“It was last week.”
He stepped closer to her, his body pulled toward her, and his feet merely obeying. “I'm sorry I forgot.”
Deborah obviously had been in his bedroom before, most likely hanging up dry cleaning or packing him for a trip. It had never occurred to him that she would be so familiar with him in such a personal way. The only difference was that he had never stood bare in front of her before with just a towel between the two of them.
Her hair hung free from her pony tail and cascaded down her cheeks in a sexy, tumbled way. Her skin invited him, begging for his touch. Licking his lips, he stared at hers. They were red and plump. They needed to be devoured.
Her gaze drifted down and on the towel. He watched as her eyes lingered for several seconds, causing him to grip the knot tightly.
She licked her lips and he heard a slight sigh, her gaze still plastered on the green terrycloth—which was quickly tenting in the front.
His heart raced and threatened to explode. The private room, the taboo status, and the world disappeared—leaving just a man and a woman.
He darted across the room, removing his hand from the towel and engulfing her in his arms.
He lifted her off the ground and her legs circled around his waist. His hands wrapped around her back and sought out her firm bottom.
He held her closer to him and the thin towel, which had loosened with his steps and began to slide down his hips.
She let out a soft gasp and he claimed her lips with his. Drops of water from his chest moistened her shirt, which now clung to her. The sweet smell of lilacs from her shampoo became stronger as the ringlets touched his cheeks.
She molded her legs tighter around his hips. He cupped his hands around her firm cheeks to hold her better. His manhood pushed against the plush towel, finally undoing the twisted knot from his waist allowing his massive rod to stroke against her.
He moved them closer to the bed, noticing that her hand had gripped the towel and tugged it away, causing them both to tumble. The screeching of the springs increased as they hit the mattress.
The dampness of her white T–shirt allowed him to see a lacy red bra. He lifted the damp shirt, caressed her silky–smooth skin, and kissed her chest.
Her perfectly round breasts pressed against him, nearly spilling from the lacy cups. He pulled one side down, allowing the nipple to peek above the garment. He licked the pebbled flesh, eliciting a loud moan from her.
Was she a screamer? He nibbled at her breast, wanting to find out.
He pulled the T–shirt off and then unclasped the bra. She arched her back as his hand kneaded one exposed mound of flesh.
Her jeans needed to come off, and right now. He halfway sat up so he could remove them, and Deborah took the opportunity to tightly grasp his throbbing member. She stroked him hard.
Up and down.
Her touch wasn't making this task any easier.
“One sec,” he managed to say as he stood.
Now standing next to the bed, he yanked her pants off and revealed the matching red lace underwear beneath. Nice, but entirely in the way. He ripped them from her body and found her dark brunette curls. Her passionate scent filled the air, and he inhaled deeply, knowing that she was dripping wet for him.
Her legs spread wide, inviting him in, as she moaned his name.
He reached into the nightstand for a condom and ripped open the shiny, foil package. His fingertips fumbled with the item, rolling the thick circle's edge until he could easily put it on.
She took it from his hands and placed it on him, her hand stroking his swollen manhood as she unrolled it to the hilt of his length. “You were taking too long.”
Just by the look she gave him, her breathy voice, and the way she had touched him—especially with the scent of her sweet arousal filling the air—the evening could have ended before it began.
He needed to be inside her. Now.
Lying on top of her firm and beautiful body, he plunged himself deeply within her slickened folds where she was dripping with desire.
Deborah's eyes closed, and she let out a gasp. “Oh, God.” Her hands gripped his bottom, and her knees lifted up, setting him deeper. She repeatedly said, “Yes,” as she dug her fingernails into his flesh.
She felt tight, really tight, and damn good. He pulled out his length and plunged into her again and again, curving his body and holding her tightly as if he needed to meld with her and become one person.
She thrust her hips to match his rhythm, causing the bedsprings to squeak even more.
He kissed her slender neck, and his cheek brushed against hers. She was moaning and breathing heavily, which egged him on.
The pace sped up. Damn. His balls tightened, and he knew he was about to come. He plunged into her hard several more times before his head flung back and his body went taut. He released into the condom just as her body spasmed. He felt her tightening around his length, milking him.
His breathing became labored and his heart raced. She was a vision with her hair splayed across the pillow and the satisfied look on her face.
Eighteen years he had known her. He gently massaged her shoulder and grinned at her. “We should have been doing this the entire time.”
25
A jostling on the bed stirred Deborah, nearly waking her. A shift, a movement, and then a wet tongue licking her face caused her to jerk her hand toward the disruption.
“Woof.”
Oreo lay on the bed softly kissing her. She smiled at the dog and tried to go back to sleep. A whine on the floor gave away Ginger’s location.
A jolt of reality—the type you get when a world crashes down on you—ran through her now stiffened body.
No, No, No
She gazed over to where she heard soft snoring and found Daniel peacefully sleeping. The blanket bunched near his left thigh and she could see his firm butt cheek peeking out.
