by Anna Durand
And I mashed my mouth to hers.
She went perfectly still, not responding but not pulling away either.
My pulse pounded in my ears, and I fought the nearly overpowering impulse to hike up her skirt and fuck her right here and now.
Her body relaxed. She moaned, the sound almost imperceptible, and opened for me.
I thrust my tongue between her lips. Christ, the taste of her. It inflamed me to the point I had to dig my nails into the tree bark to keep from seizing her hips and doing the thing I'd burned to do since the first time I'd seen her. Taking her in the backyard of my cousin's house while he, his wife, and Serena's son waited inside would be too wrong even for me. Instead, I devoured her. I swiped my tongue around hers, teased the roof of her mouth, plunged deeper and more wildly until she grasped my shoulders and moaned again.
With a guttural groan, I plastered my body to hers and shifted one hand to palm her breast. The silky fabric of her dress only made me crave her more, made the need to rip the bloody dress off her more intense, almost irresistible.
Laughter coming from the house roused me from the spell cast by the enchantress in my arms.
I tore my mouth away from hers and stumbled backward a few steps. My breaths came sharp and fast. This woman drove me insane. What was it about Serena Carpenter? Why did I need to fuck her more than I'd ever needed to fuck a woman in my life?
Her cheeks were dusted with pink, her lips swollen.
She looked beautiful that way, her expression soft and hungry at the same time.
Bloody hell, MacTaggart, get a grip on yourself. I stalked back to the table and collapsed onto my chair. At least the table would hide my flaming erection.
Serena shuffled up to her chair and dropped onto the seat. Her eyes were slightly glazed, and she still breathed more roughly than normal.
Evan, Keely, and Chase arrived with dessert.
When Evan walked me to the front door later, to see me off, he set a hand on my shoulder and whispered, "What happened earlier? Between dinner and dessert? You and Serena looked like you'd either run a marathon or..."
Evan lifted his brows.
"We argued, what do you think?" I lied. Luckily, my years with MI6 had taught me how to lie with ease.
But my cousin wasn't convinced.
He lifted his brows again. "That must have been a right rammy to have you both so...stimulated. I would've expected to hear shouting."
"Go pester your wife, Evan. I'm sure she's feeling neglected. It has been more than thirty seconds since you fussed over her." I glanced across the foyer at the siren who had bewitched me, if only for a moment. "Serena is a witch."
"Not a bitch anymore, eh? Witch seems like a step up."
"That woman is a she-devil."
Evan chuckled. "Whatever you say, Logan."
He patted my shoulder, still chuckling.
I stomped out the door.
Chapter Four
Serena
At precisely nine o'clock, Logan sauntered up to my desk. This time, he approached the front of it rather than sneaking up behind me to cop a feel of my ass. I was sitting down, but still, he would've tried it. Dressed in a charcoal suit and white shirt without a tie, he looked both professional and sexy. Like yesterday and last night, he had the top two buttons of his shirt undone to reveal a mouthwatering glimpse of his skin and the fine hairs that dusted it. His lips curved into the barest of smiles, the closest I'd ever seen him get to expressing a positive outlook.
He set his palms on the desk and leaned into them. "Good morning, Mrs. Carpenter. You are as bonnie as ever today."
What was his game? Complimenting me had to be part of some nefarious plot.
I glanced up from my computer, feeling my forehead tighten as my brows cinched together. "Thank you. Good morning, Mr. MacTaggart."
"What's the agenda for today, Mrs. Carpenter?"
The way he spoke in a level tone and kept his gaze trained on me was unnerving. Why did he keep calling me Mrs. Carpenter? It was weird. Especially after last night. Kissing Logan had been a huge mistake.
The memory of his lips on mine rushed through me complete with sensations and sounds. I'd moaned when his agile tongue invaded my mouth.
I cleared my throat, pushed my chair back, and stood. "Evan expects me to show you around and tell you all about the company. How we do things. Stuff like that."
He straightened and spread his arms. "I'm all yours, Mrs. Carpenter."
