In the Boss' Bed
Page 5
This was bad.
Marcy glared at her reflection in the mirror, her hands trembling as she smoothed the satin fabric down over her hips. “I should just tell him to go alone,” she whispered out loud. “I shouldn’t be around him like this.”
At that precise moment, her apartment doorbell rang and she spun around, staring at her bedroom door as if a monster was going to come crashing through it at any moment.
“I should text him that I can’t help him tonight,” she sighed.
But did she follow any of those reasonable thoughts running through her head?
Absolutely not!
Stepping out of her bedroom, she realized that her knees were wobbly. Shocker, she thought sarcastically. She should stop putting herself in a position to be around the man! He wasn’t for her. He preferred tall, leggy blondes. He definitely didn’t like short, curvy brunettes.
With a deep breath, she opened the door, bracing herself for the sight of him.
It didn’t work.
The impact of the man standing in the doorway in his black tuxedo still had the power to make her lungs decide that oxygen was superfluous.
Oh my! What was it about a man in a tuxedo?
“You look lovely,” his deep, husky voice purred and her body almost melted into a puddle of trembling desire when his green eyes moved down over her figure, then back up to her eyes. Was there something different in those eyes? They seemed to be…almost…lit up with some secret.
Darn it, Marcy hated secrets!
“What are you thinking about?” she demanded. “Is there something I should know?”
Zeke looked down at the fiery beauty with the gentle curves that had been driving him insane for the past two weeks. She was so stunning, so sultry and sensuous. If it weren’t for the fact that his body was throbbing with arousal most of the day, he would enjoy simply watching her walk around his office, her soft breasts bouncing against the material of her silk blouses and her curvy bottom teasing him in her ultra conservative skirts.
She was a teenage boy’s wet dream. And his fantasy.
In that moment, he decided that he wasn’t going to fight this attraction any longer. Looking down at her, seeing the way her pretty, blue eyes changed color, he knew that she’d noticed a change in him as well. Did all women come with radar that informed them when they were in danger?
He almost laughed to himself. Of course, she wasn’t in danger. No, if she didn’t feel the same way about him, he wouldn’t dare make her feel uncomfortable.
But the way her nipples were pressing against the shining material of her satin dress, he knew that she was feeling it too. And it was there in the way her body softened slightly, changed from defensive to…inviting.
Zeke doubted that she was even aware of the change in her body language. It was subtle, but he’d been watching her body for it, so he’d caught all the signs.
Yes, she wanted him, possibly as badly as he wanted her.
And now he was going to act on that knowledge.
“Ready to go?” he asked, extending his hand to take her wrap. Damn, he loved the fact that he’d paid for the dress she was wearing. And the shoes as well as the wrap. He’d dressed her.
Uh oh, better not think in those terms. Not at this point at any rate. It made his body throb harder, wanting to peel off all of those clothes and discover all of the gentle beauty underneath those layers.
Was she wearing black lace underwear?
When she turned, he couldn’t see any lines along her delectable bottom. Hell, his mind immediately pictured her round bottom in a thong and he almost groaned as he settled the cashmere wrap around her shoulders. “You look beautiful,” he repeated softly, his hands resting for a moment on her shoulders.
There! The tremble! The yearning glance over her shoulder.
He let his hands slide down her arms before taking one of her hands in his, tucking her trembling fingers onto his arm.
“You look very nice yourself,” Marcy admitted, glancing up at his broad shoulders, then quickly away, as if she wasn’t allowing herself to look at him.
He paused for a moment, enjoying her light touch and the soft, flowery scent of her hair. “Tonight is going to be tedious. Thank you for your help.”
Marcy smiled, feeling good that she was helping him. It relieved some of the tension she was feeling as well. “I’m happy to help out.”
On the drive over to the gala, he asked her about her law school classes, the professors, several of whom he knew from the social circuit, and even asked about her mother.
Marcy’s mind spun as she tried to answer all of his questions. How had he known so much about her? He must have overheard her conversations with her mother and she felt bad.
“I don’t talk to my mother during work hours,” she blurted out, trying to reassure him that she wouldn’t conduct personal business during the workday. She only spoke to her mother during her lunch break or if she was working late, never during their normal business hours.
He glanced over at her with a small smile. “Marcy, talk to your mother any time you need to. You’re a great asset to the company. I know you wouldn’t ever slack off.” He pulled up outside of the private country club, handing his keys to the valet before coming around to her side of the car.
“Thank you,” she whispered as she accepted his help getting out of the car.
“My pleasure,” he replied and once again tucked her hand close to him.
The time for personal conversations ended after that. As soon as Zeke walked into the room, he was surrounded by people greeting him, wanting a word with him, women sidling up to him and trying to get his attention.
Normally, Marcy would step away from him, let the women do their thing. She wasn’t his girlfriend, she was his assistant. And she was trying to allow him to accept their flirtations.
But he wouldn’t release her, keeping her close by holding her hand firmly on his arm. “I don’t…”
“You’re fine,” he said firmly and turned around when another woman started to approach with that same, determined look in her eyes.
