He didn’t allow her to pull away when she took a step forward, instead, she felt his firm hands settle on her hips, securely anchoring her in front of his hard body.
“Gina, Gina, Gina.” She felt Connor’s shoulders dwarf her from behind, the sexy timbre of his voice enveloping her as he continued, “You had some interesting choices on your list, many of the guys on it would be great spokesmen for the new ads. But what really caught my eye,” he paused, closing the gap between his lips and the delicate shell of her ear, his teeth lightly nipping at the sensitive flesh, “were your comments next to each name.”
A soft sob of angst escaped from her dry throat while her body shuddered at his touch. Knowing she should assert herself and insist he let her go, Gina fought a losing battle—a battle with herself. Her head told her one thing, but her body another. Gina let her body win as she leaned back into Connor’s strong embrace, reveling in the desire his touch induced.
She felt his every breath whisper against her neck and along the shell of her ear as he moved his lips lightly along her sensitive flesh. Goose bumps raced down her spine, making her breath catch in her throat. His fingers pulled her silk blouse out of her skirt, and stroked the soft flesh of her hips, gradually making their way up to the underside of her aching breasts. Gina held her breath, waiting for his hands to cup her sensitized breasts, disappointed when he only ran his thumbs along the seam of her bra. Gina needed him to touch her pebbled nipples, to rub them between his fingers. She felt her sex ripple in response to that thought. She couldn’t remember the last time she had reacted so strongly to a man’s touch, if ever.
“Where do I start? ‘Sean, strong thighs to hold me in place. Paul, rumored to last all night. Matt, known for his size.’”
The feel of his teeth raking over her ear and his solid form pressed against her back were enough to make Gina swivel her hips in hunger, rubbing her backside against him as he recited the comments she had placed next to each potential lover on her list. Humiliation at having her private thoughts repeated out loud, and by Connor of all people, battled with the need his voice and touch created within her. Need seemed to be winning, a soft whimper escaping her lips, her head falling back, further exposing her trembling body to his masterful touch.
“Naughty Gina. How would the guys feel if they found out how you—what’s the phrase you women use—ah, yeah, ‘objectified them’, stripped them down to strictly their body parts? Not very PC of you.” He chuckled. “Then there was your interesting ‘To Do List’ that caught my attention. Number one was interesting, number three was downright kinky and number five… Well let’s just say that I have a feeling that there is definitely more to you than meets the eye.”
His assertive fingers continued to stroke back and forth from the bottom of her breasts, over her quivering belly, to the edge of the waistband of her skirt, while his lips nuzzled along the sensitive skin of her neck. She felt the palm of his hand increase the pressure on her middle, pulling her still tighter against him, the feel of his fully aroused rod rubbing against her ass eliciting another groan of pure desire from her parted lips.
“Please…” Gina wasn’t entirely sure what she was begging him for.
“If I didn’t know any better, I would guess that you put together a spreadsheet of your sexual wish list and the potential men that would help you reach your, ah, goals.”
Connor’s emphasis on his last word wasn’t lost on either of them. His lips dropped to her shoulder, taking a gentle love bite of the soft flesh of her shoulder as he slid his hands up to finally pull her bra down and cup her breasts. His fingers finally closing over her protruding nipples, giving them a delicate squeeze that had her knees threaten to buckle from under her.
“Aw God, stop,” she pleaded, trying to hold on to her pride but failing miserably.
Ignoring her weak protest, he interrupted, his harsh growl attesting to his own lust, “Did you really use a spreadsheet to decide on which man to take as a lover?” Laughter combined with a little awe. “Talk about using your Smartphone—wisely.”
Gina tensed at just how accurate his words were. Fear and mortification snaked through her already overly sensitized body. Some of her newfound confidence began to slip when past insecurities came trickling back, leaving her feeling foolish.
Why would any of these gorgeous men, who had their pick of women, be interested in someone like her? After all, her dismal track record with men spoke for itself. And God, to have this man read about her sexual fantasy wish list was just too much to handle!
She had to stop this before she made a total fool of herself. The absurdity of allowing this man to touch her so intimately when they hadn’t exchanged more than a dozen words wasn’t lost on her. But the man made her hum like a well-played guitar, and the way she was reacting to him wasn’t lost on either of them. With a determined step forward, Gina shook her head no and shrugged off his hands, putting a few needed inches between them. Pulling away from his erotic touch, she quickly adjusted her bra and smoothed her blouse back into her skirt. Schooling her features into what she hoped was a casual look of disdain, she prepared herself to see the smug look on his face. But before she turned and looked at Connor, she caught a look at her reflection in the framed mirror hanging behind her desk. What she saw there still managed to give her pause. Even today, she was a little surprised at the sexy woman staring back at her. On the outside, she was completely transformed into a new woman from the one she had been before her makeover.
Catching a glance of her new look in the glass was an effective reminder about the mantra that she repeated to herself daily. I am beautiful, I am desirable, I am worthy.