"Just call me Serena."
"All right, but only if you call me Logan."
"Fine, whatever."
Had I ever used his first name when I was looking at him, speaking to him? I didn't think I had. That made his request seem bizarrely...arousing.
I grabbed a folder off my desk, the one emblazoned with the logos of Evanescent Security Technologies Limited and its American subsidiary, Vic's Electronics Superstores LLC. Vic's still had only one store, but Evan and Keely planned to expand it into a chain. I offered the folder to Logan. "Here's your orientation packet. It includes a map of the building, names and extensions for all the people you might need to contact, and some other stuff."
"Other stuff?" He leaned his hip against my desk. "Do tell, Serena. I'm already mesmerized."
So that was his game. Pretend to be nice while inserting the occasional sarcastic jab. At least, I assumed he was being sarcastic with his "mesmerized" comment. What exactly did he hope to accomplish? Driving me nuts would only drive me to murder him.
"The other stuff," I said, "is our dress code and rules of conduct, plus our policies concerning sexual harassment, ethics, and the handling of sensitive information."
"I imagine I've already violated some of the rules." He glanced at the folder in his hand but didn't open it. "Never been terribly concerned with propriety."
No shit. "What rules do you think you've broken?"
He came around the desk to me and leaned in a little. "I've been sexually harassing you, haven't I? And I plan to keep doing it."
"What if I sue you?"
"Go on. I don't mind."
I shook my head. "You don't mind being sued? What about losing your job?"
"Lawsuits don't frighten me and losing this job wouldn't devastate me." He traced a line down my jaw with his fingertip, the touch delicate. "Seducing you will be worth any legal annoyances."
Who called getting sued a legal annoyance? He seemed genuinely unfazed by the prospect.
"You won't be seducing me," I said. "I will never sleep with you. Get that through your granite skull. No sex. Not ever."
He took half a step back. "Kissing is acceptable, though."
"No, it is not."
"You not only let me kiss you last night, but you kissed me back. Passionately."
"I was—Never mind. Follow me." I spun on my heels and headed for the hallway. "This is your official tour of Evanescent's US headquarters. Listen up, keep your trap shut unless you have a relevant question, and do not stare at my ass."
"Afraid I can't adhere to any of those rules." He caught up to me and squeezed my bottom. "Feel free to submit a sexual harassment complaint to the CEO."
"Complaints go to human resources."
"Send it there too." He walked alongside me, his gaze steadily on my face. "I'm working here because Evan asked me to. The job has nothing to do with seducing you. I'll be doing that either way."
"Do you not realize how obnoxious that sounds?"
"I'm telling you what I want and what I intend to do. Why does that fash you?"
"Oh, you can't confuse me with your Scottishisms. I know what fash means, and I am not bothered at all."
"Glad to hear it." He cupped a hand over my bottom and held it there. "That means everything you've said to me was flirtation, even when you called me disgusting."
I swatted his hand away. "You are disgusting, but it doesn't bother me. I can handle your crude, obnoxious behavior."
"Good."
We reached the first doorway, and I stopped there to explain. "This is the copy room. There's one on every floor. To make photocopies, you need a code that you type into the keypad on the machine. Your code is in the folder I gave you. Would you like me to demonstrate how to use the copier?"
"Yes, please do."
I couldn't decide if he was being sarcastic, or if he really wanted me to show him. Since I couldn't decide, I went for the safest option. "Come on, I'll show you how it works."
Well, I hoped it was the safest option.
Swinging the door open, I walked over to the big copier. Metal shelves lined the walls on either side. Gesturing toward them, I told Logan, "The paper reams are kept on the shelves, inside their wrapping. Do not unwrap one unless the copier is out of paper. If it needs new toner, call me or one of the janitorial staff. They know how to switch out the toner cartridges."
Logan leaned against the shelves, thumbs hooked inside the waist of his pants. "I know how to change a toner cartridge, Serena, but thank you for providing all that scintillating information."
