She didn’t want to go out for lunch. She wanted to stay in for lunch! Good grief, she didn’t even care if they ate lunch. She just wanted to…she wanted to have sex with Zeke! She wanted to make love with him, to act out all of the fantasies that had been messing with her sleep over the past several nights.
Taking a deep breath, she walked straight through the lobby and out the back doors. Marcy knew that there was a lovely courtyard tucked away behind Zeke’s building with lots of good places to sit and relax.
There was only one woman in the courtyard area at this time of the day and Marcy was relieved. She was too nervous at this particular moment and she definitely didn’t want witnesses to her pacing.
Back and forth, she walked along the opposite edge of the patio, taking deep breaths and trying to psych herself up. Around two o’clock this morning, she’d started rehearsing her speech, the one she was going to say to Zeke about them not bothering with lunch. About how they should stay in.
“Are you okay?”
Marcy swung around, looking at the woman. She was blonde and skinny and shockingly beautiful. Instantly, Marcy’s insecurities swelled up and she had to force herself to smile at the woman.
“You seem pretty nervous. Want to talk to a stranger?”
Marcy’s smile faltered. Talk to this beautiful woman? About how she was going to have sex with Zeke? No way!
“Oh, I’m fine,” Marcy assured her. Her eyes glanced down at the large sketchbook in the other woman’s hands. The picture she’d been drawing was of a gorgeous living room with enormous arched windows. It was the kind of room one might find in those fancy architectural magazines.
“Where is that? It’s a beautiful room,” she asked, trying to calm down.
The blonde woman’s whole face brightened, making Marcy blink slightly.
“This is just an idea I was working on. I don’t know if it will even work.”
Marcy turned so that she could see the picture better, impressed with the details in the drawing. All of the small extras would make the room special and yet, still elegant. Marcy had been working at Steele Industries for long enough to spot a marketable idea when she saw one. And this room was good! “Are you an architect?”
“No,” she replied, her blonde hair swishing elegantly over her slim shoulders. “I’m just an interior decorator. But I saw this building over on the waterfront and thought it would be a good project for restoration. I’m Gaia, by the way,” she added and stuck her hand out for Marcy to shake.
Marcy’s nervousness and jealousy towards the beautiful woman dissipated. Gaia was too sweet and kind to be intimidating, she thought. And with an imagination like that, she wanted Gaia to meet Zeke. The woman had some great ideas! “My name’s Marcy,” she said and took the other woman’s hand. “I think it’s a fabulous idea. Why don’t you present it to my boss? Zeke Steele lives in this building. In fact, the brothers built the building.”
Marcy watched in fascination as the color drained from the woman’s features. Strange reaction, Marcy thought as she watched the woman’s lips open and close slightly. The blonde Gaia actually took a step backwards as if just the very idea of meeting one of the Steele brothers was wrong and terrifying. “Oh no. I couldn’t do that. No way!”
Marcy laughed, trying to ease the woman’s sudden tension. “He’s a horrible boss, but Steele Industries is a great company. They aren’t sticks in the mud like some companies. I don’t know if they would go for the project, but they are always eager to listen to new ideas.”
The woman chuckled, but still shook her head even as she closed the sketchpad. “I’ve heard of the Steele brothers.” With a self-deprecating shrug, she grimaced. “In this town, who hasn’t heard of them? They are a bit like legends, I suppose.” Once again, the lovely woman’s body language closed off on the suggestion. Her sketchpad was pulled in close, as if it could act as a shield against the intimidating team of brothers. “Thank you for the offer, but I could never impose on Mr. Steele for something like this. It isn’t even in their realm. Steele Industries builds massive buildings. This is just a renovation project.”
Marcy shook her head, laying a hand on Gaia’s arm. “You’d be surprised at the different work that company takes on. But if you are intimidated by the brothers, why don’t you talk to Tommy Waters,” she said. “He’s a very sweet man, but not one of the brothers. He’s a construction manager for the company. He shifts from project to project so he knows what’s going on at all of the projects in the city. And yes, Steele Industries does a great deal of large construction buildings, but they have other divisions as well.” Her smile brightened. “We’re a very multi-faceted company,” she told the woman.
