by LuAnn McLane
“Rachel.” His voice was raw.
She turned and grabbed him by his shirt, creasing the fine cotton. She flattened her body against his, hip to hip, chest to chest.
She tilted her head to grind her mouth against his. She paused when she saw his face. No longer was he playing the charming flirt.The severe lines in his face were uncompromising. His eyes were the darkest blue. This wasn’t just a game to him. He was serious in his pursuit, and he was determined to catch her. The unconcealed longing in his eyes matched what she felt.
The elevator bell chimed.
It took her a moment to understand the significance of the sound. No, no, no. Frustration pulsed through her. She wasn’t going to pull away. She couldn’t hold back anymore.
Rachel took a few quick backward steps and dragged Justin toward the Christmas tree. She heard the elevator doors open just as she felt the prickly branches against her back. She yanked Justin behind the tree and noticed he didn’t resist.
Justin didn’t question or make any remark. He held his arm up, protecting her face from the sparkly ornaments and pointy lights.
The fir branches scraped at her clothes and skin. Her hair caught on one of the ornaments. There was hardly any room between the tree and the corner, but Rachel didn’t care. They were hidden.That was all that mattered.
She leaned against the wall and pulled Justin closer.His strength excited her, but it was his unexpected gentleness that made her shiver. He sank into her, cradling her face with his big hands and kissing her with a passion and intensity that made her ache.
She opened his shirt, pulling and tugging, but her fingers couldn’t move fast enough. Tearing at the buttons, she slid her hands against his hard chest. Touching him was addictive. She sighed against his mouth and rubbed her hands along his compact muscles and warm skin.
Justin tilted his forehead against hers and looked deep into her eyes. “You don’t know what you do to me,” he said in a low, husky voice.
“Show me.” She grabbed at his belt and unbuckled it with fumbling fingers.
He grabbed her hands. “Not here.”
“Yes, here.” She had held back for so many days, and she didn’t think she could wait much longer.The desire inside her was so greedy. All-consuming. She wanted his cock filling and stretching her. She wanted Justin rutting against her until she screamed.
His chest rose and fell. His breathing was harsh and unsteady as he tried to hold back. She knew he wanted her in his bed, where they could explore each other’s bodies for as long as they wanted. But she could tell that her urgency was an aphrodisiac to him. She wanted him so much she couldn’t think straight, so much that nothing else around them mattered.
“I’ll make it worth the wait,” he promised.
“No, Justin.” She grabbed the hem of her blouse.“Take me now.” She pulled it over her head and tossed it on the ground. She arched her spine, offering herself to him. Her breasts felt full and heavy. Her nipples tightened and poked against the delicate lace. She was shamelessly aroused. She felt powerful and beautiful, knowing that Justin would not reject her offer.
He stared at her breasts, which threatened to spill from her thin lacy bra. The muscles in his cheek bunched as a ruddy color stained his high cheekbones. He slid the straps off her shoulders and peeled the bra from her curves.
Justin palmed one of her breasts. He didn’t look down but kept eye contact with her. She wanted to look away, but couldn’t. As he splayed his fingers and grazed her sensitive nipple with his palm, he watched everything she felt through her eyes.
He fondled her breasts, knowing exactly what she wanted without saying a word. He pinched her nipple just right, squeezing hard, knowing she wanted the bite of pain with the pleasure. She leaned her head back and gasped as she felt the sting go straight to her clit.
Suddenly his hands were under her skirt, his big hands skimming her bare thighs. He snagged her panties and discarded them with one simple move.Then he grabbed her waist and slid her up the wall to rest on his hips.The wall was smooth against her bare spine, but the feeling of being caught between a strong, muscular man and the unyielding corner heightened her senses. She was trapped and she didn’t want to break free. She wanted Justin to overpower her. Overwhelm her.
Shoving her skirt up past her hips, he wedged himself intimately between her legs.
Rachel wrapped her legs tight around his waist, and the Christmas tree wobbled.The colored lights behind Justin were a blur to her.The bell ornaments jingled wildly as the fir needles poked against her knee.
