Rule's Addiction (20 page)

“Nothing, never mind—”

Erin interrupted her brother. “I don’t know why you think she’ll care, all he does is ride her ass about something or other. No wonder she wanted to work for you instead of him. Seriously, Garrett, his attitude with her is getting worse, not better. You should say something to him.”

Maria felt Garrett’s hands tense on her shoulders before he answered. “I’m sure . . . she can handle him.” As Garrett’s touch remained stiff and his words came out even more so, Maria realized that she wasn’t the only one who’d figured out that there were undertones to that particular relationship.

“You can be so cold,” his sister condemned, obvious disappointment in her voice. “I expect it from Nick, and certainly from Damian, but I thought that you’d side with Courtney on this.”

“On what, exactly?” Garrett bit out, obviously displeased with the direction of the conversation.

“
He’s mean to her!”
Erin snapped. “And there’s no reason for it. You’re never here. You have no idea what she’s going through putting up with his attitude. It’s bullshit is what it is—”

Maria felt Garrett’s hands release her as he stepped closer to Erin. “You don’t get it?” he questioned his sister in a low voice.

Erin’s eyes narrowed in total confusion. “Get
what?”

Silence pulsed between the siblings and Maria had no difficulty reading the tension in Garrett’s expression. She could tell he was trying to decide how much to say to his little sister. She held her breath and waited.

“Never mind. I’ll say something to him, okay? Will that make you happy?” he asked with a resigned tone.

Erin blew out a breath and her expression softened. “Yeah.”

Garrett smiled and took her in his arms again. “I’ve got work to do,” he announced as he hugged her and ruffled her hair. “Catch you later, okay?”

“Okay,” she said as she turned to Maria with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

“You, too,” Maria agreed, before Garrett grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

He wasted no time; he took her to his office and briefly introduced her to his secretary. Then he brought her inside and shut the door. “I’m sorry, I’ve been gone a long time, I’ve got to take a look at this stuff, okay?”

“Sure.”

“Make yourself comfortable,” he said, tipping his head toward the sitting area.

As Garrett sat behind his desk and began flipping through folders and clicking through his computer, Maria walked around and sat down on the couch that faced the skyline of St. Louis. She could see the Arch in the distance and the Mississippi River behind it. The sky was a beautiful cerulean blue and she had to admit, the view from up here was arresting.

As she sank into the sofa cushions, she became lost in thought for a few moments until she heard him mutter,
“Shit.”

She looked away from the view and focused on him. “What’s wrong?”

He ran his hand through his hair as if he’d like to be any place other than sitting behind a desk. “Same shit, another day.”

She shook her head and let out a laugh. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Decisions . . . this game is nothing but fucking decisions. You make the right one, you make money. The wrong decision—not so much.”

Maria stood to her feet and wandered over, coming to stand next to him behind his desk. “What’s so difficult?” she teased, both curious and unused to being unproductive during the day.

His eyes stayed on the computer, where a picture of the front of a hotel was prominent, but his arm snaked out and wrapped around her, pulling her into his side.

She leaned into him, relaxing against him. “Are you thinking of buying that one?” she asked.

His hand ran up and down her hip. “Hmm? Yeah,” he answered, distractedly.

“So what’s holding you up?” She leaned in to get a better look. “The building looks well-maintained.”

His hand slid further around her, caressing her upper thigh. “Yeah, it seems to be.” At the same moment he clicked for the next picture, his hand caressed its way back to her hip, and Maria got the idea he mind was on one thing while his body was on another.

She continued to look at the picture. “What city?”

“Raleigh, North Carolina.”

As he clicked to the next picture, Maria slid her hand to the back of his head and absently began playing with his thick, dark hair. “I’m sure you’ve already checked the market demand for the area. What about residential real estate? Have the property values risen?”

“Yeah. It’s all solid.”

“Is it close to an Interstate? Easily accessible?” she asked, breathing in his scent.

His hand clenched her butt cheek. “Yeah.”

She sucked in a breath. “What about competition? Not too much?”

“Very little,” he said, his fingers clenching again.

She licked her lips and attempted to stay on subject. “Well, I’m guessing The Rule Corporation doesn’t have to worry about down payments or financials from that particular standpoint, right?”

He turned to her and lifted an eyebrow. “Right.”

“So, what’s the problem?” she asked again, noticing for the millionth time the gold flecks in his eyes.

He swiveled his chair toward her and spread his legs. “I don’t know. I can’t pinpoint it.”

His arm sank around her waist and her palms fell against his chest as she tried not to smile. “You’ve checked out the reviews and the room rates?”

His hand came up and encompassed her breast. “First thing.”

Her heart skipped a beat as his thumb brushed against her nipple. “Well, if you’ve done all your homework and you still can’t decide, you know what you have to do, right?”

“What’s that?” he asked, his eyes falling to her breasts.

His thumb continued to stroke and she swallowed shakily. “You’ve got to check-in for a few days, incognito,” Her eyes closed as her hips swayed into him. “Check out the food, the staffing, room—” her breath hitched, “—room service.”

He palmed her breast again as the arm he held around her waist lifted and pulled her closer. “You know your shit, don’t you?”

She leaned toward him and softly kissed him on the lips. “Only enough to be dangerous,” she whispered, smiling.

His hand left her breast and sank into her hair.
“You are dangerous,”
he said with a hint of something indeterminable in his voice. “Do you want to go with me?”

Her pulse accelerated. “Are you serious?”

“Sure. We can leave whenever,” he answered with a hint of satisfaction in his tone.