“Yes but…”
There was something strange about the beautiful woman and Marcy wanted to help her. “Look, here’s my card,” she said and pulled a business card out of her wallet. “And here’s Tommy’s cell phone number. Call either of us. I’d love to sit down with you over coffee and talk more about it, if you don’t mind. And if Steele Industries is a good match for the project, then we can get Tommy involved. He’s not intimidating at all. Zeke is, but Tommy’s a teddy bear. If Steele Industries can’t do the job, then Tommy would know who might want to tackle it.”
Gaia laughed, her shoulders relaxing slightly in the face of Marcy’s energy. “You’re a bit of a dynamo, aren’t you?” she asked, and took Marcy’s card, stuffing it into her back pocket.
Marcy laughed, feeling more comfortable around the beauty now. “Yes. I know when something is good, and your idea is good. So if you don’t contact Tommy or me, I’ll hunt you down.”
Gaia laughed again. “Deal!”
Marcy took a deep breath. “And thank you. You’ve been a huge help.”
The blonde woman’s head tilted slightly. “I helped you?”
Marcy nodded. “Absolutely. I’m about to do something scary and you took my mind off of my mission just enough that I can get through it.”
Gaia smiled. “Well, thank you. I’m not really sure what I did, but I’m glad I helped.”
Marcy laughed. “Call me,” she instructed, once again nodding towards the business card that had disappeared into Gaia’s pocket. With another reassuring smile, Marcy walked back into the building with a bit more confidence.
Unfortunately, all of her confidence deserted her as she stood outside of his apartment doorway. She looked at her phone, then up at the number on the door. Yes, this was the address he’d given her.
So knock on the door!
Marcy stood still, staring at the number.
She swallowed painfully, and glanced down at her phone. She wasn’t ready for this! After all the time she’d been thinking and dreaming, wondering what it would be like, the time was now and she couldn’t even knock on the door.
Her phone buzzed, indicating that she had a new message. Glancing down again, she noticed it was from Zeke. “You okay?”
She smiled, her heart lightening with his concern.
“I’m good,” she quickly typed back.
“Almost done with your exam?”
Her thumbs hesitated on the tiny cell phone keyboard before she finally typed in, “All finished.”
There was a pause before the next text came in. “Are you coming over?”
Marcy stood there, her body starting to tremble in earnest now. Replying meant committing to this plan of action. If he’d just taken her into her apartment days ago, she wouldn’t be having this silly trembling nervousness now. If he’d ignored her exams and made love to her already, she wouldn’t be acting so silly!
Instead, he’d encouraged her to be responsible. He’d walked away. Now she was a mess of nervousness and second-guessing her effect on him.
She didn’t like this!
“I’m here,” she finally typed back and pressed send before she could delete the words.
“Here as in at the building?” came the almost instant reply.
Inhaling deeply, she unconsciously
bit her lower lip as her thumbs typed in, “Outside your door,” and hit the send button quickly.
She stared at her phone, waiting for the response. But instead of a message coming through to her cell phone, the door whipped open and there he was, looking incredible, virile, and oh-so-amazing.
They stared at each other for a long moment, her eyes anxious and his hungry. “Marcy,” he groaned a moment before his hand reached out and pulled her into his apartment.
He didn’t give her a chance to speak. She was standing outside of his doorway and then she was in his arms, the apartment door slammed shut and he was kissing her. His fingers tangling in her hair, pulling her head back as he deepened the kiss.
Half of her mind had expected a civilized lunch with Zeke on one side of the table and her on the other while they discussed business, things that she’d missed while she’d been out for the past few days.
She should have known better.
Zeke was barely civilized when it came to business.
There was nothing civilized about him now. This kiss was raw. Powerful. It made her knees wobble and she had to lean against him to keep herself from falling down. Zeke must have realized what she was experiencing, because he pulled his mouth away from hers and lifted her into his arms. A moment later, he was kicking the bedroom door shut, then lowering her to the middle of his bed.