Her naked breasts were almost level with Justin’s mouth. He dipped his head and captured one tight nipple with his teeth. Rachel gasped as he drew her in his mouth. She bit her lip when she heard the elevator chime again. She heard footsteps nearby and knew she should stop this madness.
But she didn’t. She couldn’t. Not until she had Justin inside her and every inch of her was pulsating with satisfaction.
Justin slid his hand under her skirt again, seeking her clit. When his fingertips brushed against the swollen bud, slick with desire, he discovered she was already wet and ready for him. She should be ashamed at how willing she was, how fast she became aroused. Justin grunted his pleasure against her breast, and she almost felt proud of her body’s quick response.
He glided his hand along the folds of her sex, and Rachel bucked against his hand. The tree shook. Justin dipped his finger in, and her flesh gripped him. He began to pump, teasing her with shallow thrusts. He licked and nibbled her breasts. He whispered against her hot skin, but she only caught fragments of his words. His tone was dark and reverent as if he was under her spell.
He curled his finger, and Rachel moaned as the pleasure sparkled and fizzed. She tilted her head back just as Justin covered her mouth with his. He gave another sexy curl of his finger and silenced Rachel’s series of broken sighs and hitched gasps.The tree teetered as she climaxed against his hand.
Her body pulsed and jerked as the pleasure screamed through her. She heard the bells jingling and the rustle of denim as Justin unbuttoned his jeans and shoved them down. She gripped his shoulders and her legs clenched around his hips as he guided his cock against her moist sex. Justin surged into her with a shuddering sigh.
Rachel thought her heart stopped when he filled her to the hilt. Heat and pleasure flashed through Rachel as her body accommodated him. She struggled to breathe as Justin withdrew and plunged into her again.
The tree rocked with each deep thrust. The bells were pealing, the ornaments swaying, as Justin drove into her again and again. Rachel held on tight, burrowing her head against his neck, as he rode her relentlessly. She moved her hips to match his primitive rhythm as another climax took her by surprise. It flowed white-hot from her pelvis before flashing through her body, stealing her breath.
Her core squeezed Justin’s cock. His rhythm faltered and he slammed into her with a ferocious strength, grunting in her ear until he found his release.
Rachel felt Justin head’s loll against her shoulder, his body shaking from the vicious release. The bells slowly swayed to a standstill. She felt lethargic but satisfied. Out of breath, but vibrant.
“Has anyone seen Justin?”
She tensed when she heard the voice near the elevator bank.Who was that? How long had they been standing there?
Justin sighed against her shoulder, the warm air buffeting against her skin.“Maybe we should have gone somewhere else.”
“Ssh.”
“My place is more private,” Justin whispered as he trailed soft kisses along her neck. “And comfortable.”
“I can’t find Justin.” The female voice was right next to the tree. “I need him to sign off on this before I go on my vacation.”
Rachel’s breath caught in her throat as fear seized her chest. She couldn’t place the voice. And whom was she talking to?
Justin arched his back and his cock withdrew slightly. Rachel dug her hand in his shoulder when she heard the jingle of a be
ll ornament. “Ssh,” she said as softly as she could against his ear.
The elevator bell chimed, and Justin bucked against her. Rachel gasped as the pleasure sparked and fizzed just under her skin. She glared at him in silent warning, and his eyes twinkled back at her.
Rachel’s pulse thudded in her ears as she waited to hear the people walk into the elevator. She was afraid to move even after the doors closed.
Justin thrust again. She swallowed back a groan and gripped him hard with her legs. “We need to wait at least to the count of thirty before we move. Otherwise someone might hear us.”
“Sounds like you’ve been in this situation before.”
“Hush.” She had found herself in one predicament after another in the past.Though never in a compromising situation behind a Christmas tree.That was new for her.
“If we get caught, we can always tell them the Christmas lights weren’t working and we were looking for the plug,” Justin suggested before he playfully nipped her ear.
