclusive Savant estate, and we’ll go out and celebrate your manuscript in style. You game, Miss Shaw? It’s going to be a long night.”