by Marie Astor
Delilah lay on her back, in utter bliss and disbelief. She’d never felt anything of the kind before. Could it be that a man who didn’t even know her real name could somehow know her inner desires and cravings so completely? How did his body know to be so in sync with hers, to fill her and to satisfy so completely? She didn’t know and she didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to think about anything right now. All she wanted to do was to float on the cloud of pleasure that Brad had given her and lose herself in this wonderful dream.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he said, eyeing her hungrily. “You’re making me hard again.”
“Brad! I haven’t even caught my breath yet—”
Her playful objections got muffled by his kisses as his strong, capable hands ignited her body again, unleashing a desire in her so unquenchable that it would take the entire night to satisfy.
***
The next morning, still half-asleep, Delilah stretched from the delicious soreness in her limbs. Last night had been incredible. Her whole body had been on fire, ignited by orgasms so powerful that she thought she was going to lose her mind from the pleasure she was experiencing. She could never have imagined that a physical union of two bodies could produce such fiery intensity. When she finally fell asleep, she’d felt completely spent, numb and sated with pleasure, unable to lift a limb, thinking that she’d had her fill of sexual satisfaction for years to come. And yet this morning she was already starting to feel hungry again, hungry for the ecstasy she’d experienced last night. Brad certainly knew what he was doing. This kind of thing could get addictive. Brad! As in Brad Weiss! What the hell is going on? she thought, her sex-numbed brain refusing to cooperate. She shot up in bed and took in her surroundings. Yep, just as she had feared, she was not in her own bed. She was in Brad Weiss’s bed. The details of last night flooded her with humiliation. In an instant, it all came back to her: the corporate party, the drinking with Brad afterwards, her driving him home, and him convincing her to come upstairs with him. Oh, who the hell was she fooling, she’d wanted to come with him—she’d been wanting it since she started working on this wretched Orion case. And now everything she’d worked so hard for and everything that mattered to her was in jeopardy: her career, her cover, and even the safety of her colleagues.
Delilah thought frantically about what to do next. At least she was relieved to see that Brad’s side of the bed was empty. It would’ve been humiliating to wake up next to him. Maybe he was just embarrassed about last night as she was—maybe he’d already gone to work, giving her the opportunity to leave with her dignity intact. If she could slink out of there without him seeing her, they could both pretend the whole thing never happened and the mind-blowing orgasms they had both experienced last night were just a figment of their imaginations. Orgasms! Now was not the time to think about orgasms. She wanted to slap herself. Tentatively, she put her feet on the floor and got up. She listened intently—the apartment seemed to be quiet, deserted. Maybe her feeble escape plan was going to work after all. Maybe she might even get away with this escapade and not have to confess her sins to Ally—or worse, Jake. Deep down she knew that it wasn’t going to be the case. It was her duty to tell them both about what had transpired between her and Brad Weiss in case her cover had been compromised and let the agency decide if she would still be on the case, or even employed by the agency, period. But she’d think about that humiliating prospect later. Right now all she wanted was to get to work and at least try to pretend like things were normal. Her hope of that was shot the instant she glanced at her watch—it was almost noon. Ally must be going crazy looking for her. She needed to get dressed and get the hell out of there. Her clothes—where the hell were her clothes? Her sex-overdosed brain refused to cooperate, making a complete mockery of her attempts to function normally.
