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  “I know.” I looked at her. “I don’t usually sleep with anyone until we’ve been committed a while, a few weeks at least. You’re just so different. I’m drawn to you.”

  She smiled. “I’m drawn to you, too. And I feel excited when I’m with you, like I want to share everything with you. I never want to do that, usually. It’s new to me. I’m usually in control of every aspect of my life. With you, I can’t plan. I just want to be near you. Touch you. Be with you.”

  Now I smiled. “I feel the same way.”

  “Alex, I’ve never been good at relationships. I’m not sure what to do to make it work.”

  I took her hand in mine. I wasn’t particularly good at relationships either. I had five failed ones under my belt to prove it. “Each relationship is different. We’ll figure it out.”

  Chapter Ten

  Rebecca collected her purse at midnight. “I can’t stay. People will notice if I’m wearing the same clothes tomorrow. I’m under careful scrutiny all of the time.”

  I tried to joke. “I have a great new suit you can borrow.”

  Her smile was wide. Gentle fingers raked through my hair and her expression became serious. “I can’t believe I finally get something good without having to work my ass off for it.”

  I cupped her behind and pulled her to me. “I like your ass the way it is.” I kissed her.

  “What time will you be in the office tomorrow?” she asked.

  “Well, I have to get back to running before work. I wouldn’t want you to dump me because I’ve let my middle get soft.”

  Her hands moved around to the front of my sweatpants. “You’re… middle… didn’t feel soft before. You haven’t disappointed me yet.” She smiled.

  I waited in the lobby with her until the car she called for pulled to the front of the building. I made sure she got in and told her I wasn’t going to go to sleep until she called to tell me she got home safely. She promised she would. I gave her a lingering kiss until the cab driver tapped his impatient fingers on the steering wheel.

  As they pulled away, I felt a tug on my heart. How can I feel this way so soon?

  Thirty minutes later, Rebecca phoned to tell me she was safe inside her apartment. We spoke for another forty minutes, as if we were teenagers at the start of our dalliance.

  The next day, although exhausted from only a few hours of sleep, I ran five miles and showered before racing to work.

  When I got there, Rebecca was already elbow-deep into a pile of submissions. Her hair was swept up in a clip at the top of her head, exposing her long neck. I stood in the doorway and steadied my breathing. When she looked up it was only her eyes through her lashes. Man, that was hot. My heart rate became erratic. I had lost control of my composure. What was she doing to me?

  “Good morning,” her voice was seductive, sexy. I had to swallow hard to lubricate my Adam’s apple.

  “Um… good morning.” It barely squeaked out. She laughed, knowing the effect she had on me.

  I walked to my desk and scooped up the queries I wanted to share with her. I sat in my usual chair across the desk and tried not to look at her because I knew I’d be too distracted. “Okay, I’m going to do this fast because I need to steal a kiss and I’m using it as incentive for getting through the work I’m responsible for.” I glanced up to see her lips spread into a wide smile. I ran through everything I wanted to say about the stack of papers and how I wanted to extend invitations to the authors for more.

  Rebecca recognized how difficult it was for me to get through that whole thing without touching her. She stood up and walked around to the front of her desk. She leaned against the front edge in the space between the furniture and me. With her being so close, her perfume filled the air around me. It swirled up around my head, intoxicating me. My eardrums pounded. Her full lips called to me. I thought about them against mine. My thoughts were fuzzy. “Okay. Do it.”

  I tried to concentrate. “I’m honored that you have such confidence in me, but how do you know they’re even good?”

  She leaned over just enough that I could see her cleavage. My jeans were getting tighter by the second. “I like to take chances sometimes.”

  I gripped the arms of the chair to try to harness the cyclone inside of me. “You know you’re torturing me.”

  Her smile was sinister. She was enjoying all of it. Carefully, she reached down, centimeters from my crotch, and slowly plucked the files from my lap. The slow motion caused me to build. The elastic of my briefs bit into the joint of my leg. With her lips close to mine her breath warmed my face.

