Page 31 of My Office Rival (Keep Your Enemy Closer #2)

CYNTHIA

I was curled on the plush navy couch, doing work and trying to forget about Jason when my email pinged. His name popped up. I ground my teeth together and turned off my notifications. Freaking asshole .

I stabbed at my computer keys as I revised the purchase agreement. Jason’s clients were not forthcoming enough and, if I were being honest, I was getting a little spooked. This agreement needed to be ironclad.

My phone rang. Why wouldn’t he leave me alone? You have to answer. It’s work. I sighed and hit accept.

“What do you want?”

“A meeting to go over the next batch of diligence requests.”

“Jason. It’s two p.m. I said end of day. Do you need me to use smaller words?” I clenched my jaw in frustration.

“Let’s just have a quick meeting. Meet me in the conference room.”

“I’m at home. And in any case, I wouldn’t meet with you. You are insufferable and you make me want to push you into traffic.”

“I love it when you talk dirty to me. ”

“If you want to meet, it can happen at the house.” My turf. For the moment, at least.

He hung up, and I slumped back in my chair.

He was relentless. This was why he was the best. His profile had been featured in Chambers as a rising star.

I knew that Mr. and Mrs. Harris were his personal clients.

I had to admit a grudging respect for him, even if I hated his methods.

But respect for him didn’t mean I had to lose all respect for myself.

He was toying with me, trying to control the deal, and that wouldn’t stand.

I needed to establish some boundaries during this meeting.

We were equals, and I was tired of fighting him.

Not twenty minutes later, I heard his car in the driveway and I scrambled to seat myself at the dining table, like I was confident and in control.

He strode in, looking serious and calm. I wanted him riled and undone. Like I was. Like he was in his unguarded moments. He sat down across from me and gave me a breezy smile. I narrowed my eyes. “We need to discuss some ground rules for this negotiation.”

He sat up straighter at my tone.

“First of all, insulting me in front of my clients is not going to fly. It’s unprofessional and disrespectful.

Second of all, your team needs to start cooperating with our diligence requests.

Speak to your partner, your client, whomever you need.

I don’t care.” I slashed my hand through the air.

“This is going to drag on for months and it’s wasting our time and our clients’ money.

That is unacceptable.” His expression hardened at my words, and his jaw flexed.

Good. You should be annoyed. This is a farce.

“Fuck, you’re hot when you’re angry.” His eyes ate me up.

“That’s all you have to say for yourself?” My frustration bubbled up. “You can start by apologizing. Your utter lack of respect for me is appalling.”

“For what? I’m advocating for my client. And I respect the hell out of you. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be trying so hard. You’re brilliant.” His expression was intense and my stomach fluttered. He continued. “I don’t disagree that the process could be more efficient, but I’m just doing my job. ”

“Stop!” I leaped up. I could not sit still while this man messed with my head. “I’m so glad to know you respect me. Thank you so much for that. Why are you making this so damn difficult, then?”

I leaned against the wall and looked at the ceiling. For strength, or inspiration, I didn’t know. All I knew was that I was at my breaking point. Jason’s chair creaked, and when I looked down, he was right there, his hot blue eyes and his broad shoulders filling my vision. He looked wild.

“You want to know why I’m making this so difficult for you?” He hissed the words.

I swallowed. Something was different. Careful. “Yes. I do. Because I know you’re tough, but this is on another level.”

He braced a hand over my head. His breath shushed over my lips, and I shivered slightly. Damn, he was hot, and I was so disgustingly affected by him. Arousal hummed through my blood, making me slow.

“Because you drive me fucking crazy. I can’t stop thinking about you.

I want your hands on my body and your mouth on mine.

” He gestured at the bulge in his pants.

“I’m half-hard for you all day at work.” He shook his head ruefully.

“And living with you? That’s torture. I can’t escape.

” He leaned his forehead against mine. One heartbeat.

Two. Mine thudded slowly. His sounded loud in the silence.

