Forbidden Surrender (5 page)

“Look, I admitted I’m attracted to you, but we shouldn’t have acted on it. You’re a client for Christ’s sake. You caught me off guard and I was confused.” I tried to make it sound as convincing as I could, but he didn’t look like he was buying.

He stooped to pick up the paperwork and my work bag. As he walked over to me, I scrambled to my feet. My heels felt wobbly, and I took a step back, worried he was going to kiss me again.

He eyed me darkly, “Are you sleeping with anyone?”

He just wasn’t going to give up. “No, but I don’t—”

“Then there was no mistake. Stop apologizing, and stop denying what happened. We both wanted it.” His brows narrowed, his gaze was intense. It was clear we were both exasperated, but for very different reasons. “If you still think you’re confused, I’ll make you a bet: before this week is done, you’ll be touching yourself while thinking about me.”

His casual reference to my masturbation routine left me shocked and wordless. Though I was no prude, I hadn’t talked openly about touching myself to anyone but Riley and certainly not with any men I’d dated. And I wasn’t even dating Vincent!

He watched my shocked expression as if waiting for me to speak, but I couldn’t think of a coherent response.

“Right now I have a meeting. What I said earlier stands. If you’re not my point of contact, I’m not doing business with Waterbridge-Howser.” He gave me the signed contract and guided me to the door, his hand at the small of my back. I didn’t have the energy to fight it. “This isn’t over Kristen. We’ll discuss later.”

When I stepped out of the office, no one seemed to notice my shellshock or even pay me any attention. I let out a deep breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and checked my reflection in the glass wall, one eye trained on the office staff. The collar of my blouse had been turned upwards and I quickly folded it down. I ran my hands over my skirt to smooth out the wrinkles, but my panties were a lost cause. I’d have to pick up a spare on the way back or do without for the rest of the day. As I ran my fingers through my hair, I could see my face was a shameful red in my reflection.

The sooner I got out of there the better. That kiss was a mistake that might cost me more than my career. Now that Vincent had seen the effect he had on me, I had a nagging feeling he wouldn’t stop until he had exactly what he wanted.

I studied my face in the Waterbridge-Howser bathroom mirror again, searching for traces of what happened in Vincent’s office. It still didn’t look right. For the third time, I wiped off my lipstick and reapplied. It had to look fresh, like I decided to redo it after getting the contract in anticipation of the big celebration. This was a huge deal. I should be happy.

During the walk back to the office, I’d decided I was going to remain his point of contact. Nervous as it made me, landing Vincent would be huge for my career. I couldn’t let that opportunity slide. Even if I’d just let something almost unthinkable happen. A client had kissed me, and I had reciprocated. I knew he expected it to happen again, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to resist his potent sexual energy. It was irritating that a bad boy like him could have such an effect on me. Hadn’t I told Riley I liked nice and caring guys?

I closed my eyes again. I was still embarrassed. This was a high point in my career, but I felt awful.

I gave my makeup and hair one final appraisal before deciding they were fine. I practiced my celebratory smile but it looked off. I’d never been good at being phony.

The door opened and two first-year analysts walked in. I couldn’t wait any longer. It was showtime.

I walked out the door and Richard was waiting for me. “So how did it go?” he asked. His gray eyes were bolts of intensity. How on earth had he made it back from Jersey already?

I took a deep breath, put on my best fake smile, and held up the file. “The docs are signed. Deal’s closed. We got it.”

His hands shot up in triumph then came down awkwardly into a single clap. He looked torn whether or not to hug me but didn’t, instead taking the documents from my hand. I let them go willingly.

He quickly leafed through each of the required signatures as I shifted back and forth on my feet. “See, I told you we impressed him. Carl will be pleased. God I can smell the bonus already. Definite promotion.”

I nodded, smile still plastered on my face. The feelings stirring through my body weren’t fit for expression. More than anything, I was beginning to feel anger. This should be my breakthrough moment; I’d worked so hard for it. Instead, I was concerned about hiding my relations with Vincent from my employer so I wouldn’t get fired.

“You know, I was worried you were in there crying because something had gone wrong,” he said, his eyes fixed on the final signature. “I’m surprised he didn’t want me there for the signing. Did he say anything important?”

