His Erotic Obsession (The Jamison Sisters Book 1) by Elizabeth Lennox (3)

 

Over the next five days, the two of them worked hard to clean up all of the big and little details of Lila’s missed obligations, not to mention the millions of other details that came up during a regular day.  They stayed in Michigan and Bernie was able to line up ten different singers that he said had some promise.  The nine women and one man had been practicing the songs over the past week, and this afternoon was their audition for Marcus. 

He walked into the auditorium that had been reserved for the tests and sat down, already appearing as if he owned the whole building.  “Go,” he said, nodding to the accompanist who, in turn, nodded to the first singer.  The blonde woman walked out on stage with a confident smile and started belting out the song.  Instantly, Rebecca hated the way she sounded.  The singer’s voice was more of an alto while the song she’d written was for a soprano, like her.  Not to mention, the song was supposed to be soft and lilting, while the woman was singing it as if it were a jazz tune. 

It took all of Becca’s control to not cringe as the woman sang the song, wishing she would stop. 

“Thank you.  Next,” he said before the woman had even finished her song.  Marcus was pretty brutal about most things.  He didn’t have time to save someone’s feelings.  He knew what would work in the music business and what wouldn’t.  People never argued with him.  If Marcus said no, then dreams were crushed, but that was the business. 

Over and over again, the singers came out, putting their heart and soul into the songs they’d chosen.  Marcus listened to every one of them, cutting some of their performances in half and, with the man, he’d barely gotten four lines out before Marcus stopped him. 

There were three women who hadn’t sounded too bad, she’d thought.  Rebecca stared at Marcus, holding her breath with the hopes that he might take one of those women.  She’d seen him mold other young singers into something more than their initial audition.  He was a master at creating the illusion of something, of forcing people to better themselves, to achieve greater, stronger results.

But the instant he stood up, her heart plunged.  None of them would work. 

Rebecca hurried after him, slinging her bag filled with work over her shoulder and smiling towards the other singers as a sort of apology.  As soon as she’d caught up with him, she tried to sound optimistic.  “I thought the fourth woman was pretty good.”

Marcus walked out of the auditorium, shaking his head.  “I don’t want pretty good.  These lyrics are the best I’ve seen in a long time.  The singer has to be the best I’ve heard in a long time.  And she has to shine.  There has to be a presence about her, something special that separates her from the rest of the world, makes her glow.”  He was walking so fast, she had to practically run to keep up with him.  But he stopped abruptly, causing her to almost run into his chest.  “Are you sure you can’t sing?”

Rebecca swallowed painfully, pulling back and clasping her hands together in front of her.  “I’m sure,” she said, staring up into his eyes as she told him that lie.  Goodness, she hated lying to Marcus.  He was the kind of man that oozed loyalty and everything good in the world.  Yes, he was harsh, brutally so sometimes.  But he was always fair.  Always gave people a chance.  Her presence here was evidence of that. 

Unfortunately, she was too irritated by his adamant stance that the singer had to be perfect.  She was so frustrated at that point, she wanted to stomp her foot.  Why couldn’t he just pick someone?  What was he holding out for?  What he wanted was too elusive, probably didn’t exist!  And she didn’t doubt for a moment that he was teasing her about her “presence’ or whatever silly stuff he was talking about. 

“If the lyrics are so good, then just pick someone.  There are thousands of singers out there, Marcus!”

He almost laughed at her outburst, but then saw the frustration, the fatigue in her eyes.  “You need lunch,” he announced. 

Rebecca ignored her hunger.  “I don’t need lunch,” she told him, trying to suppress her frustration.  “I have to get over to the concert hall and pick up some stuff that Lila left.”  Turning around before she did something she’d regret, like smack him or something equally stupid, she started walking towards the exit.  “I’ll meet you back at the hotel.”

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards the opposite door where the car and driver were waiting for them.  “Have a runner do that.  You need lunch.”

She shook her head and pulled back, digging in her heels.  She was too angry with him, too frustrated by his refusal to give any of the good singers a chance.  “No.  I have to get the items.  Apparently, this is some personal stuff that Lila’s sister, Kara, asked me to pick up.  She specifically asked me to mail these items to her and I’ve confirmed with the concert hall that they have them.  I’ll go pick them up and get them in the mail to Kara.”

He ran a hand through his hair.  “Fine, go to the concert hall, then meet me at that restaurant two blocks down from the hotel.  The one that you mentioned you were going to try before we headed out of town.”

Rebecca hesitated, both stunned that he’d remembered a casual comment she’d made several days ago, and still angry that he was being so stubborn.  There was also the fact that she needed to start to pull away from Marcus.  She was becoming too personally involved with him.  She wanted him with a crazy need that was causing her belly to ache, as well as keeping her up at night.  When she finally did fall asleep, she would dream about the man, about the way she wanted him to touch her.  She was exhausted and frustrated and she was losing her mind.  All because she’d fallen for a man who saw her only as a timid mouse and a great assistant.  “I’ll just grab a sandwich at a takeout restaurant.”

  She started to turn around but froze when she heard his words.  “I think they have macaroni and cheese.”

Drat!  He knew!  Darn it, how did he know that she loved mac and cheese so much?!  It was her go-to food when she needed comfort. 

She didn’t turn back to face him, just tilted her head slightly so he couldn’t fully see her features.  She was fairly certain that the desire for macaroni and cheese would be in her eyes.  She couldn’t reveal that need to Marcus, he had enough power over her already.  “I don’t need mac and cheese.  I stopped eating it.”

He moved closer and tugged at her hands so she was facing him once more, bending lower so their noses were almost touching.  “Liar,” he said, laughing softly when he saw the truth in her eyes. 

Rebecca bristled at his tone.  “I’m not lying.  And just to prove it to you, I will meet you at the restaurant, but I’ll have a salad.”

With that, she once again spun around on her heel and walked in the opposite direction.  She’d catch a cab in order to get over to the concert hall, and, just to reinforce her determination, maybe grab something at a fast food restaurant along the way so that she wouldn’t be tempted to order the mac and cheese. 

She made it two steps before he stopped her.  “You take the limousine,” he called out to her, once again spinning her around so that she was heading towards the opposite entrance where the car and driver were waiting.  “I’ll head to the hotel in a cab.  It will be easier for you with the driver since he’ll wait for you.”

She shook her head, not wanting any witnesses to her takeout binge.  “No, I’ll be fine.”

He didn’t allow her any other arguments.  He opened the back door and tucked her in, telling the driver to take her to the concert hall, then to the restaurant, “As quickly as possible.”

Darn it!  He’d foiled her plans.  Now if he questioned the driver, Marcus would know that she cheated. 

Dratted man! 

 

Marcus stepped into the trendy interior of the restaurant and knew at once that Becca would like this place.  It had funny signs and weird antiques all over the walls and ceilings, an open atmosphere and the food smelled delicious. 

The waiter brought a beer for himself and a glass of white wine for Becca.  “By the way, my companion is going to order a salad.  But bring the lobster mac and cheese.”  The waiter immediately nodded his head to confirm the order before walking away. 

Becca walked in a few minutes later, looking fresh and alive, but also with a bit of color to her cheeks.  Damn, she was beautiful!  Taking a long sip of beer, he sat back and enjoyed the gentle sway of her hips, the way her eyes seemed to light up when she approached the table.  Oh the things that popped into his head! 

Sliding into the chair across from him, she breathed a sigh of relief and hooked her bag on the back of her chair.  “Wow, that wasn’t as fast as I thought it would be.”

“I ordered you some wine,” he said and nodded his head to the glass.

“Thank you!” she breathed and took a long sip, enjoying the crisp taste of the wine. 

She took a long sip as the waiter approached.  Quickly opening up her menu, she scanned the salad options, choosing a spinach salad that at least had the option of adding chicken. She didn’t want chicken and she definitely didn’t want spinach.  She’d been around Marcus for too long this past week, eating healthy foods and not doing anything that he could tease her about.  The man was a machine, eating the best foods possible, but also working out in the hotel’s gym.

She ordered the spinach salad with grilled chicken breast, not even glancing at the mac and cheese option.  The waiter nodded and turned to Marcus, who ordered a burger. 

Rebecca kept her expression serene, but was hard pressed to not call the waiter back and demand something yummier, something that would fill her belly.  She’d settle for the salad.  But as soon as she got home and walked into the privacy of her house, she was grabbing that bag of potato chips in her pantry and not stopping until every one of them was gone! 

They discussed the details of their morning, connecting and planning out the afternoon.  Thankfully, they were flying back to Los Angeles tomorrow, and she’d get a bit of a reprieve from his constant masculinity.  Just one more day, she told herself.  She wasn’t even looking out for the waiter, knowing that he wouldn’t have what she wanted to eat.  Maybe Marcus would give her a bite of his burger.…  Or at least some fries.  Yeah, she’d settle for fries.  She needed some decadent carbs.  Something that would really fill her belly.  Hopefully, the salad would come with a roll, but at this point, she’d settle for just the croutons. 

While they waited for their food, Rebecca updated Marcus on the items she’d worked on during the morning and the issues still left to resolve. 

“We have an event tonight,” he announced as the waiter approached. 

