by JC Harroway
“Nice,” Tate and I say at the same time, and Brianna shoots daggers my way. I hold my hands up in surrender and laugh. “What, a guy can’t appreciate lingerie?”
“This isn’t real,” she says. “And I’m not wearing lingerie for you. Ever.”
“Hey, you’re the one who sprung this on me. The least you could do is consider it,” I say, and Tate laughs as he punches me in the arm. I know he’s secretly loving this. In the first month I worked for him, he mentioned Brianna often, even joked once about setting up us two workaholics.
“Dude, are you not fond of your nuts?” Tate asks and shakes his head at me like I’m insane. Yeah, I get that Brianna is confident and a take-charge kind of woman—a woman a guy should never mess with—but the blush on her cheeks when I tease her is so goddamn sexy, I can’t seem to help myself.
I cross my legs to protect my nuts. “I just might give up one to see her in lingerie,” I say, and Brianna opens her mouth, likely to shoot back with some kind of profanity, when Summer captures her arm and gives a little tug.
“Ignore him, Bri.” Summer winks at me. “It’s the beer making him stupid.” She puts her purse over her shoulder. “Behave yourselves, boys.”
“See you tonight, Bri,” I say and then fish my key from my pocket to hand over to her. “Just let yourself in.”
She looks it over before shoving it into her purse. “It’s Brianna.”
“I know.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Brianna
THE CHALET’S OUTSIDE solar lantern is on, brightening the path as I drag my suitcase along the walkway. I grab my key card from my purse and stare at it for a moment. Truthfully I can’t believe I accepted Luca’s terms and agreed to live with him for the week. Things are always done on my terms. I set the rules. Then again I got him into this, so he should have some say on how it all plays out, right? As I consider that, my mind goes back to the incredible sex we had, how he said he wanted to keep fucking me. I shut him down at the time, which begs the question: Why did I throw myself into his arms and kiss him hours later? Was it really all for show, my way to let Granddad know I was okay? Or was there some other reason behind it—like the fact that I wanted back in his bed, and this was the perfect excuse?
Oh Jesus!
I quietly let myself in and listen for sound at the door. The light above the sink in the kitchen is on, and I leave my suitcase in the foyer and tiptoe farther into the chalet. It’s late but it’s possible Luca is still out drinking. After we went shopping, Summer and I met up with her friends Cara and Amber. We all went out to the wine bar for a drink—my idea. I kept them there longer than I normally would have—I’m still exhausted from the travel—but I was hoping Luca would be asleep when I returned.
I’m half to blame for this situation, I realize. I did get myself into this mess. Honestly, I could be the poster girl for screwed-up good intentions. I walk down the hall and find Luca stomach down on the bed, stark naked and sound asleep. The sheets are a crumpled mess near the footboard. My heart picks up the pace as I let my gaze roam the long, hard length of his beautiful body. He must work out a lot to be in such good shape. Which reminds me, I need to hit the gym in the morning for a good cardio workout.
There are other ways you can work off the calories, Bri...
I reluctantly tear my gaze away and go back to my suitcase. I carry it into the room and unzip it. All the goodies I purchased earlier spill from the overstuffed bag. The pretty pink package with the silk ties tumbles to my feet, like it wants my attention. I lift the bag and shake my head. How I let Summer talk me into buying lingerie is beyond me. That girl can be persuasive when she wants to be. In the end I caved. But I’m not wearing it in front of Luca and giving him the idea I want sex again—even though I totally do. I guess I can always wear it on a date when I get back home. Oh, who am I kidding? I’ve been so busy trying to prove myself at work, I haven’t been out with a guy in ages. Maybe that’s why my revenge plan backfired. One touch, and I was putty in Luca’s hands. I shove my purchase to the bottom of my suitcase—out of sight, out of mind—but then something starts to buzz.
