Den of Desire (3 page)

“It's about letting go of everything and just taking what you want.”

His hand covered her pussy, and she moaned. She was sure that he could feel how wet she was through her thong. She should have been embarrassed.

But she wasn't.

She just wanted more.

His fingers slipped into her thong to rub lazy circles over her clit. She moved against him, her head falling back against his shoulder. When he slid his finger inside of her, she gasped at how good it felt. Her head turned, and she ached for his lips to touch hers.

“Please,” she whimpered.

He spun her around to press her back against the wall. His hands moved over her body, making every part of her ache for him. He rubbed his cheek against hers as she felt his body press into her. He was making her crazy. Her hands reached out to glide over his chest, but the barrier of his shirt prevented her from feeling his skin. She fumbled with the buttons until she pulled it open. Her fingertips slid over smooth skin, teasing his nipples. She heard his sharp intake of breath and felt triumph at the victory.

He eased the straps of her dress down, baring her breasts. His head bent only moments before she felt his mouth close over her nipple. She cried out at the intensity of the sensation. His tongue swirled over the tip as his hands slid her thong down the length of her legs. His hands moved over her legs, her buttocks. She loved the way he touched her, loved the feel of his mouth on her breasts. But she wanted more. She wanted him inside her. She wanted his tongue in her mouth.

And she wanted it now.

Her fingers slid into his hair to pull his lips to hers. Her tongue boldly demanded entrance to his mouth before curling around his own. For a moment, he let her lead, let her set the pace. But then, as if he couldn't take anymore, he took control. He didn't just kiss her. He took possession of her mouth.

He claimed it so fully that it left no room for indecision.

He pulled away for a minute, his eyes searching hers. “What do you want, Mara?” he asked, his voice filled with arousal.

Her entire life had been plagued by indecision, by never knowing which move to make. But in this moment with Joe, everything was clear.

“I want you inside of me.”

She heard his zipper lower, and she reached inside his pants to wrap her fingers around his cock. He groaned against her mouth. He was so much bigger than anything she had ever experienced.

And he was hard.

For her.

She heard a ripping sound mere seconds before he pushed her hand away to put on the condom. Then, he grabbed her thighs, lifting her against him. He wrapped her legs around his waist. She clung to his shoulders, her back against the wall. She felt his erection press against her, and her eyes closed. When she came here tonight, she never imagined she would be in a darkened corridor having sex with Joe Gates.

But here she was.

And it was so good.

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Chapter 3

What was he doing?

He was breaking every rule.

And they were his rules.

But he couldn't seem to stop himself. She felt so good. Too good. Jesus, just getting inside of her was going to make him come. She was so tight and wet, he wanted to sink inside of her and stay there forever. Her pussy was squeezing him like a fist. He pushed another inch inside, and she whimpered. He fought for a control that he wasn't sure he still possessed.

He had to do something before she closed off completely. Sliding his hand between their bodies, he rubbed lazy circles over her clit. She moaned, and he caught the sound in his mouth. He felt her body stretch to allow him entrance. After a moment, he ventured further. When she sucked at his tongue, he felt like the top of his head was going to come off. She wriggled her hips against him, and he slid the rest of the way in.

For a moment, he didn't move, wanting to savor the silken heat of her. He devoured her mouth. She tasted like honeyed sugar. When she moved against him, her patience clearly thinning, his hands lowered to clasp her buttocks. Her nails dug into his shoulders, her head falling back against the wall as he began to move inside of her. Her legs tightened around his waist to draw him further inside, and she let out a breathy sigh.

His control snapped.

He began pounding into her, driving them both closer and closer to the frenzied peak they were striving for. She cried out, and her muscles clamped down on him. He was only able to last a few more minutes before he joined her, his body going rigid. The sound of his groan was muffled against her throat. He held her there immobile as he tried to come to grips with what just happened.

Hell.

He hadn't come that hard in years.

He wasn't sure what it was about her that got to him.

Maybe it was her innocence?