  “We have an appointment with a publisher today at noon.”

  Through my heavy breathing, I checked my watch. It was only ten-fifteen. Plenty of time. I inhaled deeply to steady myself. A myriad of thoughts raced around in my head. I wanted her so badly. Thoughts of swiping everything off her desk and taking her on the glass top highlighted my intentions. I swallowed hard. “Oh?”

  She knew what she was doing to me. “Yes, and we have a staff meeting at eleven.” Her lips barely touched mine.

  Crap! That meant I had less time than I wanted. I tried to remember what was on my desk. Other than the laptop, nothing else would break if I flung it to the floor. I stood and grabbed her. My sudden action took her off guard. With a hand on each of her arms I steered her toward my desk. I pressed my lips to her mouth. I thrust my tongue in and curled it around hers. She didn’t push me away, which told me she wanted me just as much as I did her. I backed her against the wall just next to the door that led to Rose’s desk and the rest of the office.

  Rebecca hiked her skirt up to reveal a lacy garter belt clasped to thigh high stockings. My hands skimmed up her legs, to the lace that arched on either side of her hips. I shimmied her panties down and she stepped out of them. The whole time she stared at me with wantonness. It made my desire escalate. Fumbling with my belt and the button on my pants, I quickly undid them and lowered the zipper. Her hands traveled down my thighs, pushing my pants and briefs with them.

  I looked into her eyes for permission. Her silent approval was all I needed. I lifted her leg and placed her foot on my chair. Then I moved beneath her and pushed in. The intensity of the moment was phenomenal. She was so wet and ready for me. I pulled back and filled her again. Her body reacted. It sent ripples across my skin. The combination of the fragrance of her shampoo mixed with her perfume, the feel of her body against mine, and my being inside her had me cruising on a cloud. I moved back again and increased the rhythm slightly with each thrust. She clawed at my shoulders and bit her bottom lip, fighting to hold back her moans. Her body tensed and she tightened around me. I felt her release. It was so exciting. I pushed once more and stilled as I came. We both relaxed and I fell into my chair, pulling her on top of me.

  “I like your work,” Rebecca said with a smile. “You’re definitely going to go far in this company.”

  I laughed at her comment.

  She quickly replaced her underwear and straightened her skirt. “I’m going to the ladies room to freshen up for the staff meeting. I’ll meet you in the conference room.”

  “Okay.” I kissed her before she placed her hand on the doorknob and walked out of the office.

  I straightened my shirt and pants, and grabbed a notepad and pen before walking toward the conference room, silently reeling in the fact that I had her all over me. On the way, I ran into Lindsey. It caused me to straighten my posture and contort my mischievous grin into something that looked more innocent. “Hey, Linds. How’s it going?”

  She smiled. “Everything’s great. I told you I’m getting together with Connor on Saturday, right?” She bounced in place, like a little kid.

  “Yeah,” I laughed.

  “We talk on the phone every night. I feel like I’m back in high school.” She giggled. “He’s such a great guy. How come you never introduced me before?”

  I shrugged. “I never thought it was a good idea to mix my professional life with my personal life befor
e.”

  “Well, I’m glad you made an exception this time.”

  I felt my neck get warm. She had no idea the exceptions I was making or the rules I was breaking. “Yeah, I guess I’ve gone rogue.” I tried to make it sound like a joke. I hope Lindsey took it as one. We walked into the conference room and sat in our usual seats. Katie walked in just as Rebecca was beginning the meeting. With no available seats, she stood in the corner. I motioned for her to take my chair. She held a hand up to protest, but I stood up and she must have felt obligated because she came over and sat. I took her place at the back of the room. Rebecca began the meeting.

  “Good morning, everyone. First, I want to make it official and tell you all that Alex has been promoted. I’ll be grooming him as my new protégé. That means you should extend all of the same courtesies to him that you do me.”

