Chapter Nineteen

Chelsea

Moonlight spilled in through the curtain and the cool air from the A/C hit my hot skin as I flipped off the covers. Three seasons out of the year I slept with the air conditioner on. Had to in this Oklahoma heat. Beside me, Cody’s breathing was steady and rhythmic. I trailed my eyes along the firm set of his jaw, shivering at the way the stubble had felt against the insides of my thighs. A flash of heat hit my stomach like a bolt of lightning at the sexy memory and I squirmed as the heat settled lower.

I exhaled slowly and regathered myself. The pillows underneath my head were too warm. The covers too thick. And my mind was overwhelmingly busy and filled with noise. Thoughts of Cody, memories of our steamy night together, and mostly, the loud questions that demanded to be answered before they would release me from their constant nagging.

I rolled out of bed, slipped across the room to retrieve my lightweight cotton robe from the doorknob on the closet. I wrapped myself in it and tiptoed from the bedroom. When my mind was busy, I found that my work was the best escape. If I stayed in bed, staring at Cody, I was only going to get more confused.

He was supposed to be one and done. Apparently my heart didn’t get the memo.

I went down the hall to my spare bedroom turned office, and flicked on the desk lamp and then hit the power button on my computer to wake it up. I backtracked and shut the door quietly. If Cody woke up, things would only get more complicated. I wasn’t entirely sure he meant to stay over, but it was creeping up on three o’clock and he was sleeping soundly.

Not that I minded. It had been ages since I’d fallen asleep with someone beside me. It was a comfort I hadn’t realized how much I missed until I was tucked against him. He was the big spoon to my little spoon, and damn it, it was cozy. My ex had never been much of a snuggler, but in hindsight, that was probably because he was off down the hall watching porn or sexting with one of his side pieces.

Cody wouldn’t do that to me.

I stopped myself at the thought, turning it over a few times in my mind. It had flit across my mind so confident, sure…automatic. But that was delusional, wasn’t it? I barely knew Cody. Sure, he gave the impression of being honest and open. Especially after our intimate conversation over dinner. He’d shared some pretty deep things with me and the whole thing had shocked me.

But what kind of boyfriend would he be? Was that even what I wanted? He was a professional athlete which meant lots of traveling. Wasn’t that always what led to celebrity and sports breakups? That’s what they always blamed in their press releases at least. Too much time away. Distance. Disconnect. Not to mention the groupies and sports fanatics.

I sighed and sat down in my office chair. One thing was for sure, if Cody and I kept sleeping together, I was going to have a hell of a time letting him go if the time ever came. From the moment we met, he’d crawled into most of my waking thoughts, and now that I’d had the experience of being with him, that constant presence was firmly rooted.

Saying goodbye now would be a lot harder, but that didn’t make it any less inevitable.

He was young, free, and more than a little bit wild. And what was I? Also young, but a helluva lot more tied down. I was clawing my way into a position of power and influence in my little corner of the world. Cody was the star of his. And wild? I don’t know. Not when compared to Paris or most of my other friends. I liked safe, secure plans, and checklists.

Cody? He didn’t fit on a list and he was the kind of guy who broke plans.

My computer hummed to life and I keyed in my password. I shoved aside all my meandering thoughts and pulled up my programming software. I studied my notes from the previous session, figured out where I’d stopped, and went to work untangling my most pressing problem.

In no time at all, I was lost, the sound of the clicking keys a mesmerizing sound that lulled me away from all the stress and chaos in my mind.

Which is why I jumped out of my skin when a gentle tap on my shoulder jolted me from my work.

“What the—” I spun around, nearly crashing out of my chair. “Oh, Cody.”

He grinned down at me, wearing his boxer briefs and that damn smile. “Sorry, sugar. I didn’t mean to scare ya.”

I pressed my hand to my chest, my heart slamming against my fingertips. “It’s okay. I just—when I work, I get absorbed and lose track of everything else.”

“I can see that. I think looters could be clearing out your downstairs right this very moment and you’d have no idea.”

I laughed. “Probably true.”

“Might want to get a guard dog for that sorta thing. I’m not sure the fish would be of much help.”

I shook my head, still grinning like an idiot up at the devilishly sexy man standing before me. “I don’t think a dog would appreciate my work binges. I’ve been known to go on ten hour stretches.”

Cody let out a low whistle. “Damn, girl. That’s pretty crazy. I think I’d lose my shit if I tried to sit still for that long.”

I laughed. “I know. It’s certifiable, I’m sure. But I get into it and the time passes like nothing.”

He reached out and brushed his fingers, feather light, over my cheek. “So, what are you doing in here right now? Was I drooling on you or something?”

