Chapter Eleven
A horn blared. Noelle started and jerked the drifting steering wheel to the right. What was she doing? She needed to concentrate or she wouldn’t make it home in one piece. Too bad all she could think about—no, make that obsess about—was what had happened in her office. No. What had almost happened.
She wouldn’t be disappointed that Tate hadn’t stuck around. Maybe it was for the best. They were like oil and water.
Except they’d felt more like strawberries and whipped cream, her traitorous libido whispered. Her clit pulsed at the thought. Stop. She gripped the steering wheel harder, forced the unsettling thoughts out of her head, and kept her eyes on the road for the rest of the ride home. She pulled into her driveway and turned off the ignition. The sudden silence was deafening.
Tate sat on her front porch.
She maintained a death grip on the steering wheel, needing the anchor. Their eyes met through the windshield. Still she couldn’t make the move to unfasten her seat belt or unlock the door. So she sat and stared at the man who made her burn. He stood in one fluid motion, all athletic grace. Her phone rang.
Without breaking eye contact, she dug it out of her purse. “Hello.”
One word, but it barely made it out of a throat closed up due to nerves and the desire rampaging through her system.
“Get out of the car.”
Like a moth to a flame… Why now? Why him? She didn’t know, but she did know she wanted Tate like she’d never wanted another man. Crazy. Tate Grayson, formerly her archnemesis, the man who stood for everything she didn’t. She might as well change her name to Stupid. But her feverish body was overruling her good sense. Just remembering the feel of his hard, muscled body pressed against hers made her wet. She wanted to feel his body again, the sooner the better.
Her skin burned with a fire that he effortlessly ignited in her. She didn’t love him. He didn’t love her. This was all about desire.
It wasn’t smart. But she’d done smart before, and all it had gotten her was a broken engagement.
“Doc.”
Noelle shut her eyes and took a deep breath, letting the air fill her lungs and then releasing it. She disconnected the call, covered her racing heart with her right hand and unlocked the door with her left, gathered herself, and stepped out of the car.
His intense, amber eyes tracked her every movement until she stood directly in front of him. He tucked a strand of hair blowing across her face behind her right ear.
Their eyes met again. His, so mesmerizing, were full of unrestrained desire. For her. The same desire she felt for him. A desire she no longer wanted to deny.
She was done with smart. It was time to grab some happiness. Time to accept that doing something strictly for herself didn’t mean disaster would soon strike. If she could.
The need to touch him nearly overwhelmed her. She placed her trembling hand over his heart. Steady. Strong. Sure. “Are we really doing this?”
“Yeah, we are.” Steady. Strong. Sure. Exactly what she needed to hear.
It all clicked into place. “Yeah, we are.”
They dove for each other. He curled his arms around her waist and crushed her against him. Mouths met and clung. He swiped his tongue across her lips, demanding entrance. Desperate to recreate the moment in her office, she immediately complied. His thorough exploration of her mouth followed, unleashing a torrent of desire inside her. With his hands streaking across her body, he was everywhere she wanted him to be. His hands found their way underneath her shirt and swept up her quivering torso. As he cupped her breast, she slammed her hand over his.
He stared down at her, shock and confusion crowding his features.
“Wait. Wait. We need to go inside,” she managed to get out between gasping breaths.
“Hurry up.” His guttural tone sent a fresh wave of lust flash flooding through her body. She twisted out of his arms and jabbed the key toward the lock, but immediately forgot her task when Tate crowded against her body, nibbling at the back of her neck, his hands exploring every inch of her body he could reach. “Doc. Do it. Now.”
“I’m trying.” She made another stab at the lock and missed when he pressed an openmouthed kiss against her collarbone.
“I will make love to you out here for anybody and everybody to see.” The promise in his voice was real.
Finally, the key made its way into the lock. She pushed the door open and they stumbled inside, the door banging shut behind them. He whipped her around and covered her mouth with his. His tongue stroked every corner of her mouth, and she matched him movement for movement.
Tate put his hands back to work, sliding them underneath her shirt.
“Why are you wearing clothes?” He sounded thoroughly disgruntled.
Noelle grinned against his mouth. “Why wouldn’t I be wearing clothes?”
“Because I want you naked, so I can kiss and touch every inch of your body.”
Heat consumed her. “Oh. Well, let me help you.” Her hands went to her shirt’s buttons.
