CHAPTER FIFTEEN
They traveled by taxi in silence, the atmosphere rigid with tension.
Lara could barely breathe, and the row still raged on in her mind. It took some effort to keep her mouth zipped.
She was shocked and hurt about the way he’d acted. He’d been really angry.
She realized she didn’t know him at all, when she thought she did.
Not only that, but he had made her feel stupid and wrong. Of course he was spot on with what he’d said. She was ready for it to go belly up. Who wouldn’t be? It was the only way to go into it. She’d put so much on the line, and now his temper could see it explode. Why was he so upset by it?
Well he’d agreed to finish the job as quickly as possible and she had to focus on that as well. The taxi pulled in to the drop-off bay.
When they got inside the building it was a race to see who got to the elevator first. They stood side-by-side without touching, even though the elevator was packed. At their desks, he didn’t offer to go get her coffee, which he usually did. Instead he switched on his screen, took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, throwing himself into work.
“This database will be complete before lunchtime,” he informed her.
“Good,” she replied, quickly.
“You can hand it over to Susanna, then I’m out of here.”
“But what about—”
“Don’t even say it,” he interrupted, sternly.
When she glanced at him his face was still dark with anger. It made him look sexier still. How was it even possible? Even when he was glaring at her and shouting his mouth off sexual tension electrified the atmosphere between them. No escape, not now. It was bad news, because she was angry and upset and horny as hell and she felt restless as an alley cat. Muttering silently to herself, she tried to take deep breaths and opened up her email.
The first message in her inbox was from her dad. Scanning the contents, her stomach knotted. “Oh, shit!”
“What is it?” he snapped.
“My dad has invited us to dinner.”
“Us?”
“Yes. Both of us, a family dinner, he calls it.”
“Jesus Christ.” His forehead wrinkled.
“Oh god, what a fucking mess.”
“It’s the perfect opportunity for you to launch one or two of your destructive hand grenades.”
“Stop saying that!”
”Why? You’d actually relish causing chaos for your dad and you’ve either fooled yourself into believing you’re on a mission to impress him or you’re just all about fooling me, Princess.”
Horrified, she got up strode off to the kitchenette.
He followed close behind, blocking her exit.
Her heart thundered, rage and lust triggering responses throughout her body. “Don’t do this, please.”
“Why not? It’s danger you crave.”
His eyes were narrowed, his handsome mouth set in a grim smile, but he was turned on too, and it was too much to bear, she had to get the upper hand on things.
“Just remember who put you in a position of power, who dressed you in a suit.” The words were out and it was too late to haul them back.
His hand was on her waistband and he yanked her against him, stalling her breath in her lungs.
“Just remember who made you enjoy sex, who made you cry out for more. It cuts both ways, doesn’t it, Princess?”
“That’s low,” she swiped. “Sex is an intimacy.”
“And the rest wasn’t? You treated me like someone you scraped out of the gutter. I put you on a pedestal.”
Her lips opened, but she didn’t have an answer.
Eyes blazing, he continued. “If we walk away from each other now, would you want more of that special kind of ‘intimacy’ or could you live without it?”
She whimpered, struggled, but couldn’t deny his words or his hold on her,
He was revealing her to herself, and it was devastatingly emotional, and sexy as hell. Then he touched her, stroking his thumb over her cheek.
It was too much. He had her in a puddle when she needed to get a grip. “Draco, don’t do this. I’m crazy about you, and you know it.”
With triumph in his eyes, he grabbed her hand and hauled her out of the kitchenette and down the corridor alongside him.
Teetering on her heels, she had to break into a run.
Glancing over her shoulder she looked back at the cubicles. Everyone she could see had their heads down. Thankfully. Anyone could look up and see them. The idea filled her with dread. She promised her dad she would always act professionally even though she was only on a student placement. This was not only unprofessional it was inappropriate. She didn’t have the first clue where he was taking her, but her heart was pounding with excitement and she wouldn’t have let go of his hand for the world.