“You need a drink,” he decided and led her in the opposite direction. “Are you hungry?” he asked.
Eat something? When he was this close? Not happening, she thought silently. “I’m fine,” she assured him, glancing back at the blonde woman who looked irritated by Zeke’s snub. Marcy couldn’t stop the spike of pleasure that zoomed through her. Something possessive and happy caused a warm glow to emanate from her now. She might only be Zeke’s assistant, but she was here with him. And she liked it!
“Let’s dance, then,” he told her and moved towards the dance floor.
Dancing?
She almost sighed with longing. To be held in his arms and feel the strength and power all around her…yeah, that would be nice.
But they were here on business. “We don’t have to dance, Zeke.” Looking up into his eyes, she absently put a hand on his forearm. “I know you’re here for business reasons. If you need to…”
“Marcy,” he interrupted.
“Yes?”
“I want to dance with you.” His eyes were hard, powerful. The look sent a thrill right through her whole body. “If you don’t want to dance with me, then say so. Otherwise, we’re going out onto that dance floor and I’m going to hold you in my arms. Any issues with that?”
Um…yeah! No! Of course, she had issues with that! She might just jump him right there in the middle of the dance floor!
“None at all,” she finally said, her eyes wide, unaware of the lust that was revealed in those lovely depths.
“Good. Let’s go,” he commanded. And she followed. She knew it was wrong on so many levels, but when they reached the large group of dancers and his strong arms moved around her, pulling her close, she felt like she was in heaven. His hands were big and felt absolutely perfect on her back. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the masculine scent of him – citrus and alpha male; a dangerous combination.
He had!
“About that contract…” she started off, grasping at anything to cover up her faux pas.
“Marcy,” he growled, interrupting her.
“Yes?” she breathed.
“Shut up.” And he pulled her closer. So close that she could feel the brush of his muscular thighs against her legs with each step, could even rest her cheek against his chest. She didn’t, of course. Because that would be really wrong.
But she wanted to.
Her breasts were pressed against his chest and she once again felt her nipples harden, her body flushed with desire for this man who made her so crazy, she wanted to rip all of his clothes off and beg him to make love to her. Just once, she thought, just once she’d like to know what it was like to be in this man’s arms, to feel the magic of his touch and his kisses. All over her body.
That thought jerked her back, but not enough because his arms wouldn’t allow her to shift even an inch away from him.
“What were you just thinking?” he asked.
Marcy’s cheeks turned an even deeper shade of pink. “Nothing,” she lied.
His green eyes moved over her pink cheeks and her shining eyes, noticing that her pupils were dilated and her nipples were pressing against the silky material of her dress. Damn, he was going to have to tell Barbara not to put Marcy in satin again. At least not until he could strip it off of her and enjoy the treasures underneath.
“Hmmm…you’re thinking something. And I suspect it is something I’d like to hear about.” He spun her around, holding her closer in the guise of protecting her from the other dancers. But he really just wanted to feel her closer. He loved the way her soft breasts felt against his chest and he was fighting his need to slide his hand down to her bottom, feel the roundness with his hands. It was like the satin was taunting him, emphasizing all of the different parts of Marcy he wanted to explore, but couldn’t.
Not yet, anyway.
He felt her shiver and his hand moved higher, trying to reassure her. But the more his hand moved, the more he could feel her trembling. And the harder it was becoming to hide his body’s reaction.
“Zeke!”
The loud voice startled both of them and Marcy jerked backwards. He knew the man, a gruff, state senator that was a good guy, but Zeke had a hard time not turning around and punching the man for disrupting his dance with Marcy.
With a sigh, Zeke turned to face Jerry. “How are you tonight?” he said, extending his hand to the man.
They discussed zoning issues and permits. Marcy almost laughed at how subtly Zeke talked to the man about the issues one of their construction sites was having and she was one hundred percent certain that all of the issues would be gone by the following day, courtesy of Jerry pushing along the paperwork. There wasn’t anything wrong with the zoning requests. Apparently, things had just gotten snagged behind someone else’s issues.
When Jerry had moved off again, spying yet another couple the senator was going to interrupt, Marcy looked up at Zeke with amazement. “You did that extremely well,” she laughed.
He put an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “You’d be shocked at all of the things I do extremely well,” he said, almost whispering in her ear.
Marcy would have tripped if he hadn’t caught her, holding her securely against his side.
Had he really just said that? Looking up at his profile, she almost laughed. Impossible! She’d just imagined those words. Her fantasy. Because, no, she probably wouldn’t be shocked at the things he could do extremely well. All of her dreams had proven that she wouldn’t be shocked. Not even a little bit!
Chapter 5
Marcy walked into the office the following day feeling as if she’d gotten only about two hours of sleep. Which was probably because, well, she had gotten only two hours of sleep! The evil man had really messed with her mind last night. They’d gone home after that dance and he’d walked her to her door, just like the ultimate gentleman. But as she’d tried to unlock her door, he’d leaned his shoulder against the wall, watching her. Which only made her more nervous. Which had definitely messed with her coordination. When the keys had fallen to the floor, he’d stepped in and took them in his long fingers, easily opening the door for her.
