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Hating you. The words hit Ian harder than he thought possible, wrenching everything inside. “I’m sorry. Flowery words and rambling aside, I really am. My merger offer is independent of my apology, and something I know will take time—and that’s only if you agree. But both are sincere. Completely and honestly.”
“I know. And I mean it that I’ll look at everything. One of us has to be a rational adult about this.” A teasing glint tugged up the corners of her eyes.
He was going to push his luck a little harder. “So... losing sleep over me. That means I’m not the only one hooked.”
“No comment.” Her growing amusement was broken by another yawn.
“You need your rest. Do you want to get out of here?”
“I’m good...” Another yawn. “Or maybe not so much.”
He tossed some money on the table. “Did you drive? Are you okay to make it back to your hotel?”
“I caught a cab.”
“Come on.” He took her belongings from the back of her seat, nudged her to stand, and helped her shrug her coat on. “I’ll take you back. Where are you staying?”
“Airport Super 8.” She laughed.
“Did I miss something?”
“No.” She slid her hand into his. Despite the chill on her still-cold fingers, a jolt of heat raced through him. His pulse sped another notch when she leaned her head on his shoulder as they headed outside. “I was thinking... I used to wonder what it would be like to have someone dote on me the way you do on Liz.” Her voice was tired.
He didn’t know how he missed that before. “I don’t dote.”
“Whatever. You do.”
He wasn’t in the mood to argue, even over something small. “And that’s funny?”
“No.” She leaned more of her weight against him. “But now I know how it feels. It’s pretty fucking nice.”
Letting go of her so she could hop into the SUV made him itch for her touch. He was addicted. She didn’t let go of his hand yet. She kept her legs dangling outside the car and tugged him to stand between them. “I have a favor to ask.” The bravado vanished from her voice.
“Of course. Anything. You have to know that.”
“I assumed you’d say that, but don’t promise me the world yet.”
He was willing to. The thought hit him hard and rocketed from his hair to his toes. He wasn’t sure what to do with the information. “What is it?”
“Stay with me tonight?” She studied him through her lashes. Fuck. She wore demure as well as she did everything else.
“You need your sleep,” he said.
“And I’ll get it.” She tugged him closer and rested her forehead on his chest, muffling her words. Her hot breath seeped through his shirt and teased his skin. “That’s why it’s a selfish request. I won’t be very good company.”
He kissed the top of her head, drawing the moment in his mind and sealing it there. “Of course I will. Always.”
* * * *
MERCY LEANED INTO IAN, as he glided his lips down the back of her neck. God. He was good at that.
“I have to go into the office.” His words vibrated against her skin.
It was barely six. She didn’t realize people got up this early and stayed sane—except Liz.
Mercy felt better than she had in ages. Even weirder, after expecting to be up half the night despite her exhaustion, she’d passed out by nine. It turned out that having Ian there—not fighting how much she liked him; the peace that came from lying in his arms—was rather relaxing.
She tilted her head, to give him a better angle. “If you were the boss, maybe you could make your own hours.”
“These are my hours.” He kissed along her shoulder and trailed his fingers down her arm. “Are you going to be gone and vanished into the deep recesses of another state, before my work day is over?” His voice hitched at the end of the question.
She wasn’t going back. The thought was there since she touched down yesterday, and niggled at her even before then. She wasn’t sure she was ready to tell him that yet. “My ticket is for Thursday afternoon.”
“Another day.” He gripped her hip “Leave room for me in your schedule. I want to see you tonight.” He pressed closer, as if to emphasize his point, and his hard length teased her.
“You don’t want to see me right now?” Uncertainty loomed, but much of the stress was behind her. It left room for a playful spark inside. She shifted enough to roll onto her back, so she could see him. She inched up the bottom of her shirt, but stopped when it was halfway up her ribs.
He groaned and settled his palm on her stomach. “I have to work.”
“So you’d leave me here all alone?” She pulled off her top and tossed it aside. “Naked and unsupervised?”
