I Brake For Bad Boys (3 page)

“When I'm done,” Ian promised with a smile, “she'll be thanking you both.”

Neither of them appeared convinced, given the way they rolled their eyes and snickered. But they did finally leave his office, giving Ian the opportunity to plan. He tilted back in his chair and propped his booted feet on the desk. He was semi-hard and had been since first walking into Erica's office. She'd looked downright edible in her miniskirt, her glossy black hair loose, that taunting smile. And those slanted green eyes. . . His hands curled tight. Damn, he could just imagine how sexy she'd look in the middle of a screaming climax.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing.

Afterward, he thought, once Erica was softened up and more relaxed with the release of sexual tension, they'd talk. Her guards would be down and she'd be open to him, emotionally vulnerable. The image of Erica curled beside him, all womanly warm, was almost more satisfying than the idea of taking her sexually.

It was definitely as big a turn-on.

He'd never get rid of his boner thinking like that. To distract himself, Ian pulled out a pen and paper and started jotting down notes. He'd need to make a few purchases at Wild Honey and he wanted things that would give the most impact, items that would rock her feminist foundation.

He put body oil at the top of the list, and worked his way down from that—and all the while, he smiled in anticipation.

Erica was in the lounge waiting when Becky and Asia finally strolled in. They took one look at her and balked. Becky even tried to turn around to sneak back out but Asia snagged her arm and dragged her to the table.

“My, my, my,” Erica quipped. She hadn't been able to locate George, so Becky and Asia would become the recipients of her discontent. “Don't you two look apprehensive. Now why would that be, I wonder?”

Asia plopped down into her seat and even rolled her eyes. “Knock it off, Erica. You're terrorizing Becky with all that nasty sarcasm.”

Wide-eyed Becky showed a lot more caution in seating herself. “Are you mad?”

Erica shot her a look. “Now Becky, why would I be mad? Just because your honey manipulated things a bit for me?”

Becky nodded, making her dark blond curls bounce. “George told me that he was trying to help you out by telling someone about the plan, but—”

“Do you know who he spoke to?” Though Erica asked the question casually, curiosity burned inside her. Who besides Becky, Asia, Cameron, and George knew about her risqué plans?

According to Ian, all of Cuther. Erica bit back a groan at that possibility.

“He didn't say,” Becky ventured carefully. “And I didn't think to ask, not after he told me that Ian Conrad had overheard it all and that now you and Ian are . . . well. . . .”

Suddenly Asia leaned forward. “George and Cameron said you're going to play sex slave with Ian.”

There was a priceless look of scandalized trepidation on her friends' faces. Trying not to laugh, Erica said, “That's right,” and she was proud of how cool she sounded—as if the idea didn't give her a little apprehension herself.

“But with
Ian Conrad
?”

Erica's reaction had been the same as Asia's, but she shrugged. “Yeah, so? What's wrong with Ian?”

With a worried look, Becky said, “Nothing's
wrong
with him, exactly.”

Asia agreed. “Nope. Not a thing.”

Fidgeting, glancing at Asia, Becky said, “Except that he's, well . . .”

“Enormous,” Asia supplied.

Becky nodded. “Yes, enormous. Perfect description. And maybe . . .” She searched for the new word.

“Forceful.”

“Exactly.
Very
forceful.” Becky looked quite concerned by that fact.

Maintaining her lazy pose, Erica looked first at Asia, then Becky. “He's so quiet, how do you know he's forceful?”

Asia pushed back her long brown hair and propped her chin on a fist. “Maybe it's because he's so quiet, and still everything gets done. He'll have some guys start working on wiring something and if they don't get it right, he doesn't say a word, he just has this . . . look.”

“He does have a look,” Becky said.

Asia shivered. “All the new guys stammer around him.”

“So do the women,” Becky confided. “I've heard them asking him out, coming on to him. And you know what he does?”

Despite herself, Erica was fascinated. “No, what does he do?”

“He gets this little smile and this real gentle look in his eyes and, oh, man, it's . . .”

“Devastating.” Asia sighed.

“And then . . .” Becky bit her bottom lip, building the suspense.

“Then?” Erica prompted her.

“He says no.”

“No?”

“That's right, no. He turns all the women down.”

Erica snorted. Ian Conrad was not a monk, and he sure didn't strike her as the type who favored celibacy. The man oozed sexuality out of every pore. “Like I'm supposed to believe that?”

