Deceiving Her Boss (8 page)

 
"Please, Mr. Greyson..."

 
But Sean just moved with her around the floor, his mouth at her ear, talking to
her in a low and gravelly voice, one that Allie had never heard before. 
"For months now, I've been attracted to you, Allie.  Months.  At least
since Vegas, and probably before then.  I knew that there was something about
you that was different, but I couldn't figure it out.  You made me crazy.  You
were dressed in some of the ugliest clothes I've ever seen, none of it fit you,
and your skin... dear God, your skin.  What did you do to it, wear stage makeup
or something to look twice your age?  But still, Allie.  Still.  I wanted you. 
The night I took you home from my house, I wanted to kiss you.

 
"I went home that night and sat on my couch, and thought about you.  I
tried to figure out what there was about you that made me want you so badly. 
The only reason that I stayed away is that you worked for me.  You were my assistant. 
But I didn't take you on any trips with me after that, since I knew that I may
not be able to stop myself from taking you to my bed."

 
Sean looked down at Allie then, and she saw the intense anger burning in his
eyes, alongside something else.  "Do you understand what I'm saying,
Allie?  Do you understand what you've been doing to me?"

 
Allie shook her head and looked away, unable to comprehend what he was saying. 
She had done her best to make herself completely unappealing to the man, and to
stay far away from him in every way but professionally.  How could he possibly
be telling the truth now?  How could he have wanted the woman that she had
pretended to be?

 
For his part, Sean was trying hard to keep his own emotions under control.  On
the one hand, he was fuming that he hadn't seen through his assistant's guise. 
On the other hand, he wanted to take her to the nearest hotel, pull off the
gorgeous gown she was draped in, and drive himself into her until he was
completely sated.  And it would take a lot, he realized, before he was
satisfied.

 
One of his hands moved down her back to the small of her waist, and pulled her
forward, fitting her snugly against him.  She could feel his hardness moving
against her, and the desire she felt for him overwhelmed her.  She needed to
get away from him.  Needed space and distance, or she would make a fool of
herself on the dance floor.

 
Pushing frantically against him, Allie's movements bordered on panic.  Sean
felt that, and immediately released her from the tight embrace, but continued
holding her loosely by the shoulders.  Leading her off the dance floor, he
simply held her while she leaned into his shoulder, catching her breath. 

 
The music ended, then, and the cutting of the cake was announced.  Without a
word, Sean released Allie, who pulled quickly away and headed over to help her
friend.  For the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, Allie avoided
Sean.  She danced, she mingled, she laughed with her friends, but all the
while, she felt his eyes on her.  When she looked up, he was often engaged in
his own conversations, but his eyes always met hers, and she knew that he was
watching her.  And Allie wasn't sure if what she felt in response was fear or
excitement.

 
When Anna and Paul finally said goodbye to their friends and made their way to
a local hotel, Allie lingered for a bit longer to talk to other guests, before
she decided that it was late, and it was time to call it a night.  She hadn't
seen Sean around for a while, so she decided to try to make a break for it
while the coast was clear.  She had grabbed her tote bag and was just heading
over to one of the cars that had been arranged to take guests home when Sean
appeared beside her.

 
"Ready to go?" he asked her, as if they had come together, and were
now on their way home as a couple.

 
Allie nodded.  "I'll see you on Monday, Mr. Greyson."

 
A muscle in his cheek twitched.

 
"I'll take you home, Allie.  Did you bring a coat?"

 
"You don't need to do that, sir," she said quietly, remembering what
he had told her earlier about the last time he drove her home.  "Anna and
Paul arranged transportation.  I'll be fine."

 
"That wasn't an offer, Allie.  You and I still have a few things to
discuss.  Get your things, and I'll wait here for you."

 
"Perhaps we should discuss them here," she said reluctantly.

 
"Do not try my patience," Sean said mildly.  "You're not in a
good position to negotiate."

 
Allie sighed.  She supposed he was right.  "Very well," she
responded.  Indicating her large tote bag over her shoulder, she said,
"I'm ready."

 
Sean's touch on her elbow to guide her over toward his car was light, but Allie
knew better than to pull away.  After working for the man for over a year, she
knew his moods, and this one was a strange one.  He was angry, but there was
something else going on with him.  Rather than aggravating him by trying to
handle him, Allie decided to just wait him out.  He would say what he needed to
say when he was ready.

 
After stowing Allie's bag in the back seat, Sean helped her into his car and
made sure that her gown was fully inside before shutting the door gently. 
Moving over to the driver's side, he got in, started the ignition, and backed
skillfully out of his parking space.

 
"You can talk to me, Allie," he said with wry amusement, as he pulled
out onto the dark road.

 
"I have no idea what to say to you," she admitted.  "Apart from
anything related to work, and I know that's off limits tonight."

 
"It is," Sean said in dry amusement.  "But you've never had
trouble talking to me about other things before.  Even politics and religion,
if I remember correctly."

 
Allie smiled slightly.  "You're right.  But I'm having trouble tonight.  I
can't help thinking that you're furious at me, and it's hard to just talk
nonsense with that hanging over me."

 
"I am furious at you, Allie," Sean said quietly.  "And there's
not much you can say right now that would help."

 
"Then I think I'll just stay silent, if it's all right with you."

 
Sean looked over at Allie, who was sitting tensely next to him.  "For
now," he allotted.

 
Pulling up in front of Allie's apartment, Sean quickly got out of the driver's
seat and moved around to help Allie from the car.  He pulled her tote bag out
of the back seat, and offered her his arm.

 
Allie tried one time to leave him at the curb.  "I can get that.  Thanks
for the ride."

 
Sean just laughed without humor.  "Nice try, Allie.  Come on, I'll walk
you to the door.  Where are your keys?"

