One Night Forever (The Cinderella Chronicles) (14 page)

He clenched his teeth and
bent down near her ear, “Bitch.”

“
Lauren.” It
was Tyler’s voice.

Greg pushed to his feet
and made a quick exit. Lauren swallowed as Matt stepped back into
view to stand beside Tyler. “We’d like to take you to lunch and
discuss the details of preparing the presentation for BG,” Tyler
said.

Lauren wasn’t sure if she
hid her surprise but she tried. She looked at Tyler, afraid to make
eye contact with Matt after Greg’s comment. Emotions were high and
Matt would know. Why she was sure of that, she didn’t know. But she
was. He knew things about her he shouldn’t.

“
Okay,” Lauren
said. “Did you mean now?”

“
How about we
meet up in the lobby in ten minutes?” Matt asked, forcing her to
look at him with his question.

With hesitation, Lauren
looked at Matt, praying he wouldn’t see the truth in her eyes. Her
worst fear had been realized…she’d been accused of sleeping her way
to the top.

Chapter Sixteen

Lauren didn’t want to
have lunch with Tyler and Matt, but what choice did she
have?

Both men stood in the
conference room doorway, expectant looks about them. She made the
mistake of meeting Matt’s far too potent gaze. She diverted her
eyes, eager—no, desperate—to get a grip on her emotions. “I’ll grab
my things and meet you in the lobby,” Lauren said.

A few murmured words
later and she was alone. Deep in thought, she walked to her office.
Greg had offered her a cold, hard slap of reality. Even though she
realized Greg knew nothing of her affair with Matt, his words had
proven how people would react if word got out.

Ten minutes later, Lauren
pasted on a smile, and stepped into the lobby with her coat on and
purse in hand. Matt was already there, waiting. The moment her
presence registered on his face, he motioned her toward the
elevator, and out of the hearing range of the receptionist. Her
stomach was in knots. Standing face-to-face, looking into Matt’s
deep, dark eyes, her skin warmed. He looked sexy as hell. A piece
of dark hair dipped across his forehead, and for a split second,
she considered reaching for it. She squeezed her hands into fists.
What was wrong with her? This man was her boss and she’d almost
touched him in the very lobby of their workplace.

“
What did Greg
say that upset you?” Matt asked in a low voice.

Great. Just what she
needed. Matt questioning her. “It was nothing.” She dropped her
eyes, not wanting to look at him. To get lost in those, deep, dark
eyes.

“
Lauren.” His
tone and the way he said her name were far too intimate.

It made her look up at
him. Drew her like a spell of sorts. Made her want to tell him the
truth. “He implied I was sleeping my way to the top.”

Matt muttered a curse
under his breath. All she caught was “bastard” and then, “He’s just
being petty and jealous because I loved your idea, and not
his.”

His words drew a flutter
from her stomach. “You love my idea?”

He pinned her in a stare,
as if he wanted her to see the truth in his eyes.
“Absolutely.”

She believed him. For a
minute, that helped. “I’m glad.” But then she remembered she was
taking comfort from the very man who was landing her in the hot
seat. “It still proves my point about what people would think if
they knew we…”

“
Ready?” Tyler
surprised her from behind.

Matt didn’t immediately
look at Tyler. He kept his attention on Lauren. She forced herself
to turn to Tyler and offered a forced smile. “Yes.
Ready.”

“
Great,” Tyler
said punching the elevator button. “Let’s rock n’roll.”

Inside the crowded
elevator, Lauren found herself pressed shoulder to shoulder with
Matt. The touch made her senses reel. His scent, male and spicy,
wrapped around her like a drug, making her mind stall, and her
heart race.

It always did. There was
something about his scent. It turned her on.

She wondered if he knew
she wore his gifts, the pink and black lace. Was he thinking about
it too? About making love to her?

Unable to control
herself, she looked up at him, her thoughts spilling from her eyes.
He looked down at the same time. The message in his eyes was
smoldering hot.

He was thinking about
tonight as much as she was.

The moment ended when the
elevator dinged and the doors opened. Lauren swallowed. After
Greg’s comments she wouldn’t have expected to react so intensely to
Matt. But Greg’s taunts didn’t erase her desire. They made her hate
that it existed. Made her feel regret. But that regret didn’t make
the desire go away.

It made her worry, fret,
and stress. But not enough to stop the dampness gathering in her
panties just thinking about showing him that very piece of
clothing.

* * * * *

Lunch was Chinese food.
Lauren inwardly let out a breath of relief when they sat at a table
instead of a booth. Had she had to sit beside Matt the entire meal,
she didn’t know how she would have handled it.

When she went to shrug
out of her coat, Matt helped her. She glanced at him, knowing he
was using the act as an excuse to touch her, and reprimanding him
with her eyes. She didn’t need this right now. It was hard enough
to focus on business without the added distraction of his hidden
agendas.

Matt expression was
knowing, but not apologetic.

Once they had ordered,
Tyler smiled at Lauren and started making conversation. She didn’t
feel up to idle chitchat. Of course, she didn’t have an option.
After a good ten minutes of weather, sports, and current events,
Tyler turned to Lauren. “So,” he said, “thanks for making me look
good to my boss for hiring you.”

That drew a smile,
because Lauren sensed the sincerity in his words. “I appreciate the
opportunity.”

“
I’m just
lucky to have snagged you. I could see your brilliance shine in the
interview. Anyone, who takes care of their mother the way you have,
has fighting spirit. How is she by the way?”

Lauren stiffened
slightly. She regretted talking to him about her mother’s cancer.
Tyler had a real knack for getting people to open up. “She’s doing
very well. It’s been a year of remission and no signs of trouble.”
Why did she say all of that? She should have kept it short and
sweet.