Rebecca’s eyes flashed up to his.  “An event?”  Evening events were torture for her.  He had been asking her to attend these events with him lately and he kept her close by his side, touching her back or her arm, sometimes her neck.  It was becoming harder and harder to hide her reactions to his touch.  She didn’t say anything about his announcement, but her mind flew into a frenzy, trying to figure out how to get out of attending with him.  It wasn’t like it was officially part of her job.  They’d just sort of…fallen into a pattern over the past several months of going to these events together. 

The first time, his date had canceled on him at the last minute.  When Marcus had walked into her office that afternoon and explained the situation, she’d been astounded that any female would cancel on Marcus.  Give up time in his company?  She’d never do that!  Not in a million years.

So she’d agreed to fill in for him that evening.  She’d worn a simple black gown that she’d bought a long time ago.  It had been inexpensive, but she’d thought it was adequate. 

Rebecca remembered her embarrassment that evening, how the other women had looked at her dress with disdain, dismissing her as unimportant because of her clothing.

Marcus must have been embarrassed as well, because the next event and request for her presence had been preceded by the arrival of a stunning cocktail dress.  When Marcus had walked into her office to tell her about the event, the dress had already been in her hands and she’d been running her fingers over the material with love and adoration. 

That night had been special and wonderful.  She’d felt so pretty in the blue cocktail dress, and had loved the way Marcus had casually kept his arm around her waist or touched her arm to get her attention.  Since then, the pattern had continued.  A dress would arrive and then Marcus would give her the details.  After a bit of investigation, Rebecca had discovered that the infamous Jenny had resources at several of the boutiques, and could get something sent to the office in less time than LA traffic would seem to allow. 

When the waiter arrived Rebecca was in the middle of a sentence, but her words trailed off when the steaming, creamy, cheesy mac and cheese with huge chunks of lobster was placed in front of her.  “What’s this?” she asked, but she knew!  Oh my, she knew exactly what this was!  And it looked decadently delicious!

“Your lunch,” Marcus replied and picked up his burger, taking a huge bite. 

When she looked up at him, he winked at her.  “You looked too hungry for a salad.  And I know you hate spinach.”  He even offered her several fries, placing them on the edge of her plate despite the fact that she had a buttery biscuit nestled beside the single-serving sized ceramic pot. 

Rebecca stared at her food, her mouth watering.  “I don’t hate spinach.”

He laughed which drew her gaze to his eyes.  “You hate it.  I have no idea why you eat it, but you hate it.”

She pulled her eyes away from his, looking down again.  With a fizzle that hit her hard, she felt his hand covering her fingers.  “Becca, you’re a beautiful, healthy woman.  Don’t eat things you don’t like.”

She sighed, wanting to turn her hand over and curl her fingers upwards so that their hands were entwined.  But that was the move of a lover.  Marcus was only her friend, could only be her friend.  Yes, he was her boss, but they were more than that.  They were good friends.  He was her best friend.  Unfortunately, she knew that the opposite was not true.  She’d accepted that and moved on.

Well, she was trying to move on. 

Turning her hand over and accepting his caress would be bad, she told herself even though her fingers tightened with the need to touch him back. 

“You almost always eat healthy foods.  You’re a good influence on me.”

He shook his head.  “Eat your lunch,” he commanded, pulling his hand away.  “And you’re having that chocolate mousse for dessert.”

Rebecca laughed.  He certainly was an alpha male, she thought.  “No.  I’m not.  If I eat this, then I won’t be having any dessert,” but she picked up her fork and tasted the cheesy pasta, closing her eyes to savor the rich flavors.  “Oh, this is good!”

Marcus watched her taste the food and his erection was almost painful now.  He was trying to respect her distance, but if she continued to eat like that, he wasn’t sure he would be able to keep himself from dragging her across the table and kissing her.  Damn, she would look fabulous in his lap, her lips soft and alluring as he lowered his head to kiss her.  She would taste salty, he suspected.  And cheesy after that last bite. 

Shake it off, he ordered himself.  Looking down at his burger, he forced himself to finish eating.  The burger wasn’t really helping his hunger though.  He promised himself a long, hard run after lunch.  Maybe that would help settle the lust for this slender woman. 

Of course, it hadn’t helped so far.  It had only dulled the need to a low ache, but he wanted her.  It was there always, in the back of his mind, when he was in meetings, when she was sitting next to him, or when she was away from him.  He wanted Becca and no other woman would do. 

It also pissed him off that she continued to focus on business.  It was like she was hiding the personal side of her away from him.  He wanted to talk to her about her, about her flowers, her plants, the way she loved to sit out in her backyard and lift her face up to the sunshine.  Hell, he wanted to watch her do so.  He wouldn’t mind spending a whole day just sitting in a chair watching Becca.  She was beautiful and loved to smile, and her smile made him feel like a king. 

The meal was over and he signaled to the waiter.  “We’ll have the chocolate mousse,” he said.

The waiter nodded quickly and started to back away, but Becca stopped him.  “No mousse,” she countered. 

The waiter froze, not sure what to do.  Marcus glared at her.  “Becca, you know that you want it,” he said, leaning forward as if trying to intimidate her.  “Why not indulge yourself?”  And indulge him.  He wanted to watch her eat that chocolate.  He wanted to see the way her sexy tongue licked the thick chocolate off her spoon and the way her eyes closed in pleasure, as the chocolate hit her system. 

“I don’t want it,” she argued, sliding her hands under the table.  “Thank you, but the lobster mac and cheese was perfect.  I’m too full to enjoy the chocolate mousse.”  And then she stared into his eyes, daring him to contradict her. 

Of course, he did!  Marcus dared everything.

Turning back to the waiter, he instructed, “Make the dessert to go.  She’ll eat it later.”

Rebecca almost laughed at his triumphant expression, but controlled herself.  “You are annoying,” she told him.

He chuckled.  “Yeah, but you love me.”

Thankfully, he was looking down at the moment, so he didn’t see the shocked expression in her face that confirmed his declaration. 

She busied herself with reaching for her bag.  The efficient waiter was returning with a box as well as the leather case containing the check.  Marcus paid quickly and they were walking out of the restaurant.

Turning her face upwards, she tried to absorb as much of the sunshine as she could before getting back into yet another car.  “I can’t go with you tonight,” she told him, finally coming up with an excuse.

“You’re coming,” he told her as he opened the back of the town car for her. 

She shook her head.  “I don’t have a dress,” she explained with a bright smile.  “And Jenny isn’t around to have one delivered.”

He looked down into her saucy expression, not accepting her excuse.  Not for one minute would he consider attending an event without Becca on his arm.  It was his secret pleasure, allowing him to touch her as often as he liked.  And tonight, he was anticipating having her on his arm and showing her off.  “You’re coming,” he said and lifted his cell phone. 

Rebecca watched as he pressed a few buttons, panic welling up inside of her.  “No!” she snapped and reached for his phone, trying to grab it out of his hand.  Unfortunately, he only lifted it higher into the air.  Since the horrible man was about a foot taller than she was, and had a far greater reach, she couldn’t reach it.  But even worse, his other arm wrapped around her back and pulled her close.  She was sure that he was only trying to steady her so she wouldn’t fall on her face with her weak attempts to steal his phone out of his hand, but the effect made her more than a little crazy.  Her nipples hardened as they grazed his chest and her breath caught in her throat as she felt every one of his amazing muscles against her softer body.  She was painfully aware of him as a man.  A tall, gorgeous man who was so completely out of her reach. 

“Marcus,” she gasped, the feeling of his muscles against her body like this making her want to run her hands everywhere. 

He misunderstood.  “I’m calling Jenny,” he told her.  “You know she can work miracles.  She’ll have a dress here for you in no time.”  He lowered his head slightly, their lips close…so close!  She could feel his breath against her skin, feel his body pressing against hers, and his arm tightened. 

Becca stared at him for a long, pregnant moment, their eyes connecting in a different way than they ever had before.  He saw something there, something that made his body throb once again with that ever-present need to make love to this woman.

But then she jumped up again, still trying to get that phone away from him.  His arm tightened, the awareness like a thick tension surrounding them.  “Becca,” he muttered, watching her. 

That’s when he saw it.  He wasn’t sure exactly what shifted inside of her, or what signal gave him the clue…maybe it was the dilating of her irises, or the softening of her lips, the increased pace of her breath or the sudden cessation of her breathing completely.  Whatever it was, he felt it.  He absorbed it.  And it hit him hard.  His arm went from holding her close to a steel band around her back, lifting her higher against his body.  Gone were thoughts about whomever he had been about to call.  His arm lowered, his cell phone forgotten as his other arm wrapped around her as well.  Their positions changed, he turned slightly, pressing her against the side of the vehicle. 

Nothing happened and yet, everything changed.  They stared, their bodies straining against each other, their minds flashing through wants and desires.  The moment was heavy with awareness, with possibilities. 

Marcus lowered his head slightly as if he didn’t want to frighten her.  He wasn’t concerned that he was misreading her body language.  Her message was loud and clear, even if the words were not spoken.  Everything she wanted was right there in her amber eyes. And everything he wanted was right here, in his arms.  There was no miscommunication, no errors.  He knew women well enough, and Becca for long enough, to know what was in her eyes.  Because it was throbbing between them like a drum, sounding out a primal message.  Take me, she silently told him.