Frantically, Delilah looked around the room and saw that her purse, along with her folded dress, bra, panties, garter belt, and stockings had been neatly placed on the ottoman. Her shoes stood on the floor next to the ottoman. Apparently, Brad Weiss was not only considerate, but also very organized. She quickly pulled on her dress and slipped into her panties. Her garter and stockings went into her purse—she didn’t have time to bother with them now. She carried her shoes in her hand so as not to make noise with her footsteps. Quietly she opened the door and stepped into the hallway. From what she remembered, the front door was straight down the corridor. She just needed to make it past the kitchen and then she’d be home free, relatively speaking. She made several creeping steps down the hall—so far so good—no one seemed to notice her. That’s because there’s no one here, silly, she thought to herself. By now Brad Weiss was probably sitting in his office, engrossed in his work, having written her off as another one of numerous one-night-stands that she was sure comprised his past—a man who was that good in bed had to have had lots of frequent practice. A few more steps and she’d be out the door. Her hopes of escape were dashed by the sound of smashing china emanating from the kitchen, followed by male cursing—Brad’s cursing, to be exact. Delilah froze on the spot, clutching her shoes and purse to her chest. Should she continue her escape and try to creep out the door? Or should she go back to the bedroom and try getting out of the window? She couldn’t remember exactly what floor Brad’s apartment was on, but at the moment that detail seemed to be minor and irrelevant. She didn’t get to decide because the next instant the kitchen door opened and Brad Weiss stood before her.
“Katherine, you’re up!” he exclaimed, clearly happy to see her.
“Yes, well, it’s almost noon . . .” her voice trailed off, as her eyes couldn’t help devouring him. He was barefoot, dressed in a pair of jeans and a very form-fitting navy T-shirt.
“At least I’m glad I didn’t wake you.” He smiled. “I was trying to make us some coffee. I guess we’ll just have to wait for the housekeeper to come back and fix us breakfast.”
“The housekeeper?” she croaked.
“Yes, she’s usually here every morning, but I sent her out to get you a change of clothes. I figure you’d want to change into something fresh. Although, on second thought, I might’ve thought wrong,” he added, eyeing her with admiration.
Delilah ran her hand over her disheveled mane. She hadn’t even bothered with a comb or a toothbrush this morning and now she regretted her neglect of her morning toilette. But then she hadn’t been planning on running smack into Brad Weiss and she certainly hadn’t been expecting to find him so at ease and so happy to see her. “Don’t you have to go to work?” she asked weakly.
“Nope, not today.” He winked. “I messaged my secretary letting her know that I’ll be working from home today. And I hope you won’t mind that I took the liberty of calling Rogers and telling him that I’ll need your assistance today for a special project that I’m working on.”
“A special project?”
“Yes, I can think of a number of special projects for you and me to work on today.” He moved in closer, his eyes flashing with passion that made her body yearn for the pleasure he’d given her last night.
Great, she thought, struggling to maintain a modicum of self-control. One glance from Weiss and she was turning into putty. “Wouldn’t it be suspicious?” she managed, “us both being out on the same day? Won’t people put two and two together?”
His response was not what she expected to hear from a senior company executive. “Let them,” he said lightly. “I’ve recently come to a conclusion that I’ve spent way too much time caring about what people think. I intend to change starting today and I’d like you to join me on this journey.”
Delilah felt herself suffused with warm glow. It was impossible to refuse so enticing an offer. To see a man like Brad Weiss willing to rearrange his schedule for her, neglecting the public opinion in the process, and possibly putting his career in danger was enough to make any woman throw caution to the wind. Delilah relaxed her arms, letting them hang by the sides of her body. “Tell you what, let me take a shower and brush my teet
h and then we can talk about that special project you had in mind.”
“Sounds wonderful. I might even manage to make us some coffee in the meantime.” Just then there was a sound of keys in the front door lock. “That must be the housekeeper,” Brad said. “You go into the shower and I’ll lay the clothes out for you on the bed.”
