Passion and Surrender (The Billionaire's Temptation Book 6) (8 page)

“When it comes to getting you naked? Damn right, I do.”

Chapter Ten

Harper took another bite of her curry, not quite sure how she’d get Marshall—
and herself
—to behave themselves once they got back to the hotel. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about their one night together, which immediately sent a shiver of need through her body, reminding her that she had a whole lot of time to make up for when it came to her lack of a sex life.

“I’ll have to get changed before we go to this party, although…I just hope I have something appropriate. I’m not exactly sure what the dress code will be at these sorts of things.” She could just imagine what it’d be like.

Reaching across the table, Marshall ran a finger over the back of her hand, his touch lingering before he slipped her hand into his. “Sweetness, no matter what you wear, you’ll look smoking hot—and that’s all you need to be for these sort of parties.”

“And what about work? Anything I need to focus on while we’re there?” She had to keep reminding herself that she was there to work—
not
to have sex with her boss. Or at the very least, not to
just
have sex with her boss.

“Just be your charming self, and have a good time. I’ll take care of everything else.” Why the hell did everything he say sound so damn sexy? Or maybe it was her, and being around Marshall had permanently put her mind in the gutter.

Knowing she was heading down a road that would only lead to the two of them getting naked, she forced herself to focus on work—and the biggest problem he’d mentioned thus far. “So the competition…they have some of our designs? Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure, unfortunately. But I think that we can stay ahead of the competition, especially now that we’ll be pursuing your design for delivering deeper vibrations.” He ran a rough hand across his stubbled chin as if in thought. “Have you shown your designs to anyone but Todd?”

She had to give it some thought, wondering if she’d mentioned it to anyone in her department. “No. I don’t think I have, though that’s not to say that my work wasn’t ever left unattended at my desk. Until now, there’s been no reason to be careful about locking away our work. But…damn, Marshall. I still can’t believe someone at Clio is actually betraying us.”

It was such an amazing company to work for. She couldn’t believe someone would go to such lengths. She had to wonder who it might be. There were too many people who could easily access the designs they were working on.

“We’ll figure it out, but that’s why it’ll be just the two of us for these upcoming projects. Hopefully by the time we’re ready for production, we’ll have figured out who the mole is.” With their hands still linked, he brushed his thumb over the back of her hand, his smile making her heart race as her body came alive, making her fully aware of the effect he could have on her, even with a simple touch. “And in the meantime, I’m going to make sure you have everything you need at your disposal to bring your designs to life. Whatever you need, you just let me know.”

She knew her design was a good idea, but too often, ideas got scrapped because they might be too costly, especially when it came to production, and reconfiguring the manufacturing. The fact that Marshall was willing to give her the chance to perfect her design and technology was huge. But something nagged at her, making her doubt his motivations. “Tell me this isn’t just because you want to sleep with me.”

Giving her hand a squeeze, he shook his head no. “Harper…it’s a brilliant design. Don’t you dare question it just because I’m going to fuck you until your knees go weak. Our competition would kill to get their hands on this sort of technology. And we’ll patent it, of course—with your name on the design so you get a percentage of the profits.”

His generous offer had her forgetting about the little fact that he’d just told her he was going to fuck her again.

“Really?” She’d been working for Clio when she developed the design, and most companies wouldn’t have given her that sort of credit nor would they allow her to profit from it, having signed all sorts of non-competes and disclosure forms. This would give her the right to a percentage of the income, even though she’d have been happy just to be given the credit. “Marshall…that’s really generous of you.”

“You went above and beyond the scope of your job, Harper, so it’s only fair that you reap some of the rewards.” His fingers teased a path over the delicate skin on the inside of her arm, forcing her to press her legs together to try to keep her clit from throbbing.

“Well…” Bloody hell, she sounded breathless. “I truly appreciate it.” The money would go a long way to getting her father the help he needed—if she could get him to agree to go.

He must have caught a glimpse of something in her eyes, because he suddenly looked concerned about her. “Harper, if there’s anything at all that you need…if you need money or help… It’s just that I’ve seen glimpses of worry and hurt in your eyes, and it’s killing me. I’d love to help you if I can.”

“And that’s awfully sweet of you, but…I’ll manage.” The last thing she wanted was to involve him in her messy life.

“Will you really?” He clearly didn’t believe her. Not that it mattered.

“Don’t you have enough of your own problems to deal with?” She pulled her hand away from his and played with the food on her plate, her good mood evaporating though she knew she’d been short with him when he was just worried about her. “Look, Marshall…I appreciate your offer to help, but…my problems are my own. And frankly, I’m not looking to be reminded of them.”