“Until tomorrow,” he’d said smoothly. But then he’d dragged his fingers over her shoulder, making her gasp as a stab of sharp desire shot through her body. She glanced up at him, shocked and sucking in air as her body almost fell into her apartment.
In her bed last night, her body was trembling with need, awareness, lust, longing, and so many other emotions that she didn’t understand how to handle.
So here she was, grumbling and grouchy as she gulped coffee in an effort to get her mind functioning.
Thankfully, there were no witnesses to her smacking the files onto her desk, or when her coffee splattered across the files because she hadn’t realized how close her hand and mug were to the surface of her desk. She quickly cleaned it up and filled her mug up again, placing it a bit further away from her files this time around.
With a sigh, she fell onto the chair, her shoulders slumping as she stared at her coffee mug. It was almost too much effort to pick it up. If there were a way to teleport the caffeine into her system, she’d do it. Coffee was mighty delicious, but she wasn’t coordinated enough to drink it this morning.
To top everything off, she had an exam tomorrow morning, an exam that she wasn’t ready for. She was going to have to study all night tonight in order to prepare.
She bowed her head and tried to think. She wasn’t this person. She was organized, proactive. She’d never waited until the last minute to study for an exam and she’d never in her life had trouble sleeping. She loved sleeping! She loved mattresses and soft, comfortable pillows! She was a bed lover!
It was only because of THAT man, she thought with irritation. His touch, the way his fingers had run over the back of her neck right before he’d walked away from her last night. Oh! She’d really like to punch his stomach for that move!
She’d probably only hurt herself though. The man’s stomach was hard as a rock! She’d discovered that little fact last night while dancing and it had been a major factor in her sleepless night. In fact, all of his touches last night had been a factor.
“Good morning, Marcy,” Zeke said as he walked into the office a moment later. “You look tired. Did I keep you out too late last night?” he asked, tapping the newspaper against her desk.
Marcy glared up at him, trying to clear her mind and focus. “I’m fine,” she told him and looked back down. Darn it, he was wearing a charcoal suit with a crisp, white shirt and red tie. He looked amazing!
And she felt dumpy. She’d pulled on a pair of black slacks and a white blouse today. It buttoned up all the way to her neck with a little tie. When she’d first seen the shirt in the store, she’d thought it looked nice and professional. Now she just felt like a silly librarian. One that was going to age poorly because she kept fantasizing about her boss. She needed cats if she was going to pull that off, she thought, lots of cats.
Maybe the animal shelter was open during lunch. She should swing by. Her image would be complete if she could pick up five or six fluffy creatures.
“You okay?” he asked. His hand reached out, his thumb tracing a line against her jaw as he looked into her blue eyes. “You didn’t sleep well last night, did you?”
She sighed and pulled back, feeling that surge of excitement at his touch. Again. “I’m fine. I’m sorry I’m not my normal self today, but I’ll get on track.”
“Don’t you have an exam tomorrow?” he asked, not leaving her desk.
She was startled. He’d remembered?
“Yes. But I…”
“You mentioned last night that you needed to study for it. Why don’t you take today off and get ready for your test?”
&nb
sp; Marcy’s mouth fell open with those words. “Take the day off?”
“Yes. You’ve caught up on everything here at the office, working a lot of extra hours to get this place organized. You deserve the day off. Why don’t you go home, grab your books and then head to the library for the day?”
She couldn’t even answer him. She was so stunned by his thoughtfulness. When she realized that he was waiting for an answer, she snapped her mouth closed. “I can’t…”
“Of course you can. Go. Now. I’ll see you Monday.”
She still started to shake her head but he stopped her. “Marcy, if any emergency comes up, I’ll call you, okay? But right now, nothing is happening. I’m even thinking of cutting out early myself. So go. Study and get ready for your test.”
With those words, he walked into his office and settled behind his desk.
Marcy looked at him and blushed when he winked at her. She wanted to laugh at his outrageous gesture but she couldn’t. A day off?
“What’s going on?” Teague asked as he stepped into the office.
Marcy’s head swung up. “I…uh….”
Teague almost laughed at her pretty blush. He knew there was something going on between the pretty brunette and his older brother and was one hundred percent on board with it. But if Zeke was being an ass again, they were going to have words. “You look tired. What’s he been doing?” Teague leaned over her desk, his green eyes so similar and yet, so completely different from his older brother’s.
“What the hell are you doing here, Teague?” Zeke called out from his office, fury rising in his mind as he watched his brother flirt with Marcy. Walking out of his office, he glared at his brother, every territorial instinct lighting up inside of him. “Leave Marcy alone,” he almost growled. Turning to look down at the woman who looked exhausted, he softened his tone. “Go, Marcy. I’ll see you back here on Monday.” He then turned back to face his brother. “She has an exam tomorrow. Whatever you need, it can wait until Monday.”