Breaking All the Rules (13 page)

“Do you have my envelope?” Viola’s voice is small. She doesn’t look at either of us.

Nate reaches into his jacket pocket and extracts the bulging white envelope. “This is for the month.” He slides the envelope to his mom.

She stands, avoiding my gaze. “I’m free on the fifteenth.” Viola tucks the envelope into her purse and hurries away from the table, leaving him with no words of good-bye, no hug, no sign of affection, of love.

Nate and I watch her leave. Yep, I made their relationship worse. I sigh. “Sorry about that.”

“Why are you sorry?” Nate grins, his eyes glittering with genuine joy. “My mother suggested a date. She’s never done that before.”

His mom has never suggested a date before. It takes me a couple of seconds to understand what that means. “She wants to see you again.” I beam. “See. Your mom does love you.” I bump against him. “But I lost the challenge. I don’t think your mom will call me.”

“Mentioning L’ongle was a good try,” Nate acknowledges. “If she hadn’t told you Frederick was the best, you would have won.”

“Yes.” I nod my head. Nate’s mom is a proud woman. She’d never admit she was wrong. “I set that up incorrectly.”

Nate pats my hip, silently agreeing with me. We sit in the small restaurant, watching the action around us, enjoying each other’s company. The waiter clears the table and Nate distributes more folded bills, paying for the service as he pays for his mom’s time, the touch he craves, and me.

I yearn to tell my careful controlled man that I love him, that I never wanted his money, that he is all I need, but one soul-shaking revelation is enough for today. “Thank you for arranging the pumpkin curry for me,” I say instead.

“I thought you’d like it.” Nate helps me stand, placing one of his arms around me. His hold on me is necessary. My legs tremble.

“I loved it.” I love him.

He leads me through the busy restaurant, his hand resting possessively on my hip, declaring to the world that I belong to him. Patrons and staff stare at us. I concentrate on the dynamic man beside me.

“Every man in this restaurant wants you,” Nate murmurs, his lips vibrating against my earlobe. Blissful tremors roll down my neck. “They envy me, knowing I’ll soon be inside you.”

“They can want me.” I press into Nate’s body, seeking to be closer to him, needing more of his delectable scent, his heat, his strength. “They can’t have me. I belong to you. Exclusively.”

“You’re mine.” The car is waiting for us and more dollar bills exchange hands, Nate tipping the doorman and the valet.

“I’m yours.” I settle into the passenger seat, the interior smelling of new car and freshly showered man.

Nate closes my door, rounds the hood of the black sedan, fills the driver’s seat. He drives quickly, smoothly, silently. I open the windows and cool air flows over us, caressing my skin.

“Will you be making an appointment for this afternoon, lover?” I stroke his thigh, relishing the contrast of soft fabric stretched over hard muscle. “Because I need you . . . badly.”

“I can’t last until the afternoon,” Nate confesses.

Chapter Nine

W
E CONTROL OUR
desires during the drive back to the office and the elevator ride to the finance floor. We exit the car, holding hands, sexual tension sizzling and snapping between us.

Gladys, the finance department’s gatekeeper, studies us, her glasses balanced precariously on the end of her tiny nose. “Good afternoon, Mr. Lawford.” Her gaze drops to our linked fingers. “Miss Trent.”

Nate doesn’t slow his pace, pulling me over the threshold and down the hallway. I laugh, thrilled by his eagerness. Employees stand in their cubicles gawking at us as we pass them, their mouths open and their eyes wide.

Yes, he has definitely claimed me. Office gossip is faster than the Internet. The entire building will know about our relationship by the end of the day.

Nate rushes me into his office and slams the door behind us. “Camille.” He captures my lips, crashing our bodies together, flattening my breasts against his chest, curving his palms over my ass.

I submit, giving him total access, opening completely to him. He surges into my mouth and sucks hungrily on my tongue, his tug and pull setting off fires within me, moistening my pussy, tightening my nipples.

This isn’t enough for Nate. He advances, forcing me to move backward until my ass collides with the desk, its unrelenting edge pushing into my softness.

“I need to be inside you now.” Nate lifts me onto the hard wooden surface and spreads my legs, hiking up my skirt.

“Take what you need, lover.” I shimmy out of my panties and open my blazer, freeing my breasts from the built-in bra. Cool air wafts over my skin and I tremble with excitement, anticipation. “You have me. You will always have me.”

