“That’s the spirit!” Brooks grins, plucking the cigarette from behind his ear. In a heartbeat, he’s whipped out a zippo lighter. Before anyone can protest, he’s lit up the cigarette, looking perfectly at home.
“Jesus,” Kelly grumbles, “I thought Leo was incorrigible.”
“I guess I’d better be going,” I chime in. “Let everybody get settled around here...”
“You’re leaving already, Red?” Brooks exclaims, leveling that green gaze at me once more. “But I only just got here!”
“My name is not Red,” I say coolly. “It’s Keira.”
“Pretty, but I like Red better,” Brooks grins. “Stay for a while. Call it a house warming.”
“This house is plenty warm,” Kassie says curtly. “Go ahead, Keira. We’ll see you tomorrow, OK?”
“OK. See you guys tomorrow,” I reply, making a beeline for the front door at last.
“Looking forward to it, Red,” Brooks smiles knowingly, a thin tendril of smoke rising from his Marlboro.
I rip my eyes from his sculpted face, hurrying away before he can bewitch me any further. My blush is red hot as I skirt through the door. I’m flustered and speechless in the wake of meeting this man. I need to take my mind off of him, right away. But as I step back into the elevator and close my eyes, it’s his face I see, lighting up the darkness. What in the hell is going on with me?
“This is some rookie shit, Collins,” I mutter, as the elevator brings me back down to earth. Guess there’s always tomorrow to start acting like a professional.
Chapter Six
His strong fingers tangle in my hair as he draws me hard against him. I gasp as he tugs my head back, exposing the sensitive skin of my neck. With one hand firmly on the small of my back, holding me tight against his pulsating desire, he brings his full lips to my throat. I let a low, raspy moan escape my throat as he kisses me deeply. Each brush of his perfect mouth against my skin sends a shockwave of pleasure through my eager body. Urgent, throbbing need radiates from the very core of me as I run my hands over the hard rise in his jeans. I have to know what it feels like, taking so powerful a man all the way inside...
“You’ve never really been fucked, have you?” he growls in my ear, snapping open the clasp of my bra with a flick of his wrist.
“I-I don’t know. I guess?” I stammer, unable to concentrate on anything but his hands, sliding up my lean torso. His cock, hard and throbbing beneath my trembling fingers.
“That’s a no, then,” he laughs roughly, cupping my breasts in his rugged hands. I suck in a breath as he takes my nipples between his fingers, pinching just hard enough, mixing pleasure with pain as only he can do.
“Are you going to change that?” I ask, tracing the outline of his staggering member.
“You want me to,” he says. It’s more of a statement than a question.
“Yes,” I breathe, as he pushes me back against the soft leather couch, “I need you to.”
“You have no idea what you need,” he rasps, ripping my shirt over my head, “but I do.”
I bury my fingers in his dark curls as he kisses along my naked chest, taking my hard nipple in his mouth before moving down, down, down. His broad, cut body encompasses my slight form, pinning me there beneath him. I reach and pull the black tee shirt off his brawny torso, entranced by the snaking lines of ink covering each and every defined muscle.
“You’re incredible,” I breathe, as he trails his lips along the valley of my stomach.
His vibrant green eyes flick up to mine, his crooked grin wide and devilish.
“Red, you have no idea,” he growls, pushing up my black pencil skirt. My head falls back against the couch as he tugs down my lacy thong. “Did you put this on for me?” he asks.
“You know I did,” I admit, biting my lip.
“I love that,” he moans. “I love knowing how much you want me to fuck you.” I close my eyes in bliss as he trails two fingers along the length of my slick sex. “I love feeling how much you want me to fuck you. You’re so goddamn wet...”
“That feels so good,” I whisper, as he slides two strong fingers inside of me, flexing against that delicious spot. Words fail me as he strokes my most intimate flesh, sending waves of pleasure to the very edges of me.
“You’re so fucking tight,” he growls, slipping a third finger into my wet, wanting slit, “There’s no way you’ve ever been with a real man. Before now.”
“Show me what it’s like, then,” I gasp desperately.
“Don’t worry,” he grins, resting his thumb against my throbbing clit. Sensation sears through me as he rubs that aching nub, hard and tight with need. “I will.”
Just as my lips fall open to beg for his perfect cock, sharp pinpricks shoot out from my chest. This isn’t the wonderful, borderline pain of bites and tugs. What the hell...?
My conscious mind snaps to attention, dragging me out of the depths of fantasy. I blink my groggy eyes, looking wildly around the room for my dangerous lover. But instead of finding him looming over me in the low light of morning, I find someone much smaller. And fuzzier. And that someone happens to have his claws lodged in my chest.
“Dammit, Mayor,” I grumble, shooing my new pet away and rolling over in my empty twin bed, “way to be a buzzkill.”
I can’t believe that Brooks made his way into my dreams. Or rather, I can absolutely believe it, but I’m still totally freaked out. There’s no way around it—I’ve spent the night fantasizing about fucking a man I just met. On the couch in my new office. Where I’m posing undercover as someone else entirely. I know that dreams are supposed to be random firings of brain activity or whatever, but come on. There’s not much ambiguity to what that little sexy nighttime romp could mean.
It’s already nine in the morning. I’m supposed to report to the CrowdedNest offices at ten for my first day of work. Well, Keira’s first day. I’ve already logged a couple days of labor on this case. But now is when the real work begins. Forcing the lingering thoughts of Brooks from my mind, I grab my cell and give Mitchell a ring. He picks up and barks into the phone, clearly wide awake.
“Get a move on, Sleeping Beauty,” he orders me. “You just got this job with the old ladies. Don’t want to lose it on your first day.”
“Gee. Thanks, Mitchell. Your vote of confidence is overwhelming,” I grumble.