Players

by Rachel Cross

  “Open your eyes, Peaches.”

  Long seconds elapsed before her hazel beauties fluttered open.

  “Do you trust me, Tiana?”

  Chest heaving, she nodded. She’d made her decision.

  “Then strip for me.”

  Her eyes flashed, and she smiled. Confident. Gorgeous. Mine. The most beautiful woman in the world.

  She turned her back to him. “Unbutton me, please.”

  A long row of buttons blocked his entrance, imprisoning her tempting curves. Body thrumming with adrenaline, his heart surged into overdrive at the silent challenge her clothes presented.

  Challenge accepted. He grinned, gripped the top, and yanked. Buttons flew and rolled on the floor.

  “Nathan!” she gasped, grabbing at her falling dress.

  “I’ll pay for damages.” He pushed the silky material down.

  His hands splayed across her chest and panties. The purple heap around her legs reminded him of the painting The Birth of Venus.

  But way sexier. Venus hadn’t worn a sheer purple lace strapless bra, matching panties, and garters.

  “Dammit, woman. Please tell me you don’t wear this stuff on a regular basis.”

  Tiana shrugged with a half-smile. “Now you know my secret.”

  Blood rushed from his head and funneled to his throbbing erection. His hands itched to yank, tug, and rip.

  “You have five seconds to take it off. Otherwise, add it to my tab.”

  Tiana smiled and instead took her sweet time, bending over and unsnapping her garters. She sashayed away, propped her leg on the bed, and unrolled the stockings. Giving him a cocky smile, she arched her back as she reached behind to unclasp her bra, freeing her breasts. Grabbing the flimsy material, she flung it in his direction.

  He caught the bra and growled.

  Stalking over to the bed, he removed his vest and shirt. In a rush, he shoved off his shoes and pants and underwear. “No more teasing. Can’t wait.” He grabbed her panties, slid them down her endless, banned-weapons-list legs, and then tossed the lingerie on the bed beside her. Blood rushed and double dutched in his veins, skyrocketing his blood pressure from Daaaaamn, girl! to Oh shit!

  Gripping her legs, he placed the chocolate wonders on his shoulder and lowered himself inch by inch, stretching her limber limbs until his chest touched her breasts.

  “Nathan.” She sighed, her warm breath caressing his cheek.

  Like a siren’s song, her voice and sweet whimpers compelled him to spread her legs wider and conquer. But no, he would savor this moment. I’m a man with infinite patience, after all. Sweat beaded across her eyebrows as he repeated the mantra in his head. Rocking back on his heels, he trailed hot, sensuous kisses—touching and tasting. Dominating and devouring her heated skin.

  Her eyes widened, and she writhed beneath him. “I . . . I need you inside me, Nathan.”

  His dick jerked. Tiana, naked and spread in front of him, moaning and aching for his touch, was a fantasy come true. Sliding her leg off his shoulder, he stretched and tossed the pillow near the headboard where he’d hid the condom earlier in the day. He rolled and adjusted the rubber while his eyes remained focused on his dessert.

  Tiana’s eyes glinted. “Cocky much?”

  He didn’t reply because he was too far gone and well past his patience to care. After crawling between her legs, he reared back and thrust inside her tight core.

  She gasped. “Y-yes.” Tightening her legs around his waist, she scratched his back. An explosion of wetness and warmth spurred him on as he drove hard and deep. Her head fell back. “Don’t stop.”

  He stared into her gorgeous golden eyes, scorching him with passion. He’d always wondered how it would feel to burn in her eyes. This beautiful woman was his. Mine. His blood surged, and heart soared. This was more than sex.

  “Nathan,” she whispered, her hands now gripping his ass, forcing him to drive deeper. My girl likes it hard and rough.

  Shoving his face into her neck, he breathed deep and thrust harder, shivering from the light scratches on his back. Tiana’s fingers skimmed and gripped the back of his neck. Angling her hips, she ground herself harder and deeper. Her soft folds pulsed around him, gripping him as if she didn’t want to let go.