“It's true. Ask them. Yesterday in the ladies' room they were speculating about whether or not he's gay.”

After a disgruntled huff, Asia rolled her eyes. “Wounded vanity. Just because a guy's selective . . .”

Erica started laughing. Sometimes her friends were downright nuts. “I had no idea you two had taken so much notice of him. And here you're both supposed to be happily involved women.”

“We noticed you noticing,” Becky explained, “so naturally we paid closer attention.”

Erica studied her two best friends—her two
guilty
best friends. “And then you sicced Cameron and George on Ian to set me up because you thought I'd need help with that?”

Asia flattened back in her chair. “No way! We told you that was an accident. George was just talking about it—”

“About
me.
”

“Yeah.” Asia grinned. “But you give them both such a hard time, you know they're dying to see how this turns out for you.”

“They're dying to see me get my comeuppance, you mean.”

“Not true.” Becky appeared affronted by such an idea. “George is actually a little worried about you.”

“Worried? Why?”

Becky's voice dropped to a whisper. “Ian makes everyone nervous. He wouldn't have been my choice for you.”

Damn, if they kept this up,
she
was going to get more nervous. And she was plenty anxious enough already without any added help.

Hoping to convince herself as well as her two friends, Erica boasted, “I can handle Ian, don't you worry about that. He might seem like the big, quiet, intimidating type, but he's still just a man, and like all men, he'll—”

Becky suddenly looked beyond her, and her face blanched. She elbowed Asia, who followed Becky's gaze and then immediately slid lower into her seat. Her cheeks turned red.

No, Erica thought. No, no, no . . .

Warm breath touched the back of her ear, along with the hot scent of a big man who'd been hard at work. “Just a few more hours, Erica, and you can see just how well I handle.”

Erica stared at Becky and Asia, willing either of them to lend a calming influence to help even out her tripping heartbeat. But they weren't looking at her. No, their panicked gazes were directed over her shoulder.

At Ian.

Now how in the hell had he gotten behind her?

Becky and Asia were horrified enough for all three of them, so Erica refused to join in. Instead she fashioned a snide smile, slowly twisted her head around to face him, and met his oh-so-close piercing blue eyes dead on. “Hey, Ian. Skulking around the break room, are you?”

“Repairing a busted circuit, actually.” He surprised her by crouching down next to her seat, which put him slightly below her. In her experience, a man always chose a position of power, choosing to tower over a woman in an effort to intimidate her with his size. That Ian should lower himself beside her, giving her the advantage of looking down on him, was curiously touching.

But even with him practically kneeling, he was so big she still felt surrounded—by his strength, his scent, his blazing intent, which one and all could easily see given the way he devoured her with his eyes.

He braced one hand on the back of her chair so that his hot wrist touched her nape, sending tingles down her spine. His biceps, already impressive enough, bulged even more. His other hand clasped the edge of her seat, causing his fingertips to brush up against her hip.

She started to lean back to escape some of that overwhelming masculinity. The smile that Becky and Asia had just warned her about suddenly tilted his sensual mouth. Erica halted, then forced herself to relax. Or at least, pretend to relax. With him practically in her lap, his face level with her breasts, she felt so wired she couldn't draw a breath.

He swiveled his head toward her friends, finally releasing Erica from that piercing gaze. Everything inside her went liquid with relief, even her backbone. She had a hell of a time staying upright in her seat.

“Ladies,” he murmured by way of greeting.

And her friends, both mute ninnies, just gaped back at him.

His smile widened, looking more like a crooked grin. “Now don't be embarrassed,” he chastised in a gravel-rough voice. “It's okay that you were talking about me. I'm sure you just wanted to reassure Erica, right?”

After a moment's hesitation, their heads bobbed comically.

“Yeah. That's what I thought.” He pinned Erica in place again. “Not that you need reassurance, do you, Erica?”

Where
had
her voice gone? It took her a painful three seconds to find it, and that annoyed her enough that her natural self-confidence returned. “Of course not. As my personal slave, you'll do anything and everything I say. Isn't that right?”

Very gently, he asked, “Do you really think so?”

Her back stiffened, in alarm, in dread—maybe a little in relief. “Are you telling me you've changed your mind? Are you backing out now?”

