Anthology - Behind the Mask Part 2

He sucked on her c.l.i.t, made appreciative, wet noises against her, and her hips responded, lifting and rising the infinitesimal amount permitted by the restraints, creating glorious friction, and she strengthened her efforts, following instinct to drive it to a pinnacle.

aNone of that now.a It was Mattas voice, Mattas hand now on her back. A more erotic stimulation she couldnat have antic.i.p.ated, to have one manas mouth between her legs and anotheras hands upon her. He did something with the waist strap and suddenly Lucas adjusted his position. Motors hummed, and her knees left the table fully, perhaps a couple inches, so she couldnat move in a rhythm, only sit, helplessly squirming and gasping against the gag as Lucasas mouth returned, his tongue delving deep within her p.u.s.s.y again, thrusting, rolling her c.l.i.t, licking.

aI can smell her, now,a Jon spoke from the end of the table.

aSame here.a Peter responded directly in front of her. aSheas got a sweet p.u.s.s.y, just as you said, Lucas.a aI want her to come, Matt,a Lucas said, lifting his mouth from her just a fraction.

She shook her head. No. Noa But hadnat she just wanted that? But no, not like this, not when everything was up to them.

aI think sheas refusing you, Lucas.a Mattas cool voice came from the end of the table again. aMake her come in the next two minutes. Despite her best attempts to resist. Mouth only.a aDone,a Lucas said softly, and moved in to close the deal.

She expected him to redouble his physical effort, had tensed and braced herself against it, and so was surprised when there was a pause, the noise of wheels. Head taken a seat in a chair, pulled it up between her legs. The fine hair over his temples brushed the inside of her thighs as he moved in close again.

aYou knowaa He administered a tiny lick on her c.l.i.t that made her shudder. aEating p.u.s.s.y is my very favorite thing to do with a woman. I love the smell, the taste, the feel of her thighs as she sits on my face. I love squeezing her a.s.s in my hands as I shove her hard against me, taking away her choice, pus.h.i.+ng her into that pleasurable abyss. I love to listen to her scream as she falls. I love knowing when she falls to the bottom, it will be my arms there to catch her. Weall be here to catch you,a he whispered huskily. aAll of us. Stop being so afraid. Donat you know how much you mean to Matt, to all of us?a She made a noise of forceful and furious protest against the gag.

aDidnat sound flattering, Lucas.a Ben spoke this time.

aOne minute,a Jon warned.

aMore than I need, though nowhere close to how much I want.a Lucas put his mouth over her c.l.i.t, sucking her back into the heat and wet. He began to lick her, strong, sure strokes, not too fast, pus.h.i.+ng up against the volatile area, starting at the bottom, pus.h.i.+ng up on it again, scoring her lightly with his teeth. That bite and push again, as if pressuring that tight bud of flesh was like nudging a switch.

Things were happening inside her, things that defied description. A spiral of reaction that had strings drawing taut everywhere, her whole body starting to hold itself tight as if in some form of self-imposed paralysis. Her breath darted in and out through her nose, her teeth sinking into the ball. Something gathered, gathered, just out of reach. No, she couldnat reach for itacouldnat stop herself from lunging for ita aCome for him, Savannah.a Matt snapped out the order. aNow. At my command.a The o.r.g.a.s.m exploded from somewhere between Lucasas mouth and her p.u.s.s.y and erupted through her. Going over that pinnacle, her brain reversed its will. Instead of freezing her in place, now she was wriggling gracelessly, helplessly. In her suspended restraints, screaming against the gag, she made words that could only be heard in her own mind, shocking her.

Touch meatouch mea Never stop.

She wanted Matt. But he could not hear her wish with the gag, and what little mind she continued to control told her to be glad.

It wasnat just about the battle of wills. If she threw open the door to her heart, he could deny her. Leave her with her wishes echoing against the walls, empty and desolate, like a house where everything was gone, leaving only the harsh regret of memory. Like a child being told that little girls who ran to their Daddy to get hugs wouldnat amount to anything except a takeover acquisition for some man.

She felt suddenly like the men in the room were all weapons turned against her, the sword of Eden, turning in every direction, s.h.i.+ning upon her weakness, her every shortcoming.

