Читать книгу Loving On the Edge 5-Book Collection: Crash Into You, Melt Into You, Fall Into You, Caught Up In You, Need You Tonight - Roni Loren, Roni Loren - Страница 20

then

Five days. Five goddamned days of Reid gone on ­vacation, and it was like Brynn’s world had tilted off its rotation. Man, she was in trouble. She missed him. Really missed him.

She propped her elbows on her desk and pressed the heels of her hands to her brow bone. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This was supposed to be a fun fling. Nothing else.

For the past few weeks, she and Reid had kept up their ends of the fun bargain, stealing moments whenever they could to be together. To talk. To laugh. To have hot, sweaty sex in a sundry of places and positions. She’d been having such a good time she’d never let herself pause long enough to think about what could be developing between them. But now that he’d been in Florida with his family for the week, she’d had nothing but time to think. And pine.

Pining. She was pining. Oh, good God.

She peeked over at Reid’s desk—empty—just like it had been since Monday. He hadn’t called much because he was afraid his aunt or uncle would hear him. But she found herself worrying that maybe he really didn’t want to call and was using that as an excuse. Maybe he was having too good of a time without her. They were only a fling anyway, right? There were probably loads of girls hanging around the Jamisons’ sure-to-be-fancy beach house just waiting to take a shot at her guy.

Her guy. Yep, she was screwed.

With a sigh, she scooted from behind her desk and headed through the darkened office to the employee lounge, hoping a change in scenery would get her spiraling thoughts to go away. She needed to focus and get some work done. Everyone else had left for the day, but she’d agreed to stay late to stuff goody bags for the next campaign fund-raiser. Bad idea. Between her racing mind and her lack of sleep, she hadn’t even made a dent in the project. She was going to be here every freaking night for a week at this rate.

Not bothering to flip on the lights, she walked toward the fridge and rummaged around for something with sugar, and preferably caffeine. The people around the office drank coffee like fiends, but she’d never had a taste for the stuff, so she had to rely on soda to get her fix. She saw a glint of red behind all the diet lemon-lime drinks and stretched her arm farther in to reach the cola.

A light squeeze on her ass made her jolt upward, nearly banging her head on the top of the fridge. “What the—”

“Easy, sugar. It’s just me,” Reid said from behind her as he slid his arm around her waist and nuzzled her neck. “I couldn’t resist with you bending over like that.”

She spun around in his grasp, the blasting cold from the refrigerator chilling her backside as his body warmed her front. “Reid! You scared the crap out of me.”

He brushed a hand over her hair. “Sorry about that.”

She tried to catch her breath, not sure if her pounding heart was from being startled or from being so close to him. “What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be back until tomorrow.”

“I hopped an earlier flight.” He dipped his suntanned face closer and brushed his lips against hers. “I couldn’t stay away from you for another minute. I’ve never hated the beach so much in my life.”

“What? Too many beautiful, bikini-clad girls for you?” She poked his ribs.

“Ooh, jealousy. I like it on you.” His thumb stroked the small of her back, her skin coming alive beneath his touch. “And I didn’t need to check out the other girls. I already have the one

I want.”

She stared into the bottomless blue of his eyes, unable to tell if he was being serious or simply being his charming self. How could she be who he wanted? He couldn’t even take her out in public for fear someone in his circle would see them. She pushed the ugly thought away and tilted her chin up. “Guess I shouldn’t have spent my week working my way through the guys in the office, then. I didn’t realize you were going to have such a strict moral code on your trip.”

“Oh, is that what you’ve been up to?” The corner of his mouth tipped up. “I’m not enough to satisfy you? Maybe I should’ve taken Jace up on his offer to join us for a threesome.”

Her eyes widened and retort got hung up in her throat. Reid and Jace. Whoa.

He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose. “Don’t worry. I told him no. Even though I’m guessing by the way your body just quivered, you’re not totally opposed to the idea. Naughty girl. Too bad I’m too selfish to share you.”

She shook her head, dismissing the erotic images the crazy suggestion had sparked. “You’re more than enough for me to handle.”

