Out of everything else swirling in her head, the confusion—the warring desire to put her faith in his explanation versus being logical—that was the one thing he said all of her agreed with. And it was a tangible reminder of why she enjoyed his company. “What if I don’t believe your story?”
“Then I probably get to keep my job a little longer.” He stepped closer, and rested his palm against her cheek. Heat flowed between them, drawing her longing to the surface. “As long as you don’t doubt I’m here because I wanted to see you,” he said.
Did that mean—? If any of this was real…he’d risked it to see her? She leaned into his touch, searing how real it was into her memory. “I don’t doubt it.”
“Good.” He tilted his head in, and pressed his lips to hers. It was a feather-light sensation, whispering across her skin and singing through her veins. When she leaned into him, he slid his hand to the base of her skull, held her captive, and deepened the kiss.
Desire flared over her skin. She groaned against his mouth, his smell and taste filling her head. Her fingers tingled, as she looped them behind his head, clinging to the moment.
He drew a trail down her chin, along her jaw, and up to her ear, nipping with his teeth between kisses. His voice was low, vibrating through the sensitive skin when he spoke. “The other night, the last thing I wanted to do was leave you.” He drew his tongue along the edge of her ear, breath hot and tantalizing. “If I’d been thinking, I would have spent the night wherever and however you wanted.”
He glided his fingers down her spine, and she arched her back, pressing tighter against him. “I can’t take back walking away or standing you up, but I’m willing to do whatever you’ll let me, to make it up to you.” His words caressed her cheek.
Fantasy teased her thoughts with vivid images of exactly what she’d like him to do. Arousal ached between her thighs, reminding her it had been ages since she was with anyone. Even longer since she’d been with someone who spoke so strongly to both her mind and body. Hell, it may have never happened.
She pushed his coat off his shoulders, and draped it on the reception desk. “What did you have in mind?”
He nuzzled her neck. “A lot of things that might get me slapped. But I’d be just as happy—in a different way, I’ll admit—to spend the night talking.”
“Maybe later.” The rush of too many emotions colliding in her head blurred into intense need. She slid her frame against him, hip rubbing his hard length through his slacks.
His chuckle faded into a groan. “Am I taking you from work?” One hand glided lower down her back, to cup her ass.
She struggled to focus long enough to find a reply. “Crisis is over. I just have to watch for the next hour or so.”
He pushed her back with his body, until she bumped gently into the front desk. “Are there cameras everywhere?”
With her mind tripping over all the places she wanted to feel him and the fact there was too much clothing between then, answering his questions required more thought than she wanted to exert. She shook her head. “Front door only. They can’t see in here.”
He left one hand on her behind, and moved the other to her stomach. Palm flat, he inched up until he brushed the bottom of her breast. She gasped at the barely there contact. He dragged his thumb across her nipple through fabric, and wetness grew between her legs. When was the last time she’d been this turned on? She couldn’t remember. Her hips swayed at the sensations, and a throbbing need below her waist begged for attention.
“You know”—he kissed down her neck—“if you don’t stop me now” —his lips grazed her collarbone—“I’m going to push your dress out of the way, and figure out how many ways I can make you moan. And we’re in front of these big glass doors. On display. For anyone to walk in on us.”
She didn’t care. Well, she might have, if it weren’t the middle of the night, or if their offices were on the ground floor, but even then she wasn’t sure. She pushed herself onto the desk, wrapped her legs around his, and pulled him so close she felt his heat. “You’re drawing this out on purpose, aren’t you?”
He dropped his hands to her thighs, grasped the bottom of her dress, and shoved it out of the way, as he forced closer between her legs. “Maybe. But I’m not patient enough to play much longer.”
One hand returned to her breast, kneading this time. Pinching the hard nub of a nipple through her dress. The lace of her bra dug into the tender skin, drawing a loud moan from her. While he lavished attention on her chest, the fingers of his other hand danced along her inner thigh, up one side and down the other. She squirmed to get closer to his touch, but each time he neared her mound, he pulled away again.
When he finally made contact, she whimpered in relief. He moved one finger under the crotch of her panties, and caressed her slit. Her hips thrust forward, and he obliged, parting her folds. She cried out when he slid two fingers inside her.
He nibbled at the soft spot where her neck met her shoulder. “You’re so wet.”
“I think you had something to do with tha—” Her words evaporated when his thumb found her clit. He bumped the swollen button, rubbing tiny circles and then pulling away. He nudged her close to the edge of climax each time, before easing off.
He finally relented, grinding hard against her sex, and orgasm tore through her. The wave washed over her, lingering when he didn’t let up. Cries tearing from her throat, she ground into his hand, vaguely aware of the sound of a zipper sliding down followed by foil tearing.
She pulled away from his touch when it became too much, and he moved his hand to her leg, thumb tracing her thigh.
He nibbled her earlobe. “You make the most delicious noises when you come. I want to hear you scream again.”
There was no hesitation when he pushed inside her, burying his thick length to the hilt and stretching her out. She wrapped her legs around his waist and arms around his neck, thrusting against him in time to his frantic pace.
