Passion and Surrender (The Billionaire's Temptation Book 6) (2 page)

Keane ran a hand over his thick stubble, his blue eyes jumping out in contrast to his dark hair. “Anyone you suspect?”

“If hate was the motivating factor, I’d say it’s Claire, though she doesn’t have access to anything of importance. That makes me think this is about money. Someone who’s greedy or desperate.” What made the mole even more difficult to find was the way they currently designed their products. Too many people and too many different departments had access to the designs before they went into production, and with money as the motivator, it could be anyone.

“I’ve got a bit of time, so I’ll certainly look into it further. Try to figure out a way to contain the problem and with luck, maybe narrow it down to a few suspects so you’ll have someone to question when you get back.” Keane tilted his head towards the designs he’d brought over and then started getting to his feet. “Let me know if you need any changes made to those—and go home. You’ve been spending far too many late nights here. Just because you don’t have Claire to go home to doesn’t mean you can’t find someone else to warm your bed and keep you entertained.”

It was a pretty sad state of affairs when his baby brother was giving
him
advice on his love life. But he knew Keane had a point. Since everything went to hell with Claire, he’d been all work and no play, and he was tired of being a dull boy.

With that thought rattling in his head and it nearing the end of the day, he called down to engineering, hoping Harper had a moment to go over her designs with him, and perhaps entertain a few other…projects. Luckily, it wasn’t long before she was knocking on his open door.

“Thanks for coming to see me.” Needing to close the distance between them, Marshall came around and leaned against the front of his desk as she took the chair before him. “I know you’re heading home soon, so I promise not to take up too much of your time. It’s just that I had a chance to go over your designs, and I really like your idea for providing a different type of vibration and stimulation.”

“Really?” Her smile lit up her eyes, and there was something so genuine and honest about her. It was a refreshing change after dealing with Claire for so long. “That’s great. If you’d like, I can put together a prototype, and then once it gets your approval, I can hand it over to design so they can implement it.”

“That would be perfect.” Not that he was ready to let her go just yet. Anything to keep her around just a little longer. “Out of curiosity, what do you think of our current product lines? Are there any changes you’d make? Anything you don’t like?”

She was in her mid to late twenties, which meant there was a good chance she had her own collection of sex toys, especially with the generous employee discount. It wasn’t an unreasonable question, given her position within the company, and if she was smart enough to think of a new method for delivering vibrations, he wanted her opinion—and it had nothing to do with the fact that he wasn’t quite ready to let her go yet.

“I think the current line is in keeping with the brand we’ve built so far.” She bit her bottom lip as a blush crept across her cheeks, giving her pearly skin a rosy glow that made him want to cup her face in his hands and cover her mouth in a hard kiss.

It probably wasn’t the wisest of ideas when he was her boss, but he’d been fighting the attraction between them for far too long. After dealing with Claire’s craziness, he needed an escape, and Harper had caught his eye from the very first time she smiled in his direction.

He may not have been ready to truly pursue her back then. But now? He was well over his marriage and the lies Claire had told him, and he was ready to start living his life again. Pursuing Harper may not be appropriate, but he was beyond caring of what others thought if he could find a glimmer of happiness.

“Our latest designs might be in keeping with our brand, but are they innovative enough? I want to keep pushing the envelope—and I need to know if we’ve done that with our latest line. We need to always stay a step or two ahead of the competition.” Unfortunately, that was becoming harder and harder to do when the competition was stealing their designs.

“I honestly don’t know. I only help to figure out the mechanics once the design is finalized, but I don’t have any say in the design itself.” She gave him an apologetic shrug.

“But if you did have a say in the design, is there anything you’d change?” They had focus groups, but given Harper’s work experience and education, he was hoping she’d have a new take on it—just like he’d approached the design of his vibes by using his knowledge of the human body as a doctor. It was what set Clio products apart from the competition. “What do you like in the vibes you use? What gives you the most pleasure?”

Harper’s cheeks went from a simple blush to flaming red, and he knew if he were to brush her cheek, her soft skin would be hot to the touch. “I wouldn’t really know. I hate to say it, but I haven’t used our products, and…no offense, but it’s not something I usually discuss—especially not with my boss.”