“Uh-huh. Then why are your cheeks getting all red?” he asked, trailing his fingers along the curve of her ass. “What other fantasies are rolling around in that pretty head of yours?”

Fantasies. She looked down so he couldn’t read her expression. Was that all this was about for him? Exploration. Games. Sex. Or did he get the same fist-to-the-solar-plexus feeling she got anytime she thought about the end of summer?

She hid her thoughts with a saucy smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Vicious tease.” He dragged her away from the open fridge and lifted her with ease, guiding her legs around his waist. Her skirt bunched around her thighs, and he nipped at her lower lip. “Man, I’ve missed you like crazy this week.”

She couldn’t stave off the smile that hopped to her lips, a little zip of giddiness going through her at the obvious sincerity of his words. Maybe he did feel something more. “Really? You missed me?”

“Ah, sugar, you have no idea.”

Her heart did a little flip, confirming how far into crazytown she’d strayed. Okay, so this was stupid. Insane. She was getting in too deep. She should run hard and fast. There were a thousand reasons why this couldn’t work long-term.

But she couldn’t bring herself to turn away from him. No one had ever made her feel this good, this free to be herself. Alive. So she shoved the worries in a mental closet and kicked the door closed. Stressing about the inevitable wouldn’t get her anywhere. She would figure out how to say good-bye. Soon.

But not while he was giving her that look that made her insides turn liquid. She kissed along the curve of his neck. “So are you going to show me how much you missed me? Or do I need to call one of the other guys?”

A low growl rumbled from his chest as he swung her to the left and planted her back against the wall. “Well, I was going to take you to get some dinner first. But if you insist, I’ll gladly fuck you right here.”

“Oh.” She’d only been asking for a kiss, but the new ­suggestion sent a shot of lust-laced adrenaline through her vitals. She glanced at the empty hallway over his shoulder. “There aren’t hidden security cameras around, are there?”

“Nope.” He dragged his greedy gaze over her chest, and her nipples tightened under the perusal, her whole body going achy with want. “Grab the edges of the shelf above your head and don’t let go. I’ll show you exactly how much I missed you.”

She stretched her arms above her and wrapped her fingers around the cool metal, her heart hammering against her ribs. “Are you sure no one’s going to come back here tonight?”

“Nope.” He set her on her feet, giving her a dark smile, and shoved her skirt to her waist. “Want me to stop?”

His fingers trailed up her inner thigh, sending hot and tingly desire steamrolling over any lingering worries. She shook her head. “God, no.”

“Good.” The backs of his knuckles brushed against the cotton of her panties. “Because I don’t know if I could make it through a whole meal knowing how hot and wet you are under these already.”

She wriggled against his touch, seeking more, needing all of him. Now. “Well, whose fault is that?”

“You’re sassy tonight.” His hand slid beneath the band of her underwear, dragging heated fingers over her slick tissues and the throbbing bundle of nerves. “Guess I need to remind you who’s in charge.”

He pinched her clit hard enough for her to cry out, and she jolted against him, squeezing the shelf so tightly her nails bit into her palms. “Yes, like that. Please.”

“Did you obey my orders while I was gone?” he asked, continuing to stroke her with firm fingers. “Or did you touch this pretty cunt and come without my permission?”

“I obeyed, sir,” she panted, grasping at her unraveling rope of control. She wouldn’t last long. He’d told her not to touch herself the whole time he was gone, and for some reason, she’d listened. Now she was like a grenade with a loose pin.

“Good girl.” Without finesse, he yanked her panties down, and she kicked off her heels. “Let’s see if it was worth the wait.”

Her head lolled back against the wall.

She had no doubt he’d be worth the wait, but would he be worth the heartbreak?

Reid fumbled with his belt and unbuttoned his pants, the need to claim Brynn burning through him like wildfire. A week without her had been like walking around with a hole in his chest. He’d planned to surprise her tonight, take her to a nice dinner. Talk. But now she was here in front of him, smelling like strawberry shampoo and feminine arousal. Looking like sin. And he was about to lose his goddamned mind. Food and the discussion he wanted to have with her could wait.

