by BWWM Club
“By this time tomorrow our names will be linked together and we will be effectively dubbed as a couple.” He told her with a sardonic smile. “Lila has the biggest mouth in show business and is not afraid to use it.”
“I see,” Debra felt the panic stirring inside her again. “So she will effectively do what we are hoping to achieve.”
“Precisely,” he leaned forward again. “And now for good measure and to make sure the message is clear,” he let the sentence hang in the air as he took her lips with his. Debra was caught off guard and she let out a startled sigh as his tongue entered her mouth. She felt the frisson of desire as she gave in to the fire unfurling inside her stomach. His hand came up to cup her cheek and he deepened the kiss, his mouth plundering hers. Debra found herself forgetting where they were and the people around her as she lost herself to the passion rising inside her.
With a muttered oath, Michael released her lips and moved away from her. “Let’s get out of here,” he said harshly, beckoning the waiter to take his card.
Within minutes they were outside in the blast of cold swirling around them as the valet brought around the car. He was silent for most of the journey back and Debra kept stealing glances at his stony profile; her mouth still felt the imprint of his and her hands shook slightly as she tried to tamp down on the desire curling inside her.
“You are under my skin,” he told her abruptly, sending her a sideways glance. “I am so hard for you right now that I want to take you right now.”
Debra’s heart slammed inside her chest at his words and she almost told him to do so but she knew he was used to women falling at his feet and she had no intention of becoming one of them. “That’s a good start,” she forced her voice to remain cool.
He glanced over at her, his eyes sweeping over her in speculation. “Playing it safe?” he asked her in amusement. They were almost at her apartment and Debra could not wait to be alone to try and process the feelings coursing through her.
“For now,” she strove for calm and collected which was difficult considering his nearness had the power to unnerve her.
They had reached her apartment by now and he switched off the engine and turned sideways to look at her, one hand coming to rest against her seat. “Had a good time?” his hand was near to the back of her neck and she jumped slightly as she felt him trailing a finger down her neck.
“Yes,” she said, her tone edgy, he was making her jumpy again.
“Relax,” he told her softly. “We are practically engaged, so we should get to know each other better.” His hand reached around and tilted her chin up. “You are so beautiful that you make other women pale in comparison.” His thumb brushed against her bottom lip causing a quiver to run through her.
“I have to go inside,” she told him trying to sound firm but failing miserably. She wanted to lean into him but she was determined to let him make all the moves, she was not going to appear desperate.
“I want inside you,” he told her, shocking her into silence as he came forward and started nibbling at her lip, his tongue touching hers slowly. She sighed and opened her mouth underneath his, helplessly letting her tongue touch his. With a groan he deepened the kiss, pulling her as close as the soft leather seats would allow.
His hand cupped the back of her head and his tongue plunged inside her mouth, his grip tightening on her head as the passion mounted. Debra’s hands came up and rested on his solid, muscular chest and her fingers curled into his jacket as she found herself spiraling beyond anything she had ever experienced before.
She wanted to beg him to take her, to tell him to come up to her apartment and never leave but she had seen how easily he become bored with women in the past and she vowed she would never be one of them. With a supreme effort she dragged herself away, taking a deep shuddering breath and reaching for the door handle.
He stopped her, her eyes searching. “What’s wrong?” he asked her, his hand like a steel band on her arm.
“We are into this because we want to clean up your image,” she willed her voice to be cool. “Let’s not get carried away.”
He stared at her for a moment and Debra had to stop herself from squirming. “You’re right,” he told her, his voice edgy and clipped. He leaned over to open the door and Debra went rigid as his arm brushed against her breasts causing a shiver to travel through her body. She could not get out fast enough and a different sensation of cold hit her as the iciness of the weather pushed through her coat and touched her body. She hurried inside the apartment building, willing herself not to turn and look back at him because she could feel his eyes boring into her back.
She dropped her guard as soon as she got inside her apartment and leaned weakly against the door, her eyes closed as she remembered his lips on hers, his tongue inside her mouth and the sensation coursing through her body, a body that had been sleeping for far too long. She was fiercely attracted to him and she knew what it would do to her to let herself fall in love with him. He had no sense of loyalty when it came to women and she was not going to fall under the trap of begging him to love her.
With a weary sigh she went into the kitchen to make herself some herbal tea. She had spoken to her aunt earlier in the day and had promised to see her over the weekend. She had not told her anything about her sham engagement and she certainly did not want her finding out from the papers but it was too soon to tell her yet.
*****
David flung his jacket on a chair in his bedroom, his movements rife with impatience. He had wanted to make love to her but she had been so cool and standoffish and it was not something he was used to from women. He plowed his fingers through his thick wavy hair and a frown settled on his brow as he wondered if this was a good idea after all.
Chapter 4
It was their third date that caught the interest of the media. They had gone to the opening of a museum of natural science that Tanners Technology had taken an interest in and the media was there in full. They were seen holding hands and smiling at each other and that was how the camera had captured them. ‘Billionaire playboy Michael Tanner and P.R. Debra Williams enjoying each other’s company’ it went on to say that this was their third date together and wondered if this was a love interest.
