“Tony?” Marcus calls out. “We need to talk.”
Chapter Eleven
Heather
Tony’s hand freezes mid-caress, his muscular thighs tense behind mine. “I’m busy right now, Marcus.” I stifle an urge to giggle at his gross understatement. “Whatever it is will have to wait ‘til tomorrow.”
A few tense seconds pass and the man on the other side of the door bites out a terse, “Fine,” and we hear his footsteps retreat down the corridor.
Embarrassment and fear war inside me. “Do you think he heard us?”
A gentle kiss lands on my shoulder. “Don’t know. Don’t care.”
I push away from the hard wood, and Tony quickly grabs a fistful of tissues from his desk. My lover withdraws from my body, leaving me with a physical ache from the loss.
Uh-oh. An ache in my heart when he’s not inside me? That can’t be good. Well, I guess that depends on how you look at it. I no longer think I’m falling for him hard, I know it. Crap.
“Aren’t you worried about your job?” I ask, eager to deflect my mind from my own musings. “Couldn’t Marcus get you in trouble for…,” I hesitate, unsure how to phrase what just happened between us, “…our little adventure?”
Tony turns me to face him and gathers me in his arms. His breath fans my ear and his voice sounds reluctant. “I’ve never had an encounter like what we just shared.” He squeezes me and kisses my neck. “But I can’t deny to having been with a woman in my office before.”
Flashes race through my mind of all the tabloid covers and trashy articles I’ve seen over the years about the corporate playboy. I stiffen and he steps back to look me in the eyes. “Don’t shut me out, please.” He grins, the wicked look transforming his sex-softened features. “I swear I’ve never done anything even close to what we did with anyone—ever.”
Hope springs to life inside me. Is he telling me the truth? I started out angry and ready to tan his hide, literally, but things progressed beyond what I had planned, very quickly.
A shyness I’d like to ignore creeps over me and I look away. “Me neither.”
He grabs my chin and turns me back to stare. “No hiding from me.”
I nod, unsure of an appropriate response. When I stood, my skirt fluttered down to cover my naked backside. Now I’m acutely aware of standing topless in a man’s office.
The resulting acceptance and freedom I feel at my nudity takes me by surprise. Am I becoming the wanton creature I’ve pretended to be? Who was that wild woman wielding the paddle and smacking a man’s bare ass?
God, it felt so exhilarating and empowering. I never would have thought spanking someone as hard as I did wouldn’t hurt. Tony steps away and dresses. I follow his example, aware of a growing hunger in my stomach. All that exercise and excitement works up an appetite.
As I fasten my bra, my stomach rumbles, sounding like a mewling animal. Tony laughs, and grabs me around the waist, pulling me into his arms for a deep kiss.
When we come up for air he says, “Sounds like your body is saying you need to go to dinner with me still.”
He looks hopeful, apparently even now a little worried I might refuse and run. Did I really run away? Have I done that before in relationships and not been aware of it?
Unwilling to examine my personal failings after such an intimate moment, I push the ideas to the back of my mind, promising I’ll do a thorough self-analysis when I’m alone and thinking clearly. Like maybe next year. Standing near this gorgeous hunk of man empties my head of rational thought.
“You’re not going to come up with some lame excuse are you?” Tony asks. “You did promise me.”
His concerned tone jars me into realizing I didn’t answer his first question. “I’m up for dinner.” I smile, forcing a lightness into my expression. I don’t want him to suspect my inner fears and self-doubts. A woman brazen enough to use a paddle on a man in his office and get excited doing it would never balk at a shared meal, right?
I pull on my blouse as Tony fastens his belt. In a moment, he’s ready and grabs the little wooden racket. “I enjoyed this way more than I thought.” He rubs the rubber surface and smacks his palm. A shiver runs over him and when he looks at me again, I see heat in his eyes. “How about you? Did you like spanking me?” A wry expression crosses his face. “You had no problem using it to your advantage.”
I blush and look away, uneasy with the stunt I pulled in negotiating under those circumstances. “I’m not going to apologize for squeezing Apollo for more cash. I know what our company is worth.”