Not even bothering to step out of his pants, he rolled a condom on and grasped the backs of her thighs, lifting and spreading her. “I don’t know if I can go slow and easy right now, sugar.”

Her green eyes met his, the low light of the room not dimming the fire behind them. “Then take me hard, sir.”

He groaned and dug his fingers into the soft undersides of her thighs as he thrust forward. Her wet heat closed around him like a velvet fist, causing a bone-deep shudder to wrack his body. “Goddamn, you feel good.”

Part of him wanted to stay like this, buried inside her balls deep, feeling her stretching around him, watching how her teeth bit into her full bottom lip as she fought to keep her composure. The tender skin at her neck jumped with the frantic beat of her heart, and he dipped forward to run his tongue along the pulse point.

She moaned and her muscles flexed around his shaft, nearly sending him over the edge before they even started. “Reid, please, I need you.”

He slid out until just the head of his cock rested inside her, relishing the view of their carnal connection, then plunged forward, deep and hard. Her feminine grunt of satisfaction, that little catch in her throat, was all it took to strip the last remnants of patience from his system. He hitched her legs higher and rocked into her with the speed and gentleness of a freight train, the sound of skin hitting skin drowning out the mundane noises around them.

She writhed against the wall and sweat slicked both their bodies as he balanced on the precipice before release. He refused to let it end too soon. He wanted to savor the feel of having her in his arms, enjoy the wild look in her green eyes as she hurtled

toward her own bliss. “Touch yourself, sugar. I’ve got you.”

Her fingers uncurled from the shelf, and she lowered her hand to her swollen clit, stroking over it with the confidence of a woman who wasn’t ashamed to take her pleasure. The move shot lightning through his blood, tightening his balls and dragging him even closer to the edge.

She leaned her head back, her breath turning choppy. “Oh, God.”

“That’s right, baby. You come for me. Let me hear how much you like me fucking you hard.”

“Reid,” she ground out, the word rattling out her throat and her inner muscles rippling around him as she flew apart.

Unable to resist the combination of her orgasm and the erotic sound of her calling his name, his entire body tensed, the sweet ecstasy of oncoming release rushing along his nerve endings. His cock swelled inside her, and he crushed her against him as the heated pulse of his own climax jetted through him.

When they both quieted, his legs felt as if they would collapse beneath him. Keeping a snug hold on her, he turned until his back was against the wall and then slid them both to the floor.

She touched her forehead to his and laced her fingers at the nape of his neck. “Okay, so that was worth the wait.”

He laughed and kissed the corner of her mouth. “Definitely.”

Although he didn’t plan on ever making her wait that long again. The trip had been a mistake. He’d agreed to go with his aunt and uncle for the vacation, thinking it would be a good way to get his head clear and get some perspective on his situation with Brynn. Maybe shake off the feelings she stirred up in him—feelings that had no place in a summer hookup.

But it hadn’t worked. Instead, hanging around with his family’s hoity-toity crowd had only made him want Brynn more.

For a while, he’d convinced himself their scorching sexual chemistry was the only reason the sun seemed to get brighter anytime she was near. But the week away had burned that theory into a pile of ash. As he sat on the beach night after night, staring at the ocean, he’d realized that the agonizing ache he felt didn’t reside below his belt but square in the middle of his chest.

He missed her.

For the first time in his life, he felt comfortable in his own skin, and she was the reason. The people in his world always came with conditions, fine print. But not Brynn. Even after he’d told her about his father, she hadn’t judged, only accepted. She’d embraced the dark parts of him as well as the bright spots. He’d never experienced that kind of total acceptance—not even from his mom. And he didn’t want to give that up.

Not now. Not at the end of the summer. Maybe not ever.

And he had no idea what in the hell to do with that ­realization.

Asking Brynn to be in a relationship with him was akin to inviting her into a snake pit. The people who ran in his family’s social circle could be vicious. They’d slice her apart with their genteel passive-aggressiveness and backhanded comments before she even realized what was happening. Plus, if he and Brynn started dating publicly and the press dug into her background… Hell, he didn’t even want to think about that. Beyond the fallout from his aunt and uncle over the campaign, he’d never forgive himself for bringing that kind of scrutiny and exposure down on Brynn.

