Authors: Tracey Livesay
“This man in front of me. You aren’t the same man I met two weeks ago.”
His expression was solemn. “Yes, I am, Chelsea. I’m the same man and I have all of the same issues.”
“Then, how do you explain all of this?”
He took her gesturing hand in his, and the friction of his thumb sliding across her skin spread quivers of sensation throughout her entire body. “I want you. This is my opportunity to show you I’m more than computers and routines and my mountain. I want you to see that my world can be fun. That we can have fun in it together.”
She couldn’t imagine saying this two weeks ago, but damn, he had a way with words.
He wanted her. Not Chelsea Grant, mover and shaker in PR, executive in one of the country’s top PR firms, influencer in all things image related.
He wanted
her
, Chelsea Grant. The woman.
She wasn’t even sure she believed it was possible. When was the last time it had happened? When she knew the man she was with was interested in her for who she was and not what she could do for them?
Adam’s words about the movie she watched the day after the storm swept into her mind.
She lied to him. He doesn’t know her.
She may still be confused personally, but professionally she was more determined than ever to make sure his presentation was the best it could be . . . and not only for her promotion. She could list all of the reasons they shouldn’t be together, the big one being the lie that hung between them like a two-way mirror, but his conviction touched her, fed the part of her unused to such regard. She would ensure his invention received the launch of the decade.
Her heart wouldn’t permit her to do anything less.
T
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the aquarium exhibit bathed Chelsea’s smooth skin in an aqua hue, and Adam couldn’t help but admire her profile while she studied the colorful marine animals. Her high cheekbones, the graceful slope of her nose, the addictive fullness of her lips. She entranced him more than any woman he’d ever known.
After dinner they’d made their way back to the underwater tunnel. There had been numerous revelations throughout the evening, but the most significant had been that the launch and his presentation weren’t the sole focus of their conversation. Despite his fears, they’d engaged in an earnest and lively discourse about books, movies, and politics. He’d answered her questions about computers and the tech industry and she’d shared anecdotes about her experiences in entertainment.
She wasn’t on his intellectual level—very few people were—but she was smart, perceptive, and possessed an aptitude for dealing with people. Rather than diminishing his attraction for her and confirming that the feelings he’d been experiencing were wrapped up in the circumstances of the storm, their interaction had left him determined to experience her kiss and her touch, again.
And that wasn’t good news for the HPC, Computronix, or the launch.
She turned to him and smiled. “I had an incredible time tonight. No one has ever done anything like this for me. Thank you.”
A remarkably serviceable word,
incredible
. He’d use it to describe the meal they’d consumed, the exhibits they’d enjoyed, and most fittingly, the short dress she wore that clung to her curves and emphasized her amazing legs. She’d pulled her hair off her face and neck and secured it with a jeweled clip. A few tendrils had escaped to curl around her face and one had claimed an enviable position at the top of her cleavage.
He’d been eyeing that curl for the past hour, the way it nestled against her skin. He’d never thought it possible to begrudge a lock of hair, but he now found himself rethinking that assertion. When her smile dwindled and she ducked her head, her lashes falling to cover her eyes, he realized he hadn’t responded to her comment.
He cleared his throat. “You’re welcome. I told you, I wanted you to enjoy yourself.”
“Well, mission accomplished, because I did.”
He gazed into her upturned face and cupped her cheek, the contact causing his palm to tingle. She was beautiful. Complex. Intriguing. He’d spent two weeks in her company and he’d yet to decode her, to unravel the enigma that hid behind her eyes. But he
would
figure her out. He could no more resist that compulsion than he could refrain from breathing.
The thumping of his heart blocked out all ambient sounds until Chelsea was his sole focus. She licked her bottom lip and swayed toward him, lifting her hand to rest her fingers on his forearm. He slid his hand from her face to grasp her nape, squeezing gently as he tugged her closer. Her lashes fell, shielding her pretty brown eyes. The heat from her body warmed him, her smell aroused him, and his eyes drifted shut as he lowered his head and—
“Mr. Bennett?”
His muscles went rigid and he opened his eyes. Chelsea stared at him, her lips parted, her lashes fluttering wildly. She pushed away from him and, reluctantly, he released her. They turned in unison to Katie, who stood across the room.
She clutched an iPad to her chest. “The culinary service team is cleaning up and the Academy’s staff is waiting for us to leave so they can lock up.”
He nodded, keenly aware of Chelsea standing next to him, smoothing her hair into place. Dammit. If he had his way, more of those curls would be spilling out instead of being tucked away. “Thank you for your assistance this evening.”
