Breaking Out (2 page)

His warm breath tickled the shell of her ear. “Is it good, Evelyn? You want to scream, don't you? But you can't. If you make a noise I'll spank you again, this time until you come.”

Her body tightened. Breath rushed out of her nose, over his fingers.

“You want to come, don't you, baby?”

She quietly moaned her agreement. “All right. Because you performed so beautifully during the first part of your interview, I'll let you come. I need to come too. Then you're going to suck me hard again while I meet with my accounting rep. When I come the second time you're going to swallow every drop, never letting anyone know you're here.”

Her body gushed around him, pulsing and tightening. He rubbed her clit rapidly and her muscles locked. As she came in a rush, he moved his grip to her hips and fucked her relentlessly, groaning softly as he filled her with his release.

When he withdrew from her sex, she was trembling. He cradled her on his lap and kissed her temple. The intercom buzzed.

“Mr. Patras?”

“Yes, Seth.”

“Mr. McElroy is here from accounting.”

He glanced at her, tipping her chin back so he could see her face. “How are you, love?”

She smiled dazedly. She was wonderful. “Mm, I'm good, Mr. Patras.”

“Would you like to proceed with your interview?”

“Oh, I don't plan on leaving until the job is done.”

He grinned. “You know what I expect.”

She gently kissed his lips, then slithered off his lap, lowering her body to the floor. He stood and zipped his pants and fastened his belt as she fit herself beneath his desk.

Lucian leaned forward and pressed a button on the phone. “Send him in, Seth.”

The door clicked open and Lucian greeted the man from accounting. Evelyn quietly backed further into the niche beneath Lucian's desk. The other man said a quick hello and settled into the seat she had originally occupied at the start of her “interview.” The fine leather on the chair squeaked beneath his weight. She wanted to peek under the small space to see the other man's shoes, but was too afraid of inadvertently bumping her elbow or accidentally making a noise that would give her away.

“Let's see what you have,” Lucian said, his tapered legs coming back into view as he lowered himself into his chair. His shiny shoes eased forward, his chair gliding him closer.

Evelyn fit herself between his knees and was comforted when his hand lovingly petted over her hair and down her cheek. Like a cat, she pressed into the caress affectionately.

His hand disappeared as the sound of papers shuffled above her. Their voices were muffled. Her cheek grazed the tailored thigh of his pants. She'd never done anything like this before. Swirls of delicious, erotic tension knotted in her belly. Perhaps she was turning into an exhibitionist too.

Lucian had taught her early on just how much he enjoyed an audience. When he'd explained his fantasy of having her in his office for the day, servicing him like this, she knew it was the idea of being watched that made the fantasy so erotic for him. It didn't matter that the other person had no idea what they were witnessing—at least she hoped they didn't.

Shaky fingers steadied as they coasted up the inside of his thighs. Her body still bore the results of their last coupling, making her thighs sticky. She rubbed them together with pleasure, reveling in the sensation, Lucian's mark of possession. She found his belt and bit down on her lip as she quietly fed the leather through the small metal buckle. His torso elongated purposefully, giving her easier access.

The space under the desk grew warm, and her range of movement became limited as he hardened. Once the buckle was undone, she pushed it to the side, wincing as the clip accidently clanked against the metal catch on the other end. Lucian cleared his throat and continued talking. She had no idea what he was saying.

Her fingers found the tab of his zipper and slowly lowered it. The sophisticated snap of his pants was inside his waistband. She frowned as she worked to unlatch it. Once she had his pants undone, she spread the material into a wide V.

With nimble fingers, she unbuttoned the lowest three buttons of his shirt and spread the material wide. Lucian's muscled abdomen twitched beneath her gentle touch. Her lips pursed playfully as she teased him by blowing softly over his tight stomach.

Knowing she wouldn't be able to get him out of his briefs, she smothered a laugh. He had
her
briefs—she ran her fingertip along the front seam of his underwear until she found the opening.

His knee jerked as she fed her fingers inside and withdrew him. It was no easy task. He was already fully aroused. Once she had his length in her hand, she gripped him, marveling at the softness of his skin over steel, the firm weight filling her palm.

Easing up on her knees, she took him in her mouth and had the satisfaction of hearing his voice shift in timbre. Her lips stretched over him as she pressed forward, taking him to the back of her throat. His knees clamped into the sides of her body, squeezing her tight, restricting her breathing.

