by Paula Ridge
“The way you look at me is everything. The way you touch me makes me yours,” I moan while still squeezing his member, feeling him respond by kissing me hard at the same time.
There’s nothing more important at this moment than to see him naked. It’s an easy matter of flicking the button on his pants, expertly, without any wasted motion. He has his finger underneath my skirt, tugging at the crotch of my panties until I can feel him about to pierce the warm glove of my persuasion.
He erases all doubt that what we had was merely a one-night stand.
With one quick movement, I have him naked from the waist down with his pants and underwear around his ankles. One look confirms how being here with me has affected him in a physical way.
“You have no idea how much I want you at this moment. How can I possibly get any work done when you are here waiting for me? Is it such a crime to have these overwhelming feelings of passion for you?” He professes as he tries to take a step back and loses his balance.
He crashes into a table behind him that holds a mock diorama of the facility where the fundraiser is going to take place. The pieces on the board go flying everywhere and then fall to the ground. He looks up slightly embarrassed, however, the only thing bruised is his ego.
Unfortunately, the noise he makes attracts the attention of the staff and Chloe. They come barging in unannounced and stand stunned into silence. My face turns red and he scrambles to his feet, putting on quite the show for Chloe and the staff as he tries to put his impressive gun back in it’s holster. There’s nothing elegant about the way he tries to save face by getting back into his clothes.
He rushes out the door and they look at me. They are definitely seeing me differently.
“It looks like somebody found a way to put a smile on your face,” Chloe teases and then ushers the staff away from the door before closing it behind her.
I sigh with my hand to my chest, feeling my heart beating wildly. I slap my forehead.
That is what door locks are for.
Ch-6 - Shane
I want to surprise Amber and there’s nobody here to greet me. There is a new desk where the receptionist is going to be stationed. The building does have good bones. I have an eye for architecture, a fascination that developed at a young age. It reminds me of the curves of a woman.
The elevator is still scary though; it is rickety from a century of use. It still functions, but I’m not sure about stepping into a coffin that could plummet to the ground below. It’s better to err on the side of caution than to risk being trapped like an animal.
I’m dressed casually and trying not to attract too much attention. My attempts are not necessary, considering there is barely a skeleton crew of people here. Things change when I get to the top of the stairs. It’s a bit of a workout; I guess I need to brush up on my calisthenics and endurance. Getting older brings the need to work a little bit harder than I used to.
It’s been five days since we last saw each other, but we have been corresponding by text message. The time spent getting to know her has made me understand we come from similar backgrounds.
I open the door and I see this haphazard operation in a state of chaos. Voices are raised and people are running all around and the loudest voice is Amber. She’s bellowing to get things done. I almost turn around and leave until she spots me from the corner of her eye.
“Don’t even think about leaving. This is just me getting organized for the day. It’s nothing unusual, you can ask anyone. There is always something more to the madness. I don’t have a secretary to get us coffee, but there is a machine in that corner. I’m sure you can muddle through without me. A big strong man like you should be able to get a cup of coffee on his own without my help,” she mocks and then goes back to drilling her subordinates with careful words of encouragement.
I have an unobstructed view of the way that she manages things. They are undisciplined, but they do seem to listen to her and I see respect in their eyes. It is something that she has earned. It’s impressive to see them jump into action when she delivers them an order without making it sound like one.
I finally manage to make sense out of the coffee machine and now have two steaming foam cups in my hands. Navigating around this mess is like a war zone. Boxes are everywhere, half-opened, with their contents splayed out on tables.
I use my elbow to get her attention and she turns with this new energy.
Chloe is in the office, standing at attention with her hands on the desk. Two men are sitting there, and are obviously uncomfortable in her presence. It’s interesting to see them cower from her body language. There is a true power in her stance that cannot be denied.
“We can go in there to get a little bit of privacy. There’s a computer linked to the one in the office. I made sure this whole place was wired before moving in. It was one of my conditions before taking the job.” She moves through the labyrinth of desks and does it with the grace of a wild stallion.
I hear the lock on the door and turn to see her leaning against it.
She moves on to the edge of the desk. It’s a throwback to something I saw in school many years ago. We are both in our early thirties but there is life experience behind our eyes. It didn’t break us and we are stronger because of it, but I wouldn’t want to do it all over again.
“You have a real knack of making people around you trust you. That’s better than having an office. The one thing you can’t teach in life is how to lead. You either have it or you don’t. I admit, my talent wasn’t discovered until after our platoon leader was killed in action. The men turned to me,” I exclaim with a bit of surprise in my voice at how easily I could take a ragtag group of men and turn them into warriors.
She dangles her right foot in front of my face. “I never thought of it like that. I guess they do understand the chain of command. I don’t consider myself a general leading the troops into battle, but it is a war trying to get donations. It takes finesse and a different tone to your voice. You can get a lot more flies with honey than you can with vinegar,” she advises and then reaches for a pen, before hooking the cap into the collar of my shirt.
