Undercover in the CEO's Bed(7)

Carl wiped his eyes, his face red from his chortling. “Lex singing? That’s priceless. Wait until I tell Brooke this.”

Lex’s arm had stiffened against hers. Annoyance radiated off him in pulsing waves, and without turning she knew how angry he’d look. But it was worth it, if only for Carl’s reaction. If she had to be Lex’s pretend girlfriend, then she might as well enjoy the opportunity to make him squirm. God knew, they didn’t come around very often.

“You know me. Deep down I’m just a romantic fool.” Lex’s voice, low and unsettling, vibrated in her ear. He circled his arm around her waist and pulled her hard against him, his hand closing possessively on her hip. The tingle that ran down her spine quickly turned to alarm as she peeked up and met his simmering gaze. Uh-oh, she’d gone too far.

“But it was worth it, wasn’t it, darling?” he murmured.

He tilted up her chin, and the glint in his eye gave her a split-second warning, but she was too startled to do anything before he pressed his mouth onto hers. Her squeak of surprise was muffled by his kiss—a warm, confident, exciting kiss. Her breathing stopped. His mouth moved more insistently. The last vestiges of resistance melted beneath his sensual heat. Her lips parted of their own volition, and then...oh God, his tongue shifted into her mouth, triggering a rush of need to her pelvis. Senses reeling, she was helpless under the practiced sweep of his tongue. How she’d missed this, dreamed of it. Her tongue moved against his, tentative, and his answering lick made her breasts tingle. She wanted more, she wanted...

Gasping, she somehow wrenched herself free.

“How...” How dare you? she’d been about to splutter before Carl’s bemused expression swam into her vision and brought her up short. Her lips were throbbing, her mind haywire, her body on fire. She felt like she’d just downed a couple of shots of vodka.

Lex’s arm continued to imprison her waist as his palm slid up and down the silky material stretching over her hips. “Honey, if you continue giving me that doe-eyed stare, you’ll make poor Carl here run away in embarrassment.”

“Oh, don’t mind me, you two lovebirds.” Carl chuckled.

“You hear that?” Lex’s lips brushed her hair. “Carl doesn’t mind.”

A fresh group of partygoers surged into the living room and diverted Carl’s attention. The room was getting crowded and stuffy. Lex ushered her out onto the deck, where they joined another group.

She thought he would release her, but he kept his arm around her. She wiggled her hips, only for his hand to shift up to her waist, his grip sure and solid. Through the filmy stuff of her dress she could feel every inch of him impressed against her length. For the life of her she couldn’t concentrate on anything except Lex and his kiss and how his touch had all her senses leaping. The faint scent of his cologne scattered her wits even further, bringing up shameful memories of how she hadn’t washed her bed linen for ages after they’d split, so desperate to hang onto the last traces of him still lingering on her sheets.

“Relax,” he whispered in her ear.

She started at the feel of his lips against her earlobe. He drew her a few steps away from the group.

“You’re as jumpy as a kitten,” he said. “I can feel you trembling.”

“It’s your fault. Who said you could kiss me?”

“You’re my girlfriend.”

“That does not give you the right to—to manhandle me whenever you like.”

“You could have pulled back anytime, but you didn’t. You enjoyed it.”

Her lips were still throbbing from the kiss. Yes, dammit, she’d enjoyed it. Too much. It had triggered memories of their first explosive kiss on the first night they’d met, a kiss that had shattered all her puny resistance. After that kiss, she’d fallen completely under his spell.

“That’s not the point,” she said. “The point is, kissing was not part of the arrangement.”

“Wasn’t it?”

“Not that kind of kissing.”

“What’s the big deal? We’ve kissed thousands of times before.” His hand moved up to her bare back and began to stroke tiny circles across her spine. His eyes turned to blue smoke. “And it was just an innocent peck.”

Under his light caress, her skin quivered; he knew exactly how to mesmerize her with his teasing touch, how to turn her into a melting jelly of lust. Before she had a chance to dissolve, she made herself pull away. “An innocent peck doesn’t involve tongues.”

“Oh, the tongue. Well, that was just a little payback for making me look like an idiot in front of Carl.”

Just as she’d suspected. He hadn’t appreciated her storytelling skills. She flicked back her hair. “If you want Carl to believe we’re suddenly an inseparable couple after months of silence, then you need a convincing story. What would you have told him?”

