“Thank you,” Linda said. She sighed. “I thought I was in a world of shit this morning, but you really helped, Hanna. Thanks again.”
I waited until Linda had left the office before jumping up and down with excitement. I couldn’t believe it – after just a few weeks of work, I’d landed the position that I’d been wanting since college!
That night, when I got home, I told Danielle everything about my day.
She smirked in response. “That’s great, Hanna,” she said. “Especially because now you’re free to date James.”
“Oh, come on,” I said, shaking my head. “That’s not why I accepted this, and you know it. I’ll probably be making a lot more money, and I even have my own office. It’s tiny, yeah, but still!”
“That is really cool,” Danielle admitted. She grinned. “I’m happy for you. We should celebrate,” she added. “Happy hour?”
I shrugged. “Why not,” I said. I couldn’t help but grin right back. “For once, it does sound like fun.”
Danielle laughed. “They call it happy hour for a reason,” she said. “Just give me a couple of minutes to change and then we’re out of here.”
As I was waiting for Danielle to get ready, my phone buzzed in my pocket. When I pulled it out and saw the main Magnate Group number flashing across my screen, my heart sank. Shit, I thought as I stared at the buzzing phone in my hand. They’re calling to tell me that it’s all a mistake – I screwed something up, and now they’re going to rescind the offer!
“This is Hanna,” I said, as calmly as I could muster.
“I should hope so,” James said. His voice was smooth and arrogant and just listening to it made me flush. “After all, you left before I could congratulate you on your new position.”
“Oh, shit, I’m sorry,” I said, wincing. “I know I should’ve stopped by your office, but—”
James laughed. “Hanna, it was a joke – relax,” he said. “Besides, that’s not why I’m calling.”
I bit my lip. “Oh?”
“I wanted to ask you if you’d do me the pleasure of having dinner with me on Friday night,” James said. “I thought that perhaps now, since you’re not working directly for me, your opinion would have changed.”
I thought about it for a moment. Everything inside of me was dying to say yes, bursting at the seams to accept his offer. And why shouldn’t I, I thought as I pictured his gorgeous, sculpted face and dark eyes. Why not just have fun – just for once? Maybe it was my good mood from my promotion, or maybe it was the fact that James seemed interested even though I wouldn’t be sitting in front of him every day in the future.
“Yes,” I said. “I’d love that.”
“Good,” James said. “I was hoping you’d say yes, and now I don’t have to spend any time convincing you.”
I flushed.
“Because I was willing to do that, you know,” James said in a dark, low voice that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “I want you to know that I want you, Hanna.”
My face felt like it was burning up and I bit my lip. “I think I’m starting to,” I said slowly. “I really think I do.”
It was strange, but I never regretted being capricious and immediately accepting James. It was like a switch had flipped in my brain. All throughout the week, I thought of him and how I couldn’t wait to be alone with him, outside of work. By Friday evening, I was practically craving it. I rushed home and changed into one of Danielle’s cocktail dresses – a bodycon red dress that hugged my slender curves – and did my hair and makeup. James had offered to pick me up, but I insisted on taking a cab to the restaurant, a chichi new Thai restaurant in the West End.
At exactly seven-thirty, I walked into the bustling Thai restaurant. The hostess led me to a private table in the back, a low booth with cushy pillows for seats and romantic candles. I flushed as I saw James standing there, smirking at me.
“You look beautiful,” James said. He leaned in and kissed my cheek. As the musky scent of his aftershave washed over me, I shivered with pleasure.
“Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself,” I said.
James grinned. “Good,” he said. “Because I was sure you’d take one look and go running for the hills.”
I lowered myself down into the cushions and crossed my legs at the ankle. James sat opposite from me, his dark eyes locked on mine. The dim candlelight made his face look even sexier, and I couldn’t stop staring at the sculpted hollows and planes of his cheekbones.
“So,” James said, leaning across the table and raising an eyebrow at me. “I can’t believe you agreed to come out with me. I thought I was really going to have to twist your arm.”
I rolled my eyes. “Hardly,” I said. “Like any woman wouldn’t want to go out with you.”
“Well, you didn’t,” James said archly. He leaned back and smirked. “In fact, for a while, I thought you didn’t like me at all.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I replied. “But you know I couldn’t have said yes. I was your secretary!”
James shrugged. “Trust me,” he said. “That’s never stopped women before.” He cleared his throat. “That’s why I like you, Hanna.”
I frowned. “Why, because I was your secretary?”
James snickered. “No,” he said. “Because you value yourself, and your independence.”
I flushed. “Thanks,” I said softly.
“It’s true,” James said. “There aren’t many women like you in Boston.”
“No one ever really likes that about me,” I said. “I mean, if anything, it seems to annoy people. Danielle’s always frustrated with me, she says I’m boring because I don’t take risks.”
That was when I felt James’s hand on my thigh under the table.
“I disagree,” James said. “Just because you don’t act in a way that most people would consider risky doesn’t make you boring. In fact, I think quite the opposite.”