The other man's muffled voice filled the office as she wrapped her fingers at the base of Lucian's cock and quietly pumped him in and out of her mouth. He eased back in his chair and there was suddenly a tapping sound rattling over her.

Her brow knit with confusion. Releasing him, she turned her face and looked up. He was rapidly twiddling a pen between his fingers, tapping the edge of his desk. She smirked. It must be killing him, having to keep his hands to himself. Lucian was very hands-on when it came to oral sex, or any sex for that matter.

Knowing she was making him insane only made her go at her task with more zest.

Ms. Keats shows great enthusiasm for tackling objectives on the job.
She giggled.

“Did you hear something?” the muffled accountant's voice asked.

There was a sudden pinch at her scalp as Lucian's hand tightened over her snugly wrapped hair. “My apologies, McElroy. I skipped lunch,” Lucian quickly explained. His warning touch was gone before the other man could notice Lucian's hand disappearing beneath the desk.

She returned to her task a bit chastised, but also a bit cocky. The meeting continued, and she wondered if Lucian would really allow her to finish him in front of the accountant. She had no idea how he would manage to keep a straight face.

She sensed him getting close when his thighs lifted. Voices continued to travel overhead as he toed off one shoe. She frowned and released him as he shifted his legs. She eased back, unsure of what he was doing.

His right leg adjusted in the cramped space, the tip of his socked toe fitting between her knees and extending until he found her core. She jumped at the contact. Breath stuttered out of her as his socked foot grazed her clit and her labia. She bit her lip to keep quiet.

There was a sudden clatter. “Pardon, I dropped my pen,” Lucian apologized. Her eyes dropped to the carpet and spotted the pen. Dark eyes suddenly had her pinned. They creased with mirth. He smiled and reached for her.

She was huddled against the back of his desk. Her eyes widened, unsure what he was doing. Since his foot had joined the play she'd grown incredibly distracted.

His fingers wrapped around the back of her neck and drew her back to his lap.
Oh, okay, keep going then . . .

He rose just as his fingers swept up the pen. “My apologies. Got it.”

The other man continued talking. Her lips slid to the base of his cock as his palm pressed her head low. He held her there a few seconds. When his grip on her disappeared, she bobbed up and down quickly. He was being a bit brazen. She could be brazen too.

She relentlessly went at him. His foot continued to tease her. “Well, this all looks great. I'm going to call over to Shamus now and fill him in.” Lucian's voice was strained, but barely. He had remarkable self-control.

The other man made a muffled good-bye. The sound of footsteps faded and there was a click as the door closed. His cock popped from her lips and his chair propelled back. She was suddenly dragged out from under the desk, and he was on her.

The rough carpet burned her sensitive rear as his lips crashed over hers, his body pinning her to the floor. “So fucking hot, Evelyn,” he growled as his tongue knifed into her mouth. His fingers hooked beneath her knees and wrenched them up. He filled her almost violently.

The moan was unavoidable. He pounded into her, chafing her backside as he fucked her, propelling her from behind his desk. There was a sudden knock on the door.

Evelyn's eyes bulged, her head jerking toward the door and, as if in slow motion, the knob on the door turned. She smacked at Lucian's shoulders, but he was like a man possessed.

“Mr. Patras, is everything okay? I thought I heard . . .”

Evelyn screwed her eyes shut and turned her face away from the door and into his shoulder. Lucian suddenly stilled. “Not now, Seth,” he growled.

“My apologies!” Seth made a fast exit. The door practically slammed shut.

Neither of them moved for several heartbeats. Lucian's shoulders shook. He was laughing. She was mortified and he was fucking
laughing!

She shoved at him. “It's not funny.”

His shoulders trembled as he sucked in a deep, audible breath, and loud laughter spilled from his lips. She rolled her eyes. Her face was likely the color of the burgundy carpet. When she attempted to squirm out from under him, he stilled and frowned at her, his body locking down on hers.

“Where do you think you're going?” he asked, all humor gone.

“I'm embarrassed and you're laughing. We were just caught.”

His mouth spread into a tight, satisfied smile. He was too beautiful. At the moment, his attractiveness irritated her.

With complete seriousness, he said, “Ms. Keats, the interview is far from over.”

She narrowed her eyes and his crinkled with humor. He rotated his hips and she groaned. No matter how mortified her brain was, her libido was still raring to go.

