Harper never thought she was exceptionally strong willed for going as long as she had without sex. For the endless months that she’d been celibate, she found that she usually had little to no desire even to pleasure herself.

But all that changed after her consultation with Ethan.

The moment Harper returned to her office, she shut herself in the plushily appointed bathroom. She was hot. Much too hot - and it didn’t help that every time she closed her eyes she saw Ethan Kensley’s smoldering gaze in her mind’s eye.

What was wrong with her? This was completely and totally out of character. She wasn’t some teenager who got her rocks off to movie stars. She was a matchmaker, and Ethan Kensley was her very real client.

So why the hell couldn’t she forget what he’d said?

It was unorthodox for her to take something like that into account when searching for someone compatible. It wasn’t as if she had never been asked to match someone based on sexual preferences - she’d even seen a few kinkier requests that she’d had absolutely no trouble with.

But Ethan Kensley...he had her all hot and bothered - a problem Harper had almost never dealt with.

Tugging her lower lip between her teeth, she stared at the intricately tiled ceiling of the bathroom a moment before pressing her thighs tightly together. It did little to alleviate the pressure there, and Harper cursed lowly. There was no way a client she had never expected to have was going to drive her to touch herself in her own damn office.

No way.

But there she was with her skirt hiked up to mid-thigh. When she slipped a slender hand between her legs, she could feel the slick lace material of her underwear. The man hadn’t even touched her and she was utterly drenched.

It was unheard of.

A quick flick of lithe digits and her fingertips were sliding along her bare, slippery lower lips. The first contact was like a jolt of electricity and Harper inhaled sharply. Her head fell back and her eyelids fluttered closed.

Immediately, Ethan was there.

I knew I had you salivating already, Harper.

In real life, she might have slapped the man for daring to utter such words to her, but in her mind...it was exactly what she wanted. Ethan’s hands moved over her, cupping her breasts, skimming over her curves...and then his fingers were her own. They moved slowly – agonizingly slowly - against her lower folds. They stroked her expertly, and Harper soon found herself gasping for breath.

It had never been quite this good.

There was something about the idea of submission...when she had such rigid control over everything in her life. The idea that Ethan might do exactly what he said - show her what it would be like to be well and truly taken - that was enough to make her salivate.

Even if she was the only one who would ever know.

When Harper slid two fingers into her clenching passage, a low moan of sublime pleasure escaped her. She knew just where to touch herself for maximum effect. Ethan Kensley could never be so adept...but here he was. Stroking her, stimulating her until she gasped and writhed. He knew how deep to press, how to draw her out until she was whimpering and begging for succor.

By the time Harper touched her clit, she was primed to explode. All it took was the minutest contact - a slow draw of her thumb over the hypersensitive nub - and she toppled over the edge with a choked cry.

Her orgasm almost blinded her with its intensity. It went on and on, her muscles taut and her lips parted, until the tiles of the ceiling finally swam back into focus.

She was a mess - that much was obvious almost immediately. Dress hiked up high on her hips, tendrils of blonde hair falling around her face, a thin sheen of sweat standing out on her skin...Harper was glad the mirror wasn’t visible from where she sat.

She waited for the shame to wash over her - and it had to, didn’t it? After all, just a single meeting with Ethan Kensley was enough to drive her to touch herself in her fucking office.

But it didn’t come.

Harper didn’t think it was possible to feel guilt after an orgasm that intense. It harkened back to the first times she’d touched herself experimentally and been surprised by the results.

Now that her eyes were open and the lustful haze that had consumed her abated, she realized just how much trouble she was in. From the moment Kensley had walked into the restaurant, this case hadn’t gone the way she wanted it to, and now she threw her own libido into the mix.

Taking a deep breath, Harper did her best to rearrange herself. She cleaned herself up with a few tissues, pulled her skirt down, and smoothed her hair. There were some vestiges of her little endeavor that she couldn’t shake, however. When she stood, her legs wobbled dangerously and she bit out a sharp epithet.

Ethan fucking Kensley.

The sooner she matched him, the better. She didn’t need him anywhere near her again - it was obviously dangerous.

This, Harper told herself, was because she kept to herself. She hadn’t dated in years, she hadn’t been laid recently, and it was that desperation that made things so ripe for Kensley to invade her subconscious.

That was all.

Once she left the bathroom, Harper came back to herself. It wasn’t easy in the wake of a life-altering orgasm, but her focus had returned. She would need that focus to find someone who piqued Kensley’s interest more than she did...and she needed to do it fast.

Harper sank down behind her desk and woke her laptop. Her fingers were poised over the keys when her cell phone buzzed. She frowned. If it was Ethan, she might very well break the damn thing.

But it wasn’t. Instead, Harper’s face flamed when she realized that it was Athena. Inexplicably guilty, she picked up almost immediately. “Thee!”

“Harper!” Her sister chirruped back before laughing. “You sound surprised. Did I interrupt something?”

Very nearly. “No, no... I’m just trying to deal with a new client.”

“Working your magic,” Harper could hear the smile in her sister’s voice and it calmed her somewhat. Athena was thousands of miles away from her and her issues - her happiness was more important that Harper’s mental hang ups. “Never ceases to amaze me.”

“What, that my ways aren’t organic?”

“That you’re so good at helping people fall in love when you don’t believe in it,” Athena returned dryly. “You really lucked out there.”

“Luck? It’s raw talent, Thee. Don’t insult me.”

“Right.” Athena laughed. “So, aren’t you going to guess where I am?”

Harper grinned, glad to have an excuse to forget about Kensley and his unquantifiable sex appeal. “Do I get a hint?”

“Asia.”

Harper arched a brow. “A bigger hint than that?”

Athena groaned. “I thought you were supposed to be the smart one.”

“Smart, not a savant. Come on, Thee, what is it? China? Japan? If it’s Japan, you’d better get me something good.”

There was a moment of surprised silence. “Wow...you sure you’re not a savant?”