It’s nothing fancy and I could easily resist, but I don’t see a reason to. Amber is a woman of action. Listening to my head or my heart is only going to get me into trouble. I decide to give my libido a creative license to be completely free. It’s not something I do often.
“I hope I’m not making you uncomfortable,” she teases and releases me, to my chagrin.
“You’re going to have to do far better than that to make me feel uncomfortable.” I take a sip of my coffee with its five sugars to send a shot of adrenaline through my veins.
It’s the only way I can keep alert during my hectic schedule. There is no rest for the wicked. I need that caffeine jolt at various intervals during the day. Coming down is a crash I wouldn’t advise. It’s just another form of addiction.
“Give me a chance. I’m sure I can think of something.” She attempts to walk away.
She loses her balance and lands in my lap. I like this reversal of fortune. It feels good to be near her in this way, but it’s also sending a dangerous message of impropriety in the workplace.
She jumps up, a little flustered, and walks casually over to the door to check that she did indeed lock it. She doesn’t want to be disturbed by anyone. This is her way of signing her declaration of independence. She wants to touch me; I can see it in her eyes. The way that she licks her lips is giving me impure thoughts.
I can feel myself falling for her hard. The words haven’t come out of my mouth, but they are there. I’m afraid to say them. It didn’t work out the last time. My talk with Zac made me see how stupid I was for denying the truth. Every little thing she does puts a smile on my face. Why does it have to be so hard? Am I waiting for her to say something first?
“Amber, it’s been five days of teasing each other mercifully,” I remember standing in front of the mirror with the blue towel and sending her a little remin
der using my phone.
Letting it slip down a few inches at a time, revealing my muscular physique.
Being face to face again rekindles the home fires. There’s no way I can hold back the excitement.
“You’re not the only one that got carried away. I’ve never in my life sent those kinds of pictures to a man. It had to be the wine talking. I got a little tipsy that night. It doesn’t excuse my behavior, but it should explain it.” She tries to hide her embarrassment by showing me on her computer the many charities they are involved with, including the one that is dear to her heart about impoverished children.
It’s a little boring, but I can see the passion radiating off of her in waves.
We suddenly look at each other and the moment freezes between us. I know from that one look we need to find someplace private, quickly. She did lock the door, though. I think she learned her lesson from the last time we tried this. It didn’t really go as planned.
Ch-7 - Amber
I know what he’s thinking because I’m thinking the same thing. The door is locked and I’m going to attempt to be quiet. It’s very naughty to do something in the workplace. I’m not opposed to a bit of afternoon delight; I actually find the idea intriguing.
I place my high heel in his lap. He jumps from the initial contact and stares at my foot before looking me in the eyes. He looks too nervous to do anything. His confidence is something I’m depending on. We can certainly show each other the way we feel about one another.
I dig through my desk to find a bottle of champagne. It’s supposed to be a reward to the staff for all of their hard work, but it can easily be replaced.
“Are you trying to get me drunk?” he teases with this little smirk on his face.
“I can neither confirm nor deny that accusation,” I retort with my eyes lit up with wicked intentions.
“You don’t have to work that hard to get me into bed.”
“I want to give you the proper incentive to stick around.” I pop the top on the bottle, with the cork bouncing off the ceiling and coming down in his hand.
“There’s no way that you could possibly do that again in a million years. What are you going to do for an encore?” he replies, but I can tell that he’s enjoying being teased.
I’m finding this verbal sparring match somewhat of an aphrodisiac.
Discreetly, I slip my panties off and I fling them over my shoulder with pinpoint accuracy and they land in his other hand.
“You were saying,” I wink.
“Well...that just happened!” He lifts them up and studies them before raising his comforting eyes at me with the most loving look I have ever seen from a man.
“Amber, I’m not sure how to say this, but these last few days have proven to me that love can strike twice in a lifetime.” He whispers this into my ear and the only thing I can do is moan in response.
“Amber, I’ve fallen for you bad and I know the exact moment when. It was when you had that little piece of pasta on your nose,” he snickers, standing up abruptly and putting his large hands around my waist.
The champagne glass tips and drips onto my blouse.
“Look what you did,” I chastise playfully.
“That’s going to have to come off,” he instructs with his fingers going to work.
“Shane, I fell in love with you the moment you came through those doors,” I say breathlessly when he leans down to nip at my nipple through my bra. The erotic feeling is too much for any woman to take and I push him away out of instinct alone.
“Wait, did you just say what I think you said?” he says while lifting his mouth from my breast.
“Yes, Shane, I said ‘I Love You’, does that scare you?”
“Normally it would...but coming from you it feels comforting and reassuring and...it feels like home.”
His face lights up and he kisses me with a passion I am unfamiliar with. The feelings between us have been raised to a new level; however, I can’t stop remembering what happened last time.