  Damn, she was trying to own him. The thin slip of his control snapped and shattered. Filling her to the hilt, he brought them both to climax. With one last thrust, he groaned and released. Fuck. I’m ruined.

  After a few minutes, he rolled away from her sweat-slicked body. “Damn, Tiana.”

  Giving him a spicy smile, she licked her lips like a satisfied cat. “Wow.” Curling her body up, she propped herself on a pillow and used the other to cover her body. “I mean, that was amazing with a capital A.”

  Nathan grabbed the pillow that blocked his lovely view and tossed it across the room. “Told you I knew how to use my equipment.” He stood and went to the bathroom to dispose of the condom.

  She laughed, running fingers through her soft tresses. “That you did. Remind me to never doubt your sexual prowess.”

  Nathan stood from the bed. “Shower time, Peaches.”

  She smiled, took his hand, and followed him into the bathroom. He took his time in the shower to explore her body, taking special interest in the dimples in her lower back. Turning her around, he feasted his eyes on her gorgeous breasts. He reached out to touch, but hesitated when he noticed her eyes had drooped. I wore her out.

  “All right, baby. Let’s dry you off and get you to bed.”

  Nodding, she followed him out of the shower. Grabbing the fluffy white towel from the rack, he gently toweled her dry. Kissing her shoulder, he whispered, “You’re all done, Peaches.” Scooping her in his arms, he carried her to the bed and gently lowered her to the soft mattress.

  Tiana’s soft curls brushed the pillow. Normally, he wasn’t much of a cuddler. But he grabbed her waist and pulled her close.

  She sighed like a contented cat. “Love you, Nathan.”

  His heart stalled. Love? Was he ready for that word? He wasn’t sure but knew deep in his bones that she was something special. The only woman to ever move his heart.

  • • •

  “Good morning, Julia.” Tiana breezed into her office, late from an early-morning meeting with a client off-site. “Those colors look lovely on you.”

  The intern’s smile grew wide as she looked down at her pretty pink-and-blue pantsuit. “Thanks, Ms. Holliday. And I love everything you wear.”

  “So do I,” Nathan mumbled from his desk.

  She shook her head and smiled. Normally, she would’ve told him to cut it out, but she was on Cloud Nine. No. Cloud Nine was too low. She was on cloud eleven hundred. After Melanie and Damien’s wedding, her and Nathan’s relationship had grown by leaps and bounds. Since Mel had officially moved out, Nathan had practically moved into her apartment. Although his condo was much nicer, he liked the homey feel of her place. Who am I to argue?

  Last weekend, they’d rung in the New Year with Nathan’s parents at their annual New Year’s ball. During the celebration, Nathan had gifted Tiana with a gold Pandora charm bracelet that included her and the twins’ birthstones, a graduation cap that symbolized when they met in grad school, boxing gloves, stiletto shoes, and a peach. Rubbing the charms, she smiled at the memory.

  “Ms. Holliday.” Julia broke into her thoughts. “We have a meeting with the analytics team in an hour. To go over you know what,” she whispered.

  Tiana giggled as she sat down. Her intern still thought of Nathan as the enemy.

  “All right, I’ll meet you in the small conference room. Until then, work on the social media sentiment report for me.”

  The intern stood from the seat in front of Tiana’s desk. “Already done, but now I’m working on edits for the microsite.”

  Tiana smiled. “What would I do without you?”

  Julia blushed, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. “Hopefully, you’ll never have to find out.” She rushed
out the door.

  Nathan shook his head. “You’re not helping the crush she has on you.”

  Tilting her head, Tiana then scrunched her face. “What’s the big deal? I just gave a compliment about her work. I’m not going to stop because of a little crush.”

  He stared at her from his desk as she powered up her computer. “What are you doing?”

  “Working. What are you doing?”

  “I’m wondering why my woman hasn’t walked her fine ass over and given her man a kiss.”

  Tiana stood, leaned over his desk, grabbed his tie, and gave him a chaste peck on his cheek. “Next time, ask nicely.”

  Nathan made a grab for her, but she dodged him. Three knocks sounded on their door, and Tiana rushed to her seat.

  “Come in,” she invited.

