The Harder They Fall

by Ravenna Tate

  “Correct on both counts. Where did you grow up?”

  “Fargo.”

  “Did you want to be in government work growing up?” Changing the subject. Good call!

  “No, not really. My parents weren’t into politics like my aunt. She’s really the only one in my family who had those types of aspirations. My master’s degree is in urban planning and development. That’s where my interest lay growing up. I wanted to design cities that would protect our planet, but at the same time give people comfortable, prosperous places to live and work.”

  He smiled. “Your passion for what you do shows.”

  She tilted her head slightly, her pretty green eyes ablaze with doubt. “Really, Blaine? My passion shows? You mean my unwillingness to let you bend the rules, don’t you?”

  He lifted his glass. “Touché. Tell you what. I’ll admit I need to apply for the permits, if you’ll assure me it’s nothing more than a formality, and the agency will allow me to build my towers.”

  She lifted her glass, but didn’t move it toward his yet. “It’s not my decision alone. It goes before a committee.”

  “I know that, but now that you’ve met me, and had dinner with me, surely you can put in a good word for me with the committee.”

  Disappointment flooded her features. “I knew this was a set-up.”

  “It’s not a set-up, Colleen. I asked you out because you’re pretty and because you intrigue me. The fact you work for the people I need to help me realize my dreams is only a coincidence. When you were growing up, fantasizing about the kinds of cities you wanted to build, what would you have thought if someone tried to crush those dreams?”

  “I’d have told them to go to hell, but this isn’t the same situation.”

  “Are you so sure? This project is my dream. I’ve been planning it since before the world went to hell and back. For eight years I’ve dedicated my time, my money, and my emotional energy to taking back our planet. Now that we’ve done it, are you really telling me that because of a bureaucratic snag, I will never see my dream come true? A snag that isn’t even realistic with respect to the future needs of living on the surface?”

  Her gaze faltered, and Blaine resisted the urge to pump his fist in the air.

  “You think it’s unrealistic?”

  “Very. I think in time you will see that as more companies make the same argument.” He must remember to thank Ace for those words of wisdom.

  “Perhaps you’re right, but we still have to do this with some semblance of fairness and procedure.”

  “I realize that. It’s why I told you I’ll apply for the permits. But I need more in return than a vague promise that my appeal will be given consideration. Any politician can make that same promise, but they’re only words.”

  He was playing with fire bringing politics into it, but that was all the ammunition he had right now. “I prefer actions. I want to see the promises played out, not listen to them repeated.”

  “What is it you think I can do? Realistically?”

  He ignored her emphasis on the word. “Push it through. Give me my towers.”

  Her eyes had gone all soft. Blaine knew when a woman was about to cave. Whether it was sex or something else he wanted, he knew that look. He had her. “What do you say, Colleen? Just a tiny bit of favoritism? Everyone on a committee, even in a government agency, has their own agenda.”

  “And what’s your agenda, Blaine?” Her voice was low and smoky now. Almost there… “Besides your towers, that is?”

  “You. In bed. With me.”

  She stared at him for long moments, and he forced his gaze to stay on her eyes while he watched several emotions race through them. When the doubt was finally gone and all he glimpsed was lust, he released the breath he’d been holding.

  She clinked her glass against his, softly, leaning closer. “I’ll drink to that.”

  Chapter Five

  It was all Colleen could do to get through the rest of dinner. In the deep recesses of her mind where even her lust for this man couldn’t reach, she knew he’d seduced her. And she knew he might have only done so to get what he wanted, but she was less sure of that than she was of one simple fact. She hadn’t minded him seducing her. In fact, she had hoped he would.

  The man was so damn hot, and hearing him talk about his dreams had really gotten to her. That she understood. Nothing had been expected of her as a child or a teen except to find a good match—whatever the hell that meant—and become involved in the same charities her parents supported. And by supported they meant showing up at fund raising benefits so everyone could see how generous they were with their time and money.

  When she told them she wanted to go to college to learn how to build and design cities, they said she’d be throwing away an education. She’d already had to contend with hearing she was too smart, too much of a bookworm, and too introspective. These apparently were unsuitable qualities, at least as far as her mother was concerned.

  Her Aunt Charlene was the only relative on either side whom Colleen had admired. She’d gone her own way, and didn’t give a damn what her family thought of it. She’d been the one to encourage Colleen to pursue any and all degrees she wanted to.

  “How are the pasta shells? Are they as good as you remember?”

  Blaine’s question pulled her back to the present. She’d been eating them without even tasting them. “They’re great. Thanks. How’s the swordfish?”

  “Better than I thought it would be, even though they put that damn sauce on it.” He’d scraped off the balsamic brown butter sauce before he’d taken a bite. Colleen had laughed, saying if she’d done something like that in front of her parents, they’d have had a heart attack. To which Blaine had replied his parents wouldn’t have know what balsamic brown butter sauce was to begin with.

  “My mother would have tasted it,” he said, “judged whether she liked it, and then scraped it off if she hadn’t cared for the taste. My father would have asked, loudly, ‘What the hell is this crap on my fish?’”

