Except with her.
The orgasm overtook him and he shouted. The painful pleasure drenched him with sweat as he spilled himself into her. Bucking back, thrusting one more time, he found himself unable to breathe or think or do. All of him came into her, into the heart and core of her. He lost himself inside of her, his mia dolce, his wife, his lover.
His harsh breathing filled the room. Vico stopped himself from slumping down on her, by propping his shaking arms on the desktop. Dazed, he stared at her stomach, her ivory skin shining with sweat, highlighting the round belly.
It was as he’d thought. Even if he’d dismissed it during the past few months.
That night had been as amazing and astounding as he’d thought. The sex had been as astonishing and affecting as he’d remembered. This woman, this woman was the apex of everything he’d ever dreamed of.
“Ruddy hell.”
Her quiet words managed to cut him out of his stupor. He looked up.
His heart sank to the bottom of his feet.
“What have I done?” Her eyes were no longer blue. They were iced glass.
The very core of him froze and tentacles of freezing pain wound their barren arms around his soul.
How could she?
How could she reject this beauty between them?
How could she not know what he’d given her mere moments ago?
Fury burnt straight through any remaining lethargy. He pulled out of her, the sucking sound of her body holding onto his the exact opposite of what her face and gaze and manner were saying.
Turning away from her, he zipped his pants, smoothed his sweaty shirt down and tucked it in. Squared his shoulders for what was to come. He heard the thump of her feet hitting the carpet, the rustle of clothes being re-arranged behind him. The fact he had to find the courage to turn around to confront her astounded him.
The blonde brows were drawn into a deep frown as she met his gaze with one of her own. Her eyes showed clearly she was not happy about what had just occurred.
If it were possible, his heart slid further down the well of defeat.
“This won’t happen again,” she announced, with only a quiver of emotion at the end.
He laughed. It was the only thing he could think of to do. Laugh in the face of death, whether it was physical or spiritual.
“How can you laugh?” Her mouth pursed with disgust. “We’re at work. There are people right outside the door. This was…”
“Was?” His brain was coming back to life, along with his anger at her.
“Was—”
“Fantastic?”
“No.” The word came harsh and loud, though the blush sweeping her cheeks gave his male pride a moment of mollification.
A moment.
“You are an animal.”
“And so,” he drawled, his hate escalating, brushing aside the memory of his intense pleasure just moments before, “are you, Princesse.”
She flinched, as if the nickname had driven a knife into her.
An internal howl screamed from his gut and yet, he couldn’t think of anything to say that she’d accept. So all he did was sneer.
Her fine hands fisted at her side as if ready to punch him and he wondered if she’d dare. What would he dare in response? But she kept her distance, on the other side of his desk. “You are beneath contempt.”
“As you say.” He’d had enough. Enough of her stubborn pride. Enough of her temptation and then rejection. Enough of her here at his company.
“There’s not a gentlemanly bone in your body.”
“I’ve heard this before.” He ran his hand through his hair, brushing it off his shoulders with studied indifference. “You should find some new slurs to throw at me.”
“I’m not going to spend any more time with you.” She stomped to the door.
“There is one more thing we haven’t finished.”
“We’re totally finished.” Swiveling around, she scowled at him.
“Not quite.” He slipped his hands into his pockets before he gave in to the urge to grab her and show her how wrong she was. About everything. “There is the original reason I called you into this office.”
“Why you—”
“My apologies for distracting you.” He grinned. It was painful to do, but he had to.
“You are the—”
“We have not come to an agreement about your work schedule, though.”
“There isn’t going to be any agreement.” She clutched the door handle, as if ready to fly out of this building and fly far away from him.
“I agree.”
His apparent concession shocked her. Her head swung around, her eyes wide.
“As you say, there will be no agreement.” His hands fisted in his pockets, letting his words be the weapons. “There doesn’t have to be.”