Before I could respond, a shrill voice came from our left. “Did I just hear we got Sorenson?”

I turned and saw the blonde curls and round face of Molly, another analyst. She had been at the company for five years and did good work, but hadn’t quite broken through yet. Her voice also carried in a way I didn’t think was possible before I’d met her. Not for the first time, I wondered if it could be heard on adjacent floors.

“Kristen and I locked it down today,” Richard said, holding up the documents.

“Wow, congrats!” She turned and waved her finger at me. “Now you better make sure you don’t let him take all the credit here. I saw you go to that meeting.” Molly worked under a different manager and had known Richard long enough that she could get away with such comments.

I barely trusted myself to speak but I had no choice. Still with my best fake grin, I shook my head. “I won’t.”

“Well I won’t stand for it if I hear you did.”

I nodded, wanting to put an end to the conversation. While we’d been talking, heads had been popping out of cubicles offering their congratulations. The rest of the work day passed in a blur of emails and catching up on other work. It seemed everyone was excited but me. How could I have let Vincent kiss me?

***

I walked into my apartment emotionally drained; I wanted to collapse on my bed and cry. Riley was sitting in the living room watching one of the housewives shows and eating noodles. She waved when she saw me come in and finished chewing.

“How did it go?” she asked excitedly. I’d texted her on the way to the meeting with Vincent for moral support, but had forgotten about following up afterward. There would definitely be missed messages on my phone when I looked at it.

“We got it,” I said wearily.

She screamed in delight, got up, and bounced over in her blue shorts and sorority t-shirt to hug me. I dropped my bag and reciprocated as best I could.

Riley seemed oblivious to my mood. “We
have
to go out and celebrate,” she said.

“I don’t know. I’m really tired.”

“Come on! This is the biggest moment of your career. I would
kill
to have something like this happen at my job.”

I looked at her and my shoulders slumped. “Sorry, I just need to wind down with a bath and fall asleep tonight. It was a really big day.”

She looked at me and frowned. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

Maybe someone
. I couldn’t bring myself to talk about it yet, so I shook my head. “I’m just totally beat. Stressful day.”

I felt her gaze linger for a second longer but she moved on. “Okay. But we’re celebrating this weekend and I’m
absolutely
not taking no for an answer. We can try that new tapas place. Sangria!”

I smiled. “Sounds like a deal.”

Riley nodded and went to the fridge to get what was probably her seventh diet coke of the day. “So what actually happened in the meeting?”

I looked away. “It’s kind of a blur. We talked, and after a while he was satisfied and signed. It’s hard to remember the details.”

“So this means a promotion, right? I remember you saying landing accounts was everything.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

I’d lied to my roommate. Remembering every second of that meeting was no problem at all. The problem was forgetting.

I went to my bedroom to change into my robe before walking into the bathroom. As I drew hot water for my bath, my thoughts lingered on Vincent. The audacity he had to kiss me in his office had me stuck between upset and impressed. I supposed it was to be expected from an adrenaline junkie like him. Obviously most of the risks he’d taken up to that point had worked out just fine. If this one failed, it was no sweat off his back. I recalled the incident in Cape Town. Compared to being bitten by a poisonous spider, kissing a girl was nothing.

I shrugged off my robe and poured my favorite bubble bath soap under the tap. The cinnamon candle I chose was one of my favorites, and I lit it while waiting for the tub to fill up. Once it had, I turned off the tap and stepped in, submerging myself up to my neck.

The warm water and fragrant scents had an immediate effect on my nerves. I’d chosen bubbles with notes of vanilla, sugar, almonds, and just a hint of musk. The combination was relaxing while making me feel sexy—something I needed because I wasn’t getting anywhere with my dating life. Or lack thereof. It’d been a long time since I’d even kissed someone, let alone had to resist a kiss. I’d forgotten these things take willpower.

I leaned back and closed my eyes, feeling the bubbles pool around my chest and neck. This was just what I needed. I wiggled my toes and started a body scan meditation I learned in yoga class, gradually relieving the stress from my system.

