by Raquel Belle
“She was gauging which one of us he slept with him and she figured it was you. You got the worse of the death stare.”
“What? How did you come to that conclusion?”
“Well, clearly, Chelsea is clingy and insecure. She was practically holding on to that man for dear life, and he’s so not that into her. She picked up on a connection between you two because the man couldn’t take his eyes off of you. It’s obvious he wants you. She felt threatened.” Evie gaped at her friend, and she shrugged. Karen sighed. “I can read body language.”
“Incredible,” said. “But, I think you’re wrong—about one part, at least. Jared was staring at me because, more than likely, he was both amazed and disgusted by my disheveled appearance. He always sees a more polished version of me.”
Karen let out a laugh. “I doubt that, but if that’s the case, you have nothing to worry about. You look like a beauty queen compared to me.” She waved her hands to encompass her more disheveled state.
Evie sighed and picked up her muffin, making sure it was the right one that time and nibbled on it, getting a little comfort from the baked treat. After months of pretending that she wasn’t attracted to Jared Hawthorne, she was slowly losing her mind and finding it harder to pretend each day.
Chapter Ten
Jared
Jared was staring out the window when Evie peeped around his office door. Funnily enough, she’d been on his mind right before she had arrived. She was always on his mind. “Knock, knock ...”
He turned. “Evie, hi.”
“Anna told me I could come in, so I hope that’s alright. She was on her way out.”
“It’s fine. Come in.” It was half-past seven. He’d kept Anna much later than he should have. Just about everyone had vacated the three floors that made up Jared’s offices. He and the janitors were the only ones left, as usual.
“I just dropped by to see how the meeting went. I would have attended if you’d wanted me to, you know.”
He smiled slightly. “I know.” The problem was, he couldn’t have Evie sitting in the boardroom while he went through with the merger. She was too much of a distraction. In the beginning, she’d been by his side, giving him legal guidance and sound advice, but lately, he thought it best to keep her at a distance. She drove him crazy, waltzing into his office or one of his boardrooms with her confident gait and reassuring smile. And the dresses. God, the dresses she wore were the bane of his existence. How had prim suits and conservative dresses become so sexy? He huffed. Because it was her body filling them. Then, there was the thought of what she wore under her outfits. Every time she sat and crossed her legs, he hoped her skirt or dress would ride up just enough for him to see if she wore another garter belt.
He’d even caught himself a few times trying to peep down her blouse when she bent over. He had turned into a pervert—a pervert suffering in silence. More and more, when they were alone in his office or hers, all he wanted to do was throw her across a desk and fuck her senseless. It was a fantasy that he carried out in his mind just about every night and sometimes while he was in the middle of important meetings. His frustration knew no bounds. Jared spent plenty of nights seeking solace between the legs of other women but his efforts were always futile because each time he looked down, he saw silky umber hair spread across the pillow, and sapphire eyes glazed with passion staring up at him. No matter who he was with, he always saw Evie. Clenching his jaw, he turned back to stare out the window.
“The merger went through just fine. The contract you drafted left no room for failure. Impeccable as always, Evie.”
There were a few seconds of silence. “Then why do you sound so miserable?” She was beside him, staring down at a beautifully lit Seattle.
“Just have a lot on my mind.” Since when did he dwell on one woman? Fantasize about one woman? Obsess over one woman? It was like he’d become a stranger to himself in the last three months.
“Want to talk about it?”
He gritted his teeth. “No.”
“Want to go out for a celebratory drink?”
He snapped. “Jesus Christ, make up your mind, Evelyn. Do you want to keep things professional or not? If so, stop inviting me out for drinks, and stop showing up at my office after hours.” Jared’s jaws snapped shut so hard, he jarred every tooth his mouth. Fuck. He’d lost it. He was a ticking bomb waiting to explode, and he had finally erupted. Pulling in several deep breaths, he reigned in his temper and turned to Evie, horrified by his own outburst.