“No,” I replied, laughing softly. “Not at all. I just couldn’t sleep. I figured I might as well do something productive. You were pretty well knocked out, so I thought I’d let you sleep.”

A smile played across his lips as he gazed down at me. His eyes took on a mischievous glint. “What’s it gonna take to get you back to bed?”

I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. He was magnetic. “Well, I—”

“Or, we could play in here,” he said, taking a moment to look around the small room. It was furnished in a practical way, resembling the inside of an office cubicle more than anything. A large cork board took up most of one wall, littered with pinned up notes and taped down drawings. Two filing cabinets made up a long desk, one at each end of a large slab of wood. And then my programming desk took up the opposite wall, a large, custom made shelving unit that I had commissioned to my perfect specs shortly after I moved in. It was a gorgeous cherry wood and made me feel all grown up. “Office sex can be hot. Of course, normally that’s because there’s the chance someone will walk in and catch you in the act. Adds a certain naughty spice to the whole thing.”

I giggled and sat back. I folded my arms and considered him. “Sounds like you’ve had quite a bit of experience with this…”

Cody shrugged but couldn’t turn off the sparkling smile on his face. “No comment.”

“Oh, you’ve said plenty,” I corrected, failing to contain my own grin. “Tell me…how does that normally work.”

“Well, let’s see, if this was my office—”

“No, no, this is my office. I’m not gonna buy into that Mr. Hot Shot and his lowly, coffee fetching assistant-slash-sex kitten.

Cody roared with laughter. He pulled me up from my seat and I stood before him, the heat radiating off his bare chest. “All right. I get ya. So, this is your office. I’d start by coming up with a reason to visit. So I’d bring you lunch.”

I glanced down at each of his hands. “I don’t see lunch.”

“You want to put something in your mouth sweetheart? I got something for ya right here,” he said, grabbing his crotch.

My eyes went wide, the heat of his suggestion flooding my body and overriding all other thoughts.

“And you—you’d be wearing something fuckin’ sexy that I’d just want to tear off with my teeth but I know I can’t because you have to go through the rest of the day intact. More or less.” He placed his hands around me, one hand resting on each side, and I shivered with anticipation as his thumbs made small circles on my hips. He tugged me into him and I felt the bulge through his cotton shorts. “Some stuffy business woman suit. Your hair up…just like this…” he added, glancing up at my topknot. “I’d take care of that first of all.” He gently tugged out the elastic and my hair fell down in loose waves. “Much better.”

I shook my head, letting the strands separate and float down around my shoulders. “And then what…?”

“I’d have to get you up on something.” He eyed the desk. “That thing looks stable.”

I nodded, granting him silent permission. I released a giggle as he scooped me up by hooking his hands under my ass. He hauled me back and set me down on the edge of the desk. “Oops…looks like I forgot to wear panties to work today,” I breathed, spreading my thighs. The short robe fell apart and I arched back, revealing an impressive amount of my breasts as well as the wet place between my thighs.

Cody gawked at me, his eyes going another shade darker. He stepped to fill the space and pressed into me. “Oh, you are a naughty girl,” Cody growled right before he buried his face between my breasts. He teased the nipples with his tongue and I shuddered at the pulses of pleasure and the way his stubble raked over my tender skin.

He tore the robe aside, revealing the rest of me and I squirmed as he teased and tasted my skin. “Oh, Cody…” I breathed, raking my hands through his tousled hair. “I should take work breaks more often.”

He laughed, the breath coming out hot on my stomach as he worked down my body. “It’s good for your health.”

“Not so much for productivity though, I’d imagine.” I giggled but it quickly turned to a sharp gasp as his fingers slipped between my legs. “Oh…my…”

He worked his fingers inside me and I rocketed to the top within the span of a few shaky breaths. I clung to Cody’s back and my thighs clasped his hips. Before he let me go, he slipped himself free of his shorts, suited up, and entered me with a single pump. It was all it took for me to come all over him and I grabbed onto him hard—my fingers digging into his back. Stars floated behind my closed eyes and before I could even catch a full breath, he got me right back up there to another orgasm.

Damn!

He followed after me with an ear-tingling groan. He gripped my hips with his fingers as he let himself go and we clung together like shipwreck survivors. He breathed into my ear as he came down from his own high. “I should have also mentioned that office sex tends to be fast and furious,” he panted, grinning ear to ear. He was still inside of me and I gripped him with my thighs as best as I could, considering they felt like they were made of noodles.

“Damn,” I groaned.

“Lucky for you, you have a home office and I’m more than willing to take it slow in round two.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Uh huh. You ready?”

I nodded and he lifted me off the desk and carried me down the hall to my bed where he proved he could be just as dazzling in slow motion.