She smiled. “That’s why you hired me, right? Because I’m good at what I do?”
He stood. She was good, all right. But he wasn’t remotely thinking about work. He was thinking about how damn good she felt in his arms. “If you want my word, then you have it.”
Before she could take a breath, Alex hauled her against him and his mouth took hers in a searing kiss. Jennifer moaned as his tongue mated with her own, teasing it with promises that left her knees so weak she could barely stand.
Alex scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed. His eyes fastened on Jennifer, he stepped back to pull off the sweatshirt he’d put on earlier. Lying on the bed, she reached down and grasped the hem of her sweater and pulled it over her head.
She wasn’t wearing a bra. His gaze raked her. She lay half naked, her beautiful breasts luring him to her. He joined her on the bed, lying beside her. He kissed her then, a long, drugging kiss that had him panting for more. He slid his hand to her breasts, kneading one then the other, his fingertips fascinated with her nipples.
He watched her eyelids close. “Do you like that, Jen?” he asked, his tone husky.
“I like everything you do, Alex,” she whispered, opening her eyes and gazing at him.
Alex rolled to his back, bringing her with him. She straddled him, her hair framing her face.
“Come here.” He took her hands, place them on his shoulders, then slid his hands under her arms and urged her to lean over him. “I want to taste you.” Lifting his head, he licked her nipple, laved it with his tongue, then took it into his mouth, branding her taste to his memory.
He looked up at her, saw her eyelids drift down. “Do you want me, Jen?” He needed to hear her say it.
“Oh, yes.” Desire coiled through her body. She looked at him, and his gaze held hers as he took both breasts in his hands. Her hips rocked against him. He was so hard, so incredibly hard.
“Say it,” he demanded.
“I want you, Alex.” Oh, yes. She wanted him forever. “Come inside me,” she whispered.
His hands found her waist. Jennifer went up on her knees, then felt him between her legs. She moved on him and he gritted his teeth. “Oh, yes, Alex. You feel so good.”
As though he was meant to be hers. Her head fell back as he began moving inside her. Spreading her legs farther apart, she cried out with pleasure. Unable to support her weight, she melted against him as his mouth devoured hers.
Her release came so suddenly, so incredibly forcefully, she cried out his name. His hands squeezed her derriere as he arched his back and climaxed.
And Jennifer knew she’d never love anyone else for the rest of her life.
As they lay together, their breathing ragged, Alex felt Jennifer stir. He tightened his arm around her, holding her next to him. He wasn’t going to let her do another disappearing act. There was no telling what other conditions she’d come up with if he let her have too much time to herself.
Shifting his body, he rolled over and pinned her to the mattress. Exhausted, he lay there, his hand caressing her. Her skin was warm. And soft. So damn soft.
His thoughts drifted to the promise he’d given Jennifer. She didn’t want him to remember anything about being with her. She’d asked the impossible. Though he’d given her his word, he was never going to be able to forget making love to her.
Why was she different from the other women he’d been with? It had been easy to compartmentalize his feelings for them, keep them at a distance. His eyelids drifted shut. Wanting to analyze his reaction to Jennifer, Alex fought the sedating effects of lethargy. He didn’t want to go to sleep. He didn’t want to wake up in the morning and know it was probably going to be the last day he had with her.
As if it was the most natural thing in the world, Alex hugged her to him. He smiled to himself when she snuggled closer, her bottom fitting perfectly against him. Satisfied she wasn’t going anywhere, he drifted into sleep.
The telephone startled Jennifer, jarring her awake. Who on earth could be calling? No one knew they were here. She started to reach for the phone, but she felt so wonderful cuddling with Alex that she couldn’t bring herself to move from beneath the covers. Alex didn’t budge, either, except to tighten his arm around her waist. The phone quit ringing and she sighed sleepily. Like the sunshine peeking into the room, reality seeped into her thoughts.