The moment was broken by the sound of his phone ringing.  Marcus didn’t want to answer it, but then hers started ringing as well, and she scrambled away from him, her fingers shaking so badly that she could barely snap the phone out of the carrier clipped to her purse.  She took several steps away from him while he watched her.  And as he watched, he also realized that it wasn’t just her fingers that were trembling.  Her whole body was shaking, her nipples hard and pressing against the soft blouse.  He almost growled with the desire, the need, to snatch the phone out of her hand and toss it away while he lifted her into his arms so that they could be alone, so that he could demand an explanation. 

But his phone continued to ring and, when he looked at the number, he knew that he needed to take this call.  He didn’t like it, but he also knew that Becca wasn’t getting away from him.  Not now.  Not after that embrace and the look in her eyes that told him that he was going to have her.  And soon! 

“Benton!” he snapped to the caller.  He tried to pay attention, but his eyes continued to watch Becca.  She glanced over at him, but looked quickly away when she discovered he was still watching her.  Damn!  Had he been missing clues like this all along?!

Becca dove into the back of the vehicle and he followed, both of them still talking on the phone to their separate callers.  When Becca’s call ended, he continued to watch her and tried to get off the phone.  They needed to talk, to discuss what had just happened.  And how long she’d been feeling this way, because he was damn well not going to allow her to ignore this… passion between them.  He wanted her.  He’d wanted her for so long, he couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t wanted her!

Now that he knew that his feelings were reciprocated, he wanted answers!  He wanted to know what she’d been hiding.  He’d known it had been something, but this?  Why the hell would she hide her attraction to him?  He’d been very obvious about his interest in her! 

 

Rebecca couldn’t stop the shaking, the humiliation.  Marcus knew!  He knew how she felt about him, and he was angry with her!  She couldn’t believe she’d done something so stupid as to show him what was going on inside of her heat and her heart!  She’d been so careful to hide it for so long, she couldn’t believe she’d finally failed! 

The limousine pulled up outside of the hotel, and she jumped out before either the driver or the doorman could open the door for her.  She almost ran into the lobby and pressed the call button for the elevator, fully aware that Marcus was still behind her.  But if she could make it to her room before he got off the phone with his caller, she could plead a headache.  Maybe take a shower or something.  She didn’t know what to do.  She just knew that she had to get out of his proximity and regroup.

A workout, she thought!  Jumping into the elevator, she looked back to make sure that he was still on the phone.  And as luck would have it, someone stopped him in the lobby.  He gave her a look that clearly told her that she should wait for him.  But the elevator opened up and she jumped in, pressing the button for the top floor before he could reach the elevators. 

Leaning her head back against the doorway, she sighed with relief.  She’d made it.  Now she just needed to grab some workout clothes and get out of the suite before he entered and she’d have a bit of time.  She needed to work out a story, something he would believe.  And she couldn’t do that until she had some time to get her head back in gear!

Grabbing her workout clothes and sneakers, she hurried through the suite, almost running towards the doors.  As she stepped out of the doorway, she heard the elevator beep, indicating that someone was arriving on this floor.  Since there was only one suite on this floor, odds were that Marcus was about to arrive.  Turning in the opposite direction, she slammed open the doors to the stairwell and practically tripped over her feet in her haste to get down and away from Marcus. 

Just ten minutes, she told herself.  Just ten minutes and she could think of some reason she’d reacted to him in that way.  She could do this!  She could save their friendship so that he wouldn’t feel awkward around her in the future, worrying about her feelings for him.

Goodness, she was such an idiot!  She berated herself the whole way down the stairs.  When she burst into the ladies’ locker room, she sagged against the doorway, feeling a slight reprieve as she closed her eyes.  Sinking down onto one of the benches, she felt her whole body collapse into horror.  Marcus always made her feel more alive than she’d ever thought possible, so now, with the prospect of losing him, of losing the chance to be around him, she wasn’t sure what to do, how to prop herself up again.

A noise behind her startled her and she jerked upright again.  A group of other guests came in from the pool area, laughing and talking, gossiping about some man they’d met at a bar the previous night.  They barely even noticed her, but it gave Rebecca enough energy to pull herself together.

She was not a wimp, she reminded herself.  Pulling on her workout clothes, she carefully folded her slacks and blouse up, tucking her black pumps underneath everything as she locked her items up in a locker.  Making her way to the gym, she grabbed a towel on her way in. 

She was just stepping onto the stair stepper when she felt her phone vibrate with an incoming message.  Without looking at it, she knew that it would be from Marcus.  He was too strong, too determined and would never hide from a confrontation.  Everything was right there in the open for him.  When there was an obstacle, he removed it.  If there was something wrong, he fixed it.  No questions, no excuses. 

It was an aspect of his personality that she respected immensely, but that didn’t mean she wanted to deal with it, or him, right at the moment.  Just the opposite, actually.  She needed space and time.  And a story.  A convincing explanation. 

Not to mention, she’d really need to put on her game face.  He had that event tonight, but she wasn’t going.  No way!  Jenny couldn’t work her magic from this distance, and she didn’t want Marcus to buy her any more new dresses anyway.  She had an entire wardrobe at home filled with dresses she’d only worn once or twice.  Why that man insisted on buying her new clothes all the time was equal parts flattering, exciting and exasperating. 

Programming in the hardest setting on the stair stepper, she stuck her earbuds in and pressed ‘Go’.  The counter started counting, her feet began the rhythmic pumping and her heart commenced its ritualistic pounding as her blood flowed faster.  Within only a few minutes, she was breathing hard, sweat forming on her forehead and she was relaxing into the workout. 

“We need to talk.  Where are you?” Marcus texted.

Pushing harder, she considered ignoring his question, but in the end, she knew she’d have to answer him.  Otherwise, he would get the entire Michigan state police out looking for her.  “Gym,” she typed back as quickly as possible.

“We’re still talking.”

“Can’t respond.  Stepper.”  He knew she liked to push herself hard on the stair stepper.  There had been many afternoons when they’d been working at his house and they’d taken a break in the afternoon to work out in his home gym.  The man had a gorgeous house up in the hills with a full gym complete with every piece of exercise equipment possible.  He’d even bought a stair stepper just for her after she mentioned that’s what she usually used at the gym by her house. 

“Jenny’s sending a dress.  You’re coming with me tonight.  We’ll talk then.  Meeting downtown.  Be ready by six.”

Rebecca read the message and sighed, but instead of responding, she pumped her feet harder.  Faster.  She had to come up with an explanation.  She had to be brief, to the point, and convincing! 

Forty-five minutes later, the program ended and Rebecca leaned against the machine, feeling good, feeling elated.  She still hadn’t come up with a valid reason for her reaction, but she didn’t care at the moment.  Every muscle in her body felt better.  Exhausted and sore, but better.  That had been an excellent workout, but now her priority was a shower. 

Three hours later, she went back up to the suite.  A workout, shower, sauna and massage along with a manicure and pedicure had relaxed her completely.  She now felt completely able to take on Marcus and any of his questions. 

Stepping into her bedroom, she stopped short at the dress hanging there.  This one was strapless.  Gorgeous!  But strapless!  The silver material shimmered in the soft light of the bedroom, the cut and design screaming out “designer”.  Goodness, it was a stunning dress! 

She never wore strapless dresses, preferring to wear more support than a strapless dress would be able to offer. 

But then her eyes looked at the silver bag on the bed.  Her stomach tightened as she looked at it, wondered what was inside.  Surely, he hadn’t gotten Jenny to order lingerie as well!  Oh no! 

He wouldn’t!

Her stomach tightened and she gently laid a hand on the wall beside her. 

He would! 

Carefully, she closed the door, feeling like a naughty girl with a clandestine secret lurking in her future. 

Walking over to the bed, she pulled the metallic tissue paper aside, letting it flutter to the floor.  When she took out the item previously nestled in the elaborate paper, Rebecca couldn’t hold back the gasp of wonder at the lovely corset in her hands. It was possibly the most beautiful item of lingerie she’d ever seen.  The silver lace looked like it would hug her waist and breasts with loving hands. 

The employee in her said there was no way she could wear something like this to a business dinner.  But the woman in her couldn’t wait to try it on, to see what her figure would look like in this piece. 

Quickly, she pulled off her clothes, discarding her conservative underwear and lifted the silver corset to her body.  Attaching the hooks took a bit of effort, but once she had it snapped in place, she turned to the mirror and…wow! 

She’d always loved the idea of lingerie, but she’d never invested any money into the idea, thinking it was a waste of time and money.  But looking at herself now, she realized that it truly did transform her figure, holding her breasts higher, cupping them, and adding a bit more cleavage.  She looked, and felt, different! 

Her hair was still wet from her shower, so she worked the hair dryer, added a few strategic curls, then piled her hair on top of her head.  A touch of makeup, a darker shade of lipstick than she normally wore and then…the dress!

Goodness, she loved this dress!  She’d never worn a strapless dress before.  What would it feel like?  The idea was so provocative, she couldn’t resist any longer.  Taking it off the hanger, she carefully stepped into the dress and zipped it up the side.  Turning slowly, enjoying the anticipation, she looked at her reflection in the mirror. 

Rebecca couldn’t believe the woman staring back at her.  Gone was the mid-western, naïve woman who normally peered back at her from her reflection.  This woman was sophisticated, sultry.  Mysterious!

That was when she heard the knock on her bedroom door. 

Her eyes widened as she remembered what this whole process was about!  Marcus!  Lunch!  The embrace! 

She couldn’t do this!  She couldn’t face the man who now knew what she wanted from him. 