With so little s.e.xual experience, she didnat know if this was normal, this flood of overpowering emotions that made her feel completely adrift on an unfamiliar ocean. Flailing, she tried to pull herself out of that darkness, onto the far more rational thought that this was similar to eating too much chocolate, or taking one too many Valium to help her sleep. Those things made her body no longer in her control, subject to macabre dreams or frenetic nervous energy she could not rein in. It was a physical, chemical reaction. It said nothing about herself, who she was or what she truly wanted.

Lucas kept his nose and mouth pressed hard against her p.u.s.s.y, continuing to eat her out. Running his tongue over her c.l.i.t, he dipped into the well between her legs, making a noise of pleasure at the taste of her come on those sensuous lips. His hair brushed her thighs, the planes of his face touching her as he continued the soft nibbles through the hard aftershocks. She bleated at each touch like a lost sheep, a sheep who in this moment had no doubt who the shepherd was who held her fate. She wanted to see Matt with the fervor of a dying wish, and her hand clutched into fists to keep from dropping that kerchief, from begging with her body what her mouth was thankfully prevented from saying.

No. She wasnat that far gone. This was a whole new situation, like the first time she handled opening a plant on her own. There would be some weak moments, some stumbling as she figured out her approach to get the upper hand with the players who didnat think she had the right to the upper hand.

There is no situation in life that cannot be explained by the same principles we use in business. Geoffreyas voice resounded in her mind, hammering the point home. aIf a person is making you feel something you donat want to feel, take the reins away from them. If you can control yourself, you can control the situation, bring the tiller back to your hand. Keep your wits about you and wait for the opportunity.a Sound advice, though she was certain even her dispa.s.sionate father could not have predicted this situation. And somehow, hearing his voice in her head now, thinking of applying his logic to this situation, swept her with a desolation that made her wish to be free of them all, her father and these men and Matt, in her bed with the covers over her head. And then the most unnerving thought of all intruded on the image.

What if Matt were there, putting his knee on her bed, lying down on top of her covers, curving that powerful body around her? Scooping up the covers and her into the heat and warmth of him, providing a shelter that was simply that, a place to draw strength and sanctuary, demanding nothing she was not willing to give? Or take it a step furtheraaccepting something shead always wanted to give but had been afraid to offer, mainly because no one had ever come right out and asked for her heart.

Get a grip, Savannah. Heas won the round, thatas it. He wasnat proving anything except that she could enjoy oral s.e.x, like any independent, healthy woman. What woman in her right mind wouldnat enjoy this, even if she had been dragged kicking and screaming to it?

It meant nothing. Nothing.

Abruptly the gag was removed and a mouth was on hers, hard, hungry, as Lucas kept up with his soothing and stirring kisses along the insides of her quaking thighs. All her arguments shattered, because it was Mattas mouth on hers, Mattas scent filling her nose, Mattas warm skin so close, that rough, handsome jaw that she ached to touch.

Sheer fulfillment flooded into an emptiness yawning open in her chest like a wound. His lips were the healing touch, rea.s.suring her, yet spinning her off her axis once again so that something within her screamed in fury and desperation. Giving in to it, her lips pulled back from her teeth in a snarl and she bit, latching down on his bottom lip.

Instead of him jerking away, allowing her to rip and tear at him as he was ripping and tearing at her insides, his hands cupped the back of her head, holding her still. Despite her painful vise on his bottom lip, he kept his mouth crushed over hers, his tongue plunging along her clenched teeth, his own lips persuasive, gentle. Responding not with matching ferocity, but with devastating tenderness. When his touch slipped forward to caress the sides of her throat, her cheek, she realized she had let go. The acrid taste of his blood lingered on her tongue.

aYouare doing beautifully,a he said in a whisper against her, his breath touching her cheek just below her mask. aThey all love you, donat you know that? You canat do anything to drive us away. Weare your family. Your lovers, your friends, the adversaries that challenge and stimulate you. Your real social life, not the theater and charity events, the occasional dinner with a man just for show.a She shook her head. No. She would not let this outrageous situation become that personal. She wanted an end to it, to go home.

Which meant she had to admit they had broken her, that she was as soft and vulnerable as Matt claimed she was. Capable of being hurt, manipulated. That he affected her so strongly that she couldnat see this through to the end he had planned.

