Professional Liaison (10 page)

“I’m not sure I can. He’s done nothing but lie to me since I met him.”

“How has he lied to you?”

She looked up and Mandy with a gaping mouth. “You can’t be serious! You know he made me believe you sent him to my house.”

“But he never told you I sent him, did he?”

“Then he didn’t really lie to you. You let yourself believe I sent him.”

“He told me someone close to me sent him there to take me home and force me to relax. He lied to me, Mandy, and I don’t know if I can ever forgive him for that.”

Mandy hugged her tighter and whispered, “Oh, Lissa. Don’t turn your back on what you have in your heart or you’ll be miserable for the rest of your life.”

Brad moved to where they sat in the chair and grabbed one had of each of them before he tugged them to their feet. “I think we need to go. How about you, babe?”

“Good girl. Let’s go.”

The ride back to their house was made in silence. Melissa didn’t know what to think anymore and the feelings running through her at ninety miles an hour, only confused her.

I care about Drew, I really do. I hated not seeing him for all these weeks even though I’m the one who insisted I didn’t want to see him again and then to have him tumble back into my life like he did tonight?
She shook her head.
Love him? I don’t know if that’s what these feelings are or not since I’ve never been in love before. I know he’s the first man to ever take me over the edge and make me lose control during sex. When he turned me over his knee and spanked me, yeah, it made me hotter than hell. I can hardly contain myself when he takes control and forces me to hold back my climax until he commands me to cum.

“Can you trust him with your heart?” her brain asked silently in her head.

A shiver rolled down her arms and she rubbed them to calm the chills.

“You okay, Lissa?”

“Yeah. I just don’t understand these feelings.”

“Maybe you and Drew need to have a real heart-to-heart talk.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“Because I don’t know what I would say to him.”

“How about, ‘I love you’?”

Brad shot a glance across the cab of his truck at her and she turned her gaze back out the window as they drove up to the front of his and Mandy’s house, saving her from replying to her cousin’s words.

I don’t love him. I can’t.

“Thanks for taking me with you tonight. It was…interesting.”

“Just let us know when you want to go again. We usually hit the club once a month or so, at least,” Brad said before he gave her a penetrating look and disappeared into the house, leaving her and Mandy standing on the porch.

“What are you going to do?” Mandy asked.

With a heavy rush of air from between her lips, Melissa sighed and closed her eyes. “I wish I knew, Mandy.”

“You know I’ll support you in whatever you decide, but for what it’s worth? I think Drew would be good for you.” Mandy kissed her cheek and then disappeared inside the house.

* * * *

Papers. Stacks and stacks of papers lay scattered across her desk and she had no real ambition to even see what any of them were.

“You need to get out of this funk, Melissa,” Andrea advised from across the conference room table.

“I appreciate the advice, but I’m fine.”

“No you aren’t. You haven’t been fine for a couple of months now. Are you sure you didn’t take on too much with this promotion?”

“Of course not!”

“Well then, maybe it’s something in your personal life.”

“I don’t have a personal life.”

“There’s your problem then. You need to balance the two. One without the other is bad for you.”

“What? Are you studying to be a shrink on the side?”

Andrea giggled. “Actually, yes. Well, sort of. I’m in school to be a therapist.”

“Great,” Melissa grumbled.

“I thought you were dating someone?”

“What ever gave you that idea?”

“A little birdie told me.”

Andrea’s shoulders lifted in a shrug before she went back to sorting the paperwork across the table.

“She needs to butt out.”

“She’s worried about you.”

“There’s nothing to be worried for. I’m fine.”

“Yeah right,” Andrea murmured. “What are your plans for this weekend?”

“Wrong answer, boss.”

“My thoughts exactly.” The low timbre of his voice sent shivers down her arms and when she turned around, she had to suck in a ragged breath in a vain attempt to calm her now racing heart.

“What are you doing here?”

God, he looks good.
His worn jeans formed to his trim thighs and stretched across them, making her fingers itch uncontrollably to touch him.

“It’s five o’clock.”

“Five o’clock on Friday and we are going away for the weekend.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” She turned to say something to Andrea and realized her secretary had discreetly disappeared out the door and shut it behind her.

Traitor.

With a sexy sway of his hips and a wicked grin, he moved closer and she took a nervous step back, coming up against the immoveable solid desk behind her.

One callused finger slipped along her cheek before his whole hand dove into the loose confines of her hair, tugging lightly until she tipped her head back, her lips parting slightly.

“Oh, yes you are.”

“Why should I?”

“Because you want me.”

He chuckled softly before his absolutely sinful lips brushed against her cheek. “Why are your nipples begging for my touch then?”

“They’re not,” she whispered, hating the breathless quality to her voice.

“I could take you right here on your desk. Your secretary would keep everyone out.”

Her breath hitched at the idea of him fucking her silly on the desk behind her and possibly be caught by one of her employees.

Exhibitionism? No way!

“Bend you over the edge and warm your ass with my hand for avoiding me the last two weeks.”

A moan escaped her lips and she felt like slapping him when the wicked smile returned to his mouth.

“I wasn’t avoiding you. I didn’t want to see you, I told you that.”

“You were keeping your distance and it’s something I won’t tolerate from you anymore.” He nibbled the edges of her lips and then said, “We’re going to Flagstaff. My parents have a cabin up there not being used. We’ll be alone for two whole days and two whole nights. Just you and me, babe.” Her nipples puckered into hard nubs. “I’ve borrowed a couple of things from Brad’s little room.”

Holy shit!

“You’re mine, Liss. It’s my job as your Dom to make sure you get what you need.”

“I don’t need anything. I don’t want anything.”

“Oh, yes you do, sweetheart, and we are going to spend the whole weekend discovering those needs and making sure we take care of each one. You may not get what you want, but you’ll get what you need.”

