i beae453328863969

by Unknown

  The expression in his eyes sharpened.

  “Oliver Eaglestone, back off!” She glared at him. Another wave of heat spotted her cheeks. He had her compromised and she was on fire, she could die of embarrassment.

  But instead of backing off, he bent closer and kissed her neck.

  The touch of his mouth sent wildfire racing under her skin. Her head rolled on the desk, her hips arching against him. When he cupped her breasts through the soft fabric of her dress, she groaned. Her body had responded all too well to him. Not only that, but he had responded too. She could feel the pressure of his growing erection between her splayed legs, right where her body wanted it. His hands were locked around the soft under sides of her breasts, his thumbs teasing over the material that separated him from the hard, sensitive surface of her nipples. It was sheer torture.

  She was on fire with need. Her entire body shuddered with it.

  His head snapped up. Their eyes locked.

  “Oliver, don’t…” This time it was a desperate plea. “He’s almost here and you’re… you’re driving me mad.”

  Their hips were anchored together by the fierce tug of desire between them. Instead of backing off, he drew closer again and brushed his mouth against hers.

  She groaned softly when his lips whispered over hers, gently, inquisitively. She felt his breath mingling with hers, the scent of his cologne and his keen maleness engulfing her.

  Yearning bit deep into her core. She responded without thought, driven by desire, reaching to press her mouth fully to his.

  He took the offering, kissing her deeply, mastering her senses in an instant. He explored her lower lip as if he was claiming it as his territory. While his tongue tasted hers, one strong hand reached behind her neck to lift her toward him, the other moved over the surface of her breast with deliberation.

  She lifted her hands from the desk and moved them to his

  shoulders, her body arching against his. Firm muscle flexed at her touch. His cock was growing harder by the second and she wanted to touch it, wanted to feel it in her hand, wanted to feel it thrusting deep inside her.

  A moment later, he drew away. The expression in his eyes was heavy with desire.

  “Oliver?”

  He didn’t respond.

  The footsteps in the hallway had stopped. The door clicked open and the light flickered on, but it was several seconds before either of them could break the connection and look toward the stunned guard who stood in the doorway. Something electric had passed between them. Something primal. Something undeniable.

  Falling for Trouble: Chapter 3

  She was breathless, startled and she was clearly aroused. Even now. Oliver watched her out of the corner of his eye while the car’s courtesy light illuminated her.

  What was it about her mouth that made it so desirable? Kissable and more. Her smile was wide and frequent, her lower lip positive-ly biteable. He hadn’t wanted to stop kissing her, wanted to drink her in while he’d explored her body with his hands.

  “Do you think he believed it?” she asked as she put her seatbelt on and sank her head back against the headrest.

  His eyes adjusted to the gloom as the courtesy light faded.

  “Maybe. Sonia, look I’m going to take you back to my place for the night. I think it would be best.”

  She turned towards him slowly, her expression curious. The light from a nearby streetlamp glinted off her hair and lips when she moved.

  “Should I be asking why?”

  He noticed that she didn’t argue the point and smiled. She did have the right to question his intentions. Especially after whatever that was that had crept up between them on the desk. Man, there was lust and there was… that. Whatever the hell that was had completely thrown him.

  The chemistry between them was reciprocal, and when it be-

  came fully engaged, it was incendiary.

  “To be honest, I’m concerned,” he continued, “the guard might talk about finding us. If Tarquin hears about it, he might decide to call by your place just to reassure himself about your motivations.

  I’m not going to put you in that situation.” At the heart of it was his fear for her safety. He didn’t want to alarm her, but this situation was looking more dangerous the more he discovered.

  “I’m going to lose my job over this, aren’t I?”

  Her expression grew resigned; it made something in his gut ache. He wanted to take her in his arms and give the woman a reassuring hug, melt away her unhappiness… and then? He shoved the key in the ignition and cleared his throat.

  “When you have a chance to talk to Alec and all this is resolved, you can see how you feel. It’s too early to tell how this is going to pan out.”