As she’d told Alex, it was best for them to forget they’d ever made love after they returned home. For herself, that was impossible. A day would never go by that she wouldn’t remember being here with him.
But Alex had easily agreed with her suggestion. That hurt. If he’d have put up a bit of an argument, she would have felt as if she’d meant more to him than sex with no strings attached.
Her heart constricted. Though she’d known better than to expect it, she’d wanted to be more to Alex than a weekend fling. Which was silly, she supposed. Alex had women flaunting themselves at him all the time. She’d seen it for herself whenever they attended a business function. Women swarmed around him.
Well, he was gorgeous. And sweet. And romantic, she thought, remembering their sleigh ride. No, she chided herself. Alex hadn’t been aiming at romance. He’d told her himself the sleigh ride was his way of apologizing to her.
He kissed you.
Well, their kiss was simple to explain. They’d been caught up in a moment. That kiss—that wonderful, seductive kiss—had been part of his apology.
But he also said he thought you were hot.
He’d just been flirting. She’d seen him in action at dinner parties. Alex had charm, and he knew how to use it. He had a way of making the woman he was talking with feel as if she were special. And even if he did find her attractive, why should she read more into it? She was no Julia Roberts, but she considered herself appealing.
And the sex?
Lust. Just plain lust.
He stirred, then nuzzled her neck, and her thoughts scattered. His lips pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder and she turned in his arms to face him. His eyes opened languidly and she smiled when they closed again. She raised her hand to his face, touched it with her palm, then traced his nose with her finger. “I thought you were a morning person,” she whispered.
Alex opened his eyes. “That was before I knew what it was like to wake up with you in my bed.” His hand slid up her rib cage to her breast. He caressed it tenderly, his eyes meeting hers. “Know what I’m thinking?”
Her stomach growled. She laughed and said, “It’s time to eat?”
He kissed her, then smiled. “Well, eating wasn’t exactly what I had on my mind.” His hand slid between her thighs. Her skin was soft and oh, so silky. His body responded to her on every level. His skin heated, his arousal obvious. But what stunned him was the quickening of his heartbeat.
Danger signals flashed through his mind. Jennifer was hazardous to his heart. But despite the powerful effect she had on him, Alex pulled her against him and rolled onto his back, bringing her with him. “I guess I’d better feed you. You’re going to need all the strength you can get.” He kissed her, a long, sensual mating of their mouths.
Her pulse accelerating from the desire in his eyes, she watched as he rolled away and stood. Jennifer couldn’t drag her eyes from him. He was so gorgeous that he stole her breath. His stomach was flat and taut, and the muscles in his arms and shoulders rippled as he picked up his sweatpants. She needed to fan herself. She’d always thought Alex was handsome, but without clothes, well, he was heart-stopping incredible.
He slipped on his sweatpants and picked up the telephone. “I’ll order room service. What would you like?”
Jennifer climbed from the bed, dragging the top sheet with her, wrapping it around herself and gathering it in her hands to keep from tripping. Despite the fact that Alex had touched and kissed her body everywhere, she was hesitant to run around naked in front of him. “Um, coffee, please. And I’d love some French toast or some pancakes. I think I’ll grab a quick shower while we’re waiting.”
She disappeared into the bathroom.
Alex watched her, amused she felt it necessary to cover herself from head to toe. Didn’t she realize that after making love with her, he knew her body intimately? He punched in the numbers to reach room service, gave them their order, then replaced the receiver. Moments later, the phone rang.
Thinking it was room service with a question about their order, Alex picked up the telephone. “Hello?”
“Mr. Dunnigan, this is Marjorie Bannon, the manager. We’re informing our guests who were supposed to check out yesterday that the road off the mountain has been cleared.”
“Cleared? Already?” Alex paced to the window. Apparently the snow they’d expected during the night hadn’t arrived. Outside, the sun was shining bright.
“Although the weather reports indicated snow during the night, the storm front stalled,” she explained. “They’re now calling for it later today. The road crews were able to get to the snowpack and clear it about an hour ago.”