“The problem is, I don’t think I want to escape. Last night was so hot.”

I swallowed hard. Yeah, it was really hot for me too.

“You know what I pictured the entire time I stroked myself?” His words were soft, winding around me, pulling me in.

“What?” I breathed, though I thought I knew the answer.

“You,” he said.

I must have been insane, because I heard myself ask, “What would you do if you could have more than one night?” For a breath, he pulled back, stared at me, his eyes searching mine.

“I would make you mine,” he murmured, and kissed me.

His mouth came down hard on mine, and I melted under him.

Yes, yes. He kissed with complete focus, those soft lips insistent, like he might die if I didn’t reciprocate.

He tasted good, and forbidden. But right now, I didn’t care that he was my rival.

I slipped my hands up his body and kissed him back.

He groaned into my mouth and tangled rough hands into my hair.

He’d wound it around his hand that night.

I wanted that again. His lips slipped over mine and he nibbled at my bottom lip.

Already, my legs were heavy, my pulse throbbing between them.

Soon, so soon. My body clearly remembered how good we’d been together.

“You have no idea how many times I’ve wanted to bite this lip,” he whispered against me.

“So bite me.” The shudder of his body at my words sent a thrill through me.

He stilled, his forehead against mine. “Cynthia. This has to be enough. Do you understand?” He pulled back just enough for his blue eyes to search mine.

“You mean because you never do more than one night?”

“Yes.” His breaths puffed out against my cheek, where he cradled me like a precious object, all while he tore me down. “We can have fun just this once. I’ve wanted you so badly. I can’t focus on working. Let’s get this out of our systems.”

Just this once. Could I do that? Wasn’t I already dangerously close to the edge with him? Fuck it. If he would take his pleasure where he could find it, then I would too.

“I understand. Bite me already.”

He bit down hard and I came off the wall and against his chest. He deepened the kiss, and I gave no quarter.

Our lips and teeth clashed. His hand in my hair sought to control me, his thumb on my hip pressed hard enough to bruise.

My anger at his rejection pulsed through me, along with the lust I felt at his drugging kisses.

My stomach was heavy and legs were weak. I wanted more, needed to be closer. I hauled myself against him, my hands running over his skin, biting at his lip, drinking in each gasp and each twitch of his muscles, tangling my tongue with his.

“Jason, more.”

“Fuck,” he whispered and slammed me against the wall .

He pinned me with his hips and his hands, the hardness of his erection insistent against my stomach.

So close to where I needed him, and so far.

He hitched me up and ground me down on him like he knew what I needed.

He probably did. That one night, he’d anticipated my needs better than I had.

One rock of his hips, two. I moaned. The pressure was so good.

“You like that?” His voice was thick.

“Do it again.”

He grinned savagely and pressed forward. I arched off the wall.

“I could come like this.”

“No.” His voice was forceful, and he grabbed my jaw. My heart thumped wildly, and my body thrummed with arousal.

He rolled his hips into me again, his eyes hot on mine. “You don’t come like this. You come on my cock, or not at all.”

I hated taking his orders at work, but here? Damn, it was hot.

“So, this is what you’re into?”

“It’s some of it,” he said against my neck.

“I like to play, sweetheart. Now turn around.” He spun me and pressed me against the wall, his erection digging into me, his hands keeping my breasts flush to the hard surface, but my hips jutting back.

I pressed back against him and he inhaled sharply.

“Stop that.” He grabbed my hip, his fingers digging in almost to the point of pain. “Hands against the wall.”

I complied, shivering. Where was this going? He unzipped my skirt and pulled it down. Cool air drifted over my skin, where it was exposed under my thin tights. He hissed a breath, and then his warm palm landed on the right cheek of my ass.

“Can you handle a little pain?” His voice was tight.

“I think so.” I’d never really experimented, but I desperately wanted to.

“Let’s find out.” He breathed and smacked my ass.