  “I just can’t take it all in yet. It just seems to so… so unbelievable.” Her head slumped forward into her hands, her hair spilling forward in a tumble of black, her graceful neck exposed.

  “I know.”

  Instinctively he leaned over and put a hand on the tight muscles at her nape, massaging out the kinks. Big mistake. She groaned her pleasure in the most suggestive way.

  “God, Oliver, that’s so good… Mmm…”

  His groin sensed action and stirred. He couldn’t keep touching her if she was going to make noises like that. He drew his hand away. “Is there anyone expecting you at home?”

  She straightened and shook her head, pushing back her mop of hair.

  For some reason it was good to have that qualified, although he was sure he’d have heard from Alec if she had hitched up with someone.

  “Good,” he said, without thinking, then added, ”let’s get on our way,” and put his hands on the steering wheel, where they were a whole lot safer than touching her. He’d forgotten everything when he had her under him on the desk and now the tension between them was amplified within the confines of the MG. He kept thinking about her body, couldn’t seem to keep his mind off it. Having her stay over was going to be interesting, very interesting indeed.

  He started the car and pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket, dialed for directory enquires and asked for airport information. By the time they were over the river and headed south, a safe distance from the hub of London’s Government buildings, he’d confirmed availability on Paris hopper flights out of City Airport for the next day and was ticking over thoughts on something Sonia had said earlier about Tarquin’s wife.

  “Isn’t that illegal while you’re driving?” She nodded at the phone as he scrolled to Alec’s number.

  “I won’t tell if you don’t.” The phone rang out and was picked up instantly. “Alec, its Oliver.”

  Sonia’s head snapped back. “Alec?”

  He nodded. “Okay mate, we’ve picked up the trail so just sit tight.” They had something to go on, so Alec could rest easier. It would also do Sonia good to speak with her brother.

  Alec’s voice at the other end of the line betrayed his relief. “Excellent, cheers Oliver, knew I could rely on you.”

  “No worries. You owe me a drink when this is over though. Listen, Sonia’s here with me, I’ll pass you over.”

  She grabbed the phone eagerly and started giving her brother the third degree, a combination of telling him off and quizzing him.

  Oliver couldn’t help smiling to himself as he listened to the two siblings working out their feelings of annoyance and concern.

  “Yes, okay, I’ll tell him and just stay out of trouble until Oliver gets there!”

  She turned the phone off and handed it to him. Their fingers met, and instantly, the tension was back, like static crackling in the atmosphere between them.

  He dropped the phone into his inner pocket. “We’re almost

  home.”

  “Good, thanks, and thanks for letting me speak to him, I appreciate that. Oh and he said to tell you he’s staying at ‘The Candy Store’ and that you’d know what he meant.”

  He nodded but didn’t comment. He could feel her staring at him but he wasn’t about to explai
n, so he changed the subject.

  “I was thinking back to Tarquin and the wife you mentioned.”

  “Gloria?”

  He nodded. “How badly do you think she wants to find out who Tarquin’s mistress is?”

  She gave a soft chuckle. It was a warm sound, vibrating through his senses. He wanted to feel that while she was in his arms.

  “I’d say pretty keen. She tried threats and allegations. Rumor has it she wants a divorce.”

  “I was wondering if she might be worth talking to, to see if she knows anything about Tarquin’s dealings outside of his general line of duty.”

  “But why would she talk to me… oh! I follow, like an exchange of information. I tell her something she wants to know, is that what you’re saying?”

  “It has possibilities. We ought to consider it.”

  “Do we have time to consider it?”

  “We can make time.” He glanced over and caught her eye. “We can make time for anything that might be… helpful.”

  When she smiled in response, the electricity between them

  flared high. He wanted her and he knew there wasn’t any stepping away. Hell, he was the sort of guy who flirted with women easily and never took it seriously, but he wasn’t even trying to flirt with Sonia. In fact he had been attempting to avoid it to begin with, but something was happening anyway. It was just… happening. Who was he to argue?

