Forget You

by Nina Crespo

  He slipped down the other strap. “What turns you on, Sophie? Tell me what you want.”

  Him, inside of her, thrusting over and over again. “Everything.”

  He drew the tip of her breast deep into his mouth.

  His thumb circling the other melted her into decadent sensation. She arched up, unable to stifle a moan.

  He sucked harder and harder.

  Need raced through her and she clutched his nape. She’d do anything to prolong the pleasure.

  The sudden loss of his lips yanked a protest out of her. King brushed a kiss over her cheek and slipped the straps of her dress back into place. “We’re here.”

  Sexual ecstasy left Sophie suspended in a haze as King helped her out of the limo and ushered her into the tall building. A warm night breeze followed them in, momentarily mingling with the chilled air in the quiet, modern, gray-on-gray lobby.

  They hurried past the dark-haired, uniformed guard behind the curved concierge station.

  She caught a reflection of her and King in a mirrored wall. With his impatient expression, and her hair, a mix of tamed perfection and curls in rebellion, it was obvious what they’d been up to earlier and where they were headed now. To the guard’s credit, he only gave them a brisk nod, but who cared what he thought? It wasn’t like he’d recognize her or King again. Neither one of them were frequent visitors to Kingman Partners’ VIP condos.

  King waved a key fob over the pad next to the elevator and it opened.

  Inside the elevator, she faced him as he held her by the waist. Accepting his silent invitation, she stepped between his legs and looped her arms around his neck.

  He nestled his erection against her belly. His long exhale whispered over her cheek. “For once, I regret being on the seventh floor.”

  “Me too.” Longing hummed inside Sophie as she kissed him. This had to be the slowest elevator in town.

  A ding signaled their arrival.

  Dark carpeting muffled their footsteps in the brightly lit hallway. King stopped at the second of four white doors on the left, tapped in a code on the keypad above the knob, and drew her inside.

  Before the door shut, King captured her lips with his.

  She opened to him, and he plunged his tongue into her mouth. His unmistakable groan of need heightened her own desire. Sophie lost herself in pure want. She wanted more of his kisses, more of his caresses—more of him.

  King pulled her from the unlit foyer.

  Ahead of her, beams of moonlight shone through a glass door that overlooked a balcony, casting shadows in the darkened living room. Sophie caught a glimpse of a round coffee table flanked by two curved sofas in the middle of the medium-size space just before King swept her up in his arms.

  Anticipation mounted as he carried her down the hall into the bedroom. King flipped a switch on the wall and a brass floor lamp lit up in one corner. A large, dark-wood-framed bed in front of them, covered by a plum comforter, dominated the room.

  He set her down. The raw desire in his expression, and her own impatience, made her shake. Sophie tossed her clutch into a beige side chair and kicked off her shoes.

  As he yanked off his tie, she tore at the buttons on his shirt. He shrugged it off and she pressed kisses to his chest. Spice and musk tantalized her along with the heat of his skin.

  He unzipped her dress and she slid down the straps. Her nipples grazed his chest and pleasurable sensation rushed over her as fabric puddled at her feet.

  King stroked up her thighs. As he cupped her ass, he backed her up. “You’re so damn sexy.”

  She fell back onto the bed, and he followed. Demanding kisses turned into sensual glides as he mated with her tongue. Soft sweeps of his mouth over her cheek brought shivers. Unhurried kisses down her neck and along her shoulder enveloped her in longing. His mouth came closer to her breast. New, uncharted desire washed her in heat. He sucked her nipple and the hard pulls made her belly clench.

  Sophie threaded her fingers through his hair. As he glided his hands low on her abdomen, she clenched her hands into fists. “Oh yes.”

  He traced around the triangle of silk covering her, and “Oh yes” turned into a mantra Sophie couldn’t stop. Kisses branded her as his hot mouth followed the downward slide of her micro thong. King ran his tongue along the seam of her sex, and her hips rose of their own volition. Quick dips of his tongue just missed her clit. Licks and sucks along the bare folds of her sex kept her on the brink. One finger, then two, working inside of her, brought tortured ecstasy.