  The room filled with a round of applause, which made me self-conscious. Never any good with attention, my cheeks got warm. I smiled and lifted my hand in a grateful acknowledgement before receding back against the wall.

  Rebecca continued the meeting. “Now back to business. We’ve been hit with a larger influx of queries this month. That’s good. Keep up all of the good work you’ve been doing. On that note, you all know we’re neck and neck with Donovan Richards for top spot in the list of literary agencies. Over the past years, we have occupied a place at the annual grand ball given by the publishing houses. This year I want us to occupy the number one spot on that list. That means we need to find more viable authors to get contracts with the big publishing houses, which in turn means you have to start reading more queries and submissions. We need to find an author who has written something amazing, something the editors will have a bidding war over. And, we have to get to him or her before Donovan Richards does.”

  Rebecca looked around the room. Everyone was focused on her. “If we can accomplish this, I will personally pay for all of you to attend the ball, with a guest of your choosing.” A din of several low hums of approval filled the room.

  Rebecca continued. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you what a networking opportunity that could be for any of you. I know that people within the industry refer to me as a bitch, but that’s because I know this company is made up of the best talent in the city.” She held up her hand. “Correction; in the literary industry. We’re good at what we do. We find good authors and marry them to the right publishing companies and editors, all while getting each side what they want. I’m not going to compromise or settle for anything less. That’s what this company is about. That’s why we’re successful. I appreciate every one of you, and hope you’re all in it for the long haul.”

  The room was quiet. All eyes were on Rebecca. “So, that’s why I’m going to ask that you put forth that extra effort. Work some overtime if you have to. Take a client or an author out for lunch, or dinner, just get it approved by me first. This company – you guys – are all very good at what you do. Don’t be afraid to do it. That’s the end of my pep talk. Any questions?”

  Heads turned from side to side, looking to see if anyone had any questions. No one did. What Rebecca said was pretty straightforward.

  “Okay then, go out there and make something happen.” With that dismissal, everyone jumped up from their chairs and scrambled back to their desks.

  When the room emptied, except for Rebecca and me, I walked over to her. “That was very motivational.”

  “Do you think it worked?”

  “I think the part where you promised they could go to the literary dinner was good incentive. A lot of the team has always wanted to go to that. We all know the shoulders we could be rubbing against by going to that event.”

  Rebecca wore a victorious smile. “What are you doing tonight? I wanted to talk strategy for some of those manuscripts you’ve shared with me earlier this week.”

  “For you, I’m always available.” I wanted to add a kiss to that sentence, but I knew she would never have allowed it, at least not in the conference room.

  At six o’clock, Rose peeked her head into the office. “Just wanted to let you both know I’m going now. Remember, I took tomorrow off. Jayne from accounting is covering my desk while I’m out. Have a good weekend.”

  Rebecca looked up. “You have a good weekend, too, Rose. Have any plans?”

  “Going to see the grandchildren. I’m spending the weekend at my daughter’s.”

  “That’s great. I bet they’re getting so big.”

  Rose puffed out her chest. “Joey will be fifteen next month. Stacy just got braces, and little Max is trying out for the school play.”

  Rebecca’s face lit up. “That sounds wonderful. Have a great time.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  Rose and I exchanged similar pleasantries for the weekend and then she was gone. When I heard the elevator door close, I raced over to Rebecca and pulled her out of her chair. My mouth was on hers. I hoped she would feel how much I had missed her, even though we were intimate earlier in the day. I held her close to me.

  Her arms wrapped around my neck. “Can someone miss another person if they work in the same office?” She laughed.

  “Yes,” I said. My voice was breathy. “I’ve missed you all day.”

  “Can we get some Chinese take out and go back to your place?”

  I smiled against her cheek. “We can do whatever you want to.”

  She backed away from me to shut her computer. As she leaned over the desk I pressed my hips against her behind. She straightened her posture, pressing her back against my chest. “I plan on addressing that very issue, Mr. Ryan.” I planted small, butterfly kisses on her neck. “If you don’t control yourself, we’ll never get out of here. Do you want the cleaning crew to have a show?”