Harper wished.  “Lucky guess.” Japan...that had to be interesting. After all, Toshiro Kensley was originally Japanese. He had long since been integrated into the Kensley family, but going back to the place of his birth? That had to stir up some nostalgia. Maybe even some skeletons in his closet. “Everything alright there?”

Turned out, she needn’t have worried. Athena proceeded to gush about just how wonderful things were halfway across the world. How much she was enjoying herself, how travelling with Toshiro Kensley was like a dream. Harper listened with no small amount of interest as her sister detailed her days living alongside one of the world’s foremost businessmen and diplomats - as well as one of the world’s richest men.

It was at least as luxurious as the blonde had imagined, and then some.

Athena detailed all the high-class hotels they’d stayed in and restaurants that had to cost more than she made in a week. It was beyond opulent - beyond indulgent - and it sounded as if her sister was having the time of her life.

Which was all Harper had ever wanted for her.

“I lucked out working for Toshiro, really. Everyone’s always talking about how hard it is to work for Vladimir - the man’s a machine. And Alistair is supposed to be a little crazy...but Toshiro...he really understands the way I function. He makes allowances for me and has turned an immense learning curve into something second nature. He’s just so...so…”

Harper arched a brow as her sister trailed off. She hadn’t come into the world just yesterday, and this wasn’t the first time her sister had gone off on a tangent gushing about her new employer. She knew her sister better than anyone on earth, and Athena didn’t gush about someone unless she thought they were changing her life.

“It’s great that he understands you,” Harper responded with a small smile, torn between her over-protective instincts and genuine joy for her sister. “As long as he doesn’t exploit you.”

“Exploit me?” Athena sounded outraged at the very notion. “How on earth would he do that?”

Harper sighed. “Just give it to me straight, Thee: Are you sleeping with him?”

“What!? No!”

The blonde immediately breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t that she believed that it couldn’t happen, she was just glad it hadn’t happened yet. Athena had never been a good liar, and if anyone could tell when she was being dishonest, it was Harper.

That didn’t seem to be the case now.

“Just because I like someone doesn’t mean I’m sleeping with them, Harp.”

“I didn’t say it did.” But it didn’t sound as if her sister just liked Toshiro Kensley. There was something going on here that was akin to hero worship...and that was dangerous. “You know I’m just worried about you, Thee. I want what’s best for you and I’m glad you’re happy...I just want to make sure this goes right for you. Mixing business with pleasure is always dangerous.”

“Well I’m not mixing them,” Athena professed. Harper could all but see the stubborn tilt of her sister’s chin. “I can be enthusiastic about Toshiro professionally without coveting him sexually.”

Harper could only hope so. She didn’t want to have to go on the war-path with a family as influential as the Kensleys. She was already going to have enough trouble dealing with her own Kensley.

“What about you? I feel like you definitely need something to distract you from me. Please tell me you’re working overtime.”

It was on the tip of Harper’s tongue to deny any such thing and switch the subject right back to what might or might not be her sister’s affair with Toshiro Kensley. But that wouldn’t have been fair of her. Harper might be cold, but she told Athena everything. And she couldn’t help but tell her that she was dealing with her employer’s younger brother. Sighing, Harper toyed with her blonde ponytail. “I actually do have something I need to tell you; but there’s a story behind this so, be patient with me.”

“Finally, something I can annoy you about.”

Harper rolled her eyes, trying unsuccessfully to keep from smiling. When she began to relay her tale to Athena, however, her expression turned thoughtful. She told her sister about Trevor Thompson and the appointment he’d made, as well as her initial assessment of him on the phone. In hindsight, Harper should have realized even then that something was fishy. Not very many men with that much money lived in Manhattan - hell, in the entire United States. She might have heard of Trevor Thompson.

“But then, Trevor Thompson shows up for his consultation and you’ll never guess who was using a pseudonym.”

“Oh my God, who was it, you have to tell me.”

“Ethan fucking Kensley!”

It had to be pretty shocking if even Athena didn’t have anything to say. Her sister always had something to say. It was a strange twist of fate that they were both working with Kensleys now. “So... what are you going to do?”

Harper blew out a long breath. “What do you think? I’m going to match him. I’ve never not matched someone who came to me.” It all sounded so simple when she put it like that. She would just do her job - no more and no less. If she just went into this with that mentality, maybe she wouldn’t go running to the bathroom to diddle herself every time she thought of Ethan Kensley. The mere notion was enough to make Harper wince. She had never been the sort of woman made a slave to her own desires, and she certainly wasn’t about to start now...she hoped.

“I wonder if Toshiro knows…”

“Don’t tell him,” Harper countered almost immediately. “I’m sure if Ethan wants it family knowledge, he’ll do it himself, but in the meantime, keep this under wraps for me, ok, Thee?”

She didn’t think her sister would refuse her, but Harper’s heart was still in her throat until Athena agreed. “Of course.”

The blonde exhaled a breath of relief. “So... you’re really going to do this then. Try to get one of the most flagrant bachelors of our time to settle down?”

“I am.” Harper steeled herself, straightening her spine as she dug the man’s file out of her bag. “Just wait and see.”

 

**

“What’s going on, little brother?”

If the way Lucas jumped was any indication, he certainly hadn’t been expecting anyone else to join him at the bar. It was late, and most of the other patrons had gone home.

Ethan sought out this particular bar because his brother frequented it. It was a good ways from his penthouse, and he was dog tired, having just gotten off work, but he needed an honest ear.

And there was no one better for that than Lucas.

As he dropped down on the barstool next to his brother, Lucas frowned. “Bloody hell, you look a mess.”

Was it that bad?

Ethan had been working overtime for the past few days - despite Vlad’s absence - in a simple attempt to distract himself. Everyone in the office was pretty fucking floored when he showed up on time four days a row - his father included.

But there was a method to his madness.

When Ethan’s mind was occupied with numbers, he didn’t have time to think of a certain matchmaker - or how desperately he needed her in his bed.