Zeke looked at the woman in his bed as his body pulsed with the need to possess her. But he took her in, his mind finally absorbing the fact that she was here. She was going to be his!
“Marcy,” he groaned when her hands slid along the brown comforter. With the look in her eyes, he couldn’t hold back any longer. Leaning over her, he braced his arms on the mattress as he slowly lowered his body against hers, savoring the feel of her as she curled up against him. Damn, but this woman was amazing, he thought.
“You’re here,” he breathed as he slowly pressed his knee between her legs. “You’re in my bed and,” Zeke shook his head as he continued, “I’m just warning you, Marcy, you’re not getting out of this bed for a while.”
Her lips curled into a tentative smile, but he vowed that her expression would change when he was finished with her.
Lowering his head, he kissed her while he pressed his hips against hers, feeling her body respond, pressing against his.
Marcy gasped when his chest came into contact with her breasts. Yes, she’d felt his body like this before, but they’d always been standing. Somehow, lying in his bed like this made the contact feel different. Better. More powerful!
Shifting, she loved the way his chest felt against her already pebbled nipples. She wanted so much more and her hands slid up his powerful chest while her legs made room for him. If she’d had the capacity to think about it, she might have been concerned about their position. But since he was kissing her in that special way that he had that made her mind turn to mush, she wasn’t thinking about anything anymore. She was feeling. She was responding to his touch, his body pressing more intimately against hers than any other man had ever done before.
And it all felt more incredible than she’d ever thought possible!
His hand slid up underneath her sweater and Marcy gasped at the contact. Never before had she realized the heat that could come out of one hand, but her skin felt on fire, just from his touch.
“Zeke,” she whispered in an almost agonized voice because he was going too slowly for her peace of mind.
“What do you want me to do?” he asked as his fingers slid higher along her ribs. A moment later, his hand cupped her breast and Marcy loved it. “That!” she sighed, closing her eyes as she savored the moment when he’d finally cupped that part of her anatomy that had been craving his touch for too long. Her nipples were already hard and ready for his fingers when they finally slid under the lace of her bra. She actually shifted her body, wanting him to touch her more. Thankfully, he understood her silent message and his whole hand curved around her breasts. Marcy loved it so much, she pressed her hand against his, moving his fingers to her nipple so that she could feel more.
Zeke wanted to see as well as feel. He’d been trying to guess the color of her nipples for weeks. Now he was determined to discover the truth. Rosy pink? Tan? Brown?
Her sweater was off and on the floor moments later and Zeke froze, his eyes taking her beautiful breasts encased in the black lace and he couldn’t move for a long moment. Her breasts were more beautiful, more perfect, than he’d thought possible. Full and pert, his hand reached out to cup the right one, to rub his thumb over the tip and watch as Marcy’s mouth softened, her lips fell open as he teased and tortured that nipple.
Then with a deliberately slow pace, he bent down and took the peak in his mouth, his tongue darting over that sensitive nipple through the lace of her bra. When he heard her moan, he only worked harder, wanting to hear that sound again. Pulling the material away, he almost laughed to find that she had beautiful pink nipples. Perfectly pink nipples. The peak was taunting him and he couldn’t wait to taste it without anything between his tongue and that beautiful nipple. When his tongue darted out, he had to hold her still as she tried to move away. “No way,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ve been trying to guess what your breasts would feel like against my tongue for too long.” He laved the sensitive nipple again and again, his fingers pinching slightly before his lips kissed, his tongue soothed.
“Zeke!” she gasped and tried to pull his head away.
“No way, Marcy,” he said and grabbed her hands, pinning them down against her sides. “I’m going to enjoy this.” And he laughed when she smiled. The smile was accompanied by a groan as he moved to her other breast.