“It was our pleasure, sir.”
“Hey, what about me?” a deep voice asked. “Aren’t I entitled to some of that gratitude?”
Adam laughed and walked over to Jonathan, his hand extended in welcome. “What are you doing here?”
“When I heard you’d booked our services for tonight, I thought someone was fucking with me,” Jonathan said, clasping Adam’s hand and bringing him in for a hug. “I couldn’t imagine what would get you down off your mountain for a night in the city, especially considering our conversation a couple of weeks ago. I had to witness this marvel for myself.” His gaze strayed over Adam’s shoulder and he lowered his voice. “Is that the miracle worker? She’s lovely, and quite different from the last one.”
“Watch yourself,” he muttered, while motioning for Chelsea to join them. “Chelsea, this is Jonathan Moran, executive chef and owner of Quartet. Jonathan, this is Chelsea Grant.”
Adam placed his hand on the small of her back as they completed the formalities of the introduction. Jonathan was a brilliant chef, dedicated restaurateur, and notorious womanizer. He didn’t want the man to create any notions about Chelsea.
“Nice to meet you,” Jonathan said. He glanced at Adam’s hand and grinned widely, his brown eyes shining. “Did you enjoy dinner?”
“It was perfection,” Chelsea said. “I particularly enjoyed the duck with the chanterelle mushrooms.”
“A woman with exquisite taste.” Jonathan shoved his hands into his pockets and widened his stance. “Next time you’re in San Francisco, have him bring you to the restaurant for the true Quartet experience.”
“I’d like that.”
“I’m looking forward to the presentation next week,” Jonathan said, nodding as he turned to Adam. “I expect nothing less than having my mind blown.”
It took a moment for Adam’s mind to shift from the woman at his side to the presentation.
“Then your expectations will be met,” he said.
“You’ll be there?” Chelsea asked.
“I never miss a launch. How many people can say they know an actual genius?”
Jonathan’s support remained constant long after Adam’s initial investment in Quartet had been repaid. His loyalty was one of the many reasons Adam called him a friend.
“I’ve got to get back to the restaurant. Chelsea, it was an absolute pleasure to meet you.” Jonathan took her hand and raised it, glanced at Adam, and then with a quirk of his mouth, settled for a handshake.
“So, he’s the other friend you mentioned?” Chelsea asked as she stared at Jonathan’s retreating figure.
“Yes.”
“You surround yourself with very talented people.”
Enough about his friends. He ached to return to their interrupted kiss. His heartbeat quickened as he laced his fingers through hers and gathered her close. With his free hand, he pulled a few curls loose and let his thumb sweep across her smooth dark skin. Her lips parted and her head tilted into his caress.
Gorgeous . . .
“Before we were interrupted, you were telling me how much you’ve enjoyed this evening. So I need to know—” His fingers continued to move over her cheekbones and across her delectable mouth. Desire swelled through him, heating him from the inside. As her lashes closed he leaned forward and whispered, “Is the evening over?”
He held his breath.
Her tongue darted out to dampen her full bottom lip and his cock hardened further as he imagined it sliding between them. She opened her eyes and met his gaze.
“No.”
T
HE SENSE OF
smell was a basic biological function. When odorants stimulated sensory cells in the nose, electrical currents were passed to the brain, which processed and interpreted the patterns as specific odors.
Adam knew this, but it was possible he’d confused basic with insignificant.
When he missed the first turn, he attributed the mistake to the late hour darkness. It was only after he zoomed past their second turn that he realized the road wasn’t holding his attention. The sweet citrus scent of her skin filled the car’s intimate interior, permeating every breath he took until she was his brain’s primary polestar. Although he’d driven up and down the mountain numerous times, the winding road still required his full consideration. Especially at night. Now he understood he was concentrating on Chelsea instead of the path ahead. Spotting one of the mountain’s scenic overlooks, he pulled the car onto the gravel turnout and engaged the emergency brake.
“Adam? Are you okay? Is something wrong with the car?” She faced him, her brows pulled together and her knees slanted in his direction, providing a moonlit view of her thighs.
His breathing accelerated and his nerve endings roused back to life. He unbuckled his seat belt and turned, his gaze inevitably drawn to that enticing curl that undulated with her deep breaths. He surrendered to the compulsion and reached for it, watching as it entwined itself around his finger. He rubbed his thumb against the soft texture and imagined her legs similarly wrapped around his body. His cock hardened.