Delilah took her time in Brad’s luxurious marble shower. She had briefly visited his bathroom the night before, but she didn’t exactly have the time explore its lushness, but now there was nothing stopping her from enjoying the pulsating shower streams from the top-notch chrome faucets along with the numerous shower gels that Brad stocked. The fragrances ranged from lavender to peony to passion fruit. Brad was obviously a man who appreciated the finer things in life, even in everyday necessities. Delilah relished the rich, fragrant lather covering her skin and let the pulsating water streams wash her clean, eliminating the tension from her body. Now that she had faced her worst fear— seeing Brad—things didn’t seem so bad. After all, was what she had done so terrible? Yes, she’d slept with a man she wasn’t supposed to sleep with, but she was hardly the first woman to do that. And it wasn’t as though she didn’t try to resist him. She did try. Well, maybe not that eagerly, but she did try. And the truth was that she was glad to have had that night of passion. It’d been a long time since she’d felt a real connection with a man, too long. Even though she knew it was wrong, she felt it with Brad, and she could tell that he felt it too. She’d expected him to be flummoxed this morning, to usher her out of his apartment with stilted gestures and lame apologies, but instead he’d greeted her as though she was supposed to be there, as though he wanted her there, as though she belonged in his bedroom and in his home. Yes, theirs wasn’t the ideal set of circumstances by far, but maybe, just maybe there could still be a way for them to find a way to be together after all. The mere possibility of allowing such a thought scared Delilah greatly. There were so many implications to consider, but right now she didn’t want to think about any of them. Maybe she was reckless and selfish, but the way she saw it she’d already made a mistake. She was going to pay for it, she was sure of it. But for now she might as well enjoy herself before it was time to pay the piper.
Delilah got out of the shower and toweled off. Just as Brad had promised, there was a set of clothes laid out for her on the bed: a pair of jeans, a knit top, and a pair of walking shoes. The bed had been made up as well. Delilah thought that Brad’s maid had to be an elf. She hadn’t heard as much as a sound while she was in the shower, but then her mind had been preoccupied by other thoughts, thoughts that would just have to wait till later. However, there was one thing that still had to be done. She couldn’t just vanish completely without letting her colleagues know where she was. Delilah rummaged through her purse and grabbed her phone. She opened the agency-issued encrypted messaging system she had on her phone and quickly typed a message to Jake and Ally, “Won’t be in the office today. Working on a project.” Then she hit the send button. There, she’d informed her colleagues. At least now they couldn’t blame her complete insubordination. Oh, who was she kidding? She was going to pay for this come Monday, but today was Friday and Brad was waiting for her with the entire day and possibly the entire weekend stretching before them. She put on her new clothes, which fit her perfectly, and opened the bedroom door.
The hallway was filled with a smell of fried eggs and bacon. She found her way back to the kitchen, tantalized by the mouthwatering aroma, only now realizing that she was starving.
“Just in time.” Brad smiled. “I see the clothes fit you.”
“Yes, thank you. How did you know my size?”
“I guessed. Okay, I might’ve peeked at your dress label,” he admitted. “Have a seat. The breakfast is ready. I sent the housekeeper away, so we have the place to ourselves,” he informed her as he placed her plate before her.
Delilah speared a hefty serving of eggs and bacon with her fork and lifted it to her mouth. If her day with Brad was going to be anything like their night together, she was going to need her strength.
Chapter 19
On Monday morning Brad Weiss walked into his office in much better spirits. He’d had a truly amazing weekend. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so rested and so at peace with himself. It had certainly been a while. Sex was truly a magical thing. All that physical exertion had done him a world of good, relieving his body of tension and clearing his mind. And it wasn’t just the physical aspect that made him so happy this morning, although that part had been truly out of this world. He’d enjoyed Katherine in bed, but he was surprised to find that he enjoyed her just as much outside of it. He’d felt a connection with her. The kind of connection he hadn’t shared with a woman for a very long time, not since his failed romance with Langman’s daughter. It was ridiculous, but it was true. The realization had stunned him, making him take a long, hard look at his relationships with women. He’d had girlfriends since Jennifer, but it never lasted. He never took his relationships seriously, refusing to invest the necessary emotional commitment. Instead, he’d let the connection wither away whenever things weren’t going his way. He told himself that he was too busy for a girlfriend. The truth was that he’d been too afraid.
When Brad met Jennifer Langman he was a college student, interning at Orion. She had seemed to him to be the most beautiful girl he’d ever met, and the fact that Peter Langman was her father made her simply irresistible. Brad’s family didn’t have power, money, or connections. His father had worked as an insurance salesman all his life and his mother was a school teacher.