Rachel clenched her teeth but didn’t move away from his teasing touch. Every time she thought she was rebuilding her life, her reckless streak knocked it down in one fell swoop.
She had to stop doing this. And she would. Right after she climbed off Justin and got her clothes back on.
Justin thrust deeply inside her.
Rachel closed her eyes as she countered his thrust with the rock of her hips. Any minute now . . .
Rachel hurried out of the office building. It was already dark at five o’clock, but today she didn’t care about the lack of sunlight. She just wanted to get far, far away from the office.
She ran down the salt-coated steps, hoping and praying that she didn’t bump into Justin. She couldn’t face him right now. Her breath frosted in the air and she shivered in her oversized coat while frantically looking for Nikki’s car in the poorly lit parking lot.
The bright red hatchback was on the far end. Of course it was when she needed a quick getaway. Rachel marched for it, her feet skidding on patches of ice. She saw the plumes of exhaust and knew Nikki was already in the car, waiting for her.
Rachel got into the bitterly cold car and dumped her purse next to her seat.“I’m sorry I’m late,” she said as she hunted for the seat belt.
Nikki didn’t say anything. Rachel glanced at her friend. “Are you okay?”
Nikki cocked her head to one side and stared at Rachel. “There’s tinsel in your hair.”
Rachel froze and hurriedly smoothed her gloved hands along her ponytail. Sure enough, the prickly metal was caught in the rubber band.
“Strange. I don’t know how that got there,” she murmured. I don’t know how I missed it!
Nikki shrugged and put the car in reverse. “Probably happened when you and Justin were fooling around.”
Rachel’s hands dropped into her lap and she stared open-mouthed at her friend. “Okay, how did you know that?” A horrible thought occurred to her. She dipped her chin down and braced herself for the possibility. “Did you see us behind the Christmas tree?”
Nikki stepped on the brakes.“Behind the Christmas tree?” Her smile was wide and proud. “Tell me more. Which one? Is it still standing?”
Rachel pressed her fingertips against her forehead. She felt a headache coming on. “Forget I said anything. How did you know? I was so careful.”
“Too careful,” Nikki informed her as she left the parking space and shoved the car into drive. “I could tell by the way you guys weren’t looking at each other. Don’t worry. I haven’t heard any rumors.Your secret is safe with me.”
Rachel relaxed. “Thanks.”
Nikki was silent for a moment and then slapped Rachel on the arm. “But why didn’t you tell me? I gave you every opportunity.”
Rachel covered her face with her hands.“Because I’m embarrassed.” She had no willpower around the man.
“Why? You and Justin are a good thing. It’s a reason to celebrate.” Nikki thumped the steering wheel to punctuate her point. “What are you getting him for Christmas? I vote for handcuffs.”
“Whoa.Whoa.Whoa.” Rachel waved her hands to stop her friend’s naughty Christmas list. “No celebrating. No presents. And definitely no handcuffs.”
“Why not?” Nikki whined.
“Don’t you get it? I slipped up. I had a major relapse. For two years I have walked the straight and narrow. No wild nights, no boyfriend drama, and no policemen knowing me on a first-name basis. I’ve kept a job, an apartment, and food in my refrigerator.”
“Even more reason to celebrate.”
“No. Because I feel like it could all fall apart any minute. When I’m with Justin—just looking at him, thinking about him—I forget everything.” She weakly closed her eyes and rested her head on her seat. “All I want is him, and nothing else matters. If I keep this up, I’m going to be right back where I was. Staggering into work from an all-nighter, hooking up with one loser after another, and living on your couch again.”
“I don’t know what you’re worried about,” Nikki said as she concentrated on driving on the icy road. “Justin is nothing like the men in your past.”
“That’s true. He’s worse.” She didn’t get this hot this fast for any guy.
“No way.” Nikki gave her a quick look. “Worse than the guy who kept stealing from you?”
She gave that a thought and nodded her head. “Yep, Justin is worse than Vincent.”