“I don’t look a mess,” Ethan rebutted, in his own defense, smoothing his hands over his impeccably tailored jacket. “This is Ferragamo.”

“Not talking about your jacket, you idiot.” Lucas shot him a wry smile. “When’s the last time you slept?”

Jesus, now that you mentioned it...Ethan had been running off coffee and his own sins since his little run in with Harper the previous week.  Every time he laid down to go to sleep, all he could see was her in that damned red dress. It was almost like she’d become an obsession.

It worried him. After all, he wasn’t the obsessive kind - that was Vlad. Ethan had always been the lazy one - calm and collected to the point of infuriating his older brother on several occasions. But Harper Jones...she was something else. The woman professed that she wasn’t on the menu which, of course, only made him want her more.

He was stubborn that way.

“I nodded off at my desk for an hour or so earlier this afternoon,” Ethan mused, signaling the bartender to order a drink. She was a perky, buxom redhead who winked at him before grabbing the whiskey bottle. A month ago he would have taken it as a blatant invitation. What had become of him?

“That’s not sleep,” Lucas returned flatly, sipping at his own drink. “Dad said you’ve been off lately. Seeing as how you came to find me, I assume you want to talk about it.”

The kid was too smart for his own good.

Ethan had to take a gulp of his whiskey before he answered. “You’re the baby. Why are you such a smart ass?”

“Distance?” Lucas arched a brow. “You guys are all with each other all the time. I’m on the outside looking in.”

He had a point. Lucas was the only Kensley who didn’t work for the corporation. Their father was still convinced that he’d find his place, but Ethan didn’t think business was in Lucas’ blood. He was, and always had been, a people person. “So, what do you see?” 

Lucas ran a hand through dark blonde locks. “Well, you’re tired and Dad’s worried about you. And I heard something about a matchmaker. Though I can hardly believe that you’re getting this worked up over a woman.”

Ethan merely stared at him.

After a moment of silence, Lucas’ eyes widened in shock. “Are you serious!?”

Ethan scowled, rolling his eyes. “Just shout it to the whole bar, why don’t you?”

“No one’s here anyway.” Lucas was still struggling to come to terms with his brother’s issue. “So, fill me in.”

Ethan had hoped that, magically, there might be some way for Lucas to help him without having to divulge the whole damn story to his brother, but he should have known better. With the help of his whiskey, he divulged as much as he was safely able to, beginning with the woman he met at the charity event and ending with the appointment he had with Harper the next week.

Lucas listened dutifully until he was finished before ordering another drink. “So, lemme guess: You’re not really interested in getting married.”

“What tipped you off?”

“Ethan, really, if you like this woman, there’s no need to go through with this farce. Just ask her out.”

“She’s not really the type to mix business and pleasure.” Ethan made a face as he downed the last of his whiskey. “And I kinda get the feeling she doesn’t like me.”

“You? The charmer of everything with two X chromosomes? No.”

Ethan glared at his younger brother. “I thought you were the advice giver. Care to give me some advice?”

“I just did.” Lucas sighed. “Tell the truth. You’re wasting her time and a lot of money otherwise. Admit you don’t want the match - you want her.”

Ethan just stared at him in confusion. “You mean just tell her outright that I want in her pants? That’s crass, even for me.”

“I thought you liked her.” Lucas accepted the bartender’s offering with a sour look. “If you just want to screw her, what makes her any different than any other woman you’ve pursued?”

It was a question that Ethan hadn’t really stopped to ask himself. He’d been so wrapped up in his baser desires that contemplating their origins beyond bodily function hadn’t occurred to him. In that instant, however, he was forced to address the issue.

Why was he so intent on claiming Harper? It wasn’t simply because she told him it wouldn’t happen - though he did love a challenge. Maybe it was that she could match him wit for wit in the banter they shared. There was something masterfully appealing about a woman who could play the game as well as he did - and he reveled in the memory of Harper’s glib tongue. Maybe it’s that sexy smile of hers. Her red lips all but taunted him, daring him to pursue her.

But most of all, Ethan was drawn to the cool shell that Harper effortlessly wore. Within minutes of sitting with her, he knew she wasn’t the type to trust easily. She kept people at a distance, chose her friends wisely and her lovers even more fastidiously.

He wondered if she had a lover now.

The notion sent an unexpected spark of white hot envy through him. What kind of man did Harper Jones, peddler of love, allow into her bed?

“Earth to Ethan?”

He started. He hadn’t even realized that he hadn’t answered his brother. As much as he valued Lucas’ opinion, he wasn’t quite ready to allow him access to the inner workings of his mind.

“She’s interesting.” It was the best answer he could come up with - and the words made Lucas exhale a long breath.

He took a swig of his drink before trying a different angle. “You know, Ethan...have you ever thought about why you go through women like you do? Really thought about it?” Oh boy. Despite his youth, Lucas gave pretty good advice - no one could ever contest that. The downside was that he always felt he had to go further...to fix people.

Ethan wasn’t quite drunk enough for that. “Nope.” He gestured for another whiskey, though he hardly thought he could get drunk fast enough to avoid what was coming.

“Maybe you should,” Lucas ventured, “Or else you’re going to upset Dad. You know he’s intent on us all settling down.”

Settling down. It sounded so fucking final that Ethan shuddered. “I’ll settle when I’m dead.”

Lucas rolled his eyes. “Who’s the youngest again?”

“You, squirt.” Ethan ruffled his brother’s impeccably coiffed hair so Lucas yelped. “Don’t get cocky.”

**

Ethan expected to leave the bar feeling better about his obsession with Harper, but instead he only found himself craving her more. Maybe Lucas was right - he should drop the pretense and go for it. But that would mean letting go of the notion that she might “match” him with someone he found more stimulating.

The idea didn’t give Ethan nearly as much pause as he might have thought. He had spent weeks waiting for what he thought might be something tantalizing - but what he got was far more tempting. He had no problem dealing with what was right in front of him.

What he wanted beneath him.