He looked at her mouth . . . and looked some more. A little unsettled, Erica squirmed. They were all so quiet, she thought she could hear Becky and Asia breathing; she knew she could hear the erratic knocking of her heartbeat against her breastbone.

Finally, Ian broke the nerve-stretching tension. “Naturally not.” He came to his feet with an amazing fluid grace considering his size. Then he touched her chin. “One warning, though. Be very careful what you instigate because you never know how it might turn against you.”

Damn him! Insults and more threats. She would not put up with it.

Erica surged to her feet too—a ludicrous affectation since she only reached his shoulder. But she did poke him in the chest, and found out he was so hard she nearly broke her finger. Wincing, she said, “Quit trying to intimidate me, Ian Conrad, or I'm liable to just call the whole thing off.”

He grinned, caught her finger, and cradled it to his chest in a manner that felt oddly protective. “But I don't intimidate you, isn't that right?”

Still staring at her slender hand caught up against that broad granite chest, she blinked. “What?”

He took a step closer to her, forcing her to tilt her head back to maintain eye contact. “I refuse to believe you'd back out on me now just because of a little uncertainty. After all, Asia and Becky went through with it and survived just fine.”

After holding silent for the whole damn visit, her friends started sputtering over having their sorry butts dragged into the conversation. Ian spared them an apologetic glance, saying, “Ladies, it's hardly a secret,” then continued to Erica, “Trust me, you're woman enough, and you're definitely ballsy and brazen enough, to do what they've done. Isn't that right?”

He'd challenged her, the rat. Erica slanted her eyes and gifted him with her own small secret smile. “You betcha. I wouldn't miss this for the world.”

He didn't seem the least put off by her inference. He even nodded in satisfaction. “Perfect.” He glanced at the silver watch on his thick wrist. “Four more hours, then I'll see you at Wild Honey. We'll pick up a few things before we head to my place.”

“Your place?” She raised a brow, a little amazed at his authoritative manner considering he'd agreed to be her slave. “Did I say I wanted to go to your place, Ian?”

“No, but you did specify that we'd meet right after work and since one thing after another has broken down today, I'm sweatier than usual. I'll have to shower.”

“Maybe I'll let you shower at my place.”

He smiled at her taunting way of saying maybe. “I'm not going to wallow in my own sweat all day, not even for you, so forget it. Besides, if we're at my place you can walk out whenever you decide you've . . . had enough.”

Another challenge, as if she'd be the one to cry uncle. Her teeth clicked together even as she managed another not-so-sweet smile. “I can always just order you to leave.”

That actually made him laugh and the sound of his humor was so unexpected, so deep and masculine, it gave her a small thrill. Her toes curled inside her shoes, but not by so much as a twitch did she give herself away.

When he saw her facade of disgruntlement, he laughed some more. Erica tapped her foot on the floor, waiting for him to get over his chuckles. Finally he wiped his eyes, but his grin remained as he said, “Order me to leave, huh?” and then, with a touch to the tip of her nose, “I suppose you can always try. In fact, I think I'd enjoy that.”

And once again, he turned his back on her.

Erica stood there while he saluted Becky and Asia, who mumbled farewells, then she watched him leave the lounge. Every woman he passed visually noted his progress with sly, covetous intent. The men just got out of his way.

“Oh, my.”

“Good Lord.”

Erica didn't want to look at her friends because she knew what they were thinking, even before their muttered exclamations. She was thinking it, too. The difference was that her heart pounded and her body felt tight and hot, and it wasn't all because of apprehension. Ian's forceful nature scared her a little—and excited her a lot.

“Erica, sit down before you drop.”

Becky added in a whisper, “She does look dazed, doesn't she?”

Erica shook herself. She had a reputation to maintain. “Dazed? Don't be silly. He's just a man.” She sank into her seat and pretended her knees weren't shaking and her skin wasn't flushed.

“There's no
just
to it,” Asia said. “Whatever he's got, he's got it in spades. I'd be very, very careful if I were you.”

Becky mumbled, “If I were her, I'd hide.”

Laughing, Erica propped her head on her hand and considered the situation. She'd be walking a fine line between maintaining control and enjoying him for the man he was and what he made her feel. Eventually, she'd let him drive her wild with his dictatorial ways. But first, she'd show him a thing or two about control, about women, and about Erica Lee.