The Experiment

by HelenKay Dimon, Foreword by James Patterson

  “Hello, there.” Her sly smile suggested she knew what her long legs did to him.

  And that voice, all deep and hot, had him squirming in his chair.

  Seeing her, watching her walk across the room to stand on the other side of the desk, drained the frustration right out of him. The tension tightening across his shoulders eased as a different kind of revving started deep inside him.

  He clasped his hands together to keep from reaching for her. “This is a surprise.”

  “You sounded a bit tightly wound on the phone earlier.” She dropped her bag next to his desk and slipped around to his side. “I thought I’d stop by and unwind you.”

  So hot.

  “And how, exactly, do you intend to do that?” He pushed his chair back from the desk. Not far, but enough for her to squeeze in there, which he hoped she’d do. “Tell me slowly and use as many dirty words as possible. Maybe try it without any clothes on.”

  She made a clicking sound with her tongue. “You are a filthy boy.”

  “When it comes to you? Yes.”

  “Good.” She hiked up her thin gray skirt. Lifted it high up on her thighs and straddled his thighs. Her ass balanced against the desk. Her body waited right there in front of him, so close. Ready to be touched.

  It took all his willpower not to grab her and bring her down on his lap. And he would have, but he wanted her to be in charge. He loved when she took the lead.

  Especially since he noticed she must have unbuttoned her shirt as she walked around the office. The material gaped and the lacy edge of her light-blue bra peeked out.

  “You said you’d be late tonight.” She winked at him. “That’s why I rushed over.”

  He’d been lost in thought when they talked earlier. He wasn’t sure what he’d said, but she knew that her visiting his office, dropping to her knees, and sucking him off was a recurring fantasy of his.

  “I have to work.” He silently cursed the owners and their “just one more idea” requests. They didn’t seem to understand the concept that architectural plans needed pre-approval.

  “Are you sure?” She opened her legs just a bit more, until her skirt pulled tight across her thighs. “Maybe you could take a short break.”

  Her voice, the smell of her, her closeness. If this went on much longer, he’d come before he got his zipper down. “Convince me.”

  She planted her hands on the armrests of his chair and leaned in, letting her hair fall over her shoulder and brush against his cheek. He breathed in her scent and snuck a quick look down the opening of her shirt. He had to fight the urge to run his tongue over the tops of her breasts.

  Her lips skimmed over his on the way to his ear. Her mouth hovered there. “Put your hands on me.”

  Sweet Jesus. His fingers flexed on her waist.

  “Show me what you want,” he said.

  She took his hand, slipping her fingers through his, and brushed his palm over her thigh, then under her skirt. She kept guiding him. When he touched bare skin, a wave of heat crashed over him. His finger skimmed over her…and into her.

  “Yes,” she said on a sharp breath.

  “Did you lock the door?”

  “I had to.”

  He got lost in the feel of her, the smell of her. “What?”

  “So I could do this.” She pulled back, only slightly but enough for his hand to slide back to her thigh.

  The tight space didn’t allow for much movement, so he edged his seat back as she dropped to her knees. Seeing her sitting there, with her face flushed and her blouse hanging open, had his breath stuttering in his throat.

  She rubbed her hands up and down his thighs. “I’m hoping this will convince you to come home to me as soon as you can.”

  Before he could say anything, she started undoing his belt and opening the button at the top of his black pants. When she leaned in and kissed him, rubbed her cheek against the erection pressing against the material, his ass lifted off the chair. Anything to get closer to her.

  She used her teeth to outline his growing bulge. She caressed him with her hand and her mouth.

  “Damn, Annie.”

  The tick of his zipper echoed through the room. “Tell me what you want.”

  He gripped the armrest with one hand and the back of her head with the other. “Swallow me.”

  She slipped the band of his briefs down and licked across his tip. For long torturous seconds she tongued him. Swirled over him, up and down him. Then she took his cock in her mouth. Pumped with her hand while she sucked.

  “Yes.” His hand slipped into her hair as he leaned back in the chair and watched her.

  Those cheeks puffed out as a small moan escaped her. When she tightened her grip and tugged harder as her mouth caressed him, his control stumbled.

  His hips lifted and the tension inside him built. The air rattled in his lungs. His hold on her hair eased, but he cupped her face with both palms now, guiding her. Easing her up and down until she took him balls deep. His body pulsed with need.

  “Annie, I’m coming.”

  She made a humming noise, never breaking rhythm.

  A twinge settled in the base of his neck but he refused to lean it back. He needed to watch her. But when he started to come, his eyelids dropped and body let go. He pumped into her, filling her mouth as he tangled his fingers deeper into her hair.

  The orgasm seemed to last forever. When he finished, he fell back into his chair. His chest ached from holding back all the sounds he wanted to make. Blinking, he opened his eyes again and focused on the bare white ceiling. He was about to sit up straight when her face appeared above him.

  She stood, straddling his leg. “You still with me, stud?”

  The flirty tone made him smile. “You should visit more often.”

  Her hands slipped down to the bottom of her skirt. Instead of pushing it down, she pulled it up even higher. “That depends on what you can do for me now.”