  ***

  He lived further out of the city center than she did, in a modern apartment on the south side, close to Kingston Upon Thames.

  Sonia glanced around the place, quickly taking it all in. It was spacious, sparsely furnished and strewn with books and newspapers.

  It certainly didn’t have evidence of a woman’s touch, she noticed with a certain sense of satisfaction. All that womanizing and he got no housekeeping out of the deal? He obviously kept his love life well and truly temporary and separate.

  She wasn’t sure why that got her curiosity up. Maybe it was because she was there in his space. Maybe it was because she had admitted to herself that she was attracted to him and she was eager to pick up clues about him from his surroundings. She had to face the fact that, despite her initial caution, she was fast becoming fascinated with the man. He’d more than lived up to his reputation as a charmer, but there was more to him than that. He cared a lot about Alec, and that seemed to extend to include her, too. That kind of attention could make a woman feel good and she wasn’t about to deny it.

  She watched as he poured out two large Remy Martins and

  lifted the glasses, nursing them in the palms of his hands as he sauntered back across the room and offered her one. He moved with the sleek precision of a panther. He oozed pure male strength, calm determination and charisma.

  Over the course of the last two hours her inclination to mistrust the man had rapidly melted away. How could she resist? He was playing the hero for Alec and motivating her to do the same in ways that made her feel strong yet feminine. It was the way he included her, valued her input, and yet he was protective of her too.

  It surprised her that she liked that protective aspect. Was she an old-fashioned girl at heart, after all?

  No, she was temporarily vulnerable, not weak.

  “Thank you.” She swirled the liquid in the goblet, inhaling the heady aroma of the rich amber liquid.

  “I’m glad you agreed to stay.”

  She nodded, cautiously amused.

  “Whatever we decide to do about Gloria, I’ll take you out to The Widow Harmond’s in the morning before I leave for Paris.”

  She smiled fondly. It made her feel safe and familiar when he used Alec’s nickname for their mother. At that moment in time, it was a good feeling to have.

  “We’ll see,” she replied and took a sip of her drink. She didn’t want to be left behind, and she tried to decide how to convince Oliver of this. She wanted to do her bit, and she wanted to get to know Oliver better. The way he was looking at her right then assured her of that. The heat in the brandy as it hit her throat had nothing on the look in his eyes.

  “I’m sorry I had to bring all this to your door tonight.”

  “Oh, please don’t say that. I’m glad you did. I’d hate to think I could’ve helped and didn’t know. What about you and your evening? It’s a bit above the call of duty for a friend, all this, isn’t it?”

  He shrugged. “It doesn’t seem that way. I suppose that’s because it’s what I do for a living. It was just lucky that I’m not working on a case right now. I had a few days off so this isn’t taking time from something else.”

  She nodded, wondering what he’d normally be doing with time off—some crippling sporting activity, presumably, all done in the name of a worthy challenge.

  “You did really well in there,” he commented, and took another slug of his brandy before setting the glass down on a table.

  Sonia couldn’t help smiling. “I didn’t have to do much though, did I?”

  He moved closer, slow and predatory. The movement of his

  muscular body sent a jolt through her, a physical memory of how his body had felt moving against her on Quentin’s desk. How he’d felt when he’d touched her. Held her. Kissed her. She swallowed, her heart beating loud in her ears. His eyes were questioning her intimately. He was pure male, intoxicating and powerful, and she was thoroughly mesmerized.

  He seemed to notice her every reaction, however small. When she swallowed he reached over and traced one finger up the length of her neck, pausing a moment when she trembled under his touch, before lifting away beneath her chin. “No, you didn’t have to do much at all.”

  She remembered the feel of his mouth on hers and struggled to regulate her breathing. Her lips parted in anticipation. The tug of desire between them was so strong. It felt as if a whirlpool of sensation had them locked at its core, the room around them falling away.