She went rigid, refused to let her body respond. After a moment, she heard a sigh, felt him draw away.

aDo you know itas often the women who are strongest in public that most desire a manas Mastery behind closed doors, Savannah?a She shook her head, in protest or denial she couldnat say, but she had no words with her body throbbing with the aftermath of the climax and the sense of loss his withdrawal caused. Lucas had pulled back as well, and now stimulation came in audible form only. Mattas voice, hearing the s.h.i.+fts of their bodies around her, the rustle of clothing, the sound of their breathing.

aYou have this overwhelming desire to surrender, to submit to a man strong enough to Master you. Itas like an aphrodisiac to the man who senses it. I know the exact moment I recognized it in you. It was like a punch in the gut. Or a light bulb going on.a She heard the smile in his voice, and cold fingers gripped her vitals. Just by speaking the word, he had evoked the memory. A memory she had replayed over and over in her mind, not understanding why it was so fascinating to her. But he had known, and now so did she, despite her strongest desire to deny it.

aI know you remember it.a His voice took her back with him to the uncomfortable recollection. aI know I do. Iave relived it every day since it happened. It led us to this moment. Didnat it?a * * * * *

Head come back from the dinner break early, ostensibly to make a couple of phone calls, but there was always the possibility that he would see Savannah and could spar with her for a few enjoyable moments.

It made him frown, though, knowing he would find her in her office. She went on business luncheons, attended banquets and gala events with the right escorts, but never did he see her sitting on the edge of one of the downtown fountains, eating a sandwich and taking in the pigeonsa play, engaging in idle people watching. Or, even more shocking, out with a girlfriend, laughing, having some female conversation. Doing some playful male-bas.h.i.+ng.

aSheas not a woman, sheas a f.u.c.king robot,a head heard one compet.i.tor say. aGeoffrey Tennyson didnat sp.a.w.n her, he had her built in one of his plants.a It had made Matt angry, and head made sure to scuttle the manas plans for overseas expansion with him. Lucas had pointed out it was an emotional, rather than a fiscally intelligent act, and he had not disagreed with that a.s.sessment. Nor had it erased his satisfaction in doing it. He wondered often if Savannah realized she had a circle of devoted knights trying to protect her from harm when she wouldnat even let them into the inner circle of her life. Geoffrey was gone, and what protection the man had provided, as well as the damage he had done, was gone. She was as alone in the world as a person could get. He wanted her in his world, and she wouldnat even give him an opening to make a move in that direction.

He rounded the corner, his peripheral vision sharpened so he could see if she was in her office. The door was open, her desk light on. And she was standing on top of her desk.

She hadnat taken off her shoes, and he a.s.sumed it was to give her extra height to reach her objective, though he shuddered to think about her stepping on her unstable wheeled office chair in those skinny heels.

He detoured. Determining in a few strides what she was doing, he quickened his pace.

Apparently a bulb had burned out in the incandescent ceiling lighting she preferred to fluorescent. a.n.a.l-retentive plague that she was, she was changing it herself, rather than waiting to have a maintenance person with solid shoes and a ladder do it tomorrow. She was on the ball of one foot, the other off the ground, straining, her right breast clearly outlined against the fabric of her turquoise turtleneck. The ceiling was too high for her to use one hand to steady her upper body, and as she worked to free the panel over the light fixture, she was precariously balanced. When it came free with a jerk, she overbalanced.

Matt got there in time to clamp his hands on her hips, his palms curled over the hipbones, his fingers on the soft curves.

aWhat are you doing? Get down from there.a She was fl.u.s.tered, and he didnat often get to see that. She backed out of his hold, and he nipped the panel from her fingers, taking it to the floor.

aIam trying to change a light bulb.a aI can see that. Get down.a aI just need toa"a aGet. Down. Now.a Instead of coming back with another sharp retort, he saw something incredible happen. A moment of confusion. Nervous tension. Something came over him, too, an instinct, and the remarkable feeling that a door had just swung wide open. And he wanted to test it.

aYou heard me, Savannah,a Matt said softly. aCome here. Now.a It was a long moment. Then she s.h.i.+fted her gaze away from his, down, and moved toward his reaching hands, her neck and cheeks flushed.