Every time he drove inside, he hit a spot that tingled through her entire body. His breathing turned into grunts, as he increased his rhythm. She tightened her grip on him, holding tight as orgasm built inside again. She cried out when she came again, clenching around his cock.
He bit into her shoulder as he pounded hard and fast, groans vibrating through her body. Somewhere through the euphoria, their voices mingled in a climactic chorus.
She grasped for breath and reason, as he slowed and then stopped but didn’t pull out of her. She buried her face against his chest, struggling for her voice. “I, um… Wow.”
He trailed his fingers through her hair, his heart hammering against her ear. His voice carried through her cheek. “Yeah, me too.”
A sudden wave of uncertainty gripped her, and she failed to shove it aside. “Is this the only reason you’re here?”
He placed a finger under her chin, and raised her head until her eyes met his. His voice was gentle but certain. “I meant what I said. Even if all you want from me is hours of conversation, I’m great with that.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Not that I’m complaining about this. You’re incredible.”
Heat flooded her cheeks at the blatant flattery, and comfort settled in when he wrapped his arms around her. She wasn’t sure what she’d done to deserve this moment, but she was going to enjoy it for all it was worth.
He kissed the top of her head. “Happy New Year, by the way.”
She moved her head enough to read the clock. Sure enough, it was midnight, on the nose. “I can’t think of a better way to ring in the new year.”
Chapter Seven
Josh pulled up an office chair next to Ella’s, until his knees brushed her leg. They’d broken apart long enough to clean up a little, and then she’d pulled him back to the server room. He was happy to follow, unwilling to call it a night just yet. If she was stuck here, even just for another half hour, he could keep her company.
She clicked through a couple of things on the screen, then spun her seat back so sh
e faced him. “I’m still having a hard time believing your story.”
He shrugged. “Because you’re smart, and it’s a ridiculous story. But,” he added when she frowned, “it’s true.”
“I don’t suppose asking you to prove it will do me any good.”
He’d been thinking about that, and every time he believed he had a solution, it fell flat when he mentally followed it to a conclusion. “I can try, but you’ll still have to take some of it on faith.”
She intertwined her fingers with his, and rested both hands on her knee. “Do your best.”
He nodded at her computer. “Search obituaries, twenty years ago, in the Tribune.”
She raised her eyebrows, gaze raking over his face for a moment, before she turned back to a computer. His gut turned in on itself when she pulled up the article. He’d read it all those years ago, after they’d brought him back, but after so long he’d forgotten how surreal it was. The picture next to the clipping was him, looking exactly as he looked now, but in a T-shirt. He scanned the first few sentences, and then had to turn away.
The words were burned into his memory anyway, even though the newspaper didn’t tell the whole story. They said he’d been shot and killed by police fire, and that he wasn’t survived by any family.
Ella turned to him, face pinched. “Is that really you?”
He swallowed past the lump in his throat. “Yes.”
“What happened?” No judgment in her voice, only concern and curiosity.
He dug up the memory, surprised to find it still hurt to drag it to the forefront of his mind. Even after so many years. “My brother, Greg, had a problem. Serious addiction. It ran in the family—I don’t know how I escaped it.” That morning flashed through his mind as he spoke, playing out as if it happened just a few days ago instead of twenty years. “I begged him to go into rehab. To do something. And then the police knocked.”
He dragged in a shaky breath, and pushed calm to the surface. “I didn’t realize he’d held up a convenience store the night before and killed both the owner and his wife, trying to score enough cash for his next fix. When the police pounded on the door, Greg answered with a gun in hand.”
Her forehead creased as he talked, and she squeezed his hand. He managed a grateful smile. “I don’t remember anything after that, except waking up in the morgue. And spending the next several months denying any of it had happened.”
“God, I’m so sorry.” She scooted closer.
He pushed the fog of the past aside, and shook his head to come back to the now. “It’s in the past, really. Though some days I still can’t believe I got a second chance, away from all that. Apparently dying was the best thing to ever happen to me.” He paused, as something occurred to him. “Until they assigned me to cheer you up.”
Pink colored her cheeks. He adored that look on her. It was so natural. So much of what she did felt real, though. He could tell she was being herself, and even the things she hid didn’t make her fake.
“What about you?” He didn’t want to linger in the past anymore. That was a different life, and even if she wasn’t a long-term part of his future—an idea he hated more and more each time it resurfaced—she was here now. “Tell me about the Ella outside of this office.”
“I don’t have anything nearly as interesting in my past.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “Went to college, got an internship, moved across several states for a job in information technology, and here I am.”
“What about boyfriends?” Morbid curiosity made him ask, but a hint of dark cloud still hung over him.
She ducked her head. “I haven’t really had a lot. A couple of guys I thought I was serious about. But…I don’t know. Dating just hasn’t been a part of my life, and I haven’t missed it, so I don’t think about it a lot.”
“What would it take to get you to consider it a little more frequently, at least in my case?”
The clouds lifted from her face. “What did you have in mind?”