Jennifer had long blonde hair that fell nearly to her waist in long waves, wide green eyes that made you feel as though you were the only one who mattered when she looked at you, and full, curvy lips that Brad had longed to kiss since the first time he’d laid eyes on her. She was not all like the girls at MIT. She went to Vassar and wanted to become a playwright. She went to poetry readings and dated poets, rock musicians, and bohemian types. Her father was none too crazy about any of this, but he’d learned the hard way that Jennifer was too strong-willed for him to control her. He’d made the mistake of sending her away to boarding school a few years earlier, and she’d refused to speak to him for a year until he allowed her to transfer to the school of her choice.
One day Jennifer came to visit her father at the office on an errand for her mother, and Brad happened to be in the hallway. Of course he didn’t just “happen” to be there. He had planned it since he’d seen Langman’s schedule earlier. Later that day, Brad asked Peter for permission to give Jennifer a tour of Orion’s plant facilities.
“Jennifer is interested in seeing the plant?” Peter had asked, his voice filled with disbelief. “She usually never as much as wants to set foot in the place.”
“Oh, I briefly mentioned the projects I’ve been working on and she seemed to be genuinely interested.” Peter raised an eyebrow. “Of course I didn’t say anything that wasn’t public information, sir,” Brad added hastily.
“I know that, Brad.” Peter smiled, slapping him on the shoulder. “I’m just surprised by my daughter’s interest, that’s all. It would surely do her some good to look at the work real people are doing instead of running with those pothead musicians she prefers for company,” he chucked with disapproval. “You have my permission to give Jennifer a tour, son.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The next day Brad had given Jennifer a tour of Orion’s facilities and then he took her to lunch afterwards. He asked her if she’d like to go to the movies with him the next day and she’d said yes. Halfway through the movie, he’d put his arm around her and leaned in for a kiss. They were inseparable the entire summer and for three years afterwards.
Jennifer shared her plans for the future with him. Her dreams ranged from producing Broadway plays to travelling the world and maybe joining the Peace Corps, or going to teach English in India or China or some other equally exotic location. Brad listened and nodded, ass
uring her that those were all great ideas. She would cuddle up next to him and say that he was the only man who understood her. Brad was certain Jennifer would make an excellent wife for him and eventually, once she got used to the idea, a good homemaker. But first he needed to convince Peter Langman he was a worthy match for his daughter. At the end of Brad’s senior year at MIT Peter Langman offered him the position of senior engineer at Orion with a starting salary that was almost twice the going rate offered to recent graduates. The three summers he’d interned at Orion had paid off handsomely. Orion was an up-and-coming company. The first liquefied gas plant in the U.S., it had a pioneer and a maverick at its helm, Peter Langman. Peter was the exactly the man Brad had aspired to be. Needless to say, Brad was thrilled and accepted the offer. Then he asked Peter for permission to ask for Jennifer’s hand.
“Oh, you have my blessing, son—no question about it. I just hope Jennifer feels the same way. Nothing would make me happier than having you for a son-in-law.”
Brad had dashed to buy a three carat diamond engagement ring. It was a solitaire set in platinum. He’d had to take out a loan on his credit card, which he planned to repay with his first year’s salary.
Both of them had already graduated and Jennifer was staying at her parents’ home in Oregon. Brad decided that New York City would be the perfect setting to propose, so he planned a getaway weekend for them, which included a Broadway show and a romantic dinner at an exclusive French restaurant. Just when they finished dinner and were about to move to dessert, the waiter brought out the champagne.
Brad poured the bubbly liquid into their glasses and reached for Jennifer’s hand.
“I have some wonderful news,” he said.
Her eyes lit up with excitement, like those of a little girl’s. “Oh? What is it?”
“I’ve just been offered a position at Orion Inc. And,” he pressed on, oblivious to the clouded expression on Jennifer’s face, “I think this is a wonderful way for us to start our life together.” Jennifer was still silent, but he ignored it, attributing her reaction to her being overjoyed. He dropped on one knee. “Will you marry me, Jennifer?” He placed the velvet jewelry box into her lap.