Still reeling from the revelation, he almost missed his cue, but he recovered in time to take her elbow as she reached down for him. He gripped her waist and she put her hands after a brief hesitation on his shoulders, curiously docile as he lifted her clear of the chair, pus.h.i.+ng it out of his way, and lowered her to the floor.

It was a moment before he found his voice, and he managed to make it gentle, since she was blinking at him with the startled look of a deer, not anything like the Savannah he knew.

aDonat you attend the corporate safety seminars you torture your employees with?a He saw the snap as the spell was broken. She even took a defensive step back, looked around herself, and that familiar disdain and faint irritation took over her features.

aWe fulfill all OSHA requirements, Kensington.a aOh, yeah. That was definitely an OSHA-approved maneuver.a He flicked a hand out, caught a loose lock of her hair, enjoyed her look of shocked anger at the casual familiarity.

aI know you think you have to live up to your Savannah Cyborg image, but you donat have to be and do everything yourself, you know.a He actually saw a split second of hurt at the nickname that was used too often for her not to have overheard it countless times before. It made him angry with his clumsiness. And with her, for being so worthy of the name, but only in how she closed herself off to any advances of affection or friends.h.i.+p.

aYou delegate administrative tasks to your a.s.sistants. Why canat you let other people help you with things?a He let his concern for her show, hoping to amend that inadvertent barb. ad.a.m.n it, if youad fallen, theread have been no one to see you fall.a aThatas the plan,a she said dryly. aBetter to bust your backside when no oneas looking.a Some of the s.p.u.n.k was returning, but in the s.h.i.+ft of her eyes, he saw she knew something significant had happened. He wondered if she understood what she had revealed, if she even knew it about herself.

The thought brought out a fierce possessiveness in him, a desire to crush anyone whoad taken advantage of such a sweet gift. He enjoyed the many faces and forms of s.e.x, and having an excess of alpha in his personality, head often let the natural Dominant in him take over with his casual lovers who liked BDSM. The idea of exercising it in a less casual mode with the woman whoad become his obsession was so intoxicating he had a hard time keeping his c.o.c.k settled in his trousers. Fortunately, she chose that moment to distract him.

aFine.a She tossed her head, presented him with a bulb from her desktop. aYou want to do maintenance, hereas your chance. And donat worry. Iall stand right here and catch you if you fall.a Typical Savannah. In the time head had two thoughts, shead marshaled her defenses and reorganized her strategy. He thought if Napoleon had had her, the world would have undone the Tower of Babel and everyone would speak French now. The Russian winter couldnat have defeated nerve that cool. But head seen the heat just for a moment in her eyes, in that soft expulsion of breath as he set her down. Head also felt the warmth of her skin beneath her clothes. Maybe she would have melted the ice in Russia, if she couldnat match it.

He grinned at her, fast and reckless, enjoying her, and her look of startled surprise at his reaction. He became less amused and more absorbed as her gaze lingered on his mouth, changing the look in her eyes. Testing, he took the bulb from her fingers and had to grasp it quickly to keep from losing it as she did her best to let go before he touched her fingers.

aCareful, donat drop it,a she admonished, a snap to her voice.

He gave her an even look, toed off his shoes and slid onto the desk. His height helped him reach the bulb with a few inches to spare, and he unscrewed it and put in the new one, blinking as it came to life in his eyes.

aJesus, Savannah, you could have turned off the light first.a He took the panel from her and replaced it.

aThen how would I know the bulb worked while I was up there?a He looked down and found her staring at his feet.

aWhat?a aYouaa Her lips pressed together, and then he saw a corner curl up in a tiny, shy, totally out-of-character smile. aYou have a hole in your sock.a He sat back down on the desk, brought one leg to the floor and put his ankle on his knee, blinking around the flash image still popping within the spectrum of where he focused his vision. There was in fact a small hole worn just over his big toe. Not big enough to push through, or notice when he got dressed this morning.

aSo I do.a He looked up at her, at the unusual expression on her face. aWhat is it?a aI just never think of you as someone with holes in his socks.a aCome here.a Before she could evade him, he caught her hand, tugged her over. As he did, he put both feet on the floor so she was eased between his thighs. He took his fingers and carefully raised the hem of her skirt on the right side a few inches, so she could see what he had seen when she stood on her desk. A pencil-thin run in her stocking, starting just above the knee.

aAnd I donat think of you as someone with a run in your stocking.a She looked up at him, but the rest of her body didnat move. She was suddenly as still as a wild animal again, and he was even more aware of the feel of skin and silky nylon beneath the pads of his fingers.