As I felt my muscles relaxing, I shifted and realized how sensitive my pussy was.
When did that happen?
I hadn’t been this aroused in weeks. Images of Vincent’s profile invaded my mind. His arms. His chest. And his waves of blonde hair inches above my face earlier that day while I was sprawled beneath him on his couch, his probing fingers raising my skirt to my hips. He felt even better than he looked.

I was vaguely aware of my hand sneaking toward my aching sex. When the pad of my finger touched my clit, I paused. Masturbating about Vincent wasn’t going to make this any better. I needed to forget my attraction to him and think of him only as a client. Maybe I should ask Riley to set me up with a date or two; she’d love the opportunity.

As if seeing other men would solve my Vincent problem. I smiled when I remembered him calling Richard “Dick” at the end of our first meeting. Bad boy or not, he was gorgeous, charming, and had a sense of humor. Forgetting my attraction to him would be like forgetting to breathe.

Maybe one touch. I let my hand graze my clit lightly, stimulating the sensitive nerves there. My breath caught and I tilted my head back. It’d been a few days since I last touched myself, which was normal. But since I met Vincent, days felt more like months. I tried another touch and an unexpected shiver ran up my spine, making me gasp. I’d anticipated a slow build, but after a few light strokes, I realized I was already primed.

He’d bet me I’d masturbate to thoughts of him. The gall of Vincent Sorenson. I always thought I’d be offended if someone said anything so crude to me, but it only heightened my attraction to him, which was annoying. I wanted to resist and prove him wrong—more for my own conscience than his—but I was rapidly becoming too aroused to care. What would it matter anyway? I’d never tell him and he’d never know. He wouldn’t have the satisfaction.

Without wasting time, I continued pleasuring myself, increasing both the pressure and area with each stroke until I was gliding up and down my lips in a slow circuit, coming up to my clit and down, easing in and out of my aching sex. Fingers steadily at work, my thoughts went back to Vincent. The fantasy of his strong hands exploring my body with his signature boldness drove me wild. My breath started coming in quicker bursts as I shortened my motion, an orgasm swelling in my core.

My phone rang, interrupting the moment. On the second ring, I realized it was my work phone. At eight-thirty. Nobody called that phone after work unless it was important, and I was expected to answer no matter where I was.

Drying my hands on my towel, I leaned out the tub and reached into my robe—reflecting, not for the first time, on how ridiculous it was I had to take my work phone into the bathroom with me.

Strange. Whoever was calling had an unknown number.

“Kristen Daley,” I answered.

“I hope I’m not catching you at an awkward moment.” The familiar voice made my pulse leap.

Vincent
. I became all too aware of my compromised state with him on the other line. Why did this have to happen to me?

I was tempted to hang up, finish my orgasm then call him afterward with a clear head but I wouldn’t know what number to dial. I took a deep breath hoping to calm my nerves enough that my voice would come out evenly. “Mr. Sorenson, of course not. How can I help you?”

“You know it’s Vincent,” he said, correcting me. “I’m afraid I have a problem.”

My heart skipped a beat. There were numerous problems he could have, one of them being regret for signing with my employer earlier today. “What problem are you having?”

He sighed deeply into the receiver. “I haven’t been able to focus on my meetings or get any work done. You’re constantly on my mind. I need to taste your lips again. Uninterrupted.”

I tried to think of something to say, but first had to find the pieces of my mind that had scattered across the bathroom.

“I’m flattered. But that sounds like a personal problem that I can’t help you with, Mr. Sorenson.”

“Vincent. And tell me if you haven’t thought about me as well.”

I briefly wondered if my company recorded conversations on this phone but remembered IT telling me they didn’t. Regardless, I needed to steer this discussion away from lips and tasting. “
Vincent
, I’m sorry, but this discussion just isn’t professional.” I didn’t understand why it was so hard for him to get that into his head.

“Then let’s end it. We’re two consenting adults who have a strong sexual attraction for one another. What do we have to do to make this happen?”

A curious bubble swam towards my chest and I popped it with judiciousness. “As an adult, I admit our mutual attraction, but you and I can’t happen. Personal relations with clients are forbidden by my employer. If you have a problem with that, speak to the Waterbridge-Howser human resource department.”