Christ, he was going to need another appointment with his dominant hand if he expected to get any rest that night.

**

The week dragged on. Ethan continued to be eerily punctual at work, much to his father’s chagrin, and he did his best to stay focused while he was at the office. It didn’t help that Lucas kept showing up, asking if he had spent any time in self-reflection.

Perhaps the only thing that soothed Ethan at all was that he wasn’t the only one conflicted. It seemed that Vlad was having a few issues with a particularly sassy architect in LA. His e-mails, at least, helped detract from Ethan’s own case of blue balls as the accountant came up with the figures to soothe his brother’s numerous inquiries about whether or not his headstrong architect was as out of her mind as he suspected.

By the time the date of his next meeting with Harper rolled around, Ethan had decided on his course of action. He was going to lay his cards on the table and, hopefully, in doing so, get Harper to do the same.

It was, of course, a long shot - especially considering how much the woman prided herself on her work, but Ethan decided to throw caution to the wind. Alistair would probably be proud if he knew.

Funnily enough, the decision to go all in seemed to banish any lingering apprehension Ethan might have had. He knew what he was getting into this time, and it was familiar territory. His quarry, however, was of an entirely different breed.

And he couldn’t wait to sample her.

 

**

It was dinner this time; but that, in Harper’s opinion, was far safer than letting Ethan Kensley anywhere near her office. That idea seemed almost...profane, knowing what she’d done in it. Out at a restaurant, they’d be surrounded by people.

But that didn’t mean the sight of the man didn’t make her breath catch and her belly coil with molten heat.

In the past week, Harper had somehow managed to convince herself that Ethan wasn’t nearly as attractive as she remembered. She hadn’t seen his face or heard his voice so it was easy to continue with the delusion, to break him down into numbers and preferences so that she could peddle him off to someone else.

But things were different when he was right in front of her.

He had impeccable dress sense. Harper hadn’t seen an image of the man badly clothed and tonight was no different. It was a common misconception that only the fairer sex could wear figure-flattering clothing. The suit Ethan wore left little to the imagination - broad shoulders, trim waist - a body that he obviously took care of. His flaxen locks were slicked back from his face today - enough for her to see the diamond stud that glinted in his left ear. It gave him just a touch of bad boy allure that affected her more than she was willing to admit.

Dinner was going to be interesting, that was for sure.

“Mr. Kensley.” She rose from her seat to extend a hand. It was best to be professional from the get go this time - Harper hoped there would be no surprises. 

“Harper.” His fingers wrapped around hers with surprising firmness. She expected him to release her hand after shaking but instead, the charming bastard lifted her fingers to his mouth to brush a kiss across the back of them. “Nice to see you again.”

For a split second, the blonde forgot what she was going to say. She forgot that she was supposed to be railroading him with the new matches she’d come up with. She wouldn’t give him an opportunity to be anything but cordial.

But it was already too late for that.

She forced herself back to her senses, tugging her hand from his grip. She would not blush and she certainly wouldn’t acknowledge that tingle of awareness low in her belly. Harper sank back into her chair, clearing her throat as she reached for her bag. “I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know I’ve come up with a number of matches I think you’ll find appealing.”

Instead of answering her, Ethan reached for the menus on the table to peruse them. “Have you ordered yet? The duck l’orange is amazing.”

“I’m not particularly hungry-”

“Nervous, Harper? I’m flattered that I make you jittery.”

She scowled at him as he gestured a waiter over to their table. This man was something else. She watched, more than a little perturbed, as he ordered food and wine for them both. Harper had no real intention of eating and she certainly wasn’t going to drink around Ethan. Harper only drank when she was alone - she refused to act a fool in front of anyone. Once the waiter left, she made sure he didn’t have the wrong idea. “You don’t make me jittery.”

“Don’t I? Then I imagine you have quite the appetite after a long work day.”

Harper was caught somewhere between exasperation and the amusement that always seemed to crop up when Ethan was involved. She wanted to dislike him - to think him insufferable and full of himself. But she couldn’t help wanting to smile. No one was this confident - it was practically a caricature of reality.

But Ethan wore it well.

“I have some new matches for you,” she repeated, extracting a folder from her bag to set on the table before her. “I’m excited for you to take a look.”

In reality, Harper was nothing of the sort. The truth of the matter was that Ethan was particularly hard to match. On paper, he was all over the charts, and on top of that, her concentration was thrown off the moment he entered her mind. She had just done the best she could and picked the youngest and most buxom women she could find. Knowing Ethan’s - and all men’s - proclivity to lose their minds at the prospect of a pretty face and a nice pair of breasts, he’d find someone who tickled his fancy. If she was lucky, he wouldn’t even have to read over the profiles. His dick would lead him in the right direction.

The dick she spent entirely too much time thinking about.

“How about this, Harper: I will happily read through all your match profiles. But only after you tell me a little something about yourself.”

Harper took a steadying breath. Her first impulse was to forbid him calling her by her Christian name. It was far too intimate. “I think I’ve told you before, Mr. Kensley, that this isn’t about me. Is about your potential happiness.”

“It would make me happy to learn more about my matchmaker.”

Harper repressed a groan. He had an answer to everything, didn’t he? She couldn’t deny there was a part of her that was tempted. The same part that had touched herself to the memory of the man several times over the past week and had intervened when she tried to do her job. But Harper hadn’t gotten to where she was by flirting with her clients. Quite the contrary. If she wanted her payday, she’d be smart about this. “Ethan, I’d appreciate if we could keep things professional between us.”

“What if I were to guess?”

Harper blinked, completely nonplussed. He really wasn’t giving up, was he? She frowned when the waiter returned to pour their wine, merely eying hers warily.

Kensley wasn’t going to cooperate unless she bit - which meant that she had little choice. It was either that or walk out on him. Besides that, Harper would at least admit to herself that she was curious what Ethan thought he knew about her. She sighed, reluctantly taking up her glass of wine. She needed something to do with her hands lest she start fidgeting. After insisting she wasn’t nervous, she didn’t want to give herself away.