Her head dropped to the carpet. “You damn exhibitionist pervert,” she grumbled.

He chucked. “You know you love it.”

She did, but she'd never freely admit it. Her chin pressed into her chest as he awaited her reply. “I'll never be able to come here again.”

“Nonsense,” he teased. “I plan on making you come here at least twice before I take you home.”

She mashed her hand into his face and shoved him. He laughed and kissed her. It wasn't long before she gave in and they were at it again; this time, however, there was no rushing. He made love to her, slowly and thoroughly.

The arrogant bastard was right as usual. She came twice more before he took her home.

Chapter 2

Home Sweet Home

“What are they?” Lucian's sister, Toni Patras, asked as she grudgingly edged closer to the vendor's table dressed in a dated blue cloth.

The vendor stood back, his tattered duds flapping worn hemlines like frayed flags with each teasing wind. His stained fingers remained hidden, tucked deep within his crossed arms. Apparently, he was aware that some of the company found his presence wanting. Evelyn's gaze met his, an empathetic curve to her mouth. She hoped his ego wasn't too wounded by Toni's hypercritical appraisal. Of all the Patras siblings, Toni's silver spoon was the largest, and in moments like this, Evelyn wanted to rip it out of her mouth.

The sidewalk sale was part of the Irish festivities that marked every March in Folsom. Participating in the revelry from this end was such an extremely different experience than what Evelyn was used to. All her life, she awaited the lull of the Annual Folsom Celtic Festival, because it gave way to a smorgasbord for the homeless. Half-eaten foods and bins of discarded toddies sometimes spiked with something to ease a bit of the nip in the air, awaited the empty bellies of the less fortunate. Forgotten jackets and hats littered the sidewalks alongside the trivial bullshit that rich folk wasted money on, like necklaces and bobbles that glowed for a day. Even now, Evelyn couldn't help but spot some of those forgotten pieces of trash that would soon become another's treasure.

This had always been her favorite time of year. After the parade came through the beribboned streets of Folsom, thoroughfares were littered with suckers and taffy and plastic jewels, all sorts of treasures a kid on the street never was handed in life.

Evelyn's memory of her small, dirty hand gripping the waxy wrapper of a long-ago found chocolate taffy transcended to her now manicured hand holding a collection of blue gems.
My, how times have changed.
Well, not times, but situations. Hers certainly had.

Unable to tear her gaze from the bobble she now held, she tried to answer Toni without losing patience. “I don't know.”

The sunlight caught on the various swirls of green and blue buried in the smooth stones, waves trapped in time.

“That's sea glass,” the vendor chimed in. Toni eased back as the vendor smiled toothlessly at them, his unclean odor wafting in their direction over the cool breeze. Evelyn smiled, finding great amusement in Toni's discomfort. This man was really no different than Evelyn, but Toni wouldn't know that. While the Patras family was not overtly snobby, they would never become used to those who lived a much rougher life. Toni was the most sheltered of them all.

“It's beautiful,” Evelyn complimented. Her gaze was transfixed on the various hues. She'd never seen the ocean, but she'd seen pictures. It was as if the stones had trapped those wild, radiant mercurial blues, entombed them together in a piece of glass. She found each little stone to be its own breathtaking work of art. More impressive that it was made by nature. Man could only attempt to imitate such beauty, but this was authentic, something that had been touched by the ocean.

“That there is real silver,” the vendor said informatively, drawing Evelyn's gaze from the enchanting stones to the other merchandise on display.

Toni gave the dealer an insincere but polite smile and returned the spoon she was holding to the cloth-covered table. She shifted her bag and sighed. “Come on, Evelyn. There's a sale at the Coach boutique I want to hit.”

Evelyn looked back to the stones filling her hand, now warm from her own body heat. “Um, okay. Just let me get Dugan.” She pivoted and found their driver already approaching at the mention of his name. “Dugan, I'd like to buy these stones.”

Toni frowned at her, her face scrunching like that of a shar-pei. “What are you doing, Ev? All this stuff's junk.”

Irrationally, a twinge of offense on the stones' behalf filled Evelyn. Her embarrassment about Lucian's sister on the
vendor's
behalf was completely rational. Her fingers closed over the stones protectively as if to save their inanimate feelings.

“They're pretty,” she said, slightly self-conscious of how uncultured she could be. There was so much about her she feared Lucian and his family would one day see as too weird to bother with.

