“Only the deals that I don’t enjoy being in.”
Her lips curled up at the corners. “I stuffed all the money into my bra.”
I looked at the ceiling. I’d somehow gotten close—too close—to her again. But I wouldn’t let the same thing happen here that had happened at the fundraiser. That had been because ofalcohol.But nowI had my wits about me. I could control myself.
“You said you’d have the money today, and I don’t see it. So please, enlighten me.”
She leaned against the edge of my desk, and I caught a whiff of her scent, that luxurious fruity and floral mix. Her satisfied smile irked me...but only because I wanted to wipe it off her face with my lips.
The longer she sat here, the harder it was to look at anything that wasn’t her mouth.
Or that glinting diamond pendant dangling around her neck, heading toward the breasts I’d imagined cupping too many times over the weeks.
Or the impeccable emerald-green fabric covering the body I would have given anything to see laid bare.
Or the sleek thighs that I’d kissed my way up too many times to count.
“I don’t know, Axel. I’m not sure I can tell you anything unless you back me up against a wall again.” She cocked her head, mischief dancing in her gaze. “That really helped negotiations, don’t you think?”
She was provoking me. Teasing me. Intentionally pushing all my buttons. But I couldn’t resist. I stepped forward, bridging the small distance between us, placing my palms on either side of her ass on the surface of my desk.
“Whatever it takes to close the deal,” I said, suddenly realizing just how close we were. The good girl/bad girl, fruity-floral mix of her scent was a mindfuck, and all I could see was the fullness of her lips. The mere inches that separated us. The delight in her gaze as I edged closer. My cock was rock hard already, and I hadn’t even touched her.
“So?” I prompted. “I’ve got you cornered how you like. Now spill it.”
A flimsy laugh fluttered out of her, but it faded quickly. She was reacting to the nearness as well. Her cheeks had flushed. Her chest rose more quickly now. And I could see the pebbling tips of her nipples beneath the dress.
Fuck. I surged forward, claiming the kiss I’d been fantasizing about. She’d been goading me enough. Now here it was—the final piece she needed to know she had me where she wanted me. I lied to myself, telling myself this was just a part of the negotiations. Cora wanted to somehow provoke me via seduction before moving forward with the deal. Sure.
Whatever I needed to tell myself in order to feel less like a chump who was a victim of his own desires.
Our mouths met hungrily. The heat surprised me. It had been so long, and for some reason I thought she’d have fangs by now. But no. She was silk and warmth, the sweetness and hunger of pure woman. She reached for my shoulder, digging her nails into the seam of my suit coat.
We kissed and kissed. And fucking kissed some more.
There was not a single blood cell in my body that was not heading to my cock. My head was spinning, completely derelict in its duty to rule my body with reason and logic. The only thing that made sense right now was Cora. And I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been waiting for this moment for eight fucking years.
My tongue plunged into her mouth. I wanted to taste her. I wanted to consume her. I wanted to fuck her into oblivion and then forget about her for the rest of my life.
She whimpered, the type of raw noise that served to quadruple the amount of testosterone thrumming through me. I took her face in my hands, fingertips digging into her scalp behind her ears. She was mine. For now. Right now. All mine.
Our lips danced in perfect union. We’d always known how to fucking kiss, and that hadn’t changed. In fact, it was a little annoying. If anything, I'd have expected my memories to be better than the reality. After all, I’d had almost a decade to inflate things in my mind.
But no. It was as good as I fucking remembered. Like that realization helped things at all.
Cora wriggled her hips, her dress bunching higher. She pushed her hands inside my suit coat, groping desperately for my waist. She tugged me forward, bringing my body crashing between her spread legs. The haze of seduction grew thicker. A noxious fog that consumed me.
“Is this how you close deals?” I asked her, dragging my lips down the side of her neck. She bucked her hips, squeezing me between her thighs. She had to feel my cock by now. The warmth between her legs was the most intoxicating promise. Somewhere deep inside me, an alarm was going off.Get away from her. Get out of this. Go.
“Only the ones Ireallywant to be in,” she whispered huskily.
I tugged at her ear lobe with my teeth. “Fuck you.”
“Will you?”
I squeezed my eyes shut. I’d fuck her a million times. Even though I shouldn’t. But that part of my brain wasn’t operating anymore.
Thud thud thud.