His hand moved higher and higher and I spread my legs, biting my lip so I wouldn’t moan as the tips of James’s fingers stroked my bare inner thigh.
“Thank you,” I said. My voice was barely above a whisper – it was hard to speak when James’s fingers were so close to my pussy.
James leaned closer. I felt the pad of his thumb stroke the crotch of my panties and I shivered, gripping the edge of the table.
“Hi, there!”
I jumped and looked up to see a smiling waitress.
“Hello,” James said suavely. He didn’t take his hand away from my panties, but his voice was cool and smug. “We’d like a bottle of off-dry Riesling for the table – whatever you think is best. Oh, and an order of chicken satay skewers to start with. Hanna, would you like anything else?”
I flushed hotly. “No,” I said. “I’m fine, thank you.”
The waitress turned and left the table and I glared at James. “I can’t believe you!” I hissed. “You’re so bad!”
James’s thumb stroked over my panties again and I moaned softly.
“I know I’m bad,” James said in a low voice. “I can’t help it when I’m around you, Hanna. You bring it out in me.”
His fingers pulled the crotch of my panties to the side and slipped inside of me, one by one. I shivered and flushed as my thighs began to tremble. My nipples were stiff and hard inside of my lacy bra and every time I moved, they brushed against the fabric and sent delicious thrills of pleasure through my body.
“Do you do this with everyone you date?” I asked, leaning over the table. James and I were so close that we could have kissed, but somehow the few inches of space between us made the situation feel even more erotic. He was so close, yet still out of reach, and I wanted him more badly than ever before. His warm breath on my face, his looming dark eyes…it was all I could do not to lean in and kiss him right then, over the candles.
“No,” James growled. “I don’t. I don’t date much, Hanna.” He pulled his hand away from my crotch and lifted his fingers to his nose, closing his eyes and i
nhaling the musky scent of my arousal.
“I feel special,” I said, missing his touch between my legs. When I crossed my thighs under the table, I realized they were both soaked with my juices. A powerful shiver of lust went crawling down my spine and I clutched the table again, simultaneously craving more of James’s touch and mortified that I’d let a man finger me in public. If only Danielle could see me, I thought with a little smile. She wouldn’t believe it was really me.
“You should,” James said. He raised an eyebrow and locked his gaze with mine, licking the tips of his fingers.
Just then, the waitress appeared. She poured a small taste of Riesling into a glass and handed it to James. He took it in his hand, swirled it gently, and drank.
“What do you think?” The waitress asked. “Is the wine suited to your taste, sir?”
James smirked at me. “It’s delicious,” he said, not taking his eyes off me. “We’ll take it.”
I could hardly breathe as the waitress poured two glasses and left the bottle in a bucket of ice next to the table. Once she left the table, James handed me a glass and clinked it with his.
“To us,” James said. He raised an eyebrow.
I bit my lip. “To us,” I repeated.
We clinked our glasses again, then each took a sip. The delicious, dry wine flowed over my tongue and I felt a pleasant warmth spreading through my chest as I swallowed. Between the wine and our lust that was radiating in waves over the low table, I felt intoxicated. I felt like a completely different person.
I felt like the person I’d been in Jamaica, almost a year before, with James on the beach.
“The way I see it,” James said softly. “We were brought together for something, weren’t we?”
I bit my lip.
“I looked for you for a year,” James continued. His dark, intense gaze captivated me as he spoke. “And then just as soon as I stopped, there you were. Don’t you think that means something?”
I’d had the same thought many times, but I’d never wanted to admit it: I thought it made me sound like a crazy person, the kind of person who believes in astrology and tarot cards.
“I suppose,” I said.
“Come on,” James said. “You can’t tell me you didn’t think about me after that night.”
“Of course, I did,” I said. “I…I thought about you all the time.” I bit my lip. “I couldn’t help it,” I added. “I knew it was crazy, but I couldn’t stop.”
James grinned. He took another long sip of wine. “Good,” he said. “Because I have a feeling we have a lot to catch up on.”
Chapter Eight
Hanna
The rest of the night felt like magic – no, it was magic. As James and I sat across the table from each other, staring into each other’s eyes and sipping wine, I could feel my excitement growing. Something new, something deep was starting inside of me and I knew now that I was powerless to stop it or push it away.
“So,” James said at the end of the night, after he’d suavely handed over his credit card. “Feel like a nightcap? I have a really nice bottle of aged scotch.”
I bit my lip. Everything in me wanted to say yes. I hadn’t drunk too much at dinner, and I was feeling just the perfect amount of alcohol buzzing through my system. But I didn’t want to ruin this, either. I didn’t want James to think I was easier…or at least, as easy as I’d been last year in Jamaica.
“It’s okay,” James said. He winked at me. “How about if I give you a ride home?”
My heart melted and I nodded. “Thank you,” I said softly.
James reached under the table and grabbed my hand. His fingers brushed against my bare thigh and I shivered at his touch. I want him, I thought suddenly. I want him so much.