“Anything else. You know he’s going to repeat that crap to everyone?”

He seemed rattled. Surprised, she squeezed his arm. “Aw, but it’s such a cute story.”

“Yeah?” He leaned into her, his hands tightening around her waist. “So what happened after I croaked out ‘Hard to Say I’m Sorry’ and you let me in?”

“Uh, well, we talked all night—”

“Talked all night? Sounds boring. Not like me at all.” He moved her backward. Leaves rustled as he maneuvered her past some bushes and out of sight from the other partygoers. “Didn’t we rip each other’s clothes off before doing it six ways till Sunday?”

Her heart was pattering fast, and she couldn’t stop trembling. “N-no, we didn’t.”

“I think we did. I think we did it all night.” Darkness and virility enclosed her, as palpable as his hot, powerful body. “Let me refresh your memory.”

He curled one hand around her nape. Then he dipped his head, and although she had time to pull away, she didn’t. She just stood there, transfixed with anticipation as his mouth descended on hers. This was no sweet, romantic kiss, but controlling and ravenous.

Pushing her up against a brick wall, he plastered himself over her, his free hand grabbing her ass. His roughness was still such a turn-on, God help her. She heard herself moaning against his mouth as her insides turned to mush and excitement streaked through her. She couldn’t resist folding her arms around him, splaying her hands across his wide back to press him closer.

His tongue tangled with hers before he daisy-chained a line of kisses down her throat. The thrill of his lips nipping at her skin had her arching into him. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, a faint voice warned her to stop, but how could she end what her body so desperately craved?

His hands...oh, there was such magic in his broad, sure hands. They caressed her ass and hips before moving up slowly over her bare back, each confident stroke sending fresh heat through her. With his mouth and his hands he ravished her, his thigh thrust between her legs, pinning her to the wall. Material crinkled, and then he slipped both hands under her halter top to cup her breasts.

“Oh ye-ah,” he murmured into her neck. “I remember these...”

She couldn’t breathe; she was on fire. In his hands, her breasts felt heavy and aching and wonderful, and she felt herself filling with heady sexual power. Only Lex could do this to her, make her feel so voluptuous and sensational and shameless. He angled his thigh against her mound as his thumbs grazed lazily against her nipples. Gasping, she bent her head back. As her eyes fluttered open, she caught a glimpse of his face—flushed with arousal, a small smile on his lips... A triumphant smile, almost swaggering.

Shame engulfed her. Christ, she was such an idiot, letting herself get carried away when all the while he was gloating at her weakness.

She pushed him away, and, taken by surprise, he staggered back. A blank look of astonishment came over his face, masking his satisfaction.

“You can stop right there,” she managed to get out through her straining breaths. “You’re not getting back into my panties.”

Breathing hard, he shoved his fingers through his hair. His trousers made a pup tent over his unmistakable hard-on. God, what might have happened if she hadn’t pushed him away?

Frustration showed in his face. “I never thought you were a tease.”

“I’m not.” She tugged her dress into place, feeling ashamed and stupid. “That was a mistake. It won’t happen again.”

She couldn’t stand there blushing, so she spun around and marched off, knowing he couldn’t follow her until he’d cooled down a little. It won’t happen again. It won’t happen again. If only she could be so sure of that.





Chapter Four

From the terrace of Lex’s Pacific Heights mansion, the views stretched out across the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. On a bright and breezy Saturday, the waters were sprinkled with sailing boats, their sails billowing in the freshening wind. The spectacle should have been restful, but instead Lex’s shoulder muscles were bunched and his stomach was tight with tension. Instead of enjoying the fresh air and the view, all he could think about was the woman he’d just left in his study.

Jacinta had arrived an hour ago to start her analysis of the IT security log files, just as they’d arranged the previous night. The thought of last night made his back muscles screw up tighter. He couldn’t stop thinking about the kisses they’d shared. That first kiss he’d forced on her was meant as payback, but instead it had ambushed him, inflamed him so he couldn’t resist pulling her into the bushes and kissing her some more. And that time she’d kissed him back, her mouth unfurling, her tongue sweeping over his, her body softening into his hold in that hedonistic way that always drove him wild.