Alex’s jaw grew taut. “I see.”
“We certainly don’t want to rush you, Mr. Dunnigan, but we have guests waiting to be checked in and we need to clean the rooms. We would appreciate it if you could be ready to turn over your room within the hour.”
“An hour?” he repeated, his lips twisting with irritation. They wanted them to leave. And leaving meant never touching Jennifer again.
“Yes, sir,” the manager said. “As I said, we need to clean your room. Of course, due to your willingness to help us out last night by sharing your room, we won’t be charging you for last night.”
Walking across the room, Alex snatched his wristwatch from the dresser, checking the time. An hour. They only had an hour. Then he was supposed to walk out of this room and act as if he’d never made love to Jennifer. He cursed beneath his breath. “All right. An hour’s fine,” he told her, then dropped the receiver into its cradle.
Alex paced to the bathroom to let Jennifer know, then stopped himself. God, he couldn’t do this. He couldn’t just leave here and go back to being strictly work associates again. He couldn’t forget what it felt like to just hold her in his arms.
He didn’t want to.
Cursing like a sailor who’d been given extended duty at sea, Alex stormed over to his luggage and began packing, not caring how his clothes were stored. He looked up when he heard the bathroom door open. Jennifer stepped out, a smile on her face. Then she stilled and the smile on her lips disappeared.
“What’s going on?”
Alex’s gaze ran over her. She’d wrapped a thick white towel around her, concealing the most enticing parts of her body, the parts he now knew so well that he’d never forget what she looked like, what she felt like, how she tasted. Everything was covered except her arms and those beautiful long legs she’d wrapped around him. He fought the urge to drag her against him.
“The manager called,” he told her as he balled up his ski suit and stuffed it into a canvas bag. He looked away. He didn’t want her to see how much this was killing him. “The road’s clear, so they’re waiting for us to leave. They need the room for arriving guests.”
Swallowing hard, Jennifer blinked back a sting of tears. “When?” she asked in a small voice. No. This couldn’t be happening already. Their time together couldn’t be over.
“As soon as possible. They’ve given us an hour.”
“An hour.” Jennifer felt faint. The way Alex was tossing his things into his luggage made her wince. His movements were jerky and agitated. He sure seemed to be in a big hurry to leave. Well, she shouldn’t be surprised. Their time together didn’t mean anything to him except a night of no-strings sex.
“Okay,” she said quietly. She walked over to her own luggage. Picking up the biggest piece, she put it on the bed. Across the room, Alex stood with his back to her. Pulling out a pair of jeans, she stuffed her legs into them, not bothering with underwear. A moment later she’d slipped on a light knit shirt and a warm sweater and let the towel fall to the floor. She didn’t bother with a bra, either. With her coat, no one would even notice.
“Breakfast will be here shortly,” he informed her, his tone level, concealing the torment inside of him.
A knot formed in her throat. Dammit, she didn’t want to cry. Leaving here with Alex was going to be the hardest thing she’d ever done. “Maybe we should just get out of here,” she answered dispassionately. Feeling sick to her stomach, she knew she wouldn’t be able to eat. “We can eat before we catch the plane.”
“If you want.”
She looked around the room to see if she’d forgotten anything. “Are those my gloves?” she asked.
Alex glanced at where she was pointing. “Here,” he answered, picking up the gloves and handing them to her. Damn, she was acting as though she wasn’t bothered at all. Was he the only one feeling cheated by their change in plans?
“Thanks.” Alex grunted something and she glanced at him.
As if he’d sensed her gaze, he turned at that moment, his eyes meeting hers. He thought he’d seen a flicker of sadness in them, but it disappeared so quickly he guessed it was his imagination. “I’m sorry about the short notice.”
Shrugging, she forced herself to remain in control and gave him a brief smile. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.” The last thing she wanted was for Alex to feel guilty. “Maybe this is for the best.”