A quick peek under the covers and she found herself naked as well.
Oh, God.
A pain twisted in her gut.
Her boss.
She had slept with her boss.
It wasn’t a dream.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
Her father’s harsh words—you need self-respect, take pride in your work, be valued for your skills—pounded in her mind, ricocheting off mental walls and echoing in her brain.
What she needed was an escape plan, but all she wanted to do was to shrivel up and disappear—hard to do with a dog licking your face, its tail swishing from side-to-side and threatening to wake Daniel at any moment.
“Shhhh,” she said to the dogs.
She lay still and petted Oreo while she thought of what to do next.
Leave and pretend nothing happened? Stay and have some breakfast?
Shrivel up and become a nun?
Whether she wanted to admit it or not, the night had been special. It had been sensual. It had also been stupid.
But she was the one who entered the bedroom. She had made the decision.
Her muscles ached, but in a good way. Sex was like riding a bike. It might have been years since she’d been with a man, but it all came back.
Hell, it was like she had won the freakin’ French Open. They had made love not once, but three times.
Initially, she’d thought she paled in comparison to his vast experience. But maybe that was what had made the night even more magical. He’d acted like a man dying of thirst with her holding the only bottle of water in town.
And that little trick he did with his tongue… Whoever had taught him that was a genius.
Wetness pooled within her core as she studied his firm body. All those gym renewals she had done for him over the years had certainly paid off. She was never one to slack off with physical fitness either, but thank God she’d decided to work out at the hotel gym the last four days.
Shit. She needed to stop staring at his bare ass peeking out from the covers.
Daniel was off limits.
&nbs
p; She tried to envision his body covered with rashes and flab, but her memory of his lean form kept popping into her mind.
She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. The sun had risen, which meant the night, and, if she knew anything about Daniel, the one–night stand, were over. At best, she might get a few good months of being with him, but at what cost? Once Daniel grew bored with her, he'd toss her aside—and then she'd lose her job and the money Josh needed for college.
Josh! What had she done? She was such an idiot.
She felt as though punched in the gut. A dozen scenarios played in her mind in an instant, and none of them had a happily ever after.
Once Daniel tossed her aside, the scholarship money would be gone, as well.
She inched one foot from under the covers and searched for the floor. Shifting her bare bottom, she scooted herself away from Daniel to leave the bed. His hand loosened, and she could slide her arm out from under his.
Shifting out from the covers to a kneeling position on the floor, she kept an eye on him and listened to his breathing.
So far, so good.
She had to leave here with some shred of dignity, and hope that the two of them could remain professional at work, at least until Josh graduated.
The light from the window cast a warm glow across her naked body as she tiptoed to a pile of clothing on the floor that she recognized as hers.
She picked up each item. Jeans. T–shirt. One shoe. She made her way to the center of the room where more clothes lay. Another shoe. Bra… Where were her panties?
“If you're looking for your underwear, I tossed them on the chair last night once I ripped them off you.” Daniel leaned up in bed with one arm stretched out to her. “Where are you going?” He lay open to her not bothering to cover up.
Using her clothes to hide as best she could and avoiding eye contact with him or his throbbing member, she walked to the chair and her torn panties.
“You have a meeting early this morning. A merger meeting.” It was the only thing she could think of, and she had no idea what time it was since he had only mentioned it to her last night, but talking about work seemed like the safest topic at the moment.
He picked up his watch from the nightstand and checked the time. “There's no rush. Scott will understand if I was a few minutes late.”
Her fingers traced the lace panties, noting the rip.
Why did she have to wear red, sexy underwear? She was a mother, his employee, a church goer….
He patted the mattress and gave her a puppy-dog face that neither Ginger nor Oreo could pull off.
The tug of the look almost proved too much, and she nearly caved, but gathered her resolve instead.
“And my father will just be happy to be at the office meeting with old friends until we get there,” he said.
The panties were a lost cause, but she managed to put her bra on at lightning speed. “What? … Your father will be in the office today?”
Daniel slowly sat up, disappointment showing in his face as the dogs jumped on the bed to greet him. “Let's not talk about my father.”
“He’s in Chicago?”
“He may be retired, but he's still interested in the business.” Daniel patted both Oreo and Ginger, both wanting attention. “He wasn't at the conference and wants to get caught up with what's going on.”
“The merger. Of course.” That’s all it was. Regular business stuff. She pulled her T–shirt over her head and put on her jeans. Her socks were missing in action so she tossed on her sneakers without them.
She took in a deep breath. Of course, he’d be here on business.
“I suspect he's heard the rumor that I'm engaged and expecting a baby. I need to straighten him out.”
Her knees felt like rubber and she staggered to the chair to sit. Vincent Ellington was at the office and was under the impression that she was pregnant.
A pregnant Deborah to help and protect. An employee who made a regrettable decision. A single mom who could barely make ends meet.
She hadn't seen her old boss since he’d retired years ago, and this scenario felt a bit too familiar.
