Billionaire Erotic Romance Boxed Set: 7 Steamy Full-Length Novels (146 page)

Courtney considered telling Ellen the truth, then remembered that she could get fired for what she'd written and any mention of what Vance had done, what she'd allowed him to do, wouldn't end well for either of them. She settled for a half-truth. “I'm not feeling well.” There was no need to explain the reason behind the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “Excuse me, Ellen. I have a project I need to check in with someone about.” Courtney turned back towards her desk and reached for the phone.

By the time she placed her fourth call, her desperation to reach Vance was almost palpable. She hated herself for how she sounded when talking to his assistant, but her nerves were shot. Every time her phone rang, an email dinged on her computer, or footsteps came their way, her heart would stop for a second. Everything she read was from him. Every sound was his voice, his step. And when it wasn't, a mixture of disappointment and relief washed over her before it started all over again.

“That's it,” Courtney announced. She hurriedly typed a note to Vance – to Mr. Forster, she amended. No more torturous waiting. She was going to decide for herself what would happen next.

After sending it off, she pled out sick and headed home. She wanted some time to write up her resignation and didn't think she could handle the good-byes just yet. It wasn't until she closed the door behind her that the full realization of what she'd done hit her. All of the strength ran out of her legs, and she slumped to the ground. She clenched her hands together, twisting her fingers until they hurt, wanting only to still their trembling.

What had she been thinking? Why hadn't she just waited for Vance to get out of his meeting? She was pretty sure he couldn't actually fire her since she could just turn around and accuse him of harassment. True, he had written evidence while she had nothing physical to support her story, but the publicity alone could ruin his career.

Right. She just need to get things under control. Decide what she needed to do next. Once she had a plan, a course of action, everything would be all right. After all, wasn't that what she always did? Take care of herself?

Courtney took a shuddering breath and then another, drawing the air into her lungs until it moved evenly. Only then did she stand. She could do this. Compared to what she'd already done on her own, this situation wasn't anything she couldn't handle.

The thought took her back into the past, back through years of having to be the adult when she shouldn't have needed to be. She never felt sorry for herself. Too many kids had it so much worse. She'd never been abused or really neglected. There'd always been more than enough food in their house, clothes to wear. The only thing that hadn't been there was her parents. While they were out making their mark on the world, Courtney had been left with a series of housekeepers and nannies until age twelve when her parents decided she was old enough to stay on her own. Every decision was hers to make as were the consequences to bear. Courtney was no psychologist, but she understood herself well enough to know that this was the root of her authority issues. She hated other people making decisions for her, telling her what to do.

And yet, she'd always had a fascination with the idea of someone taking away that control. Not in some domineering or misogynistic way but because he truly understood that this was what she needed and that she trusted him implicitly. When Vance had told her to stand, to take off her jacket, she'd been surprised at how quickly she'd complied, how good it had felt to not think, to just do. For once in her life, she hadn't spent hours analyzing, weighing the pros and cons of each option. She'd just obeyed. And the relief she'd felt had been indescribable. Not to mention the intensity of the orgasm she'd had from fantasizing about Vance taking things further.

Courtney felt herself grow wet just thinking about it, desire blooming in her belly even as she tried to push the memory from her mind. She needed to focus on how she was going to regain control of the situation. She wasn't entirely sure how she was going to do that, only that she had to.

***

“Hi.”

The paper Courtney'd been holding – her careful plan outlining everything from her resignation to putting in applications at other agencies – slipped from her fingers as Vance spoke. “Hi,” her response was automatic.

“Can I come in?”

Courtney blinked. This uncertainty was nothing like the man she'd met yesterday. The man who'd ordered her to take off her jacket, the man whose touch had sent flames licking over her body at his every touch. “Of course.” She took a step back and, as he walked past, his scent washed over her. Rich spices that made her think of warmth and safety. Of home.

He turned towards her as she shut the door. Her heart was in her throat, and she opened her mouth.

“This is a really bad idea.” They spoke together, eyes locking on the last word.

