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  “I’m supposed to believe you? Boom, like that?”

  He rose from his seat, towering over her. With a few long strides he was at his desk. He picked up the sheaf of papers there and brought them back to her. “I got these from my attorney not long ago.”

  Regarding him warily, she accepted the crisp papers. It took her barely a few sentences to see past the legalese and realize it was, indeed, an agreement between Wyatt and one Ronald West, to accept responsibility for the stolen money and set up a payment plan.

  “I’m surprised your brother didn’t call you.”

  Mentally, Tatiana groaned and placed the agreement on the table. “I never took my phone off flight mode.” She reached inside her deep bag and pulled her phone from its cluttered depths. She switched it on and waited a few seconds. Sure enough, she had four missed calls and a text from her brother. Boss agreed to drop charges!!!!!! AMAZEBALLSSSSS.

  Tatiana hit reply, lest her brother be worried over her lack of response. Yeah. Amazeballs. TTYL. She slipped the phone back into her purse. “Well. It wouldn’t have hurt you to tell me about this when it became clear I had no idea you’d already dropped the charges.”

  “You caught me off guard. And you may not remember, but I really hate someone sticking their nose in my business. Even if it is a pretty little nose.”

  Ugh. She did remember that, and if she had been using her brain, she might have realized that a different, more subtle approach was called for in dealing with this man.

  Still, that didn’t make her any less annoyed. “What the hell was up with that proposal? What do you think this is, some cheesy movie? I’ll drop the charges if you sleep with me.” She mimicked his deep, cool voice.

  Was that…? Yes. That mischievous glint in his eyes might have been swiftly disguised, but she’d seen it before. Back when getting a rise out of her had been his favorite pastime. He shrugged. “I wanted to see your response.”

  She rose to her feet, unable to stand him looming over her any longer. Sadly, he was much, much taller than her, so this only decreased the extent of his looming instead of banishing it altogether. She stalked forward until they were toe to toe and poked him in his chest. His firm, muscular…

  No!

  “I’m not a bug under some microscope. When I was a teenager, all of this emotionally unavailable brooding crap was sexy, but I’m an adult now. Do you think women enjoying feeling cheap like that?”

  He grabbed her wrist before she could poke him again and drew her in until she was so close his hot breath fanned her cheek. His hand surrounded her wrist completely, his fingers overlapping.

  She loved feeling delicate and small. It fed her fantasy of being taken. No! No, she wasn’t being taken. Not right now.

  “It wasn’t meant to make you feel cheap.” His lips touched her ear. “It was meant to make you hot.”

  A tremor ran through her.

  “Because the girl I remember would have found that kind of proposition very, very hot. Are you still that girl, Tatiana?”

  “I’m not a whore.”

  “There was nothing to barter over. It was a fantasy.”

  “Only you knew that.”

  “Yeah. And it still got you hot, didn’t it?”

  “You’re a freak,” she whispered.

  “The best kind. Why did you come here?” Very delicately, he licked the outer curve of her ear, as if he couldn’t stop himself from tasting her.

  “I told you.”

  “You didn’t have to come see me. You could have called or sent me an email. If you’re as wealthy as you say, you could have hired a lawyer to rival my team.”

  “So why did I come here?” Tell me. Because I don’t know if I can even figure it out.

  The pause before he spoke told her he was giving the question serious consideration. “Because you were curious. Curious to see if I was still the man you remembered. If you still found me appealing, or if I’d turned into a disgusting toad. If you still responded to me the way you used to. If the sex was as good as you recall. Basically everything you wonder when you meet a former lover again. A former lover as memorable as me, at least.”

  “You’re pretty arrogant.”

  “I’m smart, not arrogant.”

  He was. He was very smart. From the second she’d learned who Ron’s boss was, she’d been bombarded with fantasies. They had grown with every glass of wine, and had become overwhelming when she’d dug through her memory chest for his letters, letters she hadn’t glanced at in years and years.