“Becca, open the door.  I know you’re in the dress.  Let me see you.”

Her hands skimmed down her hips as she stared at the door, not sure what to do.  She couldn’t let him in.  She couldn’t let him see her like this!

But then the door opened.  Slowly, as if in slow motion, the solid door swung wide and there he stood, looking marvelous in a tailored tuxedo.  Goodness, the man could fill out a suit!  Plus his dark hair combined with his formal jacket did things to her stomach that made her feel almost giddy.

“You look beautiful,” he said, his deep voice soothing her overly sensitive skin like a caress.  Stepping into the room, he walked closer to her.  “I wasn’t sure you would wear it.”

Rebecca’s hand fluttered over her stomach.  “Should I not have?”

He laughed softly.  “You definitely should,” he told her and took her hand away from her body, holding it out so that he could continue to survey her figure.  “If it were up to me, I would stay here and strip that gown off you slowly,” he told her, moving even closer, but keeping her hands in his, not letting her hide from him in any way.  “But since you ran away from me this afternoon, we’re going to head out to a neutral environment and talk.”

“Talk?”

He tucked one of her hands onto his elbow and nodded as he led her out of the bedroom. “Talk where there isn’t a convenient bed on which I can make love to you.”

She tripped over her own feet but he held her steady. When she looked up at him, she knew that he knew that she was flustered by his words. 

“Don’t worry, Becca.  We’ll take it slowly.”

Rebecca heard him, but she wasn’t sure that her idea of slowly and his were the same.  One might be the equivalent of a speed racer while the other’s idea might be more along the lines of a turtle. 

He laughed again as he pressed the button for the elevator.  “Don’t worry, Becca,” he assured her again. 

Ha!  Don’t worry, he says, as his fingers skimmed along her bare shoulders.  She tried to step away from him as she normally would, maybe even move to the other side of the elevator.  But Marcus wasn’t allowing that.  Not this time.  “The event tonight is for some music program, trying to raise money for scholarships,” he explained.  “Jenny said she’s made a donation already, so if anyone asks, just refer them to Jenny.  She’ll handle it.”

Rebecca nodded, but she didn’t really care what the event was for, who it was sponsoring, or who might be there.  All she wanted was to go home and sit down in her backyard.  Her flowers were probably dying now after being neglected for a week.  They needed water.  She probably had a whole host of weeds trying to take over.  It would take her a while to get her yard back in shape after this trip, she thought as she stared up at the numbers over the door of the elevator. 

His deep voice interrupted her concentration.  “I haven’t heard from Lila, so she must still be okay.”

Another nod.  Rebecca thought about moving her hostas from one side of her yard to the other so that she could plant something that would grow taller, maybe she could gain a bit of privacy.

“Her sister talked to her yesterday.  Lila is still coming up with lyrics, but she’s eating and sleeping, which is good.”

More nodding and Rebecca wondered if she should take out her plants completely and plant something different, create a new environment. 

“Stop thinking about your garden, Becca,” he murmured softly, shockingly close to her ear.  “It isn’t going to work.”

She glanced up at him, then hurriedly away.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He laughed again.  “You always think about your garden when you’re nervous.  And then you go out and buy something else to stick in a corner or move something around.”  He put a hand to the small of her back to guide her out of the elevator.  “You had a good workout, a massage, and you got all dressed up.  We’re going to have fun.”

She sighed as she accepted his help stepping into yet another limousine.  Fun.  This wasn’t fun, she thought.  “Fun is getting some pretty flowers to brighten up my backyard.  Fun is trying a new recipe that actually looks like the picture when I’m finished making it!  Fun might be walking along the beach, relaxing with a cold glass of white wine,” she grumbled to him.  She couldn’t look at him as she said, “Fun is not having a conversation that makes me sick to my stomach.”

He chuckled softly and took her hand again.  “We’ll figure it out, step by step.  You might start by letting me kiss you.”

She whipped her head around, so stunned by that suggestion that she wasn’t sure how to react.  He simply stared back at her as if the idea made perfect sense to him. 

“Why in the world would you want to kiss me?”

Marcus stared at her for perhaps half a second, then threw his head back and laughed.  Rebecca tried hard not to be disgruntled, but she didn’t find the situation nearly as amusing as he obviously did.  She shifted, pulling her hand from his and faced forward, refusing to acknowledge him any longer. 

“Sorry,” he said, when he finally got his amusement under control.  He reached out to take her hand, but Rebecca simply moved her hands out of his reach.

Marcus wasn’t taking that.  He was so delighted by her, but he wasn’t letting her move away from him.  Since she wouldn’t let him hold her hand, he simply lifted her entire body up and settled her on his lap. 

“That’s better,” he told her. 

Obviously, Becca didn’t think so.  “Talk to me, Becca.  Why are you so nervous now?  We’ve been friends ever since I first teased you about wearing cardigans in California.  We’re just shifting the focus of our attention now to being lovers.”

She pulled back, but she wasn’t sure where to put her hands.  There wasn’t a good option since all of the places she might be able to brace her hands for balance were…well, on him!  And she didn’t feel comfortable touching him.  He was big and strong and just…so Marcus!

“You can touch me, you know,” he told her, obviously reading her mind.  One of his big hands was resting on her bare knees and the other was around her back, almost resting on her bottom, but she was trying not to think about that.

“I’m not touching you,” she told him, her voice sounding prim and silly even to her own ears.

He didn’t seem to mind.  In fact, his smile widened.  “Oh yes, you are.  And we’re going to touch in incredibly naughty ways, Becca.  Now that I know that you want me, we’re going to have some fun.  No more cold showers for me.”

She huffed a bit, irritated by his assertion.  “I’m not going to be a convenient sex object for your lust.  You’ve never had trouble finding a woman to appease your…needs,” she said and there was that annoyingly prim voice again, “don’t use me as a substitute.”

Marcus shook his head.  “You’ve got it all wrong, Becca. I haven’t been taking cold showers because I can’t get a woman into my bed.”  He pulled her closer and she felt that part of him underneath her bottom, shocked by its presence.  “I have been taking cold showers because I can’t get you into my bed.”  He waited a moment, letting her absorb that statement.  “I want you, Becca.  You’re the woman I think about all the time, the woman who can make me laugh and groan within the space of a few moments.”  He let his hand slide higher on her back.  “So yeah, we’re going to this thing tonight and we’re going to dance, you’re going to relax, and then we’re going to leave early and talk about this.”  He kissed her neck, tickling the sensitive skin.  “Any objections?”

“Yes,” she said instantly, trying to slide off of his lap. 

“Tough,” he replied back, pulling her close once again.  “Listen closely, Becca, you want me.  I want you.  We’re not ignoring this any longer.  Understand?”

Rebecca’s mouth was still hanging open, her eyes wide with shock.  Marcus wanted her?  He wasn’t beating around the bush, he really wanted her?  That just didn’t make any sense. 

The limousine pulled up smoothly to the museum where the charity event was taking place.  Instantly, as soon as the vehicle stopped, a doorman pulled open the door and Rebecca scrambled off his lap, embarrassed at being caught sitting on Marcus’ lap. 

She tried to hurry inside, but Marcus was right behind her.  He might be huge, but he wasn’t slow.  Before she’d taken two steps, he had her hand, pulling her back against his side. 

“Marcus…” she started to say, but someone walked up and interrupted.  Rebecca turned to face him, relieved once again for the reprieve, but Marcus simply wrapped his fingers around her arm and gently pulled her closer until he could wrap his arm around her waist. 

Oh my, the number of times she’d fantasized about being right here in this position!  So many other evenings when she’d stood close, when he wouldn’t let her walk away from him, but instead he kept her close by his side.  All those times, she’d simply thought that he was trying to keep the other ladies at bay so that he could conduct business during social events.  But now, she looked up at him, wondering if she’d been misinterpreting the situation.  He’d said so, but…

No, she was crazy!  This was Marcus, masculine man extraordinaire! 

She started to move away, but he bent lower and whispered in her ear, “Don’t start doubting me now, Becca.  Just relax.”  He signaled to a waiter who was hovering near the entrance and the man immediately moved over so that Marcus could take two glasses of champagne, handing one to her.  “I know you love champagne.  If this isn’t the good stuff, I’ll get you a glass of wine.”

She stared up at him, astonished.  “How…what…?”

He lifted a teasing eyebrow.  “You don’t drink bad champagne when it is served at these kinds of events, Becca.  All you do is hold it and pretend to sip it until you finally set the glass aside.  I’ve been watching.  You’re not that hard to read.”  He grimaced slightly.  “Well, most of the time, you aren’t hard to read.  I’ve obviously missed several clues over the past couple of years.”

Rebecca stared at him, stunned because he was absolutely right.  She suspected she should feel a bit creeped out that he’d been watching her so carefully.  But there was a sense of awe and wonder that he’d cared enough to actually watch her, to get to know her.  Not just the parts of her that she showed to the world or the things she might say, but the real her; the part of her that she kept hidden for fear of offending or someone knowing her too deeply. 

A tension inside of her eased ever so slightly.  She would still love to step back out of his arms and retreat, but she didn’t.  She stayed close, although she couldn’t hold his gaze. 

She felt a gentle kiss on the top of her head and was unaware that she’d leaned in closer. 