Evelyn never had pretty things before Lucian. Clothes cost a fortune where he shopped, and she simply couldn't fathom the difference between a two-thousand-dollar pair of shoes and a ten-dollar pair. She humored him when it came to her wardrobe, knowing it pleased him to provide for her and see her dressed in fancy things, but this was different. A stone didn't have to be a diamond or a ruby to be pretty.

It was indulgent and silly, but Evelyn wanted it. “How much for these five?”

The vendor extended his neck and examined her finds. Motioning with a dirty hand to the grouping of other blue glass along the table, he said, “I'll give you all ten for five dollars.”

Evelyn smiled as Dugan withdrew his wallet. “And what about these?” she asked, gesturing toward the eclectic grouping of silverware spread out along the edge of the table. There were other items too, jars of old buttons, broken earrings that looked dated, tattered old black-and-white photos, and some vintage typewriter keys.

Before the vendor could answer, Toni stepped in. “What are you going to do with a bunch of mismatched forks and spoons, Evelyn?”

She shrugged. “I don't know. They're neat.”

“They're tarnished,” Toni mumbled, her mouth drawn to the side in disapproval, dimple forming an unhappy divot in her cheek.

“They'll clean right up with the right type of cleaner, ma'am,” the vendor offered pleasantly enough. She liked that he didn't back down under Toni's disapproval.

Dugan handed her a hundred-dollar bill, and Lucian's sister scoffed. “This stuff is all crap.”

Evelyn frowned at her. The vendor obviously heard her. Now Toni was just being rude. She took the bill from Dugan and lifted her chin. “How much for all of it?”

With bulging eyes, the dealer said, “Uh . . .” He did a quick inventory of his goods. “Forty?”

“I'll take it all,” Evelyn announced proudly, and Toni threw up her hands in exasperation, turning away from the table. The vendor grinned, wide and toothless, an expression of sheer joy on his haggard face.

“Do you have a bag?”

“I sure do, ma'am.” He quickly reached under the cloth of the table and pulled out a stack of newspaper and a crinkled, plastic grocery bag. Evelyn smiled and made small talk with the man as he carefully wrapped her treasures. Toni stood a few feet away tapping the toe of her expensive boot.

When he handed Evelyn the bag, it was heavier than she expected. Dugan relieved her of it and silently stepped back from the table. She held out the hundred-dollar bill for the merchant.

His expression fell. “Uh, I'm 'fraid I can't break that, ma'am.”

“That's okay,” Evelyn said in good spirits. “You keep it. Go get yourself some lunch and maybe buy something nice for yourself now that your afternoon's free. I saw another vendor down that way selling gloves for a dollar, the nice warm kind.”

He looked at her hesitantly, his eyes weighing her sincerity. His gaze returned to the crisp bill being offered to him. She extended her arm a little more. When he still didn't take it, she reached for his gnarled hand, opened his fingers, and closed them over the money.

“Thank you for all the beautiful treasures,” she said, and turned to find Toni.

Lucian's sister awaited her with comic disapproval accentuating her posture. Evelyn had no regrets about her purchase. The change from the hundred dollars was worth the joy she put on that man's face. The bag of treasures was just a bonus.

Her gaze caught on a small yellow taffy at the edge of the curb. Evelyn grinned and bent to pick up the overlooked treat left in the wake of the parade that morning, its waxy wrapper spreading a warm, nostalgic heat through her chest. When she stood and faced Toni, it was clear the other woman thought she was nuts. Evelyn didn't care. The yellow ones were the best.

They walked from one end of Folsom's classier district to the other. Evelyn's toes were screaming to get out of her narrow-toed kitten heels by four o'clock. Thank God she had the good sense not to wear her dagger heels out today. If she had, she'd probably be leaving a trail of blood in her wake, which was still a possibility, even in kitten heels. Unless shoes had rubber soles she pretty much hated them.

By the time they neared the limo, Dugan was completely weighed down with boutique bags and designer boxes. Luckily, even the lacy wrappings of such a girlie outing couldn't detract from his manliness. Dugan was a tree of a man and loyal to the bone to Lucian.

At six foot five, roughly three hundred pounds and not an ounce of fat, Dugan was all man. His gruff, thin lips tucked within the handlebars of his mustache gave him an unapproachable presence that allowed him the solitude he seemed to favor. His eyes, however, sometimes hinted at a much softer man beneath. She'd been working on getting his freak flag up for a while, but so far no such luck.