“He thinks that I…” Deborah pointed to herself as she stood and began pacing. “That I… God, I can't see him. Not like this. Not after everything he did for me.”
“Everything he did for you?”
She felt sick to her stomach, and her hand covered her mouth. “I think I'm going to throw up.”
Daniel grabbed his robe from the side of the bed and put it on. He then gestured to the ensuite bathroom. “Morning sickness?”
Deborah’s stomach now flip-flopped and she gawked at him. “Wait. Now you think I’m pregnant?”
She stared at him, knowing now how it feels to have your legs tossed out from under you. “How can I be pregnant?”
“What?”
“Oh, puh-lease.” Her hands tensed and her tone became sarcastic. “I can only pretend so much.”
His eyes lit up, and he stared at her belly. “You're not pregnant?”
“God, no.” Her body went taut with anger. Daniel had been in on this farce since the beginning. He was her partner in this crime. “Why do you think I’m pregnant?” She gazed down at her stomach. “Do I look pregnant?”
“A few websites reported that you were.”
“Fake. It's all been a lie between us.”
She stood and glared at him and waved her hands in the air mockingly. “I'm the wealthy, now-pregnant Austrian heiress that you're pretending to marry.”
She took deep breaths and felt the room close in on her, making it hard to breath. “All these years…” A prickling headache was forming. “I've learned nothing.”
She stared at him. “I've learned nothing. I…I don't even have alcohol to blame this time.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I slept with my boss… again.”
“Again?” Daniel shook his head and tried to put his arm around her, only to have her shrug him off.
“Deborah, you're making no sense. Last night was…”
“A mistake.” Her gaze darted to him, and her stomach twisted. “The last time it was all a lie. A lie just to get me into bed. Now, it's another lie. A lie to… to what? To fool the world? To get you off some list?”
He gestured to the chair. “Perhaps you should sit down.”
“History is repeating itself. And I jumped right in and played my part.” She tugged off the ring and tossed it on a nearby table. “Not anymore. I quit.”
26
Deborah had to escape.
The lie she was living, the broken promise to herself, and betraying of Josh and his financial future were just too much.
She ran down the stairs, grabbed her purse from the couch, and ran out of the house—triggering the outside alarm. Daniel yelled and chased after her, but she couldn’t even face him.
Between the alarm, his yelling, and the dogs barking, she could hardly think.
Keys.
Need keys.
She fumbled through her purse, found her keys, and quickly got into the car. Without even buckling her seat belt, she raced to the outside gate only to pause once she got there.
Her phone was in her purse. One click of the safety app, and doing her seat belt, the gate opened and she raced to the highway.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, and before she realized it, she was headed to Sue’s house. She needed some sister time.
The two dogs went on massive bark patrol and nearly tripped Daniel as he tried to catch Deborah.
He watched as she drove down the path to the estate's gate, leaving him and all of his questions unanswered.
Her words lingered in his thoughts. Had she quit being his wife or his assistant? Or had she quit being both?
“Quiet. Oreo. Ginger,” he yelled, his hands and voice enunciating each word.
He ran to the control panel in the kitchen and shut off the alarm, typing in the secret ‘all clear signal’ so the police would not c
ome.
He sat on a stool, surrounded by the dirty dishes from their late-night snack—the dinner stored in the fridge for another time.
What the hell had just happened?
The dogs stood by the door whining, so he let them out and set out their breakfast.
All these years he thought he understood Deborah. After spending one night with her, she’d turned into someone he couldn't read at all.
He heard his alarm upstairs and knew he probably should care that it was time for him to get up and start the day. The alarm, the merger, the workday… he didn’t care. He needed to talk with Deborah. Find out what went so terribly wrong and whatever it took, he had to fix it.
Once upstairs, he called her several times, but she didn’t answer.
One question plagued him. She’d said she had slept with her boss again, but they’d only been together last night. Thinking back to how complete she had made him feel, he wasn't willing to accept that their lovemaking was a mistake.
And yet, she’d said she had made the same mistake as before.
Mistake.
He needed to see her.
Figuring she’d be at the hotel or her house, Daniel showered and got ready. One cold fact dominated his thoughts. Deborah had worked as his father's secretary before becoming his.
He couldn’t breath.
He thought of the timeline and of Josh’s age, and began to feel light headed.
Had Deborah been his father's mistress?
Daniel needed at least one antacid, probably more.
He couldn’t find Deborah and she wasn’t answering her phone. Not wanting to go home, he decided to go into work. Perhaps the work day would help get his mind off of the shit of the morning.
The crowd that had formed in the lobby of his office building fueled his anger. The damn list is what started the whole mess, and he didn’t need to see the press today.
The crowd had swarmed the lobby of the office complex, but he ignored his claustrophobia and parted the crowd like the Red Sea.
Brandelynn separated from the shadows as he rounded the security desk. “Daniel, we need to talk.”
Bachelor Heart Page 17