Systematic Seduction (10 page)

“Thank
you
. That was amazing.”

He
pulled her closer. “Every time with you is amazing, baby.”

As
Oliver drifted off to sleep, he thought he heard her whisper something, but
then it was gone, like the wisp of a dream.

Chapter
Fourteen

Blair
felt she was living a fairytale for the next two weeks. She hadn’t spent a
night in her own apartment since she and Oliver attended the play. She might as
well be living with Oliver because with the exception of her furniture,
everything she owned was now at his place.

They
made love every night, and she never grew tired of the creative things he did
in bed, in the living room, the kitchen, the bathroom, and nearly every other
space in the apartment. His small staff was so discreet she usually forgot they
were there, and now it didn’t even bother her to realize they were usually not alone
in the apartment.

She’d
been thrilled when the other Weathermen gave her plan serious consideration.
They were looking for people to ask about the possibility of it, but it was
slow work for the reasons Oliver had given her two weeks ago. She didn’t push
it because she knew none of them would risk this going public. The closer they
came to finding all five hackers, the more they kept things closed to the
outside world.

Blair
rarely had occasion to speak with the IT staff, but now she seemed to see Sam
Preston’s name everywhere. It could be because she was looking for it, but
every memo that came out, or every instance where she needed help with her work
machine seemed to put her in front of the man, or at least in front of his name
on an email, or listening to his voice on the phone.

How
could someone who had worked for Oliver that long, and had known him even
longer, do this to him? She wanted to blast the man into the next century, but
she couldn’t say a damn word. She couldn’t even confide in her friends at work,
and that was very frustrating. Her heart went out to Oliver, and to Barclay and
Grayson as well. She couldn’t imagine what it was like having known hackers
you’d been searching seven years to find working for you, and not being able to
do anything about it.

The
more time she spent with Oliver, the more she knew she was in love with him,
but she hadn’t told him that. Well, she
had
told him but always when she was certain he had fallen asleep.

The
panic attacks had disappeared, but not the fear and doubt that came with them.
She had always assumed when one left, the rest would follow, but that hadn’t
happened. She locked her screen and sat back in her office chair, letting her
mind wander back two weeks ago when Oliver had told her he was pretty sure he’d
already fallen in love with her.

It
had taken every ounce of courage she’d had that night to tell him she could
easily fall in love with him, and she’d only been able to say it because of the
way he’d drawn her out of that horrible moment when she’d flashed back to her
marriage.

Oliver
was the perfect man. The one she used to dream about before reality came
crashing down in the form of drunk men her mother brought home, and having to
hide in her room with the door locked, praying the man trying to open it
wouldn’t be able to.

But
in her waking and sleeping dreams, Oliver was the man she saw. Kind,
courageous, and understanding, he would fight for her and never let anyone or
anything harm her. He loved her without fail, and would die before he’d let her
feel ashamed or afraid.

Blair
had pretty much given up on her fantasy man being real until she met Oliver.
Then she’d kept him at a distance when he asked her out, because it was easier
to live in a made-up world than risk having your dreams blow up in your face
when Prince Charming turned out to be a jerk.

She’d
taken the biggest leap of faith possible and given Oliver a chance in real
life. She hadn’t been disappointed yet. So why was she still so damn afraid
this would collapse one day? He’d given her no reason to believe it would. Even
when she’d pulled away that night he had turned it around, apologizing and
making sure they ended the night with her feeling like the sexiest woman on the
planet once more.

He
was a true gentleman, and she had no reason to doubt him or fear him. What the
hell was she waiting for? The man had a right to know she was in love with him.
She saw the desperation in his eyes when he didn’t realize she was watching
him. She heard it in his voice, and she felt it in his touch.

It
was time to stop acting like a child and take the next leap. It was time to
tell Oliver how she really felt.

****

Oliver
was grateful for the distractions of both walking on eggshells around Sam, and
combing through every person he’d ever known who had made it underground, in
the hopes he’d find just one that might be able to help them figure out whether
Blair’s plan was even possible.

