Текст книги "Seducing the Billionaire's Secretary"

Автор книги: Marquita Valentine

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Chapter Five

Ella woke up the next morning with a start. Unfortunately, she couldn’t claim to have forgotten everything that had transpired the night before, so it was no shock to find Blake in bed with her.

But the tender smile on his face was rather unexpected.

“Does your head hurt?” he murmured in that sexy voice of his, his fingers light on her temple as they explored.

“Not really,” she said. It didn’t. She hadn’t been that drunk. The three shots she had traveled through her system like lightning, making her giggly, talkative... and vulnerable.

“That’s good.” His blue gaze turned serious. “Feel like eating? I can order room service.”

“I’m not really hungry. More thirsty than anything,” she admitted.

He turned to one side and then back to her, holding out a glass of water. As he tipped it up to her mouth, she drank greedily while he continued to hold it. “Better?” he asked several moments later.

She nodded. “Thank you.”

For whatever reason, she didn’t immediately move to get out of bed, and he obviously took that as a sign to inch closer to her. They were both still dressed, though without shoes—or jewelry.

Her mouth quirked at the memory.

“You are lovely in the morning.”

Her eyes widened and for the life of her, she couldn’t think of a snappy comeback. “I am?”

“Very.” Reaching over her, he set the glass on the nightstand, while she came face to face with his muscular chest. The scent of him, something woodsy and male, infused her nose. Despite herself, she breathed deeply.

Her body pricked with awareness as he slid back again, his arm brushing her breasts. Her nipples hardened.

She gasped.

He froze, holding himself suspended above her. “Ella,” he said, dipping his head. “Last night, I think you wanted something more from me. This morning, I’m fully prepared to give it to you.”

Swallowing another gasp, she gazed up at his face, and then into his intense blue eyes. They were full of desire. Her gaze dropped to his full lips, lips that she had kissed last night. Ones that tasted so good her toes had curled.

She couldn’t remember the last time a kiss made her toes curl. Had her toes ever curled from a kiss? Maybe it was the shots of vodka... or the sweet gesture of him having all of her favorite things for dinner.

“We don’t get along, Blake,” she reminded him.

“Perhaps we can try to get along while we’re here.” He drew closer, his mouth a breath away.

“What about the emails and your threat—”

“Gone.” His gaze turned rueful. “I scrubbed them from the server after you deleted them from your folder, two years ago.”

She blinked up at him. He’d lied to her, but then again, he’d never said he had them. Only taunted her with them, made her keep blaming him for her embarrassment over the choice she had made.

“You did that, even after I was ugly to you?” It made no sense for him to do that.

He smiled. “Yes.” Cupping her face, he said, “I knew why you hated me, or at least why you thought you did. I caught you at your most vulnerable, most embarrassing, and while it wasn’t well done of me, I kept playing the game with you. Otherwise, you would have never survived the last three years of Montgomery with other women. Or his impromptu wedding. And you sure as hell wouldn’t be able to function as a bloody bridesmaid for this proper wedding.”

Anger rose, but just as quickly, it vanished. When she thought about the last three years of her life, Blake was always there. Always. In those rare moments, she had allowed herself to do more than tolerate late nights at work with him—she had enjoyed herself. Odd that she couldn’t remember a single woman in his life.

“Blake, who... Did you have time for women?”

“No,” he said. “I’ve only wanted one woman. The rest paled in comparison.”

“You’ve been saving yourself?” she teased, but it was only halfhearted.

His fingers coasted down her cheek. “Would that be so hard to believe?”

“For a man to do that—yes.”

“Not all men are created equal,” he said, and she rolled her eyes. He was right though.

“Whoever she is, she’s lucky to have you.” It occurred to her that he was no longer saving himself if he was offering to give her what she wanted. “What happened to her?”

He didn’t reply to that. At least, not with words. Instead, he brushed his lips across hers, tentatively at first, as if seeking her permission.

She hesitated, even as desire and pleasure twined together.

“What do you want, Ella?”

“I want you,” she said. It was the truth. She’d been fighting against her attraction to him for years.