“Scout?”

Evelyn stilled and turned at the sound of her name. Scanning the pedestrians surrounding them, her eyes landed on the familiar, bouncing curls of Lucian's friend Jamie. “Jamie, hi! What are you doing here?”

“I had a business lunch that was canceled, so I figured I'd walk around.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, his Irish eyes smiling. “No Lucian today?”

She sighed. “No, he had some things he needed to take care of. Luckily I was able to find a stand-in.”

Jamie's gaze lifted and traveled past her shoulder. The moment he spotted Lucian's younger sister, a blank mask forcibly settled into place. Evelyn always got a kick out of observing the two of them dance around the sexual tension they shared. According to Lucian's older sister, Isadora, Toni and Jamie had been playing this game of cat and mouse for years. However, poor Jamie was the mouse.

Do it already!

“Antoinette,” he greeted coolly.

“Well, well, well, if it isn't Shamus the anus.”

He pressed his lips together. “Mature, Toni. I can see you've grown up quite a bit.”

Toni shrugged indifferently, but the proof of her embarrassment following her juvenile outburst was clear as her color rose and her lip quivered slightly. So much of that toughness was an act to hide her insecurities.

Looking back at Evelyn, Jamie asked, “Did you find some good sales today?”

Toni rolled her eyes and blew out a puff of air, clearly over her own issues. “I did, but Evelyn got ripped off. She bought some dirty man's trash.”

It was Evelyn's turn to blush. Toni was twenty-three, just like Evelyn, but they had led two very different lives until recently. There was an immature quickness to Lucian's little sister that Evelyn wasn't sure how to take sometimes. She laughed nervously. “It wasn't trash. It was a collection of stones and eclectic silver spoons.”

Jamie's jaw ticked. He was one of the few people who knew she had grown up on the streets. She never had the guts to ask him not to share that information. Evelyn looked at him pleadingly, hoping she wouldn't regret never having that conversation with him.

“Well, for those not born with a collection of silver spoons in their mouths, they have to buy them somewhere,” he said succinctly, hitting Toni with a pointed look.

Toni let out a very unladylike sound. “You're an asshole, Jamie.” She turned and marched away. “I'll be at the car.”

Jamie rolled his eyes. “Don't mind her. She's too young to realize not everyone grows up with every request met at the drop of a hat.”

Evelyn didn't see the point in mentioning she and Toni were the same age. She smiled tightly, acknowledging without words that he tried to casually come to her defense without giving too much away.

His eyes softened. “What did you get?”

Feeling silly now, she blew off his question as she swatted at a strand of dark hair blowing across her face and irritably tucked it behind her ear. “Nothing. Maybe it
is
junk.”

Jamie's smile eased with understanding that felt a little too much like sympathy. Shame on her for letting all of Toni's comments get to her.

“If you liked it I'm sure it isn't junk.” His long fingers lifted and tucked the unruly strand of dark hair tightly behind her ear. His fingers pinched the edge of her chin affectionately. “Send Lucian my best. Dugan.” He tipped his chin at their driver before turning away, his blond corkscrew curls slowly fading into the melee of pedestrians shuffling over the pavement.

When she reached the limo, Dugan had already loaded their purchases into the trunk. Reluctantly, Evelyn climbed into the cab of the limo. Toni sat, arms akimbo, sulking on the far seat. Evelyn was tired. She missed Lucian and didn't have the energy for his sister anymore today.

Without wasting time, Toni snapped, “He's such a dickwad!”

Evelyn sighed.

“You know, I
am not
spoiled! I can't help it if I have better taste than most people. I mean people appreciate my taste. I bet you didn't know I was offered a job as a style consultant.”

Evelyn did know, because it was something Toni brought up often. Before she could comment, the girl continued. “You know, Shamus used to be fun, but now he's just a miserable old fart.”

Shamus, or Jamie as he usually went by, was not old. But there was no stopping Toni once she started.

“He needs to get laid. That's the problem. He dates all those plastic bimbettes and doesn't have a clue about what good sex is.”

Evelyn thought about Toni's string bean boyfriend, Peter. No matter how she tried, she couldn't imagine him being able to masturbate satisfactorily let alone fuck above par. Toni continued to grumble and rant until they reached her apartment. The doorman stacked her purchases on a brass pull cart, and Toni kissed Evelyn's cheek affectionately.