James didn’t let go of my hand as we walked out of the restaurant to his waiting car. Nick opened the doors to the backseat and James helped me crawl inside the smooth leather interior before sliding in next to me. As soon as Nick got behind the driver’s seat and pulled away from the curb, James reached into a small hidden compartment and pulled out a bottle of champagne.
“This way, we can still have our nightcap,” James said with a smirk. I flushed as he produced two crystal champagne flutes and poured in a stream of bubbles. He handed one of the glasses to me and we clinked.
“Thanks,” I said. I sipped, enjoying the fruity flavors and aromas. “This is good.”
James nodded. “I thought you might like it,” he replied. Just then, as he looked into my eyes, I felt another warm rush of arousal coursing through my body. I couldn’t control myself any longer. Wrapping one of my arms around James’s neck, I pulled him close and kissed him deeply.
For a moment, the kiss was sweet – almost chaste. But then I felt James’s lips grow warm against mine and his tongue slipped into my mouth. I moaned softly as James nibbled my lower lip. Heavenly sensations were racing through my body, and I was barely even aware of James taking my champagne away and closing the partition that kept us separated from Nick and the front of the car.
“God, Hanna,” James purred into my ear. He slid his hands down my back and scooped me up, pulling me on his lap. “I’ve been dreaming about this – about you – every night since last year.”
James’s words were like a magical, powerful drug that filled me with confidence and ecstasy. I arched my back as James dipped his head to my chest and nuzzled my breasts. I could feel the heat from his breath through the thin material of my cocktail dress and soon, my nipples were stiff, hard peaks inside my strapless bra. When James unzipped my dress and peeled it away from my upper body, I didn’t resist. Instead, I wriggled away from him and rolled the stiff, satiny material down to my waist before arching my back and sliding it down my legs. It wasn’t easy in the back of a car, but I felt empowered and sexy – like the kind of woman who would be screwing a billionaire in the backseat of his limousine.
“You’re so gorgeous,” James growled. He tangled a hand in my hair and gently yanked my head back, exposing my neck. When I felt his lips and tongue moving down my neck in a slow line of torture that sent a thrilling shiver down my spine, I knew I was exactly where I wanted to be. James slid his hands inside my strapless bra, cupping my breasts and rubbing his thumbs over my stiff nipples. It felt exquisite and I moaned softly. It felt like James and I were the only two people in the world as I leaned close and kissed him passionately. He tasted like pleasure and champagne and I closed my eyes and let myself fall into the kiss with every inch of my body and soul.
James took my hands and put them on his chest. I blushed hotly as I felt his compact, taut muscles bunching and tensing under the soft fabric of his dress shirt. My fingers instinctively knew how to get each button unfastened as I made my way down, revealing a darkly tanned chest. I was glad of the dim lighting in the limo, because I couldn’t tear my eyes away from James’s gorgeous body. He was easily the most beautiful man I’d ever seen – I could hardly believe he was real.
When my hands got to the buckle of his belt, I hesitated. James slipped a finger under my chin and tilted my face up to meet his.
“Hey,” James said softly. “Are you okay? We don’t have to do this,” he added. “As much as I want you, I want you to be comfortable.”
I nodded. “I really want you,” I admitted, biting my lip. “I just…I can’t believe this is happening.”
James grinned. He leaned down and kissed me. “I know, baby,” he said. “Neither can I.”
I flushed even deeper. Normally, I was the kind of woman who hated the idea of being called “baby” by a partner…but not by James. Everything about him was different – new, special, not like the rest of the jerks in Boston.
I unzipped James’s pants off and his cock sprang free, thick and hard. I licked my lips before crawling down to the floor and pushing myself between James’s legs. When I took the first few inches of James’s beautiful manhood into my mouth, James groaned. He even tasted delicious – like musk and soap and cologne – and I clos
ed my eyes and wrapped my hand around the thick base, pumping up and down as I moved my mouth skillfully over the head of his cock.
It felt like I’d only been loving James for a few moments before he leaned down and gently pushed me out of the way before crawling on the floor and gently pinning me down. I shivered as James slid a hand between my legs and rubbed against the crotch of my panties. My clit was hard and I was soaked with my own juices, but I hadn’t realized just how much I wanted his hand on me until I felt his fingers pushing my underwear to the side.
“You’re so wet,” James growled, pulling his hand away and licking his finger. The voracity of the sexual gesture made me flush and squirm and I closed my eyes and moaned as James put his hand back against me and began to push his fingers in and out of my body. The sensations racing through me were heavenly and I knew I was close to coming. I pushed James’s hand away and looked at him with pleading eyes.
“Take me,” I begged. “James, please – take me right now.”
James reached into the pocket of his discarded pants and yanked out his wallet, pulling a condom free and ripping it open before sheathing his cock in latex. He pushed my thighs apart and crawled between my legs before sliding inside of me in one smooth stroke. When James was buried to the hilt inside of me, I shuddered. He felt so good that I could hardly stand it – it was even better than it had been before.
The Xmas Conquest Page 7