  King wedged his shoulders between her legs, urging her to spread her thighs for more of his fiery mouth. His tongue darted in and out of her.

  Wanton with desire, she stroked her breasts and tweaked her nipples. Pleasure gained strength as her existence centered on his lips and tongue tasting, sucking, and flicking over her throbbing nub. Just a few more strokes. She was so close.

  King moved away.

  Her pants turned into whimpers from the sudden emptiness between her legs. She ached.

  He unfastened his belt buckle. “You’re not coming until I’m inside of you.” His biceps and chest flexed as he removed his shoes and took off his slacks. He slid off his black boxer briefs, and his hard, thick length bumped against his taut abdomen. His gaze, hungry with need, swept over her. With each harsh breath, his six-pack grew more pronounced. He stalked to the bedside table near the headboard.

  She couldn’t take her gaze from him. He was really there. She could explore, have, and enjoy him as her own and not just as a fantasy or an untouchable dream.

  He found a condom in the drawer and sheathed himself. The mattress dipped as he crawled onto the bed. King’s big body covered hers. His gaze reflected his intention to stake his claim. He nestled the tip of his erection at her opening, and she lifted her hips.

  Sophie met his surge forward. A sigh flowed out of her with the luxurious stretch of her inner muscles pulsing around him and accommodating his size.

  His eyes closed and he hissed out a breath. “You feel so good.” He kissed her hard, taking ownership of her mouth, dominating her senses as he drove deeply inside of her.

  Delicious friction dragged over every nerve and pulled out her moans. “More . . . more.”

  King thrust harder. Deeper. Faster. Sensation and pleasure tore into Sophie as she held on to him. His back muscles bunched and released under her palm, and sweat slickened her fingers.

  She squeezed around his length, taking back some of the control.

  King tore his lips from hers. His jawline squared and his fingers dug into her hips. Fierceness darkened his eyes as he reached between her legs to strum her clit.

  She warred between prolonging decadent sensation or chasing the orgasm just out of reach. Her orgasm won. Tingles surged up from her feet. Warmth washed over her as she splintered apart.

  King tensed as he cupped her butt and ground his hips even deeper into hers. His guttural groan filled her ears as he pumped and pulsed inside of her.

  As she came down from the sexual high, she stroked his back, reveling in his solid weight holding her down on the mattress.

  He pushed up on his elbows and brushed his lips over hers. “You’re incredible.”

  Unhurried kisses melted her. She wanted to hold on to him, but her limbs felt heavy. As she floated in softness, she couldn’t stop her eyes from closing. At least when she woke up this time, King would be lying beside her. He wasn’t just a dream.

  five

  KING EASED FROM underneath the covers and sat on the side of the bed. The first weak rays of dawn overcame the shadows covering the bedside table next to him, and the side chairs and small table near to the open bedroom, and the colorful abstracts hanging on the wall. He’d never spent the night at the condo with a woman he’d slept with. He barely recognized the room in the light.

  Sophie sighed in her sleep.

  Why hadn’t his internal clock screamed at him to go home? Recollections from their night together flickered in. He’d a
wakened hours ago with her spooned back against him. Instead of getting out of bed, he’d given in to caressing her curves, coaxing open her thighs, and gliding into her. He’d continuously driven into Sophie’s sweetness. Her sleepy, contented moans had crescendoed into urgent cries that had muted out his reasons for leaving.

  Sophie turned. The white sheet clung to the tips of her breasts and twisted around her legs. A small, diamond-shaped birthmark on her right hip begged him to trace his fingers over it.

  If he touched her, he’d want her again—but he couldn’t stay. Not if he didn’t want to screw up any more than he already had. He should have kept his distance, stayed professional. Instead, he’d taken a step into territory he’d sworn he never would. Workplace womanizing was his father’s thing, not his.