“Alright, fine. Guess away.” She took a sip, surprised to find the Sauvignon Blanc he’d chosen quite refreshing.

“You have to tell me if I’m right,” he countered, green eyes flashing mischievously.

Harper still refused to smile. “Fine.”

Ethan looked her over, hard, for a long moment. He reached for his glass of wine with a surprising amount of grace, taking a lingering sip. Harper did her best not to squirm in her seat. It was hard enough when she caught the scent of his cologne the moment he sat down across from her. Now that he was staring at her unabashedly, she did everything she could to keep from meeting his intense green gaze.

“Ok.” He took another swallow of wine before setting his glass aside.

Harper arched a brow. “Ok?”

Ethan rested his chin on a palm with a small, teasing smile. “You live alone, and you like the solitude. You’d only ever consider living with someone you’re really close to - maybe a sibling. You’re more comfortable alone than in a crowd…Hmmm…” He emitted a low sound of contemplation that was oddly arousing.

Harper felt as if the man was attempting to pick through her psyche with a fine-toothed comb. And he was doing pretty damn well, considering she hadn’t given him anything to work with.

“You like the safety of your profession. You like quantifying love and taking the fantasy out of it because you’re not a typical damsel in distress. You don’t believe in all that happily ever after bullshit, do you? There are better ways of living.”

Harper’s stomach twisted and she swallowed thickly. That was more than a little bit creepy. This wasn’t guessing...it was like he was reading her fucking mind.

And she couldn’t let that stand. 

“Am I on the right track so far?”

The blonde glared at him. Taking up her wine glass, she downed half of it in one swallow before preparing to retaliate. One glass of wine wasn’t enough to make her lose her head. In fact, it was just enough to lend her a little liquid courage. “Fine,” she snapped. “My turn.”

Surprisingly, Ethan didn’t protest at her outburst. His only reaction was a slight arching of a brow before she continued. “You like women. Love them, in fact - and wonderfully enough, you respect them as well. So, they flock to you in droves, drawn to your allure.” Harper toyed with the edge of a napkin as she forged on. “You keep a revolving roster of your favorites and let the others down politely, always the absolute gentleman. But the fact of the matter is that you never let anyone stay around for very long. You’ve got secrets you want to keep, and the hassle of someone finding them out has never appealed to you.”

For a long beat, neither of them spoke. Harper was pretty sure that her assessment of Ethan had been just as apt as his of her, if not more so - but he didn’t seem half as ruffled as she felt. Perhaps the man couldn’t be ruffled.

“I’d say that’s about right,” he finally acquiesced, finishing the rest of his wine. “Who doesn’t have secrets?”

Harper did laugh at that. She couldn’t help it. Ethan had this uncanny ability to diffuse the tension of the situation effortlessly. He raised and lowered his eyebrows suggestively as he spoke, and the gesture was so ridiculous that she couldn’t help but let her guard down.

“You, Ethan Kensley,” she finally managed, “are an open book.”

“You think so? Well, doesn’t that make us just perfect for one another?” Ethan inquired - this time in complete seriousness. Harper exhaled a long breath, ready to deflect his advances again, only to have the man continue quickly. “You don’t believe in romance, and it’s not really in my repertoire. If there have ever been two people who need to fall into bed together more, I haven’t heard of them.”

As outlandish as the suggestion was, Harper couldn’t deny the temptation that wound through her. Ethan had been on her mind almost constantly since their first meeting. At this point, she thought of him the moment she slipped beneath the coverlet to sleep at night. After all his bluster, she couldn’t help but wonder if the real Ethan could live up to the specter in her mind.

It was quite the tall order - Harper had an intensely vivid imagination. 

She drew her lower lip between her teeth contemplatively.

This was insane. There was no way she was actually thinking about this. Fantasizing about Ethan was all well and good, but actually sleeping with him? That had never been in the cards.

...Had it?

“When’s the last time someone touched you the way you need to be touched, Harper?” Ethan’s question - low and smolderingly sensual, jogged her from her thoughts and back to the present. The man was looking at her as if he hadn’t just ordered a three-course meal for the two of them - as if she was the main course on the menu.

And Harper soaked it up.

It had been a long time since a man looked at her like that. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t been coveted. She dealt with sleazy guys catcalling her every day on the streets of New York City. But one glance into Ethan’s heated blue gaze and she knew that he wanted exactly what she did. And who said it had to interfere with her matchmaking?

She wasn’t out to marry the man - this was simple carnal lust between them. After it was assuaged, maybe he’d be more amenable to a real match.

“Alright.”

The word left her before she could let herself think too much. God knew where that would lead. She expected that Ethan might look surprised. After all, she’d spent their last session together trying to stave him off.

But Ethan’s hungry expression never wavered. Without a word to her, he gestured to the waitress, who hurried over as if her life depended on it. “Please have our food wrapped up and sent to my home address.”

Harper hardly had a moment to register that he must frequent this restaurant pretty often if they knew his home address, before Ethan was out of his seat and rounding the table. He took her hand, tugging her to her feet, and suddenly, Harper was closer to him than she had ever been. Close enough to feel the slide of his front against hers - to be enveloped in the spicy, clean scent of him and feel his warmth.

Fuck. She couldn’t remember a man ever affecting her this instantly with just the barest touch. The moment the man stepped into her personal space, heat suffused her and her thighs clenched in raw need.

What the hell was wrong with her?

“Come with me, Sweet.”

It was a pet name. She hated pet names, but somehow, when he growled the words, dark and sexy, Harper fell into step beside him without complaint. Ethan’s large hand settled at the base of her spine and firmly guided her from the restaurant as Harper’s heart stuttered in her chest. She was a grown woman; this wouldn’t be the first one night stand she’d had. She tried to gather some poise, a little sexiness, for God’s sake. She had to meet this man on an even playing field.