Slowly, he began to remove her clothes. “I am going to take very good care of you, love,” he whispered, kissing the upper swells of her breasts. “So very good.”

In one smooth movement, he unfastened the front of her bra, her breasts spilling into his large hands. Her nipples puckered against his palms as he pushed her breasts together and began to kiss them.

While he drove her crazy with his kisses and licks, she attempted to get him out of his clothes. Buttons flew, material ripped, and, at one point, she had to shove his trousers down with her feet.

They laughed, came together in hot kisses, and caressed one another until all that Ella could hear was the sound of her heart. He kissed her hard. It consumed her, made her want to devour him back.

Somehow, he produced a condom, rolling it down over his thick erection before pulling her into his arms again.

She wrapped her legs around his hips, moving slowly against him until she heard him groan. He grabbed her hips, forcing her to stop.

“Ride me,” he said into her mouth. “Own me.”

He rolled her on top of him, his hands going to her hips. She rose up on her knees, grasped his cock, and slowly began to sink down. As soon as the head breached her, they both let out hoarse groans.

His grip tightened, as if he were fighting for control. “It’s been four years for me, Ella, but I swear I’ll,” he slid in deeper, “holy fuck, baby.”

She bent down and his hips jerked up, sending him fully inside. Gasping at the sweet pain, she began to move.

Letting go of her hips, he ran his hands up and down her back as if he couldn’t get enough of touching her. His palms came around her rib cage, and then slid back up to cup her breasts. He rolled her nipples between his fingers and lifted his head, sucking them into his mouth.

She cried out.

He sat up and pushed her down on the bed, barely leaving her for a second before he thrust back inside.

“You feel so damned good. I knew you would,” he said, bracing his body on his elbows. He leaned down, fusing his mouth to hers as he moved in hard thrusts that made her hotter. Wetter.

With every movement, her swollen clit brushed against his groin, sending her higher and higher. He grabbed one of her thighs, hooking it over his arm and opening her wider.

“Deeper. More. Now.”

“Hell, yes,” he breathed.

Grabbing the headboard, he shoved his cock into her again and again, until she screamed his name and he roared hers. He didn’t stop moving and neither did she until every last bit of her orgasm left her.

Gulping for air, she pushed back her slightly damp hair from her face. He smiled down at her, his gaze tender.

“You are amazing,” he said, kissing her.

Suddenly shy, she looked away, but he gently grabbed her chin and turned her to him. “Don’t be that way. What happened between us will never leave this room, or this resort for that matter. You have my word.”

“Guess it took less than three dates?”

He shook his head. “Forget about that. It was a stupid challenge made by my pride.”

“Mine, too,” she admitted.

He grinned at her. “Spend the day in bed with me, Ella.”

She moved her hips experimentally, and he made a low noise in his throat. “Do you have more condoms?”

“I’ve an entire box at my disposal.”

Feeling sexier than she ever had in her life, she pulled his head down to hers.

Chapter Six

The next day, Blake had a private boat chartered for the two of them. He wanted to spend time with her, truly spend time with her without running into either Drew or Hannah... or succumbing to the temptation of sex. Hours of sex. Hours of laugher and playing... and shower sex with lots of oil, then soap to clean them up.

What she’d allowed him to do... his vision sparked and his body grew hard.

“I thought we were here for other reasons,” Ella said, her gaze going to his erection.

“My thoughts are rather undisciplined when it comes to you, and my body responds in kind,” he said. “But yes, we are here for other reasons.”

“And those are?”

“To eat.” He popped a grape into his mouth, and she laughed.

“How did you get involved in hacking computers?” she asked¸ and he blinked at her.

“Who said I hacked computers?”

She gave him a look. “I have access to every employee file.”

“Little snoop.” He tapped her slightly sunburned nose. “Actually, would you believe that I used to work for MI6?”

Her mouth dropped open, and then she closed it with a snap. “Like James Bond.”

“Exactly.”

“You can tell me that and I’ll live, right?” Her eyes were round and her expression serious.

