“Like having your body touched by a man.” He jerked forward before propping his elbows on the dark wood desk. The squeak of the chair made her eyes return to his. This time, he pinned her with his stare. He could have kicked himself for his stupidity. The last thing he wanted was to picture any man touching her—a masseuse, her ex, or anyone who might have filled her bed during the time they’d been apart.
Only the present mattered, and nothing else. Not even the future.
She looked away. Again. “Yes. I mean, no.” Her eyes returned to his. “Luc, this isn’t about me,” she said with calm confidence, perhaps trying to downplay the pulsating vein in her neck.
She rose from her seat as if propelled by the same force that pulled him to stand up and close the short gap between them.
“I should go.” With an unsteady breath, she took a step back.
“Don’t.” He swallowed the lump of sexual frustration in his throat. He could see it in her eyes, which melted into two pools of rich caramel, that she wanted him.
There was that thread of doubt blanketing her, so thin and at the same time a brick barrier against his desire. No. He wasn’t going to slam her against the corner wall and kiss her senseless, although his every fiber urged him to. He wanted her to want him, and to come to terms with it, as much as he had.
They wouldn’t have a future together. He had done the whole caring for someone he loved once. He wasn’t sure there was any amount of love inside him left to do it again. To go through the pain of loving and losing. And she…was obviously disenchanted with the whole institution of marriage. She also seemed to have a lot on her plate, professionally and otherwise. Which made them two selfish, screwed-up people. And gave him hope for at least a torrid, no-barriers love affair.
“Luc, we shouldn’t.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, her resistance hung by a thread—a thread possibly thinner than his, he realized as she stepped forward. Her beautiful, honey eyes glowed. And her fingers loosened their hold on the leather folder.
Her gaze dropped to his lips, and the tip of her tongue slid out of her slightly parted mouth and licked her upper lip.
“I want to kiss you,” he said, the question turning into a warning the moment he pushed the words from the depth of his inflated lungs. “God, Penelope, I want to kiss you,” he repeated, unable to stop the tortured pang in his voice.
He closed the remaining distance between them, and dipped his head down. The leather folder she held slid between her fingers and thumped on the carpet. He savored the smile that stretched across his face, pretty sure he was acting like a stupid fool. But, damn it, it’d been a long time since he felt this foolish.
***
Penny threw her head back, initially because they were so close that she didn’t want to breathe into his designer suit.
Or drool.
She got a glimpse of his eyes. Oh, his eyes… Why did they have to be different, yet convey the same sexy message with that bone-melting intensity? And his words…they left no room for second guessing. He wanted her, and he had spelled it out. Twice.
A strange sensation tightened her throat.
She glared at his blue eye, and saw the cold water of the pristine beach she glanced at daily from her balcony. Looking was quite different than taking the plunge. And his hazel eye… it melted into a rich, dark gold. Water and stone. Two very different elements.
The seconds stretched into what could have been a painful eternity, as he dipped his hand under her neck. Her body involuntarily arched in response and a jolt of red hot desire sped through her.
Good God, I want him.
A soft moan escaped from her parted lips, and he took the opportunity to cover them with his own.
His mouth seared her skin as his tongue slid inside. She knew then that this was the kind of attraction she sought in other men but never found. This organic pull. The visceral urge to grab, to feel, to touch.
And touch she did. Penny
threaded her fingers through his hair, feeling its full texture against her palm. The heat from his lips arrowed down her throat, unsettled her heartbeat, and awakened all her nerve endings.
Luc pulled her to him, and brought them together in a perfect fit. She stroked her tongue against his and grazed her teeth on his upper lip. At that moment, her mind shut off any doubts or insecurities. The misleading dizzy spell didn’t matter—the lust throbbing inside convinced her that she’d be stronger at the end, even though he was her weakness. Always had been.
They had kissed and made love before, and perhaps this was the reason why their bodies clung to each other so effortlessly. This time around, her emotions were amplified, the reactions of her body intensified. Her need for him surpassed any expectations—it was raw, effervescent, and ruthless. Just like the man who kissed her.
Luc Leoni.