  She could have gotten back in touch with him, as he’d listed, in a number of less personal ways. She could have done nothing, let Ron handle it all, and given her brother financial and legal support quietly in the background.

  But she’d been curious. Her curiosity would be the death of her.

  Like now, with her fertile imagination wondering if he could still keep up with the horribly dirty scenarios her brain kept spinning about him. And her. And the things they could get up to as adults, things they’d barely scratched the surface of as kids.

  Him, wrapping her hair around his fist.

  Her, on her knees.

  Him, binding her hands.

  Her, surrendering.

  The low hum of attraction she’d felt since the moment she’d heard Wyatt’s voice flared into full-blown arousal. Her nipples tightened beneath her practical dress, her thighs trembling.

  No. This was a monumentally stupid idea. Not only did they have this new thing with her brother lying between them, it was never a good idea to have a one-night stand with an old flame. She didn’t know who he was anymore. He could have grown up into a sadistic monster. The games she played required a certain amount of trust. Could a person change from a sensitive, attentive lover to a monster in a decade? Possibly. Was it likely? Probably not.

  Still. Stupid idea.

  It was like he could sense her hesitation, knew that she needed just a little push. “I wouldn’t fuck you in exchange for your brother’s freedom. But I’d fuck you in exchange for a night of really hot sex.”

  The words lay between them. She should pull away. She should leave.

  “Am I your memorable former lover, Wyatt?” Her voice was tremulous, but it was an act, the uncertain tone belying the coy demand hidden in the words. It had always been an act with Wyatt, but one that was conversely more honest than anything she’d ever had with anyone else.

  They were still so close, their lips inches away. His gaze dipped to her mouth. “You know very well what you are.”

  “You must have stunning women throwing themselves at you all the time.”

  “I do.”

  She couldn’t even take offense with his cavalier acknowledgment of his own charms. “I’m probably nothing compared to them.”

  “You don’t need me to tell you how stunning you still are. And I know exactly what you can do with that body.” The flick of his gaze felt like the touch of fire. “To answer the question you’ve been wondering since you decided to come here: Yes. I’ve gotten even better at sex, Tatiana. Have you?”

  She totally had. But she didn’t want to boast. Eh. Fuck it. “I'm sure your conquests outnumber mine, but I've had my fair share since you.”

  “Were they as good as me, though?”

  What a male thing to ask. “Some were.”

  “Did they play well with your fantasies, Tatiana? The way I did?”

  “Some did.”

  His eyes darkened further, and she was experienced enough to label the emotion gripping him now as lust with a heavy dose of jealousy. It was silly to be thrilled over that jealousy. He had no rights over her. Hadn’t had any rights in a long time. “Did kissing them feel like you were getting burned alive?”

  This was stupid. But… “It’s been so long. I barely remember what kissing you felt like,” she bluffed.

  His lips were easing over hers almost before she finished speaking, brushing lightly, sending small tingles through her nerve endings. There was a spa
rk.

  And, then, without warning, he fanned that spark into a fire.

  One arm went around her waist and he yanked her close, kissing her so brutally she swore her panties spontaneously combusted.

  It was the kiss of a marauder and a pirate, taking everything she had to give and more. His tongue swept into her mouth, stroking, thrusting, mimicking sex. He allowed her a brief second of air before he kissed her again, this time growling over her easy surrender.

  He slid one hand in her hair, holding her still for the violent kiss, while his other hand swept down her back to her bottom. His fingers clenched on her flesh, and she cried out in his mouth. Christ, but he tasted good. When he picked her up so her mound cradled his hard erection, she did whimper. He lifted his head. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes unfocused. “Well. Do you remember now?”

  She tried to hide her smirk and licked her swollen lips. “Kind of.”

  He lowered his head for another kiss. A spurt of sanity had her turning her head. “Wyatt.”

  As if a weak evasive maneuver like that could stop Wyatt. He pressed a hot kiss against her neck. “Yeah?”