He whipped his T-shirt over his head.
Her brain short-circuited at her first, prolonged glimpse of his torso. She’d touched it and gotten a brief glimpse in her office, true, but this unvarnished view…Yes. A thousand times yes. Sleek skin. Muscles. Everywhere. Pecs. A six-pack that moved in delightful synchronicity.
“Why did you stop?” He pushed aside her hands and turned to unbuttoning her shirt. Fine with her. Her freed hands went on a tour of his wonderful body, starting at his wide shoulders and slip sliding her way through the fine dusting of hair on his sculpted chest over his erect nipples. The hair trickled down in an intriguing line, bisecting his abs to the waistband of his jeans. The man was built, and she would be eternally thankful.
She made an undignified sound of protest when he drew her hands away from his body.
He grinned. “Your shirt needs to go.”
Oh. Right. It did. She’d gotten distracted by the perfection in front of her. She held her arms up. He undid the buttons at her wrists, drew the shirt down her arms, and tossed it aside. She immediately went to touch him again, but he stopped her.
“What?” She couldn’t keep the need out of her voice.
“It only seems fair that you go topless since I am.”
“Really?” She lifted her eyebrows, letting him know she was on to him. Then smiled. “You’re right. It only seems fair.” She curved one arm behind her.
“No. Let me.” He swung his index finger in a circle.
She followed his directive. Gasped when a finger slid down her nape. Shook when his mouth followed. She braced herself against the wall, trying to control her shaking. Failing to do so. He flicked her bra clasp. Marvelous sensations darted through her when his hands moved up her back, tripping over the ridges on her spine and curving around her shoulders. He slid his hands under the bra straps and slowly drew them down her arms. The bra fell to the ground.
She heard a slight thump and tried to turn.
“No,” he murmured, placing a hand against her back.
She jumped when his tongue touched a sensitive spot at the small of her back and his arms curved around her waist. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head. Oh, God. He’d dropped to his knees. He pressed small kisses to each vertebrae. She tracked his large hands as they moved up her quivering stomach to her waiting breasts. Her forehead fell forward against the wall. He palmed her breasts and flicked her sensitive nipples. A moan ripped from her. Her eyes fluttered close, waves of pleasure coursing through her, the simple act of breathing becoming difficult to accomplish.
He played with her breasts, squeezing and massaging them while rolling her hardened nipples between his index and middle fingers. What he was doing felt so, so good. Unbelievably good. He seemed in no hurry to move on, but she was going insane.
Noelle sucked in a breath, trying to marshal her careening thoughts. Okay. He was a breast man. She’d have to store away that info for later. Right now, she needed to move this party along. He’d had the chance to touch her. She wanted the reciprocal opportunity. She covered his large hands with hers and reluctantly moved his away from her flesh. She turned and lowered her eyes to meet his gaze. The molten heat in his eyes almost made her melt into a puddle at his feet.
“Tate,” she whispered. Hoping he understood what she meant, what she needed. Him. Now.
He stood and hauled her to him like he couldn’t bear to be apart from her any longer. She moaned when her breasts met his hard chest. He devoured her mouth. The hard ridge against her stomach let her know he was as aroused as she was. Yes, this was what she needed.
Tate slid his hands down to her butt and hoisted her up. Their tongues thrust and parried and heads twisted side to side as he stumbled down the hall.
She leaned back to say, “That one,” and jerked her head toward the second door on the left, then returned to his talented mouth, her eyes sliding closed.
Her eyes fluttered open when she felt her body descending. She kicked off her shoes and watched as he followed her onto the bed, his amber eyes trained squarely on her.
“I want you so much,” he whispered. The unchecked desire in his voice called to her.
“Me, too. So much,” she said, leaning in for a quick kiss.
His weight pushed her down into the mattress. She welcomed the pressure. Reveled in his heat surrounding her. His truly impressive muscles bunched under her seeking hands. She longed to touch every inch of him. She met his pants’ waistband and slipped her hands inside and squeezed his sculpted butt.
Noelle leaned her head back into the pillow, sucking in air, trying to get her rampaging senses under control. Tate, apparently not needing such a break, turned his attention to her neck, lightly nipping it on the way to her breasts, where he sucked one into his mouth, sending a shaft of desire straight to her core.
Yeah, he’s a breast man.