Draco reached out to a door handle in the corridor. She didn’t even know where it led. Moments later she found herself in a dark cupboard, and once he shut the door behind them, only a small blue emergency light lit the space.
Quickly looking around she realized they were in a storage cupboard. On either side, boxes of printable forms filled the built in shelves. In front of them a small sorting table was wedged in against the wall. She didn’t even know this was a cupboard. In a matter of days he learned more about the building of what went on in it than she was sure her brothers or other employees had done in months and years being with the company.
He closed on her, one strong arm around her back hauling in against him. The feeling of his hard body against hers was fantastic, but they were so close to dozens of people working.
“What the hell are you doing?”
“Crazy about me? You can’t expect to say things like that to me and get away with it. Not now, not here, not any place.” He ducked his head and started to kiss her behind her ear in that place that drove her crazy.
“No, not here, we can’t.”
“You like the danger. That’s what this is all about for you.”
“Not here, not like this. Anyone could walk in.”
“You’ve always liked the danger, that’s why you came after me, that’s why you slept with me.” He spoke in between the kisses he rained on her neck and collarbone.
Every word he said was true, she couldn’t deny it but there was too much risk. She was about to object again then his mouth covered hers, his hands molding her body, owning it, making in his.
Trembling and research she pulled away from the kiss. “We can’t.”
“This has to happen, it always has to happen. We need to burn this off.”
He turned her around, and tugged her skirt up.
It tightened around her hips, like a harness. She could feel the hard bulk of his erection through their clothes. It didn’t matter that she was angry with him, and it didn’t matter she was afraid they’d be discovered. The need multiplied inside her, a vital burst of energy— mirroring the need in him, and it wouldn’t be denied. She shimmied against him, humming her pleasure aloud at being held against his rock hard body.
“Don’t move, don’t say another word.”
She shook her head. “Draco...”
Silenced by his hand on her panties, she swallowed hard. Willing it to be fast and hard, willing their not to be on interruption, she braced herself.
“Face down, over the table,” he commanded.
Lara blinked, staring down at the small table. Realising his intention she stared down at the table and shook her head, “We can’t.”
The hard bulk of his body locked her in place. He reached past her, jolted the table away from the wall, and then he put one hand between her shoulder blades, and eased her upper body down. Her heart raced then missed a beat. Even as she shook her head in silent denial, she wanted it, badly.
Draco tugged her skirt up as far as her waist, bunching it there.
Reaching for her hands he shifted her into position bodily and wrapped her fingers round the far edge of the table. “You’ll have to hold on tight.”
His determination overwhelmed her.
Trembling, she did as instructed. Her feet shifted restlessly, her body wired into the moment. Despite the danger of discovery she ached for him to take charge of her.
Grabbing her panties, he pulled them down, left them dangling around her ankles. The exposure made her sex contract, damp heat gathering between her thighs. Stroking her bared bottom, he inflamed her all the more. A frustrated whimper caught in her throat. He stroked his fingers the length of her pussy, paddling her clit before stroking her up and down then easing his fingers inside her.
“Do you want this?”
She murmured incoherently, her desperation growing.
“Tell me,” he commanded.
“Do me, please,” she begged.
Thankfully she heard the sound of his zipper, then the noise of a condom wrapper being torn open. Then the bulk of his cock pushed against her opening. “It’s going to be fast and hard.”
“Yes, yes!” She pushed back, grateful for the promise she heard in his voice, groaning aloud as she felt him stretching her open. She was so slippery he slid in easily, and thrust right against her center in one stroke.
She had to stifle a moan. With her chest flat to the table, her breasts throbbed, nipples needling with sensation. She arched her back and he thrust deeper still.
A ragged moan escaped her lips. Cursing herself silently she tried to stay quiet, fearing it would alert someone to their presence.