Marshall’s brows shot up as he tried to decipher exactly what she was saying. “I’m sorry. Do you mean you just haven’t tried
our
products, or…you’ve never tried
any
sex toys at all?”

She let out a frustrated sigh. “I’m not saying I’ve
never
used them, it’s just that…I’m sorry…how is any of this important?”

“It’s important if you’re helping to design them, don’t you think?” Though he loved to see her blush, he wasn’t trying to embarrass her. His concerns were valid—and it had nothing to do with the fact that his cock was forever hard in her presence.

“It is important. You’re right, of course.” She steeled herself, standing a little taller as her eyes met his, even if he could see her breath catch and her nipples go hard against the delicate silk of her blouse, their discussion clearly having an effect on her. “I’ll be sure to acquaint myself more thoroughly with the products. Was there anything else you needed? I really need to get back so I can finish my work and wrap up for the day.”

Marshall’s lips quirked into a smile. “Actually, there is one more thing, Ms. Jones.”

Chapter Two

Harper tried to remind herself that the sexy god of a man standing before her was
her boss
, and the conversation they were having was
nothing but work
. He wasn’t flirting with her, even if her silly schoolgirl crush made her want to believe otherwise.

It had been so incredibly long since she’d last been with anyone that her body’s reaction to Marshall was always immediate each and every time they bumped into each other, the mere sight of him enough to send her pulse skittering. And today’s conversation? Well, that had her heart rattling and her cheeks flaming red, even as she tried to push aside the guilt she always felt when she thought of someone other than Josh.

Doing her best, she tried to focus on work and what Marshall was asking of her.
“One more thing?”

He gave her a smile that sent a tingling warmth through her body and right to her core, making her go wet with desperate need. “I’d like you to try our products and get back to me about each one. What you liked, didn’t like, how we could make it better. General impressions. And you’ll be reporting back directly to me. Pick a product, take it home, and come see me first thing in the morning. I’ll speak to your supervisor about it.”

“But…” She all but stammered as her mind raced, trying to find a way out of the assignment. How the hell was she supposed to go home, masturbate, and then come back and give Marshall a report, when she couldn’t even have a conversation with him without blushing?

Marshall took her hand in his and hauled her to her feet so there was just a breath between them, her full curves brushing against him as her breath caught in her chest. He was so close, so muscular,
so tall
…and when he leaned in just a little more with his head bent to hers, it was all she could do not to kiss him.

With his mouth at her ear, his words and the warmth of his breath sent a tingling shiver of need down her spine and straight to her clit, making her wish he’d take her right then and there. “Tomorrow, Ms. Jones. And make sure you’re capable of giving me a thorough report.”

Harper sucked in a deep breath to try to steady her racing heart, but it only filled her head with his masculine scent, so it took every ounce of willpower she had not to lean into him, not to tangle her fingers in his hair and cover his mouth in a greedy kiss.

Somehow she managed to string a few words together on a ragged breath, making it impossible for her to disguise just how bad she wanted him. “As you wish.”

What the hell had she gotten herself into?

When Ben, one of her engineering friends, had landed a job working for Titan Adult, one of Clio’s competitors over in California, she’d thought he was insane—until he told her that Clio was hiring in her neck of the woods. The easy commute, great pay, and amazing benefits had made it an easy decision for her, especially when the economy was still rocky and jobs were hard to come by.

Still…giving her smoking hot boss a full rundown of how she got herself off with their products hadn’t exactly occurred to her when she’d read the job description. Still, she knew Marshall’s point was a valid one. How could she be great at her job if she didn’t have a full understanding of their products and hands-on experience?

Harper’s pulse still hadn’t settled by the time she got home that evening. Marshall had left her feeling frazzled in more ways than one, and one thing was certain—her body clearly didn’t care that Marshall was her boss.