“Do you have any idea of how beautiful you are?” he asked, looking at her breasts, then down to her stomach. Her hands fluttered over the soft roundness there, but he shook his head and pulled her hands away again. “Don’t hide from me, Marcy. I love every part of you. I’ve been watching you walk around in your conservative clothes, trying to hide every part of you and,” he bent his head to kiss her stomach, “you’ve taunted me, tormented my nights, and driven me crazy as you walk around the office.”
She laughed. “I don’t drive men crazy,” she argued, but it still felt good that he would say something so outrageous.
He looked into her eyes, suddenly realized that she wasn’t being coy. She truly believed what she was saying. “Marcy, you have no idea how badly I’ve wanted you, do you?”
She looked at him and shook her head. He was still hovering over her stomach and she tugged at her hands, needing to cover up because he saw everything, including all of her faults, and she needed to hide that softness. But he wouldn’t let her. And as he looked down at her, she thought his desire actually increased. Impossible as it seemed, she thought that maybe he really did like the way she looked.
“I’m not strong and muscular,” she argued.
He looked back down at her stomach, her breasts. “You’re soft and sexy, Marcy. So incredibly beautiful!”
She believed that he believed that and his words made her feel sexy and beautiful. “Thank you,” she whispered, shy all of a sudden.
He chuckled, shaking his head as he moved lower, his teeth pulling at the snap to her jeans. “It all has to come off, Marcy. I want you completely naked.”
She laughed, feeling free and brazen. “You’re not going at the task in the most efficient manner, Zeke.”
That sparked a challenge in his eyes. “You think I’m not efficient?” he came back, pushing himself up. “I can be very efficient with the right motivation.” With that, he stood at the edge of the bed and flipped her shoes off one by one. Her socks were next and Marcy laughed at the devilish expression in his eyes.
“I think you’re cute!”
His eyes widened as he looked down at her. “Cute? Men are not cute, woman!” he said and his hands were on the snap and zipper of her jeans. A moment later, he was tugging them off of her legs. His eyes moved from admonishing her to looking down
at her legs. “You are so hot, Marcy!” he groaned, all teasing gone from his expression.
“I’m…” He didn’t allow her to finish that statement because his mouth covered hers, kissing her until she was back against the mattress and writhing underneath him. “If I say you’re beautiful, you are not allowed to argue with me.”
She couldn’t say another word. The straps of her bra were pulled down over her arms and his mouth latched onto her breast. The feeling of his fingers on her nipple was one thing. But his tongue and his mouth were an entirely different issue. The heat hit her like a knife shooting desire all the way down her body, right to her core and her hips shifted against him, lifting and seeming to know exactly how to press against that erection that had so fascinated her over the past several weeks.
His hands were just as active as his mouth, moving along her skin, setting fire wherever he touched. Lightning shot through her whole body and she felt like she would ignite at any moment.
“Zeke, this is…” she was going to say something, but his finger slid underneath the lace of her underwear. Whatever she’d been about to say vanished from her mind as his finger moved about, probed, teased, made her wiggle away, but his hands were holding her still so her wiggling wasn’t effective at eluding that finger. And after another moment, she wasn’t trying to elude anything. In fact, her body pressed against that hand, feeling the most incredible tingles. He started to pull away from her and she grabbed his wrist, holding it there.
Zeke chuckled, a deep, sexy sound that made all of her warm feelings even more intense. “Please don’t stop,” she whispered. Her eyes were closed, so she didn’t catch the intense look in Zeke’s eyes. All she knew was that she loved the way he was touching her right now. But with a gasp, Marcy flinched when he pushed two fingers into her core. Her fingers tightened on his wrist, stopping the in and out movement. But only for a moment while her body adjusted to the sensations those two fingers created inside of her.
When he moved those magic fingers again, she gasped, but this time it was because it felt so incredibly good! Powerful spasms of excitement shot through her and she arched into his hand, pushing those fingers deeper. When that thumb came into play, flicking against the sensitive nub, she screamed, her hand coming to stop him because that was just too much. But Zeke didn’t relinquish his prize. “Relax, Marcy. Don’t push me away.”
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