She halted.
“I need you to do as I say. I don’t want you to fall,” he said, his voice deeper than the Grand Canyon.
Sensations she usually didn’t pay attention to teased her senses. The smell of fresh tree sap, and cut grass pushed into her nostrils, just as real as the painful awareness of his hot flesh on hers. She followed his lead, and imagined others did the same, as low whispers and chuckles were heard against the sound of leaves cracking under her tennis shoes.
Yup. She better not fall. Especially not in love with the boss she was spying on.
Chapter Four
“This way,” he said, and guided her to a tree that hadn’t been claimed by anyone else. He debated on holding her hand, but that was far too inappropriate and intimate in public. His grip on her skin loosened, and he found himself making an invisible pattern on her inner wrist. His cock tightened against his jeans.
The previous night, he had kissed her with the intent of breaking her barriers and getting on her good side. It wasn’t shameless seduction, he reminded himself—not when the goal was to save the company, instead of letting her destroy it. If she was with Matthew and trying to play him, well, he just had to play her first. And what if he had enjoyed kissing her?
The way her lips felt against his, and the trace of innocence in her touch in the beginning, had sent him into hormonal overdrive. Damn her. He wasn’t a teenager anymore. He was a successful man in his early thirties, who didn’t need to get caught up in all her business.
“You need to touch it,” he said, and led her hand against the centuries-old sequoia trunk. “So you can remember it later,” he continued, trying not to read too much into the double entendre spilling from his mouth. When had being close become such a hard task? He had never kissed an employee before. Damn it, he wasn’t his father.
She tapped the trunk, her fingers making an up and down movement as if to extract from the tree whatever secrets she could use later to recognize it. Just like she’s doing to me. Did Matthew know she was that smart? That she wanted to steal from the company—was she using him, too? She linked her arms around the trunk for a moment, and he stepped back. The sight of her blindfolded was hot. How to resist the way her lips parted, like she was waiting for him to slip his tongue inside her luscious mouth?
“I’m done,” she said, her breathing a bit labored.
Well, he wasn’t—not by a long shot. Glancing around, he noticed most couples heading back to the starting area after touching the tree. Some of them would take turns maybe. Not him.
“Come, Elena,” he said, and clutched her elbow, guiding her away from the employees. More trees canopied the area, and sunrays of light filtered through the bushes. He noticed a creek to the right, and a few pigeons bathing in it. Squirrels dashed out of their way.
The walk lasted a few minutes longer than he intended, but he needed to make sure no one would find them. She didn’t say a word, but his gaze trailed down her polo shirt, to her hardened nipples straining against the fabric. When he found a more secluded area, he pushed her to the left and went with her. The amount of green, taller bushes and rocks around them should give them enough privacy.
“I don’t hear anyone. Where are we?” she broke her silence.
“I’m selfish. I detoured you because I wanted to kiss you,” he said, and waited for a signal from her. If she pushed against his chest or jerked away, there wasn’t anything he could do.
Instead, she licked her lips and lifted her head as if searching for his.
Encouraged, he dipped his head and captured her lips with his, snatching her into his arms. A gasp flew from her mouth, but she linked her arms around him, her fingers stroking his skin. His cock grew harder, and his blood was like liquid fire. What the hell was happening? He was Devon Wilder, the man the media pegged as Colorado’s Bad Boy Bachelor. The guy who agreed to an open relationship with Regina because he just knew that was the best way not to get hurt. If he didn’t expect much from someone, how could he be vulnerable?
He slid his hand across her back, going lower...lower...lower, until he cupped her round, fleshy buttocks. Thrusting his hips into her, he intensified the kiss, his tongue teasing her, his teeth grazing hers. She removed the blindfold, eyes till closed.
Elena squirmed against him, the sweet curves of her delectable body against the hard ridges of his. He lifted his hand under her shirt, his finger outlining the lace of her bra. Cupping her breast, he heard her moan against his lips. The sound was low, growly, and amazing. Damn it, he wanted to hear her moan, whimper, scream his name. Groaning, he dipped his finger into her bra, and fumbled until he found her tight nipple. The tip of his tongue seared with need to lick it.