His hand s.h.i.+fted, slipped up several more inches and encountered a lace top, the short skirt hem forming a folded crescent around his wrist. Her scent filled his senses.

She jerked back as though head slapped her when his fingers touched bare skin. Moved back so quickly she bent her heel and would have stumbled if he hadnat straightened just as fast and caught her by the waist, a touch she threw off as soon as she regained her balance.

aThe office isnat a dating pool, Matthew. Go get yourself a one-night stand from a club like a regular guy.a He seized her by the elbow and whipped her around so fast that the shock was still in her face when he put her up against the wall and his body against hers. His fully aroused body. She felt perfect, her little p.u.s.s.y rubbing against him as she squirmed. It fulfilled his intention to let her know how she affected him, though it was more direct than head planned. Nevertheless, he pressed his c.o.c.k harder against the juncture of her thighs.

aIf youare going to flirt,a he snapped. aExpect to get a response.a aI wasnat flirting.a She shoved at him. Panic flickered across her face as she realized what he already knew, that she was ineffective against his strength. Though she tried to mask it, he felt her s.h.i.+ver down through her legs and arms. aLet go of me.a It registered like another fist in the gut. The trembling of her body, the emotion in her face, the wonder and desire followed by the panic and confusion. It was the shock of the truth, more than her demand, that had him easing his touch, gentling it.

For he was a very s.e.xually experienced man. Enough to recognize a woman with none.

Shead never known a man, never handled his l.u.s.t or accepted it into her body. Savannah Tennyson, the cold-blooded CEO of Tennyson Industries, was a virgin at the age of thirty-five.

aI can see from the way youare holding your mouth, the tense line of that cla.s.sic jaw, that you remember that night as vividly as I do. I knew a couple things after that.a Mattas fingers sent tingling jolts of pleasure down her neck as he drew short lines on the soft skin just beneath the straps holding her head up. aThat you craved a manas Mastery, and you were untouched. And to a man like me, already in love with you, there was no way I was going to settle for less than total possession. Then came Lucasas summation of the situation, and we know the best way to take a fortress is to trick our way in, or use a battering ram. The only way to keep it is to win over the inhabitant, make her admit she canat do without you. So here we are.a aalready in love with youa He said it with such simple a.s.surance, with no guile in his voicea What did she know about love? There had never been any such s.h.i.+p on her radar. She had no idea what it looked like, felt like. Her feelings for Matt were s.e.xual, a strong s.e.xual obsession. Professional admiration warring with animosity, most of the time. And he was using his knowledge of that to take advantage of her, to make her another conquest.

She couldnat explain why the simple telling of a story about a light bulb had made her body, so recently roused to climax, aroused again, the dampness between her legs heating with new moisture. Her nipples were so taut their light contact with the table was almost painful. But that was a physical reaction, not an emotional one. Wasnat it?

aYou want me to believe that Matt Kensington would let himself fall prey to a weak illusion like love?a She scoffed, though she didnat like the harsh sound of her voice. aThe idea of love is only used as a weapon.a aWeall see,a he said after a long moment. There was a forced lightness to his voice. aJon is going to give you pleasure next.a His hands lingered on her face, and she felt his reluctance to leave her side. It infuriated her. The whole situation, his ridiculous, patronizing a.s.sumptions, his gall in sayinga G.o.d, why did he say that? Already in a tailspin, now she was diving out of control, all her thought processes lost, and all she could fall back on was frightened fury.

He returned to his chair, but from the creak of its frame, she suspected head turned away, was looking out over the panoramic view of the city. Shead gotten so familiar with his habits that, even blinded, she knew what he was doing.

It was something he did when he was contemplating something that disturbed him, and the fact that mattered to her made her even angrier.

aIf youare b.a.l.l.sy enough to do this to me,a she grated. aYou should be b.a.l.l.sy enough to watch your men grope me.a The frozen stillness that settled over the room told her the arrow had hit its mark. There was the sound of the chair again as he turned, and she imagined him laying his hands on the table. One palm flat, fingers straight, the other laid casually upon it, like a lion lying at the edge of a meadow, watching a deer with every appearance of casual regard, all the while mulling whether he was hungry enough.