“Oh crap,” I say under my breath when I realize what it is. I start tearing clothes out, desperate to find Mr. Right. Dammit, I must have accidentally turned it on just now. I finally pull it free and struggle to turn the damn thing off. I exhale when the buzzing stops, and I’m about to put it away until I hear the bed squeak behind me.
Oh hell no.
“Well hello, Mr. Right.”
“Shit,” I say under my breath, and quickly bury the vibrator in my clothes.
“Hey, don’t let me keep you from him.”
I turn slowly to find Luca up on one elbow, grinning at me. “It accidentally turned on. I wasn’t about to use it.” Although now, after getting a full frontal and seeing his thickening cock, my body is heating, screaming for a little attention. Sadly, after a night with Luca, I’m not so sure my vibrator is going to cut it anymore.
“That’s too bad.” Luca rolls to his back, and without a hint of modesty, sprawls out, showcasing his gorgeous body. “I’d love to watch you use it or, better yet, use it on you.”
My pulse pounds against my neck. “Not going to happen,” I say quickly, as the visual floods my body with lust.
He puts his arm over his head. “Do you have any idea how badly I want to fuck you again?”
Heat zings through me. I’ve never had a man talk so blatantly before, and the hardening of my nipples is a testament to how much I like it. Instead of answering, I shoot back with, “Do you think you could cover up?” I grab my nightgown and cosmetic bag from my suitcase.
“You’ve seen me naked,” he says casually, and my body warms at the memory of him on top of me, inside me, taking me to places I’ve never been before.
“Which means I don’t need to see it again.”
“Once was enough?” he asks.
“Once is always enough for me,” I say and stomp into the bathroom. I close the door behind me and lean against it. My entire body is on hyperdrive, fully aware there is a willing man in the bed I’m about to slide into.
Go for it. Have sex with him. On your terms.
I unbutton my blouse and shrug it from my shoulders. As I slip off my jeans, I think about Mr. Right. Dammit, I should have taken him into the bathroom with me. The toy is waterproof, and with the shower running, Luca would’ve never been the wiser. I could have taken the edge off and fallen into a sound sleep. Now I’m going to be a quivering mess and trying to pretend otherwise. I open the glass shower door and turn on the spray. Once it’s lukewarm—a little more cool than hot—I climb in and let the water wash away the lust building inside me. I stay there for a good long time, until my skin is shriveled and I’m shivering.
Praying Luca has fallen back to sleep, I dry off and grab my nightgown. Dammit, in my hurry I forgot panties. Not that I ever wear them to bed, but with Luca in there, I don’t want him to get the wrong idea—or the right one.
Oh God, what am I saying?
I slip into my nightgown, brush my teeth, quietly leave the bathroom and then slide into the bed, being careful to hug the edge so we don’t accidentally bump into each other.
Touch him, already.
A frustrated moan catches in my throat and I put my hand over my mouth to stifle it, but it’s too late.
“Everything okay?” Luca asks, his deep, rumbly voice vibrating through me and stroking the needy spot begging for his attention.
“Fine. Just tired.” I fake a yawn as my body stirs with need.
The bed moves as he rolls toward me and I hug the blankets tighter. “Did you have fun with Summer?” he asks, his breath hot on the back of my neck.
“Yes.”
“I had fun with Tate, too. He’s a good guy.”
My mind goes back to when I first heard about Luca, Tate’s
new junior partner, and how much Tate wanted me to meet him. I’d just been so busy working, I hadn’t met him before now, and never would have thought he was my Luca. Well, not my Luca, but the Luca from Oxford. I think back to the stories Tate told me, and how he met Luca when he was here in St. Moritz six months ago. “Wait, if you’re a lawyer, why were you working at the bar?”
He goes quiet for a moment—too quiet—and I’m about to turn, but stop when he says, “Just wanted to experience other things, you know?” My stomach tightens. There is something he’s holding back. The lawyer in me sees this kind of hedging in couples all the time. What is it that Luca doesn’t want me to know? I consider it for a moment, but is it really any of my business? One night of sex and this week-long pretend engagement doesn’t mean I’m privy to his secrets and vice versa.