“Only for the day. I’ll be back tonight.” In a single motion, he shifted his weight enough to hold her in place and pinned her hands above her head. He scraped his teeth along her collarbone.
She squirmed underneath him, not to get free, but because the friction danced along her skin, lighting her senses on fire. “But that’s so long.” She stretched out the word and rubbed her hip against his cock. Her panties and his boxers didn’t provide much of a barrier. “It’ll be so hard to wait.”
“You should have thought of that before you started undressing.” He blew across one nipple, never making contact, and it hardened to a nub.
Dampness grew between her legs, which slipped and slid each time she shifted position. “You’ve got five minutes, right? It’s still early.”
“If you get me started, I’m not going to want to walk away.”
“We’re already started.”
“How about this, then? I want to take my time with you. Five minutes is a joke.”
She worked one hand free and grabbed him through his shorts. She stroked his length, languishing in the chills his moans sent through her. “Big words, big guy. Do you have the stamina to back it up?” She’d let him leave, but he didn’t seem more interested in doing so than she was in watching him go.
He knelt, and let go of her hand, as he wedged one knee between her legs. “Is that a challenge?”
“I don’t know. I’d hate to keep you from work.”
He cupped one of her breasts and grazed his thumb over the rigid peak. She twisted against the rough contact, whimpering for more.
“Still want me to leave?” His voice rolled deep and low through her body.
“I’m pretty sure I was the one who wanted you to stay a little longer...” She sighed when he lowered his head and flicked his tongue over her other nipple.
He nipped at the sensitive skin with his teeth, then alternated between sucking and licking. Need spiraled through her, traveling to her gut and pooling between her legs. She writhed beneath him, trying to draw closer one moment and wriggling to get away the next, when he hit the right nerves and pleasure spiked through her. She wasn’t sure how long he spent alternating between her breasts, lavishing them with attention. Her head grew light, and she shifted closer to the leg just out of reach of her aching core.
When she thought he couldn’t take it anymore, he pulled away. Disbelief and cold air spilled over her but didn’t cool the heat begging for more.
She grabbed his hand when he tried to rise from the bed. “Wait.” It was a struggle to force the word through her dry throat. “Where are you going?”
“Condom.”
“I don’t care.” The frantic desire inside wasn’t willing to wait the few seconds this conversation took. “IUD. I’m safe.”
“Me too.”
“Forget it, then.”
As he drew his mouth along her collarbone, up her jaw, and to her lips, he murmured, “And here I thought you couldn’t get sexier.”
“You’re biased.” She arched her back at each feather-light kiss and caress.
“Yup.” He stripped off her panties, knelt between her legs again, and supported his weight with one hand near her head. He fisted his cock and dragged the head along her slit. “Fuck, you’re soaked.”
The teasing made it hard to think, especially when he bumped her clit. She thrust, to get closer, and he drew away, dipping near her opening before sliding back up.
She couldn’t find a response. “More?”
“You’ll have to be specific.” He bumped her throbbing button again but didn’t move away. When he pumped his hand, stroking his cock, he hit her clit at a delicious angle.
She gripped the sheets, clenching her hands until her knuckles ached, focused on the pressure building inside. “That’s good.”
“Like this?” He rubbed faster, jerking them both off at the same time.
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Orgasm built inside, slow and steady, nudging her closer to the edge with each bump. As he increased his speed, she struggled to catch her breath, grinding and panting.
When she peaked, climax tearing through her, he pushed inside with a hard thrust.
Being stretched out as she came, feeling him hammer the right spot, drew out her pleasure. One moment faded into the next, and she lost herself in the bliss rolling through her.
There was no way she could walk away from this. From him. And it wasn’t just how in sync they were in bed—though that helped.
He kissed her hard, still slamming against her, steadily and with hungry intensity. The kiss filled her with all the pleasantness since they found each other again. Each moment of joy, laugh, and exquisite thrill.
She definitely couldn’t give him up.