All Of You (Only You) (8 page)

Claire's fingers shook as she removed the small mirror from her make-up bag. The sight that greeted her made her blush, but the reminder of their heated embrace sent fire shooting through her veins again. A shiver rippled down her spine and centered low in her belly to vibrate over nerves already stimulated with arousal. She touched up her make-up and hair, but there wasn't much she could do for the flush in her cheeks or the sparkle in her eye. If anyone looked close enough, they'd know what had gone on behind her closed door.

From the minute she'd first seen Ryan lift a heavy box from the back of his truck, muscles rippling with the effort, Claire's body had come alive. She'd spent months with the buzz of arousal stirring her nerves. With any luck, the only difference in her appearance would be the hunk walking next to her. Hopefully no one would notice her state of dishevel because they'd be too busy checking out Ryan as they left the office.

"How long do you have for lunch?"

Ryan's question drew her attention away from her thoughts, and Claire quickly placed her mirror and comb back in her bag and zipped it closed.

"An hour." She pulled her diary closer. "Could manage an extra thirty minutes maybe."

"Well come on then, time's a wasting."

Claire slipped her purse strap over one shoulder and walked around her desk to Ryan. "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise." He opened the door and waited for her to precede him.

She glanced back to find him staring at her ass as they made their way down the hall to reception. Smiling, Claire put a little extra wiggle in her step. The groan that came from behind made her laugh, and knowing she wasn't the only one caught up in the attraction between them had satisfaction curling in her belly.

"I'm out to lunch if anyone wants me, Adele."

"Yes, Ms. Jones."

The frosty tone of Adele's voice had Claire turning back to see what was wrong, but the daggers the younger woman directed Claire's way didn't help her in figuring out the problem.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, why would you think anything was wrong?" Adele's gaze darted between Claire and Ryan.

At a loss as to what could be up, Claire shrugged and led Ryan out to the lifts. It being lunchtime, they had to wait a good five minutes for an elevator to arrive to take them to ground level. Squished into the packed compartment, Claire found herself jammed between Ryan's hard body and the wall. She sucked in a breath when a hand grabbed her ass just before Ryan whispered in her ear.

"Shame your skirt isn't shorter. I could slide my hand beneath it and cop a real feel."

Claire gulped back the moan in her throat. The hard length of Ryan's cock pressed into her hip as he moved closer. Her nipples puckered, and her pussy pulsed with the need to be filled. When the lift reached the ground floor, she breathed a sigh of relief. The control she had over her libido was too thin. One more word or move from Ryan and it would snap. The thought of ravishing him in public brought equal fear and excitement.

Ryan wrapped his hand around hers and pulled her across the foyer out into the steamy hot day. The street was no less crowded than the elevator, but he skillfully negotiated around the pedestrians while towing Claire behind.

"Just where are we going?" She raised her voice to be heard over the traffic and people filling the city street.

"You'll see soon enough."

Claire rolled her eyes and followed. Thankfully she'd worn flat shoes today instead of heels. They walked a couple of blocks before she began to suspect where Ryan was leading them. Hyde Park stood on the other side of the busy intersection they now waited at. Cars, buses, and trucks streamed passed. Horns honked and brakes squealed as someone cut in. It was always bumper-to-bumper traffic no matter what time of day it was in Sydney. This was one part of working in the city that she hated.

The lights changed and en masse, the press of bodies stepped off the curb. All went smoothly until they hit the middle of the road, and the wall of human flesh coming from the opposite side of the street. They bumped and jostled their way through the crush. Ryan pulled her to his side and protected her as he barged ahead. He tugged Claire's hand and maneuvered them safely to the footpath.

"This way. There won't be as many people away from the station entrance."

They found more space away from the entry to the underground railway and could easily have walked side by side, but Ryan continued to lead the way. His strides ate up the distance and made Claire quicken her steps to keep up. The hot air cooled slightly as they entered the park. The trees gave some shelter from the sun, but it was still a good 30 degrees Celsius in the shade. Sweat coated her skin, and areas on the back of Ryan's shirt were damp and sticking to the muscles rippling as he walked.

