Page 73 of Shadow Waltz

He tried for a smile, twisting in his chair to follow my movement. “Figured you'd tell me if you wanted.”

I leaned in, close enough for my breath to tickle his ear. “You always say that. But you want to know. Don't you?”

He swallowed, throat working. “Maybe I do.”

“Maybe you want something else, too.” I let my hand settle on his shoulder, trailing fingers along the seam of his suit. He shivered, but didn't pull away.

“Ash, what are you doing?” His voice was tight, full of warning and hope.

I grinned, moving to stand directly in front of his chair. “Giving you what you want. Just this once. No strings.”

I slid into his lap in one smooth movement, straddling him, knees pressed to the sides of his thighs. His hands shot up, hesitating at my waist, then resting there, possessive, hungry.

“Ash—”

“I know you want to touch me,” I whispered, lips ghosting over his jaw, “but you never did. You were always so careful. Always waiting for me to be ready. But I’m not some fragile thing anymore. I want this.”

He groaned, the sound vibrating through my chest as I pressed closer. “Are you sure?” His eyes searched mine, looking for any sign of doubt.

I nodded, slow and deliberate, pressing my hips forward so he could feel my intent. “I’m sure. Unless you want me to stop.”

He shook his head, breathless. “No. God, no.”

“Good.” I leaned in, capturing his mouth with mine—a kiss that was all heat and need and pent-up hunger. He opened for me, hands gripping my waist as if afraid I’d vanish if he let go.

While our lips tangled, I let one hand trail down his chest, fingers sliding over crisp cotton, feeling his heartbeat thundering beneath. My other hand drifted over his shoulder, slipping lower, then reaching behind him. Reddick was lost in the kiss—so lost that he barely noticed my fingers slipping his keycard from his pocket. I didn’t need the card for the laptop, but it was a nice insurance policy if things got messy.

I broke the kiss, lips brushing his ear. “Touch me,” I whispered, meaning it. His hands slid up my sides, tentative, reverent, then bold—fingertips pressing into the curve of my ass, the flat of my back, pulling me flush against him.

“I’ve thought about this,” he admitted, voice ragged, “so many times.”

“Yeah?” I teased, grinding down, feeling him harden beneath me. “Tell me.”

He swallowed, then kissed me again—deeper, more desperate. I let my hands wander, exploring the hard planes of his chest, the heat of his skin under his shirt. As he lost himself, I slipped my hand behind me, sliding the slim drive from my pocket, palming it against the table.

Reddick’s hands were everywhere—sliding up under my shirt, fingers splaying over my ribs, tracing scars he’d never seen before. “You’re different,” he breathed, awe and hunger mingling in his voice.

“Not that different,” I said, reaching between us to unbutton his shirt, exposing a sliver of skin. I let my lips trail down his neck, tongue tasting salt and aftershave, while my other hand, quick and practiced, plugged the drive into the side of his laptop. The soft click was drowned by the hitch in his breath as I pressed my mouth lower, biting gently at his collarbone.

He didn’t notice the flash drive light up, too distracted by the hand I slid up his thigh, squeezing, guiding, teasing. He arched into me, groaning softly, his hands trembling as they explored the bare skin of my back.

“I’ve wanted you since that night in Chicago,” he whispered, voice thick with memory and want. “You haunted me.”

“I know,” I murmured, rolling my hips again, keeping my body moving just enough to keep his focus fractured. “You don’t have to pretend anymore, Reddick. You can have me. Just this once.”

For a split second, his hands tightened on my hips—almost as if to push me away, as if the final sliver of his restraint might still hold. “Ash, this isn’t—” His jaw clenched, nostrils flaring. “Don’tdo this if you’re just trying to get something. You know I’d give you anything, but?—”

I smiled, lips brushing his, the words tasting dangerous. “I’m not here for favors. You think I’d crawl in your lap just to steal a file? That’s not my style.” I let my tongue tease at the corner of his mouth, then pulled back, holding his gaze, dead serious. “You want me, or not?”

He drew in a ragged breath, his eyes searching mine for any sign of deception—any shadow of manipulation. There was doubt in his voice, but something darker in his touch, his knuckles going white where he held me. “I shouldn’t want you. Not when you’re…” He shook his head, voice a raw whisper. “You know how long I’ve tried not to.”

I moved closer, pressing every inch of me against him. “You never had to try so hard,” I whispered, rocking against the thick line of his cock beneath me. “Let go, just for tonight. I need this. You need this.”

He bit down on a curse, the word muffled against my jaw as he fought himself for another beat. “You’re playing with fire,” he growled, hands sliding up my back, fingers digging in as if to anchor himself. “You know I’ll never be able to stop wanting you after this.”

I smirked, loving the sound of him breaking. “Maybe I don’t want you to stop.”

His mouth crashed into mine. I felt him surrender then, every muscle in his body letting go of the pretense as he lifted me onto the table in a swift, practiced motion. My hands braced behind me, knocking his laptop further away, the screen swinging to a new folder as the download bar ticked forward.