The Librarian Principle (7 page)

“Yes, very much, actually.”

“Oh.” Of all the things she’d expected to hear, that wasn’t one of them. She’d half anticipated some kind of stand-off, because Ryder could be a stubborn son of a bitch.

They stared at each other, Liese willing him to
do
something already. She allowed her lips to part, encouraging, enticing, inviting. She needed him to make the first move. The pinnacle of control, Liese wanted him to lose it—for her. For a fraction of a second she felt horrible, but he had the power, and she desperately wanted him to keep it.

In a rush of movement, Ryder’s hand shot up and slid into her hair, pulling her forward until her hips hit the desk. He groaned, the sound a deep rumble in his chest as his mouth collided with hers. It was like throwing a match into a pool of gasoline. Heat slammed through her veins, and pent up yearning rocketed through her.

“Oh, God.” Liese grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket. His free hand wrapped around her waist, the desk that separated them an annoyance.

“I tried so hard,” he said, his fingers digging into her side as he pulled her closer. “I really did.” It almost sounded like an apology.

Liese clambered onto the desk as Ryder helped lift her over the barrier. He held her steady, one hand on her waist and the other in her hair. Liese slapped her laptop closed and cleared a space to get to him. Stacks of notes fluttered to the floor, followed by the clatter of pens, pencils, and books.

With nothing to separate them, Ryder’s hand left her hair, both palms moving over her hips and down her thighs to the hem of her skirt. She grabbed his shoulders for balance, their lips still fused in a panty-incinerating kiss. Even as desperation made them clumsy, Ryder’s tongue moved fluidly against hers, stroking a passionate, sensuous rhythm.

He pulled away, then returned a moment later to nip at her lip, his breath coming fast. His eyes were alive with fire and want as he manipulated her body, rearranging her legs on either side of his.

“Tell me to stop.” It was akin to a demand, his words at odds with his actions. Ryder shoved her skirt up her thighs, palms smoothing over the newly exposed skin, his nose skimming her cheek. His hands drifted lightly along the silky fabric of her navy thigh-highs until he reached the lacy hem and his fingers faltered. “Tell me you don’t want this.”

Liese shook her head in defiance, eliciting a despondent groan from him. When his fingers grazed the bare skin of her thigh, his jaw tightened.

“How very naughty of you,” he slipped his pinkie under the garter and pulled, only to let it snap back against her thigh. Mouth covering hers, he swallowed her shocked protest. Ryder’s hands ran along the inside of her thighs, his fingertips grazing the edge of her panties. She felt the feather-light brush of his knuckle right where the ache was deadliest.

Liese whimpered, her body jerking with the contact, desperate for the feel of his hands on her without the inconvenient obstruction of clothing.

“Shh.” His thumb slipped beneath the elastic. “We wouldn’t want anyone to think you enjoy your meetings with me. What if people got the wrong idea? Then I might have to discipline you for your indiscretions.”

“We wouldn’t want that.” Liese bit back an uneasy laugh, uncertain whether to take him seriously. Something told her he meant it when he said he would discipline her, and she might very well enjoy it.

“Speak for yourself. I think I’d rather relish handing out a punishment where you’re concerned.” Ryder’s hand tightened in her hair as his lips traveled along her jaw, drawing out the sweetest of tortures. He pushed aside her panties, finger sweeping over the smooth skin.

Liese couldn’t help it; she moaned, parting her legs further.

Ryder stopped, both his fingers and mouth stilled. “What did I just tell you?” His teeth pressed softly against the juncture of her shoulder and neck, an erotic warning.

“Sorry, sir.” She draped her arms over his shoulders and fingered the hair at the nape of his neck—a weak attempt to draw his attention away from her inability to follow direction and keep quiet.

“I really shouldn’t do this.” His lips parted against her throat.

“Please.” Liese feared Ryder’s conscience would kick in, and he would remember just how much trouble being together like this could cause. She chose to bury that knowledge, along with her better judgment, when she trailed her hands down his chest to his belt.

“Tell me what you want,” he said.

Supplication merged with abject longing, and Ryder’s fingers twitched, a reminder of how close they were to a place she wanted them to go, but shouldn’t. Regardless, she didn’t want him to stop.

Hands shaking, she answered the question with actions: grasping his belt buckle, she unhooked the clasp.

His breath fanned over her cheek on a warm sigh. Ryder’s fingers moved lower. “You have no idea how difficult it’s been,” he whispered as he kissed his way over her cheek to the corner of her mouth. At the same time he circled, teased, and then suddenly pushed inside, his fingers curled, sensation radiating from the center of her body to consume her in a wave of desire.

Liese inhaled a high-pitched gasp, again heedless of Ryder’s warning to stay quiet. She couldn’t get enough of him, his body close to hers, his fingers moving inside her. He pushed her closer to a precipice she hadn’t been anywhere near in a very long time, at least not with another person.

She fumbled with the fly on his pants, wanting to touch him as he touched her. In her haste, the button popped off and ricocheted off the desk, bouncing onto the floor.

Ryder broke the kiss and looked to where she held the two sides together. “These are expensive pants, and I don’t sew,” he told her.

Liese wanted to laugh at his seriousness juxtaposed with the way he caressed her body. “Would you like me to sew it back on right now?” She slid her finger beneath the elastic, dipping into his boxers until she grazed something smooth and hard and pretty damn sizable.

His eyes closed, jaw tightening and nostrils flaring. On a deep inhale he opened lust-heavy lids to watch her. “No, I was just stating a fact. I also find it incredibly hot that you’d be willing to sew it back on immediately.”