  Mr. Goldberg peeked his head around the door. “Nathan, I’d like to see you in my office. Now, if you have the time.”

  Nathan cleared his throat and stood. “Of course, Isaac.”

  He glanced at Tiana. She mouthed, “What’s up?” and frowned.

  Nathan shrugged. He had no idea what Isaac had wanted.

  • • •

  Nathan followed Isaac into the conference room and was surprised to see Richard and the HR director already seated.

  Matching gold pens and leather-bound notebooks were neatly arranged on the black conference table.

  Richard stood and offered his hand. “Nathan, how’s your day going?”

  “Very well. Hard to complain about much of anything these days.”

  “Good.” Returning to his chair across the table, Richard waved his hands to the vacant seat in front of him. “We’re glad you’re happy, and I think you’re about to be happier.” He cleared his throat. “We want to offer you the job as director.”

  Fear and elation rushed his veins.

  A few months ago, he would have said “Hell, yes!” But now . . . now he wasn’t so sure. Was the promotion worth a relationship? Would Tiana understand that this was just business and be able to accept that work and their relationship were both very important but separate?

  Damn, I wish I could talk it out with her first. He took a cleansing breath. No, they’d agreed that the other person would be a good sport. She would have to transfer. That he didn’t like. He couldn’t imagine not being able to brainstorm ideas with her.

  “That is, if you still want it?” Isaac asked before settling into the chair beside Nathan.

  He shook his head. “No, I . . . ”

  Isaac’s bushy brows raised in surprise.

  “I mean . . . Yes, of course. I’m just shocked. It’s been over a month since the interview, and we haven’t gotten all the numbers finalized from the campaign.”

  “Actually we have. I got Jared from analytics to run the reports.” Isaac tilted his snow-white head. “Fiete’s excited about the buzz from the videos of Jake the klutz and the nerd. It’s funny. People like funny, and apparently funny sells, so keep those ideas coming.” Isaac clapped Nathan’s back. “And besides, you have seniority. You’ve done an excellent job with the other accounts. But before we move forward, I want to be sure . . . are you formally accepting this role?”

  Nathan took a deep breath. Tiana would be disappointed, but she loved him. But she hadn’t said it again since that night. No, she would be fine. He’d make sure of it. Nothing would change between them.

  He smiled. “I’ll have to review the details of course, but . . . Yes, I accept.”

  “Excellent.” Richard stood and shook his hand again. “Bob will make sure to go over all the info including your new salary. If you need to negotiate the numbers let us know. Otherwise, sign the papers, and we’ll get you moved into your own office ASAP.”

  “I’m moving?” His body temperature dropped. No more morning kisses and sexy glances.

  “Yep. Two doors from mine. Amazing view. You remember Trish from client services? It used to be her office.”

  Nathan gave them a tight smile. “You’re right. It has an amazing view.”

  Just not as amazing as my view of Tiana.

  Richard paused at the door. “Please keep the promotion to yourself. We plan to let the other candidates know after lunch today.”

  Damn. This promotion is already a pain in the ass.

  “Richard, will Tiana and I still work on the smaller accounts together?”

  “Not as many. She’s a superstar, and we need her to lead other accounts. But really, it’s up to her.”

  Nodding, Nathan returned his attention back to the HR guy, droning on about director responsibilities and benefits.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Tiana read the email announcing Nathan as the new director. She had to admit, she was disappointed that it wasn’t her promotion. But after looking at the reports from the analytics, Nathan was cleaning house with his campaigns.

  She wasn’t surprised when Isaac called her into his office to tell her about the promotion. She’d seen the look on her lover’s face after returning from his meeting. Eyes conflicted. Body tense.

  She’d asked him a few times if anything was wrong, but he denied it.

  A sting of betrayal nipped at her heels. Cool it, Tiana. He probably was told not to share. You know company protocol.

  Nathan strode into the office, an unsure look marring his face and his shoulders drooped.

  Tiana crooked her finger. “Come here, handsome.”

  A flicker of hope wavered in his eyes as he walked to her desk.