“Wow,” Nikki said with a touch of concern.“I didn’t think anyone could top him.”
Rachel wiggled in her seat, uncomfortable with the notion that Justin was rock bottom on her list of men. “Vincent was a jerk, but he wasn’t dangerous. Justin is different. I feel weak.” She struggled to describe it. “I feel . . . crazy. I feel . . .”
“Alive?” Nikki suggested.
“Alive,” Rachel repeated. She bit her bottom lip as she remembered the warm, thick heat that flooded her body when Justin . . . Rachel abruptly sat up. “No, not alive. I feel out of control. It’s like he’s my kryptonite.”
Nikki stopped at the red light and looked over at her. “Then you’re in trouble, Superman, because Justin is here to stay. And you can’t afford to quit your job when you haven’t been there for a full year.”
Her fun-loving friend made a practical point she should have thought of days ago. It was an indication of how far gone she was.“So what do I do?” Rachel asked.“I swear if I see him again, I’ll rip his shirt off.”
“You were doing just fine until the Christmas party,” Nikki said as she watched the stoplight, waiting for it to turn green. “What happened?”
“I don’t know.” Rachel had been wondering the same thing. Where had it all gone wrong? “I was walking toward my cubicle to get my purse and he was putting a file on my desk. He said something, I shot him down, and the next thing you know, we’re all over each other and tangled in the tinsel.”
“Hmm, that doesn’t give me much to go on,” Nikki said as she continued to drive. “Who made the first move?”
Rachel cringed. “Me.”
“Really?”Nikki drew the word out and wagged her eyebrows suggestively.“What happened right before you pounced?”
“I don’t know. He was his usual flirty self. I don’t know what made it different.”
“Well, you better figure out before it happens again.” Rachel was surprised by Nikki’s warning.“I thought you’d be ecstatic about these new developments.”
“I am,” she insisted, tucking her tongue in the corner of her mouth as she made a tricky turn. “But if the boss catches you having sex in the office, you’re out of a job.”
“Oh, right. I know that.” She realized she hadn’t given their tryst behind the tree much thought. “Ugh! See what Justin does to me?”
“And then you’ll be back to square one.”
She shuddered at the idea. She didn’t want to go back to that stage again. It was ugly, painful, and scary.
“Here’s my advice,” Nikki said. “All you
have to do is figure out what’s triggering these sex cravings so you can control them and jump Justin after hours.”
Rachel leaned back in her seat and sighed. “How about if I just don’t jump Justin?”
“Well, that’s one option.” Nikki flashed a naughty smile and waggled her eyebrows again. “But what’s the fun in that?”
Chapter Three
Rachel hurried out of the store, her shopping bags banging against the doorframe and her legs. She was running behind on her Christmas to-do list and was taking the opportunity to find a few more presents during her lunch break.
In fact, she was trying to come up with a list of excuses to get out of the office. She’d do just about anything to steer clear of the building. Away from temptation. Away from Justin.
It really was bad luck that her cubicle was right across the corridor from Justin’s. She was hyperaware of everything he did. Every hour she became more distracted. If this kept up, she was going to miss her project’s deadline.
She walked across the courtyard of the open-air mall. Rachel was sure the setup was supposed to make her think of a quaint outdoor marketplace, but the climate in the mountains didn’t always make shopping convenient. It snowed six months of the year, and rained the other six months. Most of those days she’d prefer to be inside instead of wrestling with the elements.
But having the open-air mall outdoors at Christmas kind of made it worth it.A light snow drifted on the brick sidewalks, and made the evergreen and red ribbons so much brighter. In the middle of the courtyard there was a gigantic fir tree decorated with gold ornaments and colorful lights, which reminded her of the magic and wonder of Christmas.
And what she did with Justin.
Rachel abruptly looked away. Stop thinking about Christmas trees. Move away from the fir tree and don’t look back....
She dipped her head and hurried out of the courtyard. She needed to get back to the office. She’d had plenty of time to get some fresh air and clear her head.