"Yeah, sure." My skin had started to itch, but I fought the urge to scratch. I wished to hell I knew what he was up to with his polite routine. "Let me show you where to enter your code."
"Please. I'm waiting with bated breath."
Ignoring his comment, I faced the copier and pointed to a keypad attached to its corner. "This is where you enter the code. Type it in and press enter."
He strode up behind me, peering over my shoulder at the keypad. "Sounds reasonably simple. Shall I give it a go?"
"Um, sure." The scent of his cologne, spicy and earthy, surrounded me. "Just type—"
"Yes, I understand the concept." He reached around me, his arm brushing mine, and typed the six-digit code into the keypad, then hit enter. "Mission accomplished."
I twisted my head around to see him. "How did you know the code? I never saw you open the folder I gave you."
"While you had your back turned, I found the code and memorized it."
"Oh. You, uh, have a very good memory."
"Photographic." He plastered his body to mine and bent his head to whisper in my ear. "Anything you say or do will be engraved in my mind forever."
"I guess that's handy for a spy, but you're a civilian now."
"A photographic memory is handy in any walk of life." He nuzzled my neck, his breaths tickling my skin. "Particularly when it comes to seduction."
His lips vibrated against my skin when he spoke, and the soft rumble of his voice made all the fine hairs at my nape stiffen. I should've pushed him away, but I couldn't make myself do it.
"What I want," he said, sliding an arm around my waist, "is to fuck you on this copy machine. Right now."
He dragged his mouth up my throat, licking at my flesh as he moved.
A warm, liquid tingle rushed over my skin and settled between my thighs.
Logan backed away. "What's next on the agenda?"
Speechless, I shuffled around to face him. Though I opened my mouth, no words would come out. Everything south of my waist had awakened at the sensation of his body so close to mine, his lips grazing my skin, and his heated breaths tantalizing me. The sexy rumble of his voice had only made things worse. Looking at him, with his casually dressy clothes and those hazel eyes fixated on me, I wanted him to do exactly what he'd said. Fuck me on the copy machine. Right here, right now.
I gripped the copier with both hands.
"Shall we get to it?" he asked, his voice deeper and rumblier.
"What?"
He gestured toward the door. "Shall we get on with the tour?"
"Oh, that. Yes." I straightened and rolled my shoulders back. "Follow me."
For the next two and a half hours, I showed Logan around the building. We visited every floor, and I introduced him to every department head so he would know to whom he should speak if security problems arose in any part of the company. I introduced him to the janitorial staff too, and anyone else who might have a need to interact with Logan. Maybe I went a tad overboard. Maybe I hadn't needed to introduce him to the cafeteria ladies or the accounting interns. And maybe, just maybe, I was going overboard because I desperately needed to have other people around us to keep myself from begging him to kiss me again.
No, I would not beg. I might order him to do it, but I would never plead for a kiss.
Probably not.
Once he'd met everyone, I had no choice but to take him back upstairs to the secluded room that housed my desk. I laid a hand on the back of my chair but did not sit down.
Logan leaned against the corner of my desk and watched me.
A hot little shiver sidled down my spine.
The door to Evan's office hung wide open. Inside, I could see him gathering papers into a leather binder. Keely had given him that binder. She had one just like it.
Christ, they were too cute for words.
Not that I was jealous. That would've been petty, and besides, I was happy for the two of them.
Evan strode out of his office and pulled the door shut behind him. His gaze flicked from me to Logan and back again. "I'm away for a meeting at Vic's. Don't forward any calls to my mobile unless it's urgent."
I nodded.
"And Logan," Evan said, approaching his cousin, "do try not to incite Serena to murder you. It would be hell getting the blood stains out of the carpeting."
"I'll do my best." Logan shot me a snarky glance. "But don't blame me if the woman can't control her passions."
Evan patted Logan's shoulder and left.
Logan and I regarded each other in silence. He smirked. I scowled. He casually scratched his cheek and let his gaze wander down my body, his tongue slipping out to wet his lips when his attention paused on my breasts. He adjusted the bulge in his slacks.