But any plans she had collapsed the moment they stepped out of the restaurant. Ethan tugged her to the side, a little jerk that drew a gasp from her, a moment before his mouth was closing over hers.

It was completely unexpected and that, Harper told herself, was why she didn’t try to stop him. That, and the fact that no one had ever kissed her quite like Ethan Kensley. His lips slid into place over hers masterfully, nipping and teasing at the length of her mouth. Until that moment, Harper hadn’t known that her lips could be so sensitive. As Ethan’s tongue flicked at the seam between them, a low, breathy moan escaped her.

Despite herself, Harper slid her hands up his chest until her fingers curled into his shoulders. Ethan pressed her even closer, his arms encircling her waist as his tongue tangled with her own.

Harper wanted more of him. The firm lines of his body were pressed flush against hers and the way he sampled her mouth made her light-headed, but she needed more. When Ethan tugged at her lower lip with his teeth, Harper rose onto her toes, clutching at him desperately.

It had been too long. Far too long.

A low groan tore from Ethan’s throat and his mouth left hers to trail down her throat. When he reached the point where her pulse feathered beneath the surface of her skin, he bit with just enough pressure to make her squirm. “Divine…” The low growl was enough to make her knees weak. Harper’s fingers gripped him hard enough to leave marks - even through his suit, and she had to resist the urge to climb the man like a tree.

How the hell was he doing this to her?

They were in the middle of a crowded sidewalk where anyone could see, but Harper couldn’t bring herself to make him stop.

Luckily enough for her, Ethan seemed to come to his senses after a few delicious moments. He kissed her again - lingeringly, galvanizing every nerve-ending in her body to total awareness before he drew back with a grin of purely masculine satisfaction. “Sorry about that. I just couldn’t wait.”

“We should...we should get a cab.” It was all she could manage, pressed up against him like she was.

“No need. I’ll drive.” With that, he took her hand, leading her around the corner and down the block to a parking garage. Harper was surprised he’d driven himself - the man had more than enough money to afford a chauffeur - but that concern was assuaged the moment she saw his car.

It was, without a doubt, the kind of vehicle a man lived to drive.

“Aston Martin,” she observed, taking in the smooth lines and gleaming color. “I compliment your tastes.”

Ethan chuckled, unlocking the car before opening the passenger side door for her. “Color me impressed.” He leaned in for another kiss and Harper lost herself in the hungry slide of his mouth against his. She found her fingers threading through his thick hair in a bid to keep him close as he nipped at her lower lip before pulling back with extreme reluctance. “You, Harper Jones, are one surprise after another.”

She smirked. “You haven’t even gotten me home yet.”

If it was just going to be one night, she might as well have fun with it. A single evening to get all the wild-fuck out of their systems, and then things would go back to business between them. That was a deal she could get behind.

“Point taken.” Ethan rounded the car in short order to slide in and start the engine. It positively purred, and Harper couldn’t help but smile. Being in a luxury car certainly had its perks.

As she ran her hand over the dash, Ethan stared at her. “That’s distracting as hell.”

Harper merely laughed. “You’d better drive, Kensley, before I change my mind.”

That was enough to kick Ethan into high gear. Within seconds, they were out of the parking garage and headed uptown. If Harper had any intention of receding back into her own private headspace, that was thwarted by Ethan’s hand on her bare thigh, just beneath the hem of her dress. “Stay right here with me, Harper. Just for tonight.”

His words were surprisingly tender, and she forced herself to remember that he had done this with so many women that it was probably second nature. There was absolutely nothing special about this for Ethan Kensley.

That particular train of thought, however, was hard to maintain when Ethan’s deft fingers were toying with the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. He was supposed to be driving, for God’s sake, and Harper looked to him in reprimand. But Ethan’s eyes were firmly on the road - even if his mind wasn’t.

Though the ride lasted all of ten minutes, it was, without a doubt, one of the longest drives of Harper’s life. She all but writhed in impatience which she could hardly do when she was trying to keep a cool exterior. By the time they got to the high-rise where Ethan lived, her panties were uncomfortably moist.

She was up and out of the car before he could open the door for her and heading for the elevator. “I assume you live in the penthouse?” she called back to him, her finger poised over the button to call the car.

Instead of replying, Ethan merely molded his body against hers, pressing her flush against the wall. Harper immediately raised her hands to protest, only to have him enfold them with his own as he pressed a heated kiss to the back of her neck. “Harper, Harper. You’re so used to being in control, aren’t you?” Her efforts died the moment she felt the jut of his erection against the swell of her behind. “I assure you, that’s not going to be the case tonight.”

The hushed promise sent a shiver down her spine - but Harper wasn’t about to give up the ghost just like that. She bucked her hips back against his own, relishing his sharp intake of breath before she glanced at him over her shoulder. “Isn’t it?”

Ethan’s dark chuckle was all the answer she needed. When he kissed her neck again, he injected a sharp nip as he pressed the elevator button before finally releasing her.

The moment he did, Harper turned to face him. The heat in his gaze only intensified the flames burning low in her belly, and she cupped his face to press her mouth to his once more. God, he was a good kisser. He’d had plenty of practice, she was sure, but she’d never been so aroused from a mere kiss.

When the elevator arrived, neither of them noticed. The car stood open for a full minute as their tongues tangled and Harper’s fingers slid through Ethan’s already mussed hair. Her mind was full of him - his scent and his body against her - and Harper forgot that she was supposed to be playing hard to get. She had never wanted a man like she wanted Ethan. Why not indulge?

When he lifted her, sliding his hands beneath her thighs to carry her into the elevator, Harper smirked up at him. “Perfected that one, have you?”

“I can tell you’re impressed.” Before she could reply, he was pressing her against the wall, muffling her words with another needful kiss. Time might have ceased to exist. All Harper knew was the hardness at the crux of her thighs and Ethan’s mouth against hers. When the elevator announced its arrival at the top floor, she noticed only because Ethan hefted her higher in his arms before carrying her over the threshold.