Marcus knew it though.  He felt it in the way she was standing, the way she stopped trying to pull away from him.  She was still nervous, but he could deal with that. 

Damn, she was so beautiful.  And tonight…tonight, he would take her into his arms and he wouldn’t have to stop.  He wouldn’t drive her to her door and watch her walk away.  Tonight, he was going to make love to this incredible woman, and they both knew it.

A part of him wanted to lift her into his arms and take her back to the hotel, make love to her immediately.  But then the other part of him wanted to savor the anticipation, make the tension build so that it was explosive tonight for her.  He wanted to be different from all the other men in her life.  She’d told him about every one of the men she’d dated in the past.  They’d shared horror stories and laughed about each other’s worst dates. 

Tonight, he would banish all of those men from her mind.  Tonight, she would become his.  He was going to make it so good for her that she wouldn’t ever regret the decision to be with him.

Rebecca felt his hand slide up her back, his fingers skimming along the edge of her dress.  The skin there was on fire now, and she couldn’t believe how hard it was to not react, to not turn towards him and press her whole body against his hard frame.  She wanted to, but he was discussing something with a blond man and his wife. 

Focus, Rebecca told herself.  She lifted her head and forced her eyes to meet the man who was speaking about…she had no idea.  Records?  Everything was digital now.  Records don’t…oh, he liked the old vinyl records, she realized.  With a sigh of relief, she was able to almost ignore Marcus’ touch on her back.  Almost!  She lifted her head to say something, but then Marcus moved his fingers and she was once again lost.  She tried to stifle the gasp of lust that surged through her, but it was impossible. 

Because his fingers were higher on her back, she was able to step away from him under the guise of speaking to someone off to the side.  She had no idea who the woman was, but she leaned over and complimented her shoes.  The woman’s smile brightened up and she glowed from the praise. 

Unfortunately, her plan to minimize Marcus’ touch was over almost before it began.  His hand reached out and slid along her arm.  She would have jerked her arm away, but his fingers curled around her elbow, pulling her right back against his side. 

Okay, so she wanted to be here, snuggled up against his side was a wonderful place to be.  And it wasn’t like she hadn’t been in this position before.  Marcus was a very touchy man…come to think of it, he wasn’t a very affectionate man around other women.  Not that she’d seen him around other women very often since she’d started working for him, but she’d looked at pictures of him online and the women were always draped against his arm or his side, but he never had his arm around them.  It was like they were clinging to him and he was trying to get away from them. 

So why was he doing the opposite with her? 

Looking up at his hard features, she tried to think, tried to understand. 

At that precise moment, he looked down and the heat in his eyes startled her.  She wasn’t sure what to say, what do to.  She’d never been looked at with such an intense need before.  She’d thought that his fingers had burned her skin, but this look was heating her entire body.  She felt singed!

Pulling back, she started to retreat.  This was out of her comfort zone!  Marcus was too much man, too strong and masculine for her to handle. 

“No, Becca,” he said softly and shook his head to emphasize that one word.  “No going back.  Only forward.”

She licked her lips, and then realized what she was doing.  And also realized that his eyes were following her movement.  Or rather, the movement of her tongue.  She felt his fingers tighten on her waist, and every instinct inside of her was telling her to do it again, to entice him.  But she was frozen.  Not with worry any longer.  No, the heat in his eyes was eliminating any possibility of worry.  She was hot, needing to fan herself or maybe go outside and breathe in the cold air.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t move.  At least not backwards.  She could go forward, she thought.  Which was exactly what he’d just said.  So she did.  Leaning closer, not so close that her breasts touched his chest, but close enough that she wasn’t straining against his arm any longer, she let her eyes roam to his mouth, wondering what it would be like if he were to kiss her.

“Incredible,” he told her with a low groan. 

Rebecca blinked, not sure how he had read her mind so easily, but when she looked up at his eyes, she realized that they were both thinking of the same thing.  A shiver ran through her with that realization and he smiled ever so slightly.  It wasn’t a smile of humor at her shiver.  It was a smile of anticipation.  A smile of promise.

She wanted this, she suddenly thought, with a hunger that made her body ache.  Everything inside of her was tingling with awareness, almost throbbing with the need for him to touch her. 

And even that shocked her. 

“Go with it,” he urged, with a deep whisper in her ear. 

“Stop doing that,” she told him, placing a hand against his chest.

“Stop doing what?” he asked, but he lifted his head and she sighed with relief because his warm breath was no longer tickling her ear and heating her skin.

“Stop reading my mind,” she told him and looked away.  There were people all over the ballroom, mingling and laughing.  Several of them glanced towards the two of them and she realized that she’d been monopolizing Marcus.  She had no idea how long they’d been standing here, off to the side while they had their own private conversation. 

Conversation?  Was that what they’d been doing? 

No.  They had been communicating, but in no way could this interlude be considered a conversation. 

He laughed and looked out to the rest of the crowd as well.  “I’m not reading your mind, Becca, so much as reading the expressions on your face.  Your beautiful eyes tell me what you’re thinking.  I don’t need telepathy.  Not with those golden eyes sending me the information I need to know.”  He bent lower and kissed her ear, shocking her with the tender caress that shot her blood pressure into the stratosphere once again.  “And I like what I’m seeing.”

She shivered, and Marcus pulled her closer, silently telling her that he’d felt her reaction.  But then he stepped back and took her hand, placing it on his arm.  “Let’s mingle.  I know several of the people we’ve been dealing with over the past several days are here.  We can talk to them face to face and reiterate what we’ve been telling them about Lila.”

“She’s okay, right?” Rebecca asked, funny how the change in her relationship with Marcus had also changed her perception of the beautiful famous singer.  There wasn’t a tinge of anger or jealousy now.  It was…concern?  Yes, definitely concern. 

He looked down at her and shook his head. “I don’t know.  I’m relying on Kara to tell me what’s going on with her sister.”

Now why did that make her feel even better?  If you were Marcus’ enemy, you should probably just hide under a rock, because the man would destroy you.  But if you were his friend?  He was the kind of man everyone turned to because he would protect his friends with his life.  Marcus had the kind of power to make problems simply go away. 

Rebecca would have thought Lila was his friend.  He’d certainly treated her as much more than a friend in the past.  She wanted to ask him about the beautiful singer, but was afraid.  Biting her lip, she tried to suppress her curiosity.  That burning need to know about the red-headed woman was going to drive her nuts.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, pausing their forward momentum towards the ballroom. 

Rebecca looked up at him, her eyes wide.  “Nothing,” she lied. 

He turned her so that they were facing each other fully.  “Becca, ask me.  Something is on your mind, so ask me.  I’ll be completely honest with you.”

Rebecca looked up into his dark eyes and sighed, trying to release the jealousy.  But it was still there.  “Did you have an affair with Lila?” she asked.

He smiled slightly.  “No.  Never.  It never even crossed my mind.”

That was hard to believe.  Lila was incredibly beautiful and Marcus was…well, he was hot!  He was every woman’s dream man! 

“Why not?”

He turned again, leading her towards the main room.  “Because I wanted you.  I wasn’t ever really attracted to Lila.  She’s lovely, but,” he shrugged and looked down at Rebecca.  “She wasn’t you.”

If any other man had said that line, she would think he was just being cheesy and lying to her.  But this was Marcus.  He was brutally, painfully honest.  He didn’t pull punches in any way.  If he’d had an affair with Lila, then he would have told her.  There was no need to lie about that.  She knew that he’d been with plenty of women over the years. 

So the relief that shot through her with his answer left her feeling almost limp.  “Thank you,” she whispered.

His response once again came through his hands, squeezing her fingers to acknowledge her relief.  “I haven’t been a monk though, Becca.  I’ve dated women over the years.”

She laughed, fully aware of his playboy status.  “I believe that your exploits have been well documented, Marcus.”

He growled low and lifted her hand to his mouth, biting her fingers slightly.  The bite sent a spike of desire throughout her whole body, ending low in her pelvis with a throbbing ache.  “You’ve been looking me up online.  Dangerous thing to do.  It never leads to anything good.”

She smiled, feeling brave for the moment.  “Oh, I don’t know.  There were some very good pictures of you.  Namely, that one with Jessica Nuas,” she said, then looked at him out of the corner of his eye.  “Very fetching boa.”

Marcus rolled his eyes, remembering the woman and her stupid feather boas, which were her signature accessory.  The woman wore them everywhere.  “I’d never realized how stupid and annoying those things could be.  And she brought them with her everywhere.”  He stopped a waiter and told him to open a bottle of a specific wine, and to bring a glass for Rebecca.  He handed the man a tip and the poor waiter’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets with whatever amount he’d been given.  “Yes sir,” he mumbled, and walked quickly away to do as ordered. 

“You didn’t have to do that.  The champagne is fine.”

He took her glass and set it aside.  “It isn’t fine.  It’s cheap champagne and it is disgusting.  I won’t allow you to drink it.”

She laughed, because, no, she wasn’t drinking it.  It was foul and too sweet really to be considered anything other than a decoration. 

“Come with me,” he ordered, and led her through the crowds, not accepting a no from her.

Rebecca followed, almost laughing at several people who tried to get his attention.  For some reason tonight, he wasn’t allowing it. 

The waiter returned from an employee entrance bearing a bottle of wine and one glass on his tray.  Marcus caught the man’s attention and the waiter, thankfully, made a straight line towards them. He almost bowed as he poured the wine into the glass, offering it to Rebecca with a flourish. 