“Anything that lets me see you again.” Consequences be damned. “It doesn’t have to be more than that right now, but I figure it’s a good starting point.”
“I’d love that.”
He tugged her fingers. “How much longer do you have to be here tonight?”
The corners of her mouth pulled down. “Another hour or two. I have to monitor these updates, and make sure they don’t bring the system down again. You can go if you like. I’m giddy that you’re here, but I can’t ask you to sit around and watch me work.”
Something in his gut clenched at the idea of walking away now. It wasn’t that he was worried about leaving her; he believed when she said she wanted to see him again. But there were consequences waiting for him back at the cupid offices, and he’d rather enjoy her company as much as possible, before he had to face those. “You’re not really working, right?” He held up his hands when she frowned. “I don’t mean to sound rude. You said you’re only monitoring things, though. So you only need to give it a little bit of attention?”
“It’s true. This isn’t really a hands-on process.”
His cock stirred, as images of other hands-on activities raced through his mind. So tempting. He tried to be subtle about taking a few deep breaths to calm his heated pulse. “I’ll keep you company until you’re done here. I still owe you dinner, but this is a start.”
As the minutes ticked into an hour, and then two, they chatted about anything and everything. Not just their pasts, but the now. Shared interests, that they both enjoyed high action movies with big explosions and just the right touch of love, and how they spent their free time.
Every time she laughed, or brushed her fingers over his hand, or leaned into him, something in his chest ached. What was he going to do, if he had to walk away from her before they even made it past the getting-to-know-you stage?
Ella paused mid sentence, as a yawn tore from her throat. She covered her mouth, eyes wide. “I’m sorry. Don’t take this the wrong way. I’d have fallen asleep ages ago, if you weren’t here.”
“I get it.” He scooted his chair as close as he could, and pulled her head down to rest on his shoulder. Too bad there wasn’t something more convenient in this room for lounging on. I guess a sofa is counterproductive to a room full of computers. He trailed his fingers through her hair. “I need to take you home.”
She glanced at the screens one more time, never pulling away from him. “Ten more minutes. As soon as that bar there finishes, if nothing flashes or protests, I’m done.”
Even as she finished explaining, her voice drooped. Moments later, her breathing evened out, and her weight slumped against his arm. Angelic, even when she’s sleeping. Where had that come from? He shook the thought away. As soon as her work was finished, he’d wake her up, and make sure she got home safely.
The indicator she’d pointed out raced toward one hundred percent, and then announced it finished successfully. A hint of disappointment swelled in his chest. The night was over. He moved to nudge her awake, and his hand passed through her.
The pressure of her body resting against his evaporated, and milliseconds later, she was gone. The server room vanished around him, and was replaced with his apartment. Shit.
As far as he knew, only they had the power to do something like magically move people from one place to another in an instant, which meant he’d been caught potentially screwing with Ella’s fate. His gut twisted in on itself. So much for avoiding reprimand.
Chapter Eight
Josh paced the length of his apartment, too many thoughts racing through his head to make sense of them. When he reached one wall, he spun and made his way back toward the other. According to Amanda, when Devin had done something like this, he’d lost his cupid status within hours. Sunlight streamed through Josh’s window. Apparently he’d been doing this for hours, and still hadn’t made any headway.
It wasn’t that he was stuck. He was sure if he tried the door he could walk out. He jus wasn’t sure what to do next
. Bow to the people who had given him a chance—wait for them to make their move, or go after Ella.
He wanted to do the latter, more than anything, but unknown consequences stopped him. He’d never forgive himself if he caused something bad to happen to her.
Did he know anyone else who’d broken the rules in this way? No. Every other cupid he knew found their second chance through legitimate channels.
Jumbling his thoughts more than anything was a concern for Ella. She’d wake up alone, most likely back at her place, and not know how she got there or where he’d gone. And possibly missing out on her real future. One he hadn’t fiddled with.
As his mind tumbled out of control, a single spot of reason broke through the clutter. Stop. He paused in the middle of the living room and breathed deeply. He’d already had this argument, and Ella agreed with his conclusion. Life wasn’t worth living, if he spent the rest of it second guessing whether or not each next action was the one he was supposed to take.
What would he do, if he didn’t have a list of cupid rules to follow? The question barely finished forming in his head, before he had an answer. Make sure Ella’s all right.
The only contact information he had for her was her office, though. Knowing her home address hadn’t been necessary to his assignment. Her work number would have to do. As he reached for his own phone to call her, it buzzed with a new message. His heart leaped, but he pushed the reaction back down. It wasn’t going to be Ella. With any luck, she was still asleep instead of dealing with the kind of confusion she’d have to deal with upon waking up. On top of that, she didn’t have any idea how to get hold of him.
The text was from Amanda. What did you do?
He gritted his teeth, and dragged his brain for the quickest, least incriminating answer. Nothing. Talked. Had some amazing sex, connected mentally in a way he hadn’t thought possible—oh, and told her who he was, in such a way she probably believed him. But sure, nothing was a legitimate answer.
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