The moment she was through the door, she was forced to abandon her “assignment” and her dinner on the kitchen counter, as her cat, Moose, wound around her feet, attempting to trip her up in a demand to be fed. With a sigh, she popped open a tin of food for her giant Maine Coon, and then grabbed her Thai takeout, spooning the rice and coconut yellow curry onto a plate.

Dr. Marshall Foley
… The mere thought of him left her both turned on and more than a little frustrated with his assignment, even though she knew he had a valid point about her not being personally familiar with their products.

It wasn’t as if trying their range of vibes hadn’t been on her to-do list, though to be fair, her job focused on developing the internal electrical components—not the design of the vibrator itself. Not to mention, by the time she got out of work, checked in on her dad to make sure he was doing okay, and then finally got home, all she wanted to do was curl up with a good book or watch some TV.

It’s not as if she needed to be reminded that she had a nonexistent love life. That was pretty hard to ignore when the only one waiting for her when she got home was Moose. As for sex? It’d been far too long…not since Josh, and that had been close to three years now. After a while, it sort of felt like that part of her body had just gone dormant. And she knew how pathetic that was.

She just hadn’t quite found the strength to move on, even if she knew she had to. Maybe that’s why she’d flirted with Marshall, knowing it was harmless since it’d never come to anything with him being her boss. Except that it was far too easy to get hooked on her little routine of flirting with him while she grabbed her morning cup of coffee and donut from the break room, or doing her best to bump into him during their workday.
And look where that now landed her
.

Though she might need a bit of a kick in the ass to get her sex life jumpstarted, it didn’t mean that she wanted to go on a sex toy marathon and then
discuss
her findings with her smoking hot boss—
not even her boss
, but rather the owner and CEO of the
entire company
.

She groaned at the thought and finished off her dinner, which totally hit the spot with its spicy coconut sauce, savory chicken, crunchy vegetables, and sweet pineapple, and then turned on the TV in her cozy living room, doing her best to ignore her work assignment. She flipped through the channels, one after the other, but with her assignment hanging over her head, she just couldn’t relax or get settled.

Mumbling curses, she grabbed the vibrator box out of her bag, knowing there was no way out of it, rustled up a pad of paper and a pen so she could take notes, and grabbed herself a hard cider from the fridge. Heading to her bedroom to complete her assignment, she plopped herself on the bed, half-wondering if she’d get paid overtime for getting herself off.

Though the vibe she’d grabbed before leaving the office had yet to go into production, they were also in the process of perfecting the packaging, so she made sure to take note of those details as well. She had to admit, this was
not
some cheap and cheesy joke store vibrator, with its clear outer package, announcing to everyone exactly the sort of tawdry item that was being purchased and would take a nuclear arsenal to free the contents inside.

Instead, this was a beautiful teal, dark grey, and silver box made of a thick satin cardboard stock, the color of it gorgeous, and the design modern. It made a clear statement that this was an item of luxury—even if it was a vibrator. Carefully, she slipped the top of the box off, and removed the silk bag housing the vibe. She knew they sold for several hundred dollars, and understood that at that price point, paying attention to every little detail was key.

She stripped down to nothing and hopped into bed, tossing the covers aside and jotting down a few quick notes on her impressions so far. Slipping the vibe out of the bag, she noted that the feel of the silicone was velvety soft to the touch. She’d handled their products before, but this was all proving to be a rather different experience.

Although the vibe was rechargeable, she liked that it came pre-charged for immediate use, rather than having to wait. And the color was vibrant and fun, matching the aqua on the outside of the box.

Amazingly enough, she had some lube—but was it the right kind? Luckily it was. She jotted some more notes. Maybe they could develop a lube specifically for use with their products. The last thing you’d want is to drop a few hundred dollars on an amazing vibrator and then ruin it because you used the wrong kind of lube. Maybe even include a few samples with the vibe.

The shape of the vibe was a bit peculiar, though she knew they had several different designs. It was still phallic in shape, but had two additional extensions for added vibrations and pleasure, in addition to a handle for thrusting. Truth was, the handle felt a little large, though there was a cutout so one could get a different grip on the vibe. It could definitely prove useful if it was used while playing with a partner—although she couldn’t help but think of Josh’s reaction if she’d recommended using sex toys while being intimate with each other. She knew he’d have taken offense, as if he needed help pleasuring her.

