by Dee Tenorio
“Not without me, Jess,” he ground out, pulling his hand away. She would have whimpered, but he yanked her hips forward and sank deep inside her, fitting to her as if he were made to fill her completely. She did whimper then, throwing her head back and letting him move her with his hands, lift her with his hips.
He brought her down while pushing up into her. Not the slow, sensuous strokes he’d used in her bed but fast, bucking pumps that bobbed her along his length. Every ridge and ripple of his cock brushed her nerve endings with ruthless intent. Her legs tightened around him and, soon enough, she picked up the rhythm he wanted.
She rode with abandon, letting her body take what he was giving, grinding her clit into him until the small pearl of flesh felt as if it were on fire, ready to send her into ecstasy. Crossing her arms behind his head, she curled him to her breasts and let herself drown in him. The smell of sex and the taste of passion, the sounds of her own small pants of pleasure and his rumbled moans of encouragement all flooded her senses. And when his hot, open-mouth kiss drew on her nipple, the thread of control snapped inside and all she knew was sensation.
Clutching each other, their bodies pounded wildly together with only one desperate goal. Oblivion. One of his hands slipped between them, found the nub of her clit and with the strangely gentle squeeze sent her over the edge, his name nearly a scream on her lips. He had the presence of mind to cover her mouth with his other free hand, but it didn’t do much to stifle her because her orgasm seemed to set off his own and he pounded harder than before as he jetted hot splashes into her.
Minutes later, when sanity was finally audible beneath her still-rushing blood, her eyes opened. He was still warm, still within her, and the regrets were already piling up.
What the hell had she just done? Other than come screaming in her office’s most-used elevator? Oh God, this was a mistake. A wet, bone-melting mistake. He was going to read more into it than there was, she just knew it. He wanted something more than she wanted to give and, when she wasn’t what he expected, he’d hate her and leave her behind because she wasn’t the kind who belonged—
Blinking, she forced her mind to stop. She wouldn’t let the harried thoughts or old fears control her anymore. Nothing controlled her if she didn’t let it.
Besides, what was Kyle going to do? Club her over the head to make her have feelings for him? His best weapon was charm. She could withstand charm. Fighting the urge to tighten her hold on him, she decided being batter-dipped in charm might be worth it. For a little while. And what would he have to complain about? He wanted her. She wanted him. You couldn’t find a better win/win situation. As long as she was clear with him, no one would get hurt. Nothing bad would happen.
Something in her chest continued to balk.
Ruthlessly, Jessica ignored it. She was not going to throw away a good lover just because of a few seconds of panic. She had nothing to feel guilty about. Nothing to take any blame for or worry about. Sex was not a promise or a commitment or even binding. It was release. And sex with Kyle was an incredible release. Why not accept what he offered and enjoy it?
She let him go, gathering her shirt around herself as she slipped out of his hold to sit next to him on the carpet in silence. Twice, she tried to come up with the right thing to broach her decision. It was one thing to think it. Another thing to say it with any panache. Especially when one was barely dressed and still throbbing. But she’d never gotten anywhere being shy. Shifting and tugging, she got her underwear and her skirt back in place and just forced the words out. “If we get out of this elevator, I want you to meet me tonight at seven. At my apartment.”
Kyle was quiet for a moment, as if he too were collecting his thoughts for a game plan while he readjusted his clothes. Finally, his playful gaze met hers. “If we don’t get out?”
She smiled, her awkwardness fading. He always seemed to do that. Take all the discomfort and confusion out of the room until it was just you and him and there was nothing wrong with anything. “Then I guess you won’t have far to travel.”
“Sounds like a date.”
“It’s not.” She’d nip that idea in the bud immediately. “It’s exactly what we were talking about. No commitments. No happily ever afters. Just very good, very satisfying sex.”
His expression couldn’t be read. He seemed to be considering it, the slightly amused lift to the corner of his lips raising her hopes while his eyes studied her face for some clue she couldn’t begin to fathom. “Why?”