“Except that you know my problems.
Everyone does
. Yet you haven’t told me a single thing about you, even though I only want to help.” He sat back, frustration tensing his body so that it was clear he was now wound tight.

Feeling like a jerk for pushing him away, she reached over and gave his hand a squeeze. “I suppose being a doctor and all, you always want to help…always want to fix things.”

“If I can, then why not?” He twined his fingers with hers, the tension in him now gone as he pinned her to the spot with his charismatic gaze and sexy smile. “I know you want to push me away, but I’m not going to let you.”

The way he looked at her, the determination in his voice, left her body thrumming with need, her clit swollen and aching to be stroked by his strong fingers and his stiff tongue. She squeezed her legs together as she went wet, desperate for some relief, and fully aware that Marshall could easily give her what she needed.

A knowing smile slipped onto his lips, his eyes glinting in the glow of the soft restaurant lights. “You’re thinking of me fucking you. Aren’t you, Ms. Jones?”

She felt her cheeks flame, even as she denied the truth. “I have more important things to think about, Marshall.”

“Like what?” His tone was so matter-of-fact, and the thought of having to answer his question left her squirming in her seat, knowing she’d been caught in a lie. “Because I do believe you’re lying to me, sunshine—and if that’s the case, then I do believe you’ve been rather naughty and might need to be punished.”

She huffed in exasperation, wondering how he always managed to leave her so turned on and frustrated at the same time. “Fine. I lied. I was picturing you with your head between my legs, licking my cunt. Is that what you want to hear?” She ignored the wide-eyed looks the woman at the table next to them was giving her, her fork paused halfway to her mouth.

“I suppose it’s a start.” He picked up his glass of wine and took a sip, though his eyes remained locked on hers. “What else would you like me to do to you, Ms. Jones?”

She wanted to cringe…not just because he could feel her blush travel all the way down her neck to her chest, but because her nipples had gone hard, and her pulse was now echoing as a needy beat in her swollen clit. “I’m not having this conversation with you.
Not here, not now
.”

“As you wish, love, since we still have that party to get to. But this conversation is far from over…and there will be consequences for your disobedience.”

She should be appalled…and yet she’d never been so turned on in all her life.

Damn it
.

Chapter Eleven

Marshall didn’t know what had gotten into him, but one thing was sure: he was going to thoroughly enjoy himself—and if he only had a week alone with Harper, then he was going to make the most of every moment they had together.

“Just because we have to head out to this party doesn’t mean I’m not going to have fun teasing you—especially since you’re downright stunning.” She looked gorgeous in a slinky little black dress with a plunging back that all but guaranteed he wouldn’t be able to keep his hands off her.

Pulling her close, he nuzzled her, loving how she went soft in his arms, her breath catching in her chest. And then he was kissing her, like she was the only thing that could sustain him. His tongue clashed with hers as she fisted her fingers in his shirt, and the fact that she clearly wanted him as bad as he wanted her made him want to tear her dress from her body so he could feast on her.

Knowing he was too close to losing all semblance of control, he forced himself to break away from their kiss, though he still held her close. Letting his hands skim over her thighs, he caught the hem of her dress and he lifted it high enough to hook the edge of her lace panties. “These here? I hate to tell you, sunshine, but they’re not coming with us.”

“Marshall…what the hell are you doing?”
The way she blushed and bit her bottom lip only made him want her all the more, his self-control tenuous at best.

“Hush, sunshine.” Kneeling down before her, he slipped the panties down past her hips and plump ass, his hands lingering over her skin as he pulled them down, her hand on his shoulder to steady herself as he helped her step out of them. He stuffed them into the pocket of his dark jeans, and then, unable to resist, he pressed his lips to her soft skin and trailed kisses up her thighs before nudging them apart just a little so he could run his tongue against her slick folds. “You’re so fucking wet and ready for me. Aren’t you, love?”

Her breath caught as he flicked her clit with his tongue, her teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she tangled her fingers in his hair. “What would you do if I said no?”

“I’d call you a liar.” He pulled the small vibrating plug from where he’d stashed it in his pocket while she was getting dressed, and slipped it against her slick lips before applying just enough pressure to ease it inside her, slowly teasing her clit before forcing himself to pull away. He hadn’t turned it on yet, but there was plenty of time for that, and since it was one of his products, he knew the vibrations would not only be discreet, but powerful.

When Marshall got to his feet and let the fabric of her dress slip back down over her thighs, she frowned at him. “You can’t expect me to go out like this. This dress is way too short to be running around without any panties on.”