Or her fiery spirit?

All he knew was that standing beside her, watching her eyes flare with hunger as the scent of her arousal drifted up to taunt him, he wanted her more than he had wanted anything in a long time.

It wasn't that he hadn't had his fair share of women. Hell, he had probably had his share plus another poor bastard's. But they weren't like Mara. The women who came to the club came for different reasons. Some came for the novelty of it. Others came for the thrill of the exotic. But all of them knew exactly what they were doing.

Mara was different.

She was an innate seductress, and she didn't even know it. That tempted him more than anything. Still, he hadn't planned on fucking her tonight. He'd thought he would ease her in, tease her with the possibilities before he actually had sex with her. Instead, he had all but stripped her down and shoved his cock inside of her right here in the staff entrance.

It wasn't exactly chocolate and roses.

And it was something he never did.

No, usually, he enjoyed controlled situations.

This situation was definitely not controlled or planned.

That was what worried him.

Mara Templeton had the ability to make him throw out the rule book. Even now, feeling her wet heat, he was growing hard again. He pulled out, allowing her body to slide down his so that she could stand on her own two feet. His eyes met hers briefly before he looked away. As she struggled to right her clothing, he disposed of the condom before readjusting himself to zip his pants.

He wasn't sure what to say.

What do you say to a woman you just took standing up in the middle of a club?

That was fun.

Somehow, the words, though honest, didn't seem appropriate.

“Let's go back to my office,” he suggested softly.

* * * *

Mara stared up at him, her knees still a little bit weak. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She had just had sex with Joe Gates, in the middle of his club, like some whore off the street. The most mortifying fact was that it was wonderful. In all of her life, she had never had an orgasm so ... satisfying. Sure, she had been with other guys. But it was nothing like being with Joe. With one touch, he had been able to turn her body inside out.

And that scared her.

“Is there a restroom that I could use?” she asked.

“It's just down there,” he replied, pointing to the end of the hall. “My office is through that door. I'll wait for you.”

She gave him her best fake smile as she hurried to the end of the hall. Once she reached the end, she pushed through the door to escape into the club. In five seconds flat, she was back in the real world. All the way home, she called herself the worst coward. To run from him only confirmed what he thought of her already. She was a naïve fool who wasn't prepared for what she was getting herself into.

Deep down, she knew he was right.

After she had safely closed herself inside of her apartment, she stripped off her clothes. She could still smell him on her body. The scent was intoxicating. It made her want to run to him even now. Her nipples tightened as she thought of his hands roaming over her body, controlling her, taking her to places she had never been before.

She wanted it.

She wanted him.

She looked at herself in the mirror. Her lips parted, her nipples peaked, her body flushed with passion. Never in her life had she been so tempted to say goodbye to the good girl she was and become the bad girl she wanted to be.

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Chapter 4

Mara couldn't believe it.

She had only been writing for three hours, and she had already finished four chapters. It was unprecedented. In all the time she had been writing, it had never come so ... effortlessly. Still, she refused to believe that it had anything to do with what happened last night. She couldn't believe how brazen she had been. Never in her life had she had sex standing up, let alone in the middle of the hallway where anyone could walk by.

But last night she had.

Last night she had let go.

She hadn't been thinking. She was just feeling. And it felt good.

Better than anything had in a long time.

The sound of the phone ringing made her frown.

She was on a roll.

She wasn't going to stop.

But when she heard Lexi's voice on her answering machine, she bolted across the room to grab the receiver.

“Lexi?”

“Hey, girl, did you forget that you were meeting me for breakfast this morning?” she chided.

Mara's gaze flew to the clock. “Shit!”

“Exactly. Look, meet me at Pere Antoine's in half an hour and I'll forgive you.”

“I'm sorry. I'll be there. I promise.”

After throwing on some clothes and doing a quick makeup job, she headed over to the restaurant. Lexi had already chosen a table by the window. She waved when Mara came in. Mara fell into the chair across from her.

“I already ordered some coffee for you,” Lexi explained.