  King rounded the bed and went into the blue-tiled bathroom. As he tidied up, the image of his fiftysomething-year-old father overshadowed his reflection in the mirror. People always told him he was Gerard’s clone. Growing up he’d relished the comparison as a compliment. He’d refused to see the truth about his father, even when he’d discovered Gerard was an unfaithful son of a bitch in marriage as well as the boardroom. In his teens, he’d caught Gerard having a workplace affair. Instead of revealing it, he’d believed his father when he’d sworn it was the last time. It was a lie.

  A blackmail attempt by a jilted lover, six years ago, had revealed the full extent of Gerard’s womanizing. He and Aiden had worked for their father, but with all of their frequent business trips, they hadn’t picked up on it. An image of King’s blond-haired mother with tears in her eyes after hearing the news rose up. Guilt twisted in his gut. Shortly after the revelation, he and Aiden walked out on their father and started their own company.

  But sleeping with Sophie didn’t make him exactly like Gerard. He wasn’t married or in a committed relationship. King splashed cold water on his face. But he had broken the agreement he and Aiden had made about not letting their personal life jeopardize the company or distract them from business. Kingman Partners was their priority.

  In the bedroom, King pulled on his boxer briefs. Serious relationships with women or fantasies of happily-ever-afters weren’t built into his DNA. Unlike his father, he’d accepted that fact and didn’t make empty promises. He abided by one simple, straight-up rule: the woman he was seeing had to understand that their relationship wouldn’t progress beyond sex. It would last only a day, a weekend, a couple of months—however long before the intrigue wore off. If they refused the conditions, he walked away.

  King scooped up the rest of his clothing along with Sophie’s from the floor. He laid her evening gown on one of the two side chairs in the seating area. Silky fabric slipped through his fingers. Last night with Sophie, he hadn’t given a damn about his agreement with Aiden or his own simple rule. His cock had dictated the terms—have her and to hell with the consequences. Now his failure of control could turn into a clusterfuck of a mistake. He had to find a way to roll things back and preserve their perfect working relationship. He wouldn’t lose his best assistant and impact the smooth running of Kingman Partners’ offices over a careless misjudgment.

  Sophie stirred. “What time is it?” She shielded her eyes from the first rays of sun shining through the window blinds. With her tousled hair, flushed skin, and nipples about to peek over the edge of the sheet, she was a cross between an angel and a pure temptress.

  Fresh need snaked through him. He had to get out. Fast. “It’s early. You don’t have to get up yet, but I’ve got the chamber of commerce meeting this morning.”

  “The meeting.” Her sleepy expression morphed to alertness. She sat up, holding the covers to her chest. “Do you have everything you need?”

  “Yes.” King winced inwardly at his curt tone. He bypassed the side chair with the dress and sat in the other one. As he put on his shoes, King forced a smile. “Don’t worry. Everything is covered. Since you don’t have your car, Carl will come back to take you home after he drops me off. He’ll also drive you to work. Sound good?”

  “Yes. But wh—”

  “I’ve got to go.” He recognized the expression on her face. She wanted to talk about last night. And they would . . . right after he determined the most efficient way for him and Sophie to get past this and reestablish the boss-employee line.

  “I have to get home and pack an overnight bag.” He shrugged on his jacket and shoved his tie into the pocket. “I’m having an early lunch with a few members of the city council after the chamber meeting. I have some things to take care of after that, and then I’m heading straight to the airport. If anyone needs me, they’ll have to wait until I get back on Monday. Oh, and I’ll need that draft proposal we talked about.”

  Sophie looked away and fiddled with the sheet. “All right.” She strived for naturalness in her tone, but it wasn’t quite there. “Is there a particular time I should have it ready?”

  “The jet goes wheels up at three. Just make sure it’s uploaded to my cloud account at least a half hour before then.” He stood.

  Awkwardness permeated the room.

  Her dejected expression got to him. King tipped up her chin. “I know you want to talk about what happened. We will when I get back.” He gave in to the urge to touch her and stroked her cheek. “You’re important to me, Sophie. I really value our connection. I don’t want to lose what we have.”

  She gave him a small smile. “Neither do I.”