He didn’t mean to grin, but he couldn’t help it. “I wasn’t that kind of agent. Trained like any other, but my skills were of the technological kind.”

Her face fell a little. “Oh. So no James Bond stuff?”

“Sorry to disappoint, but no.”

“I’m not disappointed,” she insisted.

“I’m trained to spot a liar, Ella.”

Wincing a little, she said, “Okay, okay. I’m a little disappointed. Spy stuff, in theory, sounds really cool.”

“I did hack into government databases.”

“You do that for MI, too.”

Water splashed on them from the side of the boat. “Ah, but it’s perfectly legal and sanctioned by your government.”

“You hacked before they gave you a license?” she asked with a wink.

“I can neither confirm nor deny that I made my first billion that way.”

She bit back a smile.

He knew she thought he was joking about making money that way, but in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t matter. The past was the past, and if corrupt governments lost millions that were going to go to war machines, he’d rather use that money for good.

“Did William know that when he hired you?”

Blake laughed at the thought of getting anything over on the founder of MI. “He did. In fact, he invented some of the technology that made it possible for me to... er, hack.”

“Wow.” She sipped on her glass of white wine and lay back against the netting at the bow of the boat. Her eyes closed.

He plucked the glass out of her grasp and set it safely away from them, then stretched out to enjoy the day. Surprisingly, she scooted closer to him, until he was able to wrap his arms around her.

They stayed that way for hours, sharing tidbits about their childhoods, their likes and dislikes, and life in general until the sun began to set.

“Both of my parents passed when I was in my early twenties—they drank themselves to death, which left Ravenswoodshire completely in my care—debt and all.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, and he knew that she meant it.

After the grilled ham and cheese debacle, he’d researched Ella’s past, shocking the hell out of himself when he found out the truth of her upbringing in a squalid section of the city, raised by a druggie aunt. He knew Ella’s parents were dead, killed in a house fire while she had been away at a friend’s house. She had been only five years old at the time, but since she hadn’t shared that, he wasn’t about to push her for information.

Everything in due time, he reminded himself.

“Thank you.”

“Do you have any other family?”

“Cousins who want the estate and title to pass to them should I not produce an heir,” he said. “Funny thing is, I actually want children, but not for a legacy. I want a family.”

“I do, too. It’s no fun being an only child,” she said, and then cleared her throat, as if the conversation had turned serious. “You have a real title?”

“Baron, but it’s not really used anymore.”

“I was a queen once,” she said.

“Really?”

She nodded. “Yes. I was crowned Little Miss Peanut Queen when I was four.”

“A most deserved honor, I’m sure.”

Elbowing him in the ribs, she said, “You’re just jealous because I got to wear a crown.”

“You may be on to something.”

She sighed, settling down against him. He tucked the blanket more firmly around them both, watching as dolphins jumped ahead of them.

“Today was wonderful, Blake. I want you to know that.”

“There can be more days like this,” he said slowly. “If you want to spend more time with me.”

She glanced up at him. “I think I’d like that.”

***

The next day, Ella lay on her stomach, enjoying the private, outdoor massage she’d scheduled. The ocean roared in the background, the wind blowing a warm breeze while gauzy, white drapes fluttered.

Strong hands rubbed the tension straight out of her upper back. Tension that was completely Blake’s fault.

She was out of her mind. Not only was she having an affair with the man, but she was also going out with him on planned excursions without being blackmailed into it.

And she had enjoyed every single minute of it. Except she felt so guilty. He had shared so much, while she had shared so little about herself.

Then again, wouldn’t he, as the CTO already know everything about her? She hadn’t lied on her application about where she was from, but then again, she’d worked very hard to never return to her old life.

In high school and college, she’d worked her tail off for her grades and to keep food on the table. That left little time for dates or parties, and the very few men she let into her life were short term. They were never allowed too close to her. Ever.

She had goals, and no one would keep them from reaching them.

“Relax, miss,” the masseuse murmured for what had to be the third time.

Ella winced before taking a deep, relaxing breath.

“Better. Keep take deep breaths,” the woman encouraged.