Courtney could almost hear the spark that went between them, almost see it. As a child, she'd imagined that, one day, a prince would come who'd sweep her off her feet and take her to his kingdom. She'd live in a castle and have servants, and her husband would take care of her forever. She hadn't been very old when that fantasy had faded, but a part of it had always remained. The part that said she'd know the moment she met him, that they would have this instant connection. Now, as she stared into Vance's pale eyes, she couldn't help but remember telling one of her many nannies that her prince would be everything she'd ever wanted, and they'd recognize each other the moment their eyes met.

The moment went on for an eternity, neither one speaking or moving, just existing. Vance broke it first, crossing the distance between them. Some of his confidence had returned, and it shone from his eyes as he bent his head. His lips slanted over hers, forcing her mouth open as he buried his fingers in her thick waves of hair. His tongue plundered her mouth, possessing it, owning it, and Courtney's body responded. She pressed herself against him, feeling him harden against her stomach. She locked her hands around his neck, raising herself on her tiptoes to deepen the kiss.

Vance made a noise in the back of his throat and pushed her back against the door, his body covering hers. Heat raced along her nerves as his lips traveled along her jaw and down her neck. She didn't realize he'd taken her wrists in his hand until he was pulling them above her head, holding them against the door as his mouth nudged aside the collar of her shirt. His free hand worked between them, deftly undoing each button.

Courtney's brain buzzed, thoughts and sensations chasing each other in a cacophony of chaos until she wasn't sure what she was thinking or feeling. She'd been prepared, ready to take charge. She would hand in her resignation, look for another job. She had a list of prospective employers. And then Vance was there, something in his pale eyes that didn't belong. Whatever had started was over, she was sure. Or at least, she had been sure until he'd kissed her, a man dying of thirst finding an oasis in a desert. His mouth demanding and greedy on hers.

“If you don't want this, stop me,” Vance murmured against her ear, voice low and husky with desire. “Otherwise...” he slipped his fingers through the folds of her blouse, digits hot against her skin as they skimmed over her ribcage and around to the small of her back. When she didn't protest, his mouth returned to hers, teeth scraping lightly over her bottom lip. The hand on her back moved higher, deftly unhooking her bra. When his thumb brushed between the underside of her breast and the elastic of her bra, Courtney squirmed. Vance smiled against her mouth. He broke their kiss but kept their bodies pressed together.

“We're going to fuck, Courtney.” His voice was even, sounding more like the CEO she'd spilled coffee on just the day before. “And I'm going to make you scream.”

Courtney nodded. Not that there was anything else she could do. The power of speech seemed to have deserted her. She let Vance pull her over to the couch, the sense of relief that rushed through her made her knees weak. He wasn't going to fire her. He was going to tell her what to do. She didn't have to decide anything more than whether or not to say no.

“Clothes off.” Vance slipped his hand under her loose bra, cupping one full breast. He ran his thumb over her nipple, and she couldn't stop the whimper that escaped. “I want to see what your clothes have been hiding.”

Courtney kept her gaze on Vance as she removed her shirt and bra. When his eyes flicked down to her pants, she removed them as well. She started to take off her plain cotton panties when Vance held up a hand. He stepped closer and ran his fingertip along the skin just above the elastic waistband, sending goosebumps across Courtney's flesh.

“Thought you promised to never wear these.”

The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was going to say them. “I thought that was only at work.”

Vance grinned. “I think we may need to get some clarification regarding your promises.” He hooked his fingers under the elastic. “But first things first.” He waited until she stepped out of her panties before looking at her. His gaze was hungry as it ran the length of her body.

Courtney's hands automatically moved to cover herself, blushing at the intensity on Vance's face.

“No.” The word was soft, but Courtney could heard something harder beneath, something that sent a rush of heat through her entire body. Vance reached out and covered her hand with his own, shifting to make the angle less awkward. He threaded his fingers through hers. “Why would you feel the need to hide?” The steel in his voice had tempered. “You have a beautiful body.”

