“Why are you now?” I finish off what’s left in my glass and set it on the table, directing all my attention at him.
“Because of you,” he answers without a pause.
I feel my eyebrows pinch together in confusion.
“I want you, El, and I know you want me. But there’s this nagging feeling in my gut that’s telling me to keep my distance. I didn’t listen to it earlier and I feel like things will never be the same between us. But deep down, down past everything that makes me human, I don’t care. I don’t care about the consequences. I don’t care that this could cost me my job. I don’t care that it could ruin your future. I’m a greedy man, El. And I’m used to getting what I want. Everything else be damned.” He throws back what’s left of his drink and sets the glass on the table with a smack.
His eyes seem to darken as they lock on mine. He swallows, causing his Adam’s apple to bob in his throat, then he takes my hand and pulls me toward the door. The moment we step out into the cool night air, I feel like I’ve been rejuvenated—like I can finally breathe and think clearly, but even that doesn’t stop the endless trail of thoughts about him.
He leads me down the sidewalk to an awaiting limo.
I motion toward it. “What’s this?”
“I called my driver earlier. I knew I’d drink too much to drive.” He opens the door. “Get in,” he demands, and I listen, all too happy with the way that made me feel.
He slides into the back seat with me, and tells the driver my address before closing the divider.
I look at him with surprise.
“I think this is bigger than the both of us. We both have things on the line here, and that shouldn’t be taken lightly, El,” he says, staring straight ahead instead of at me.
“So you’re taking me home?”
He nods once, then turns to look at me. “If I don’t take you home, we’ll be so far past the line we crossed tonight that it won’t even be visible anymore.”
“You don’t want me?” I ask, turning my body so I can face him fully.
I see his eyes drop down to my legs and slowly move up. “I want you,” he says, picking up his hand and trailing his fingers slowly up my leg. “But we both need to think about what we’re doing before we get lost. Is it worth losing everything you’ve worked for?”
I can’t focus on anything but the way he’s touching me. It’s slow and teasing, but it also tickles in a delicious way—a way that makes me want more of him: his touches, his kisses, him.
My head is fuzzy from all the alcohol I’ve consumed tonight. My vision is slightly blurry, and everything feels too good. I don’t even think about what I’m doing as I slide onto his lap, putting me nose-to-nose with him. “I want you, Griffin,” I whisper, locking my eyes with his as I lean in for a kiss.
Our lips meet, and to my surprise, he doesn’t push me away. Instead, he pulls me closer as his tongue tangles with mine. His hands land firmly on my hips, pushing me down as he lifts his hips until I can feel his excitement. The feeling of his hardness right where I need it causes a soft moan to escape my mouth. And that seems to be the key to his undoing.
The next thing I know, I’m on my back on the narrow seat with him between my legs. Our kiss has turned hard and rough, and his hand slides up my skirt to find my wet sex. His fingers slide into me while his thumb applies pressure to my hard nub.
I give myself over completely to the way he’s manipulating my body. I can do nothing but kiss him and cling to him for dear life as my release builds inside of me. Suddenly, he breaks the kiss and removes his hand. I’m about to fight him, but I’m silenced when his mouth closes around my clit. It’s the final blow I need to push me over the edge.
My thighs tighten around his head and my nails dig into his arm as I pant and moan and cry his name.
The car stops and I hear the driver tapping on the divider, but Griffin doesn’t stop until my muscles ease and my moans quiet. He pulls away, leaving me breathless and shaking.
“At least now you’ll know what you have to choose between,” he whispers as his hand pulls me upward, into his kiss.
I can taste myself on him, and it only makes me want him more. I want to take him up to my room, or ask him to take me back to his place, but he breaks the kiss. “Good night, El,” he breathes out.
I swallow down the yearning and passion that’s drowning me, and nod. “Good night, Griffin,” I whisper, forcing myself to turn away and exit the car while I still have control over myself.
I spend all of Sunday a little hung over and thinking about what it is I want. While I’m not needing this internship to turn into a job, I also don’t want anyone to find out what it is we’re doing. I don’t want to be labeled as the girl who fucks her boss. When I excel in work or school, I want people to know that it was because of all of my hard work, not because I fucked someone to get where I wanted to be. But Griffin isn’t someone I can ignore anymore. Just a look from him can cause shivers to take over my body. His touch makes me melt. I’ve never had this all-consuming feeling about anyone before. And I’m not sure I can walk away from it, no matter what’s at stake.
I’m still confused when I walk into the hotel on Monday morning. Vanessa, the receptionist, stops me before I hit the elevator.
“Excuse me, but Mr. Karlsson wanted me to tell all the interns that you’ll be at the corporate office across the street from here on out.”
Hearing his name makes my heart pound, but I push all thoughts away as I nod. “Thank you.” I turn and leave the hotel to head across the street.
When I walk in, I’m directed to a board room where I find everyone already sitting together around a long table.
“How nice of you to join us, Ms. Ryder,” Griffin says with a teasing grin.
I hold back my smile. “I’m sorry I’m late. I didn’t get the memo about the new location.”
He nods. “It’s quite all right. But in the future, make sure you check your email so you’re on the same page as the rest of us.”