After a moment, Ella let her mind wander again, taking her back to when she first arrived at MI as the main receptionist in the lobby. She’d worked her way up from that position to become executive administrative assistant to Drew, earning a living that never in her wildest dreams could she imagine.

Suddenly, the hands on her body seemed to grow stronger, hitting her in all the right places. She let out a contented hum.

Those magic hands traveled lower, until they cupped her butt for a moment, then they were gliding up the towel, touching her inner thighs. She rose up, twisting her body and ready to scream... until she saw the man standing there.

“Blake,” she breathed.

He wore nothing, not a stich of clothing. Looking like a pagan god, he was all golden-skinned and muscled. His penis was fully erect, a drop of pearl liquid on the end tempting her to taste.

Except they were out in the open.

“We can’t.”

“I’ll stop, if that’s what you want, but no one can see us. No one will disturb us either,” he said.

The beach was private and the tent shielded them from the view of the resort, but still the—

“I paid the masseuse to take a very long break.” His fingers dipped between her thighs, finding the heat of her. She gasped, parting her legs. “I’ve thought of everything, love.”

He teased her with each pass of his fingers, dipping inside to find her wet for him. While his fingers played, he began to nibble on her shoulders, kissing his way down her back while his other hand touched her everywhere. It felt as though she was drowning in a sensation of desire like she’d never felt before.

“Blake.”

“I missed you, Ella. Breakfast wasn’t enough for me,” he said. “I need you. Say yes.”

She let out a moan. “Yes. Yes.”

He stroked her clit, sending her higher and higher, until she thought her body would fall apart into a billion pieces.

The rip of foil sounded in the distance, and then he was pulling her to the edge of the table, lifting the towel, and spreading her legs. Her toes sank into the sand, even as the large head of him began to work its way inside her.

Inch by inch, he pushed his thick cock in, making her claw at the sheet below her. His hands gripped her hips, holding her still for his erotic invasion until he was so deep that she could practically taste him.

His hand moved from her hips, reaching around her to cup her breasts as he began to move. He began to whisper how pretty she looked taking his cock, how damn good she felt squeezing him... that she was the only woman he’d ever wanted like this.

It was pure decadence to be made love to like this, out in the open and under the sun.

His hips moved lazily, as if he had all the time in the world to hold her like this, to take his fill of her, and make her crave him.

The table rocked, her towel fell away, and she knew what a picture they made. Her facedown on the table, fully nude, while he stood behind her, plunging and stroking, his lickable body on display.

“Rub yourself,” he commanded.

Letting go of the sheet, she slipped her hand down, placed two fingers on her swollen, wet clit, and began to touch herself. Unlike before on those long, lonely nights, she didn’t have to pretend it was a real, hot-blooded man inside of her. She didn’t have to pretend that the lips on her skin, skating down her back as he bent over her, were real.

He was real.

He was hard.

And he was about to make her come.

Long fingers pinched at her sensitive nipples while his hips drove his cock deeper and deeper. She spread her legs wider, wanting more. Needing more.

He groaned her name. “Ella, love, you’re killing me.”

“I’m trying,” she cried, thinking he was impatient.

“Not that... never that.” One of his hands joined her, brushing her fingers to the side. “Take all the time you need. I’m here to serve you.”

He made a believer out of her. Never picking up the pace, never slowing down either, until she was slick with sweat and her arousal ran down her thighs.

Every inch of her body was on fire for him. Every inch of her body craved his touch. He surged deeper than before, his fingers pinching her clit at the same time, and she screamed his name, pushing back against him.

He groaned hers as he joined her, as they came together endlessly.

The world went out of focus for a minute, and then he was pulling out of her to dispose of the condom.

A minute later, he was back, turning her over and finding her mouth.

He kissed her. Slowly. Tenderly. As if they had been lovers since the very beginning of time. The effect was devastating.

“Blake, I—”

He shushed her, licking his way down her chest, wrapping his hot mouth around a sensitive nipple and sucking hard. Her back arched, her fingers fisting in his hair as he paid the other one the same attention before nibbling his way down her stomach.

