All Work and No Play (4 page)

Her eyelashes fluttered up as she aimed a startled look at
him. “You think so?” she whispered.

“Of course.
Christ, even a blind
man can see you’re beautiful.”

A rare blush stole across her cheeks as she fiddled with the
top button of his shirt.

He frowned, slightly puzzled. “Anna, you don’t mean to tell
me no man’s ever told you how gorgeous you are. I can’t believe Australian men
could be that dense.”

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard it before, but...” She toyed with his
button again. “But not from someone like you.”

He inhaled a breath, filled with an incomparable feeling of
satisfaction. God, she could puff up his ego with a mere blush. The skin of his
chest warmed where her fingers brushed against his shirt.

“Have you made up your mind about that button?” he asked,
emboldened by what she’d confessed to him.

“This button?”
She sounded puzzled
as her hand stilled against his shirt.

“Are you undoing it? Because I’d like to be somewhere more
appropriate than this street when you do.”

“
When?
”
Her gaze flew up to clash with his. The blushing Anna was gone, and the
prickly, wary one was back.

He slid his hands slowly down her back, following the curve
of her spine, and finally settled his palms around her hips. She felt perfect
in his grip. For a second he allowed himself to imagine how she would feel
moving beneath him, naked and svelte, skin against skin.

“We both know one little kiss isn’t enough to satisfy us.”
He forced a calm tone to conceal his raging need.

“I see.” Her head tilted up. “Is that your considered,
thousand-dollar-an-hour consultant’s view?”

“Precisely.”
He
kneaded
her hips, and was rewarded by a full body tremor she couldn’t hide. “In this
consultant’s view, there’s only one solution to our problem.”

Anna found it difficult to breathe.
Where was all her self-composure, her common sense? It was so hard to think
when Giles had his hands wrapped around her hips, caressing her and sending hot
waves of lust through her. Those hands of his promised her strength, virility,
and decadent delights.

In the shifting shadows he stood tall over her, his naked
desire clear despite the dimness. He wanted her, plain as day. But he wouldn’t
press her if she refused. This was something she instinctively knew without
having to wonder. Giles would allow her to make up her own mind, and he’d abide
by her decision.

But what decision was that? What was she to do with this
highly inconvenient urge to rip his clothes off and wrestle him to the nearest
bed?

“Anna?” Giles traced a finger across her cheek. “We don’t
have to do anything, you know.”

She became aware that she’d been lost in thought for some
while and that Giles must have taken her silence for refusal.

Not do anything? She pondered this option and quickly shook
her head.

“Ignoring it won’t make the problem go away,” she said. She
inhaled as Giles’ finger slid slowly down her neck, spreading exquisite
pleasure across her skin. Lord, how could she make the right decision when she
was being so thoroughly turned on? With a deep breath, she pulled away,
dropping her arms to her sides, and regret flashed in Giles’s eyes as the gap
between them widened.

“What, then?” he asked, tension threading through his voice
as he pushed his hands into the pockets of his pants. “You want me off your
project?”

“Of course not!” she burst out. “I could never get
everything done without your help.” That fact was crystal clear. She rubbed her
upper arms, nervous about telling him the truth but knowing there was no other
solution. “But even with both of us working together, the truth is, I—we—aren’t
likely to meet our deadline because this—this
thing
between us is messing with our concentration and interfering
with our ability to focus on work.” She halted and chewed on her lower lip.
“Well, maybe it’s just me that’s affected. You probably—”

“No,” he interrupted with a quick shake of his head. “It’s
me, too.”

She swallowed. Good to know she wasn’t the only one suffering
from the most serious bout of inconvenient and unresolved sexual tension she’d
ever experienced.

“Okay. Well. So I have a proposal to put to you.” She
hesitated, and Giles stiffened, tension radiating off him. His was such a large
presence, and she was intimately aware of his body vibrating with anticipation
just inches away from her. Awareness dried her throat, causing her to lick her
lips anxiously. “One night,” she said, surprised at how steady her voice
sounded.
“One night together.
No names, no
pack drill
.”

He sucked in an audible breath, making her aware of his
rising chest.
“Only one night?”

“To get it out of our systems so we can focus on work.”

“Are you sure one night is enough for that?”

She flushed briefly. “One night is all I can offer you. And
after that we never speak of it again. Not to anyone, not even ourselves. It
will be as if it never happened. I can’t stress that enough.” She fixed her
gaze on Giles’s face. “No one must ever find out about this, do you
understand?”

“Loud and clear.”