“I can’t believe he’s getting married in four days,” he says, bringing the conversation back to Tate.
I don’t answer; instead, I pretend I’m asleep.
“After the bar, we walked to the golf course. We ran into your grandfather there.”
“Granddad was golfing?” I ask. Darn, I’m supposed to be sleeping.
He scoffs. “Strange, right?”
I slowly turn to see if he’s kidding me or not. My eyes meet his and there isn’t an ounce of humor on his face. In fact he’s frowning. “What?” I ask.
He rolls to his back, shoving one arm under his head. “He was with your uncle Bill. Bill congratulated me on our engagement. So much for James keeping our secret.” Damn, no doubt Uncle Bill would tell his sons, my cousins Alec and William. They’re both expected at the end of the week, along with Uncle Don and his new wife.
“Dammit.” I pound the bed. “Now we’ll have to pretend in front of everyone.”
“I know.” A moment of silence and then, “Are you sure we’re going to be able to pull this off? He’s pretty good at reading people and situations.”
“That’s what made him so successful on Wall Street.”
Luca moves his leg and it touches mine. I suck in a fast breath and jerk it back, hoping he doesn’t notice my reaction.
“That right there is what’s going to tip him off,” he says, his voice a bit deeper, huskier than it was a second ago.
I’m so on edge, it’s hard for me to think straight. “What are you talking about? What’s going to tip him off?”
He slowly slides his leg toward mine again, and I flinch when he touches me. Not because I don’t like the connection, but because I like it too damn much. I shouldn’t have sex with this guy again. It goes against my rules. And those rules are in place for a reason.
“The way you react to my touch,” he says. “You’re all jumpy.”
“Then stop touching me.”
“Ah, but if we’re going to pull this off, your granddad will expect us to touch. Tate and Summer are getting married, and they can’t keep their hands or eyes off each other.”
With my stomach tightening, I roll onto my back. He’s not wrong, of course. Granddad will expect to see us gazing at each other, touching lovingly, acting like Tate and Summer.
His hand slides across the bed, his fingers lightly brushing over my arm. I’m about to pull away but stop myself, not just to prove we can pull this off, but because I like what he’s doing. Dammit. I’m off my game, not as in control as I’d like to be. Then again it was fun sleeping with him. Why can’t I do it again? Break my rules just this once. It’s not like my heart is going to be involved. I’m too smart for that.
“If we’re out and I touch you like this, you have to pretend you like it,” he says. “You might even want to touch me in return.”
Touch him, Brianna. Do it already. Take what you want.
Before I can stop myself, I roll toward him. I place my finger on his shoulder and then drag it downward, stopping near the tiny hairs forming a V-shape at his pelvis. His hips jerk, and the sheets tent just a little more. “You mean like this?”
He moans. “Yeah, like that.”
“You think I’ll have to touch you like that in public?”
“I can’t say what kind of situation we’ll find ourselves in, but I think we need to be prepared for anything, don’t you?” He smirks. “Your granddad is a smart man, and we wouldn’t want to do anything to make him suspicious, or upset him.”
“You’re right. We do have that to consider,” I say, going along with this game he’s playing.
He turns on his side to face me and I take in his chiseled face and sculpted jaw. Simply put, the man is gorgeous. “I think we should practice,” he murmurs. Dark eyes full of possession search mine as his hand goes to my side and traces my curves, stopping on my hips. I shiver at the heat of his touch, the way my nightgown is lifting higher on my legs. I can’t believe I’m playing along. Then again I’m drenched with desire.
“I don’t think we have a choice,” I say casually, even though there is a storm going on inside me. The black in his eyes bleeds into the brown. My God, the hungry way this man looks at me is insane. This crazy lust between us is unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. It’s volatile, explosive and I pray to God it doesn’t blow up in my face.
It’s just sex, Bri. Nothing more.