“What are you doing?”

His blue eyes were sinful. “Want to make sure you fully enjoyed your massage today.” Then his wide shoulders were between her legs, his head dipping, and his tongue on the most intimate part of her.

In no time at all, he had her in a frenzy, had her mindless, and chanting his name. Her body tightened and her legs trembled.

“If I had another condom, I’d fuck you right now,” he said, lifting his head briefly. “But since I don’t...”

His teeth scraped against her skin, and he slowly slid three fingers inside of her. He curled them and she came, her mouth wide open and her eyes tightly closed.

“What are you doing to me?” she asked as her body became her own again.

He stood and grabbed a blanket from the basket in the floor beside the table before pulling her to a sitting position and wrapping it around her.

“I’ve been making love to you,” he said finally. “You’ve enjoyed what we’ve done, yes?”

She nodded, her heart sinking. It was ridiculous to want a different answer than that. It was ridiculous to be having sex with him at all, but she couldn’t seem to help herself.

All right, so that wasn’t exactly true. She wanted him, and he’d given her ample opportunity to say no.

But simply enjoying herself? She’d more than enjoyed herself over the past three days. Honestly, she loved being with him. She loved the way he doted on her, the way he touched her, and talked to her. She loved—

Oh God.

He kissed her forehead and then turned away, pulling on a pair of board shorts. “Enjoy your afternoon, love. I’ll see you at the rehearsal dinner.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing would come out.

When Ella didn’t respond, he paused and sliced his gaze her way, finding her pale and frozen. She looked as though she’d seen a ghost.

Or been reminded of the real reason why they were here—to see the man she loved marry another woman.

Perhaps he’d been mad in thinking he could woo her in only eight dates, but they had spent nearly every working day together for almost four years. Shouldn’t that count for something? He knew everything about her, down to where she was from and that she always wore open-toed shoes the day after she had a pedicure.

“Oh-okay,” she replied, and then began to dress.

He stalked out of the tent, furious. Red filled his vision, and he ignored the smiles and waves of familiar faces.

“Where you going, Your Highness?” Drew intercepted him by the snack bar.

“Fuck off.” Blake pushed past him, but Drew grabbed his arm. Only years of discipline prevented Blake from nearly killing him.

“Let’s have a chat.”

Not wanting to make a scene, Blake allowed himself to be led by Drew to a private table situated under a palm tree. Blake crossed his arms and sat down, refusing to say another word. He didn’t trust himself to say anything cordial to Drew.

“I can’t make you listen to reason, but believe me when I say that you are going about this the wrong way,” Drew said, breaking the silence.

Blake sliced his gaze to his friend. “Are you really in a position to lecture me about how to go the right way when it comes to women?”

“My fuckups are to your benefit.”

Not if he fucked up so much that Hannah left him. Ella would love that. She would—well, he didn’t know exactly what she would do.

“Do tell.”

“I tried making Hannah stay instead of asking her to stay.”

Blake worked his jaw. “I’ve not forced any woman. Ever.”

“That’s not what I mean, and you know it.”

“Then tell me what you do mean. Share how you were faithful to the woman you’ve loved since childhood.”

“That’s not fair, Blake.”

“What’s not fair is that you—” Drew clamped his mouth shut. He didn’t want to betray Ella. “It is what it is. I chose to remain alone until the woman I wanted was free. You did not.”

“I hadn’t seen Hannah in a decade. We were kids when I last spoke to her. Again, unfair.”

“So is life.”

Drew stood, his face wreathed in disgust. “Stop making me out to be a villain in a play I had no hand in writing, much less starring in.”

Blake didn’t stop his friend from going. He wanted Drew to leave. “You were never the villain, you git. You’ve always been the bloody hero to her.”

Drew glanced at him. “Quit feeling sorry for yourself and tell her how you really feel, without games, and then come talk to me.”

“I don’t feel much like talking.”

“Good.”

“It’s very good, damn you.”

Drew laughed. “You can’t let me have the last word, can you?”

“Not over this, mate.” Blake stood, and then made his way inside to his hotel room.