Command, Possess and Claim: The Collection

by Opal Carew

  “Okay, just give it a read over on your own to see if you have any questions.”

  He leaned back in his chair and watched her as she scanned the document on the screen.

  He hoped that this intense craving for her would diminish over time. He knew he could wait it out. On the other hand, if she ever decided to give in to the heat simmering between them, he knew they could find a way to make it work. And if they allowed themselves that release, then the rest of the time in the office together could be more relaxed.

  But, damn, he wanted to sweep her into his arms right now and plunder that sweet mouth of hers.

  She shifted her gaze from the screen to him. “It’s all clear, but I’ll go over the documents you reference so I have the background.”

  “Good. We’ll meet back here at 1 P.M.”

  She nodded and stood up to leave. She pulled her hand out of her pocket and something fell to the floor. He leaned down and picked it up.

  “This is the stone I gave you when we first met,” he said.

  It was still warm from being close to her body.

  “Yes. Did you want it back?”

  He chuckled. “No, of course not. I’m just surprised you still have it.”

  He handed it to her and her delicate fingers brushed against his skin as she took it from him.

  “I … like it. It’s very calming.”

  She slipped it in her pocket again and headed out the door.

  He couldn’t stop smiling at the knowledge that she valued the simple stone he had given her.

  He’d originally intended to give the stone to his brother, because the blue-lace agate—light blue with white streaks—reminded him of the summer sky at the cottage they’d gone to one summer as kids, where they’d skipped stones on the lake. They’d been close that summer, probably more so because there were no other kids around, but whatever the reason, he treasured those memories. He’d wanted to remind Rafe of that time, in hopes they could get past the issues between them and move forward. Unfortunately, Rafe had up and left before Dane could give it to him.

  * * *

  Jessica knew Dane had walked into the room even before he said anything. She and Melanie were sitting in the cafeteria, enjoying coffee and muffins during their afternoon break. Even in such a big room, Dane’s authoritative aura filled the space. Only a few other employees were taking their break at this time and several glanced up at his arrival.

  “There you are.” He walked to their table. “I’m afraid I’ll have to cut your break short.”

  Did he want to talk to Melanie or her? She tried to ignore the quiver of excitement that danced along her spine every time he got close.

  “Is there a problem with the presentation?” Melanie asked.

  Jessica had covered Melanie’s basic duties this morning because Dane had sent Melanie to the Marketing Department for a few hours to help them put together a quick presentation for this afternoon. Jessica knew everyone was quite anxious about it, so Melanie must be worried something had gone wrong.

  “Not at all. I’m told you did an excellent job, as usual.”

  Melanie smiled, clearly pleased at his approval.

  “Jessica, I need you back upstairs.”

  She stood up, and reached for the empty tray on the table so she could dispose of her cup and the plate with her half-eaten muffin.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll handle that,” Melanie said.

  Jessica grabbed her purse and followed Dane out the door of the cafeteria to the elevators. They stepped inside and the doors closed behind them.

  His masculine presence filled the small space, and his closeness made her skin prickle in awareness.

  “It’s about that call you took for me this morning from Brenhart and Saunders.”

  From what she had learned about the business so far, Jessica knew Ranier Industries had been in talks with Brenhart and Saunders to form a partnership to develop a lighter, more efficient battery for electric cars so the vehicles could travel longer on a single charge. This was a new direction for Ranier and she knew the project was very important to Dane.

  “It turns out what I thought was just a meeting with their board is actually a banquet to honor their founder. I need to arrive in a tux and I need you by my side.”

  “Me?”

  “I’ll have the opportunity to make a lot of inside contacts, and to talk with some of the senior staff on the development team directly. You can track the contacts and their information and take any notes I need.”

  “Of course.” Clearly, she’d be working late tonight. He had warned her that would happen on occasion. It wasn’t like she had anything going on this evening. “What time?”

  Since this was a formal affair, she’d have to leave early to get ready, and that meant soon. She wondered if the one little black dress she had would do. It wasn’t long or elegant, but maybe Melanie could loan her some jewelry or a nice shawl to dress it up.

  “My driver will pick us up here at six.” He glanced at his watch. “That gives us two hours.”

  “Oh, well, I’ll have to rush home to get changed. Maybe I should go directly to the event.”

  “No time. I need you to go pick up my tux at the dry cleaners before they close. I’ll arrange a dress for you.” The elevator door opened and she followed his brisk pace back to his office. “It should be here by the time you get back.”

  “I don’t understand. How will you get me a dress?”

  He gestured her into the office and closed the door behind him, then sat down at his laptop sitting on the meeting table and opened a window. “Here she is, Roberto.”

  She sat down and stared at the attractive man with black hair and deep, brown eyes staring back at her from the screen. “Good to meet you, Ms. Long. What are your measurements?”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “If I’m going to pick out a dress for you, I need to know the size.”

  “Oh, I’m an eight.”

  He laughed, dismissing her words. “If you don’t have your exact measurements, just tell me your bra size. I’ll stay away from anything fitted at the waist and hips.” He held a pen and small notebook in his hand. “So…?”

  “You want my bra size?”