Everyone softly giggles and my face heats up with embarrassment.
I daze off as he talks and gives everyone a job, wondering why he’s being so cold to me this morning. Did he take his Sunday to talk himself out of being with me? Did he decide the odds weren’t in his favor? I’m completely lost in thought.
“El?” Griffin asks, pulling me back to the present.
I blink and look up, finding that everyone else in the room has left.
“Hmm?”
He smiles and motions toward the door. “We’re in my office today.”
“Oh, right,” I mumble, grabbing my things and following him to his office. We’re both quiet on the elevator ride up to the top floor. My mind is occupied by the awkward conversation I’m sure awaits me.
Walking into his office, I place my things on the couch and sit down to look over the papers we left on Saturday.
“Would you like some coffee?” he asks with a lift of his brow and a smirk. I’m sure he’s thinking about the mess I made with his coffee the last time we were here.
“Yes, please. I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I could use a jolt.”
He brings both cups to the sofa and sits beside me, handing me a cup.
“Thank you,” I say, lifting the cup and taking a sip. I place the cup on the glass coffee table and pick up a layout I think would pair perfectly with the image I picked. “I like this one. Do you have any editing software to make our own layout to sample?”
His blue eyes are locked on mine, but when he runs his tongue across his bottom lip, my eyes fall down to his mouth, thinking about the magic that tongue of his can do.
My body betrays me by breaking out in goosebumps from thinking about the things we did on Saturday, and my breathing picks up as I imagine how much further I would’ve liked it to go.
“El?” he asks with a grin.
“Huh?” I ask, snapping my attention back.
He lets out a deep chuckle. “Is everything okay?�
�
I let out a deep breath and stand in front of him, pacing back and forth. “You’re so hot and cold. I never know which version of you I’m going to encounter.”
“What do you mean?” he asks, standing up, but keeping the coffee table between us.
“When I started working here last week, you were warm and inviting. Then you saw me with Chase, and you went cold. This past weekend, you were warm again—hot even. And now, you’re back to being cold and embarrassing me. Now do you understand why I’m so confused?” I stop pacing, and turn to face him.
“I didn’t mean to embarrass you, El. I just thought that maybe if I didn’t treat you differently than the rest, then they’d have no reason to think there’s anything going on between us.”
“Oh.” My back straightens.
“But since you brought it up,” he walks around the coffee table and stands directly in front of me, “have you given any thought to our current situation?” He slides his hands into his pockets.
Chapter 12
Griffin
She bites her bottom lip as she thinks, and it causes my dick to come alive. All of a sudden, all I can think about is the way she bit that lip when I was making her come on my face. I’ve already had to put my hands in my pockets just to ensure I don’t touch her—until I get my answer, that is.
“I’ve thought about it,” she says quietly, staring at the floor instead of at me.
I place my finger under her chin and direct her eyes up to me. “And?”
“And while I don’t want to be known as the girl who carries on an affair with her boss, I don’t see the harm in trying. It may not work between us,” she shrugs, “but as long as we’re both adults about it, and keep it a secret, I don’t see how it could hurt.”
“So…” I start, but she cuts me off.
“I want you, Griffin.”
Without having to ask more questions, I close the distance between us, pressing my lips against hers as I pull her flush against me. Her body molds to mine as a soft whimper leaves her lips. Now that I’m tasting her again, I can’t get enough. All it does is fuel my desires—desires that Saturday night only intensified.
As her lips move with mine and her tongue demands more, her hands begin pushing my suit jacket from my shoulders. And while I didn’t want this to happen so quickly before, I’m now unable to resist.
When my jacket hits the floor, my hands find her ass and I pick her up against me, moving us to my desk. I place her gently on top and begin unbuttoning her top as fast as my fingers will let me. I trail my lips down her jaw and neck, biting, sucking, and kissing as I go.
The moment her top half is bare, I lean down and suck her hard nipple into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it. She lets out soft cries and whimpers, and her hand that’s fisting my hair tightens, pulling against the roots. It’s painful, but it’s a turn-on that urges me on.
I glide my hand up her skirt until I find her wet center. Already, her panties are soaked, and I can’t help myself when I tug them and hear a ripping sound.
I can no longer hold myself back. I’m lost in my desire. I’m lost to the fire raging on inside of me. I’m lost in her. I release her long enough to free myself from my pants as she scrambles to work her skirt up her thighs. The moment we’re both situated, her ass is right back on the edge of my desk and our mouths are locked together once again.
Using one hand to grab ahold of her hips, I pull her toward me as my other hand guides my throbbing cock to her entrance. I slide inside her tight pussy, and we both let out a sigh of relief. She fits me perfectly. It’s like she was made specifically for me. I fill her up completely, and she hugs me tightly.
With both hands on her hips now, I ease myself out before pushing back in while pulling her toward me. She lets out a delicious moan, and the glass desk rattles beneath us.
“This is too loud,” I whisper as I pick her up against me and press her back to the wall where I can pump into her endlessly without sounds to draw attention. Her thighs, wrapped around my hips tightly, hold her in place while I move in and out of her.