Shead seen the pose, knew it elicited tremendous discomfort in his prey. She wasnat sure she could be even more disturbed than she was at this moment, but she wasnat going to give him the satisfaction of thinking head unsettled her further, not after his declaration and his peeved withdrawal when she hadnat fallen fawning at his feet in grat.i.tude.

aJon. Proceed.a

Chapter Three.

aCan I have the lighting aimed at the center of the table, please?a Jon spoke, revealing that he was behind her. Directly behind her.

If Matt was known as the fearsome Lord Kensington, Jonas nickname was Kensingtonas Archangel. Savannah remembered the first time shead heard him speak and she, like everyone else, had done a mental double take. Words came from his mouth in such fluid, resolute tones that it was nearly impossible to imagine arguing with him over anything, even if he calmly indicated the sky had orange polka dots and gra.s.s sprang out of the ground purple. With the inexorable strength of water, he could break down financials into their most elemental pieces as quickly as he could an engineas components, revealing every flaw, and not use any visuals to get complicated points across. In the most turbulent conditions, Jon could bring absolute silence and attentiveness to a room the moment he began to speak.

But it was not just his voice that gave him that power. It was his expressions, his body language. He always brought to mind the words of Han Suyin: aThere is nothing stronger than gentlenessa. It was an honor just to agree with Jon, because he seemed to take so much joy in a personas accord.

The others teased him, because his pa.s.sion was reading enlightenment texts. Not the new age and self-help works with their generalizations and crunchy granola messages carried over from the sixties. The ancient works of Eastern gurus or Greek philosophers. He would bring up excerpts during their meetings, amusing them all, but the observations were never trite. Savannah had noted that often those quotes served a purpose. With them, Jon gently reminded all of them that their negotiations to win more stock shares or acquire companies could never be treated as a Monopoly game. That jobs, livelihoods and local economies were involved. He provided perspective and, according to him, helped them all keep their karma slate clean. No one disputed it.

There was a different kind of beauty to him. Slender, not tall, with luminous blue eyes and a black mane of silk that fell like feathers over his forehead and past his shoulders. Pale, for his interests kept him in offices and laboratories most of the time. Holding a dual Masteras in accounting and mechanical engineering, he could slip from one topic to another as smoothly as he now began to touch her with the cool firmness of his hands. Down the crease between her b.u.t.tocks and lower, where she was still wet and dripping from her climax, something shead chosen to ignore until he reminded her of it. The embarra.s.sed flush on her cheeks was something she could not stop or hide, particularly when Jonas request was met and the spotlight warmed her skin.

Typically it was used to highlight marker boards set up on easels on the table. Now it highlighted every bit of data concerning her.

She heard his footfalls as he came around the table, the roll of the chair a moment before she felt the touch of his hands on her face. He removed the maskas blinder section so she could see. She blinked a moment, despite the dim light of the conference room.

aSavannah, Iam so glad we decided to do this.a In his magical way, he almost made her feel like shead had a hand in planning the evening. aIad like to do something to give you pleasure, something Iave invented. Youall be the first woman Iave tested it on, and Iad like your permission.a His long, clever fingers stroked her forearm, making her s.h.i.+ver.

She was wrong. She had fantasized about these five men, in one way or another, for months. Matt had always been central, but theyad been steamy appetizers. Theyad been her s.e.x life, all in the realm of her mind.

What does it do? Her eyes asked the question she couldnat bring herself to ask. Of course Jon read it easily. Every man in the room was an expert at reading body language. Even with the gag, theyad likely understood her every wish. Though Matt alone seemed to have a clear window to her darkest fears, with no curtains to keep out his shrewd gaze.

aIt brings a woman to climax almost immediately, and keeps her there, through programmed adjustments of the angle, for a prolonged period of time, to satisfy her fully. It stimulates her between the legs and the b.u.t.tocks both.a aIam not sure. Iama Iave neveradone that.a Shead actually never done any of this, but shead never contemplated anything in that back area, even in her fantasies. She didnat know if that was navet or revulsion, but she didnat feel revolted about the idea now. Just nervous.

aIt will be very gentle,a he promised. aNot invasive at all. And Iall stop if you want me to stop.a It was strange, feeling as if she were alone with him, but at the same time being aware of the others that were listening. Of Matt in the shadows, watching over it all, his presence a pulsing awareness in her body.