“I already checked. There aren’t any rules against it.”

Damn it, he was determined.
“There are office politics. I could get fired or dead-end my career—I hope you understand that. You might not have anything to lose, but I do.”

“I’m losing my mind thinking about you.” The urgency in his voice was surprisingly endearing. It was both unsettling and relieving to know I had such an acute effect on him. “I felt the way you kissed me. You want more.”

My hand at my forehead, I closed my eyes and sunk lower into the tub as I tried to control my rapid breaths. “Vincent, it was a heated moment and we both got carried away. That’s all.”

His voice became dark. “Have you touched yourself yet?”

I hesitated, my grip on the phone tightening. “That’s really none of your business.” My response came shakier than I’d wanted and I silently cursed myself.

“Already,” he purred, the silky vibration raising goosebumps across my skin. “Kristen, let’s be reasonable about this. I promise you the real thing is better than whatever you’re imagining.”

I squeezed my thighs together to suppress the growing need between them and sighed. “Please don’t make this so hard.”

“I am hard,” he grunted then paused as if thinking, and when he spoke next his gruff voice was dripping with desire. “You’re naked right now, aren’t you?”

My toes curled against the drain cover.
How did he know that?
His ability to sense my arousal through the phone was uncanny, and I briefly wondered if he could also read my mind. “Nice try,” I lied, a smile creeping across my face despite myself. “But I need to get going, if that’s all.”

“God, Kristen. If you’re touching yourself right now it’s only a fraction of the pleasure I’d give you.” He sounded as pained as the throbbing ache growing between my legs. “You’re selling both of us short.”

His strong words had an even stronger effect on my body. I was afraid I was going to start touching myself again if I didn’t get off the phone. The need was becoming overwhelming with him on the other end of the receiver; he was so far away yet so close.

I exhaled deeply, preparing the words I needed to say to him. “As your advisor, I recommend you hang up the phone, then with that same hand pleasure yourself until your arm goes numb or you’re satisfied—whichever comes first. Once you’ve finished, you’ll have forgotten all about me.”

When he didn’t respond, I began to wonder if my brush-off was too harsh. Then he spoke. “I made the right decision to have you as my point-of-contact. You’re everything I expected and more. We’ll be in touch.”

I heard a click then silence. I looked at my phone a second before putting it back in my robe pocket. What did he mean I was everything he expected and more? Was that whole conversation just some kind of weird test? The idea annoyed me further.

I sighed in frustration. The sexy-relaxing combo I’d been working with wasn’t going to cut it anymore—all relaxation had gone down the drain with that call. I needed a glass of wine and my bed. It had been a long, long time since I’d been this horny. My entire body felt like a wound spring.

I swung my leg over the side of the tub, intending to get out but gasped at the sensitivity. My sex, forgotten during the heat of the conversation, was swollen with desire. Knowing I wouldn’t fall asleep without release, I rocked back into the tub and kicked my legs up. My fingers returned to where they’d been before and I resumed stroking, eager to flush myself of an irritating ache that had only grown worse during Vincent’s call.

I thought of Vincent on top of me, the way his strapped arms would look as they braced his weight, the feeling of his rough grip, the raw power of his lithe body stretched out.

My strokes became shorter as my orgasm neared its peak.
You’re naked right now, aren’t you?
His lurid accusation intensified the stimulation and I increased my pace until the sensation was unbearable. The next second I felt the first shudders of the most powerful orgasm I’d ever had rip through my core. I gripped the edge of the tub to brace myself as I trembled with relief and satisfaction.

After a few small aftershocks, I came down from my bliss. My head was clearer than it had been moments ago and I assessed the situation. There were worse things than having a hot billionaire obsessed with you. If I could keep my actions in check, working with Vincent would be great for my career. On the downside, he was seductive as sin and persistent to a fault. I briefly imagined all the women willing to do anything he asked of them. A bad boy like him could really hurt me, and if anyone should’ve learned that lesson, it was me.

I got out of the tub and dried off. It was already getting late and I was more than ready to slip beneath my covers to end this exhausting day, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing. After tossing and turning in bed for an hour, preoccupied with thoughts of Vincent, I grumbled in resignation.