Every
time he had occasion to speak with Sam in person or on the phone, Oliver had to
mentally hold his anger in check. He wanted to take the man out back and beat
the shit out of him, then leave him for dead and tell the police it must have
been an attempted robbery or some such crime.

If
he couldn’t trust someone he’d known this long, who the hell could he trust?

Every
time he asked himself that question, Blair’s beautiful face floated up in his
mind. He could trust her. Completely.

So why haven’t you told her you’re
in love with her?

Good
question. He knew the answer, intellectually, at any rate. When she didn’t
realize he was watching, he saw the fear and doubt creep into her eyes. As far
as he knew, her panic attacks had stopped, but she still was afraid to give her
heart away. Not that he blamed her.

Oliver
would give anything to find the magic words, or gesture, or
something
to break through that last
barrier. Did it exist, or was he fooling himself that this extraordinary woman
would one day be his? Totally and completely his?

Every
time he entertained that question, he thought about all the wasted years of his
life he’d spent fucking around, literally and figuratively. He’d taken his
looks and his charm for granted. Getting dates had always been so easy, and
he’d been so damn smug that now it made him sick to think about it.

He’d
taken women for granted, and he’d tossed away relationships like they were old
socks with holes in them, not worth trying to mend. It was sickening. The fact
that he was no longer like that or had any desire to be was small compensation.

Karma
had risen up to bite him the ass in a big way. Because although he had indeed
changed, just as he’d promised Blair he was ready to do, the one woman he had
to possess might never be ready to give herself to any man in that way. She had
demons he didn’t know how to conquer, and he didn’t understand how to help her
face them.

But
Oliver knew that unless they both found a way to help Blair face her past and
beat it down for good, their relationship would always have this pall hanging
over it, and he might lose her one day. He couldn’t bear that. He knew it as
certain as he knew how much time they all had left underground before they
suffocated.

****

Blair
had been dating Oliver for one month, and he told her he wanted to take her out
that night to Dirty Harry’s, to celebrate their anniversary. Since no one had
ever wanted to mark the occasion of her first date with them, she was
delighted.

The
entire month had been like that. He was charming, and attentive, and did little
things every single day that made her feel special and wanted. It was the only
relationship she’d ever had where she was so happy all the time, including her
short-lived marriage. Blair was both overwhelmed by it and still fearful of it.
She’d do anything to push away the fear, and was convinced that in time that
would happen.

That
Friday night, they sat in the same back booth at Dirty Harry’s, and Blair
ordered the same burger and stuffed onion rings, but this time Oliver opted for
a chicken sandwich and a small salad. A few bites into the sandwich, he told
her he wished he’d chanced the burger from hell again.

“It’s
not good? I always heard their chicken was okay.”

“You
always heard it was okay? You mean you’ve never had it?”

She
gave him a sheepish grin. “Well, no. I don’t know anyone who actually raved
about it. When I say ‘okay’ I mean it’s edible, but not great.”

“Oh.
Now
you tell me.”

She
tried not to laugh, and instead changed the subject. “How is the search for an
electrical expert and a physics genius going? You haven’t talked about it for a
few days.”

His
face brightened, and he put the sandwich down. “I’m glad you asked. I meant to
give you an update but didn’t want to spoil our date with shop talk.”

“No,
tell me. Please.”

“Atticus
knows a physicist whom he feels will keep this under his hat. He’s a friend of
his who went through undergrad with him, and is the CEO of California Systems.
His name is Corbin Bertrand.”

Blair
knew that company name. California Systems maintained the hothouses where all
the food was grown for the cities underneath the USA. “I assume his specialty
in college had nothing to do with growing food?”

Oliver
chuckled. “No, not even close. There isn’t much use now for what he did before
we all moved underground. He worked on designing more efficient communications
towers for satellite transmissions.”

She
nodded. “No, we sure don’t need those now. How about an electrical expert?”

“Viggo
knows a man named Harold Gregory who is VP of research at a company called Air
Dynamics. They built and maintain the airlocks. His expertise on the surface
was in studying the magnetic fields.”

“I’m
surprised neither of those men worked for NSSL.”