It was her last coherent thought for a while as he paid homage to her mounds of flesh. Her back arched off the bed at one long, hard suck, a lengthy whimper escaping. She gripped the duvet, trying to maintain her grip on reality even though she suspected it was a losing battle. At the precise moment she thought she couldn’t take any more, he continued his journey, skimming her torso with his talented hands, followed by his even more gifted tongue as he pressed hard, openmouthed kisses all over her stomach.
“Doc, you taste so good. I want to taste you everywhere.” He attacked her belt and whisked her skirt away before she could blink, leaving her clad only in black lace panties. He glanced up. “Nice.”
She blushed. Gasped when he pressed a hand against her center through the lace.
A grin curved his lips. “A little sensitive?” Tate didn’t wait for an answer, pulling the panties off and returning his attention to her center. “This is even nicer.”
“I thought you were a breast man,” she said, in between gasps of breath.
He speared her with his hypnotic eyes. “I’m an everything man. Everything about your body fascinates me. Everything.”
The first touch of his mouth directly on her flesh had another loud moan ripping from her. He gave a slow lick of her slit back and forth several times. Then he delved inside her and curved his tongue. There was nothing she could do to suppress a keening cry at the pleasure surging through her. She happily went along for the ride as he worshipped her for endless minutes, never seeming to tire, her arousal building to a feverish pitch.
“You taste better than I dreamed you would. I don’t know how that’s possible, but you do.” His words vibrated against her. She twisted her head against the bedspread, her hands crushing the duvet.
“Let go. Come on, Doc. I want you to. You know you want to.”
She did. He touched the special spot inside her. That was it. She splintered into a million pieces, her throat arching with a loud moan.
When she resurfaced, she found Tate propped up on his elbow next to her, skimming a masterful finger down her still-quivering torso. “Welcome back.”
“Hi,” she whispered, not knowing what else to say. It had never been that way for her before. That good. That intense. That mind-blowing.
“Having a good time?”
She managed a slight smile. “You know I am.”
“Good.” He rolled over on his knees and bracketed her body. “It’s not over yet.”
She ran her hands down his chest in delight and kissed his collarbone. “Glad to hear it. But there’s one thing you missed.”
His posture stiffened. “I did?”
He didn’t like that. She swiped her tongue across his collarbone to hide her smile. “You left your pants on.”
Tate sagged against her. “You’re going to pay for that.”
Another swipe because he tasted so good. “Can’t wait.”
“Me either.” He pressed a hard kiss on her mouth and then leaped off the bed. She crawled to the foot of the bed to watch the show. He pulled a handful of condoms from his jeans pocket and tossed them on the bed.
“Confident?” she asked with a lifted brow.
“Hopeful.” He tipped her chin up with his hand and dropped a quick kiss on her waiting mouth.
“Yeah, yeah. Get on with it, smooth talker.”
Tate grinned. “I like a woman who knows what she wants.”
Which she did. It might not be the wisest course of action, but there was no way she was putting a stop to the sexiest experience of her life.
He stepped back. Noelle settled back on her calves to enjoy the unveiling. Her eyes skated over his upper body and the chestnut skin she couldn’t wait to taste again. She’d always had a thing for arms. And his were nice. Okay, his…everything…was nice. But, wow, his arms. Well-defined biceps and triceps that flexed with his every movement. It was all good.
Jeans and boxer briefs were shucked in due haste. Noelle licked her lips in appreciation. She’d felt and caressed his body, but she took this chance to fully enjoy the view. And what a view it was. Muscled, strong thighs clenched and unclenched with his every movement. Her eyes continued their journey and halted. His erection stood hard and tall. She swallowed and squeezed her legs together as more moisture gathered between them.
Tate opened a silver packet. She watched covetously as he donned the condom. He climbed on the bed and resumed his earlier position between her open legs. “Where were we?”
“You were about to kiss me.”
“For starters.” He lowered his head and gave her a gentle kiss. It wasn’t enough. She angled her mouth for a deeper connection, and he complied, tangling his tongue with hers. Noelle let the wildness consume her. They rolled across the bed, heads twisting, hands seeking all available flesh, mouths sliding across skin, eliciting moans and shivers from both of them. One more roll ended with her on top. She rose up on her knees, panting. He reared up and sucked her breast into his mouth again. She gasped at the heady sensation. “Tate!”
He pulled her down and underneath him again. Noelle stared up at him, drowning in the raw desire stamped on his face.