Simple enough question, but most answers were too revealing. “Let’s just say ten minutes in an elevator isn’t enough for me.”
His chuckle warmed her. “If you give me a second, I’m sure I could come up with another two or three minutes to top you off.”
“Tempting, but no.” Strangely enough, two or three minutes with Kyle was probably worth an entire hour of any of her previous lovers. But it wouldn’t do any good telling him that.
She had the sneaking suspicion it wouldn’t do any good telling Kyle a lot of things.
Chapter Seven
“Don’t stop! Oh, God, don’t stop!” Jessica’s back arched off her bed, her hands fisting the sheets and her eyes squeezed tight. Vaguely aware of the fact that her knees were spread as wide as they could go, she let her curled toes glide over the smooth, golden skin of Kyle’s back with every surge of his tongue into her pussy.
For an eternity now, he’d had her on the brink of coming, taking devilish pleasure in making her practically beg for completion. Since he’d arrived an hour ago, he’d been taking his time seducing her with kisses, touches, undressing her, letting her undress him, ratcheting her need and not sating it. This time, yes, this time, he’d have to let her come. He had to.
His hands smoothed up her open thighs just before he disobeyed and lifted his mouth from her quivering sex. Before she could complain, he pushed her knees together with a wicked grin before pushing them up to her chin, lifting her ass to him like a gift. “Hold on to these for me, will you?”
“Wha—?” But her arms lifted to wrap around them exactly as he said.
And two of his fingers sank into her while his thumb circled her clit.
Lights flashed behind her lids, his curling fingertips searching out and finding the most sensitive bundle of nerves inside her. She strangled out a sound, but she had no idea what she was trying to say.
“What was that?” he asked, pulling out his fingers slowly, then pushing them back in. “You want more?” His hand twisted on the next stroke. “Or was that faster?”
Jessica’s eyes widened at the sudden burst of blurring strokes, each one catching her clit until it felt like it was vibrating.
“Or did you want slow?”
She moaned, each option just as mind-scrambling as the last.
“I have a better idea.” His fingers disappeared, only to be replaced with the slick, broad head of his cock easing through her folds. He dipped for the barest second into her before pulling back out. “How about me?”
“Yes,” she whispered, more than ready to be filled with him.
“What?” He dipped again, the head spreading her open for a longer tease before pulling out again. “I can’t hear you.”
“Yes!” she cried, lifting her hips higher yet.
“Now?” He fed himself into her again, her clenching muscles all but sucking him in…and then he was gone.
“Kyle!”
He filled her solidly before his name finished leaving her lips.
She bit her lip, letting go of her legs because Kyle had taken over, pulling her knees apart before pinning them to the mattress. He leaned over her, grinding his hips against her, rubbing her clit and stroking every centimeter of her pussy with the thick heat of his cock.
She grasped her breasts, squeezing her nipples, which seemed to incense him further because his strokes became full thrusts. She plucked them for him, looking up through slitted lids to find him watching her with single-minded attention. His skin gleamed in the
soft light from her bedside lamp, beautiful lean muscles flexing as his hips drove into her.
Giving him a test, she parted her fingers around her nipples, locking the tight nubs between her knuckles. The flush on Kyle’s cheeks burned red and his thrusts sped up.
Thought he’d take control away from me, did he? Jessica smiled, one that felt the tiniest bit evil. His eyes narrowed, no doubt sensing her next play in this sexual game. Let him sense…
She cupped her breasts, offering them up to him. But as he dipped to take one in, she lifted her head, pulling the ample flesh toward her own open mouth. She curled her tongue around the hardened peak, flicking it back and forth, all the while watching his face register shock, thrill…then delicious intent.
“So you want to play like that then,” he growled, letting go of her legs and levering over her completely.