“I was being sarcastic.” Liese squeezed his erection, giving it a long, slow stroke.

Ryder groaned and shifted his hips, that thick, hard length sliding against her palm. Withdrawing his fingers, he leaned into her. Liese took the cue and released him, needing her arms to brace her weight on the desk as she lay back. He reached inside his suit jacket and produced his wallet. With one hand he flipped it open and retrieved a foil square. Such a boy scout. She was relieved to find him prepared.

Heat shot through her, funneling low as he nestled his hips into the cradle of hers. Liese arched, momentarily sidetracked by what felt like a pencil behind her left shoulder and something very uncomfortable at the center of her back. Loathe to stop him, she wrapped her hand around the nape of his neck to pull him closer. The friction of his body gyrating against hers made her wish she hadn’t worn panties at all.

“I want to be inside you.” Ryder’s hand moved between their bodies once again. Gripping his erection, he used it to push the fabric barrier out of the way, circling her sensitive skin with the head of his cock.

She lifted her hips to meet his, more items thumping on the floor as they moved with each other, so close to what they both wanted. When she sensed his hesitation, she uttered a quiet plea.

In the tense silence that followed, the weight of their actions settled around them. He positioned himself to enter her, but the muffled sound of a door clicking shut froze them both.

Their eyes locked in panic as someone called Liese’s name from inside the library.

They were not alone.

Ryder’s eyes went wide with the same shock that had Liese closing her legs in a vise grip against his hips. “Who the hell is that?” he asked.

Before she could answer, she heard her name called a second time, closer than before—the voice unmistakable. She uttered a low curse as Ryder’s alarm changed to incredulity.

“Is that Blake Stone?” His eyes zeroed in on the locked door.

Liese nodded and pushed on Ryder’s chest, but got nowhere. “We can’t get caught,” she said frantically, spurring him into action.

In a rush, she adjusted her underwear and shoved her skirt over her hips, smoothing it down her thighs. Ryder tucked his shirt into his pants and fumbled with his belt. Liese tried to reorganize her desk and pick up the items strewn across the floor. It looked like a bomb had gone off—office supplies littered the carpet like shrapnel.

Ryder knelt to help her, gathering random items to deposit on her desk. “Why is he here?” Accusation made his tone sharp.

“I was supposed to help with rehearsal at the end of the day. He’s probably checking up on me. I told him I had a meeting with you,” she defended in a harsh whisper. Panic-stricken, she almost dropped the armful of papers she’d gathered.

“Let me take care of this.” It wasn’t a request.

He fixed her hair, tucking errant strands behind her ear before smoothing his hand down the side of her neck. “Sit down; you’re shaking.” He kissed her cheek before he stepped back, motioning to her chair. Liese didn’t bother to argue. Barely able to breathe through her anxiety, she dropped into the chair and set to rearranging the mess of papers on her desk. Ryder stuffed the condom wrapper into his pants pocket—she wasn’t even sure if he’d bothered to remove the condom. Then, calm and composed in spite of their situation, he stepped over and opened the door.

Blake stood at the threshold with his fist raised, ready to knock. The furrow in his brow deepened, and his look of disquiet morphed into confusion.

“Hello, Mr. Stone.” Ryder greeted him with a smile, his tone light, posture open. But Liese could see his hand on the door knob flex until it was white knuckled. “We’re just finishing up a meeting. How can I help you?”

“I—uh . . .” Blake looked from Liese to Ryder, apparently uncertain as to what the principal could do for him. “I wanted to make sure Liese was okay. She wasn’t feeling well earlier, and we had rehearsal for the holiday play this afternoon.”

“Oh?” Ryder feigned surprise. “Sorry if I’ve kept Liese from something important. Had I known, I wouldn’t have let our meeting run so long.” Liese could see only a partial profile of Ryder’s face. He remained placidly indifferent, but she didn’t miss the undercurrent of derision. Right now he bordered on furious.

“Oh, I thought she . . .” Blake paused. “Well, then—” He stumbled over his words, eyes ricocheting from Ryder to Liese and her desk. He frowned at the chaos there. Blake had been inside her office enough to know she kept her desk organized.

Ryder stepped into the doorway to block his view of the room. Liese could see him craning his neck, looking rather put out. “I’m sure if Liese and I can work through the remainder of her proposal without further interruption she’ll be able to get to rehearsal soon enough,” Ryder said. “Unless you’re here because her presence is no longer required?”

Blake went stony. “We just finished, which is why I came to check on Liese.” Despite the perilous circumstances, Ryder remained completely unfazed while Blake’s obvious irritation bordered on disrespectful. Liese would have felt embarrassed for him if she hadn’t been about to pee her pants.

While the two men glowered at each other, she took the opportunity to slip a handful of papers into her drawer. Blake took a step to the side, and Ryder leaned in the same direction, his hand resting high on the doorjamb. Despite his territorial stance, he looked remarkably relaxed.

Blake shifted to the left and made eye contact with Liese over Ryder’s shoulder. “Are you feeling okay? You seem—” He paused, his eyes traveling over her face.

She could think of two words to describe herself currently:
terrified
and
unfulfilled
.

Ryder let his arm fall as he turned, amusement evident in the tilt of his head. “Are you not well, Annaliese?”

Liese touched the back of her shaking hand to her cheek. “I’m a little warm, but I’m sure I’m fine.” She forced a reassuring smile.

“You should have told me you were ill. We could have rescheduled our meeting for another time.” Ryder faked concern.