Ryan slowed as they neared the fountain, but instead of heading for one of the many benches surrounding it, he took them onto a grassed area behind a row of waist-high bushes. Large trees blocked the noonday sun and lent the space a cool feel even if the temperature wasn't any lower. He picked a spot off to the side. Surprise filled her when he dropped his backpack and crouched to remove a picnic rug. With a flick of his wrists he spread the blanket out and motioned for her to sit.

Claire couldn't help the smile that curled her lips, or the bubble of joy expanding in her chest at the fact that Ryan would go to all this trouble, but the blanket was nothing compared to what came next. From the bag he removed container after container of food. Carefully he placed them in the center of the makeshift table. As he began removing lids, Claire's mouth watered and her stomach growled.

What lay before them was a feast. Sliced ham and cheese. Crusty bread. A selection of fresh fruit sliced ready to eat. Glass bottles of orange juice finished off the meal. The man outdid himself every time he fed her. They said the way to a man's heart was through his stomach, and if she didn't know better she'd think Ryan had used that in reverse. But she did know better. He was a genuinely nice guy who enjoyed looking after her.

It wasn't just in the meals Ryan cooked her. It was all the little things she'd taken for granted—opening the car door, picking up her favorite chocolate when he got petrol, checking if she wanted a drink whenever he got one. The way he would lift her feet into his lap and rub them after a long day at work, and the way he pitched in with things around her house or his. Without doing anything more than being himself, Ryan had crawled his way into her heart, and no matter the age difference or her fear he'd get tired of her soon, Claire had done the unthinkable.

She'd fallen in love with Ryan Doherty.

*****

Ryan placed a piece of sliced peach against Claire's lips. He brushed the ripe fruit across her bottom lip and watched as her tongue snaked out to taste the sweet juice left behind. His cock hardened, blood pumping through his veins to fill the erection that hadn't fully subsided since their hot and heavy session in her office. She opened her mouth, and he pushed the peach inside, making sure to drag his finger over her bottom lip as he pulled away.

Her tongue followed, barely caressing his fingertip, but it was enough to send a jolt of lust to his groin. He shifted on his butt but only succeeded in increasing the pressure on his cock. A groan rumbled in his chest, and Ryan gave up. Reaching down, he moved his erection to a more comfortable position. Not that any place other than buried deep inside Claire would bring him the slightest relief.

She giggled. The sound shivered over his skin, and he looked up to find her staring at his hard-on. Naked lust sparked in her eyes, and Ryan shuddered as he took another jolt to the groin. If he wasn't careful, she'd have him coming in his pants in a public park. A thought flitted through his mind. He couldn't. Glancing around quickly, it became apparent that they were isolated in a little oasis away from pedestrian traffic. No one else had found their hideaway. Ryan smiled. Oh, he could and he would.

He lunged forward. Wrapping his arms around Claire's waist, he tackled her to the ground. The air rushed from her lungs, and Ryan gave her no time to catch it. He slammed his mouth over hers. Her gasp of surprise was quickly followed by a moan of pleasure. Ryan thrust his tongue between her lips, pushing inside to the hot cavern beyond, he devoured. She tasted of sweet peach nectar and hot summer. Combined, the flavors made an aphrodisiac his body was too weak to resist.

For mindless seconds they forgot where they were. Hands roamed, tugging at buttons and cloth in the way. Tongues dueled in the blinding need to take. Gasps and moans matched the pounding of blood in his ears, and Ryan ground his cock against the soft give of Claire's body. His balls tightened, drew up into his groin in a prelude to the orgasm rapidly approaching. He tore his mouth from hers, laid his forehead on hers as he fought for control.