 
Allie sighed, then reached into her bag and pulled out a set of house keys. 
Sean reached over and took them from her, guiding Allie up the walk as he did
so.  After unlocking the door, he handed the keys back to her.

 
"Aren't you inviting me in?" he asked dryly.

 
"Do you really think that's a good idea?" she asked quietly in
return.

 
"I do, and here's why.  I intend to kiss you tonight, Allie.  And it's not
just going to be a peck on the cheek.  So unless you want to give your
neighbors a show..."

 
"Mr. Greyson," Allie tried one more time to protest, but her attempt
to keep things professional between them seemed to shatter Sean's patience. 
Without another word, he reached behind her, opened the door, slipped his arm
around her waist, and pushed her firmly inside.  Closing the door behind them,
he dropped Allie's bag and clamped his hands around her shoulders, pulling her
tightly against him, and then moving forward until she was sandwiched between
him and the wall.  His hands moved up then, framing her face and then pushing
into her hair to hold her firmly in place.

 
"My name is Sean," he growled at her.  "Say it, Allie.  And
don't even think of calling me Mr. Greyson, or I won't be responsible for what
I do to you."

 
"But..." Allie started to object, but Sean just angled her face
closer to his.

 
"Say it, Allie," he demanded, his voice once again gravelly with
need.

 
"Sean," she breathed at last, her gaze falling to his mouth, which
was clamped tight as he fought his own need for her.

 
At the sound of his name on her lips, Sean's control snapped.  His mouth
descended unerringly to hers, and he stole her breath as he fitted his lips to
hers.  It was a full-on assault, Allie knew.  It was a hard kiss, full of
punishment, anger, and need.  But it was the most amazing kiss Allie had ever
had in her life.  As Sean moved his mouth over hers, as he forced her to open for
him so his tongue could seek hers, Allie lost all thought and gave herself over
to feeling.

 
As soon as Sean felt her respond to him, his plundering stopped, and was
replaced by a seductive, sensual kiss.  His mouth moved over her face, nipped
at her ear, kissed her cheekbones and her chin, before again covering her own
mouth with a kiss that spoke of his desire.  Allie gave it all back to him,
knowing as she did so that this is why she had kept herself apart from him for
so long.  She had known, from the start, that she was susceptible to this man. 
That all it would take was one kiss, one touch, and she would be lost.  But now
she had no choice.  His direct onslaught took all of her inhibitions away.  And
she knew how badly she wanted this man.

 
"Sean," she breathed again, as his mouth moved down her neck and
nibbled along the top edge of her gown.  "Please."

 
"Please what, Allie?" he asked with a groan.  "What do you want
me to do?"

 
Allie's response was to reach behind him, under his suit coat, and to run her
hands firmly up his back.  Standing on her toes, she fit her body perfectly to
his, pulling one hand out to hold his head in place as she kissed him back with
all of the passion she had kept hidden for months.

 
Stripping off his suit coat and tossing it haphazardly onto the floor, Sean
reached again for Allie, wrapping his arms around her and hauling her against
him.  His hands moved on her back, and she felt him seek and find the long
zipper that held up her dress.  As he slowly drew it down the length of her
body, Allie felt the fabric loosening from around her body, felt cool air
hitting her skin where the dress had warmed it.  When the gown fell in a pool
at her feet, Allie realized that she was now standing in her boss's arms, clad
only in her strapless bra, her panties, and her sandals.

 
He pulled back then, still holding her shoulders firmly as his eyes took in her
slim form.  Allie saw the passion burning there as his hand moved to gently
stroke the tender skin above the line of her bra, and his eyes moved down to
the wisp of satin and length covering her.

 
"My God, Allie," he rasped, his voice thick with need.  "You're
beautiful."  Reaching down, he took her hand and moved it to his erection,
straining hard against his trousers.  "Feel what you do to me, Allie. 
Feel how much I want you."

 
But even though Allie wanted nothing more than to give herself to this man, and
to feel him over her, inside of her, she needed to stop this.   Despite what
had happened between them today, he was her employer.  And she couldn't,
wouldn't, become a cliché -- the secretary who sleeps with her boss.

 
Wrenching herself away, Allie picked up the gown and held it in front of her
like a shield.  "Wait," she managed to say, her throat tight with
need.  "Please."

 
Backing away, Allie moved into the bathroom and plucked her bathrobe from the
hook on the back of the door.  Long and heavy enough to cover her, she slipped
into it, knotted it at the waist, and left her gown hanging from the towel
rack.  Moving back out into the living room where her boss was standing, catching
his own breath, Allie said quietly, "I have to stop."

 
He nodded, restraining himself from reaching for her again.

 
"I'll go, Allie, but we need to talk for a few minutes first.  Where do
you want to sit?  And you'd better choose a place where there is some distance
between us.  I don't know if I can stop if I touch you again."

 
Allie led him into the living room and sat in a chair at one end of the room. 
Sean sat on the couch at the opposite side of the room.  When Allie was finally
able to look him in the eye, Sean said quietly, "We will talk more on
Monday.  But right now, I just need to know why."

 
Allie nodded.  She looked down at her fingers, clasped in her lap, and then up
at Sean.  She held his gaze, knowing that she needed him to see her, to really
see her, when she talked to him.  She needed him to understand, and she needed
him to believe her.

 
"I wanted a chance," she sighed.

 
Sean stiffened.  His previous three secretaries had all wanted a chance with
him too.  They wanted a chance to make him fall in love with them, so they
could marry him and his money.  Oh, he knew well what wanting a chance meant to
his secretaries.

 
But Allie was still talking, and Sean forced himself to listen to her.  Because
the one difference between her and his other secretaries was that she never
made a move on him.