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Ian clenched his jaw, to keep from coming too soon. He wanted this to stretch forever. Or at least, as long as possible. This wasn’t an intense lust-fueled fuckfest, like they shared in the past. Though it was fierce, this was making love. Wow. He really did love her. The parting of her lips, as she drew close to climax again. Her hair fanned around her on the pillow. That he was late for work, and he’d still stick around to talk, enjoying every minute of it.
“God, Ian.” Even the way she gasped his name sent tendrils of pleasure snaking through him. She arched her back under him, wrists straining against his grip, but not to get away. “You feel so amazing.”
She tightened around him when she came, clenching, teasing, and grinding against him. He pounded harder, falling into the ecstasy, thoughts turning to vapor, until all that remained was him and her. His grunts melded to a single groan when he spilled inside her. He still didn’t want to stop, but as release flowed through him, the frantic thrusting ebbed and faded. He rested his hands on both sides of her head and kissed her, before leaning his forehead against hers. “Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
“Shameless flatterer.” She smiled and nudged him, prompting him to roll onto his side, so he could still see her.
He couldn’t let her get away. It would suck, sending her back home tomorrow. Again. But he needed something more from her than long distance doesn’t work. “I mean every word of it. I also mean it when I say I love you.”
“I—” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, and pulled her gaze from his. “You need to get to the office, not run my company into the ground before I get to it.”
Not the response he hoped for, but he wasn’t done yet. The hint of numbness spreading through him was misplaced. He’d rather feel this than block it out, even if things between them ended up not working. They would go the way he wanted though. “Soon. First, though, I know you keep telling me it won’t work, but I’m stubborn.”
“You? Nah.” She gave a short laugh.
He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m going to ask one more time—reconsider trying things out, long distance. I’m not ready to give up on us, and I can wait for you to get there.”
“No.” She pulled her gaze from his and moved away, before grabbing a long T-shirt from the top of her luggage. “No. I won’t.”
This was too much. Maybe he didn’t want to experience the heartache after all. He was so sure... The hurt started in his chest and spread through his body.
“We don’t need to,” she said, before he could find a response.
His thoughts slid like socks on linoleum, unable to find purchase. “What?”
“I’m moving back here.”
Agony flipped to hope and lifted his heart. “What?” He still couldn’t manage anything more intelligent.
“I haven’t told anyone yet. I decided last night. This is home, and Atlanta isn’t. I’ve fought it for so long, but being back here... I miss it. I miss Liz and getting to know my little sister... And I’d miss you.”
That was closer to what he hoped to hear. Fuck. This was a million times better, in a lot of ways. “Move in with me,” he said. It was impulsive, like so much of his time with her, but it felt right.
“Ian...” She still didn’t look at him. “What if it doesn’t work out? You’re putting a lot of everything into this.”
“I’m not worried. If it falls apart, it’ll be a hell of a ride. But it won’t. We’ll be amazing together. I love you, and you love me.” He wasn’t sure about that last bit, but he had a pretty good feeling it was true.
“You’re that certain?” Something was off about her voice.
He climbed from the bed. “Yes.” He knelt in front of her and realized she wore a giant grin
She met his gaze. “You’re an arrogant ass. You know that, don’t you?”
Relief filled him. “I’ve heard it before.”
“You’re right, though. I do love you. I hate the idea of not knowing when or if I’ll see you again. And I can’t give you up.”
Hearing her say the words buoyed him in a way he didn’t think possible. He felt so light he might float away. “Is that a yes, to the moving in?”
“And a tentative yes to the merger. And a God-damn-fucking-straight I want to see you tonight.”
He knotted his fingers in her hair, rose to eye level, and crushed his mouth to hers until she was the only thing in the world. When they broke apart, it was with a gasp.
She laid soft kisses along his mouth. “You really should get to work.” Her tone was light and playful.
“I am. Have your lawyer call mine?”
“You say the sexiest things. And okay.”
This was insane. All of it impulsive and unplanned and completely open to go wrong. Ian wasn’t worried. As he studied Mercy—her bright gaze, her flushed and swollen lips—he’d never been more certain he was doing the right thing.
* * * *
ONE MONTH LATER
Mercy resisted the urge to adjust her stockings. Again. The pencil skirt felt too tight, the matching jacket too restrictive in the shoulders, and the silk shirt underneath was suffocating.