  “Are you going to stop avoiding me now? Isaac told me hours ago, and it’s been announced via email.”

  Nathan scooped her from the chair, swinging her into his body. “Sorry, Peaches. I just wasn’t sure how you’d react. I didn’t want to lose you over a job.”

  She shook her head. “As much as it pains me to say, you won fair and square.”

  He kissed the top of her head. “Good. So everything is the same. We wake up together, work together, we go to sleep together.”

  Tiana stepped away, an uneasy feeling unfurling in her stomach. “Well . . . two out of three.”

  Nathan frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “After Isaac told me about your promotion, I asked to work on the opposite side of the business—in the cloth and beauty lines.”

  Nathan folded his arms. “Damn, I know that’s what we agreed, but I didn’t realize it would happen so quickly.”

  “Honestly, I think it’s for the best. And besides, I need the opportunity to lead more accounts. I’ll wrap up my work with Fiete, and then I’ll switch divisions. They’re a billion-dollar business, too, and that’s my fastest way to a director’s position.”

  Nathan groaned. “Damn, you’re right. I’m being selfish. I’m going to miss working with you.”

  “I knew you’d understand.” Smiling, she pressed a kiss on his cheek. “Come by my place tonight. I’m cooking you a celebration meal. Lasagna, your favorite.”

  He grinned. “I’m a lucky man.” His face grew thoughtful, and his voice grew serious. “I meant what I said. Nothing changes between us.”

  • • •

  Nothing changes between us. Tiana’s laugh was dry as a gas tank on empty as she remembered his whispered sweet nothings. Got that right. Sweet-friggin-nothings.

  Days later, Nathan had moved on up to the east side. Weeks later, he’d begun canceling dinner plans and, months later, their nights spent together turned into weekends only.

  Not all his fault. Her replacement on the Fiete account wasn’t as experienced and, unfortunately, Nathan hadn’t been able to delegate.

  But still, he claimed she was more important than a job. He said that he would make it this time. He’d been traveling all week for work and tonight was supposed to be their big reunion. She mentally calculated the canceled dates—this had to be number eight or nine.

  “Come hell or high water I’ll be there, Peaches. You cook the dinner and, later, you’ll be the dessert.” A beep from her phone interrupted h
er morbid thoughts.

  Sorry. On my way, Peaches. Wear something sexy.

  She huffed and quickly responded to his cavalier text.

  You’re three hours late. Don’t bother.

  Shoving her phone into her pocket, she grabbed the dish and transferred dinner into Tupperware containers.

  “Stupid director job,” she mumbled as she plunked the empty glass into the dishwasher.

  Buzzzzz.

  Tiana stomped to the intercom, determined to turn away her unwanted guest. “What?”

  “Peaches, baby, I’m sorry. Please let me up.”

  “No. I’m tired, Nathan.”

  “I’m not leaving.” His deep voice was hard and determined. “I’ll serenade the entire complex if I have to.”

  Sighing, she buzzed him up. Not in the mood for neighbor complaints.

  The knob to the door jiggled, and she instantly regretted giving him a key.

  “Sorry I’m late. We ran late at the photo shoot and—”

  “I don’t want to hear about it.” She sliced her hands into the air and marched back into the kitchen. “I thought we agreed to not bring work home.”

  Shrugging off his jacket, he placed it on the coat rack. “You didn’t have a problem talking about work before . . . ”

  “Before what?” She shoved her hands onto her hips. “You mean before your promotion?”

  He leaned against the front door and folded his arms, large biceps flexing under his shirt. “I’m sorry, but this new role is challenging. Exciting, but challenging. I want to be able to share my frustrations and success with my partner. If you’re going to get angry and jealous—”

  No he didn’t! A haze of red filtered her vision. She raised a hand. “Hold up. I’m not jealous of your promotion.” She took a deep breath in an attempt to control her anger. “I’m concerned because in the three months since you’ve been director, we’ve spent more and more time apart.”

  He folded his arms across his chest. “I already told you, it’s not going to be like this forever. You know how it is with a new client. You have to be available at all hours, do a song and dance, and after six months or so, they settle.”