  A pull like gravity drew him closer to her lips. He veered away before he kissed her. “See you later.” He walked out, willing himself not to look back.

  In the limo, a battle raged inside him for leaving her the way he did. I’m being a total ass. He should have reassured her with a kiss. But if that sheet she was holding against her chest would have slipped down any farther, a kiss wouldn’t have sufficed. It was too tempting not to want to stay with her. Even after a night of sex and very little sleep, he’d awakened more refreshed and relaxed than he had since . . . when?

  Even if staying wasn’t a bad idea, he couldn’t just screw the schedule. The mountain lodge he was going to see in Georgia was a good prospective investment—possibly even better than the Ivy Gate Hotel. The spacing of the studs in the wall at the restaurant had looked off last night. He needed to get a good look in the daylight to confirm it, but something like that would weaken the structure.

  Carl cleared his throat. “Where would you like to go, Mr. Kingman?”

  King pulled his gaze away from the entrance of Grove Terrace. He had to stay focused on business. “Home.”

  six

  SOPHIE’S MORNING-AFTER-SEX HIGH deflated. Could King have run out of the room any faster? What was up with that almost kiss? Had she really considered revealing her breasts to tempt him into staying? She flopped back on the bed. King’s cologne lingered on the pillows she’d so desperately clutched last night to stifle her screams of pleasure. Her skin tingled with remembrance. Had last night really happened?

  She flung back the covers and stood. Foil crackled under her foot. The empty gold condom package stuck to her heel. Magnum. More like mag-DAMN. She’d orgasmed harder than she’d ever had in her life. As she peeled it off, a grin she couldn’t stop emerged. She’d supersize any future fantasies about him.

  But what about their future together in the office?

  Anxiety started to mushroom inside of her. She took a long breath and brought it under control. Yes, she would have preferred a conversation with him before he left about what was next, but he had meetings to attend and she had an office to run. Discussing their personal issues would have to wait until Monday. It was only Friday.

  That meant she’d spend the whole weekend thinking about what happened . . . wondering what was next.

  Stop. You’re obsessing.

  Sophie tossed the package in the bathroom trash can. Honesty had always existed between them, and when they did talk, the respect they had for each other would lead the way.

  A white bath towel that King
had used hung haphazardly on the rack, but the glass-enclosed shower remained pristine. He was running late. It was probably easier for him to clean up and dress at home.

  Sophie snagged the lone white towel in the linen closet and wrapped it around herself sarong-style. She preferred a little homey clutter to the condo’s immaculate, Spartan-like appearance—although she could get used to having a maid service clean up after her. With their busy schedules, she and Robin always lagged behind on housework.

  She searched the two cabinets and four drawers underneath the sink counter for shampoo and body wash. Except for a roll of toilet tissue and a couple of disposable toothbrushes, the storage areas remained bare. No courtesy bottles of conditioner or lotion. That was strange. Not too long ago, Aiden had told Carol to make sure the VIP guest quarters were fully stocked at all times. Normally she would say something, but she couldn’t tell Carol about it. Aiden’s curious assistant would want to know why she’d been there. King had to have noticed the lack of amenities. He’d sort it out.

  She pulled on the left top drawer, but something prevented it from opening. She yanked harder.

  A tiny blue box flew out and condom packages spilled onto the floor.

  She opened the drawer farther. A half dozen more condom boxes sat inside of it. Condoms definitely weren’t on the restocking list in Aiden’s memo. Disquiet and a sudden need to leave slipped through her. She put on her wrinkled dress and grabbed her things. In the living room, she hobbled on one foot, then the other, as she put on her slingbacks.

  Everything in the room—from the sofas to the coffee table to the flat-screen TV to the pristine cream carpet—appeared new. She ventured farther into the living room and went through the archway on the right leading to the kitchen. So did all of the stainless-steel appliances. She centered the fake white flower arrangement in a green basket sitting on the dark marble counter. Everything was carefully staged like a VIP residence, but something about the place was off. Sophie rummaged around.