Breach: The Boxset (5 page)

“Yes… Punish you. Fuck. I don’t want this…don’t want you. This.”
Slam
. “Is.”
Slam
. “All.”
Slam
. “Your.”
Slam
. “Fault!”

I crumbled beneath him, screaming his name as my pussy clenched around his perfect cock.

“That’s it, come on my cock. Shit, your pussy feels so good… Milk my cock, baby. Fuck!” His hand released my hair, and I fell back down to the table, exhaustion taking over as I moved toward a second orgasm. He gripped my hips, pulling me back, pushing in deeper. “That’s it. Grip it tight like a vice. That’s what you do. It’s how you torment me. Fucking cock tease.”

My whole body shook, tearless sobs taking over as my oversensitive body tingled, and I fell again. His hips jerked, fingers digging into my flesh as he exploded within me. A moment later his movements stopped, the sound of his harsh breath filling the room.

He collapsed on top of me, unable to hold himself up, muscles spent. We were both panting, trying to regain a normal heart rate.

“You should stay away from me, Lila. I’m no good for you.” He placed a soft kiss on my shoulder blade with the tenderness of a lover. “Run while you can. Run away from me, and don’t look back. I’m not worth your life.”

His eerie warning was the last thing I heard before exhaustion took over and my eyelids closed, blacking out the world.

CHAPTER 5

My eyes fluttered open, the familiar sight of my bedroom coming into focus through my disoriented mind. Warm, soft light filtered in through the curtains covering the windows, greeting me from my comfortable bed. It took a moment to recall what I’d been doing before I awoke, confused as to why I was asleep in the middle of the afternoon. A twinge in my abdomen when I tried to sit rectified that.

Nathan had been there, inside me. It was better than the last time, the pain and stiffness when I moved a testament to his visit. He was rough and dirty, and I knew my body was ruined for any other man. No other could make my body sing the way he had during our encounters.

The last words he said surfaced through my addled mind, playing over and over, looping until it was clear.

“You should stay away from me, Lila. I’m no good for you. Run while you can. Run away from me and don’t look back. I’m not worth your life.”

All I could think of was:
why
? Why wasn’t he “worth my life”? If he wasn’t a good or even decent person, would he have placed me in my bed before he left? Would he have even come, so aggravated, thinking he’d hurt me? I was tucked under the covers of my bed, cleaned of our actions, with a glass of water on the bedside table—all evidence to the contrary.

Another question was: why me? Each member of the Boob Squad was throwing themselves at him daily. We weren’t friends, nor did we pretend to be. It was a constant butting of heads, sarcastic remarks, biting words, and eye rolls filling our everyday encounters.

With no answers, I forced myself from the bed and threw on some clothes before I plopped in front of the TV, intent on losing myself in whatever movie was on. I was too tired and aching to even contemplate anymore cleaning. In the back of my mind, I wondered if Nathan was upstairs doing the same thing. He was so close, yet so very far away.

Sunday had long since passed, and now it was nine in the morning on a Wednesday. I hadn’t seen Nathan at all outside of work, much to my body’s regret. Our usual bickering never faltered, but his mood improved over the weekend like most thought it would. I was the only one privy to the real reason why.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted him staring at me almost like he was searching for the answer to a question. He never looked when anyone else would see, just when we were alone, tucked away in our space with a view.

Our office had once been one of the conference rooms for Holloway and Holloway, back when they only took up one floor of the building. When the firm expanded and the load became more than one transactional attorney could handle, Mr. Holloway split it into two, but kept it together. Hence the occupation of such a large room by comparison.

Vivian was hired to work with Trevor to lighten the burden, making it more manageable. When Trevor’s wife was relocated, I applied in hopes of being relieved of the grunt work of a newbie. Mr. Holloway hired me straight out of college after I’d interned between my second and third year of law school.

I had no desire for the courtroom. I never had, but I loved the law. When I looked at Nathan, I saw a courtroom personality. He was much smarter than I was. I envisioned him prosecuting criminals or suing large corporations. Not stuck in a room, meeting with clients a few times a week, and looking over legal jargon until his eyes bled. The job wasn’t him. I assumed it was part of his mystery, but I’d never asked, and he wasn’t forthcoming with information about himself.

“Delilah?”

I was pulled from whatever contract my eyes had blurred over while I was thinking about him. The man was too distracting for his own good.

“Yes.” I sighed and eyed my empty coffee mug. I could use a fresh one.

“Are you okay? You’ve been staring at the same contract for the last fifteen minutes, your hands hovering over the keys.” His lips pulled up into that damn smirk of his, the one that made panties wet on almost every woman he encountered, mine included. His blue eyes sparkled with amusement, and I wondered if he knew I was thinking about him.

“I just need more coffee.”

His smirk grew. “Your mind seemed preoccupied, not tired.”

Damn him.

“Don’t worry, Thorne, you weren’t starring in my preoccupation.” A lie. A bold-faced one at that. I’d thought of no one but him in weeks. I wanted to know all of him, but was aware he’d never allow that to happen.