My breasts tingled and tightened.
"What's next on the agenda?" he asked in the sexy tone that unnerved and excited me.
Oh lord, why did the hottest guy I'd ever met have to be such a jerk? If he were a normal person, I could have sex with him and get this lust out of my system. We would have good sex for sure, potentially great sex. I mean, with a body like his...
I let my gaze wander over him. My God, all those muscles. Whenever he moved his arms, his biceps flexed and bulged, straining his suit jacket. When he walked, those charcoal slacks stretched taut over his glutes with every step he took.
My focus landed on the bulge in his pants. How big was his dick? The size of that lump suggested he was well endowed, to say the least. What would it feel like to have him inside me, filling my body in the most delicious way, pushing in and pulling out, his shaft glistening with my wetness, and—
"Serena," Logan half growled.
His rough voice jerked me out of my fantasy. I made the mistake of looking at him. His pale-gold eyes shimmered with desire, and every time he moved his head the slightest bit, the light glinted on the emerald flecks in those irises. With his lips parted, he gazed straight into my eyes.
"Stop staring at my cock," he said, "or I will fuck you right here on your desk."
My cheeks grew hot, my sex too. Between my thighs, a molten slickness burgeoned.
I grabbed the first sheet of paper I saw on my desk, cleared my throat, and announced, "I need to make copies of this. It's urgent. Stay here."
Whirling on my heels, I stalked off to the copy room.
Logan strolled into the room a few seconds later.
I stifled a groan. Why oh why hadn't I shut the door and locked it? I had the copier's lid up, but I couldn't seem to get the paper positioned right. It kept slipping out of my grasp, sliding across the clear glass surface.
Logan laid a hand over mine, stilling my frantic movements. "Let's get it over with. We'll both feel better after a good, hard poke."
My throat tightened, but my mouth watered. The slickness pouring out of my sex soaked through my panties and dribbled
down the insides of my thighs. A good, hard poke, he'd said. My nipples shot erect. Logan fucking me. I squeezed my eyes shut but couldn't shake the image of it.
He snatched the sheet of paper off the copier's glass and flipped it over to read what was written on it. A soft chuckle tumbled past his lips. "You urgently need to make copies of your grocery list?"
"Um, yeah." How stupid did I sound? The mature single mom had reverted to being a dumb, lust-drunk teenager. "I have stuff to do. Go away."
"The stuff you need to do would be me."
I snorted, though it came out sounding more desperate than sarcastic.
"Aye," he murmured, his lips suddenly poised so close to my ear they brushed against the lobe when he spoke. "Ye want me. I want ye too. Let's just do it."
I couldn't speak. Could hardly breathe.
He moved behind me, his hands on my hips and his erection scraping against my backside. "Say yes, Serena."
Oh, the way he spoke my name. His voice rough. His words strained like he couldn't wait another second. The lust that always seized me whenever I was around him gripped me so hard I almost whimpered, and I spoke the words I'd sworn I would never say to him. "Fuck me now."
He shoved my skirt up and yanked down my panties. The harsh sound of him unzipping his pants echoed in the room. With one foot, he kicked my feet further apart, opening me to him.
Cool air rushed over my flesh, from my entrance straight down my thighs. Had I ever been this wet before? No, I hadn't. What was it about Logan MacTaggart that made me crazed with need?
I heard rustling, then the distinctive rip of a condom packet. He walked around with a condom in his pocket? At work?
Logan grasped my hips, tilting them back, and plunged inside me.
The fullness of him felt so damn good. While he thrust in and out, hard and fast, I gripped the copier's edges, my hands at either side of the still-open lid. The sensation of his cock gliding in and out, the slapping of his balls on my ass, the sucking noise of my outrageously aroused body...It was all so fucking hot. I threw my head back and moaned, my eyelids drifting half shut.
"Yes," I groaned. "Oh yes, harder, please, faster, more."