She stared, mouth hanging open and eyes full of hurt. Snapping her mouth shut, she lifted her chin. “One, don’t you dare think you can get away with speaking to me like that. I take enough crap from my father, and I refuse to take any from you. Two, inviting you for a drink is nothing personal. Pardon, me for being happy for your success, of which I played a part. Obviously, you’re going through something. I’ll leave you to it.”
Evie harrumphed and marched off, head held high. If he wasn’t so damn pissed, frustrated, and horrified, all at once, he would have been amused by the way she put him in his place. “Evie, wait. That was uncalled for. I’m sorry.”
Hand on the doorknob, she glowered over a shoulder. “Okay.”
He was by her side to place a palm on the door, effectively stopping her from yanking it open. “You’re supposed to ‘say apology accepted, and you’re forgiven, Jared.’”
“Yeah, well, tough luck asshole. You’re not getting off that easy.” His low chuckle miffed her even more. Her mouth tightened to a thin line, and her eyes gleamed with annoyance. “You find your rudeness amusing, don’t you?”
“No, Evie. I just realized how much I missed that fire in your eyes and the vehemence which you refer to me as an ‘asshole.’ That’s what I find amusing. I’ve been reminded of how utterly fuckable you are when you’re riled up.”
Her gasp was the only sound heard in the room for a while. They stared at each other, Jared, far passed caring about his behavior. “What are you doing, Jared? We’ve been doing so well. Three months went by so smoothly. I … I even considered us ... friends.”
“That’s really sweet, Evie, but I don’t want to be your friend. The things I think about doing to you are not friendly each time you show up in one of these,” he flicked the sleeve of her dress that showed no cleavage and ended below her knee, but clung to her curves like a perfectly fitting glove, “And your damn come-fuck-me heels. You’ve been driving me mad for weeks. So, I would appreciate it if you didn’t flounce into my office with your floral scent, and your perfect hair and invite me out for drinks or anything else.” It was like the floodgates had been opened and he couldn’t stop venting.
Evie softened, her eyes going from hard and angry to gleaming with longing. “How can you say those things? You have a girlfriend.”
He snorted. “You know a lot more about my personal life than I do, apparently. Hell, you know I have a girlfriend, and I didn’t even know I had a girlfriend.”
Her mouth opened and shut several times. “That woman at the cafe last week. I thought …”
“Chelsea?” He barked out a laugh. “That gold-digging lunatic? Are you insane?”
“Then why were you with her? And can you back up a little, please?” Her plea was breathy, and he took pleasure in knowing she was still affected by him. He’d been hovering over her, his palms still against the door, inches from her head. He stepped back with a grin.
“Is that jealousy I hear, Evie?”
“Not on your life,” she scoffed, but her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink.
“I’m not with her. You saw me with her that morning because the night before I had a sexual itch, and she scratched it. She weaseled a cup of coffee out of me, and a few more hours of my time the next morning.”
Evie scowled. “You know, sometimes it's best if you just stay quiet. That way I can easily forget what a jerk you are. I like you one minute, and then you open your mouth, and I’m disgusted with you once again. A sexual itch? Rea
lly? That’s how you use women?”
“I’m just going to focus on the part where you said you ‘like’ me.” He watched her fight back a smile, but it broke through, and then she was chuckling.
“You are so disgusting.”
“So, you’ve said many times. Yet you love when I kiss you.”
She visibly swallowed. “I don’t.”
“Liar. I’ve had you melt in my arms more than once, Evie. I’ve heard you moan with pleasure as I kissed these lips.” He lifted a hand to trail his thumb across her bottom lip. She didn’t push him away—a good sign. “And your other lips,” he added with a wicked smirk.
Evie’s chest rose and fell more rapidly, as she gazed up at him. “What are you doing, Jared? We agreed …”
“That we’d keep things ‘professional.’ I know. I’ve tried. But, I’m damn near combustion, Evie. Please, put me out of my misery even if it's just this once. I don’t know what it is about you that has had such a tight hold on me for months.”