“The door is locked this time,” he smiles, and moves his hand through my hair until we are kissing madly with me pressed up against the desk.
I quickly fumble with his belt and pull down his zipper until his pants slide down his legs. They are around his ankles. My skirt rises a few inches with his fingers until he’s touching my bare mound, and he can feel that I’m already wet.
There’s no need for preliminaries. Just having him here, standing in front of me is more than enough to satisfy any need for foreplay. The kiss alone makes me tremble. There’s a burning need to feel him inside of me. To truly understand the meaning of true and everlasting love is something that has stymied me in the past.
This time he takes the precaution of putting his hand over my mouth. My eyes widen when he pierces those wet lips. They are begging for him to take my breath away. I feel every inch and look down to see how we have come together.
I moan but nothing comes out. He stifles my need to express myself with his hand over my mouth. It is very hot, with the temperature in the room rising quickly.
“You will never look at this desk the same way again,” he mumbles, with only a few words coherent while he is attacking my breasts by pulling down the cups.
The pleasing sensation makes my head snap back and his mouth gravitates to the nape of my neck. This feeling comes over me and I bite the palm of his hand in response to the stimulation. My body rocks back and forth in a pleasing rhythm with our bodies completely attuned to one another.
I watch the door from the corner of my eye, but I don’t really care if anybody can hear us. My hand takes hold of his shirt with a fist bunched up in the material. The fire is burning hot in him, and his groan of satisfaction is hard to ignore.
We both know what’s going to happen. The gates of mistrust are open. We allow ourselves to feel in this moment. These emotions boil over, and we go off simultaneously and I can’t stop clenching.
He gives me one final thrust before releasing the storm that has been threatening to explode since the moment he walked through the doors.
It’s a brief encounter and nothing more has to be said. We give each other one parting kiss before he stumbles to the door. He’s still a little shaky from the experience. He has barely enough time to pull up his zipper, and I don’t even bother putting on my panties.
I have this smile, three miles wide, which I don’t think will ever go away. I was finally able to say the words “I Love You”, and they were matched in response. This feels like a fairy tale, and I don’t want to wake up.
Epilogue - Shane
I see my best friend Zac and I motion him to the table, when he suddenly stops and smiles at the young woman taking his hand.
Amber guides him to where I’m waiting and then discreetly leaves us to talk a bit of business. She doesn’t know the business we are about to talk about is her.
“I know I probably sound hypocritical but are you sure about this?” he discreetly reaches under the table and I take possession of the box.
“You are cutting it close; they are about to serve dessert. To answer your question, I think you already know she has changed me. I wasn’t sure I would ever be ready to take the plunge again. It’s been four months and we can’t seem to keep our hands off of one another, and I don’t want anybody else. It’s time to make it official.” I listen to my heart and I know I’m doing the right thing.
He hands me the keys. “Everything is waiting for you. I made sure not to spare any expense. This is too important,” he says when the chef comes out with a chocolate mousse in each hand.
I carefully extract the engagement ring and place it on the bottom of her plate. There’s just enough room without making the plate unbalanced.
Amber comes back from the bathroom and stands there waiting with her arms crossed.
Zac raises his hands. “I can take a hint. I’m leaving. Enjoy the rest of your evening,” he says and walks past her, and turns with two thumbs up trying to get a rise out o
f me.
I take her hand and hold it with my thumb moving back and forth across her fingers. “The rest of the night is ours.”
We eat silently and I can see the staff from the kitchen watching and waiting for the big revelation. It is a decadent dessert that takes an hour to prepare, but it’s worth the effort put into it.
The waiter comes over with the check and places it in front of her. There are four little words written on the front of it. She stares at it when the plate is removed, and the ring temporarily blinds her.
The words ‘Will you marry me?’ are written on the front.
Her hand moves to her mouth and she drops the fork. “What took you so long to ask? Of course, I will marry you. Not for nothing, but I was very close to asking you. I’m glad I didn’t have to.” I’m down on one knee presenting her the diamond ring.
She can’t take her eyes off the carats dazzling in front of her.
“I have one more surprise. We have a weekend retreat a few miles away from here. Let’s call it a pre-wedding night.” I do something completely crazy by lifting her in my arms and carry her to the white limousine waiting outside at the curb.
Applause follows us, and I know this is just the beginning of the many surprises I am going to spring on her during our lifetime together.
THE END
Read Emma’s steamy romance with a Gorgeous Alpha and get caught up on Amber and Shane’s story.
ZAC
BLUE EYED DEVILS
BOOK 3
Ch 1 – Emma
This dress is better than most, and at least this time I don’t look like a walking bottle of Pepto Bismol.
Amazingly, I really wasn’t expecting the call, but somebody had bowed out at the last second. This isn’t my first time being a bridesmaid, but I feel a little left out. It isn’t like when we were kids. We went our separate ways after High School after promising each other that it would never happen.