“I do expect it, and you will, Ms. Jones. Unless you want a butt plug to join the vibe.” He gave her a stern look, knowing that she liked it when he was in control. “Or perhaps you’d like your ass paddled to keep it warm now that it’ll be bare.”

“You’re a pain in the ass, Marshall.” She glared at him, though there was no heat in her eyes. And when he pulled her close with a firm arm around her waist, her body softened against his, her breath catching as he bent his head to hers so he could bite her lip.

“Sweetness, if that’s what you really want, I’m happy to oblige you—after we’ve returned from the party.” Marshall knew that by waiting until they got back, especially when they’d be teasing each other through the night, would only intensify every touch, every sensation, when he did finally have her. “Not that we’ll be staying long if I can help it.”

She gave him a scolding look that made him want to put her over his knee and spank her ass red. “I’m not quite sure how you’ve managed to get me to ignore the little fact that we’re supposed to keep things purely professional.”

“It’s just one of my many talents when it comes to you and you alone, Ms. Harper Jones. But just so we’re clear, I don’t believe I ever said anything contrary to the effect that I wanted nothing more than to fuck you until you were screaming my name.” He brushed her cheek and stole a kiss, his lips lingering on hers. “Now let’s get to that party before I decide it’ll be more fun to turn on that vibe and see how many times we can get you to come.”

The party was being held at a local club by his European distributor, and was already thronged with people by the time they got there. Clio might be a relatively small company, but they’d captured a good portion of the market with their constant innovations. The head of the sales and marketing department at their distributor waved Marshall down, stepping away from the small group he was with to welcome them.

“Klaus…good to see you again.” Most of their business was conducted via phone or email, though they’d met on a few occasions. Marshall made sure to speak loud enough to be heard over the thumping bass of the music, which thankfully wasn’t so loud that one couldn’t carry on a conversation. “This is one of my most brilliant engineers, Harper Jones. Harper, this is Klaus Geisler from Oaken Inc.”

“It’s a pleasure.” Klaus shook Harper’s hand, his touch lingering as his gaze took her and he gave her a dashing smile, all sparkle and charisma. “Beauty
and
brains…the best of combinations. Will you be in London long?”

“Just for the conference. I’m afraid I’ve left several projects on hold, and I’m eager to get back to them.” When she glanced over at Marshall, he shifted closer to her so that her body brushed against his. And as his head filled with her fruity scent, he couldn’t help but slip his arm around her waist, not only because he desperately wanted her, but because he also wanted to make sure Klaus understood that she was taken.

“Well, I’ve no doubt Marshall will remind you to balance work with pleasure.” Klaus gave Marshall a sly look as if telling him he was a lucky bastard—which he most certainly was, since Marshall was going to be the one fucking Harper later that night. “Make sure you see me before you go. And tonight is fun only. Have a great time, and we’ll catch up on work later.”

As Klaus wandered away, Marshall tightened his hold on Harper and pulled her to him, catching her mouth in a kiss as her curves slipped against his hard-on. He caught the lobe of her ear between his teeth and ran his hands down to her ass, cupping her cheeks in his palms. “Did you see how much Klaus wanted you? But you’re all mine, sunshine.”

“Am I now?” When she looked up at him with a mischievous smile and started to slip away, he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him once more, tightening his hold on her as he shifted them back into a shadow.

“You most certainly are, Ms. Jones.” And then, as if to prove his point, he fingered the remote to the vibe and flicked it on, pleased to see her eyes go wide. “However, I’m happy to remind you if need be.”

“Marshall…” Her hands gripped his biceps as she sucked in a breath and leaned into him. “I can’t believe you. That’s just mean—and we’re in public, no less.”

“Isn’t that why it’s so fun? Because you know anyone might notice the look of pleasure on your face, that they might catch a glimpse of my hand on your ass and realize that you’re bare-assed under your dress, or they might hear your wanton whimpers as you try to hold back the screams of your orgasm.” He tipped her chin up so she’d be forced to look at him…and so he could see the effect the vibe was having on her, the way her chest lifted with each shallow breath, her plump lips parted, and how her eyes slipped shut. “Sweet girl…you’re so fucking gorgeous. And we both know that the fact that anyone could be watching at this very moment, that Klaus might still have his gaze fixated on you, is turning you on to no end.”

“Please, Marshall…I’m going to come.” If it weren’t for his arm around her waist, holding her up, he had no doubt her knees would have given out on her.

When he spoke, he couldn’t quite keep the humor from his voice, his lips twitching into a smile. “I can’t tell if you want to come or if you don’t? Which one is it, Ms. Jones? Because I could play with the controls on the remote if you wish.”