  Energy flowed through him. He shoved his chair back as his knees hit the floor. “Let me show you.”

  Chapter 10

  Annie walked into the grand entrance of the Jefferson the next afternoon. She headed across the black-and-white tiled marble floor, taking in the arched skylight in front of her. The light streamed in and bounced off the chandeliers, bathing the area in a warm glow.

  She was sore, but in the best way possible. She’d spent the night touching and tasting Jasper. He got home sooner than he thought because he insisted she’d given him the right incentive to work fast. A quick shower led to more sex. Then she’d ridden him this morning until her inner thigh muscles ached.

  The last twelve hours had been amazing. There wasn’t an inch of her he hadn’t touched and praised.

  “Annie?” Dave’s deep voice carried across the open hotel foyer area.

  She glanced over and saw him standing just feet behind her. He wore another perfectly tailored suit. This one navy with a lighter blue tie. He looked very businesslike, because that’s what this was. Work only. The hotel might be lovely, but it proved he needed a place to live full time, and that’s where she fit in his life. And only there.

  She turned to shake his hand, but he was already leaning in. His kiss grazed her cheek. It came and went, but the tingling of her skin lasted a bit longer.

  “I still can’t believe that you’re really staying here,” she said, searching frantically for small talk while her heart raced.

  He made a face. “It’s a bit much, right?”

  “Very swanky.”

  “I’m a ‘beer on the sectional’ kind of guy, so it’s weird for me. The firm picked it and paid at first, but now it’s on me.” He smiled. “Which is why I need a place to live sooner rather than later.”

  She tried to ignore his hand on her arm, as he guided them from the middle of the high traffic area to the two oversized leather chairs by the wall. She’d rather go into the lounge or one of the restaurants. Something about meeting him at a hotel made her twitchy. As if she were
cheating, and she definitely was not.

  She inhaled, trying to calm her nerves as they sat facing each other. It took her a second to kick the words out. “This hotel is a bit of an unusual choice for temporary housing.”

  “I think the new office hoped the impressive downtown location would blind me to the workload and long hours to come.”

  She couldn’t help but smile at that. Tales of overworked lawyers were legend in this town. “I’m sure you were used to both in San Francisco.”

  “The work, yes. The potential for snow? No.”

  A piece of a memory hit her again. It tickled but wouldn’t come into focus. This would bug her until she remembered. She wished she knew why it kept happening when she was around Dave. “Are you sure we don’t know each other?”

  He lifted an eyebrow. “You’re my real estate agent.”

  “You’re hysterical.” She shook her head and vowed to finally figure out the answer. “Should we go into the—”

  “We can use my room.”

  She could almost hear the brakes squeal in her head. It was as if her mind slammed them on. Her body still vibrated from the impact. “Excuse me?”

  He watched a group of people walk by. “It’s more private.”

  Yeah, that was the problem. “Do we need privacy?”

  He reached across the table between their chairs, but his hand never touched hers. “This is important to me.”

  She didn’t even know what they were talking about. Worse, she thought maybe they needed to come to an understanding. He talked in a way that could be considered safe and fine, but every word seemed to carry an underlying message.

  Rather than scare her, the meaning she assigned to his words excited her. Despite being fatigued and totally satisfied after a long night with Jasper, her body snapped into high alert.

  This was not good.

  “Maybe we should…” Run, hide, never speak again. All those options seemed smart to her.

  “I went through the portfolio you gave me, but I left it up on the table.”

  She blew out a long breath. Now, that sounded reasonable. Convenient, but reasonable.

  After a disastrous marriage, her life was finally buzzing along in the right direction. Yet, something about Dave tugged at her. Maybe it was the sense of danger and the forbidden.

  “Annie?” He cleared his throat. “The house hunt?”

  “Right.” Just because her head was spinning in all sorts of non-work ways didn’t mean his was.

  Her mind shot back to their earlier meeting and the immediate sense of comfort she felt with him. Well, comfort in those moments when she wasn’t panicking about noticing his broad shoulders and that face.

  Without another word, he stood up. “Are you ready?”

  No, definitely not. Her whole world had started flying apart and she had no idea why. But she tamped down that feeling. She had a job to do. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 11

  Waiting for the elevator almost killed her. Their bodies were close enough for the sleeve of his blazer to brush against her arm, burning through the thin material of her silk blouse. She immediately regretted leaving her sweater back at the office. Nothing she wore provided adequate protection against the tremble that ran through her.

  All but one guest filed out of the elevator and they stepped on. Annie didn’t see him press any buttons or slide a card, but the light for the top floor lit. Of course.

  She had to force her body to stay still during the entire ride up. No fidgeting. No shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

  He didn’t appear to have the same issue. He leaned against the back wall and watched her. He sure didn’t look all-business at the moment. Exactly the opposite, actually.

  This close, she could smell his aftershave. It reminded her of a mix of Earl Grey tea and something equally inviting. She might have asked but the older woman standing there with them started coughing.