  I moaned into her neck. “I just can’t stay away from you.”

  She turned to face me. “Well, harness that energy. You’ll need it once we get back to your apartment.” She switched off her desk lamp and grabbed her purse. We walked to the elevator holding hands.

  Once the empty Chinese food containers were disposed of and the dishes were drying in the rack, I crawled onto the couch where Rebecca was stretched out. I was lost in her large, brown eyes. They made me melt. She ran her long fingers through my hair. “What are you thinking about?” she asked.

  “You.”

  She smiled. “What about me?”

  “I’ve never met anyone like you. You’re so many wonderful things in such a beautiful package. It makes me wonder why someone hasn’t scooped you up.”

  Her smile faded and her hand stopped stroking my hair.

  “I’m sorry. You asked me what I was thinking?”

  “I know. I didn’t mean to get weird. I just have a hard time talking about myself. I’m very guarded.”

  I sat back on my legs and hooked a loose lock of her hair behind her ear.

  She sat up. “I just don’t want to get hurt. Once I give my heart, I give the whole thing.”

  I pulled my legs out straight and shifted so that I was sitting next to her. “And I certainly don’t want to hurt you. I know I may not be like the other guys you’ve been with, but there’s more to a relationship with me than just sex. I don’t want to get hurt either. I’ve had my share of crazy, superficial women.”

  Surprise washed over her face. “Oh, I didn’t think we were that shallow.”

  My shoulders dropped. “No, I didn’t mean to imply that you were shallow. I like how I feel when I’m with you. The things you do to me. I just want to get to know you. Find out about who you are. Share things. You’re just always professional, except when we’re having sex. I feel like that’s who you are but I haven’t figured out how to translate your energy into personal information. I want to know you intimately on both levels, physically and emotionally.”

  She looked down at her hands. “You express yourself so… eloquently, do you know that?”

  I perched her chin on my finger. “You’re eloquent. How you hold yourself, the way
you move, the things you say to your clients, how you run your own business and demand the best. I admire you. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you command a room. People watch you. They revere you, and not because they have to, because they want to. You’re beautiful and I feel amazing things when I’m with you.”

  Her eyes sparkled. She reached over to kiss me.

  “Nu uh. I’m holding back until you tell me something about yourself.”

  She leaned back and pouted. “What do you want to know?”

  “Where do you see yourself in five years?”

  She ingested the question. “Well, five years ago I would have said the owner of a successful literary agency. But now, now I’m not sure. I don’t have a plan beyond being the number one agency.”

  “What about marriage? Kids? Things like that?”

  She looked down. “I… I can’t have kids.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” I felt like a jerk.

  “No, no. It’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known.” The lock of hair I had hooked over her ear fell forward. “I told you about my strict stepfather, right?”

  I nodded.

  “Well, it was never a secret that he didn’t care for me much, at the beginning. He always put my younger siblings, his children, before me, even if I needed something and they didn’t. When I was sixteen I developed a resentful independent streak. I challenged everything my stepfather said. I figured he didn’t like me anyway, so what would it matter what I did? Apparently, it did matter. We got into a heated argument about some issue I insisted on being right about. During our ‘misunderstanding,’ as my mother likes to call it, he slapped me across the face. The force was so strong I was knocked off balance. I fell on top of a chair and broke it. A piece punctured my side.” She pointed out a scar I hadn’t noticed before. It was a faint line on the side above her hip.” It ruptured something inside. There was a lot of blood. I was rushed to the hospital. I remember the paramedics working on me. Their bloody latex hands moved too fast for me to track what they were doing. One said he was losing me. I thought I was dying. I was losing a lot of blood. I blacked out before getting to the hospital. When I came to, the doctor told me that I landed in such a way that one of my fallopian tubes was crushed and my uterus was badly damaged. And, although I was only sixteen and not ready to think about having children, he wanted me to know that my chances were so against me that I would probably never get pregnant.”