Rebecca glanced up at Marcus and then quickly away.  She anticipated, and she spotted the telltale rolling of his eyes and smothered her amusement, taking a sip of the wine hurriedly.  The waiter stood there, waiting, eager for her nod of approval.

“Oh, this is lovely,” she sighed softly, reverently.  “Thank you.”

Marcus pulled her back against his side, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I’m glad you like it.  Now relax,” he coaxed, his hand once again rubbing up and down her bare arms as well as caressing the skin revealed by the silver, strapless dress. 

“I don’t think I can think when you’re holding me like that,” she told him, her wine out to the side as she tilted her head back. 

“Good.  I don’t want you thinking tonight.”  He looked at her glass of wine.  “You’re not drinking too much either, just a warning.”

Her eyebrows went up with that.  “Why am I not drinking too much?”

He slid his hand along her spine, watching as her mouth fell open even as he absorbed her body’s shiver of awareness.  “Because I’m going to make love to you tonight.  Finally.  And I want you fully aware of what is happening.”

She stared up at him, shocked beyond words.  “Why don’t we just leave now?” she asked.  And then gasped, horrified that she’d just said that! 

He laughed and lowered his head so that he could nibble on her ear.  “Because you are still nervous.  Tonight is about taking it slowly, showing you that your feelings shouldn’t be hidden away.  Not anymore.”

She wasn’t sure what to say, so she stayed silent.  This was Marcus!  Surely she wasn’t...

“Don’t, Becca,” he said and led her over to a group of people.  “Just don’t,” he said firmly. Immediately, people eager to talk to Marcus surrounded them.  They were eager to gain his attention and she understood why.  Marcus was the kind of man that everyone looked up to, both literally and figuratively.  They all wanted to be as successful as he was, but very few ever accomplished his level of success.  Not many were as determined and hard edged to make the decisions, and even fewer had the instincts that propelled them to the top of the business world.  Marcus had it all, plus, he was too sexy for his own good. 

She listened to the conversation, adding comments when she thought it was appropriate.  But she was also painfully conscious of Marcus’ hand on her back, on her skin, and arms, bared by the dress he’d chosen.  Oh, and there was also the warning he’d given to her on the walk over here.  The warning that they would be making love tonight.  The words were rolling around in her mind.

She wasn’t sure what she should feel about the night ahead of her.  Should she be angry that he’d said that?  Shouldn’t a liaison like this happen spontaneously? 

Okay, so Marcus wasn’t really the kind of man who would leave anything to chance.  Hadn’t she been working for him for long enough to know this about him?  She knew how he operated.  When he wanted something, he went after it.  He put his whole mind and body into the effort.  She’d seen him work day and night with very little sleep in order to overcome obstacles that impeded one of his goals.  He never allowed anything to stand in his way.

So why would she think that he would allow her reservations, her nervousness, to impede his goal for tonight?  And she had no doubt that his goal was her.  In his bed. 

She shivered, just thinking about it.  About what it might be like to be in his bed, in his arms…

That telltale reaction caught his attention and he looked down at her.  She knew the instant that he recognized what was going on in her mind, and that slight smile made her stomach tense with nervousness.  And anticipation.  Oh yes, there was definitely anticipation there. 

Dinner was as tedious as it always was during these events.  The chicken was at least decent this time although the broccoli had too much lemon, and the speaker, as usual, thought he was funny while the audience gave him polite laughter and applause.

Rebecca barely tasted the food because Marcus captured her hand and placed it on his rock hard thigh.  Thankfully, the place settings were close enough that the others at the table didn’t see what he was forcing her to do.  But that was small compensation.  Especially since his hand was holding hers on his thigh.  Every time she tried to pull away, he pressed her hand against the tight muscles of his leg.  And drat him, he pulled her hand higher.  Precariously high against his thigh! 

She looked around, hoping that no one would know what he was doing.  When he realized that she was nervous, he simply shifted their chairs so that no one would see.  How could he so easily read her mind?  It was unnerving! 

Rebecca had thought that the dinner was hard to endure.  But the speeches!  Goodness, the speeches were…painful.  Painful because Marcus maintained her hand on his thigh, but with the food gone and nothing to occupy his hands, he decided that her arms and neck were his to explore.  The first time he touched her neck with his fingers, she almost leapt out of her chair.  But he’d anticipated that reaction and held her still.  Even chuckling low, deep, and sexy as he held her steady. 

“Relax, Becca.  I’m not going to bite you.”  He let her relax ever so slightly before he added, “Yet.”

That’s when her trembling started in earnest.  She’d never experienced anything like a seduction on the level of Marcus.  He approached seduction just as he did everything in his life.  Every part of him was active.  His hands, his breath, even his lips moved against her ear.  To anyone else, it most likely looked like he was just whispering in her ear.  But he wasn’t! And she couldn’t hold still.  Every time he touched her, every time he teased her, she felt like she was going to melt into the chair. 

“Stop, Marcus,” she whispered when he bent down yet again, nibbling on her ear. 

“No,” he replied quickly, and nipped at the shell of her ear. 

She wasn’t aware of the way her fingers tightened on his thigh every time he touched her.  Or the way her cheeks were now a pretty pink color, flushed with her excitement. 

The speeches finally ended and the orchestra immediately began playing.  Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief and pushed her wine away.  No more wine for her.  She couldn’t handle it.  She wasn’t really drinking it anyway, but the small amount that she had consumed was making her head spin.  Or was that caused by Marcus’ touch?  She had no idea.  All she knew was that she wanted him to take her out of here. 

“Come,” he said and stood up, taking her hand and leading her towards the dance floor. 

Rebecca instantly knew what he was going to do and shook her head.  “Marcus, I can’t.  We can’t go out there,” she told him.

He came back to her, looking down into her pretty eyes.  “We’re dancing, Becca.”

She looked over at the already-crowded dance floor, then back at him.  “No.  That wouldn’t be a good idea.”

He smiled slightly.  “Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?”

She tried to pry her hands out of his, needing to take a step back.  Or ten.  “Because you’re going to take me out there and…” she looked back at the table where they’d been sitting only moments before.  “Marcus, I could barely handle your touch during dinner.  I don’t think I can…”

He took her hand, his thumb rubbing over her fingers gently, but still sending spirals of need shooting through her body.

“Becca, come dance with me.  We’ll leave after dancing.”

She stared up at him, her eyes wide and worried. 

“Does that scare you even more?”

She nodded her head.  “What if I can’t…?”

His eyes were firm but gentle as he said, “You can, Becca.  I’ll make sure you do.”

He didn’t give her a choice, but relentlessly pulled her towards the dance floor.  It was like he was leading her to her doom as well as her salvation.  Being in Marcus’ arms?  Goodness, this would be completely different from all the other times she had danced with him.

As soon as she stepped onto the dance floor, she knew that her instincts were correct.  She was in danger of losing herself.  Of being absorbed into him.  All of him.  Dancing with him in the past had been amazing.  Wonderful!  But there had been several inches of space between their bodies.

Not so this time.  He pulled her close, tucking her against his body with one arm while the other held her hand, their fingers intertwining. 

Lowering his head, his lips once more grazed her ear.  “Relax, Becca.  It’s going to be okay.”

Rebecca heard the words, but wasn’t sure she believed him.  She wanted to. But this was uncharted territory.  She couldn’t believe she was doing this, that she was actually standing in his arms, contemplating making love with him tonight.

“Come on,” he said with gentle firmness.  His fingers untwined but he maintained her hand as he led her through the crowds.  No one stopped him this time.  She couldn’t see his face, but she could imagine what he looked like.  Hard edges defined Marcus.  And when he was focused, those hard edges became razor sharp.  She knew him and she wouldn’t approach him when he had that kind of a look on his face. 

That was most likely the reason they made it out of the hotel ballroom in record time.  She wasn’t shocked to find the limousine waiting for them with the driver standing at attention and the back door open and ready for Marcus to hand her into the dim interior. 

She hesitated for only a moment.  Looking up into his eyes, he didn’t force her.  She knew that she was going to have to go willingly into this night.  So far, it had been more than she’d ever anticipated.  But was she ready for the next step?

His hand came up, his thumb caressing her cheek very gently.  “Trust me, Becca.”

And with that, he lowered his head and kissed her gently.  His lips brushed against hers, testing her, showing her that he wouldn’t do anything she didn’t want. 

But the caress was too little for Rebecca by this point.  He’d been touching her all evening.  This small brush of his lips against hers was nothing compared to what she needed, what she wanted.  Reaching up, she wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him down lower while, at the same time, lifting herself higher, needing him to kiss her and make her head spin like he had earlier tonight. 

And it worked!  Her gesture sparked something inside of him and he took control, pulling her more tightly against himself as he took control of the kiss.  Rebecca was unaware of him lifting her into his arms and settling into the back of the limousine.  She felt him pull away for a moment, but wasn’t aware that he was simply pulling the door closed.  All she knew was that he’d stopped, her heart pounding and her mind not sure what was going on. 

Then he was back, his hands pulling her onto his lap and he was kissing her again.  His hands were caressing her arms, lifting them back up so that they were around his neck.  Rebecca’s fingers automatically tangled in his hair, combing through the strands and memorizing the texture.  Goodness, she couldn’t believe how good he felt!