“We
wanted to avoid anyone who worked for them, only because we still don’t know
the real names of all those thirteen who were part of the snippet of
conversation we intercepted.”

“Ah,
that makes sense. And how exciting you found them finally.”

“Yes.
We’re all getting impatient now. We have a lot more information we had a year
ago, but now we want this to be over.”

She
reached across the table and took his hands. “We all want that.”

“I
know.”

He
stared into her eyes with so much intensity, she wondered if she should ask him
whether something had happened that he was afraid to talk about. But then he
smiled and let go of her hands, picking up his sandwich again. “I might as well
finish this.”

“Do
you want the rest of my burger and onion rings instead?”

“No,
but thank you for offering. If I’m going to be up all night, I don’t want it to
be from heartburn.”

A
shiver ran down at her spine at the tone of his words. “What do you want it to
be from?”

He
gave her a molten grin. “One guess, beautiful.”

Blair
knew she’d never feel this way about another man again. It wasn’t possible.
Oliver was the one she’d dreamed of finding, ever since she was a young teen.
He was real, and he was hers. And she was never giving him up. Never.

Chapter
Fifteen

Monday
morning, Blair and Oliver both arrived at the office only minutes before the
project leader meeting was scheduled. “I should cancel it.”

“You
can’t. You’ve never done that. Everyone will be in your office or calling you
to find out what’s wrong.”

He
ran his hands through his hair, then his gaze traveled over her, slowly. “You
look like you just crawled out of bed, and I feel like I did.”

“We
did
just crawl out of bed,”

He
started laughing, and then she did, too. Memories of their weekend together
washed over her, bringing with them fresh desire for Oliver. They’d both been
insatiable, and Blair was sore in places this morning she hadn’t known could
get sore. But she didn’t care. She still wanted him,
now
.

“Fuck
it. Let’s go.” He took her hand and led her down the hall to the meeting room.
Blair ignored the knowing, amused looks they both got as they entered the room,
and instead tried to concentrate on the meeting. Her team members and the other
project leaders had stopped asking what was going on between the two of them.
They’d guessed the truth a while ago, so their disheveled, hurried appearance
this morning shouldn’t be a shock to any of them.

After
the meeting, Blair kept busy all morning with preliminary research on her plan
that she’d promised Oliver she would do. He’d told her that the experts they’d
found would do their own research before putting together recommendations, but
she wanted to do this so she wouldn’t sound like an idiot when they set up a
meeting.

She’d
already been assured she’d be part of this project in some way, even if that
turned out to be in a consulting capacity only. But she still wanted to sound
like she knew what she was talking about in front of people with far more
expertise in this field than she had.

Oliver
emailed her at noon and asked if she wanted to have lunch in his office. Since
he usually came to her office to eat, she wondered what was on his devious
mind, but didn’t hesitate to tell him she’d be right there. She hadn’t stopped
thinking about being naked with him again all morning.

He
had ordered food, and they ate, talking about the research she was doing. When
they finished, he cleared the containers and then locked his door. Turning to
face her, she put a hand to her mouth at the look on his face. Filled with
lust, his beautiful eyes sparkled.

“My
schedule is cleared for the next ninety-two minutes.”

“I
suppose my research can wait that long.”

He
sauntered toward her, like a large cat stalking prey. “I’d say it can, and
since I sign your paycheck, I’m probably right about that.”

“I
haven’t stopped thinking about this weekend all morning.”

“Neither
have I.”

He
was inches from her. She could smell the desire on him, and no doubt he could
sense the same in her. Blair cut her gaze toward his office door. They’d never
risked it before, but that’s what made it so appealing now.

“No
one will bother us for at least ninety-one minutes.”

She
smiled. “Are you counting them down?”

“Yes,
so let’s get going before we lose this time to ourselves.”

She
unbuttoned her shirt, and he watched, practically drooling. His jaw was slack,
and that always made her feel so desirable. She tossed the shirt onto his desk
and then unhooked her bra. She took it off and threw it over her shoulder.
Whether it landed on the desk or not, she didn’t know, and she didn’t care.