She barely got a look at his apartment - high ceilings, maple floors and plush furniture, before she was tumbling onto the bed in a gargantuan master suite. Harper might have done some further investigation if she weren’t transfixed by the sight of Ethan undoing his tie before shrugging out of his jacket.

Not one to lie idle, she rose to her knees to help him with the buttons on his shirt, only to have him take hold of her hips and jerk her to the edge of the bed. The motion knocked her flat onto her back once more as he tugged off her heels.

“I’m sure you’ve been told,” he mused, running his hands up her calves, “that you have amazing legs.” He continued upwards, hiking her skirt up as they went and Harper arched a brow.

“A few times.”

Ethan chuckled as he found the waistband of her underwear, sliding his fingers beneath it teasingly. “I’ve wanted them wrapped around my neck since I first saw you.”

That she hadn’t expected. Harper’s stomach twisted in a bolt of raw lust as Ethan dispensed with the pleasantries, hooking his fingers beneath the lace material of her underwear to draw them slowly down the legs he had just complimented.

There was something wickedly primal about losing her underwear when she was still completely dressed, and Harper watched him with rapt attention as he took a moment to appreciate her expensive black lace lingerie. “Lovely.” Ethan buried his nose in the damp fabric and Harper’s lips parted slightly as her mouth dried. “You’re already ready for me Harper.”

She could hardly deny the concrete proof in his hand, so she didn’t, choosing instead to let him kneel at the edge of the bed as his hands slid underneath her bare behind. Then, he was staring at the bare lips between her legs with a hunger so intense that she found her breath hitching. Just looking at her, as if even that was more than he could have hoped for. “Oh, sweet…” He groaned lowly, “I’m going to take my time.”

The blonde opened her mouth to redirect him, suddenly wholly uncomfortably with his apparent obsession with the most intimate part of her. She didn’t want Ethan to take his time. That was dangerous. If he’d just tossed her on the bed and fucked her, that would be better. It would be quick and dirty and-

“Oh.” The single syllable escaped her the moment Ethan’s mouth closed over her lower folds. He licked over her once - a long, lingering lap that made her shudder before kissing every inch of her bare skin. Against her will, Harper found herself arching into the ministrations of that talented mouth in a silent plea for more. “Oh…”

He lifted her hips, tugging her forward until her thighs were situated on his shoulders - just as he wanted. When his mouth closed over her clit, Harper bit back a cry, clutching desperately at the sheets beneath her. Her thighs tensed and her toes curled and God, how did he do that with his tongue? Harper found her fingers tangling in his hair as her breath stuttered unevenly. She didn’t know whether to push him away or hold him flush against her - this was criminal.

When he suddenly penetrated her slick passage with two fingers, suckling gently on the most sensitive part of her, Harper gasped sharply, impulsively scooting backward on the bed - away from the almost unbearable pleasure.

“Oh, no.” Ethan chuckled darkly, jerking her right back to where he wanted her. “You’re not going anywhere until I’ve had a good taste, sweet. Stay right here.” When his mouth closed over her, he groaned, long and low - as if somehow, he was enjoying this more than she was. The vibration thrummed through her and Harper whimpered, completely helpless under his oral onslaught.

Any and all preoccupation she might have had with being sexy and launching her own seduction completely evaporated as Harper squirmed and gasped and did the best she could to retain some modicum of dignity. Within minutes, she was dangling on the edge of what promised to be a monumental orgasm and she thought he would stop - that he would leave her panting on the edge to seek his own pleasure.

But Ethan did no such thing. As if he sensed she was close, he only tugged her flusher against his face as his mouth turned suddenly rough between her legs - overstimulating her so she toppled over the edge with a wild cry. Harper shuddered almost violently. She knew that her grip on his scalp had to be so tight it was painful, but Ethan hardly seemed to mind. As her hips bucked reflexively against his mouth, he obliged her with slow, torturous drags of his lips until she came down. Until she could breathe.

She had bitten her lip so hard it bled, and when Harper opened her eyes, she was surprised to see she hadn’t just floated away. Ethan’s head was still between her thighs as he looked up at her, smug as a cat in cream. When he moved to press another kiss to the place where she was most sensitive, Harper jumped. “Don’t.”

“Don’t?” He smirked. “But you’re so fucking sweet, Harper. I could stay down here all night.”

Reaching down, Harper took hold of the collar of his shirt to tug him upwards, surprised that her hands were so steady. “Or, you could fuck me.” When she kissed him, she could taste herself on his lips. It was a vivid reminder of how obviously he’d enjoyed himself between her thighs and a thrill of new arousal slid down her spine.

“I’ll get there. Patience.”

At that, Harper laughed lowly. “I have the patience of a saint.”

“Do you?” Ethan grinned sexily, undoing the buttons of the silk shirt she wore to slide it from her shoulders. “Then this should be no problem for you.”

At the sight of her intricately made bra, he sucked in a breath. “I like your taste in underwear.”

“You like taking it off…” Harper inhaled sharply as he tugged down a single cup to draw his tongue against her hardened nipple.

“That too.”

Harper wrapped a leg around his waist, drawing him closer as he nipped and sucked at the peak of her breast until a low moan spilled from her lips.

“But I’m not taking this off.”

True to his word, he merely situated the bra around her waist, baring both her breasts before his mouth returned to her painfully erect nipples. Every lap of his tongue made her shudder, and the sounds he made - Jesus, they weren’t fair. Even if Harper never admitted it to anyone but herself, this was far, far better than anything she had ever done to herself. Even though Ethan’s agonizingly slow pace was killing her, she would die with a smile of profound satisfaction on her face.

“Mmm…” When his mouth finally left her breasts and began to trail hot, wet kisses down her belly, Harper groaned.

“Ethan…” When she moved to tug him back to her mouth, the man merely caught her hands, pinning them on either side of her supine form.