With little choice but to brazen out the situation, Gina ignored Connor and moved to sit behind her desk. The large physical barrier gave her little protection from his perceptive gaze or his mockingly raised eyebrow. Not as brave as she had hoped to be, she glanced down unseeingly at a file on her desk and, with as much dignity she could muster, she muttered, “I apologize for sending you the wrong attachment. I’ll be sure to send you the correct information.”
“You didn’t answer my question, Gina. Was that a list of potential lovers?”
The sudden steel in his voice had Gina glancing up sharply. It didn’t take a genius to see that he disapproved.
Why should he care?
“It’s really none of your concern, Connor. What I do in my personal life is just that—personal.” Gina knew she had to end this conversation now. Just being in the same room with Connor was enough to shake her equilibrium.
This man always had the power to make her hot. From the moment Gina had first seen him walking the arena hallways last year, laughing and joking with the different women he escorted on a nightly basis, she had felt true envy. What would it be like to have his arm around her shoulders as he stared into her eyes with desire? Back then, she had fantasized that she was the woman going home with him for the night. She had even woken up from a very erotic dream one night, crying out his name in need. The private memory had her blushing even more.
No, she couldn’t let him get under her skin. At least not any further than he already was. Even with her newfound confidence, Gina wasn’t courageous enough to explore the deep emotions he unknowingly elicited from within her. Self-preservation refused to allow her to explore why this man affected her control so deeply.
When making her list of potential lovers and the sexual fantasies she intended to play out with them, she had initially added Connor to the list, only to delete him seconds later. Connor was a veteran playboy. There was a certain air about him that she found too daunting. She was too new to this game of casual sex. Little bites was how she planned to tackle her mission for a new lover who would fulfill the desires she had only dreamed about until now.
She needed someone easy to be with—someone who didn’t intimidate her or make her feel things that only frightened her. Nor was she going to get involved with someone she worked directly with. One of the reasons Gi
na had wanted Connor to pick the new spokesperson was that of the remaining two candidates, she was going to choose the man she intended to seduce.
As if reading her mind, he remarked, “Why bring anyone else into this? The season is just starting and the rookies have a lot to focus on right now. Maybe you need to broaden your list of contenders.”
His message was clear. He was volunteering for the position. And from the long hard bulge still evident against his pants, he was more than happy to volunteer to help her cross off a few items on her list.
Wicked longing had Gina squeezing her legs together in a failed attempt to relieve the growing pressure. Even with the desk between them, both of them were aware of the sheer sensual energy surrounding them. This conversation had entered dangerous ground from the get-go.
Knowing she was not going to gain any semblance of control over the volatile situation, Gina got up to leave.
“It’s been a long day, Connor, both of us are tired. Why don’t we touch base tomorrow to choose the new spokesperson?” Not giving him a chance to answer, she avoided his hard stare and strode to the door. With a casualness that she didn’t feel, she slipped into her suit jacket and reached for the door handle.
Two hands reached around her and, palms down, kept the door securely closed. His arms keeping her trapped between the closed door and his still-hard body, he continued, “Baby, that little sex wish list of yours is downright intriguing. If I’m reading you right, you want me as much as I want you,” he announced, his voice growing even more rough with desire. “The question is, are you woman enough to take what you want? Can you handle what we would enjoy in bed together?”
His words alone should not be able to weaken her resolve, but they created a yearning so profound that her body instantly creamed with need. Her wet panties chaffed at her pussy, making her want to turn around in his arms and take him up on his offer. It was hard not to feel his arms contract against her sides as he nudged closer against her. With his hard cock pressing along the seam of her ass, there was little doubt that he was as aroused as she was.
She could be that woman who went home with him tonight! He could fulfill some of the erotic items on her wish list. Longing ran through every fiber of her being. She knew if she gave Connor even the slightest encouragement, they would end up in bed together.
And then what, she asked herself.
What is going to happen tomorrow or the day after when he looks at you and remembers the woman you used to be?
How long would she be able to hold his attention then?
Gina remained absolutely still with her back to Connor, not wanting him to see the desire that she knew would be clearly reflected in her eyes. She knew she would inevitably crash and burn if she gave him even the remotest encouragement by giving in to her attraction to this man. A woman like her, regardless of her new look, just could not hold the attention of a man like Connor Waters for long. He was accustomed to the rink bunnies who made it a life sport to attract the attention of the players and Gina knew she couldn’t compete with them to hold on to Connor’s attention for more than a night. And for what Gina wanted, one night would not be enough. No, she couldn’t chance getting involved with Connor and risk losing what precious ground she had gained in carving out a new life for herself.
“It’s not going to happen, Connor. We work together and the last thing either of us needs is to complicate things any further between us,” she announced. She could handle him as long as she kept things professional between them, Gina assured herself.
“Why don’t you go find someone else to harass.” Her last words snapped out more forcefully than she intended. Just mentioning Connor with another woman had her blood heating up in an entirely different way.
“I didn’t take you for a coward,” Connor accused in a sardonic tone. Not giving her a chance to answer, he pulled her back to open her office door and then he walked past her, leaving her standing by herself in the empty office.