He lifted her from the floor with a coarse groan. She wrapped her legs around his waist. Without breaking the kiss, he set her on the top of the desk.
Their heavy breathing muffled the sound of the books, papers, stapler, paper clips and the filled pen holder being pushed out of the way. A couple of items fell from the glass top, though she didn’t bother to look.
Instead, Penny raised her hands to his chest, her fingers tracing his dark blue tie up and down. She couldn’t help smiling when his body slightly trembled under her fingertips. It only served as encouragement for her to touch him lower, and she gasped when her hand found the hard, throbbing erection concealed by the expensive fabric of his pants.
He deepened the kiss and ran his fingers down her back. When both of his hands cupped her buttocks, bringing her core closer to him, she didn’t hold back the loud moan. She couldn’t hold it back, or anything else, for that matter.
“Penelope,” he murmured against her lips, his accent thickened.
She panted, her eyes semi-closed, and gave her sanity one more chance to return to her brain. It didn’t. The only emotion pumping through her system was a terrifying longing to have him buried deep inside her.
He parted her legs gently with both hands. She shivered the moment his fingers touched her bare skin, scorching the inside of her thighs. Opening her legs, she once again wrapped them around him, her stiletto heels grinding against his taut butt.
“Oh Luc,” she whimpered, as they both gasped for air when he tore his mouth from hers.
He kissed her temple, her closed eyes, her cheeks. All while his fingers worked their way closer and closer to her underwear. The light brush of his warm palm against the lace fabric drove her insane.
He traced the tip of his tongue along her neck, and her breasts hardened with the promise of what was to come.
The sound of the door swinging open, followed by a baffled gasp, startled her. She opened her eyes as wide as she could to soak up the scene past Luc’s shoulder.
Brad stood at the door, holding a coffee cup with one hand, while the other covered his mouth. “I’m sorry, Shirley told me earlier you’d be here…” He blushed.
Luc readily straightened his shoulders, unlinking himself from her.
Penny didn’t want to face him or Brad. Her whole body felt like the ocean when strong and opposite currents abruptly collide. Cold humiliation washed off the heat that rode her the moment before. She managed to slide to the edge of the desk, and when her feet touched the floor, distress filled her.
“Penelope,” Luc said in a harsh, raw voice. But she didn’t listen, and began to walk toward the door, her eyes fixed on the wall.
“Excuse me,” she whispered to Brad, who moved to the left so she could wiggle out of his office.
As soon as the way cleared, she took a deep breath, and prayed that her still willowy legs didn’t let her down.
She strode out of that office as if her life depended on it—because in many ways, it did.
Chapter
Five
Penny’s heart raced as she walked past the maintenance crew on the floor. They greeted her with a friendly hello, and she did her best to return it with a smile. After all, it wasn’t their fault that she had acted like a complete idiot and now searched for a place to process her thoughts.
Going up to her suite was out of question. Luc could find her there, although she wondered if he’d even look for her. He might, though–to smooth things over, to make sure she kept her mouth shut and didn’t bring any scandal to his hotel. Something of the sort. She doubted Luc would have noble reasons to look for her, after the way he’d behaved.
Hell, after the way I behaved.
She pushed the button to call for the elevator, and when it reached the floor, a couple of employees signaled it was going down. Since besides her and Luc, only a few other employees or contractors from out-of-town occupied the south wing, she had grown accustomed to seeing the same faces. She usually enjoyed the camaraderie, but not now. She wiped the tears that bordered her eyes with the back of her hand. Her only wish lay on finding some solitude even if just for a moment.
She badly needed to go somewhere quiet.
Penny pressed her lips hard, and as the elevator stopped at the lobby level, she simply went with the other employees and got out. Guests from the north wing scattered the lobby, and her gaze zipped around the restaurant, the elegant boutique, and the pool area she could see from the glass panel. It was the beach that caught her attention.
It could have been a mirage. The reflection of the strong sun on the deep blue waters, the promise of the solitude she wanted. Without thinking twice, she headed outdoors.