She licked her lips and took a deep breath. “Okay . . . can I ask you something?”

His eyes narrowed, a diabolical smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “What’s that?”

“Does that door have a lock on it?”

His eyes reflected heat. “Yeah.”

“And can I lock it?” she asked softly, holding her breath.

Chapter Ten

Could she lock it?
Garrett’s cock came to immediate, screaming attention. “Yeah,” he got out gruffly. She slid away from him and walked across the room with a grace that he knew she didn’t even realize she had. As she flipped the deadbolt into place, he stood to his feet and waited as she came back to him.

When she did nothing but stand in front of him, his dick engorged as his hands fell to her shoulders. “What do have in mind?”
Fuck, he’d agree to anything.

“I think you have a beautiful view,” she said softly as her eyes went to the window behind him.

“Yeah,” he bit out, not taking the time to look away from her.

“Can you sit in your chair?”

He didn’t need to be asked twice. He fell back into the seat, his blood pulsing hot and hard through his veins at her possible intentions.

When she fell to her knees in front of him, he almost had a coronary.
Just breathe, Rule
. Her hands went to the fastening of his slacks, and as she began fumbling inexpertly, a blush covered her cheeks and his cock jerked in response. Did she have a clue? Did she understand that she held a charm that was like an uncontrollable force reeling him in? Did she know that her softness mesmerized him to such a degree that it had become a craving, a need he couldn’t resist?

Unable to wait much longer, he helped her to release his zipper, and then he made an adjustment, getting himself ready for what she wanted.

She stared at his cock, making it jerk and throb for attention, but he knew that, this time, he’d need more than her mouth on him, and he wanted to be ready. “Just a minute, baby.”

She glanced up at him, a flush on her face, and he pointed to the skirt she was wearing. “Panties. Off.”

She licked her lips and he felt the immediate reaction in his guts. “This isn’t about me, Garrett.”

“No? I disagree. This is
always
about you.
Take them off.”

As if she had a mind to drive him crazy, she turned away and lifted her skirt, and then, slowly, exquisitely, she slid her panties down her hips and stepped out of them. She performed the maneuver gracefully and modestly, and the fact that she’d done it without showing him anything was about to make him pop his wad.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, and then brought her to her knees. “You sure you want this?”

Her eyes flared in reaction and in answer to his question, she lowered her head. She wrapped her hand around the base of his cock, and her lips enclosed the tip. She took a tentative taste and lust surged through his bloodstream, landing with a force in his guts that almost brought him out of his seat. He hardened even more, and with a small moan in response to his reaction, she took him inside her mouth and began sucking.

His hands found the arms of his chair and he braced himself. He watched the dark fall of her hair covering his lap, felt the wet heat of her mouth where he’d dreamed of it more times than he could fucking count, and he knew that his life, in that moment, was as damn near to perfect as it would ever get.

He let her have her way for maybe thirty more seconds, because that was all he could take without coming. He’d have it that way one day soon . . . but for now, he needed to sink inside of her wet heat, wanting to feel her come even more than he wanted his own satisfaction.

He was nearly at the end of his control, but he took about five more seconds for himself, thrusting his hands into her hair and directing her movements, holding her there, pushing her down over him, and when he knew he couldn’t trust himself anymore, he moved his hands to her upper arms and pulled her up.

An almost-drugged look of desire lit her eyes when she opened them. “What?” she whispered, her mouth shiny and swollen, trying to wriggle away from his tight hold, trying to go back down on him.

He groaned and lifted her, jerked her skirt up to her waist, pushed her thighs apart until she was straddling him. He pushed his fingers into her hair, and with her eyes on his, told her what he wanted.
“Fuck me, baby.”

He felt her thighs quiver, and he held a hand at her back as he adjusted her to the place where he wanted her. He felt her tight opening catch on the head of his cock; she was so hot, so wet, so clearly ready for him. “That’s it, baby. I want you to come on me—
I want you to fuck me.”

Her eyes flared as she began to slide onto him. It felt like magic, like heaven on earth, and he knew in that split second he wasn’t going to be able to give her up any time soon, if ever. He saw his life flash before his eyes, and in every frame, she was there, exactly where he wanted her to be. Contentment bled with fierce arousal, and he gripped her harder. She was over him all the way now, he was seated within her to the hilt. Lust ripped through his insides. His arms wrapped around her and he was unable to control his voice.
“Ride me.”

She let out a tiny mewl and lifted herself, sending a stroke of anticipation down his spine. She slid back down and ecstasy hit his brain cells. He found her hips and began jerking her up and down, gritting his teeth and dragging oxygen in and out of his lungs. “That’s it,” he panted. “That’s
perfect.”

“Yes, perfect.” she moaned.

His hand slid back into her hair and he pulled her head back until she was looking straight into his eyes. “Never again. Just me. Only me. You fuck me and only me, nobody else will ever touch you again for as long as I live, you understand me?”

He felt her breath catch in her throat and then her eyes closed as euphoria engulfed them both.

****

Later that evening, they were sitting at a table in a restaurant overlooking the river. They’d finished their entrees, and Maria was absently picking at a chocolate dessert she’d been unable to resist, but now, under Garrett’s relentless observation, she found she couldn’t eat much of it. A bottle of wine sat between them, but they’d barely touched it.

He picked up her free hand, and twirled her fingers through his. “So, I was thinking . . . “ he trailed off and Maria’s stomach tensed. She kept her eyes firmly on her plate, her messed-up feelings causing an imbalance that was sending darts of apprehension down her spine.