  “Is illicit sex on the desk an excuse you resort to very often?”

  Her voice was barely a whisper.

  “No, but then I’m not usually accompanied by an attractive woman who makes the story perfectly believable.”

  Her body was beating out its response to him, her core pulsing with heat.

  “Let me take your jacket.” He took her glass, setting it down.

  Taking control, he eased his hands under the lapels of her jacket to slide it off.

  She allowed him to follow through, moving up against him, savoring the touch of his hands brushing against her skin. She looked up into his eyes, unable to resist.

  “You’re such a gentleman, although I have to admit that wasn’t what I was thinking earlier when you had my skirt up around my waist.”

  He paused, the jacket dangling from one hand, his gaze locked with hers.

  “You made it very easy for me to forget that it was a set up.” His mouth moved in that slow and seductive smile.

  Something was urging her on, willing her to find out more about the pull between them. Her heart was pounding. She took a deep breath. “Parts of me forgot too.”

  “Being sexually aroused when in danger is not an unusual phenomenon.” He laid her jacket over the back of the sofa. He was still smiling in the most devastatingly sexy way.

  “It’s not?” Her entire body was sizzling, her aroused, restless nerve endings causing a riot beneath the surface of her skin. If she wanted to stop this interaction hurtling along its current path, she had to do it now.

  But she didn’t want to. She had met him only a few hours ago, she knew he was nothing but trouble, but still she couldn’t resist.

  She wanted to experience the full-on Oliver Eaglestone charm.

  “No. Danger inspires desire.”

  Too right, it does. She stared at him, breathless with anticipation, waiting to see what he said or did next.

  He stepped closer and reached out to her hair, easing out a tangle with a simple gesture of his hand. “When you were there on the desk, I forgot everything. I could smell your hair, I wanted to
touch you and hold you. When I remembered what was going on, I felt like telling the guard to back off and leave us alone.”

  She about managed to nod.

  His hand moved to the curve of her cheek, gently stroking

  her, encouraging her to respond. Barely contained desire traveled between them, as palpable as electricity crackling across a stormy night sky.

  “Yes, that’s what I wanted too,” she murmured, and her core flared in recognition of the passion they had both acknowledged.

  He rested both hands on her hips and pulled her towards him.

  His face was millimeters from hers. Intensity crackled in his eyes; he was as aroused as she was. He bent his head to kiss her, brushing her lips with his again in that oh-so-seductive way of his.

  She responded, returning the contact, tenfold, her body leaning into his, her mouth opening to him.

  He moved to rest a kiss on her neck, sending flames over the surface of her skin and into her blood. “I could kiss your beautiful mouth all night,” he whispered, as he pulled away, “but I want to kiss every other bit of you as well.”

  She moaned aloud, her sex clenching, her mind led by his suggestions. She wanted it badly. She wanted to go beyond the point they had reached on the desk. And she wanted it now.

  He walked her back against the wall, his body hard against hers, stroking his hands over her, claiming her from throat to thigh with deliberation. The rigid outline of his cock pressed itself force-fully against her. He looked into her eyes. “Can I take you to bed?”

  She tried to steady her nerves, but her heart thudded out a violent rhythm and her body buzzed with anticipation. “I can’t think of any reason why not.”

  Within a heartbeat he bent and lifted her into his arms, carried her into the hallway and toward the bedroom. He set her down on her feet and turned to her, moving her dress up around her thighs, slowly exposing her body, caressing it with his hands. “I’ve wanted to see you naked all night, right from when you stepped out of that taxi.” When the material gathered above her breasts, she slipped the dress over her head.

  “Oh yes, you’re even more beautiful than I would have

  guessed,” he whispered, as he carefully molded one naked breast in his hand. With his free hand, he teased along the top of her lace panties, making her shiver with need. He growled his approval and gently slid them down, bending to kiss her belly as he did so. She swayed, clutching at his shoulders, overwhelmed.