Her gaze traveled his body and stayed on his lower regions for several moments. She nodded imperceptibly, then turned and flattened her palms on the leather center console, using it to leverage herself closer to him. Her tongue cleaved her lips, leaving a moist shimmer on the bottom one. She searched his eyes and what she discovered caused her to tremble.
“Adam?” she whispered.
He cupped the back of her head, looped his fingers in those magnificent curls, and slanted his mouth over hers. Other than his hand in her hair, their lips were their sole point of contact, and he found the restriction erotic. Kissing her was as heady and addictive as he remembered, and he could imagine no scenario where he tired of the feelings coursing through him. She tasted of the coconut and guava of their dessert mixed with the berry fruitiness of her Pinot Noir. It was a potent combination.
She moaned and tangled her tongue with his while reaching one hand up to grip the front of his shirt. His heart raced in his chest, thrilled with her passionate response. He braced his arm against the steering wheel, seeking a way to surmount the armrest and achieve deeper contact. Only when his knee landed on the console did he realize his intent. He was seconds away from pressing her into the passenger side seat and sinking his body into hers. The all-consuming desperation shocked him and he wrenched his lips away from hers, falling back in his seat as he sucked in air and attempted to get his bearings. What the fuck was he doing? He’d never lost control kissing a woman before.
He rolled his head on the headrest and stared at Chelsea, watched the rapid rise and fall of her breasts and the puckered imprint of her nipples against her dress’s fabric. He leaned over and pressed his lips against hers one more time, trailing his finger down her cheek.
“Without that kiss, I couldn’t have guaranteed we’d make it back up the mountain without incident.”
Her smile was slow and sensuous. “Thank God for road safety awareness.”
He smiled and settled back into his seat, shifting the car into gear. Twenty minutes later, he pulled in front of his house and cut the engine. He’d driven past the turnoff to her driveway and had slowed down, waiting for an indication from her of what she wanted.
“Your place,” she’d said. And so, he’d headed home.
He knew what he wanted, had known from the moment her eyes had widened when she’d seen the underwater aquarium. What he was feeling toward this woman was different from what he’d felt for anyone else. But she hadn’t said anything, hadn’t moved since their kiss at the bottom of the mountain. He thought she felt the same way, but this was too important to leave to assumption. He needed to be clear before they could go any further.
Still staring straight ahead he said, “I want to make love to you.”
“I know.” Her voice floated out of the darkness.
“Is that want one-sided?”
Silence. Disappointment weighed heavily upon his shoulders. He hunched forward and gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles pale in the moonlight. What irredeemable faux pas had he committed between the turnoff to her house and his? Had she changed her mind? Or had he misread the signs and she’d never been interested? It wouldn’t have been the first time, but the sting of defeat had never been so acute.
But she surprised him by bringing her hand to rest on his thigh, heating the skin beneath. She squeezed. “Let’s go inside.”
When they reached the great room, he shed his jacket, put his phone and keys on his desk, and hurried into his room to grab a condom from his nightstand. He wanted to be prepared, no matter where the mood struck. When he returned he found her standing in front of the window. The image recalled their dinner at the museum. She was a celestial fantasy come to life, surrounded by the velvet backdrop of the starry sky. He was consumed by a need to not experience another moment ignorant of the feel of their merged bodies.
Walking over, he gripped her hips from behind and kissed the vertex created by the angle of her neck and shoulder. He inhaled deeply and his eyes fluttered, her scent making him dizzy. Her nearness threatened to short-circuit his brain function and accelerate his pulse beyond normal limits. She tilted her head and leaned back into him as he nuzzled her smooth skin. He indulged in the feel of her curvy ass pushing back against his cock. He ground against her, the heat from her body burning through the thin material of his sweater.
She pulled away and turned in his arms. He smoothed back a curl that had flown forward to touch her cheek.
“I can’t wait to taste every inch of you.”
Her mouth fell open. She caressed his cheek, then claimed his lips in a fierce kiss. He moaned and her hands rose to encircle his neck. Her lips were perfect, as if created specifically for his kisses, and he savored her like a rare and expensive delicacy. He intended to spend all night renewing his acquaintance with the angles and contours of her body. He had nowhere else to go, nothing else to do.
She felt so good. He vowed to do everything in his power to ensure he experienced this again. Just the thought of the forthcoming pleasure sent a tide of desire rushing through him. He deepened the kiss and used his body to propel her backward until she collided with the window.
“Oooh.” She laughed. “That’s cold.”