  “We shouldn’t.” It would help her case if her voice wasn’t so damn tremulous.

  It was all his fault. Clearly Wyatt could still make her drop her social façade and tap into the wild creature inside of her. Maybe because he had helped develop it all those years ago.

  He licked up to her ear and caught the lobe between his teeth, biting down gently. “You smell so good. You taste even better.”

  “Wyatt, wait. We need to talk.”

  He scraped his teeth along her earlobe. “Talk.”

  “This situation with my brother’s between us. It complicates things.”

  “I told you. I don’t want to talk about your idiot brother anymore.”

  “He’s not an id— Oh fine. He did something pretty idiotic.” She cast about for another excuse, but it was hard when he was… Dear God, his mouth. “We have a history. This would be stupid.”

  “This?”

  “You know where this is leading.”

  He pulled away. His eyes were glazed with lust, underscored by something that looked an awful lot like…resignation? “Of course. I knew from the moment I heard your name.”

  Skeptical, she cocked her head. “Before you even saw me? How’d you know I didn’t gain three hundred pounds and a hunchback over the last decade?”

  His lips twisted. “I met you when you were chubby and had frizzy hair and acne.”

  A gasp escaped her lips. So she’d had a bit of an awkward phase. Bringing it up now was hardly gentlemanly. “Shut up, Caine.”

  “My point is, I wanted you then. I still want you now. When I walked away from you all those years ago, I knew that wanting would never stop.” He tucked a strand of hair—sleek, not-frizzy hair, thank you very much—behind her ear. “Prettiness helps, Tatiana, but you and me? It’s always been more. We’re like a moth and a flame.”

  “Who’s the moth?”

  “Who cares?”

  Really, when it felt so good to be on fire, who did care?

  He leaned forward and delicately licked her neck, little flicks, as if he were sampling her. “It’s pointless to resist this. Give in. I did.”

  “We’re adults. Not impulsive kids ruled by our hormones.”

  “Then let’s do some adult things.”

  “I could have a husband. Or a boyfriend.”

  “No. Or you wouldn’t be here.”

  “No.” Despite herself, she tilted her head back to give him access to the hollow of her throat. “You?”

  “Not a single boyfriend,” he said, dry as ever. “And no female either.”

  She was a little too relieved over that. “Just because we’re both single—”

  “Tatiana.” He grasped her shoulders and held her back from him. “Tell me. Tell me you don’t want me. I’ll let you go. Stop kissing you. Stop licking you. Stop thinking of sucking your nipples or sinking my tongue in your pussy. Stop wondering if you still like having your hair jerked hard when you’re sucking cock. Stop imagining how you’ll look when you’re getting pounded by my dick. All you have to do is tell me.”

  Her chest rose and fell, pragmatic thought blown out of her mind. Yes, please. All those things sounded perfect. A smorgasbord of lust and pleasure.

  He kissed her, a quick, hard claiming. “Or, tell me you want this. And I’ll make it the best night of your life.”

  Hmph, male ego. Natural competitiveness rose, and she found her voice. Her hoarse, excited voice. “You don’t think it would be the best of your life?”

  “We could find out.” His lips captured hers again, kissing her until her lips felt bruised and sensitive. He drew away to whisper, “One night. No brother. No past. No coercion, unless you want to play at it.”

  There was no way this would end well. “And we’ll be no different from old flames who hook up at their high school reunions? In the morning, we’d go back to our own lives?” Dear Tatiana, when your brain says something is a stupid idea, maybe, I don’t know, listen to it.

  There was a pause. “Certainly.”

  Her body trembled as her good common sense did battle with her bad erogenous zones. What he was proposing was mad.

  And she liked it.

  Oh, for crying out loud. Her impulsive nature revved the engine. Wheeeee. What was life, anyway, without a few mistakes?

  She licked her lips, loving the way his eyes immediately jumped there and darkened. “I wouldn't be averse to us pretending that you're coercing me. A little.”