“I will always have you.” Nate lowers his zipper and pushes down his pants and boxer shorts, revealing his long rigid cock. Pre-cum already glistens on his tip. “Not for one month.” He positions himself between my thighs and clasps my hips, his grip firm, possessive. I wrap my legs around him, hooking my ankles over his ass. “Always.” He thrusts deep, burying himself completely in my wet heat.

“Always,” I confirm, clinging to his shoulders, tilting my hips to take in all of him. His base presses against my soft feminine folds and he stills, allowing me to adjust to his invasion, to the delectable fullness.

I stroke his nape, touch his handsome face, trace his defined chin. This man is mine, a part of me, today and tomorrow. He might never love me, likely won’t ever marry me, but our energies will be meshed forever, permanently entwined.

Nate covers my lips with his and reaches under my jacket. His tongue explores my mouth and his fingers blaze along my spine, rough and warm and sure. I shrug the garment off my shoulders, giving him more skin to touch, to claim.

He rumbles his appreciation into my throat, his lips vibrating against mine. I gaze at him, at the thunderclouds of passion gathering in his dark eyes, and I quiver with excitement, gripping him tighter, ready, willing, and eager to ride the building storm.

Nate rocks into me, his movements shallow and slow, gentle steady drops of pleasure eroding my control, wearing away at my restraint. I meet and match his rhythm, undulating against him, splaying my fingers over his back, touching as much of his body as I can.

He rounds his spine, scattering kisses over my chin, my neck, my collarbone. I recline on the desk, drawing him above me, savoring the breadth of his shoulders, the power in his cotton-covered chest, the strength in his male form.

Nate fastens his lips over my right nipple and sucks hard, pulling a cry of surrender from my throat. My inner walls close around his shaft, increasing the delectable friction, escalating my already wanton desire.

He sucks on my breast as he pushes in and out of my pussy, synchronizing the tempo of his mouth and hips, the dual assault curling my fingers and toes. My nipples throb, my body clenches and releases, and my nerve endings dance.

I rake his back with my fingernails, searching for skin, and lightning flashes in Nate’s eyes, a jagged bolt of electricity illuminating his soul, the force of his passion compounding my own. He drags his mouth across my skin and covers my left nipple, continuing his sweet abuse. I hitch my hips upward and dig my heels into his ass, encouraging him to move faster, to take me harder.

He nips my skin and I arch my back, the pain exciting me. “More,” I urge, gripping his shoulders. “Make me feel you.”

Nate drives into me with a heart-pounding force, slapping my ass against the desk, pushing the air from my lungs. I lift into his thrusts, matching his ferocity, his passion, his need.

“Yes,” I shout with delight, flinging myself into the storm, no fear in my reckless heart. This is natural and right, our extremes and our rough edges smoothed by each other. I’m no longer fighting the universe, battling enemies only I see. I fit. I belong.

Nate has also changed, warmed beyond recognition. He grunts against my neck, his body folded over mine. There’s not one sliver of ice remaining in his muscular form. He churns with molten emotion, the fury of his passion fully unleashed, beautiful and real.

A sheen of perspiration covers my curves, slicking our sensual slide. My thighs shake. My breathing grows ragged. I’m nearing release, a fulfillment I can only find with my unbending executive.

Nate skims my neck with his teeth, sending bursts of pleasure down my spine. I grip his shoulders with my fingers and his shaft with my inner walls, torturing him as he tortures me. We struggle, two strong personalities linked together, having one purpose, one goal.

“Camille,” Nate rumbles. Beads of sweat form on his forehead, the droplets glistening on his golden skin. He’s glorious and mine.

“Not yet.” I cling to him, not ready to end this encounter, wishing we could fuck forever. When he’s inside me everything is perfect. I’m perfect.

He ravishes me with his cock, mouth, hands, an all-elements assault decimating my resolve. I grit my teeth as the tremors rock my body, this storm too wild even for me to ride.

“Fuck,” Nate curses. “Can’t.” He reaches between us, finds my clit, and rubs. I sob, my need for release nearing the point of pain. “Fuck.” His breath blows on my ear.

I should give him the permission he requires, but that isn’t possible. I’m past talking, past thinking, barely hanging onto my sanity.