“Becca!” he growled when her fingers moved to the skin of his neck.  “Touch me, love.” 

She felt as if her lungs were straining to pull in oxygen.  But then there was more room.  When she felt his hands on her back, in a place where she’d thought the material covered her skin, she was so shocked, she cried out, leaning back as she stared up into his eyes.  But she couldn’t see his eyes since his dark lashes were covering the dark gaze.  He wasn’t looking at her eyes.  He was looking at the silver lace of her corset! 

Her breasts were already heavy and needing his touch.  Thankfully, he didn’t disappoint.  Or maybe she should have prayed for the disappointment.  When his mouth covered her nipple, she felt as if she might just explode from the heat.  It was so intense, she tried to pull away, gasping from the pleasure. 

But Marcus wouldn’t allow her to pull away.  Not even slightly.  His strong hands were right there, pressing against her back and moving her closer to his mouth. 

“Marcus!” she cried out, the pleasure too intense. 

“I’m not stopping, Becca.  Not now.  Not ever!”

She wiggled against him and he groaned.  That was when she became aware of the hard part of him under her bottom.  She tried to shift away, not wanting to hurt him, but he only groaned again, his hands moving down to her hips and shifting her right back.  “Don’t move, Becca.  Not until this car stops, do you understand?”

She didn’t, but she nodded anyway because that seemed like what he wanted and because everything he was doing to her felt too amazing.  She was afraid that, if she moved, he might stop touching her. 

“Please,” she begged, and her voice sounded strange to her ears.  Tight, as if she could barely breathe.  Which, actually, was completely true. 

“Please what?” he asked, kissing her neck, his hands sliding from her hips to her waist, then higher to cup her breasts.  “Please do this?” he asked, his thumbs rubbing her peaked nipples through the lace of her corset. 

She nodded, her fingers tightening in his hair as the sharp stabs of desire shot through her body, pooling low in her belly.  “Again,” she begged, biting her lip as she waited for that sensation to hit her again. 

When it did, she pulled away, guttural sounds coming from low in her throat.  “No more,” she told him, but he only laughed. 

Suddenly, her dress was pulled back into place and zipped up.  Rebecca didn’t want that, and started to shake her head, but Marcus was lifting her up.  In the next moment, she was standing on the concrete sidewalk in front of their hotel.  Marcus said something to the doorman and the driver, but she was in too deep of a sexual haze of need to hear or understand the words.  She needed Marcus and she needed to be alone with him.  Her fingers tightened on his hand when she started to fear that this was over, that he would allow business or something else to interfere with their evening. 

He nodded sharply to another hotel employee, but they seemed to get the idea that he was not to be slowed down now.  His hand led her into the elevator and she shivered when the doors closed them inside.

Pressing his hands on the wall behind her on either side of her head, he moved closer.  “I won’t kiss you here because of the security cameras, but Becca, you want this, don’t you?”

All the nervous tension she’d been feeling as the haze cleared was instantly gone with his words.  This was Marcus.  He wouldn’t push her to do anything she didn’t want to do.  He was such a gentleman, and yet, not a gentleman either.  He was earthy and lustful and so male she shivered as she thought about everything she hoped he was going to do to her tonight. 

The doors to the elevator opened again and she trembled on wobbly knees as he led her into the suite.  When the door closed with a snick, she knew that this was it.  If she wanted to back out of tonight, away from everything they’d been doing up until this moment, she needed to say something now.

She turned around, looking up at Marcus.  She saw it then.  The heat.  The incredible heat of desire lighting his eyes.  She’d seen it so many times while working for him, but she’d never fully understood it.  Seeing it now, seeing the intensity of those eyes, she moaned and stepped closer, giving him the permission he needed.

With that movement, he growled and lifted her up into his arms.  With sure, confident strides, he carried her down the long hallway to his bedroom.  It was decorated similarly to hers, but it was bigger, more luxurious.  Obviously the master bedroom for the suite. 

He carried her over to the bed, and let her legs slide down his body.  She was completely aware of him, all of him.  Every inch of his strong body was felt as her toes sank into the thick, luxurious carpeting.  Somewhere, her shoes had fallen off but she didn’t care.  It made her feel even shorter next to him, but then his fingers slipped around her waist and he was kissing her once again.  Kissing her and making her feel hotter, more needy. 

She couldn’t get enough of him!  He’d shaved right before they’d left for the gala, but there was already a bit of roughness around his chin and upper lip.  She loved it!  She loved the rawness, the scraping against her softer skin.  And oh my, he tasted so good! 

Marcus wanted to tear her clothes off and sink himself into her warm heat.  But he had to go slowly.  He had to make this whole night incredible for his Becca.  He’d waited so long for this night, and he wasn’t going to rush through a single moment of discovery. 

His fingers slid into her hair, dislodging the pins that held all of her glorious locks up so that her curls tumbled around his hands, feeling like sun warmed silk against his skin.  She was soft everywhere he was starting to discover.  Everywhere he touched, he felt something better, softer, more luxurious than he’d thought possible. 

And she was all his! 

“Becca,” he growled as his hands once again found the zipper to her dress, sliding it down so that the top loosened.  From there, it was only a matter of him stepping back and watching the silk drop to the floor.  He didn’t even care that a two thousand dollar dress was now laying in a heap on the floor, pooling around Becca’s silver shoes.  All he knew was that he could now see his Becca.  The silver mesh covering her breasts was…gorgeous!   The material played peek-a-boo with her nipples, but it wasn’t enough.  He needed to see all of her.  Unhindered. 

Reaching around her, he quickly unsnapped all of the hooks on the back, and pulled the material forward as his hands slid along her skin.  He almost laughed when Becca’s hands came up to try and hide her breasts from his view.  But he understood that she was a bit more inhibited than he was and he needed to help her.

“Becca, you’re so beautiful and if you want to hide yourself from me, that’s okay.”  He looked at her as his hands settled on her slender hips.  “But I’d love to see you, all of you.”  He kissed her shoulder, her arms, lifting her up and carefully placing her in the middle of the bed.  “Why don’t you just stay there while I undress?  Would that be okay?”

She nodded her head, her hands still covering her breasts but she sat up a bit, wanting to see what had been hidden to her for so long.  Actually, that wasn’t quite accurate.  She’d been to his house for several of his cookout parties.  He’d always been wearing a bathing suit, those hot board shorts that went down to his knees but rode low on his hips.  Really low!  She remembered sitting in a chair one afternoon, her sunglasses on while she watched him from a distance.  She’d loved seeing him with that shirt flapping in the breeze, giving her a glimpse of the muscles underneath.  She’d been wearing a sundress that day.  And all days.  She’d never had the courage to wear a bathing suit to one of his gatherings.  Not when so many starlets were parading around in their skimpy bikinis.  She could never compare with them. 

But no man had looked better in a bathing suit during any of those parties than Marcus.  The man was buff in ways not many other men took the time to achieve.  And he seemed to do it effortlessly.  Well, that wasn’t completely true.  He worked out like a fiend. 

“Will you help me?” he asked, his voice deep and husky.

Rebecca sat up further, tucking her feet underneath her as she unconsciously licked her lips.  The idea was so appealing, but how could she help him unbutton that dress shirt and still keep her hands covering her breasts?

“You can’t,” he teased, lifting her closer so that her body was once again flush with his.  “Just try it,” he told her.  “I can’t promise I won’t bite, but I can promise that you’ll like it when I do.”

He lifted her hands away from her breasts and placed them on his chest.  “You’re so beautiful, Becca,” he growled, his hands moved back to her waist, sliding up to take her hands’ place against each of her breasts. 

Goodness, the feel of his hands cupping her breasts with the lace corset covering her was one thing.  But with no barrier, with just skin-to-skin contact, it was so much…more!  More everything!  More heat, more lust, more spiking desire hitting her core! 

“The buttons, Becca,” he whispered as his thumbs rubbed her nipples. 

Her head fell backwards as the sensations hit her.  She wasn’t working to undo the buttons.  She was gripping the material of his shirt to keep herself upright. 

Marcus took advantage of that position to kiss her exposed neck, tickling the skin along her throat and then higher to her ear.  Instead of waiting for her to unbutton his shirt, he took both sides and simply ripped open the material, ignoring the pinging buttons that flew across the room.  He had more shirts and didn’t give a damn about this one.  He wanted Becca’s hands on his skin.  Needed her hands touching him! 

“Now, Becca!” he commanded and placed her hands back on his chest, but with the material gone, it was so much better!  Her fingers were soft and tentative at first, but once he pressed her fingers more firmly against his skin, she grew bold.  Her fingers skimmed across his skin, exploring almost as if she’d never touched a man like this before.  That seemed impossible, but he didn’t care.  He was too focused on enjoying her touch, her caress. 

Lifting her up, he tilted her so that she was on her back.  He stood up and whipped off his slacks, socks, and shoes, not even looking at where they landed.  Climbing onto the bed, he braced himself over her; allowing her to take him in, look her fill.  Settling down over her, he pressed his legs between her knees.  He wanted to take things slowly, but he couldn’t hold off.  Not any longer. 

“Open for me, love,” he encouraged, bending his head to take one of her nipples in his mouth.  She tasted like ripe berries, he loved the way she arched into his mouth, pressing the hard nub deeper.  His other hand teased and tortured her nipple while he sucked and nipped, laved and soothed before moving to the left breast and giving it equal attention.  The sounds she made in the back of her throat as he touched her made him crazy, his body so hard and throbbing that it was almost killing him to not press his erection into her heat.