“Shut-up, Harper,” he growled against her belly-button, a minute before he tugged the material of her skirt up around her waist with his teeth. This time, when he buried his face between her legs, Harper shrieked. She couldn’t help it. She was already sensitive from his last bout south of her waist, and this time, the exploration of his deft tongue was almost too much.

“Ethan! No... please!” The plea left her lips before she could stop it as she struggled against his impossibly strong grip. “God, I can’t!”

His only answer was an indulgent groan against her nether regions. The sensation was almost enough to grant her a second orgasm of the night as Harper’s breath hitched and pleasure threatened to overwhelm her.

Despite her writhing, Ethan continued until she was a messy puddle of need against the mattress. By the time he was finished, Harper lost count of the number of times she’d climaxed. After the second or third, all of her muscles had gone stiff and the sound she made was actually one of pain as she tried, in vain, to relax them,

Thankfully, Ethan relented before she locked up completely, finally releasing her to kiss his way up her body as his hands moved slowly, firmly over her limbs to massage the tension from them.

Harper did her best to remember how to speak by the time his gaze found hers once more, but Ethan beat her to the punch. “Surprising what one can do with a little coaxing, hmm?”

The blonde let out a long exhalation, scowling as he worked a particularly intense cramp from her lower thigh. “You’re despicable, you know that?” She both hated and loved the way her voice shook - the completely boneless quality of her muscles. He was despicable, but only because he had completely surpassed her expectations.

“And you look glorious right now…” he murmured against your neck, sucking at the skin there. “You were made to ride my tongue, Harper.”

Despite her exhaustion, Harper’s womb clenched. She was hopelessly, impossibly aroused by everything he said. The only solution would be to gag him - and she hardly had the strength for that. So, instead, Harper merely reached for the fastening of his slacks to undo them.

This time, Ethan let her, his gaze rapt on her fumbling fingers. When she finally managed to shove both his slacks and his underwear down his thighs and his erection sprang free, she moaned at the sight of it. Ethan was a sizeable man, and she was very happy to find everything in proportion. Her fingers folded around the impressive length of him and he groaned, low and throaty, at her touch. “Fuck, Harper…”

She regretted that she’d let him get to her first. At that moment, Harper wanted to do everything he’d done to her and more. She wanted to lick him from head to toe - the man’s body was absolutely divine. Even more gorgeous than his closely tailored suits hinted at. Reaching up, Harper ran a slender hand indulgently over his torso. Starting at the jut of his hipbones, she smoothed her hands over his hard stomach and up further, over the sprinkling of light hair on his broad chest. All the while, she stroked his cock - which had been the object of her fascination since the day she met him.

Ethan’s eyes drifted closed and his hips bucked shamelessly into her ministrations. He was like velvet pulled tight over steel in her hand, slick with his own desire. Harper could hardly believe that pleasuring her had gotten him this hot.

Unfortunately, Ethan didn’t allow her to toy with him for very long. A quick two minutes of stimulation and he was growling lowly, pressing her back onto the bed as he loomed over her. When he kissed her, Harper tasted herself on his lips and shuddered as their tongues tangled. The tip of his erection slid against her and she arched needily, begging wordlessly to be assuaged.

“Something you want, Harper?” he inquired huskily against her lips.

The blonde merely glowered at him, writhing and bucking in an attempt to force him inside her. Ethan chuckled darkly, denying her what she wanted. “Ask me nicely.”

Harper wanted him enough to beg but, instead, she demanded. “Give it to me.”

When he smacked her behind, Harper yelped in a mixture of surprise and arousal. “That,” he growled against her neck. “Was not nice.” He bit her shoulder like a fucking savage and Harper bit back a cry at the raw need that snapped through her. “Try again.”

“Fuck you.”

He smacked her again and Harper whined. The man was absolutely sadistic. “Tell me what I want to hear, Harper.”

The heat of him pressed flush against her - slid slickly against her lower lips so a ragged moan escaped her. Harper didn’t want to give in - didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. But she wanted it. She wanted that fucking satisfaction.

She wanted him inside her.

“Please…” She murmured breathlessly, her fingernails furrowing down his back. “Please, Ethan.”

To his merit, he had nothing smart to say after that. Ethan took hold of her thigh, hoisting it around his waist as he finally, finally slid home within her. Harper’s eyes fluttered shut as she moaned, long and low.

Yes. This was what she had craved for so long. He was thick, hard and perfect, filling her so her toes curled with the fullness of it all. The expression on Ethan’s face was almost pained as she flexed her inner muscles around him, welcoming him inside her. He might have made her beg, but she was going to make him pay the piper. “Fuck, Harper...don’t do that.”

Oh, he deserved much more than that. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Harper pulled him even deeper, until his eyes all but rolled back in his head. That was what she was looking for. Ethan’s hands found her wrists, pinning them on either side of her head as he thrust deep enough to make her cry out.

“Harper. Harper…”

Her name had never sounded as sexy as it did in that moment.

If he had released her, Harper might have grasped at the headboard. She might have torn at the sheets. As things stood, all she could do was curl her fingers into fists as Ethan fucked her slow and masterfully, refusing to let her antics undo him. The blonde writhed beneath him, taking everything he had to offer and inviting more - raising her hips to meet every powerful thrust of his own.

Harper was losing her mind - and quite possibly her dignity. Her breathy moans and sighs soon turned to screams as she felt her body winding tighter and tighter. She hadn’t thought it possible to come again after all the attention Ethan had paid her, but she hurtled towards another peak, caught up in the inexorable tide of her own pleasure.

When Ethan’s rhythm began to falter, when he began to buck and curse as his own orgasm approached, the sight of his teeth clenched and the sound of his ragged breath was enough to undo her. Harper came a final time - spectacularly - her mind all but torn from her by the intensity of the sensations assaulting her body.

The completion seemed to go on and on until she couldn’t physically bear it any longer. She sagged against the mattress, utterly exhausted, her arms still locked at the side of her head.

And she had never been more content.

Ethan Kensley had fucking won - and she had no idea how she was going to deal with it.