Office Affair (4 page)

For long moments they sat together, panting, regaining their equilibrium. His body might be too exhausted to move, but his mind was flying. A million thoughts ran through his head. Melissa was mad if she thought for one second their relationship could ever go back to what it had been just minutes ago.

He’d always stood in awe of her professional ability, her work ethic, her leadership skills, her straightforward attitude and her business acumen. Now that he’d seen other facets of her personality and had a taste of her, he somehow doubted he could let her go. And just as soon as he had the energy to speak, he’d tell her as much.

Only his energy did not return fast enough. While he still fought for breath, Melissa gracefully disentangled herself from his arms.

He tried to hold on to her, tried to clasp her close, but she pulled away, climbing off his lap, and the distraction of losing all that heat around his cock proved too much.

He let Melissa escape.

She stood up, straightened her knickers and smoothed down her hair. Then she leaned over and gave Ben one final kiss. A flick of her tongue over his, a swift melding of their lips, and it was over.

A kiss far too chaste and far too quick to ever satisfy him after what they’d just shared.

“I hope that was a step in the right direction.” She smiled. “Maybe now you can start to feel a little happier again?” She walked around the desk, collecting the clothes she’d discarded earlier. “It sure helped me. I feel…freer. You more than met my needs. I hope I met yours?” The look she shot him was inquiring, as though she’d just asked about one of their business deals.

Ben gaped at her, uncertain how to respond. She looked…awkward, as though she wasn’t sure what to say or do now, how to behave. So she’d reverted straight back to the professional—just like he’d have done under similar circumstances.

She shrugged off his silence, dressing quickly and efficiently, doing up every last button and replacing her jacket. “W-we can do this again if you’d like. Perhaps next week?”

Her cheeks were rosy from their passion, but as she spoke, they reddened further.

Ah. There she was. Shy Melissa. Endearing Melissa. He thought he’d lost her.

Ben shook his head fiercely.

Disappointment flashed through her eyes but disappeared as soon as she blinked. “You don’t want to do it again?”

“Don’t want to wait until next week,” he said with a soft growl. Christ, he didn’t want to wait another five minutes. He wanted to rip her clothes off and fuck her all over again, right now.

But the second she’d climbed off his lap, she’d changed. She’d slipped right back into her business persona. She was formal, a little distant and a different woman from the filthy sex kitten who’d insisted he shove his tongue in her cunt.

In fact, the only thing different about her now from when she’d first walked into his office was the riotous mass of hair around her shoulders. And the heightened color in her cheeks. Even her jacket was buttoned up, hiding any hint of the extraordinary breasts he ached to touch again.

“Well, maybe tomorrow night, then?” she asked. “I’ll just check my calendar and make sure I have nothing else scheduled. If not, shall we say ten p.m., your office?”

He blinked. “Back to formalities so quickly?”

“The sex is over for now. It’s business as usual.” She softened her voice. “I told you, Ben, nothing would change about our working relationship.”

Ben glanced down at his naked groin, his limp dick still covered in the used condom. He grabbed a couple of tissues, rolled it off then scrunched it in his fist. “There’s nothing usual about this, goddammit.”

She wrinkled her nose and for the briefest moment looked surprised. “No there isn’t, is there?” Then she straightened her shoulders. “Never mind, it’ll become routine. Like anything else, the more we do it, the more normal it will feel. Right?” Without waiting for his answer, she launched into her next question. “Now, about tomorrow night? Yes? No?”

He glared at her, unwilling to answer. No way was she taking what they’d just shared—the most incredible sex—and trivializing it into a business proposition.

She frowned. “Should I take your silence as a no?”

Ben snarled. This was not how he’d envisioned things when she first stripped off her shirt. He had no idea what he’d envisioned. But losing the sensual, shy siren to this aloof, awkward work mate wasn’t what he wanted.

She sighed, and in that sigh he heard a hint of the sex kitten. “That’s a pity. I’d kind of started anticipating it already. Never mind. If it doesn’t suit you, it doesn’t suit you. I can always use my vibrator instead. Perhaps in the bath.” Was that a glint in her eyes? “Definitely in the bath. Anyway, goodnight, Ben. I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well.” She ran her hand languidly through her long hair and smiled. “I know I will.”

And with that she turned and walked to the door.

“Melissa,” Ben barked at her, way louder than he’d meant to. Hell, he was out of control. Off balance. His world was out of whack.

She paused and turned to face him, one foot in the office, one out.

“Yes,” he growled.

She shook her head in confusion. “Yes, what?”

“Yes to tomorrow night.” Because what else could he say when his dick was already rising again from the image she’d planted in his head of herself in the bath? “Ten p.m., in my office.”

“Oh. Okay then.” She nodded once. And smiled. A smile that not only lit up the interior of his office, it warmed him all over. “Night,” she said, and walked away.

Just before she disappeared around a corner, Ben found the energy to yell one command at her. “And bring your goddamned vibrator with you!”

The slight hesitation in her step was the only indication she gave him that she’d heard. Then Melissa disappeared from his line of vision.

Ten minutes later Melissa stumbled through the public car park, fumbled with her keys and collapsed into the front seat of her car, her heart smashing against her ribs.

Dear God, she’d done it. Given in to her persistent craving for Ben Cowley and seduced him. She hadn’t meant to. Had never intended to expose even the slightest bit of her feelings about him.

For over two years she’d kept her emotions hidden. Refused to allow anyone to know she had a ridiculous crush on Ben. It had developed the first day she’d met him, the first time he’d introduced himself.