They both knew she was taking a bigger share of the risk
than he. If the managers at
FrogLeap
discovered she’d
slept with their highly paid consultant, it would be her reputation that would
suffer, not his. Giles would move on to other assignments and other companies,
whereas she could be left with a permanent stain on her professional
reputation.

But in the short term it was worth the risk, wasn’t it?
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. God, she’d never had to make such a tough
decision. But then again, she’d never been so sorely tempted by a man.

“Well?” She shook her hair back and aimed for a nonchalant
stance, reluctant to show him how nervous she was.

Giles seemed not to share her anxiety. He leaned towards
her, hands still buried in his pockets as if he didn’t trust them anywhere
else. “Of course I accept,” he said in a low, firm voice. “And it goes without
saying that you can depend on my discretion.” He let out a soft sigh as though
he couldn’t believe what was happening, and his eyes warmed on her, causing her
stomach to flip as his attraction wove through her, stronger than ever. “Where would
you like to go?
Your place or mine?”

“Yours,” she said instinctively. “It’s closer.” She knew he
lived in Potts Point, a five-minute taxi drive away at this time of night,
whereas it would take at least twenty minutes to get to her Leichhardt
apartment. Also, going to his place meant she could leave when she wanted and
on her terms.

With a smile, he draped one arm around her shoulders and
drew her gently towards him. She
quivered,
her body eager
for the contact. Her head tipped back automatically against his arm, and it
seemed only natural for him to bend over her and kiss her, a light, feathery
kiss that left her tingling for more.

“Let’s go,” he muttered, and the dark hunger in his voice
made Anna shudder even more.

***

Her heart was beating in her throat
like a hummingbird when Anna entered Giles’s apartment. She glanced around but
barely took in anything, her senses consumed by the man closing the door behind
her. She was vaguely aware of high ceilings, white walls, and a striking
abstract painting before Giles cupped her elbow and steered her down the
hallway, pausing at the entrance to a spacious living room.

“Uh, would you like a drink?” The hesitation in his voice
surprised and charmed her. She’d assumed Giles was a smooth operator at this,
but it seemed—at least with her—he wasn’t so suave.

She reached up to stroke his jaw, enjoying the feel of his
stubble breaking through at this late hour. “No drink,” she murmured.
“Just you.”

His fingers laced through hers and gripped her firmly before
he towed her further down the hallway and pushed open a door to his bedroom.
The room was airy and minimally furnished to make a bold statement. White
walls, dark stained wooden floorboards, a big bed with a padded leather
headboard and piles of crisp white linen.

She had a second to take it in before his urgent hands spun
her to face him, and finally he kissed her. It seemed like forever since they’d
kissed in the street. His mouth moved hungrily over hers, seeking and giving,
warm and voluptuous. Standing on tiptoe, she wrapped her arms around his neck
and pressed her body against his, eager for every inch of contact. When his
tongue stroked against hers, fire streaked through her veins. She purred her
pleasure, and he gripped her even tighter.

Still kissing her, he walked her backwards until the back of
her knees met the edge of the bed. He paused, lifting his head to gaze down at
her. In the buttery glow of a bedside lamp his eyes sparkled like the sea, and
a lock of chestnut hair fell untidily over his brow.

“Anna.” His earnest tone contrasted with the wild emotions
zigzagging between them.

“Giles.”
She tried to match his
solemn note but couldn’t. Recklessness had her surging up, wrapping her arms
around his neck and pulling him with her as she let herself topple backwards
onto the bed.

He broke the fall by bracing his arms on either side of her,
his face so filled with surprise she couldn’t help chuckling. “What’s the
matter, Giles? Didn’t you expect me to go through with it?”

Propping himself up on one elbow, he gazed down at her, his
weight easily pinning her to the bed. “I don’t know what to expect from you.”

She writhed under him, enjoying the sensation of his body
compressing hers. Through the thin fabric of his trousers she could feel
muscled thighs and a swelling groin. The image made her skittish with
anticipation and brought with it also a small burst of nerves. It had been a
while since she’d been with a man. But that didn’t matter, did it? Sex was like
riding a bike. Once you knew how to, you never forgot. Or so she hoped.

She popped open the buttons of his shirt. “Is this what you
expect?” she murmured, running her hand over his bare chest. His skin was lightly
tanned and firmly muscled with a faint smattering of hair. My God, he was
gorgeous. She traced his pectorals, dizzy from his masculine beauty, and pushed
the shirt off his shoulders.

