One Night Forever (The Cinderella Chronicles) (10 page)

Discover our own little
secret world, our secret place no one else shares.

Meet me
tonight.

The Manhattan
Hotel

Nine o’clock—Room
2012

By the time she finished
reading, Lauren’s hand was shaking, and her insides trembling. The
note wasn’t signed, but then it didn’t have to be.

Lauren knew who had sent
it.

Dropping her
elbows to the desk she let her head fall into her hands.
Oh God
, what was she going to do? She couldn’t sleep with her
boss.

She couldn’t.

Could
she
?

She wanted him. So much
so that desire burned like a low flame ready to flare into an
inferno. Her eyes drifted shut, her thoughts racing with images of
their bodies entwined, of his mouth on hers, on her skin. He was
like a drug. She couldn’t help but consider the temptation he
represented.

Temptation. The word
danced in her mind. He was that and so much more. A knock sounded
on her door. She jumped and then shoved the note in her top
drawer.

Swallowing hard, she
forced her words, “Come in.”

When Greg appeared in her
office, Lauren wanted to crawl under the desk. His well-fitted blue
pin-striped suit, with a blue shirt and matching tie, seemed to
decorate the arrogance that clung to him like a second
skin.

“
It’s first
thing in the morning. We’re supposed to talk about our
ideas.”

She really didn’t need
this right now. “Right. Can we talk on the way to the
coffeepot?”

“
Better yet,”
he said, walking toward her, and grabbing the back of a chair. “Why
don’t we walk to the coffee shop on the corner and have a strategy
session.”

He’d shut the door when
he entered. Of course, it had been shut when he arrived, but it
still felt uncomfortable. Maybe, because she knew his intentions
were anything but respectable. And she wasn’t going for coffee with
him. Not now. Not ever.

“
I don’t think
that’s a good idea,” Lauren said with a firm rejection intended in
her tone. “I’m new. I doubt that would look good.”

“
We’re
grown-ups here,” he said. “The end result is all that
matters.”

“
All the same,
I’ll stay here.” Lauren motioned toward the door. “Shall we head
toward the coffee? I work best after a full pot. I’m only halfway
there.”

A few moments later, she
managed to exit the small confines of her office but Greg continued
to stay close. All of a sudden it felt like her life was full of
complications that all came from the male population.

* * * * *

There would be no sex
with Matt. She’d only come to talk. Only talk.

Lauren stood outside the
hotel room door holding the key card in a shaking hand. After a day
of thinking, distracted beyond belief, Lauren had come to a
decision. She had to put an end to this craziness before it
destroyed her future.

No way could she sleep
with her boss. To hell with Cat’s liberal ways. Her friend could
just stick a sock in her mouth and cut the lectures. Sleeping with
Matt represented a death sentence. For a massive industry,
advertising sported a relatively small group of real players. She
didn’t need to get a mark on her record.

She started to
swipe the key card, and thought better. Instead, she knocked.
Sending the right message was important. Using that key card seemed
like acceptance of intimacy. Impatiently, with no response, she
knocked again. Still, no answer.
No answer
?

Strange.

Maybe he changed his
mind.

Her teeth found her
bottom lip. Why did that bother her? She should be jumping for joy.
Matt backing out would be a blessing. Yet…secretly, she needed to
know he wanted her. Regardless of her refusal to act on their
attraction, knowing he had pursued her felt good. She really liked
Matt. Liked? She scolded herself for such an adolescent thought.
What was wrong with her?

Shoving aside the
thoughts, she focused on the present problem. What to do… Her eyes
drifted to the key card in her hand. Expelling a long breath, she
swiped it through the door. She had to know if Matt had shown up.
Was there a note inside? It would drive her nuts wondering. Tonight
was about putting closure to this. She needed to end the struggle
this caused her emotionally. That way she could focus on her
career.

Nervously, she pushed
open the door. It was dark except for the flickering light of
candles. She blinked several times as her eyes adjusted to the
dimness of the room. Lauren swallowed. Apparently, Matt hadn’t
backed out. The soft, sweet scent of vanilla filled her nostrils,
alluring and sensual. Shadows danced across the walls, while utter
silence filled the air. And Lord help her, she felt the thrill of
this planned seduction. Her skinned tingled with warmth. Her
nipples tightened and pressed against her bra.

And her heart…it raced.
It ached. It desired.

The room was a large
suite with a living room area and a bedroom. A large entertainment
center divided the two sections and acted like a wall blocking her
from seeing what might lie beyond. And she wanted to know. Was he
here or had Matt left?

Surely not with the
candles burning.

Tentatively, she stepped
toward the bedroom area. As the king-sized bed came into full view
she gulped. With a mixture of both anxiety and excitement, she took
in the vision before her. There were at least fifteen candles
scattered around the room. A single red rose lay in the center of
the bed. Beneath the rose was an envelope much like the one she had
found that morning.

This wasn’t going as
planned. And yet, it was exactly how she would design a fantasy.
Unable to resist, she tossed her purse in front of the television
and walked to the bed. She had to know what was in the envelope.
Hand shaking ever so slightly, she lifted the seal and pulled out
the note inside. She read it twice.

This is our secret world.
No one else enters. This world is yours and mine, where pleasure is
first, and fantasy can always be reality.

Lauren could hear her own
heart beating in her ears. She wanted this. She wanted Matt. But
she shouldn’t. But how could she not?

Then, as if out of
nowhere, his hands were on her shoulders, his mouth against her
ear. “I want to make love to you, Lauren. I want to kiss every inch
of your body so perfectly you never forget me or our little fantasy
world.”