High-pitched giggles drew my eyes to the door as another member of the Boob Squad had arrived. Wasn’t it against the dress code to have your breasts hanging out of your top? I was beginning to think Jennifer hadn’t read that memo, or the one about fraternization. Who was I to talk? Nathan’s cock had been in me more than once, and it was bliss.

“Nathan, I was hoping you could help me.” Her flirtation was in full force. It was a blinding and gag-worthy performance.

“I’m going to lunch.” I grabbed my purse and coat, heading out before I vomited. They really were vile.

There was a small bit of satisfaction in seeing him squirm as I walked out. I’d bailed him out too many times in the past week, he could fend for himself. I hated them interrupting my work, and I was sick of it.

But not because I was jealous and wanted to scream out that he was mine while I yanked on their hair to drag them off of him. My stomach twisted in a knot as I imagined one of them with their hands all over his cock, their mouths on his hard flesh.

I wound my way around the cubes of the newbies and interns until I reached an open door. Caroline was finishing up a phone conversation, holding up one finger for me to wait.

“Ready?” she asked as she hung up the phone. I nodded and waited as she grabbed her purse.

“Please, I need to get away from them.”

“Ah… He’s in a better mood, and now they’re all over him again.”

I sighed, picturing the scene as I left. “I’m not sure you can say Jennifer’s shirt is doing its duty today.”

“What does he do with all these women trying to climb into his pants?” she asked as we walked to the elevators. With luck, there was one waiting and we hopped on.

“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure he isn’t touching any of them.”
Because he’s touching me.

“Why do you say that?”

I snorted. “You should see the look on his face, I mean the
real
look. Their tenacity scares him. I’ve had to save him more than once in the past week.”

Her eyebrow arched up as she regarded me, a smile forming on her lips. “You’re attracted to him.”

I stared at her, openmouthed. “I…I… Shit. Of course I am! Have you
seen
him?”

Her grin widened, and she moved to look forward again. “I’m just happy to find out you haven’t lost your libido with two years of cobwebs up in there.”

I snorted. “Um, thanks?”

“We still on for Friday?” She arched a brow at me, but when I opened my mouth she silenced me. “You promised me. Don’t make me call in reinforcements to drag you out.”

I threw my hands up in protest. “I’ll go. I’ll go.”

After a quick bite at a bistro down the street, we headed back. While Jennifer was gone, Kelly had taken her place and was pawing all over him. The girl was only nineteen—did she really think she stood a chance?

Then again, guys often went for younger girls.

She was all giggles and flirtation, and he was smiling and joking back. I scowled at him for encouraging their behavior. As I sat down, I woke up my computer, placing my purse in the bottom drawer and attempted to get back to work. My irritation was too great, and only grew as their conversation continued. I turned to glare at them and was met with a grin—he was enjoying my torment. The man was so infuriating sometimes. He knew I was pissed and was rubbing it in my face.

“Kelly, have you set up my appointment with the Sanders yet?” I questioned, knowing the small task I’d asked of her was incomplete. I was drawing at anything to get her out and away from him…
us
. We both needed to work.

“Nope,” she answered, and then turned back to Nathan.

I cocked my eyebrow at her, attempting my best icy glare. I couldn’t see it, since I was looking at her, but I could tell Nathan was staring at me. “I asked you to set that up three hours ago.”

“I’ll get to it,” she said in an annoyed huff and with a roll of her eyes.

“Well, I’d say if you have time to sit in here and talk, you have time to make the call you should have made three hours ago.” My teeth were clenched at that point, my voice climbing an octave as I restrained myself from yelling at her. Nathan was still staring at me, but not in amusement. He almost seemed annoyed.

“Fine, I’ll go do it now.” With a huff, she told him she’d be back before bouncing out the door.

“Better not be,” I grumbled under my breath. He was still staring, so I turned to meet his gaze. “What? It’s your damn fault they’re in here all of the time. You could at least
discourage
their advances.”

“How is it my fault?”

“Your damn pheromones are drawing in the bees, and they’re pissing me off. You’re the best looking man in this office, and they all want you.”

“And you don’t?”

My face heated when he hinted for the first time at what we’d done. In a fit of embarrassment and nervousness, I chucked my stapler in his direction. Childish, but I didn’t know the right social cue for the situation, and I was afraid he would notice my deficiency. The stapler tumbled on the floor, missing him and breaking apart.

“Back to work,” I mumbled.

His brow furrowed in anger as he glared at me. “Yes, throw shit, Palmer, that’s mature.”

“Do you really want me to go there, Thorne? Answer me this—do you plan to screw one of them?”

His voice was low and steady as he said, “No.”

“Then why do you flirt with them?”

“Because I’ve found that being friendly makes people more apt to do what you ask without delay or complaint. You catch more bees with honey, Palmer.”

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot you’re the friendliest person in the world.” My voice dripped with sarcasm. “Oh, wait, no…” I leaned forward and whispered so that no one except him could hear me, “You’re damaged and hiding behind a fucking mask.”

He snarled, leaning in closer. “You have no idea what the hell you’re talking about.”

He sat back, jaw tight as he focused back on the screen, his demeanor ending all conversation.