He obliged by shrugging the shirt completely off him before
he leaned over her, his shoulder muscles flexing as he reached for the buttons
of her shirt. His deft fingers undid the row of buttons and drew the fabric
aside. He paused to inhale a breath, his eyes glowing like gas as he took in
her satin and lace bra.

“Now this I definitely did not expect,” he said as he traced
a finger over the pearl-coloured cups with their delicate edging of black lace.

She gulped as his finger created a trail of burning pleasure
across her flesh. “It’s one of my hidden vices,” she gasped out.

“Expensive, sexy lingerie under your
conservative business clothes?”
His fingers swirled over the tip of her
bra cup, and she automatically arched her back, following the delicate caress.
“My God, Anna.
All these weeks I’ve been at the office and
this is the kind of thing you’ve been wearing every single day?” He groaned
before lowering his head and closing his mouth over her breast. Even through
the satin his heat made its mark on her and her nipples peaked, aching for his
touch.

He was breathing faster now, and the bulge in his pants had
grown heavier and hotter. She thought maybe he’d let himself go and get rid of
the rest of her clothes in a hurry, but it seemed he had more self-control than
she. Shuffling lower, he eased his hands behind her waist to
unzipped
her skirt and pushed it off her legs.

“Glad to see you bought the matching set,” he said, sounding
hoarse as he took in the skimpy satin and lace panties.

The look of pure lust on his face made her feel incredible.
She shuddered as she basked in his appreciation, aware that no other man had
ever triggered such a visceral response in her. He’d barely begun to touch her,
but already she was drenched with need, her body burning to be joined with his.

Giles’s gaze roved slowly over her before settling on her
face. She felt flushed and unsteady and slightly exposed, though she wasn’t
even naked yet.

“You’re full of surprises,” he said, brushing a strand of
her hair away from her cheek.

The gentleness of his fingers caused her breath to catch in
her throat. Giles was a constant surprise, too, she realised. She’d assumed
once she’d agreed to spend the night with him that he’d be something of a
caveman, impatient to get to the main course, but instead he was being
thoughtful, tender, careful. Something she hadn’t bargained for.

Eager to smother her vague misgivings, she hooked her
fingers around his belt and fumbled with the catch. “Do you have a surprise for
me? Silk briefs, perhaps? Or boxers with
Santas
and
reindeers?”

Laughing, he helped her undo his belt and shucked off his
trousers to reveal plain black briefs stretched across his hips and bulging
groin.

“No
Santas
, no silk. Sorry to
disappoint you.”

“Who said I was disappointed?” She wasn’t fooled by the
plainness of his underwear. They were a top quality brand.
Only
the best for Giles.

She didn’t have time to admire his underwear as Giles
gathered her in his arms and proceeded to explore her with his mouth and hands.
He kissed and caressed her until she was on fire and gasping for air.
Half-delirious, she was vaguely aware of her bra being unclipped before the
satin slipped away, and Giles’s breath warmed her skin as his lips coasted over
her breasts. A hum of mindless gratification gathered in her throat and then
thickened into a muffled yelp as he sucked her nipple, hard and greedy.

Her body seethed with sensations as she contorted towards
his mouth, desperate for that forceful, almost painful suck. He lavished
attention on her breasts until her nipples were stiff, damp peaks before moving
on to her belly, his hands sliding inside her panties to cup her arse. He
squeezed her butt cheeks as he eased off her underwear. She couldn’t disguise
the wet neediness between her legs, didn’t want to, either. With Giles she felt
completely safe to abandon every caution.

She tugged off his black boxers, confident of herself, of
him, of this night. The sight of his straining erection made her pause—heavens,
she hadn’t realised he’d been packing this!—before anticipation got the better
of her.

He laughed as she stroked his length and measured his girth.
“Anna,” he groaned unsteadily, hands fisting into the sheets as he clearly
strove for control. “You’re killing me here.”

“Don’t make me wait, then,” she whispered back.

Reaching over her, he opened a bedside drawer and found a
condom. When he was sheathed, he turned to her, hands on her shoulders as he
lowered her to the pillows and positioned himself between her legs. His
movements were gentle, yet she could feel the strength roiling in him, the
primeval power harnessed because of her. The realisation only made her more
frantic for him.

“Now,” she gasped, clasping her hands around his neck as she
arched her body, eager for him.

With a hungry groan he slid deep into her welcoming heat,
causing her to gasp again as her body adjusted to his size. His hips rolled as
he began to thrust into her, his movements measured and slow and inexorable.
Pleasure spiralled from her centre, taking her higher and higher until she was
in a plane where thought didn’t exist, just sensation, and the only sensation
was that of Giles around her, above her, in her.