“Fuck….”
And then she was coming undone in his arms, quivering and trembling as the waves of her orgasm rocked her body and he held her close. Flicking off the vibe, he scooped her into his arms, loving how she held onto him, her head cradled against his neck and shoulder.

“You’re so precious, Harper.” He sat them down in a shadowed nook, leaving her curled up in his lap so he could hold her close, nowhere near ready to let go of her just yet. She felt perfect in his arms, and his heart hitched unexpectedly, though he was willing to blame it on the fact that he’d never wanted anyone more, his cock rock hard and aching to have her.

With her nestled in his arms and her ass resting against his hard length, Marshall shifted them so they could people-watch and take in the entertainment provided on small stages throughout the club. There were several erotic tableaus playing out, some more vanilla than others, but with every scene designed to arouse and sexually charge the atmosphere.

She shifted in his arms to look around, the movement causing her plump ass cheeks to rub invitingly against his cock. “Wow…this is some party, Marshall. They really don’t hold back at these sorts of things, do they?”

“Not usually, though this is pretty mild compared to some of the other parties that’ll be held this week.” He brushed his cheek against hers and nipped his way down her neck, one hand gripping her hip to shift her along his hard length as his other hand slipped up her thigh, inching its way closer to her slick heat.

She covered his hand with hers and tried to push it away, even as her hips rocked against his cock. “Marshall…
people will see
.”

“Does the thought of it turn you on?” If he had to put money on it, he bet it did. And then he spotted an all too familiar form, biting back a groan. Why did Claire insist on following him around? All the way to London, no less. “Fuck.”

“What? What’s wrong?” Harper glanced around the room and then turned to him, her brow creased with concern.

“Come on, sweetheart…I think it’s time we moved this back to the hotel. I want you naked, with your tight body wrapped around my cock.” Shifting Harper onto her feet, she pulled her dress down as far as it would go, as if trying to ignore the little fact that her underwear was in his pocket and she had a vibe stuck against her G-spot.

Standing at her side, he pulled her into his arms, covering her mouth with his, unable to resist her and wondering if he’d ever get his fill. Then, before Claire could spot them, he was moving Harper through the crowds and towards the nearest exit.

By the time they got back to their hotel room, he could barely keep his hands off her, his body thrumming with desire and on one singular track that had little to do with anything but the most primal of needs.

She gave him a flirty look over her shoulder as she pulled out of his grasp and wandered into their room, her sweet ass swaying while her gorgeous legs teetered on heels that him going even harder than he already was. “I’d say I trust you to share the bed—but I don’t. Not in the least.”

“Probably wise since I have every intention of making you come so hard every room on this floor will know my name.” Marshall caught her hand in his and pulled her to him, slipping his arm around her waist, making it impossible to ignore the way her soft curves pressed against his body. “And before you start panicking, it doesn’t have to be anything more than just one night, sweet girl.”

If he had to convince her again tomorrow, then he’d do just that. Anything to make sure he had her in his arms once more.

Her eyes narrowed as she took him in, as if reading his mind. “Why do I have a feeling one night’s going to turn into the whole week?”

“It will if I have anything to say about it.” His hands slipped gently down her back and cupped her ass, hauling her against his hard cock as he nipped and nibbled on her neck, so she shivered in his arms and pressed herself against him in response. He desperately wanted her, and though he knew she wanted to keep her distance, it was clear she wanted him too. He just needed her to throw caution to the wind, and give in to what was between them, instead of constantly overthinking things. Because the truth was, they both needed this thing between them, and there was no denying it.

She let out a needy moan when he trailed bites and kisses down her neck, her back arching in his arms as the lingering scent of her perfume filled his head and spurred him on. He nipped on her breasts through the fabric, catching her nipples between his teeth, first one and then the other, feeling the nubs of flesh tighten and harden in his mouth.

Shifting her back, he pinned her against the wall, catching her mouth in a hard kiss as he lifted her arms above her head and held them there in the grip of one hand, as his other hand skimmed down her body, pausing to run his thumb over her nipple before giving it a pinch and a tug.

She arched against him and bit back a needy moan in response, clearly wanting him as badly as he wanted her. “How is it you always manage to convince me to stray off the path I’m determined to stay on?”

“It’s because the path you’re so determined to stay on is
not
the path you truly want to be on.” He tipped her chin up and bit her lip, his eyes locked on hers and filled with humor. “You see, Ms. Jones…the path you want is the one that leads to you in my bed naked. And since we both know it to be the truth, there’s little point in denying it.”