Pushing Josh from her thoughts just like he’d pushed her out of his life, she jotted down a few more notes. Although the vibe could be used remotely through an app for full customization of the settings, it also had a wireless remote in case your phone wasn’t handy. Lubing up the vibe, she cursed Marshall under her breath and set about to complete her assignment, knowing she’d have to give him a full report in the morning.

Yet now that she’d thought of Marshall, it was hard to push him out of her mind. He was so tall, with broad shoulders and muscular arms, dark hair, golden brown eyes, and a gorgeous face, his strong jaw often covered in just enough stubble to make him look ruggedly sexy. The mere thought of him had her breath catching and her nipples going hard, her body now thrumming with a sexual energy that had her fantasizing about his touch.

So it was with thoughts of Marshall, and the fact that she’d be reporting to him first thing in the morning, that she turned on the vibe. She knew one of the selling features of the vibe was just how quiet it was, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride, knowing that she had helped contribute to that part of the design. Despite the powerful vibrations, it barely buzzed above that of a whisper.

Still thinking of Marshall and all he must be capable of with that gorgeous body of his, she slowly slipped the vibe deep inside her, though in her mind, she couldn’t help but imagine it was him, his cock, claiming her, fucking her…

The intense vibrations raced through her core and teased both her clit and the bud of her ass as the shaft of the vibe filled her, expanding to contour to her body—a feature that was unique to Clio products. The sensation of being filled in conjunction with the intense vibrations was overwhelming, but it was her thoughts of Marshall taking her, fucking her, making her come, that pushed her precariously close to that delicious edge.

She thought of that moment in his office when he was so very close to her, recalled the way his muscular body felt against hers, the way his masculine scent filled her head, the way his breath danced over her skin. But what if he hadn’t stopped there? She could easily picture him lifting her onto his desk and hiking her skirt up, his cock long and hard as he filled her, fucked her, her body stretched tight around him as he took her hard and called her Ms. Jones with that deep and sexy voice of his.

Her orgasm tore through her as she cried out, still fucking herself with the vibe, though in her head, it was still Marshall pushing her over that delicious edge, making her come harder than she ever had before.

And then, biting back her cries, she fumbled with the remote to turn it off, her body quivering and overwhelmingly sensitive as the vibe continued to torment her.
There
. Finally…the vibrations stopped as she lay back against her pillows to try to catch her breath and let the dying tremors of her orgasm fade away, before finally pulling the vibe free of her body.

And now she knew exactly why their products were so popular.

***

Harper was a ball of nervous energy as she approached Marshall’s office, ready to give him her report, her findings neatly typed so that she could hopefully just drop it off without actually having to discuss the whole sordid affair. It wasn’t that she was a prude—far from it—but her orgasms felt personal, not a topic for discussion with her boss, especially when she’d been crushing on him since she first started working at Clio. She’d never manage to discuss her orgasm without blushing every shade of crimson possible and stammering like a fool, especially when she’d been fantasizing about him while getting herself off.

She tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear, and bit her lip with nervous energy, trying to ignore the fact that she’d taken extra care that morning with her hair and makeup, and had made sure to pick out an outfit that she thought complemented her…assets. There was little hiding the fact that she was short and had a generous share of curves, which reminded her of Marshall’s ex and her rude comment, even though Harper was fine with her curves, thinking it made her look like a fifties pinup.

There was a new temp sitting behind the desk, though she barely looked up from her phone as Harper stood there. “I’m here to see Dr. Foley.”

The temp set aside her cell and looked up at her with a disinterested look as the phone on her desk started to ring. “Is he expecting you?”

“He is. Name’s Harper Jones.” The phone continued to ring as the temp let out a sigh. “I can wait, if you need to get that.”

Another sigh as she finally answered. “’Ello…Dr. Foley’s…please hold.” She then pressed a few buttons, finally getting Marshall on the other line. “Someone’s here to see you.” Back to Harper she said, “What’s your name again?”