Then
she pulled down her jeans, taking the panties with them. She removed her shoes
and socks, and stood in front of him, stark naked. The fact that he was still
dressed was so fucking sexy she nearly came without doing a damn thing.

He
started to take off his shirt but she stopped him, placing a hand on his arm.
“Hang on. There’s something I want to do to you in here, but first I have a
question.”’

“What
is it?”

Would
he be upset she’d asked? “How many women have had sex in here with you?”

“None.”
His response was immediate, and she saw the truth in his eyes. “I never chanced
it.”

“Good.”
Blair sat on the desk, then pulled him closer and undid the button on his
jeans. “I was hoping I’d be the first. “She pulled the shirt out of his
waistband, then unzipped his jeans and took out his cock.

“Oh,
fuck me—”

“Yeah,
I will. In a minute. But right now, I’m still hungry.” She leaned over and took
as much of his dick into her mouth as she could. She knew from past experience
he’d come quickly inside her mouth, but she wasn’t worried about that. She knew
how to make him hard again, and they still had plenty of time.

“Blair…”
He grasped her head with both hands and pushed more of his shaft inside. She
sucked hard, moving her lips over the length of his cock, and it only took
minutes for him to cry out loudly and shudder.

Her
mouth was filled with hot cum and she swallowed all of it, then kissed up and
down his dick and licked his balls. His soft groans told her he wouldn’t have
any trouble getting hard again in a short while, and that was good. She wanted
him inside her.

He
grabbed her face, kissing her rough and hard. She moaned into his open mouth,
and then when he released her, he pointed toward the desk. “Turn around and
bend over. You’re a bad girl, and you need to be punished.”

Blair
let out a shaky sigh as her pussy contracted in tiny spasms. She did as he
asked, resting her arms and torso on the wood, then glanced over her shoulder
to see what he was doing. He crossed the room, his cock still hanging out of
his pants, which she found incredibly enticing, and opened a locked cabinet.

She’d
always assumed it contained work-related things, but boy was she wrong. Blair
gasped as he pulled out a long, wooden paddle, a pair of leather cuffs, a
spreader bar, and a bottle of lube.
What
the fuck?

Blair
straightened up and turned around. “You told me you never had sex in here.”

“I
didn’t. Doesn’t mean I haven’t wanted to, though.”

“Why
don’t you have these things at your apartment?”

He
sighed. “Because I haven’t met too many women who were into kinky things, and I
never wanted to scare them. And with you, I’ve been easing into this because of
what you went through. I would rather die than frighten you off.”

The
words were right there, ready to spill out. This would be the perfect time to
tell him she loved him. Instead, she addressed what he’d just said.
Chicken
!

“Oh,
Oliver. I’m not afraid of you. I swear I’m not. I would love to try more kinky
things with you.”

The
relief on his face nearly tore her heart in two. They stared at each other for
long moments, and then he glanced toward the door. “You’d better turn around,
bad girl, and bend over again, or there won’t be adequate time to punish you.”

“Yes,
Sir.” She smiled as he groaned, then turned to face the desk once more and bent
over. He moved behind her, caressing her naked ass. She moaned, pushing up
against him.

Why didn’t you say it?

He
slipped a finger into her pussy from behind, and all she could concentrate on
was the exquisite sensation as she contracted the walls around his digit. “Oh,
please!”

“In
time.” He moved his finger in and out. She was so close! But before she could
make herself come he removed his finger and she heard him step back.

“First
things first. Put your hands behind your back.”

Blair
hesitated for a second, then did as he asked.

“Hang
on.” He walked over to the armchair and pulled the cushion off it, then placed
it underneath her torso. “Lean on this. Better?”

“Yes.
Thank you.”

He
fit the cuffs around her wrists and clipped them together. Then he kissed her
lower back, just above the spot where her ass cheeks met. “Do you know what a
safeword is?”

“Yes.”

“Yours
is ‘red’. Use it for anything that overwhelms you, if you become afraid, or
even if you need a break. We will immediately stop and take care of your needs.
Do you understand?”