Panting, their breath mingled as Ryan struggled to suppress the urges always simmering just below the surface. She teased his senses like no other without even trying. He wasn't above doing a little teasing of his own. Grabbing a handful of her blouse, he tugged the cloth the rest of the way out of her skirt. His fingertips brushed smooth, warm skin, and Claire sucked in a sharp breath as she trembled beneath him. The enticement of her flesh proved too much. He flattened his palm on her stomach and slowly trailed it up to her breast.

Cupping the generous mound, he stroked his thumb over the protruding nipple, the flimsy material of her bra no barrier against his touch. She arched under him, her lush curve pushing higher. Ryan pinched the taut peak and drew a moan from her throat. Wanting more, he lifted off her and shoved her shirt up over her breasts. The delicate looking scrap of fabric hidden beneath her top did nothing to conceal her from his gaze. He stared, saliva pooling in his mouth at the thought of tasting her.

Ryan bent down and took one pebbled nipple into his mouth. Claire gasped and thrust her breast farther into his mouth. He sucked hard, bit down, and dragged his teeth to the very tip before letting it pop from his mouth. Her fingers wove their way into his hair and tugged, tried to pull him back to her, but he had other ideas. He planned to treat her other peak to the same pleasure. Placing his lips around the engorged nub, he drew the lace-covered peak into his mouth.

Crowded over the top of her, his body shielded her from view, though anyone passing by would know what they were doing. Ryan didn't care who saw them, but he knew Claire would, so he eased back on his assault. She'd never forgive him if they went too far. Groaning, he let go of her breast and leaned on his elbows to look at her. Her cheeks were flushed with color and her eyes almost completely black with arousal. He really didn't want to stop, but his common sense warned him not to push too far.

"Damn, Claire, every time I touch you I lose my head."

For what seemed like hours she stared at him. Emotions crossed her face and swirled in her eyes, but he couldn't decipher them. She brought her hand up to cup his cheek, ran her thumb over his bottom lip before leaning up to kiss him. Filled with an emotion he didn't want to exam, it was the sweetest kiss he'd ever been given. His chest tightened.

"I know." She breathed against his mouth, hot air fanning out to warm his face.

Ryan closed his eyes and kissed her back, a soft brush of lips that soothed more than enflamed. A caress so gentle and full of things neither of them was ready to speak of that it stole his breath and made his heart skip a beat. In the dappled light of the midday sun, they held each other, continued to give and receive. It wasn't the time or the place, but they'd have to talk soon. What swelled inside him wouldn't be ignored much longer.

*****

Dazed from the mind-numbing goodbye kiss he'd just given her, Claire watched Ryan walk away, leaving her in the foyer of her office building. Their lunch had been amazing. He surprised her at every turn. After their heated encounter, he'd been the perfect lunch date, chatting and feeding her more of the delicious food he'd prepared. She knew he'd backed off because of her. It went unspoken but in her heart she knew. It was just one more way he took care of her. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. No doubt about it, she had some serious thinking to do.

Instead of heading for the elevators, Claire made her way to the restroom. There was no question she would need to repair her hair and make-up before walking back through the office. It wasn't that she was ashamed of what she and Ryan had done as much as she didn't want anyone speculating on something she still didn't have a handle on. Scrambled brains and an aroused body did not make for sensible thinking.

The bathroom was blissfully empty, and Claire got to work on her hair, running her comb through it to straighten out the tangles. She pulled her lipstick from her purse, but in the end decided not to touch it up. No one would expect her to have any left after eating lunch and the last thing she wanted to do was raise suspicion by looking too put together. After dropping her lipstick back in her bag, she zipped it shut and with one last glance in the mirror deemed herself presentable.

As she waited for a lift to arrive, the number panels above each set of doors showed all four elevators were above the fifteenth floor. Probably the last of the lunch rush returning. There were a few stragglers like herself, but at three o'clock most would have returned from their breaks by now. When a set of doors finally opened, she shuffled into the car with everyone else. It was far less packed than the ride down, and Claire couldn't help the shiver that traveled up her spine at the memory of Ryan pressing into her.