But he was getting ahead of himself.

Even if he could figure out a way to shield her from the land mines in his life, she’d given him no signs that she had any interest in him beyond the summer. Sure, the whole thing was fun and different for her right now. She was trying it out. Just like she’d try out a threesome if he offered one. But would she want this kind of relationship with him for real?

He intended to find out soon. If she felt even an inkling of what he felt for her, maybe they could figure out a way to be together.

He shook himself from his thoughts and smiled. “How about some dinner, sugar?”

Her lips parted to answer, but a noise coming from down the hall made them both freeze.

“Shit,” he whispered. He strained to listen. What in the hell was that? “Is that the… the copy machine?”

Her eyes widened and she climbed off his lap, hurriedly standing and tugging her skirt down. “Did you lock the front door?”

Had he? He thought he had, but maybe in his rush to see Brynn he’d forgotten.

He buttoned his pants and stood, putting his finger to his lips to hush her. If someone was in the office, he and Brynn could be in trouble for a number of reasons. He didn’t want anyone knowing about their relationship, but that was the least of his worries at the moment. If someone had broken in, they could be in much more serious danger.

He leaned next to her ear. “Stay here. Don’t come out until I call for you. If I’m not back in ten minutes, call 911.”

“Reid,” she whispered, latching on to his shirtsleeve. “Don’t go out there, what if it’s a burglar?”

“I’m sure it’s fine. What burglar would use the copy machine?” he whispered, trying to reassure her, but not convincing himself.

He crossed over to the sink and pulled open a drawer but found only plastic utensils. Damn. He bent and opened the cabinet below. He grabbed the small fire extinguisher. It wasn’t much, but it would have to do.

He headed toward the doorway and poked his head out into the hallway. Empty. The copy machine was still going at a steady pace in the distance. Click and glide. Click and glide.

He slipped into the hall, keeping his back close to the interior wall, and inched forward on quiet feet. If he could get to the end of the corridor, he’d be able to peer around and see the spread of the main office area. Step by agonizing step he made it closer to his destination, all the while telling himself that the stealth was for nothing. That it was probably just one of the office workers stopping in for something. But the hairs on the back of his neck said otherwise.

As he reached the end of hall, he carefully peeked around the corner. The whole office was dark except for the parking lot lights illuminating the glass doors at the front and the green and white dance of lights under the lid of the unattended copy machine across the room.

“Hello?” he called out. “Anyone there?”

Only the monotonous rhythm of the damn copier answered.

Unwilling to traipse around the place in the dark to search, he reached for the light switch and flipped on the bank of overhead fluorescents. He scanned the room quickly to make sure no one was in sight, then started looking behind desks, keeping the fire extinguisher poised for his lame spray-and-distract plan.

Once he’d secured that area and checked that the front door was indeed locked, he did a cursory search of the private offices. Not a soul anywhere.

He blew out the breath he’d been holding.

Huh. Maybe some weird glitch in the copier.

He stuck his head in the hallway and called out, “Brynn, all clear.”

He headed across the room to shut off the annoying contraption that had caused the drama. The machine had been queued up for five hundred copies and was steadily pumping them out. He hit the stop button and grabbed the top page of the stack in the output slot.

His blood ran cold.

A photo filled the center of the page—the two faces in profile easily identified. He and Brynn naked by the lake during a midnight tryst from a few weeks ago, her arms bound behind her, his hand poised above her backside, ready to strike. Underneath the photo, a handwritten message in small block letters:

YOUR DADDY WOULD BE SO PROUD. KEEP FUCKING THE WHORE, AND I’LL MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS ALL ABOUT THE TWO OF YOU AND YOUR DIRTY LITTLE SKELETONS. THINK YOUR FAMILY LOVES YOU ENOUGH TO STAND BY YOU IF THE WHOLE WORLD FINDS OUT HOW SICK YOU REALLY ARE?

“Reid?” Brynn called from the other side of the office, her voice tentative. “Everything okay?”

He ripped the original from underneath the copier’s lid and grabbed the stack of printed pages. The papers quivered in his shaking hands. “Everything’s fine, sugar.”