* * * *

What the hell was I thinking to let him bring me up here?

The cabin was beautiful sitting back amongst the pine trees all by itself. Drew’s parents obviously had money if the size of the house said anything at all. The front had large windows facing the setting sun. The bright orange glow bathed the living room in soft light as he stepped behind her and pulled her back against his chest.

“What are you thinking?” he whispered as his lips brushed her hair.

“I’m trying to figure out how I let you convince me to come up here with you.”

A warm chuckle reverberated through his chest and she could feel it at her back. “Because you’re curious, babe.”

“Yep. You want to know about some of those things you saw at the club. How the sting of the crop would feel against your ass. What it would be like to be stripped and handcuffed to the bed while your Dom licks that sweet pussy of yours until you’ve had so many orgasms, you can’t think straight anymore.”

The wet slide of his tongue on her neck had her toes curling against the soft carpet beneath their feet. Gathering her courage, she stepped out of his embrace and turned to face him.

“I can’t do this, Drew.”

“I can’t only have a physical relationship. I thought I could, but I’ve realized I want more than that. I’m thirty-five years old and although I’ve never had children, gravity is taking its toll.”

“Is that what you think we have?”

He took a seat on the couch and stretched his arm across the back. “No. You’re a very beautiful woman. A very desirable woman and I care about you.”

“Whatever. You know, until right before I went to the club with Brad and Mandy, I didn’t even know how old you were.”

“What difference does it make?”

She walked to the sliding glass door and peered out, taking in the pine trees and the filtering sunlight as the sun tried to disappear behind the hills. “You’re only twenty-eight. I’m fucking seven years older than you. I was already in second grade when you were born.”

“I repeat, what the hell difference does it make, Liss? I want you —you want me.”

“Then we’re back to the physical thing. I can’t deny you know what buttons to push, but I want more.” Sliding her palms down her arms, she tried to calm the hair standing up on the surface. “You would never be happy tied to someone that much older than you. After awhile, you would regret…”

With a quick twist of his wrist, he spun her around to face him and captured her mouth in a desperate kiss. His tongue swept inside when she whimpered and parted her lips under the pressure of his. Binding her hands behind her with one of his, the other palm slid over her breast, forcing her nipple to pucker against it.

When she finally gave into the insistent, demanding pressure, he finally lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “I would never regret being with you,” he whispered. His fingers drifted down her cheek and she felt a tear burning her eye before it slipped silently down her face. “Why are you crying?”

She shook her head and bit her lip to keep from telling him what she harbored in her heart.

“Tell me.” He gathered her to his side and moved toward the couch before he sank down on the soft cushion, cradling her on his lap. “Lissa. Don’t cry, baby.” One thumb wiped the tears now streaming down her face. “I hate to see you cry.”

“I can’t help it.” She sniffed, trying to steam the flow of tears, but they just kept coming.

The only way she knew to keep him from finding out the truth of what she held in her heart for him, was to put his mind on other things. “Make love to me, Drew.”

With a hearty growl, he picked her up in his arms and headed down the hall toward what she assumed to be the bedroom. When he reached the side of the bed, he dropped her on the cool comforter and she could see the almost feral gleam in his eyes.

“What are you going to do?”

“You’ll see, but right now, you need to strip for me.”

“You heard me. Strip. Right there in the middle of the bed. I want to see all of you.”

After a moment of indecision, she realized this would probably be the last time they were together and she would give him anything he wanted—let him control every move during their feverish sex. “Whatever you want, Drew.”

Reaching for the edge of her tank top, she gave him a shy smile and slipped the stretchy material slowly up her torso and over her head before she threw it across the room. A low, deep growl left his throat, but he didn’t come closer. Both hands cupped her breasts as she tipped her head back and groaned. When she opened her eyes and peered at him through her lashes, he leaned back against the dresser behind him, but she could see how hard his cock was and how it strained against the front of his jeans.

“Do you want these?”

“You know I do. Get rid of that bra.”

Doing as he instructed, she unsnapped the back and let the straps slowly slide down her arms.

“Roll your nipples between your fingers for me.”

God he’s making me hot with his commands.

She let one hand leave her breast to slide across her stomach and unsnap her pants.

“Take them off. I want to see that pretty pussy.”

Standing on the side of the bed, she turned and presented him with her back as she slowly peeled the material down her hips, taking her lacy underwear with them until they pooled at her feet.

“God, you’ve got an amazing ass, Liss.”

“Glad you approve,” she said over her shoulder before she bent over the bed presenting him with what he’d asked for. Slick, creaming liquid cut a path down her thigh as she waited for him to do something, anything.

“Stay like that,” he said before she heard him pulled open the door.

Chills raced across her arms while she waited, anticipation rolling down her back.

When he returned, he said, “Close your eyes.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Do you trust me?”

After a moment, she whispered, “Yes.”

A wet dollop of liquid hit the crack of her ass and she squeaked but didn’t say anything.

“You have no idea how hot this is. You sitting there waiting for me with your ass in the air.”

“Do something, Drew. I’m dying here.”

The warm chuckle that met her ear calmed her like nothing else could as his hand slide up her butt cheek. A cold end of something hard pressed against her back hole.

“What is that?”

“Relax. This will be easier if you can relax your muscles.” With a little more pressure, he pressed it further.

Good Lord, it felt incredible. “An anal plug?”

“Yes. Do you want me to stop?”

“Good girl.” He pushed it further until the end finally passed through the tight ring of muscles. “Relax.”

“Easy, babe.” The bulbous end finally sank all the way inside and she sighed. “I’m using a small one, for now. We can work up to something bigger later.” She wiggled a little and he said, “Okay?”

Slap!

Damn it, that hurt.

“I still owe you nine more.”