  If he hadn’t been holding her, she wouldn’t have felt the shudder roll through him. That familiar sexual power rose inside her.

  He smiled. It was the first real smile he’d given her, fond and amused. “You did have a thing about being handled rough.”

  She lifted her shoulder in a delicate shrug. “My liking for it has grown over the years.” Some boyfriends had found it exciting, others abhorrent. She'd learned to judge who would respond to her tastes.

  “What a coincidence. So has mine. Yes, then?”

  “Yes.”

  He tightened his grip on her. “Safe word.”

  She responded to the urgency in his touch and voice. “Peanut.”

  “Too close to penis. I might think you’re begging for more.”

  She bit the inside of her cheek, though safe words were no laughing matter. “Candle.”

  He nodded. A shutter descended over his face, and when he next spoke, his voice was cold.

  The curtain had lifted. The act had started, in earnest.

  Chapter Three

  “Maybe you’re right, Tatiana. Maybe we shouldn’t do this. After all, that kiss was nice, but I can’t imagine we’ll be kissing all night, will we?”

  She shook her head mutely, stopping when his large hand sank into her hair. She was never so grateful that she’d left it loose and unbound. The tug on her scalp made her eyes want to cross in pleasure.

  “I think you need to give me a sample of what you’re offering, honey.” The slight pressure on her head made his desire clear. Her mouth watered, her attention darting down to where his cock was hard and prominent beneath his expensive clothes.

  Still, she resisted. That was her favorite game, after all. “I don’t know if we should. In the office. In the middle of the day.”

  “For the rest of the day and night I own you, Tatiana. If I want you to suck me off in front of an audience of twenty, you’ll do it. Otherwise, you can leave right now.”

  She bit her lip and lowered her gaze, hoping to hide the hot lust detonating inside of her. “I don’t want to leave.”

  “Then show me. On your knees.”

  She sank to her knees, loving the feel of the Berber carpeting beneath them. Loving the way his eyes followed her. Loving how his pants tented even more. Loving the supplication. She reached for the buckle of his belt, fumbling more than she needed to if only to raise the anticipation and exciteme
nt between them. Playing into the fantasy of the young ingénue and the ruthless pirate. She unzipped and unbuttoned his pants, and his cock leapt out to greet her.

  Nothing had changed here. His cock was still as long and hard as she remembered, her hands too small to grasp as much as she’d like. She stroked down to the base, loving the decadence of soft skin stretched taut over tensile strength. His hand tightened on her hair when she slid her palm over the head of his cock, moistening her hand.

  She resisted the steady pressure on the back of her head. Not because she didn't want her mouth on him, but because her character shouldn't.

  “Stop playing,” he growled.

  “Am I playing?” She cast a glance upwards from beneath her lashes, her hand smoothing below his shaft to cradle his balls in her palm. She rolled them slightly, and he jumped, the muscles in his thighs tensing.

  “Enough. Suck me.”

  Her pussy clenched so hard, she almost came right then and there. “But…I've never done that before,” she said, in as breathless a tone as she could muster.

  Lies. And he knew it, since he had been her tutor in oral sex. They'd spent many a heated afternoon in her bedroom, in his car, with his hand on her head and his body captive to her mouth.

  His lips quirked upward. “Then you'll learn.” The pressure on her head became a notch more insistent.

  She gave in to the silent command, leaning forward to swirl her tongue around the head of his cock. Oh. Oh my. He didn’t taste as good as she remembered. He tasted better, all manly and hot.

  “Swallow me.”

  Poor man. If only she could. But where would be the fun in giving it all up right away? Deliberately awkward, she gave a few shallow bobs, letting her tongue glance over the sensitive underside of his shaft.

  He growled in warning. “Tatiana.”

  She gave him a delicate lick, rubbing her tongue along the slit of his penis. He jumped and swore.

  Tatiana drew away and nuzzled her cheek along the wet tip. “Yes?”