He caught her nipple between his index and thumb, and she leaned into him. The woman was freaking sexy. Were they about to fuck in the woods, feet away from the annual retreat in broad daylight? No. They couldn’t, as much as he wanted to.
Disengaging from her, he gathered the type of self-control that made all his kickboxing sessions a walk in the park. She let go of him, eyes widened, fingers touching her swollen lips as if to make sure that had really happened. “We can’t do this here,” he said, managing to sound casual.
She stepped back, hands curled into fists. “Of course not, Devon.”
A strange warmth spread through him at her calling him by his first name. “Come over to my place tonight,” he heard himself saying. Public places could be trouble, because despite what just happened, no one could see them together.
She lifted her brow. “I’m not ready to take things one step further.”
“You mean sex?”
“Yes. I don’t know if I can go all the way yet. You need to slow down.”
I need to slow down? “Why?” he asked. Having sex was like driving a Formula 1 racecar. Slowing down after things got started could be a fatal move. Besides, who was she kidding? Did she really want the whole dating shenanigans when he damn well knew she was up to no good? “What’s your angle, Elena?”
She took a step back. “W-what?”
“Are you sleeping with my brother?” he asked. “Do you have any personal interest in playing us both? What could you gain from it?” Regina had gained a tell-all interview from their affair. Money. Fame. What was Elena after?
She slapped his face. A quick, sharp hit. “I’m not sleeping with your brother, and after that question, sleeping with you is off the table. Which, turns out, suits me just fine. Excuse me.”
***
“Did you hear the rumors? Your sexy boss is having an affair with someone from the office,” Holly squeaked.
“What?” Elena whispered, and glanced down at her espresso.
Thankfully, besides Janie, who feasted on a warm bagel, no one else was around. Monday mornings were usually busy, and she had found solace in the break room. Maybe by the time she went back to her desk, her boss would have arrived and the day would go on as planned.
She’d tell Matthew she couldn’t spy on Devon anymore. There had to be another way to find out who was stealing from the company that didn’t involve her lying. After all, Devon had kissed her—and accused her of sleeping with his brother. Maybe he’d seen her talking to him. Either way, she was way over her head.
“Jennifer heard him with a woman,” Holly said, mentioning the legally blind lady from the cleaning staff. “She said she couldn’t see who it was, but she definitely heard some moaning and his name being called.”
“How do you know she’s from the office? She can be just a girlfriend or someone he met at the park. I wouldn’t put anything past him, really. The man is a whorebag.” Elena managed to sound casual, and chugged down almost her entire espresso, the caffeine entering her system.
Holly shook her head. “I just know it. I do. He didn’t have time to call anyone from there, and why would he? It was an employee only event. Why would he go against the rules if he should be playing nice after the scandal?”
“Dating a subordinate is against
the rules, isn’t it?” Janie chimed in, and Elena dared to look at her friend in the eye. On Saturday, she had sent her a text to say she’d been sick and left the event, unable to go along with the games or seeing Devon anymore. On Sunday, she cowardly ignored Janie’s phone calls.
Her stomach clenched. There was no running now. Shit.
“Exactly,” Elena said, hoping her eyes would convey her turmoil, and the hidden message they carried. Don’t tell this to anyone. “I can’t imagine the kind of naïve fool who’d fall prey to him.”
Holly rolled her eyes. “You kidding me? I’m pissed someone else got there first. Shit. That man. That ass,” she said with flare, and started to fan herself.
Janie cocked an eyebrow and flashed Elena a knowing smile. “Do you have any idea, Elena?”
Elena put her cup inside the dishwasher and slammed it shut. She wiped the sweat from her forehead. “None.”
Janie lifted her paper napkin to her mouth. “Well, if anyone can find out, it’s you. After all, you work for him, right?”
Holly shook her head, hands perched in her waist. “I, for one, am dying to know who this lucky bitch is.”