“Yes.”
Blair closed her eyes and gave her emotions free rein. How could any woman help
but fall in love with him? This was still the perfect time to tell him, but she
didn’t want to stop him now because the idea of being naked, helpless, and
paddled in his office, before he fucked her, excited her like nothing had
before.

He
slipped the spreader bar around her ankles, after adjusting the width of her
stance, and then he stood behind her. “Blair, I wish you could see how
incredibly sexy you look right now.”

“I’m
glad you’re enjoying the view.”

“Oh,
I am.” He rubbed the paddle against her ass cheeks, then turned it sideways and
slid the edge over her wet pussy. She gasped at the way it ramped up her
excitement level. Who would have known?

“How
do you imagine this will feel on your bare skin?”

“I
don’t know.” She could hardly speak.

“Try.
Tell me what you’re imagining.”

“Um,
it will hurt.”

“Oh
yes. Yes, it will. But you’re a very bad girl, Blair. You deserve this.”

“I
know I am.” She was so wet now he might have to clean the carpet in front of
his desk. Any second now she expected to feel her pussy juices run down her
legs.

“I’m
glad you admit it.”

She
gasped again as his dick, hard once more, teased the crack between her ass
cheeks. “Look what you’ve done to me.”

She
giggled. “I can’t help that.”

“Yes,
you can.”

She
heard him step back, then braced herself for a swat, but when the paddle came
down across both cheeks, he’d barely struck her. She let out a loud breath.

“Not
hard enough?”

That voice!
It was filled with humor, and she
shivered. Why hadn’t he shown this side of him before? She loved this, and
wished they were back at his apartment so they didn’t have to worry about time.
But it was more exciting this way because there was a chance they’d be caught.

“I
don’t think it’s my decision to make, is it?”

“You’re
right.” He licked her lower back. “It’s not. It’s mine.”

The
next blow hurt like fucking crazy, and she yelled.

“Was
that a safeword?”

“No.”

“Good.”

She
gritted her teeth through three more swats, and he wasn’t holding back. Tears
stung her eyes, but at the same time, she’d never been this turned-on. She
didn’t want him to stop. She wanted to know how much she could take.

He
brushed his hands over the wounds he’d just made. “You are so fucking sexy.
Please tell me you like this.”

“I
love it.”
I love you.

“Oh,
thank God.”

He
slid two fingers into her pussy, and she could barely stay standing as he moved
them in and out, slowly. “You’re close, aren’t you, love?”

“Yes,”
she whispered.
Did he just call me
‘love’?

“But
I don’t think I should let you just yet.” He withdrew his fingers and she cried
out as three more blows landed on her ass, harder than the earlier ones. How
strong was he?

When
he moved closer and pushed his dick into her pussy, her climax exploded. She
cried out again, barely cognizant of the fact that anyone outside his office
would hear her. She didn’t give a shit. This was fucking exquisite, and she
didn’t want it to end.

The
contractions hadn’t subsided when he pulled out.

“No,”
she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She started to say something else,
but he paddled her again, this time with five swats in a row that burned like a
motherfucker.

Then
he was inside her once more, and the paddle clattered on the desk next to her
arms. “Oh, Blair. Jesus. I have to fuck you now.”

She
wasn’t going to argue with that. She couldn’t move because of the restraints.
All she could do was plant her feet as he slammed into her, rough and deep. The
orgasm that had started earlier crested once more, and she had no clue what was
happening as it washed over her, intense and prolonged. The only things she
seemed able to focus on were his dick inside her, and the leather cushion
underneath her breasts.

He
slid a hand under her, rubbing her clit until the climax was almost painful,
but still he fucked her. It was the most decadent, erotic thing they’d ever
done, and Blair didn’t want it to stop. When she came a second time, he came as
well, and their cries filled the office.

The
cuffs were off, as was the spreader bar, and she was on his lap before she knew
he’d removed the restraints and moved them to the sofa. He cradled her in his
strong arms, and she leaned against his warmth, her eyes closed. This was what
she wanted, every day of her life, from this moment on. Nothing less would do.