Courtney gasped as Vance cupped her sex with their joined hands. She parted her legs as he slipped their middle fingers between her slick folds. “Vance,” she breathed his name as he moved their hands, unsure if she was protesting or begging. The heel of her palm pressed against her clit as Vance pushed her finger into her cunt.

“Shh,” Vance whispered. His finger joined hers and Courtney cried out.

It was too much, too soon. She wasn't stretched enough, but the pressure on her clit turned the pain into almost-pleasure. Her nerves were taut, a day's worth of tension running through her and then she was cumming, the rhythmic strokes of their fingers coaxing the pleasure from a mini-wave to a full-blown orgasm. Her knees buckled, and Vance grabbed her around the waist, easing her back onto the couch, hands never stilling though Courtney's was limp, completely under Vance's control. Only after Courtney's entire body had gone stiff a second time and her eyes rolled back into her head did Vance let their fingers slide from between her legs.

Courtney's eyes fluttered open at the sound of clothes falling to the floor. His torso was exactly how she remembered it, firm muscles with a fine smattering of blue-black hair trailing from his bellybutton down to courser curls. He was bigger than she'd imagined, thicker and curving up towards his abs. A sudden giggle bubbled up.

Vance's lips twitched. “Not exactly the reaction a man wants when a woman sees him naked for the first time.” He sounded like he was trying to make the words harsh, but he couldn't quite erase his own amusement.

“Abs,” Courtney tried to explain. “'Fuck you and your tight abs Vance Forster.'” Another fit of laughter took her. She barely felt Vance's hands on her knees, and then her laugh turned into a half-scream as he buried himself inside her with one thrust. Courtney's back arched, limbs went rigid, as her body struggled to adapt to the intrusion. Before it could, he was pulling back, leaving just the head in, and then pushing forward, making Courtney keen.

“You're so tight,” Vance spoke through gritted teeth. “Feels so good inside you. Been dreaming about this moment since I first saw you.”

The words washed over her, but Courtney didn't let them sink in. Her body had enough to process with Vance's bruising pace wreaking havoc with her overstimulated nerves. As her body stretched to accommodate him, her hips began to rise and fall of their own volition, meeting Vance's every stroke, forcing him deeper than she'd thought possible.

“One more time, Court,” Vance grunted, face showing the strain of holding himself back. His hips stuttered in their rhythm, and he leaned forward to lock blue with gray, arctic with storm. “Come again for me.”

Courtney hovered on the edge, wanting that release but unable to make her body comply. A wail of pure frustration spilled from her lips.

“I said, come.” Vance slammed into her, the tip of him hitting the end of her as his fingers closed around her nipple, pinching it just hard enough to break through the last of her resistance, and she shattered.

When she came to, she was stretched out on her couch, Vance lying behind her, an afghan covering them both, one muscled arm draped over her waist.

“Looks like that was as good for you as it was for me,” Vance quipped, and she could almost hear the smile in his voice.

“Still think it was a bad idea?” Courtney kept her tone light even though her stomach knotted at the thought of this being the end.

“That depends,” Vance said warily.

Courtney rolled onto her back so she could see his face. “On what?”

“On how many of those promises you intend to keep.”

Heat rose to Courtney's cheeks. “What do you mean?”

Vance propped himself up on his elbow. “What I said in my office, I meant it, Courtney. I think you need discipline, that you want it.” His eyes darkened. “And I want to be the one to do it.”

A thrill ran through her, quickly followed by trepidation. What was he going to make her do? And what if she didn't want to do something he asked? Just how far did this obedience thing go?

Almost as if he read her mind, Vance was speaking. “It's a relationship of trust Courtney. I trust you to set the limits, to hold me to them. And you trust me to know what you want, even if you won't ask for it, and to stop when it's too much.” His fingers traced patterns on her skin. “I won't lie and say that I don't want this. I do. I like the idea of controlling you. Of being in charge of when you come. Of expanding your horizons. Of making you do things you never would have thought you'd enjoy. But it only works if you trust me.” He fell silent, waiting for her response, watching her think.