His words were an
intended reminder. A reference to that first night in his apartment
when he had spoken them before. The meaning didn’t escape Lauren.
And she hadn’t forgotten. Not that night. Not Matt. She felt his
hands slide down her arms with tantalizing results. Goose bumps
formed a trail behind his caresses. His hands settled on her waist.
Though her mind screamed for her to step away, to stop this now
before it was too late…his touch seduced. Drawing her into a spell
of sorts. She was lost… It felt so incredibly good to have him
touch her again.

Acting off instinct and
need, Lauren’s head fall back against his shoulder. Matt’s scent
was warm and perfect as it infiltrated her senses, acting like a
splash of arousal dousing her body. Matt eased closer, ridding them
of the small space that had been between their bodies and his hands
flattened on her stomach. The action molded the roundness of her
bottom to his pelvis.

“
What do you
say, Lauren?” he asked brushing his lips along her earlobe. “Shall
we enjoy our own little fantasy world?”

Chapter Twelve

Lauren suppressed a
shiver. “I came here to talk,” she whispered, thankful Matt stood
behind her. All of her resistance—the little she retained—might
melt into those amazing dark eyes of his.

The touch of his lips, a
featherlight touch, brushed the delicate area of her neck and
enticed a shiver. “Then talk.”

“
I can’t when
you’re…” She lost the words when his hands slid up her sides, past
her ribs, and just barely skimmed the curve of her breasts.
Instantly, her nipples tightened. Lauren swallowed hard. Her
panties were damp with proof of arousal. If she didn’t act soon,
she wouldn’t. She knew she wanted Matt. Of that there was no doubt.
But being with him was wrong, and she knew it.

As if he’d read her mind,
Matt offered reassurance. “This isn’t wrong.” With a gentle touch,
he turned her to face him, keeping her close, their thighs
touching. Bodies intimate in their connection. Lauren rested her
hands on his too-perfect chest. Then, she did the very thing she
knew equaled the death of her willpower—she let her gaze lock with
his.

What she saw scorched her
with its intensity. Potent and sexual, the look in his eyes told
her how much he wanted her. Her fingers curled in his shirt,
fighting the urge to run her hands across his chest and shoulders.
He wasn’t dressed for work as she still was. It somehow made this
easier. His slacks and pullover made him seem less the president of
Carlson. Less her boss. She had no doubt he knew as much. He’d
dressed to take her mind off their daytime connection.

“
While we’re
here,” he slipped his hand to the side of her face, into her hair.
“Carlson doesn’t exist. We are two lovers enjoying each
other.”

The tender way he held
her made her stomach flip-flop. “You make it sound so
simple.”

“
It can
be.”

Lord only knew, she
wanted it to be. “What if someone finds out?” she whispered, but
deep down she knew she had already made up her mind. No way could
she walk away from another night in Matt’s arms.

“
Ah, baby,
who’s going to find out?”

The endearment caught her
off guard. It made things feel less sexual. More intimate and
close. But even as he said the words, Lauren saw a flash of
something indiscernible in Matt’s eyes. Without warning, he dropped
his hands from her face and took a step backwards. Lauren found
herself wanting to reach for him, to pull him close
again.

“
Look,” Matt
said. “If this isn’t what you want, I’ll turn and walk away. We can
pretend nothing ever happened between us. My intent isn’t to make
your life hell.” He paused. “This is your decision. Your job is
secure as is the secret we share.”

Confusion hit her like a
powerful blow. He’d made this his decision. Not that she’d felt it
hadn’t been. “I never thought my job was at risk.” Not completely
true. “At least not directly from you. My reputation in the entire
industry is more the issue.”

“
If anyone
finds out, which they won’t.”

“
We hope,” she
said.

He leveled her in a
burning hot stare. “Tell me to go and I’ll turn and walk
away.”

“
Why…why does
it have to be so complicated.” It was a statement of utter
frustration rather than a question. She didn’t expect an
answer.

“
I want you,
Lauren,” he whispered. “And I believe you want me too.”

“
That really
isn’t the issue, now is it?”

He ignored her question.
“Do I stay or go? Make the call.“

This was crazy. The only
safe answer was “go”. Yet… Safe had its disadvantages right about
now. “You’re sure no one will know?”

Her words put him into
action. Suddenly, he stood close but not touching her. So much so
she could feel the warmth of his body. “Tell me, Lauren. I have to
know you want this.”

Her heart beat like a
drum in her chest. The decision she was about to make was going to
have a profound impact on her life. She knew it beyond common
sense. Some instinct inside told her this moment held consequences.
She sucked in a breath, willing herself to walk away. Instead, she
found herself saying, “I want you.”

And then Matt was holding
her, kissing her with passion and hunger. His hand slid behind her
neck, pulling her mouth to his. With a magic heat only he created,
she melted. Her decision had been made, and resistance no longer
mattered. Nothing outside of this room did.

She made a sound of
pleasure as one of his hands flattened on her lower back, molding
her softness into the strong lines of his own. Slowly, he backed
her toward the bed, all the while his mouth devoured hers, tasting
her with fervent strokes of his tongue. When the backs of her legs
touched the mattress, Matt pulled his lips from hers. With
passion-darkened eyes he stared down at her.

The desire between them
sizzled.

He reached for the pink
satin buttons on her silk shirt and started to undo one after the
other. Neither of them spoke. With each flicker of the candlelight,
sexual heat and tension seemed to sway between them, wrapping their
bodies in a warm blanket of desire.

When Matt finished his
task, he brushed the silk from her shoulders. His palms skimmed her
arms, and warm heat gathered between her legs. Acceptance of her
yearning for this man had turned up the volume on her reactions.
Matt’s gaze dropped to her breasts, and she knew what he saw. Just
recently she’d invested in some lingerie. It made her feel good
about her. A little more confident. Today, she wore a barely-there
white lace bra.