She didn’t get a chance to answer because he was kissing her, his tongue—tart with her own flavor—surging against hers and his hips… Dear God, she’d thought he’d been relentless before. Her arms wound around his neck and she hung on while he pounded into her, the sound of her own cries filling the room.
Holding him tight, her body strung like the tightest bow, they both began moving desperately, the game over as she gave in to the flood of sensation. Just when she thought she’d break, he changed his angle somehow and she broke in a completely different way. Everything shattered, her body clamping down on his cock, which drew his own explosion. Panting, still moving together seemingly because they couldn’t stop, Jessica smiled into Kyle’s shoulder.
Oh yes, she could definitely get used to seven o’clock meetings.
“I may not move for a week,” Kyle rumbled against her neck a full minute or two later, finally rolling off her. Surprisingly, she hadn’t already pushed him off, and she heard herself instinctively complain when he pulled free of her hold to flop next to her. Kyle tugged her close to his side, spooning her back to his front as if he did it every day. For all of a second, she relaxed into him, every cell in her body feeling as if it were exactly where it was supposed to be. Where she’d been born to be. She almost closed her eyes, almost dropped into a sated sleep, when Kyle’s hand found hers and twined their fingers before tucking her the tiniest bit closer.
Her eyes shot open then, panic washing through her.
She lurched up, grabbing desperately for her robe. Not too desperately, though—she couldn’t have him noticing that her skin was about to twitch right off her back. The pale blue silk wrapped around her with minimal flapping, thank God, so when she turned around to face him, arms crossed and her best top-of-the-world, I’m-so-not-freaked-out smile, she should have been completely composed. And she would have been, if the man had a drop of shame. But he didn’t, sprawled on his side, head supported by one hand, wearing perhaps the most bemused expression she’d ever seen.
Maybe it would have been better if he had anything to be ashamed of.
Against her will, her eyes coursed over his muscled chest, with its sprinkling of dark hair that led to a seductive trail down his golden-toned abdominal muscles to the thatch beneath his only slightly flaccid cock.
Slightly because he was softening or slightly because he was already becoming aroused again?
Her brain stuttered to a stop. She wasn’t sure what she’d prefer.
“You’re sexy when you’re looking for a polite way to throw me out.”
She finally unlocked her gaze from his groin and met his as he rolled up to a sit and that incredible piece of flesh slipped out of sight. “I-I have to wake up early tomorrow,” she managed to choke out, though she couldn’t quite remember what day of the week tomorrow was.
He merely nodded, casually standing and gathering his clothes. “I think I’ve used that one a few times.”
“What one?”
He bent to pull on his underwear and she made a mental note to take a bite out of his ass the next time she got him in bed. She bit her lip to keep from walking over and biting into the round muscle now.
“That line.” His shirt came on next. He buttoned it with steady fingers while she was still trying to get her thighs to stop trembling. He gave her a lazy grin and the trembling got worse. “You don’t need to give me excuses, Jess.”
Her eye twitched at the name. “You’ve really got to stop calling me that.”
He paused while pulling on his pants to look up at her with both brows raised. Shucking them up, he tucked his shirt in and took the steps needed to circle the bed. He reached for her, his mouth quirking on one side when she took an instinctive step backward. Leaning forward again, his hand circled her waist and he leaned down to press one of those soft kisses to her cheek, lingering enough to make her fingers tingle to touch him. “That’s our deal, right? A man who can give you everything you need and know when it’s time to go home?”
She frowned. “I don’t think that was exactly it.”
Another kiss, this time to her lips. “See you tomorrow night, Jess.”
She watched him go, her hand twining in the strap of her robe until she heard the click of her front door closing. She followed eventually, to turn over the deadbolts, wondering why exactly she was frowning.
Getting rid of him had been entirely too easy. And definitely too disconcerting. She was supposed to be relieved. He was exactly right. They had made a deal. They’d have no-strings sex and he’d go away, grateful. This was supposed to be what she wanted.