Debra was inside her office preparing a press release for the new wing of the hospital Tanners Technology had donated when her door was pushed open and her friend Jules came in; an indignant expression on her face and a newspaper in her hands. “I really thought we were friends,” she said coolly, flinging the newspaper on Debra’s desk.
Debra’s eyes caught the headlines and saw the picture with a sinking heart. She had totally forgotten about it and had been meaning to tell Jules before it came out but she had been so caught up with work that it had slipped her mind. “Oh Jules I am so sorry,” she said contritely, coming around to stand in front of the girl.
“I am not press so you can level with me,” Jules looked at her with narrowed eyes as if she could flush the truth out of her. “Is this a P.R. strategy or is something really going on with you and Michael Tanner?”
Debra opened her mouth to tell her the truth and closed it abruptly. She could not tell her friend the truth because if it was leaked inside the office, very soon it would be leaked to the press and undo what they were doing.
“We are seeing each other socially,” she told the girl reluctantly. Even to her own ears it sounded lame and completely ridiculous.
Jules had taken a seat and crossed elegantly clad legs in startling rose pink wool pants. “What does that mean?” she asked bluntly.
Debra sat beside her in the twin chair, her mind racing. “We have been spending a lot of time together trying to repair the damage Michael’s image has done to the company and we have grown very close.” Which was not entirely untrue, Debra decided.
“You and Michael Tanner?” Jules looked at her dubiously. “You do realize that this is the same man we spent many lunch times and weekends bitching about because he cannot seem to
keep his penis in his pants, right?”
When she said it like that Debra realized that they would have to be very convincing in order to convince anyone, especially the people who worked in the company to believe that he has taken a roundabout turn and is now a one woman man.
“It just happened Jules and we have gotten close,” Debra was desperate to convince her friend or maybe it was convincing herself. “He is not that bad when you really get to know him.” Debra had discovered that he had a quirky sense of humor and he had made her laugh during the times when they had gone out and he had treated her like she was the most special woman in the world, no wonder the women in his life had wanted it to be permanent. She had to keep convincing herself that it was not real; they were just doing it for the company.
“So what does this mean?” Jules was still flummoxed and she could not blame her, it was all so sudden and with anyone else they would be laughing at the wonder of it all but not Michael Tanner.
“It means we are going to see where it goes,” Debra forced a smile on her lips, willing it to reach her eyes. She was desperately wishing Jules would just leave or the phone would ring and distract them; anything but sitting here and trying to explain her sham of a love affair to her best friend.
“I hope you know what you are doing,” the girl touched her hand briefly, her eyes searching. “I hope you are the one and he does not discard you like the others because if he does, employer or not he will have to answer to me.” She warned.
“He won’t,” Debra said with a brief smile, confident that because of the arrangement there was no chance of that happening.
“I hope so,” she headed for the door. “And by the way, congratulations.” She said before leaving and closing the door behind her. The way it was said was far from a congratulatory tone and Debra felt her heart sinking as she thought about what her friend had said. She had told herself that she was not going to get emotionally involved but who was she kidding? She was already getting involved and there was no way she could be with him and not feel anything, that was totally impossible.
Her phone rang just then and she realized that it was him. An unconscious smile curled her lips as she answered. “Seen the paper?” he asked her his voice slightly amused.
“Yes I saw it,” she told him, picking up the paper and staring at the picture. She had been wearing a red wool all in one pants suit and gold accessories and she was smiling up at him.
“Want to come and neck inside my office?” he queried in a soft voice.
She laughed, the action successfully dispelling the dark clouds hovering over her since Jules had left the room. “I have work to do Michael,” she told him cradling the phone against her ear and wishing that it was that sort of relationship where she could just go freely inside his office and throw her arms around his neck and buried her mouth in his.
“Last chance,” he said softly and for one insane second Debra pretended that they were a real couple, deliriously in love and could not bear to be away from each other.
“Maybe later,” she responded softly before hanging up the phone.
She shook off the absurd feeling and went back to her desk. This was real and needed her attention; it was time she got back to the real world.
*****
Michael hung up the phone with a small smile tilting his lips. He found himself wanting to talk to her and spend time with her all the time and the feeling was new to him. She was cool and detached and even though she laughed at his joke, her felt her distancing herself from him and he knew why. His reputation was not stellar and before now he did not give a damn about what people thought of his lifestyle but now he did. He was planning on giving her an engagement ring tonight when they had dinner at his apartment; three weeks had already passed so he figured enough time had passed. He could show the world and especially the media, that this was real and not some trumped up engagement to make him look good for his business associates. It had started out that way but now it was changing. It was something too new to him and he did not know how to deal with it. He bit off a sigh and returned to the business at hand, he could not wait to be with her later.
*****
Debra had brought a change of clothes. They were going to his apartment straight from the office and even though she had worn a navy pants suit; she had brought jeans and an emerald green sweater; he had not told her what was going on but she suspected that he wanted them to be alone.