Tyler looked at Matt.
“Her mother had cancer and Lauren put her career on hold to care
for her.”

Lauren reached for her
glass. Somehow, having Matt know about her personal life made their
relationship all the more cloudy and emotional. She’d avoided all
of his questions to date. Now, she was captive.

“
Where’s your
father?” Matt asked quietly.

Lauren took a swallow of
tea and then sat her glass down. Her teeth ground together for a
moment. He knew she didn’t want to answer yet he was taking
advantage of the situation to get her to talk. Her eyes went to
Matt, cold and loaded with a warning. “He died when I was
five.”

Matt ignored the
hostility in her gaze. “Is it just you and your mom or do you have
other family? Siblings, maybe?”

“
Just my mom,”
Lauren said.

She made an attempt at a
smile. It failed. She didn’t like people’s pity. She definitely
didn’t want it from Matt. And she absolutely hated the way he
enlisted this lunch to get into her family history. It was almost
as hard to swallow as the lunch she had to put down. This thing
with Matt had gone way too far. It couldn’t continue.

This lunch marked the end
to her little adventure with the boss.

She was done.

* * * * *

It was Friday night. No
one was at work.

Only her.

Alone.

When she could be with
Matt.

Lauren sat at her desk
working, but hers eyes kept lifting to the clock. She was five
minutes late to meet Matt. Then ten. The office was dark. Lauren
looked down at her work, willing herself to focus.

At forty-five
minutes past the hour, she dropped her pen.
What in the hell was she
thinking
? She wanted to see
Matt. Lauren shoved her chair back and grabbed her purse, not even
bothering to reach for her coat. The exterior offices were enclosed
in darkness but she didn’t slow. With a quick hand, Lauren flipped
off her light, and charged forward. And smacked into a hard form.
Strong arms—arms she would know anywhere—circled her. Her chest
rose and fell rapidly. “Matt…”

His mouth came down on
hers, hot and heavy. Angry. She didn’t care. She’d take his kisses
any way she could get them. Melting against him, kissing him
fervently, she clung to him. Needing and wanting.

Slowly, his kiss changed,
became almost tender. But anger still rolled under his surface. She
could feel it threatening to roar to life at any moment. He backed
her into her office, taking her purse from her and tossing it down
as he kicked the door shut.

Her purse flew open and
things scattered. It didn’t matter. She didn’t care. To hell with
her purse.

When her butt hit the
desk he lifted her up, spread her legs, and stepped between them.
“Did it ever occur to you that I have something to lose here too?”
His voice was low and hinted at more than anger.

She wanted to respond,
but his hands slipped up her thighs enticing a physical rather than
verbal reaction. The minute his finger brushed the lace band of her
thigh highs his eyes dropped. He pushed her skirt
higher.

He stared down at her
silk and lace covered legs, the hose he had bought her, and then
slowly let his gaze move back to her face. Dark, smoldering eyes
met hers. “My reputation is on the line here too. Yet, here I
am…about to take you, right here in your office.”

She didn’t know what to
say so she resorted to pushing his heat buttons. Lauren knew he was
right, and she felt selfish for ignoring his side of things. “Ever
done it in an office before?” One of his fingers brushed her
panties, and then gently stroked. She shivered and felt the
dampness from near his touch.

“
No, never.”
He slid inside the silk, tracing her clit with a stroke of his
thumb.

It was hard to find her
voice. “Ever think about it?”

He brought his mouth just
above hers, and dipped his finger inside her. “Every damn time I’m
around you.”

He tried to claim her
mouth and she wanted him to. Somehow, she pulled back, but just
barely. It took supreme willpower. She wanted those wonderful lips
on her. “Then this can be part of our secret world. Here.
Now.”

His hand went to the back
of her head, pulling her mouth to his. His tongue slid past her
teeth, and he kissed her with flaming hot need. Demanding. Potent.
Still laced with emotion. Maybe even anger. Things she too felt and
fed on, meeting him stroke for stroke. When he touched her, kissed
her, made love to her, she could forget all else.

She hadn’t gone to the
hotel, but she wanted him. God, how she wanted him.

Her hand went to his
pants, finding his bulging erection with pleasure. Knowing she
turned him on really drove her need. It always did. Through his
slacks, she stroked and caressed. His fingers played in the silky
folds of her body, dipping in and out, mimicking sex, and making
her hand grip him harder. Stroke more urgently.

His tongue was tireless,
demanding more as her hand moved against him. Her patience for the
obstacles faded. She made quick work of his belt and zipper. It was
with a supreme sense of relief and excitement that she freed his
cock, wrapping her fingers around it.

“
I want you
inside me,” she whispered against his lips, spreading her legs
wider to invite him in.

He shoved his pants and
underwear down his hips, and stepped toward her. As the tip of his
erection touched her body, she instinctively wrapped his legs with
hers, pulling him inside her. Not wanting to wait a moment longer.
He grabbed her ass, cupping it and pulling her over his length.
When he hit her core, she moaned and wrapped her arms around his
neck.

They looked at each other
for one, long moment, and then kissed. From there it felt like a
firestorm of urgency was unleashed. His movements were fast, and
hard. Thrusting with powerful force, he hit her center, over and
over. Each point of contact delivered a rush of sensation. Emotion
exploded behind their need as well as a battle of right and wrong.
He pounded her with so much force, so much anger, lust, and
passion… It burned her with its potency yet it fired her with
yearning. To make it grow. To make it better.

To make him
hers.

“
Matt,” she
murmured, kissing his neck. “Matt.” How many times she said his
name she didn’t know.

She wasn’t even on the
desk anymore. He held her weight and his, driving and driving.
Using her weight to pull her down his cock with more heaviness.
Until they both exploded. It was a quake of brilliant shudders. His
body. Her body.