  She was very conscious of Dane sitting in the chair right beside her. She couldn’t help remembering when she’d stripped her bra off in front of him, then how he’d gazed at her naked breasts with heat simmering in his eyes.

  “It’s … um … 34C.”

  Her cheeks flamed as he wrote down the information. It was just very unsettling sitting in a business office with two men discussing her bra size.

  He also asked her shoe size and various preferences in dress color and shoe style. She swore if he asked her weight, she’d walk away.

  “Now stand up and turn around. Make sure I can see you in the camera.”

  She stood up, feeling a little ridiculous, and started to turn.

  “Wait. Take your jacket off first. I want to get an idea of your body type.”

  She shed her jacket and turned around, then sat down again.

  “Good, now lean in close to the camera.” He narrowed his eyes as he examined her face. “Nice bone structure. Your eyes are a lovely shade of green.” He jotted more things in his notebook then disappeared from the screen.

  She glanced at Dane. “Wouldn’t it just be easier for me to go home?”

  “Roberto is my personal shopper. He’s at one of the most exclusive women’s stores in the city right now. Don’t worry.”

  Roberto appeared again. “I have two dresses here I think would be perfect.” He held up a pale blue one with a high-waisted bodice that glittered with beads and sequins. “It all depends on what it looks like against your skin tone. I can’t tell for sure with this computer monitor. I think the safer choice would be this one.” He held up a lovely black dress in a silky fabric. It looked so rich and elegant. “Okay, I can tell by your expression that this is the one. I’ll have them send it right o
ver.”

  * * *

  Jessica happily escaped to the street, on her way to pick up Dane’s tuxedo. It had cooled off a bit since this morning, so she pulled her jacket tighter around her. She walked the couple of blocks to the dry cleaners, paid for the suit with the company credit card Dane had given her, then quickly walked back to the office.

  The lobby was empty except for the security staff at the desk, and when she arrived on the executive floor, Melanie was gone. Dane must have told her Jessica would be working late. She walked to Dane’s office and went in. The lovely black dress Roberto had shown her was draped over one of the leather chairs. She carefully laid Dane’s tux on the couch, careful not to wrinkle it, then lifted the clear plastic that was covering the dress and ran her hand over the silky fabric.

  “There you are.”

  She turned around and her eyes widened as she saw Dane standing in the center of the office wearing only a towel. His thick hair was damp and his face was freshly shaven. Seeing his broad, naked chest and breathing in his musky aftershave triggered memories of the two of them entwined in an intimate embrace. She sucked in a breath, not wanting to go there. To remember how their naked bodies had arched together, his hot, hard masculinity and authoritative attitude overwhelming her with the desire to do things she’d never done before.

  He walked toward her and she held her breath. Was he going to sweep her into his arms? If he consumed her lips in a breathless kiss, she knew she would not be able to resist him. Not once her hands came in contact with his chest. It would be too much. She would succumb.

  But he stepped right past her to the tuxedo lying on the couch. He tore back the plastic and pulled out the hanger with the white shirt.

  “Good. I couldn’t remember if I had sent in a shirt with it.” He tossed the shirt on the back of the couch and walked to a cupboard near his desk, then retrieved a pair of boxers and some socks from a drawer inside.

  Then he dropped his towel. Her gaze dropped to his big, dangling cock, even though she tried to stop it. Oh, God, she couldn’t help remembering it big and hard. And so long.

  He pulled on his boxers, then sat down on the chair to pull on the socks.

  “Aren’t you going to get changed?” he asked.

  “Um…” A little rattled, she snatched up the dress and glanced around, then started for the door.

  “Where are you going?”

  “The ladies’ room.”

  “We don’t have time.”

  “But … I can’t change here.”

  “Why not? I’ve seen you totally naked. Seeing a little lingerie is no big deal.”

  Her heart lurched. “It’s a big deal to me.”

  He chuckled. “All right. Use my private bathroom then.”

  Of course. She carried the dress to the open door behind him, then slipped inside.

  “Wait.”

  She stopped and turned toward him again.

  He picked up a small bag from his desk and lifted something out of it, then held it up. A strapless black bra.

  “Roberto sent this. The straps on the dress are pretty skinny.”

  She stared at the spaghetti straps and knew her current bra just wouldn’t work. She walked toward him and held out her hand. When he gave her the bra, the brush of his fingers on her skin sent quivers through her. He still wore just his boxers, his beautifully sculpted chest bare.

  It would be so easy to acquiesce to the demands of her body and stroke the contours of his chest, surrendering to the raging attraction between them.

  She closed her fingers around the bra. “Thanks.”

  She turned and walked back to the bathroom, trying to ignore the sight of his rippling muscles as he pulled on his shirt.

  She closed the door behind her. The steamy air was filled with the scent of his soap. She hung the dress on the hook on the back of the door and slid off her suit jacket. As she began to unfasten the buttons of her blouse, she couldn’t help but think of the sight of him when he’d dropped the towel, revealing his sexy, naked body.

  She slid her blouse from her shoulders and laid it neatly on the counter. She unzipped her skirt and dropped it to the floor, only then realizing that she’d worn a thong today because this skirt was a bitch when it came to showing panty lines. If she had changed in the other room, he would have gotten an eyeful of her naked ass.