Head known Jon would be perfect at this juncture, after that first hard climax. To slow her panic, after having lost her infamous control. The handkerchief was in a ball in her sweaty palm, her fingers clutched tightly on it, as if her subconscious was afraid shead drop it by accident and be misunderstood.

Shead seen Matt choose a moment of intense conflict to have lunch brought in by a pretty, cheerful office a.s.sistant, diffusing tension. Or head suggest a break, and theyad adjourn to the roof garden to enjoy the spectacular view of the city. It changed the moment, made his opponent feel cozened, good about giving Matt and his team nearly everything he wanted. He did it so strategically that the calculation was obscured. Even recognizing it, she felt its effect stealing over her own senses, as if that emotional part of her could care less about what her rational mind knew.

She could set him back on his a.s.s by denying Jon now, but she was curious, extraordinarily, intensely so, about what Jon had devised.

It was as if her body, so long suppressing its enjoyment and exploration of physical desires, now could not get enough. A lever had been flipped, suggesting she could safely do and explore everything tonight. Had Matt known that? Provided her a unique way of losing her virginity?

And when that moment came, would it be him, in front of all of them? Or would it be all of them? Somehow, despite the t.i.tillation that such a thought should cause, based on how aroused she was, the idea did not please her. She could not block the vision that rose within her of more private desires. Just her and Matt, the ruthless hands becoming gentle, the weight of his body bearing her down, taking her into its sheltera She reined back that thought. It didnat matter if it was him, or the whole group. In fact, there was no reason to get emotional about this situation at all. Tennyson Rule Eleven: Unpleasant experiences at the hands of your enemy become lessons to turn against him later. While she wasnat certain shead call this an unpleasant experience, and Matt was an unpredictable business partner versus an outright enemy, shead known her physical innocence combined with her looks was a handicap in an industrial world dominated by men. Shead put on a good faade, and managed to do well enough without full understanding, but by losing her innocence here tonight, in these many ways, Matt was really doing her a favor, giving her a leg up.

aI really want you to be the first woman to try it,a Jon repeated the appeal.

aBut I justaclimaxed.a aIt wonat matter,a he said. While shead been subconsciously aware for some time of the s.e.xual undercurrent between herself and all of them, seeing the desire unmasked in his direct gaze slammed it home so that she could not draw a deep breath under the intensity of it. aThatas its magic. By the time I give you the full setting, your body will be more than ready, and when you comeaa That light smile touched his lips. aLetas just say we could go through the entire first quarter financial report and you wouldnat hear a word of it.a It was an intensely erotic image. Her body, writhing and straining through climax after climax in the center of the table, while business was conducted as usual. Only she could vividly imagine the way that the words would drift off to silence, into a s.e.xually charged stillness as the attention of every male was absorbed by her display. Their bodies, so marvelously different from a womanas softness, becoming even more hard, aroused, waiting to be unleashed.

The way this team interacted during meetings to go over market trends, cost a.n.a.lyses and production reports often reminded her of a dinner scene from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Ben gesturing with a carrot stick off the vegetable tray, making a side riposte, Lucas coming back with a quelling retort and then continuing his point with barely a break in stride. Peter pacing, working the latest MENSA-level brainteaser in his hands as he considered the issues of contention and fired thoughts from different sections of the room. Matt interjecting a vital piece of information, seemingly out of left field, but which tied everything together. Jon smiling at them all and working the numbers.

As their latest cooperative ventures had required more and more frequent meetings with her, theyad included her in the banter, in such a natural way that it had taken her awhile to recognize the tone of her inclusion was somewhat different, low-level flirting dynamics. Something she found she liked, even if she parried it with appropriate cynical retorts.

Shead enjoyed being surrounded by them so often, being the one-woman beneficiary of their mingled scents, voices, the feel of their heat and strength around her as palpable as physical touch. Once, shead even caught herself letting out a breath when she sat down among them, as though shead arrived somewhere she could relax. Be at home.