Nate taps my clit and I scream, shattering, torn from the earth, lifting into the air. I clench down on his shaft, clutch his ass, suck his neck, trying to hold on, to secure myself to him.

Nate roars and thrusts hard, bathing me with warmth, with his cum. I slide along the desk as he pushes, seeking to be farther inside me. My fingernails dig into flesh. He drives into me once more and holds his pose, his gaze meeting mine, a feral satisfaction reflected in his eyes.

His shoulders shudder and he collapses, flattening my writhing body, forcing me to be still, to accept him, this. I wrap my arms around him, holding him tight.

“I love you.” The words escape my kiss-swollen lips before I can stop them.

Nate stiffens, his muscles flexing under his jacket, and says nothing. I blink, struggling to contain my foolish disappointment. He doesn’t value love, thinks it muddles relationships, and I know why he feels that way, know why he’ll never change his stance.

This doesn’t soothe the pain in my heart. I look up at the white ceiling tiles, the man destined to emotionally destroy me cradled between my thighs. I’ve changed too much to go back.

Unable to fight my fate, I press my lips against Nate’s golden skin and wait for his breathing to level, the heaving of his chest to ease. It doesn’t. The tension within him remains, painfully palpable.

I’ve ruined everything with my rash declaration of love. “Nate?” I thread my fingers through his short hair, the strands soft.

“I violated our agreement.” He pushes away from me and fastens his pants. “I said I wouldn’t come until you gave me permission.” He doesn’t meet my gaze. “You didn’t give me permission.”

Nate and his agreements. I tell him I love him; he worries about a clause in our contract. “Don’t sweat it.”

“Don’t sweat it?” He glares at me, his eyes blazing. “You deserve the best. And I’m clearly . . .” He stalks to the floor-to-ceiling windows, stares at the sky, his back turned toward me.

“You’re clearly the best.” I walk to him, my legs unsteady. “That’s the problem, stud. You were too good.” I stand beside my executive. “Your touch purged all of the words from my brain.” I slip my hand into his and gaze at the sky. “I tried to give you permission and couldn’t. All I could think about were your hands, your mouth, your cock.”

He stubbornly looks straight ahead, his shoulders squared and his spine straight.

I sigh. “You’re more than enough for me or for any other woman, Nate. I love you the way you are.” His fingers close tighter around my hand.

We stand side by side, woman and man, intern and executive, rebel and rule setter, as different as two people could be yet connected. A bird soars high into the sky, its wings outstretched, gloriously free. For once in my conflicted life I’m not envious of the tiny creature. I’m exactly where I want to be.

“Did you really put when you could come in our contract?” I ask, breaking the silence.

Nate’s lips lift, his small smile capturing my heart once more. “You should read the contract.”

I laugh, joy bubbling inside of me. “Someday I’ll read our infamous contract. I’m sure it will be an eye-opener.”

I check my watch. The lunch hour is over and it’s time to return to reality. “You have another meeting and I have to revolutionize the technology industry.”

I gather my jacket, donning the garment, the leather hugging my generous curves. “Miss Yen believes in my project, did I tell you that?”

“Once or twice.” Nate watches me, his expression cool, his emotions contained once more. “Does the funding mean that much to you?”

“The funding means nothing. I’m a hacker. I can find the money.” I bend over and retrieve my black lace panties. “I need the mentoring that comes with the funding. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”

Nate’s eyes gleam. “That’s never stopped you before.”

“That’s true.” I laugh. “I love you, Nathan Lawford. You calm my crazy ass down.” I toss him my panties.

He catches the flimsy lace in one of his hands, snatching it out of the air. “I’ll mentor your crazy ass.”

“You’ll mentor me?” I ask, stunned by his offer. Nate gives me a curt nod. He’ll mentor me. He believes in me, in my project. “For how long? For the month?”

“For as long as you need me.” He stuffs my panties in his pants pocket and strides toward his desk. “I’ll put that commitment in our agreement.”

“You do that.” I laugh.

I
RETURN TO
my shredding room office and work all afternoon. There’s no one and nothing to disturb me and I’m in the zone, coding like a woman possessed. I blast my music between phone calls, dance whenever I suffer from numb bum, and think about Nate too freakin’ much.

He believes in me, he accepts me, he doesn’t want to change me, and I love him with all of the passion in my wild heart. I’ll do anything for him, even conform. Or try to. I haven’t been successful at conforming in the past.