“Me too.” Elena tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She should have put her hair up today, but she had rushed out of her house after getting way too little sleep thinking about a certain someone. “If I figure things out, I will let you know,” Elena said, hoping her half-lie would be her ticket out of conversation hell. Hey, at least it would grant her some time at limbo mode, right?
If she told Holly and Janie about everything, she would get them mixed up into corporate espionage of sorts. It was her duty to protect the two women who had been sweet to her for the past months. Elena could move on from that job, and she would. But Holly had credit card debts and Janie had a loving family she helped support. They needed their jobs.
“Good. Hey, I’m going to the restroom to fix my makeup. Be right back.”
When the clear door shut behind Holly, a shiver went through Elena’s spine.
“What’s going on, Elena?” Janie asked, concern clouding her pretty brown eyes. “I know you were the one who kissed him.”
Elena drew in a sharp breath. “H-how can you be sure?”
Janie shrugged. “Because you were playing with him then disappeared. And you blushed like a sinner just a while ago. If Holly weren’t too wrapped up in her own stuff, she would have noticed it too.”
“Janie, there’s a lot I can’t say. I’m sorry. I lost control, we kissed. It was wrong,” she said, glancing down at the floor. She rubbed the back of her neck. Why did she have to say it was wrong when it had felt right? Even if it wasn’t.
Janie stood and tossed the napkin in the trash. “It was dumb, that’s what it was.”
Elena twisted her hands together. “I know. Well, it’s over. We never slept together anyway. Just so you know,” she said, and wished she could hide the trace of disappointment in her tone. Was it that obvious?
“Good for you.”
“Can you please keep this secret? I know I’m asking too much,” she said, then bit her lip hard. If word got out that Devon kissed an employee, he would be out of the CEO game even if he hadn’t stolen from the company. And, despite his unethical move, she couldn’t let that happen. Matthew would get the CEO title if he was deserving. Which of course, he seemed like he was. But kicking Devon out of the race for no good reason was wrong. He’d broken the rules, but so had she. Would she do it again, though? Would she be that two-faced, to try and snoop in his personal files to get the dirt on his nightclub business?
Janie waved it off. “Your secret is safe with me.”
She gave out a long sigh. “Thank you.”
Leaning against the counter, Janie lifted her chin and grinned. “As long as you let me borrow that pretty skirt from the other day. Roy and I have an anniversary coming up, you know.”
Elena bit back a smile. “It’s all yours.” She grabbed a small bottle of water and headed to the door. “I’d better get going.”
“My eyes are on you, kid. You’re a smart woman, Elena. Keep it that way,” Janie said, delivering the sentences with a mother-like concern, even though she was only maybe 10 years older than her.
Elena nodded. While she walked through the hallways, her breath caught in her throat. A glance at the desk told her that her boss wasn’t at the office yet. Was he trying to avoid her as much as she was him? Her cell phone buzzed, and she pulled it from her pocket to read a message from Matthew.
Meet me on the roof. Now.
Why on Earth would he suggest that? They had only talked on the roof once before, and she imagined that was an emergency-only-go-to-place. Well, whatever it was, she marched back and called for the elevator. If Devon arrived, she’d tell him the truth. I was meeting with your brother who thinks you are stealing from the company. Sort it out yourselves.
When she reached the rooftop, she walked over to Matthew.
He was pacing the cemented ground in small circles, hands in his pockets. His shirt had its sleeves rolled up, and there were wrinkles on his pants. Hhhmmm…very strange. “Elena. I have to talk to you.”
“Good, because I have to talk to you too,” she said, before she lost her courage. Growing up with four older brothers should have taught her to stand her ground, not fear commanding men. Or had that been a memento from her marriage? “I’m way over my head. I’ve wanted to help you, but this is getting way out of hand, Matthew. I don’t want to go on his personal files. It’s illegal and wrong.” Especially after I kissed him. Twice. And liked it.
He came to a halt and stared at her, his green eyes darkening. “My wife has left me.”