  Colleen had laughed again, admiring the fact he could talk so openly about his upbringing. Most wealthy men she’d gone out with spoke as if no one in their families had ever used the wrong word, been embarrassed over something they’d said or done, or burped in public.

  It was refreshing to be out with someone so down to earth and uninhibited. He hadn’t tried to lie about wanting her to help him with his project, and he hadn’t tried to hide the fact he wanted to have sex with her.

  She knew he was a player, but that didn’t bother her. It was part of his charm. Casual relationships were just fine with her, thank you very much. She had plans for her life, and they didn’t include marriage and children. Even if the man in question was one of the infamous Weathermen.

  Blaine didn’t mention the permits again as they ate their entrees, so she didn’t either. She would do what she could for him, but in the end it wasn’t her decision. She knew they were a formality and used only for tracking purposes, but because Blaine had such a rebellious reputation, her coworkers might get a kick out of holding up his requests just for fun. She didn’t see the point in telling him that. He likely already knew it.

  She declined dessert, and Blaine said he never ate it. Then he asked if she wanted coffee or anything else to drink. Colleen leaned closer, catching a whiff of his scent. It wasn’t cologne, and she was grateful for that. She’d never liked artificial smells on a man. The scent surrounding him was shampoo and the food he’d eaten. She loved it. It was real.

  “What I really want to do right now,” she said, keeping her voice low, “is go to your apartment and see how many rooms we can make love in before we can no longer walk.”

  He stared at her like he wasn’t sure what he’d just heard, then signaled for their server. She excused herself to the bathroom while he took care of the check, and when she emerged he was waiting near the front for her. Colleen smiled. He was only a man, after all. Tell them you want to fuck them into next week, and
they’re yours.

  “Do you need anything from your place to spend the night?” he asked as they left the restaurant.

  “No. I’m fine.” She loved it that he assumed she’d spend the night. This man was so confident, and that was sexy. Colleen hated the awkwardness that came with a first sexual encounter, or subsequent ones, for that matter. She wanted to know up front what the expectations were. It made life far less complicated, and avoided any emotional angst afterward. She had no time for such nonsense.

  She took Blaine’s arm and enjoyed the fake night air for once, because this time she knew it wouldn’t last forever. One day, she’d walk outdoors at night and breathe fresh air again. She’d stare up at the real stars, and she’d enjoy the beauty of the moon. Would the insects eventually return? Would the birds come back? Were there scientists working on trying to find any trace of either, still left alive?

  “You look deep in thought.”

  She glanced up to find him watching her carefully. “Musing about what it will be like to walk outside at night on the surface once more.”

  He nodded slowly. “I was thinking the same thing. Does it seem real to you yet? That we can go back home one day?”

  “No. Not yet.”

  “What are your plans? Will you move up there as soon as possible?”

  She frowned slightly. “I’m not sure. Talk at the agency is they want to erect temporary structures up there within two months. It’ll be easier to supervise building if we’re in both places. But that means roughing it a bit if we live up there, too.”

  “And you’re not a roughing it type of girl?”

  His voice was teasing, but not mocking. She shook her head and smiled. “That depends. I’d be fine short-term, but after a while I’d miss indoor plumbing and reliable Internet.”

  He chuckled. “I hear you. Still, if having my complex built means I’ll need to live topside in a camper for a while, I’ll do it.”

  “You look like you’re used to being outdoors.”

  “I’ve always preferred it. I was never into the whole suit and tie at the office, or surrounding myself with wood-paneled walls. I’d rather run my company from home where I can wear sweatpants all day and walk around barefoot.”

  She shivered at that image. It was so seductive to imagine him like that.

  “I used to love to take my laptop outside and sit in the sun,” he said. “As long as I had a Wi-Fi connection from somewhere, I was happy.”

  “I remember doing that in high school. Everyone would take their lunch outdoors in the nice weather. I’d be there with my laptop and lose track of time. Sometimes I wouldn’t even hear the bell ring and would be late for my first afternoon class.”

  “You must have been concentrating pretty hard.”

  She shrugged slightly. “I was usually studying.”

  “How ironic, because you no doubt got in trouble for being late to class.”

  “Worse than that. I was usually locked out and had to walk around the front to sign in at the office.”

  “Such silly things we make teenagers go through, all for the sake of an education.” He gave her a thoughtful look. “It couldn’t have been too many years after you graduated that you moved underground.”

  “One year. I had already started my undergrad in college when we came here. What a mess that was. It took me over a year to transfer to the university here.”

  “None of them were ready to begin.”

  She nodded. “And then so many records were lost. We had mine in paper form when we came here, but I know classmates who didn’t. The school servers went down, and no one who hadn’t printed theirs could prove they’d actually graduated from high school.”

  “A lot of them went down. We were all getting calls from various schools around the country, asking if we’d graduated with specific people.”

  “Yes, I did, too. It was surreal. Here was I was, nineteen years old, and I had to vouch for classmates so they could continue or begin their degrees. Do you think it will be that chaotic again once we rebuild everything?”

  “I don’t believe so. There’s no urgency this time. Assuming the trees begin to grow up there, that is.” He gave her a quick glance. “So, that makes you what now, twenty-seven?”