“Hurry. Please.” She couldn’t wait any longer. Her arms encircled his neck, pulling him down for a hot, torrid kiss. She wrapped her legs around his hips, needing to draw him closer. Needing the contact. He plunged a finger inside her. Her inner walls greedily clasped the digit. She gasped as the desire he unleashed in her rose another impossible degree. “I’m ready. I was ready an hour ago.”
“Are you? Let me be the judge of that.” Tate withdrew his finger, dragging against all her sensitive nerve endings. Noelle whimpered. Louder when he positioned himself and sank into her inch by slow, bliss-filled inch. Her muscles stretched in the most pleasurable fashion to accommodate him. When he was all the way in, he stilled.
“Tate. Please. Now. I’m ready.”
“Impatient. I like it.” He chuckled and slid out of her.
Shafts of pleasure zinged through her at the motion. He thrust forward and set an intoxicating rhythm she picked up instantly. So good. Too good. She couldn’t stop more desperate moans from escaping.
“Doc,” he whispered.
Her eyes slid open. What she was feeling was reflected in his eyes. Passion. Wonder. She cupped his cheek with a shaky hand. “Tate.”
He lowered his head. She was waiting. The long, drugging kiss only added to the experience. To their undeniable connection.
“Do you want more?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said shamelessly. She wanted all that he could give. All that he could make her feel.
“Good.” He drove home again, and again, twisting his hips in a move that made her chant his name, again and again, until she was no longer aware of doing so. When his chest heaved, and his skin slicked with sweat, she knew he was close. So was she. “Hurry. Please.”
“Anything you want.” He increased his tempo, and she held on for the wild ride, meeting him every step of the way, their bodies moving in unison. Finally, he ground his hips against her one more time, pressing against the knot of nerves inside her, and she tumbling over the edge, her body hurtling over and over. His hoarse shout of completion let her know he was right there with her.
They lay there, their hearts beating in sync, their gasping breaths the only sounds in the room.
Tate rolled away, and she bit her lip to keep a protest from escaping. It had never been that incredible for her. He stood and swept his gaze down her body. She suddenly felt self-conscious, but she refused to squirm under his scrutiny.
“I’ll be right back.” He padded across the room and disappeared inside the bathroom.
She leaped off the bed, scanning the room for her robe.
“Hey.”
She spun around, wrenching a sheet off the disheveled bed. Tate was right behind her, still naked.
“Hi,” she whispered, covering herself in the sheet.
He lifted her chin up, his eyes intense, missing nothing. “You okay?”
“Yes. Did we…?”
He grinned, his cockiness pure. “Yeah, we did.”
“Yeah.” She’d process it and come to grips with it sometime in the next decade she was sure.
His brow creased. “Don’t say you didn’t see it coming. It’s been building between us for a year.”
She wished she could argue. From the moment she’d caught a glimpse of him in the staff meeting, the feelings he elicited in her had caught her off guard, and she’d put up a defensive wall to deal with them. Even now, her feelings disconcerted her. Getting involved with Tate had never been part of the plan, and yet here she was. With him. She took a step back. “Yeah. Now that we’ve gotten it out of our systems…”
“No.” His powerful shoulders squared, his amber eyes glittered down at her.
“Excuse me?” Her feet planted in the plush carpet. “What do you mean no?”
“I don’t accept what’s about to come out of your mouth. I’m not done with you.”
Her chin lifted. “What if I’m done with you?”
“I wouldn’t believe you for a second, but if you were, I’d have to change your mind. I see you thinking. Let’s enjoy the moment.” He leaned down and pressed a hard kiss to her swollen lips.
She was so weak, and he was so right. Giving him up wasn’t an option. But still… She pressed a hand to his chest. “We don’t need to tell anyone.”
He frowned. “Why not? It’s not against the rules.”
She knew his history. This was going nowhere. She knew it. He knew it. When it did end, and it would, she’d prefer not to endure the oh-honey looks and whispers. “I have no desire to become office gossip fodder. It’s just sex, after all. Isn’t that how you usually operate?”
Tate didn’t answer right away, staring at her with unreadable eyes. Finally, he said, “Yes.”
“Then we’re in agreement.” She kissed his neck and made her way down to his chest. She let the sheet slip to the floor, successfully snagging his attention.
She’d worry about the future later. Right now, she wanted Tate, and she had him.