She gulped and took a step back right into the door. “Sweet words don’t work on me, Jared. Not anymore.”
Jared peered down at her, wondering what she meant by not anymore. He filed her comment away for later, and focused on her mouth that he wanted to claim. He would, as soon as she admitted that she wanted him too. “I’m not trying to sweet talk you. I don’t do anything sweet. I want you, plain and simple. I didn’t get enough that night three months ago. You want more too, don’t you?”
Her lashes lowered to veil her eyes, to hide her true feelings, and he thought she’d spit out a lie and deny that she wanted him. Finally, she lifted them, seemingly having lost her internal battle. “Yes.”
He didn’t realize he’d been holding his breath until she breathed that one word. “But?”
“You told me you didn’t like complicated. This ... we would be complicated. There’s work, and then there’s my father …”
Placing a finger over her lips, he shook his head. “I don’t care about anything else right now. We’ll deal with the consequences later.” He had to satisfy his hunger before he became certifiable. Never had he craved something—someone, so much that it affected his mental state. She worried her lower lip in the habit he’d become familiar with. It meant she was nervous or overthinking something, maybe both. He would give anything to be able to read her mind. Would she ultimately shove him away and flee? Tell him to get lost? Threaten to quit again? The moments of silence were agonizing. As much as he wanted to satisfy his primal urges, he wouldn’t make another move until she permitted. Relief flooded him when she leaned forward and tipped up on her toes, covering the mere centimeters between them. A low growl of triumph and satisfaction rumbled in his chest, as her lips touch his.
He held back, gave her control for the time being, and went along with her slow, uncertain movements. Soon, she became ravenous grabbing his tie and hauling him closer. Jared’s chuckle was swallowed by her hungry mouth. One arm wound around his neck, causing her body to stretch against his. Her softness against his hardness felt fantastic. Needing to feel more of her, he dipped to get his hands under her dress and moved them upward to cup the bare flesh of her perfectly rounded ass. His cock jerked and twitched, hardening some more at the discovery that she wore thigh-highs, held up by another garter belt, and her panties barely covered her ass cheeks. He groaned. The witch was trying to kill him. He had to see her in just her lingerie. It was an image he’d pictured many times.
He wrenched his mouth from hers, and she let out a moaned protest. He stepped away, until he reached his desk. Perched on the edge, eyes still on her, he ordered, “Take the dress off, Evie. Let me see you.”
There was a brief moment of hesitation, and he stilled, heart in his mouth. If she decided that she wanted to stop, he would likely jump out the window of his nineteenth-floor office, just to put himself out of his misery. He was painfully hard and needed to get relief from her. He breathed a sigh of relief when her eyes swirled with desire, and a teasing smile played on her lips. There was the woman he remembered from their night together. Bold, beautiful, and wild.
“You enjoy watching, don’t you?” She stepped a little closer, arms twisted behind her to unzip her dress.
“You know I do. I could watch you strip all night.”
She eased the material over her shoulders then down her torso, her movements deliberately slow. “Were you serious about all those things you said, Jared? Have you really been ‘watching me, lusting after me’ all this time? Have I really been unwittingly ‘torturing’ you?”
“Yes.”
Her lips curled upward into an evil grin. “Good. I can’t say you don’t deserve a little torture.”
“Minx,” he growled.
She let the dress fall with a laugh, and he nearly swallowed his tongue. There she was just like he’d fantasized so many times, curves on display, covered by nothing but tiny scraps of black lace. To think all that time, she’d been wearing things like that under her clothes. He’d never be the same again. After tonight, there was no looking at Evie no matter what she wore without seeing the current picture of her in lingerie and black heels.
She twirled, giving him a three-sixty view. “What if I were to just give you this quick look, put my dress back on, and walk out, Jared? I bet that would take your torture to another level, wouldn’t it?”