Her nails dig into my back and her teeth nip my bottom lip, and it’s all deliciously painful—just enough pain and just enough relief that I don’t ever want to stop. I roll my hips and she tightens around me, digging her nails in deeper as she moans into my mouth.
“I’m coming, Griffin,” she whispers, tightening her hold on me.
“Look at me, El,” I demand, needing to watch as the expressions on her face change with my every move.
Her eyes pop open and lock on mine. Her normally bright green eyes darken and her thick red lips part. Her brows pull together, and finally, she explodes around me, causing her muscles to milk my cock until I’m falling right along with her.
We both freeze to come down from our high. My heart is pounding and our breathing is erratic, but finally, everything begins to regulate. I remove myself from her and place her on her feet. She gets to work on pushing her skirt back into place as we gather our clothes.
She bends down and picks up her panties. She turns to me with them dangling off the end of her index finger. “Well, I guess these are shot,” she says with a smile that lights up her eyes.
I reach over and snag them off her finger and slide them into my pocket. “I think I’ll keep these.”
Her mouth drops open and a gasp escapes. “What am I supposed to do all day?”
I shoot her a grin. “Know you’ll be teasing me with your every step?”
She presses her lips together with a lift of her brow. “That could be fun.”
I laugh. “You may want to start bringing extra panties with you,” I say, pulling my jacket back on.
Someone knocks on the door and without being told to enter, they do.
“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Karlsson,” Chase says, pausing in the doorway.
“What can I do for you?” I ask, silently thanking God that he didn’t walk in five minutes earlier.
“We’re needing the magazine cover mockup.”
“Right.” I bend down and grab the mockup I made yesterday with all of El’s suggestions, and pass it over.
“Thank you,” he says, taking the picture and turning for the door. Before he walks out, he gives us both a sidelong glance, though he doesn’t say a word as he steps out.
“You did the mockup?” El says, not catching the look Chase gave us. “Let me see.” She reaches over and picks up the copy left on my desk. “This looks amazing!”
I smile. “It was all you: the picture you chose, the logo. All you. You’re amazing.”
She grins as she looks up at me from beneath her lashes. “No need to butter me up, Griffin. You’ve already fucked me.”
I snatch the paper out of her hands and pull her against my chest. “The first of many, I hope.” I press a quick kiss to her plump lips.
“If you think I could only have that once, you’re crazy,” she says around a smile as she kisses me again, but deeper and softer.
“So, tonight? My place?” I ask against her lips.
She nods. “Tonight.”
The rest of the day goes by slowly, and I’m constantly tempted knowing that El is running around without any panties on. The groups have been put back together again, and I can’t come up with an excuse for us to go off on our own. Every time I catch myself fantasizing as I watch those long legs of hers, I slip my hand into my pocket and rub her panties between my fingers. Really, it only makes things worse for me, but I have no self-control when it comes to her.
I make arrangements for my driver to pick her up this evening. I call my chef and have him prepare a special meal and dessert. I even ask my maid to set up the dining room table with flowers and candles. The moment I walk into the house, I rush upstairs for a shower.
I walk into my bedroom and find that black silk sheets have been put on my bed. There are also candles on both end tables. I make a mental note to give Ester a raise. She may be an older lady, but she knows exactly what I�
�m in for. I laugh when I realize she’s basically my wingwoman.
I quickly remove my jacket and toss it into the closet. Reaching into my pockets, I pull out my cell phone and wallet…and El’s panties. I stare at them a moment before dropping them onto my dresser—next to the pair she stripped off Saturday night—before I move into the bathroom to shower.
I’m just stepping out of my room when I hear the doorbell ring. Ester beats me to the door and lets her in as my foot hits the bottom step.
“Welcome. You must be Janelle,” Ester says, holding out her hand to shake.
“Please, call me El.”
“How was the drive over?” I ask, stepping up to her side and leaning in to press a kiss to her cheek.
“A little lonely. I had hoped that you’d pick me up.” She flashes me a smile as she shrugs out of her coat and hands it off to Ester.
I take her hand and lead her to the dining room. “I was trying to get things ready.” I pull out her chair. “I want tonight to be perfect.”
She takes her seat and I push her chair in.
“You don’t have to try so hard, you know.” She picks up the glass of wine in front of her and takes a sip.
My eyebrows pull together. “Who’s trying hard?”
She finishes the glass in one big gulp, stands, and slowly walks over to me. She sits down in my lap, straddling me. “You’ve already hooked me. Are you going to reel me in or not?”
I can’t help but chuckle. “Are you telling me you have no interest in dinner?”
“Mm-hmm.” She smiles and shrugs. “I only want your body.”
I laugh and stand abruptly, holding her against me. The fast movement makes her squeal and giggle.
I set her on the edge of the table and lean forward until she’s on her back. “Maybe I’ll just have you for dinner instead.” I nip the inside of her thigh.
She lets out a soft moan. “Please,” she whispers.
I pull away and look over her body, laid out and ready for me to take. “We already had a quick fuck today, El. I think I’d rather take my time with you tonight.” I offer her my hand and pull her up. The moment her feet hit the floor, Ester walks into the room.
Claimed By Him: (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 65