Even then—when he’d been so in love with his girlfriend—she’d felt the pull. And the envy. When Ben had spoken about Sienna, his face had shone. Love seemed to radiate from him. How incredible it must have been for Sienna to feel loved like that. To wake up every morning in her man’s arms, knowing she was the focus of his world.

Melissa hadn’t known love like that for a very long time. Hadn’t let anyone get close enough. Even after Sienna and Ben broke up, Melissa had kept her distance. It was one thing perving over a colleague from afar. It was another letting her emotions interfere with a successful business relationship.

Besides, Ben was out of her league. He was a man who thrived on social interaction. Who was at his happiest with the woman he loved. Melissa was the opposite. She was most successful when she operated alone. When she let no one close, allowed herself no distractions.

There’d been a time when she’d allowed herself every distraction under the sun. And it had nearly ruined her.

Not nearly. It had broken her. Destroyed everything she’d once been, and left her life shattered. Picking up the pieces had been a long, hard and lonely job.

The loneliness got to her. It gnawed away at her slowly and constantly. And this evening, that loneliness, combined with an argument with her mother, had succeeded in working her up into a fine tizz. She’d needed to blow off steam. Needed to step out of her life for a minute. Needed to be anyone but Melissa Sparks.

And what better way to escape from her life than to act in the least predictable way imaginable? No one would
ever
expect her to seduce Ben—least of all her—so that was what she’d done. She’d gone against the grain. For the first time in forever she’d given in to her deepest, most hidden needs and done what she’d wanted. Distracted herself. In one big way.

Her hands shook like crazy. They shook so much she couldn’t even start the car. If she tried to drive in this condition, she’d have an accident.

The day Ben had transferred to head office and informed her about his split with Sienna, Melissa’s feelings for him had run rampant. Never mind hiding her puppy eyes from him, she’d barely been able to control the desire and the longing that seeped through every cell of her body.

Tonight she’d snapped. She’d taken one look at him sitting alone in his office and accepted that she couldn’t exist another minute without knowing what it would be like to touch Ben. Kiss him. Fuck him. Be fucked by him.

Long before stepping into his office she’d accepted that she’d never know what it would feel like to be loved by him, but she had an opportunity to discover what making love to him would be like.

And now she knew.

She drew in a shuddery breath. The sex had been worth the two-year wait. And the knowledge that she could do it all over again tomorrow night…

A wild tremor shuddered through her. Her pussy throbbed and her nipples tingled, excitement at the prospect making her dizzy.

A fresh wave of arousal washed over her.

Okay, so maybe it wasn’t just arousal. Maybe it was her way of expressing all those feelings she’d held inside for so long. She couldn’t show them emotionally, so they came out physically.

They were potent. Too potent to ignore. And her pussy—still tingling from Ben’s mouth and cock—once again ached to be stroked. Hidden in her car, in the almost empty parking lot, she couldn’t resist the temptation.

She dropped her head back against the seat, closed her eyes and let her hand creep beneath her skirt. She shifted once so she could reach, pushed her G-string out of the way, and her finger was on her clit, caressing, rubbing, teasing.

It didn’t take long. She was too worked up. Too emotionally charged. A minute, maybe less. A minute filled with memories of the long, wet strokes of Ben’s tongue and the deep, hard thrusts of his cock. Of Ben, the guy she’d dreamed about for years. Memories of his arousal, of the lust that had darkened his eyes and made him sweat.

Of the sound of his groans and her cries as he’d filled her, fucked her. The feel of his release rocking his entire body, his cock pulsing in her cunt, over and over. The mindless calling of her name.

The sound of it, echoing through his office, had been the final push. She’d plunged over the edge and fallen into the deep abyss of ecstasy.

Sitting in the car, with the memories washing through her, Melissa came again.

She came fast, and she came hard, and it took a good few seconds before she could open her eyes, before she could take a few steadying gulps of air. Before her arms were steady enough to put the key in the ignition and start the car. Before she trusted herself to drive without smashing into anything or anyone.

When she finally threw the gear into reverse and looked around to make sure her path was clear, shock slammed through her. About ten bays down, a man—a stranger—leaned against his car watching her.

Melissa’s heart skipped a beat.

He’d seen her expression as she’d masturbated. Recognized what she’d done. For sure. The knowing smile on his face told her as much.

Melissa hit the accelerator, peeling out of the car park. As she drove, pressing her foot down too hard and too recklessly, she knew she should feel ashamed. And embarrassed. She knew she should regret what she’d just done.

But she didn’t. Couldn’t.

She’d relieved so much tension, so much inner turmoil, she couldn’t regret it. Besides, the knowledge that someone had watched her reliving her glorious moments with Ben only heightened the extreme pleasure of the entire evening. As dirty and as smutty as it was, Melissa hadn’t felt so free in a very long time. She loved the fact that she and Ben had fucked, and she loved the fact that someone had watched her touch herself.

For the first time since she was eighteen, Melissa felt satisfied. Felt as though she’d finally done something she’d wanted to do—and been rewarded for it very richly indeed.

Chapter Three

Slow down.

Take a deep breath.

Act normal.

Melissa looked sedately over her desk as Ben shut the door tight and made sure it stayed closed.

Oh, God. How could she act normally when her heart thundered like crazy? When just seeing him made her smile, made her feel as carefree as she had last night?

“Cowley,” she said by way of greeting.

“We need to talk.” Ben stalked across the room, leaned over her desk and rested his fingertips on it. He seemed agitated and out of sorts.

Alarm bells went off in her head. Ben was in her office, which must mean he needed to discuss work. Much as she’d have loved for him to visit her in her office just to chat, it had never happened. She’d never thought to allow it to happen. “Did something happen with the Everton bond?”