Liz said she needed to look nice, though. As much as Mercy put on a bold face and insisted over and over she had this covered—she could do professional—she was still terrified. Last time this much anxiousness filled her, eighteen-year-old her was hopping on a plane to South America and leaving her past behind.
She licked her lips, but it didn’t help bring the moisture back into her mouth. It wasn’t as though she thought this was a bad idea. The opposite. She struggled to believe it had gone so well up to this point. The contracts were in place, the details ironed out, and her attorney assured her she didn’t surrender any autonomy in this deal.
One of the paralegals led Mercy and her lawyer into a conference room, and Mercy’s pulse hammered in her ears. Ian already sat at the table, next to his own representative. Seeing him helped relieve some of the tension, especially with the smile he flashed her as everyone shook hands.
A notary and witnesses were there. It was Mercy’s understanding that this type of paperwork was usually signed with the interested parties in separate rooms, at different times, and everything was assembled afterward. She wanted Ian with her, though. His presence was comforting, despite the stuffy professional atmosphere sucking the life from the air.
For the next hour and a half, people pointed at signature lines, skipped over so much of the relevant information in their contracts, and asked them both to pen things. She knew what was in the documents; she’d scoured them for weeks.
When it was all done, her wrist ached, and the adrenaline coursing through her had dulled to a raw gnawing in her gut.
People shook hands again, congratulations were passed around, and Ian’s lawyer told him he could have the room if he needed to finish anything up.
The moment the door closed after the last person, leaving Ian and Mercy alone, she slumped into her chair in relief. Checks needed to clear escrow—she was assured it was only a formality—and other behind-the-scenes stuff would still happen, but as far as she knew, it was as good as done. Which also meant Ian’s people could deal with this professional, legal, stressful bullshit in the future. Not that she thought the transition would be easy—integrating staff, figuring out logistics—but she looked forward to the challenge.
Ian crossed the room, rolled her chair back a few inches, and rested against the edge of the table, facing her. His smile grew. “So, Ms. Rowe, welcome to Thompson Advertising.”
“Rowe and Thompson Advertising.” She couldn’t even pretend to be irritated.
He grasped her fingers and pulled her to her feet and into him. “Of course. How could I forget?”
“With the number of times we went back and forth over naming?” She knew he hadn’t even started to. She draped her arms around his neck and slid between his legs. Pressing her body to his was one of her favorite pastimes. She didn’t see it ever getting old. The heat, the familiar smell of aftershave and him—she didn’t know how else to describe it—was all just right. “Well, I’m broke until the checks clear. Where are you taking me for lunch?”
He glided his hands down her back and over her ass. When he reached the hem of her skirt, he inched it up, until he brushed her thighs with his fingers. “I thought I’d eat here.” He slid higher, to the edge of her panties.
“In the lawyer’s office.” She sucked in a sharp breath at the teasing contact, and it took all her restraint not to shift her weight enough to grind against his hand.
“No?”
“We should at least make it to the car.”
He kissed her hard, holding her close enough his erection dug into her stomach. When he broke away, he didn’t let go. “You’re going to have to walk in front of me. I can’t hide this.”
“Whose fault is that?”
“Yours.” He shifted his hands to her hips and pushed her back. “But I’ll compromise. I’ll try and keep my hands to myself, mostly, until we’re out of the office, if I get to cop a feel in the elevator.”
“I suppose.” She laced her fingers with his and tugged him toward the door. “But only because I would’ve let you do that anyway.”
With his warm palm settled against her skin, and the energy flowing between them—hell, with everything—Mercy’s heart felt safe for the first time in her life.
It was a better sensation than she ever imagined.
~*~
THANK YOU FOR READING Ian and Mercy’s story in THE RIVAL AND THE BILLIONAIRE.
Liz isn’t looking for love in THE GEEKS AND THE SOCIALITE. But she is hoping to explore the unknown and her sexuality. A one-night stand with Jordan and Chloe seems like the perfect next step. But there’s more to the couple than just trade show stunts, melt-your-screen fan fiction, and tentacle porn.
~*~
FOR MORE SCORCHING, opposites-attract office romance, check out HIS REPUTATION. Scott’s having a hard time keeping things strictly business when he meets his new PR Manager. But hooking up with Kenzie could cost him the gaming company he built from the ground up.