She took her shoes off, carried them in one hand as the other clasped the short rail. She stepped down, soon her feet dove into the sand, and the crisp, fresh ocean air invaded her senses.
Only after she walked away from most beach goers sunbathing on the oversized chaise lounges provided by the resort, did she allow herself to ponder.
Damn Luc.
He’d haunted her thoughts when he’d been away. He’d taken a gorgeous woman out on a date, and now that he was back and probably bored, he had the audacity to use a double entendre and crawl under her skin. And she had fallen for it.
The fresh memories from his touch still raced in her mind, and lingered on her skin. She touched her lips, tender from his kisses. What would have happened if Brad hadn’t shown up like that?
She gasped. She knew exactly what would have happened.
“Penelope.”
A chill zipped down her spine upon the sound of his voice, which was not too far from her. She turned around, and there he was. Luc stomped in the sand, still wearing his shoes. He managed not to look ridiculous as he made his way to her with his light grey pin-striped suit on.
With a head shake, she resumed her pace, like she had a chance. Within a few seconds he caught up to her.
“We need to talk.” He appeared in front of her, and she almost collided with his chest. She tried to go around him, but he seized her elbow. Not to bring her close to him, but rather to ensure she wouldn’t go anywhere.
Typical.
“I want to do things to you, Luc Leoni. But talking doesn’t rank among them.” Her anger rose from a place deep inside her soul.
“After what we’ve just done, that’s obvious.” He said nonchalantly, an expression of satisfaction shadowed his eyes.
She couldn’t believe he smiled. The bastard smiled. Why did he always do that at the most inappropriate moments?
Because he finds embarrassing me quite entertaining, that’s why.
“You know damn well that’s not what I mean.” She yanked herself a couple of steps away from him. She needed the distance. Seeing him again after the sexual outburst they just shared didn’t ease her rattled emotions.
“Relax, Penelope. I talked to Brad, he’s very discreet.”
Discreet.
The word soared in her ear. Hadn’t he asked for her discretion once? And she’d almost gotten the short end of the stick. No. Not again. “Really? What did you tell him?”
“I explained that he witnessed a rekindling of sorts. That we are old friends.” He ran his fingers through his hair with a sigh.
“Well, I might have to set him straight, then.” She placed both hands on her waist, her fingers biting into her dress. “I don’t know what I was thinking…obviously I wasn’t thinking. But there is no rekindling.”
Another condescending smile curved his lips, a blend of amusement and mockery. “
Ma petite
, why the denial?”
Because I’d rather suffer now than later.
She could deal with sexual abstinence. She had for two years after their affair in NYC. Another whirlwind romance with an expiration date with Luc, though, she couldn’t handle. Didn’t want to.
“I really need this assignment to have a positive outcome, and it won’t if you maul me like you just did over there.”
“Maul you? I wasn’t the only one.” He pointed at his mouth. She raised her eyes to find the swollen, purple-colored cut on his upper lip.
Did I do that to him?
She clenched her palms, the impulse to touch his branded flesh was one she couldn’t— wouldn’t— indulge. He grinned, his relaxed features showed no signs of shame whatsoever. In fact, his eyes flashed some kind of primeval male pride.
“Whatever.” She threw her hands in the air.
“There’s no need for drama, Penelope. We are older and wiser, and I don’t think a casual fling can come in the way of your talent.”
Casual fling.
She opened her mouth to speak, but then hesitated. His words sank in. He glared at her with curiosity, as if although he wondered why she resisted him, he knew it wouldn’t be for long. What was the purpose behind his behavior, or misbehavior more like it?
And then…it hit her. He’d wanted the fling all along. Not because she was an essential part of his life, or they shared a special kind of chemistry. He wanted her, maybe for self-assurance, to prove to himself he could have her again.
She swallowed the burning pain in her throat. “That’s why you hired me? Because you wanted to sleep with me?”
The past few days had done her well. She had restored her confidence, being away from Charles and the Dallas office, and Darren. She’d been doing what she loved to do, what she was good at. Even his trip had made her that much more comfortable around the work place. Yet now, he just threw her under the bus, and kept driving. She wouldn’t allow him to destroy her calling.