They left the office at seven together and he drove to the apartment building that belonged to Tanners Technology. He had the pent house suite and they rode the elevator up in silence. He had been silent for most of the journey and Debra followed suit; if he did not want to talk then neither did she.
“This is nice,” she murmured as soon as they stepped inside the large building. He smiled briefly at her deliberate understatement. He knew he had been giving her the silent treatment but he was nervous and that was not something he'd felt for a long time.
“Thanks,” he told her in amusement as he took her coat and hung it along with his on the coat hanger near to the massive oak door. There was a lot of space because he hated overcrowding and he preferred quality over quantity. He had made the necessary arrangements and there was a table set with a vast selection of food and delectable pastries and a bottle of champagne chilling in a bucket.
“What are we celebrating?” she asked him, looking at the table in wonder, suitably impressed.
“You’ll find out shortly,” he told her mysteriously, indicating the bathroom where she could freshen up. Debra did not want to stare but the apartment although sparsely furnished, was sumptuous with expensive artwork hanging on the various walls. It had a masculine tone with a burgundy and brown color scheme. The bathroom was big enough to fit her apartment inside it and had his and her basins, a large shower install and a claw footed bath that could hold two people comfortably. It was fabulous.
He had lit the candles when she came out, giving the place a mysterious glow, the fireplace had a roaring blaze to combat the icy weather. It was almost the end of November and it was already cold enough for them to expect early snow.
He pulled out her chair for her to sit and then went around to sit. There were servings of the most succulent and delicious lemon quiche, lobster in cream sauce and slices of roast beef with creamy pasta and wild rice. They spoke about work and sports and she discovered that he played golf.
“Typical rich guy,” she teased him, sinking her fork into the sinfully delicious and creamy lemon meringue pie with whipped cream.
“I happen to love golf, it’s very relaxing,” he growled with a soft smile. He was planning to propose to her and what had started out as an annoying duty he had to perform for the better of his company was now turning out to be something special.
He poured champagne in the beautiful wine glasses and passed one to her. “Marry me,” he said to her softly, taking a red velvet box from his pocket. He opened it before she could respond, and revealed the most stunning diamond solitaire she had ever seen outside of a magazine. It flashed and shimmered in the dim light and Debra was mesmerized. She had to drag her eyes away to look at him.
“You are sure this is necessary?” she asked him in a hushed tone.
He felt the disappointment going through him like a sharp knife and he forced himself to be cool. “We are keeping up appearances remember?” he said lightly. “We wouldn’t want them to think it’s not the real thing.” He did not tell her that he had spent a vast amount of time trying to pick the right one for her. Now he felt like a fool.
“I love it,” she told him softly as he slid it on her finger. It was a perfect fit. “I am going to be calling attention to myself everywhere I go,” she told him with a laugh, looking at the ring on her finger. It felt strange but also right and Debra tamped down the feeling of loneliness going through her, it doesn’t matter that it was not real or at least she would not think about it.
“How about a kiss to seal the deal?” he pulle
d her to him deliberately and Debra felt her heart pounding inside her chest.
She was in low heels and only came up to his shoulders. He made her feel ultra feminine and petite. She found herself spreading her hands over his chest where his heart was beating in a steady rhythm, not like hers that was galloping a mile a minute.
He lifted her chin and for a moment she thought she saw something in his eyes; something indefinable but before she could decide what it was he bent his head and took her mouth with his.
Debra melted into his arms, the sigh coming from deep within, as her arms went around his neck and he pulled her closer to him, his tongue skillfully dueling hers, a battle that she welcomed and embraced. She felt the fire starting from deep down and she shivered as he plundered her mouth with his, deepening the kiss and taking her on a journey that left her hanging and wanting more. He pulled away from her abruptly and with a sudden movement and swung her up into his arms, his lips seeking hers as she clung to him both for support and because she wanted to feel close to him. He took her into the master bedroom and she caught a glimpse of a huge king sized bed before he settled her down on it, his green eyes smoldering with a fire that threatened to overwhelm them.
“I want to feel you close to me.” He whispered harshly, one hand drifting down her shirt and pushing it up to reveal lace covered breasts. “I need you,” he told her raggedly, bending to release one breast from its covering. “So beautiful,” he murmured his touch tender and seeking.
Debra gasped as he bent his head and captured her pebble like nipple inside his mouth, rolling his tongue around the hardness of it and pulling it inside his mouth. Debra was shaking and she feverishly dug her fingers into his hair, her body arched to accept his touch. He released her breast and undid the clasp of her bra, pulling the shirt over her head.
“Michael,” she whispered, wanting his mouth on her body, needing it, craving it. He pulled her pants open and slipped them off leaving her in her matching lace panties. His hand ventured to her mound, cupping it, his eyes on hers. Debra was frantic with need and she wanted to feel him on her, in her. He stood up and undressed. Debra found her eyes wandering over his magnificent body, the muscled contour of his chest, covered with fine brown hair and drifted down in wonder to his erect penis that was pulsing with need for her.