Except… Except she’d been this close to falling asleep in his arms as if she’d belonged there. She’d never had that feeling in her life. Never known anyone who’d wanted her to feel that way. And the first one to inspire it had just blithely walked out the door, oblivious to her confusion.
She rubbed her face, shaking off the odd feelings. They must just be from the strangeness of the day. Getting out of the elevator that afternoon hadn’t been too much of a hardship. Within fifteen minutes of them getting their clothes to rights, the car began a smooth descent to the bottom floor. Kyle’s exit might not have had his usual sleek grace, but no one would have guessed at the clawing panic she’d seen in him earlier. They might have figured out about the sex, but with her frosty reputation, people probably discounted the notion.
Then, right on time, she’d opened her door to Kyle and an armful of potted flowers. Purple ones that had petals with long rippling edges and bright yellow stamens that stood out far from the centers. The flowers were still on her kitchen counter. Kyle, now that she’d had her way, his way, and a few extra ways on top of that with him, was securely on his way home.
A well-laid plan coming out exactly the way she’d envisioned.
So why wasn’t she happy?
The question plagued her long after she turned off the lights and climbed into bed. The bed that felt emptier than ever before. When she woke up the next morning, her face hurt from frowning but she couldn’t stop, not even when she got to work. Something wasn’t right with this plan, but she couldn’t quite figure out what, and asking Kyle or Dory to help her figure it out was not an option. Since she didn’t have anyone else, the best she could do was move on to the next problem that needed tackling.
In this case, that problem would be Lucas Lonnigan and his much-needed punishment.
Oh, he’d sounded outraged that morning she’d overheard him and Kyle—was it really only last weekend?—so she gave him the benefit of the doubt about not realizing she and Kyle would have sex, but he’d still stood her up and set her up to be duped. That alone was enough to make her want to tie him to a stake, slather him with salt water and let a horde of cows lick him to death.
The idea of keeping him alive so he could handle some referrals for her crossed her mind from time to time, because almost no one was as efficient or impartial as Lucas when it came to his work, but she hadn’t yet decided. His loyalty lay with the numbers and that, at the very least, she could trust, though she didn’t like admitting that either. Dealing with him from now on would have a level of disqui
eting tension she’d never had to work with before.
Unfortunately, she was in need of him.
She’d spent the past week putting off the referral she’d meant to give him on their last date. She had a new client who’d inherited a number of businesses from an elderly uncle, none of which appeared to be solvent. The client had a few questions about his uncle’s business manager, who had taken over when his uncle became too ill. She’d need Lucas’s skills to untangle the books so she could advise the client whether to sue the business manager or just fire him. Normally, that would be a fascinating discussion topic between the two of them. The way things stood between them now, she could only fantasize that the businesses still used paper ledgers so she could throw them all at his head.
But her feelings didn’t change the fact that she needed him.
Staring at the paperwork now, she felt an evil grin slide over her lips. Perhaps the staking could be done another way. And it would give her the opportunity to finally break up with him.
She arrived at his door ten minutes into her lunch hour, prepped down to each question she was going to ask and how many times she’d allow herself to glare at him. It wasn’t until he opened it with his slash of an eyebrow raised that she realized she’d been rapping on it like a machine gun.
“Oh…hi.” She blinked dumbly as she gathered her bearings. Not the best of starts, but she could roll with it. “I need to talk to you,” she added firmly, stretching for her earlier irritation.
It wasn’t as easy to find with him looking almost apprehensive and slightly lost about why she was there. Probably waiting for her to rain holy fire on his head like she’d meant to. Glumly, she finally admitted that wasn’t going to happen.
She wasn’t mad at Lucas anymore. Looking at him, she couldn’t even gather up a good sense of rage that he’d traded dates on her or that he’d been trying to break up with her in such a lame way. In fact, her feeling for him was so bland and…well, nonexistent, really, that she couldn’t believe she’d ever mistaken him and Kyle in the first place.