He puts his hand on my thigh and then slowly slides it upward, his face searching mine, like he expects me to tell him to stop.
I won’t.
I can’t.
I want this more than I’m willing to admit.
I inch my legs open and a sexy smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. The rough pad of his thumb goes to my clit, circles it, but never touches. I give a frustrated groan and lift my hips.
“I’m not so sure I’ll have to touch you here in public, but I think we should cover all bases, don’t you?”
“Absolutely,” I say, and Luca chuckles at the eagerness in my voice, but suddenly all I can think about is sex in public. It’s not something I’ve ever done before, ever had the desire to do. It’s risky and inappropriate, but if it were with Luca, I’m sure it’d be a mind-blowing experience that I’d never forget.
He strokes my clit, and I let loose a blissful moan. “That is so good.” He slides over me, presses his mouth to mine as he beautifully manipulates my clit with deft fingers. His magnificent cock, fat and heavy, presses against me, and as his tongue slides into my mouth, I can’t help but want something else in there. He presses one finger inside me, thick and long and demanding as he fucks me with it. I’m already so wet, I instantly soak his hand, and his low groan of approval awakens every nerve in my body. His palm bangs my clit, and as his touches and kisses consume me, I try to remain in control but soon find myself drowning in him. I swallow a cry as my muscles clench hard around his finger, and my body shakes violently.
I have never come so fast before.
He lifts his head, like he’s as surprised as I am, and I gasp for my next breath. Giving me no reprieve, he says, “On your knees.” He helps me up, until I’m on shaky knees and he flattens himself out on his back. “Straddle me.” He reaches out and pets my wet sex. “I’ve wanted back in here so badly, it’s all I could think about today. I nearly fell into the sandpit at the golf course.”
“You sure it wasn’t the alcohol?”
“I had two drinks. Didn’t want anything to mess this night up.”
“So you had this planned, did you?”
“Let’s just say I didn’t want to be messed up in case you changed your mind.” He sits up, rubs his hand across my cheek, and there is a gentleness about him as he lightly rubs his thumb over my flesh. “I’m glad you changed your mind,” he says softly, tenderly, as his warm breath falls over my face.
My heart does an odd little flip at his sweetness, and I lower my head. This is just sex, Bri. He’s an asshole who hurt you, and you’re just taking what you want, what you were denied all those years ago.
W
ith that in mind, I gaze at his throbbing cock, and my body burns hotter. I wet my bottom lip to prepare my mouth, and his growl curls around me. “What if I have to touch you here in public,” I say, making this all about sex as I take his thick cock into my hand. It jerks, and pre-cum spills from the crown.
He falls back to the bed. “You think it will come to that?” he asks, his tortured voice stroking my wet sex. I straddle one of his legs and rub my sex all over him. His cock hardens to steel. Every muscle in his body tightens and he moans as I bend forward, lick the cum from his tip.
“Cazzo, Brianna,” he says and grabs a fistful of my hair.
I take him deep, deeper than I’ve ever taken any other man, and his soft curses curl around me. I slide a hand between his legs and cup his balls. I breathe in, loving the tangy scent of his skin as I massage his balls gently, until they tighten in my palm.
He thickens even more in my mouth, stretching my lips, and I love every second of it. His hips move, and I work one hand over his long length as he fucks my mouth.
“Stop,” he grumbles, and I reluctantly inch back. His eyes are dark, intense, when they meet mine, and his nostrils are flaring. He grabs a condom from his nightstand and quickly puts it on. “Come here,” he says and captures my hips to lift me. He positions me over his cock, and I cup my breasts as he slowly lowers me, giving me one glorious inch at a time. Closing my eyes, I cry out shamelessly and wiggle until he’s seated deeply inside me.
“You are so beautiful,” he says, and I open my eyes to see him. His eyes are locked onto mine, and my belly flutters at the desire I see blazing in the dark depths. His hands tighten on my hips and he slowly lifts me, then pulls me back down onto his long length.