“What? Why?” she blurted out. “I’m so sorry,” she said in a low voice. She made herself a mental note to call Sandra to check in on her.
Running his fingers into his short curly hair, he sighed. “I guess I had it coming. We weren’t getting along for a long time. I thought she could change. Damn it, I thought I could change too.”
She folded her arms, then confused, uncrossed them. What could she do? “People don’t change,” she said, her drawl a tad more bitter than intended.
He drew in a breath, and nodded. The contours of his face hardened, and she wondered if he was talking about her ex-husband or herself. “I know.” His moss green eyes watered, and she closed the distance behind them and hugged him. His hug had always been like a warm bowl of homemade mac and cheese. Comforting, and extremely safe. Much different than the irrational thoughts his half-brother instilled in her, like her body was a freaking war zone and she’d lose either way.
When she disengaged from him, he rubbed his eyes. A part of her softened. A grown man was trying his best not to cry. Not to lose it. Oh noes. Was this the best time to ask for resignation? “You will be okay, Matthew. Not right now, obviously. But you will be alright in the long run.”
“I hope so.”
“If you ever need to talk, I’m here for you. You know that, right?” she asked, just in case. “Thanks to you, I didn’t have to do it alone. You shouldn’t either,” she added, as flashes of her break-up hell zapped through her memory. Matthew’s firm hands squeezing her shoulders. Tears that flowed freely from her eyes, like a river streaming down a pitiless fall. Pain. So much pain.
“Thanks. I have so much crap to do. I’m not ready to tell anyone about this yet. Especially not with the possibility of the CEO position. I don’t need any instability.”
She lifted two fingers to her mouth. “My lips are sealed.”
“Good.” He shuffled his weight from foot to foot. “And, hey, I know this isn’t the best moment, but about Devon.”
Devon. “I’ve been thinking. I don’t want to let you down, but when you asked me to help you out, I figured I’d keep track of his tardiness or possible bad work ethics. Little things you could use to your advantage. I didn’t imagine it’d be so hardcore. I realized that when I almost got caught on Friday.” She rubbed her temples and looked away f
rom him. Letting him down hurt too. Bile rose in the back of her throat. The only person she had trusted. The friend who had been there for her. “I understand what’s at stake, but I could be charged with corporate espionage too. And who knows what else.” And I can’t control myself around him. Sometimes, I don’t even know if I want to.
Matthew scratched his chin, eyes narrowing at her like he was coming up with something. “Chill. I have a new favor to ask.”
She drew back. “Oh?” So she was indebted to him. So her Catholic guilt prevented her from just walking away from it all. But, another assignment? What the hell. Was this some slapstick version of a James Bond movie?
“I may be hiring a hacker to do that. The computer stuff. I didn’t want to, but over the weekend I met this guy I feel I can trust. He may also give me quicker results.”
She sighed. “Good. Good.”
Matthew smoothed his hand over his shirt, then started to fix his tie. “There is a new possibility. Devon kissed someone. There is a rumor he’s banging someone from the company.”
Her eyebrows shot to her hairline. “He…is?” she said, and touched her neck in a silly attempt to prevent the flush from spreading across her cheeks. Could she tell him she’d been the one? Should she tell him? She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
“Yes. Stupid idiot. So I want you to find out who she is. If there is proof he’s having an affair with a coworker, I can take this to my mother and the board, and he can be fired. Dating subordinates is completely against the company’s policies. There is no way he can be the next CEO. And, if it is true, that means he’s taking advantage of someone under him. That’s unethical.”
And spying on him isn’t? “Right. But how do you know it’s not just a rumor? People make up stuff all the time. Hell, there’s a whole industry that feeds on that.”
“I don’t. Which is why I need your help.”
She threw her hands in the air, distraught. “This makes me uncomfortable. We don’t know anything, and for all I care she could have seduced him. Maybe the poor fool wanted him. Who knows? Is it worth it to expose both of them, like this?”
Accidentally Seduced (The Naked Truth Series Book 3) Page 4