Marcus wasn’t going to do that though.  This was too important.  Becca was too important! 

When her legs opened for him and he was able to slide in closer, her soft hips cradling his erection, he knew that he’d come home.  He’d wanted her for so long, and now he was finally going to make love to her. 

He saw the worry in her eyes when he pressed his erection against her hip.  He smiled slightly through the pain of his need but knew he needed to reassure her.  “Just relax, honey,” he told her as he kissed her breasts again.  As he kissed his way lower, he felt her trembling start to increase.  “Why are you nervous now?” he asked, his hand sliding between her legs.  She had long, slender legs and he couldn’t wait until they were wrapped around his waist, her body arching into his thrusts. 

Shaking his head, shaking that image from his mind for now, he focused on his goal.  When his finger teased her inner thighs, he loved the way she jerked away from him, only to wiggle back, eager for his touch.

He could smell her arousal, knew that she was so close.  Marcus moved even lower but pressed one finger into her wet heat, closing his eyes as her strong, inner muscles closed around him.  She was so wet, so hot and ready for him!  He could just…no!  He had to…

Moving even lower, he pressed his mouth against her core, feeling her jerk and then her fingers wove through his hair.  He knew she was about to tell him no, but that wasn’t going to fly.  No way.  “Just relax, Becca.  You’re going to like this.”

And a moment later, he heard her scream as his tongue laved against that sensitive bud.  With his finger inside of her heat and his mouth teasing the outside, he loved the way she moved, both against him and away from him, as if her body couldn’t figure out what she needed more.  In the end, he wouldn’t allow her to pull away.  As soon as he knew that she was close, his free hand moved to her hips and held her steady.  Turning his hand over, his finger pressed upward while, at the same time, his tongue flicked that ball of nerves.  That was all it took.  She was screaming as her body exploded with her climax. 

He continued his ministrations, trying to extend her pleasure.  But as she came back down, he pulled away slowly, allowing her body to relax into the soft comforter. 

Standing up, he looked down at Becca, the smile on her lovely face and her eyes closed, her whole body relaxed.  Not for long, he thought as he grabbed a condom from his discarded slacks.  Sheathing himself, he climbed back onto the bed, right between her legs where he wanted to be.

When she felt the pressure on the mattress, Rebecca opened her eyes, smiling up at Marcus as he held himself over her.  “Thank you,” she whispered, not really sure what the etiquette was in a situation like this. 

“My pleasure,” he said, and his hand slid down her waist, leaving a trail of fire along her outer thigh.  Lifting her leg, he settled closer to her, his erection pressing against her opening.  “Are you okay?” he asked, his thumbs rubbing her shoulders as he held himself away from her.

Becca thought about that, but she wasn’t really sure.  “I might be,” she told him with a secret smile as her arms crept up to wrap around his neck. 

“What would help?” he asked, his hands moving lower, teasing her breasts.  He couldn’t help it.  Her breasts were wonderful.  He loved her dusky nipples that turned darker as they hardened to incredibly sensitive buds.  Not to mention, she groaned every time he touched them. 

“It would definitely help if you would continue with this experiment,” she said and slapped her hand over his hand, stopping his fingers from teasing her nipple.  “I want it all, Marcus.  I want you to show me what it is like.”  She whispered those words, afraid he might stop, but wanting him to know what was going on. 

Marcus looked down at her, the truth finally hitting him.  “Becca,” he started, but she lifted her hips and pressed against him, wiggling down lower to try and take him into her body.  She wasn’t sure how to accomplish her goal, but she must be doing something right if his groan was any indication.  His eyes closed and his head lowered, his forehead resting against hers.  “You’ve never been with another man, have you?” he asked, unable to stop himself from pressing a bit deeper into her heat.

Becca arched backwards, shocked at how good it felt as he sank deeper into her warmth.  “More,” she whispered.  “Please, Marcus, don’t hold back.”

He shook his head, sweat forming on his forehead as he tried to hold back, needing to understand fully what was going on.  But then she moved her hand from his shoulder, down his back to rest against his hip, her fingers pressing against his skin, silently begging him to move inside of her, needing him deeper.  He was able to resist until she lifted her leg, wrapping it more completely around him.  From that moment on, thoughts were gone.  All he could do was move into her slowly, creating friction for her and hoping that he didn’t hurt her too badly.  Inch by inch, he moved in deeper, then out, deeper and out.  The whole time, he watched her face, trying to see if he was hurting her.

When she looked up into his eyes, she was captured by the intensity once again.  Marcus was taking things so slowly, she couldn’t stand it.  “All of you, please!” she begged. 

Marcus was more than willing to comply and pressed deeper into her body, gritting his teeth at how perfect she felt around his shaft.  “Don’t move, love,” he said when he felt her body’s resistance.  “I’m sorry,” he told her a moment before he pressed deeper, forcing himself into her heat. 

Rebecca felt the membrane pull away, but there wasn’t any pain as she’d been expecting.  Just a sense of fullness, of the world finally being right after being wrong for so long, and she hadn’t even known that it was wrong.  Not until Marcus had filled her, connected with her, had she realized how wonderful she could feel.

Then he started moving.  Looking up into his eyes, she shivered at the friction his movements created inside of her.  She grabbed hold of his shoulders, rising and falling with each of his thrusts.  It was like she was in the ocean, but it felt even better than the warm salt water.  This was Marcus making her feel so good.  So wonderful.

Then he shifted, his arms pulling her hips closer and he was deeper.  She gasped as she felt him slide all the way into her, then almost all the way out.  Her mouth formed an O as she waited, feeling as if she might be on a precipice.  But then he slammed into her and she cried out with the incredible sensations.  “Yes!” she gasped.  Over and over he pressed into her, making that need spiral higher.  It no longer felt good and wonderful.  No, this new feeling wasn’t good.  It was crazy.  She couldn’t stop it and she couldn’t make it go away.  She tried to shift away from that, needing to make it stop, but it wouldn’t! 

“Marcus?” she gasped out.  “I can’t…” she started to say but then he pressed his thumb against that nub and…everything inside of her exploded!  She was holding on with both hands, unaware of her fingernails digging into his shoulders as she just hung on to Marcus as her only anchor in a world that didn’t make any sense now.  It was all about sensation, light, the most incredible, throbbing pleasure she had ever imagined.  In the back of her mind, she knew that Marcus was finding his own release, but his efforts only made bigger waves of pleasure that hit her one after another and she couldn’t slow down, couldn’t stop, and couldn’t speak out.  All she knew was that she could hold on and know that Marcus would take care of her. 

She was still trying to get her breathing back to normal when she felt Marcus fall against her.  The weight of him felt perfect too.  After all that she’d experienced tonight, this was the perfect ending.  Her arms were shaking as she wrapped them around his shoulders and she wasn’t aware of the tear that escaped down her cheek.

“Becca, are you okay?” Marcus asked, rolling to her side but keeping her tucked against him.  He reached out and grabbed a tissue, taking care of the condom, and then rolled back and looked down at her.  “What’s wrong?  Did I hurt you?’

She shook her head, her body shuddering from the effort to not cry.  It was all she could do to not burst out with the tears that were just behind her eye lids. 

“I’m fine,” she told him, aware that her lips were quivering, but unable to stop that. 

He saw it all.  “You’re not fine,” he growled and lifted up higher.  “I hurt you, didn’t I?”

She shook her head and grabbed the edge of the sheet, wiping away her silly tears.  “You didn’t hurt me, Marcus.  It was wonderful.  It was magical.”

The tightness in his chest eased somewhat, but he was still not sure he believed her.  “Then why are you crying?”

She sobbed, but it was half a laugh because she knew she was acting silly.  “I don’t know.  It was amazing.  More amazing than I’d thought possible!”

Marcus looked at her for a long moment because he too was shocked at how good it had felt to be with Becca.  But her words made sense.  “So these are tears of happiness?”

She laughed again, shrugging her shoulder.  “I guess so.”

He bent lower, kissing her shoulder and neck.  “I never have understood women,” he teased, but his hands were already making their way back to her body, pulling her close.  “You’re beautiful though, so I’ll forgive you for crying when you should be thrilled with my expertise as a lover.”

Rebecca laughed because yeah, he was pretty amazing.  “Ooh!  Aah!” she gasped, feigning amazement even though she was genuinely feeling it.

In response, he rolled over so that she was lying on top of him.  This gave him the ability to smack her bare bottom, something he’d wanted to do for the longest time.

“Ouch!” she yelped, but laughed a moment later.  “What was that for?”

His hand smoothed over her tender flesh.  “Because you mocked me.  Don’t you know that every man needs to know that his woman was taken care of during sex?”

She laughed again, delighted.  “I don’t think that you need any additional encouragement.  Your ego is already a bit too big.”

He chuckled as his hands slid down her back, causing her to arch into him.  “I didn’t hear you complaining about anything being too big a few minutes ago.”

Rebecca couldn’t help the laughter that burst out of her.  “Oh, so you think that…”

She didn’t get to finish that question since he’d already rolled her over so that he was once again on top, his knee pressing between her legs and that part of him once more standing at attention.  “Yeah,” he growled.  “I think that.” 

With that, he kissed her and the whole whirlwind started over again.