If you only knew.
His unrelieved hard-on made it a challenge to walk out of Gina’s office without wincing. He accepted Gina’s rejection, albeit with some surprise. This was one for the record books. Connor knew he wasn’t being conceited when he recognized that most women he hit on usually reciprocated his advances. Truth be told, he usually was the one getting hit on. Looking into the mirror every morning when he shaved, he knew that Mother Nature had blessed him with good looks. Being a successful professional athlete only sealed the deal, ensuring that he did not lack for female companionship.
But lately, he had started turning down the blatant offers of the women who threw themselves at him. Most guys would scoff at him if Connor told them that the no-strings sex was starting to get stale. More times than not, he felt as though there was something missing in his life.
Gina had intrigued him from the moment he recognized her in the boardroom after her remarkable transformation. At first he hadn’t placed her as the same bedraggled woman who had almost crushed his injured foot with her chair leg last season. Then he had made direct eye contact with her. The same vivid green eyes he remembered looking up at him in shock after he had turned her on her backside in a knee-jerk reaction to the pain radiating from his foot.
Connor had been entertained by the cool “Thank you” Gina had thrown over her shoulder when he had pulled out her chair for her at their last meeting. He had been looking forward to working with her since. He had noticed the other men in the room checking Gina out, especially Matt, one of the newest players to join the team. As the captain of the team, it was up to Connor to let Gina know that the rookies didn’t have time to play in her little sex games.
To say he had been fascinated with her sexual wish list was an understatement. He hadn’t been able to shake the visuals that had bombarded him since he had read her email. It was going to be up to him to let her know that the rookie players she had indentified on her list were going to be too busy working toward making the dream of a Stanley Cup win a reality. He would make sure they didn’t have a second to spare for her.
Nope, Gina was going to have to play her little games with him and leave the rookies to their own devices.
Getting into the elevator, Connor caught his reflection in the mirrored walls. The wicked grin slanting his lips would have scared the pants off Gina had she seen it. Connor let out a chuckle at the thought as he contemplated his course of action on how he was going to do just that. Suddenly, he was really looking forward to working with Gina.
Chapter Three
Agreeing to meet Connor in the middle of the afternoon at the nightclub that he co-owned had seemed like a safe bet when Gina had set up her meeting with him. After all, it was during broad daylight and she was essentially going to be dealing with his general manager, Alex, to discuss holding a fundraising event there.
Gina was proud of how quickly they had managed to get started on the new campaign. The only dark cloud hanging over her was her doubt that she could survive her interactions with Connor. She had been holding her breath since their confrontation in her office. Gina still squirmed with embarrassment over emailing him a list of her sexual fantasies and the list of potential lovers to go along with them.
Part of her had been worried that he would reveal the contents of her email to his friends and they would all be having a good laugh at her expense. A bigger part of her was still shocked that Connor had been interested in her. Thankfully, she hadn’t heard even a sniff of any reference to her wish list. And since that horrendous night in her office, Connor had only communicated with her via a few brief work-related emails. He hadn’t brought up her list, but instead, had been short and to the point.
She had been dreading seeing Connor today. Whenever they were in the same room together, Connor’s penetrating gaze made her feel as if he was able to read her mind, that he was acutely aware of her every thought.
Well no kidding! The man did read your deepest sexual fantasy wish list. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out
what you’re thinking about.
Walking through the unlocked doors to the club, Gina wasn’t surprised by the decadent interior. White sheer drapery hung from the walls and low modern furniture was clustered in groups around the glass floor covering the “pond” that featured as the dance floor in the center of the club. The club was world famous for this water feature that doubled as a dance floor. Chic and elegant. She would expect nothing less for the playground of the rich and famous.
A deep whimper from the back of the room caught Gina’s attention. Although it was broad daylight outside, the windowless club cast the cavernous room in dark shadows. Searching for the source of the sound, Gina gradually entered deeper into the room. Only a few of the lights were turned on, so it took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. Another heartfelt moan caught her attention, drawing her closer to the sound.
What met her gaze had Gina stopping short.
The man had the striking blonde spread out on the red velvet couch while he, fully clothed, knelt between her long legs. The woman’s stark white blouse was gaping open and hanging out of the gray skirt that was bunched up around her waist, revealing a crimson corset that offered up her breasts into the man’s waiting face. He wasted little time lapping up the bounty before him, his tongue stroking a sensual path atop the woman’s heaving breasts as she moaned, “More, Alex, give me more—mmm, don’t—stop!”
Even from where she was standing, Gina could hear the wet suction of the woman’s vagina drawing at the large fingers the man worked rhythmically in and out of her glistening pussy.
The woman threw her head back in total abandon while the man named Alex worked his skilful fingers inside her, setting a steady pace that kept time with his bobbing head at her nipples as he bent over her.
Gina took a single step back, knowing she needed to turn around and walk out the doors to leave these two to finish what they were so obviously enjoying. But why couldn’t she get her feet to listen to her head?
New Game in Town Page 2