“Yeah.” Shaking his head, he stared at her, wanting to tell her… What? That he didn’t want their time together to end? She’d already told him she was thinking of houses and happily-ever-after in her future.
He wasn’t a forever kind of guy. He couldn’t give Jennifer what she needed.
Alex reminded himself he’d promised Jennifer he could walk away from this weekend and forget they’d made love. She’d set the rules and he’d agreed to them. It was over. Done.
He just hadn’t realized it would be so damned hard.
“I’m going to grab a quick shower.” Without waiting for her to answer, he stormed into the bathroom. If he’d have stayed in the room with her another moment, he’d have marched across the floor and pulled her into his arms. And done something totally stupid.
Such as tell her his heart was aching so severely he thought he might possibly die from the pain.
As Alex closed the door behind him, Jennifer sank to the bed. She held her face in her hands. Oh, God, how was she going to get through the next few hours? How had she ever thought she could make love with Alex, then go back to their prior business relationship?
But she had to. Alex had agreed to do as much. As far as she could tell, he wasn’t having any trouble leaving what they’d shared behind. Hearing Alex shut off the water in the shower, she jumped off the bed to quickly finish packing, wanting to show him she was all right with leaving, that he didn’t have to worry she was going to pressure him into a personal relationship.
She’d shoved the last of her things into her suitcase and was shutting it as he came out of the bathroom. “I need to get my things from the bathroom, then I’ll be ready.”
Alex didn’t say anything as she collected her toiletries and stored them in her small suitcase. Already he could see she was becoming distant, making the change back to boss and employee. He shoved the last item into his suitcase and zipped it shut. He turned to look at Jennifer. She pulled her suitcase from the bed and set it on the floor.
His gaze went to the bed they’d shared, then back to her. “Are you all right?”
She looked up. “Sure, I’m fine.”
The tension between them was so strong he knew she had to feel it, too. Hell, he had to have one last taste of her. He walked over to her. It took every ounce of his self-control to keep from touching her. “Jen?” His gaze swung to the unmade bed, then back to her, his question unspoken.
Jennifer knew what he wanted. She wanted the same thing. Just once more and she could begin to live without him. “Oh, yes,” she breathed, and went into his arms.
Lightning exploded as he
kissed her, long and deep, as if he couldn’t get enough of her. She returned the kiss, her body already so attuned to his that her need for him became unbearable.
Then his hands were inside her sweater, touching her, her nipples tightening as his fingers caressed them. “Yes,” she whispered, wanting him to touch her everywhere. She slipped her arms around him, grabbed at the hem of the sweater he’d put on with his jeans. “Quick, please.”
Alex stripped off her sweater, then helped her get his off. He was out of his jeans in seconds, but she’d still beat him. He looked up and she stole every ounce of his breath. His hands went into her hair as he pulled her against him and devoured her mouth.
Their bodies touched, then they fell on the bed, writhing against each other, as their hands explored each other for what would be the last time. Jennifer opened her legs, inviting Alex inside her. He positioned himself and entered her in one hard thrust.
“Jen,” he rasped, then his body covered hers again as he began to move inside her. Knowing it would be the last time he’d touch her, his hands explored her silky skin. He wanted to remember everything—her exotic smell, her gorgeous breasts, the way she sighed with pleasure when he entered her.
Jennifer wrapped her legs around him and took him deeper, her fingers digging into his flesh. She’d wanted to make it last much longer, but the moment he was inside her, she’d come apart. He had that effect on her. One touch and she went up in flames.
“Yes, Alex, yes,” she cried, already riding the crest of her climax. Her hips kept pace with his, then everything inside her exploded into a million brilliant particles.
Alex groaned as she pleaded with him to take her over the edge. He pushed deeper, faster, giving her pleasure until he could no longer hold back his own climax. She felt so good, so right. So incredibly right, that it scared him. He never wanted this to end.
His mouth covered hers in a desperate kiss and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tighter as he went over the edge of desire.
For the last time.
Business Affairs Page 9