The door opens, and she walks in, clearly hesitant. She’s dressed in a pencil skirt that shows off the lush curves of her hips and a silky blouse that makes me want to run my fingers over the soft material. I force a damper on my lust and smile in her direction.
“Come in, Rachel.”
At my words, she looks like she will turn around and walk away, as far away as possible from me, but she comes forward, lowering herself gingerly into the seat I pull out for her. My fingers brush against her shoulders and there’s that buzz again. I pull in a breath and go over to my chair, waiting as Tony sets up a slideshow.
I leave most of the talking to him. I assume Jessica would have explained the basics of a Gilt Travel feature on the Gold Dust to Rachel. Now, Tony does the rest. He describes the project, and she takes notes, directing her inquiries at him. Her questions are sharp and insightful, and I have no doubt she will approach the feature from a very creative angle.
At the end of the presentation, she looks from the screen to me, and for a moment, our eyes hold. I don’t want to look away.
“Is that all?” I ask Tony, still looking at her.
“Yes.”
“Thank you. You can leave us now.” I turn a grateful smile in his direction. “Ms. Foster will communicate any requests for additional information or clarification.”
With a nod, he leaves, and Rachel starts to rise from her chair. “I should be going.”
No way.
I touch her arm. “No, don’t.” My voice is firm, but inside, it feels like a plea. I shift my chair close to hers so we’re facing each other. “We should talk.”
Her eyes flash. “I know what you’re doing.” There’s hurt and accusation in her voice, and I’d feel contrite or ashamed if I still didn’t blame her for lying to me. “You engineered this assignment so you can get me to spend time with you. Well, guess what? This time, you’re not going to get what you want. You’re wasting your time. I’m not going to let you get away with manipulating my job just so you can fuck me.”
Her lips quiver on the last few words, reminding me just how much I want to fuck her. I hit a button on my desk and the frosted glass walls of my office darken almost to black, giving us even more privacy.
“Let’s see,” I say softly, “I generously agreed to a request your boss made a long time ago. How is that manipulating your job?”
It’s bull, and she knows it. I am using her job to get close to her.
Her lips curl. “And the article about Insomnia?”
“I brought you there to give you a chance to tell me the truth, which you didn’t take, for whatever reason.”
“Maybe because I didn’t want to,” she snaps. “Maybe because I was perfectly fine with you thinking I was a hooker. Maybe because I had no intention of ever seeing you again.”
I lean closer to her. The quivering of her lips intensifies. Her skin flushes. I can feel the arousal coming off her in waves, but I don’t feel any triumph, not yet. I want so much more than arousal. I want capitulation.
My voice is a low murmur. “Quit lying to yourself.”
Her chest rises, and her breath rushes out. “I don’t know what you mean.”
I ignore the lie. “Tell me the truth, Rachel,” I challenge in a low voice. “What do you want?”
She doesn’t reply.
I smile, only a little. “You see, I know what I want. I want you. I didn’t ask Jessica Layner to give you the feature, but I hoped she would, especially after I told her I was a fan of your work. I’ll be in San Francisco for a week, and I want you there with me. I want to fuck you every day we’re there. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since that night at my hotel. I want to make you come until you beg me to stop, and I know you want the same thing.”
She makes a sound in her throat, but I don’t take my eyes off hers.
“But if you’d prefer not to…” I shrug and back away from her. “Then we won’t see each other in San Francisco. You’ll do your work, return to New York, and probably never see me again. Is that what you want?”
Her chest is rising and falling. Her eyes are glazed. Her arousal in like a drug to me. I want to cover her lips with mine, to taste the desire that so closely reflects my own, but I can wait a little longer—though only a little.
“What do you want?” I ask again.
Her eyes dip to my mouth, and her lips part. I hold back only for a moment then I’m closing in, unable to wait any more. I cover her mouth with mine, tasting the heat and sweetness that is her, drowning in a nectar that’s more addictive than anything I’ve ever tasted.
It takes all my willpower to pull away, to tear my mouth from hers. She moans, her eyes unfocused as they roam over my face.