“Oh yes,” he said, pumping into her. He put his hand against the base of her spine, which made her work against him, her bottom lifting, her sex swallowing his long hard cock gratefully.
“We had to do this,” he said in a low, husky voice as he worked into her ever faster. “All I could think about was being inside you.”
Lara welcomed the physical jolt of her body on each thrust. It was rough sex, desperate and needy and it was wildly hot.
His hands gripped her buttocks.
Her feet lifted from the floor.
He slapped her right buttock.
“Draco!” The sting rang right through her, making her hotter still. Her climax was close. Dizzy with pleasure, her skin burned and she had to she gasp for breath. Her center spasmed.
He swore, and then whispered her name in a rung out groan.
Manipulating her buttocks in his hands he pressed closer still. It made her crazy. She bucked and writhed against the table, working her hips back, wanting it to last while willing it to end, taking him deep over and over.
Finally, her orgasm broke, washing through her, melting her body until it was supine over the table. Draco stilled at her back and she heard his stifled groan as he came.
Time passed. She had no idea how long. It was marked only by the sound of their ragged breathing and the static noise from the flickering blue light overhead.
“I can’t move, I’m too weak,” she murmured.
He withdrew and carefully sorted then both out. He pulled up her undies and straightened her skirt then eased her from the table, setting her on her heels, when she trend to face him, he kissed her.
“You make me crazy,” he said, and he sounded apologetic.
With a soft laugh, she blinked up at him sated, pleasured and glad they’d done it—despite the danger. “You make me crazy too, so it’s only fair.”
“I’m sorry about this morning.”
“So am I.”
They stared into each other’s eyes endlessly, understanding settling on them both.
“What is it you really want here?” He nodded at the wall and door, indicating he meant the company.
With a deep sigh, she faced up to it. “I suppose I want dad to care. If he doesn’t, fuck him, fuck the lot of them. You were right, I was ready for it to go either way, but I can’t seem to move now. I’m frightened because I guess I do love him, and I don’t want to take the clip out of the hand grenade after all.”
She stared up at him, feeling a sense of despair building. “Oh god, what a mess.”
“Hey.” He took her hands his. “It might not be that bad. I mean, I doubt your stepmother makes burgers as good as yours, but we’ll get through the meal.”
Lara laughed, but at the same time tears wet her lashes. “Thank you for being so nice.” They stared into each others eyes, silent emotions passing between them. “Most guys would have been up and out of here by now. I’ve made such a mess of this.”
“I didn’t mean what I said earlier, and I won’t walk out.”
“That wasn’t in the contract...”
“It’s not about the money, I care about you.”
She nodded, squeezing his hands to let him know it was mutual.
“We need to come clean with your dad,” he said decisively, “try to back out of this before there’s any cause for resentment. I don’t want him to end up hating you because of me.”
Distress swamped her. “No! It’s too soon.”
“Let me be the judge of that.”
“Please, no. If we bail out now, we blow it.”
“Hush, this is about damage limitation…” He paused until she nodded. “This dinner thing, it might be because he’s onto me. It’s been oddly quiet since I arrived here. I’ve been enjoying the working environment, surprisingly, but I’m always waiting for the axe to fall.”
Her stomach knotted hearing him say that.
“I’m not going to sit here until the police arrive. I’m going to declare myself.”
“No!” Every option sounded like a minefield.
“Don’t fret,” he interrupted. “I won’t reveal you employed me.”
“I did employ you, therefore I’ll b e the one to say when you reveal who and what you are.”
“You’re playing for time.”
“I am.” She swallowed hard. “Let’s get the dinner over and then we can make a plan, after.”
“It’s tonight?”
She nodded.
“Fuck! Right, okay…we better get a move on.” He shoved the table back against the wall. Reaching into one of the boxes, he grabbed a couple of printable forms, handing her one.
“You think of everything,” she said.
“I do try.” With one hand on the door handle he glanced at her one last time “Ready?”
Torn, Lara nodded, and followed him out.