  Annie edged back, not meaning to fit her body right in that space between his side and his outstretched arm, but it happened. In two seconds the gap between them closed and the air grew tight. Her chest burned as she held in deep gulping breaths.

  When the bell finally dinged and the older woman stepped off, Annie almost gasped in relief.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  Not even a little. “Of course.”

  He put his hand on her shoulder. “Claustrophobic?”

  “No.” She couldn’t manage to say anything else.

  She’d hoped the clipped remarks would set the tone. He tempted her. Made her fantasize about things she didn’t want and refused to test. She would not hurt Jasper. This—Dave—would hurt him. Even a man as open to experimenting as Jasper would lose his mind if he knew the thoughts running through her head. Most were about Jasper. Some were about Dave. A few were about all three of them together.

  Where the hell had that come from?

  When she realized she’d leaned into Dave’s side, she jumped back up again. “Sorry.”

  “I’m not.”

  Enough. She needed to give a speech. She’d be clear but not rude. She actually liked Dave. It wasn’t his fault her signals were all over the place.

  She sighed. “Look, I think—”

  “Here we are.”

  She wasn’t even sure when they’d gotten off the elevator and started toward the room, but suddenly, they were in front of the double doors. She looked at the plaque on the wall.

  Martha Jefferson Suite.

  Well, that sounded fancy. “Your office must have been hiding a really big workload, because it went all out with this place.”

  “I have to admit the impressive hotel stunt worked. But I definitely enjoyed the place more when it was on the firm’s dime instead of mine.”

  “You couldn’t negotiate a longer stay?”

  “I’m a partner now, so the idea of the firm paying for my room basically means I’m screwing myself.” He opened the door and they stepped inside.

  The room was awash in cream and gray. From where she stood, just inside the door, she spied the floor-to-ceiling windows and at least two balconies. There was a fireplace…and was that a separate dining room?

  “This is bigger than my first apartment.” It might be bigger than the thirteen-hundred-square-foot place she lived in now.

  “It’s described as the most romantic room in the hotel.” Dave stood right behind her as he whispered the words.

  She tried to ignore the shiver that had her body in its hold. “What?”

  “Let’s see if you agree.”

  Annie couldn’t let this happen. She pulled away from Dave and out of touching range, and took another step until the back of her thigh hit a table, ignoring the sting. Friends and other people she knew had agreements and open relationships. She respected their choices, but she and Jasper had made a different one.

  “Okay, wait.” She inhaled, trying to focus on what she needed to say next.

  “I didn’t…” Dave came around to stand in front of her. “Yeah, we should concentrate on real estate.”

  It was as if he’d read her mind. “Exactly.”

  “Let me get the portfolio. I made some comments to help you with the search.” He grabbed the folder and stood there, looking and sounding back in control.

  The space between them helped. So did the fact he actually held the portfolio and a piece of paper attached to it with handwritten notes on it. She should have felt relief. That’s why they were here.

  But she couldn’t trick her brain into believing it.

  There was one reasonable way out, and she took it. “You should work with another agent in my office. My colleague Amanda—”

  “No. I don’t want Amanda.” He shook his head as he spoke.

  Annie needed to know, so…“Do you want me?”

  Silence beat between them. For a few seconds they both stared and neither spoke.

  After a stretch that felt like forever, he nodded. “Yes.”

  “Oh,
God. No.” She closed her eyes as her stomach tumbled. A mix of excitement and dread washed over her. She wanted to be flattered but she felt…she didn’t actually know what she felt.

  “Annie, please listen to me.”

  “That—us—is never going to happen.” Nothing else was clear except that. “I have a boyfriend and I love him.”

  “Okay, stop.” Dave dropped the portfolio on the couch. “Let’s sit down and talk.”

  Words were not going to help. “I should go.”

  “Annie, please.” He took a step toward her but then stopped. “I’m not looking to mess up your life or your relationship.”

  It sure felt like it.

  “Me, either.”

  “I didn’t expect to feel anything for you.”

  “Thanks.” He wasn’t exactly sweet-talking her, which she appreciated. The whole scene might have been easier if he’d flipped into lawyer mode and pleaded his case. Instead, his vulnerability slipped out. He sounded genuine and confused.

  “What I mean is I’m pretty knotted up over someone else.” He exhaled and the ragged sound cut through the quiet of the room. “I never expected to be attracted to anyone else. I haven’t been, which is part of the reason I came back here to, I don’t know, figure it out. Get closure. That’s a thing, right?”

  If this was an act it was a pretty great one. She empathized and, strangely enough, felt a renewed kick of affection for him. There was something about a guy who could open up that appealed to her. It’s why she fell so hard and fast for Jasper.

  Dave wiped a hand over his face. “Shit.”

  “Maybe you’re feeling lonely. That’s normal.”

  “Annie, come on.”

  She talked right over him. “I’m convenient for you. I’m not someone you’ll need to see every day after you buy your house.”

  That explained his feelings. The reason for hers was still a mystery.

  He scoffed. “You’re selling yourself a bit short, aren’t you?”

  “I’m not trying to play hard to get.” She had no idea what she was doing. Go to him…run away. They both struck her as wrong.