"It's fine for now. But, I'm going to have to leave again sooner than I want. Abby, I don't want you here by yourself. Dale is dangerous. More than I realized."
"He hasn't done anything to me. If that's what you're asking. I mean, he's made some threats."
"Tell me," Bas's voice dropped an octave. This was a command, not a question. Some primal part of me flared to life and went to war with the ethics of my situation. Bas was Bas, but I worked for the congressman. I'd signed a confidentiality agreement as part of my internship contract with him. Although I hadn't pieced together the specifics, I knew Dale wanted to make trouble for Bas and interfere with Wild Lake. I could see Bas's point on the conservation bill. It looked good in theory, but it would put large swaths of Wild Lake's natural forest under federal control. I also knew he had an even more drastic plan if the bill fell through. Dale hadn't come right out and said it, but he had me researching grounds for a federal takeover through eminent domain. So far, my research had turned up nothing. No compelling government interests that could circumvent private property ownership.
"Don't," I said. "Don't put me in the middle of the two of you. I need this job, Bas. It's important. My career matters. I can't tell you everything. Just know that, for right now, I don't think any of the congressman's plans pose an actual threat to you."
I expected him to get angry. He didn't. Bas let out a sigh and dropped his hand. "God, I'm sorry. The last thing I wanted to do was make things impossible for you like this. Dammit. The thing I hate the most is how all of this played right into Dale's hands."
"What do you mean?"
"He knew. That first time I saw you when I stormed in there with that leg trap."
"He knew what?"
Bas's smile churned my insides. It was full of sex and secrets. A wave of heat bled through me and settled in my core. God, all it took was that one look and he had me panting for his touch again. And touch was simple. So much easier than trying to grapple with ethical dilemmas or all the reasons I had to walk away.
I moved first. I couldn't stand it another second. I leaned across the center console and slid my hands up Bas's solid biceps. I tugged at his cobalt blue tie and pulled him down to kiss me. His groan melted me, and he pressed his lips to mine. I meant to leave it at that. Just a kiss. It was stupid of me to think that would be enough. The instant we touched, my senses flared to life. He tasted of sin, spice, and everything male. He tasted like mine.
"Fuck, Abby."
Yes. Fuck.
Bas slid out of his suit coat and pulled at the buttons of my blouse with deft fingers. He spread the thin silk, exposing my lace bra. My lips locked with his, I shifted, climbing over the console until I straddled his lap, his tie still clutched in my hand. He slid my skirt up over my thighs and hooked one finger through the thin cotton crotch of my panties. He tore them away as if they were made of tissue paper. I felt his hardness against my sensitive flesh.
Where I became wild and reckless, Bas was still in command. He reached down and pressed the button on the side of his captain's chair, reclining it and shifting it backward. He kept a strong hand on my waist, holding me steady as we sank down together.
I unfastened his belt buckle and slid it out of the way. Then, I undid the button of his trousers and felt the hard outline of his erection, straining beneath the wool. Carefully, I slid his zipper down, and all the while he devoured me with kisses.
He pushed my skirt even farther up so it bunched around my waist and raised his hips to let me slide his pants out of the way. There was nothing between us now. I brought myself up on my knees and gripped the solid shaft of him. Bas's eyes flashed silver as I hovered over him. God, he owned me. Even now. But he let me take control.
My sex throbbed with anticipation as I stroked him. He was solid heat between my fingers. There might be time later to take it slow, but not now. Now, my body cried out for his. I never wanted to wait so long to feel him ever again. I rose up and guided him between my legs. He held me with one hand on my waist, the other at the nape of my neck as he nipped my earlobe.
Then, I couldn't stand it another second. With one, quick, downward thrust, I impaled myself on the length of him. He filled me, his cock throbbing inside of me as I started to ride him. I took him deep and hard, and he tore at my bra to free my breasts.
We were out in the open. Although the gas station was abandoned, a dozen cars whizzed by on the overpass. All anyone had to do was look down and they'd see me bucking and writhing as I fucked Bas with abandon. I didn't care. None of that mattered. The only thing that mattered was the feel of him deep inside me. I wanted more. Though he grasped my bare nipple between his fingers, we had too many clothes between us.
My whole world became the feel of him stabbing into me, filling me completely, the rise and fall of my hips as I tried to take him even deeper. This wasn't lovemaking. This was raw, primal need. I didn't care if he took me in the middle of a busy downtown street, bent over a park bench. I would have let him. The wanting consumed me and drove out all reason.
My hair fell around us like a blonde curtain. I arched my back and let the surge take hold of me. The first edges of a rising orgasm took hold. Bas felt it too as my walls gripped him tight. Again, I felt that burning ache at the back of my neck and wished I had room to turn. I wanted him from behind. I wanted his teeth. The instant I thought it, he hissed and I saw his front canines lengthen a fraction of an inch. It only made my juices flow more.
This. All of it. I wanted the wolf. I wanted the man. I wanted that wild heat that rose within me and called out for him to claim me. I felt made for it. Born for him. Again, though, Bas held back. Even when I gathered my hair to the side and turned my head far to the right, exposing my neck to him. I didn't fully understand the need, only that I wanted more of him so desperately.
He reached up and pulled my hands away, letting my hair fall down between us again. And I couldn't control my desire for a second longer. I reared up and arched my back as Bas held me steady. An explosive wave of pleasure rocked through me. I screamed his name. The traffic noises drowned it out.
Bas growled and rose to meet my thrusts. He twitched inside of me, giving in to his own crescendo of desire. We came together. Wave after wave as I bucked and thrashed while Bas held me in place. He reached up and locked his hands with mine, letting me get the angle I needed for maximum pleasure. He exploded inside of me. His heat joining with mine. On and on it went. He left me panting, gasping for air as I finally crested down.
My body went limp, but still Bas held me up. He stayed inside me even after both of us were spent. I felt him jerk and twitch where we joined. A part of me wanted to stay locked like that forever. It was simpler. Better. Bas reached up and cupped his hand around the curve of my skull, then brought me down to kiss him again.
His suit was wrecked. My panties were shredded. We righted ourselves and somehow, I managed to get back over the console on rubber legs and pulled my wrinkled clothes together as best I could. Going back to the office without a change of clothes was pretty much out of the question.
Bas took my hand and brought it to his lips, brushing my knuckles with a kiss. "Sorry," he said. "I thought I'd be able to control myself a little better than that."
I laughed. "Why would you want to?"
He looked at me, his face cracked into a wide smile. "You're right. I didn't. God. Abby. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."'
With any other man those next few minutes might have felt awkward. With Bas, everything felt like it had just fallen into place. Simple. Solid. Real.
"When can I see you again?" he asked. It seemed a strange question. Forever. Now. Whenever he wanted. I could try to pretend he didn't have some hold over me, but he did, and he knew it. Still, I had enough caution to think about my answer.
"Soon. I don't know. Tomorrow? You know, I wouldn't mind trying something like an actual date."
Bas's wide smile made my heart jump again. I wanted to lean over and kiss that mouth. He pressed his thumb to his bottom lip and I noticed the slight swelling where I think I'd bitten him.
"Yeah. I guess we've taken things slightly backward haven't we?" I turned the key in the ignition and put his hand across the back of my seat as he looked behind him and pulled out of the lot.