  She laughed. “Blaine, if you want to know how old I am, just ask. In fact, anything at all you want to know, please ask me. You don’t have to find a segue into the subject.”

  “You prefer directness.”

  “Yes. Always. It makes things a lot easier. Don’t you agree?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “And yes, I’m twenty-seven.”

  They stopped in front of his building. “Here we are. Last chance to back out.”

  “Last chance? Really? You mean if I change my mind once I get up there I’m stuck?”

  He chuckled. “Well, all right. Not your last chance, but one chance.”

  Colleen stared into his eyes. No point in being coy now. She put her arms around him and pushed her body against his, barely stopping a moan in time. Not that she imagined he’d mind that. He was hard as a rock, and his body was so warm. She couldn’t wait to be skin to skin with him. “Why would I want to change my mind? Is there some hideous thing about you I should know?”

  He put his arms around her and pulled her closer. This time, she did moan. “Well, let’s see. I’m covered in scales under my clothes, I’ve been known to breathe fire in my sleep, and my cock has spikes on it. Change your mind yet?”

  She laughed so hard her sides hurt. “Not really. You sound like a dragon.”

  “You like dragons?”

  “What girl doesn’t?”

  She was about to kiss him, but he beat her to it, taking his arms from around her and cupping her face, hard. He shoved his tongue into her mouth, and this time she didn’t bother holding back the moan. People walked by, but she barely acknowledged it. She was lost in the feel of Blaine’s lips on hers, doing things to her she hadn’t yet experienced.

  Holy shit, this man can kiss! They’d be lucky to make it to the elevator still dressed. The more he moved his lips and tongue, the crazier her arousal became, until she was dizzy with need. She mimicked his movements, wanting to devour him.

  When he released her mouth, he stared into her eyes. His gaze was filled with lust and so damn intense, she could hardly keep breathing. “We’d better get inside.”

  She nodded, unable to form words, as he took her hand and breezed into the lobby with her. She didn’t glance around at the décor, or at the security guards who barely gave them a nod. Blaine led her to an elevator where he punched in a code before the doors opened, and then once they closed, he punched in another code before the car began to rise.

  They exchanged another long, lustful look, and then she was up against the back of the elevator car before she knew he’d moved. Blaine kissed her again, just as roughly and seductively as he had out on the sidewalk. Colleen moaned into his open mouth as tiny jolts of electricity raced through her body with each pass of his tongue against hers.

  She reached around him and grabbed his ass, not surprised at all to find it firm. He chuckled low in his throat, moving his mouth to her neck, where he planted tiny bites until she was ready to scream with need. When he shoved his hand between their bodies and cupped her left breast through her clothes, she pushed closer to him, rubbing her abdomen against the rock hard bulge in his pants.

  The doors opened and she gasped, expecting an audience, but no one was there. Of course he’d have a private elevator. He took her hand and led her through the apartment at breakneck speed. She had just enough time to glimpse woodsy décor, like the kind she’d expect to find in a log cabin. The apartment wasn’t what she’d been anticipating, but it was clear a tour would have to wait.

  He took the stairs two at a time, and she giggled as she tried to keep up with his stride. His legs were much longer than hers, and he was a man on a mission. When they reached his bedroom, she smiled at all the woodwork and details t
hat made her feel as if they were outdoors. Clearly that was where his heart lay.

  Blaine pulled her into his arms and cupped her face. “I have no STDs. May I assume the same of you?”

  “Yes. I have none. And I’m on the pill.”

  “I always use condoms regardless.”

  “Okay.”

  He gave her the sweetest look. She hadn’t been expecting that, either. Almost everything she had believed about him had turned out to be untrue. “I want to make love to you until neither of us can walk.”

  Her heart beat so loudly she was sure he could hear it. “I want the same thing.”

  Blaine grinned in a way that sent fresh wetness to her pussy. At this rate, her panties would be ruined, but she didn’t really give a shit. She’d buy new ones. He brushed a hand down her cheek and into her cleavage. “Baby, get ready for the ride of your life.”

  Colleen shivered at those words. Was there anything sexier in the world than a confident man? She didn’t think so.

  Chapter Six

  When Blaine kissed her again, Colleen reached between them to undo his pants. He released her mouth and took off her top in one easy movement. “I appreciate your enthusiasm.”

  She tugged his shirt out of the waistband. “I want to see you naked.”

  “You will.”

  “Not quickly enough.”

  Colleen practically ripped off his shirt, and Blaine laughed, taking a step back. “I like to take my time, sweetheart.”

  “Well I don’t.” She reached for him again, but he caught her wrists with one hand and held her arms over her head. She moaned loudly at the dominance of the gesture as desire swept through her, hot and fresh.

  “Colleen, you are so damn sexy, and I love how much you want me, but we are going to take this slowly.” He pushed her backwards, and she had no choice but to walk or she’d have fallen. He still held her arms overhead, and now his gaze was dark and intense. When she had backed up against the bed, he let go of her arms and sat down, then told her face him.

  “Oh, so you’re in charge now?” Her voice came out all breathy, but how could she help that? The change that had come over him in the last moment was intoxicating.