  She unhooked her bra and tugged it off, then put on the black bra, which was cut low and pushed her breasts high. She remembered his handsome, teasing face when he’d suggested she change in his office.

  There was no doubt what that would have led to. Excitement quivered through her at the thought.

  So who said you couldn’t have sex with your boss?

  She sucked in a breath. Your common sense. That’s who.

  She swept up the filmy plastic covering the dress and freed it from the hanger, anxious to cover herself before she lost all common sense and opened the door to give in to their attraction.

  She dove into the dress and pulled up the zipper, then smoothed down the fabric.

  She glanced at the silky, flowing garment. It made her feel like a princess. She turned to face the full length mirror. The dress suited her figure perfectly. The deep neckline revealed the soft swell of her breasts then cascaded in a fluid line to the floor. It made her look soft and feminine. And sexy.

  A knock sounded at the door. “Come in,” she said.

  The door opened and there stood Dane, devastatingly handsome in his tuxedo.

  His eyes glimmered as his gaze swept down her body. “You look sensational in that.”

  He walked into the room and stepped behind her. His powerful presence sent her senses off kilter. He stood so close, gazing at her in the mirror. It felt incredibly … intimate.

  Her breath caught as his fingers brushed along the back of her neck, but then she realized he was just fastening the hook at the top of the zipper.

  “I think your hair would look nice down.” He unfastened the barrette at the back of her head, and the mass of glossy black hair tumbled down. He gently arranged it over her shoulders.

  “Beautiful.” The approving glint in his eyes pleased her.

  They stood like that for a moment, their gazes locked in the reflective glass of the mirror. Her heart thumped loudly and she longed for him to touch her.

  But then he stepped back. “We really need to go.”

  * * *

  Moments later, they hurried out the front door of the building to the waiting limousine.

  Dane couldn’t take his eyes off Jessica as they sat in the large ballroom that shimmered with soft light from the candles on the table and the light reflected from the crystals on the dimmed chandeliers above. The waiter refilled their wine glasses as they enjoyed their lobster bisque.

  She had done very well keeping up with him while he’d networked before dinner, as he’d struck up conversations with the development staff, the marketing people, and the other senior staff of Brenhart and Saunders. The whole time, he’d never seen her jot anything down, yet when he’d questioned her about a couple of points he wanted to ensure he remembered, she had the information right at hand. He was sure she had a notebook in that small evening bag which Roberto had sent over with the dress, but in keeping with the social feel of the evening, she was doing an excellent job of being discreet with her note-taking.

  He’d gleaned a lot of useful information over cocktails, and now it was time to relax and enjoy the evening. Especially with such a lovely companion by his side. She looked absolutely stunning in that dress. The accessories Roberto had included really enhanced the elegance. From the lovely oval ruby surrounded by diamonds that hung around her neck, glittering in the candlelight, right down to the red-bottomed black stiletto heels. Even the black evening bag glittered.

  But what he really loved was how the dress hugged her breasts, dipping low between them to reveal a delightful amount of rounded flesh. He sipped his wine, thinking how much he would love to sweep her away
and take her back to his apartment, then slip first one thin strap, then the other, off her shoulders to reveal even more of those luscious breasts.

  He remembered those soft breasts filling his hands. The feel of the hard nipples against his tongue. Heat rushed through him at the memory. He wanted to see them again now. To touch and worship them.

  But that was not to be.

  The waiter took their empty soup bowls and placed the main course in front of each of them. The two seats beside Dane were empty and the development people on the other side of Jessica were talking amongst themselves about some design issue.

  He turned to Jessica. “Are you enjoying your dinner?”

  It was a delectable cut of prime rib, with roast potatoes and asparagus.

  “Delicious.”

  “And are you enjoying living in Philadelphia so far?”

  “Yes, I really like the city. I miss my family, of course, but I enjoy sharing an apartment with Melanie. She’s been showing me around, so it’s been a lot easier to transition than it would have been.”

  “Good.”

  “She’s also teaching me a lot about the company, but there’s one thing I’m curious about.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Well, she said the other executive office on our floor is your brother’s, but I never see him. She hasn’t said much about it, but I got the impression he’s moved somewhere. If that’s true, are you going to bring someone else in, or convert the office to another purpose?”

  He grinned. “Are you looking for a promotion already?”

  She looked startled then laughed when she realized he was kidding. “No, of course not. I just thought maybe you hadn’t had time to think about it and maybe I could help with it.”

  He sipped his wine. “No, we’ll be keeping that office available for my brother. It’s not generally known, but my brother is going through a rebellious phase.” He tipped his head. “Actually, he’s been in a rebellious phase since he was a child, but about a year ago—six months after our father died—he decided he needed to get away and find himself. You see, he never wanted to be part of this company, I think more because he didn’t get along with our father and didn’t want to be part of his legacy, rather than because of any real aversion to running the business. He didn’t like how Dad ran things and, I think, when I took over, he felt I was too much like our father and he decided to rebel against me. When I insisted he take a more active role in the company, he decided to walk away entirely.”