“Thanks,” she replied, a little breathless from the walk.

Lexi's eyebrows rose as she pinned Mara with an inquisitive stare. “So?”

Mara avoided her gaze. “So, what?” she asked.

Lexi let out a huff of aggravation. “So, what happened to you last night? I looked all over for you.”

She ran a hand through her hair. “I'm sorry. I decided to leave a little early.”

Lexi wrinkled her nose. “Did you freak out?” she inquired.

Mara couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her mouth. “No, I didn't freak out,” she assured Lexi.

Lexi leaned across the table to stare at her, her eyebrows drawing together. “So?”

She hesitated for a minute before answering. “I had fun.”

Lexi's eyes narrowed. “Fun, huh?”

The waiter appeared at their side, but Lexi waved him off.

She frowned. “Why did you do that?”

Lexi leaned back in her chair, her gaze focused on Mara. “Because we're not going to eat anything until you tell me what happened.”

Mara felt color rush into her cheeks. “I had a good time. That's all,” she muttered.

“A good time? Mara, a lot of people have been to the club, and I doubt that any of them would describe it as simply a ‘good time,'” she chided.

She tilted her head to the side, her eyes boring into Mara's.

Mara shifted uneasily in her chair.

Lexi's eyes widened. “Come to think of it, you look like a woman who recently had sex.”

Mara flushed.

Lexi leaned across the table, her eyes widening. “You did have sex!”

She took a sip of water, nearly choking as it stuck in her throat. “It's not a big deal, Lexi,” she protested.

Lexi's mouth fell open. “Not a big deal? Spill it now before I beat it out of you,” she ordered.

Mara let out a sigh. “Okay, I had sex last night,” she admitted.

“With?”

“Joe Gates. Are you happy?” she spat.

Lexi's smile stretched across her face. “Ecstatic! How was he?” she asked, her eyes lit with excitement.

Color crept into her cheeks. “Lexi, I don't think he would appreciate me telling you every detail,” she reminded.

“Well, it's your choice. But I have to warn you that if you don't give me details, you don't eat.”

“What?” Mara choked.

Lexi held up her hands. “Look, I don't make the rules,” she joked.

Mara shook her head at her friend's weak attempt at humor. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

Lexi's eyes sparkled. “First, where?”

“In the back hallway,” she divulged.

Lexi's eyebrows rose. “The back hallway. So, it was the ‘I can't wait. I've gotta have you right now’ kind of sex. Yummm,” she said, her gaze drifting off for a minute before returning to Mara.

At Mara's stoic silence, she continued.

“Well, how was it?” she prodded.

“It was fine.”

Lexi wrinkled her nose. “Fine?” she mimicked.

“What?”

Lexi's laugher made her frown. “Honey, if there's one thing a man doesn't want to hear about sex, it's that it was fine.”

Mara rolled her eyes. “Fine! You win! It was the best sex I ever had. Happy?” she demanded, her temper flaring.

Lexi's devilish grin let her know that she had given her exactly what she wanted. “Not as happy as you obviously were last night. So, if it was great, then why the attitude?”

She sighed heavily. “Because afterward I took off like an idiot,” she blurted out.

Lexi's low whistle didn't make her feel any better about the situation. “Ouch!” She leaned in. “Well, look on the bright side. I'm guessing you were definitely memorable.”

“Right. Memorable, as the girl who ran out like a fool,” she said sarcastically.

Lexi waved the waiter over.

Mara's eyes widened. “I've earned food?”

One eyebrow arched. “After last night, you need sustenance,” she instructed.

After quickly ordering, the waiter scurried away. Mara's face fell into her hands. “Oh, Lexi, why am I so bad at this?”

Lexi leaned over to give her hand a firm pat. “Look, this is completely fixable,” she assured.

Mara dropped her hands to give her a look of disbelief. “How?”

Lexi chewed the inside of her lip for a moment before straightening in her chair. “You go down there and offer to make it up to him,” she replied with a satisfied nod.