His expression darkened, and he experienced a quick moment of panic. Would she really do that him? “You wouldn’t dare.” She didn’t answer, just continued to smile devilishly. He eased up off the desk with a warning growl, “Evie.”
“Relax, Jared. I’m not going anywhere.”
He relaxed and watched her saunter to him. Grabbing his tie—he loved when she did that. She pulled him to her eye level. “I’m not going to leave you hanging,” she said. Her hand brushed against his crotch, making him hiss. “Pun intended. But, I am going to torture you some more, Jared. You deserve to be.”
Her whispered words brushed the skin of his ear, his neck, and made him shudder. Releasing her grip on his tie, she loosened it and whipped it from around his neck. She then moved on to slowly unbutton his shirt. When he reached out to grasp her waist to bring her in for another kiss, she shoved his hand away. “Not so fast. I’ll do the touching for now.”
Jared’s nostrils flared, and his jaw clenched. She couldn’t expect him to control himself when she was within reach, half-naked. How and when did she even gain control? He’d been the one seducing her. He never gave up his valued control. He hated that he wasn’t the one making the demands, but Evie was so damn sexy in dominatrix mode, he wasn’t about to stop her.
Still wearing her teasing smile, she pushed his shirt off and ran her hands over his chest and abdomen. There was nothing overly-stimulating about the action itself. He was so used to being touched and caressed. But, Evie’s hands felt different somehow. It was like her touch was enhanced with some kind of magic. He gazed at her in wonder, as she began to unbuckle his belt. It crossed his mind that he should be worried about the way she made him feel. His brother’s words echoed in his head: You’ll get your balls handed to you by the right woman one day …
Jared gulped, and his eyes widened as Evie yanked his and boxers and pants down to his ankles and cupped his balls in her hand. Had that day come? Son of a bitch. Panic flared, and just when he was about to start sweating, she started to caress his length and all thoughts other than being there with her at that moment fled. He sucked in a breath and grunted as she squeezed him with just enough pressure to make his hips buck.
“You really shouldn’t tease me like this, Evie.”
Her giggles made his rod jerk again. “Why not? I’m having so much fun. You’re incredibly sensitive, Jared. I’m just now realizing.”
“I happen to know how sensitive you are, minx, and I plan to make you scream even more than you did the last time.”
The excitement and anticipation were visible in her eyes, as her breathing accelerated. “I’m not done
torturing you yet.”
“Oh, yes, you are.” Grabbing her wrist, he pulled her hand away from his painfully hard shaft and yanked her forward. With a gasp, she toppled and crashed against his chest. “It’s my turn.” In a swift movement, he spun them around, lifted her, and deposited her on the desk. “I enjoyed your little torture session, and maybe another time I’ll allow you all the time you want to make me squirm, but I’ve waited much too long to have you.”
Her eyes widened. “Another time? I thought you said just this once.”
He groaned. “We are not discussing that right now,” he said, as he gave her a quick, hard kiss before she could say another word.
Chapter Eleven
Evie
She’d officially lost her mind. Somewhere, the sane part of Evie, that had been shoved to a dark, windowless corner of her mind the second she kissed Jared, was sending a warning. She was going against every rule she’d set for herself regarding Jared, her job, and her love life, in general. But, Jared’s mouth was wreaking havoc on her senses. The sane Evie and her warnings couldn’t be heard above the pounding in her ear, as her heart worked overtime. Every movement of his hot mouth sent her into a tailspin. His kiss changed from ravenous to gentle. He eased his tongue between her lips to explore the cavern of her mouth, then took the kiss back to a ferocious and impatient one.
Her hands moved over his bare chest, and her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer. She needed him closer, needed to feel every hard inch of him against her. She’d fought it for too long, her attraction to him, and now she could barely contain her craving. After satisfying her need for him, she was going to talk herself into regretting it. She was almost sure, but that was a problem for later.
He gripped her thighs and pulled her closer. “Feel how much I want you, Evie,” he muttered against her mouth. His hard length pressed against her softness, wrenching a needy moan from her.