Naughty Little Secret (2 page)

“Hmm,” he responded. “Since I have nothing planned, I assumed whatever you had going on had to be more exciting, but clearly, I’m wrong.”

Nope. But it could be exciting if you wanted to lay me, rather than me
laying the tile floor…
“You mean you don’t want to play house?” she teased.

As soon as the words left her mouth, she could have slapped herself.

Oh, that comment had come out so wrong…

-11-

Shelley Bradley

“I—I meant help me finish the girls’ bathroom.”

Noah looked like he might be repressing a smile. “Um…no. Sorry.

Enjoy, though.”

“Leaving all the fun to me, huh? I can’t wait.” Sarcasm dripped from her tone.

This was the rapport with Noah she missed. Fun chitchat, the banter back and forth. They hadn’t been able to just talk like this since…well, since just before the divorce, when she’d really started looking at him as a man. And wanting him. He remained friends with Tim, but had reached out to her soon after the split and told her that if she needed anything, he would help. And he had, with a great job. But their easy camaraderie of the past was nearly non-existent.

When she glanced at him again, he shot her a mischievous smile and a very direct stare. While it rarely dropped below her neck, Lauren sure felt it right between her legs. His gaze did all kinds of damage to her self-control. If she didn’t know better, she’d think he might be…flirting? No.

Wishful thinking.

Business, not bedroom play.

Lauren should look away, knew she should. Only Noah’s blue eyes reeled her in. The man was mesmerizing. And she had to stop gawking and drooling or he’d know how badly she wanted to jump him. Hell, he might even fire her for sexual harassment.

“Only three items left on our list of things to cover,” she said, breaking the tense silence with an all-business comment.

“Three things. Hmm.” He turned his attention to his computer.

Finally, she could breathe again.

Noah grabbed his mouse, long, strong fingers curling around the oblong plastic. Lauren would rather see them elsewhere. Like on her.

-12-

Naughty Little Secret

Give it up and get over it
. She sighed and returned to the notes in her folder.

“Lauren, I can’t find the email you sent with those new appetizer reports. You know, the ones you put out last week? Can you print me another copy?”

“Sure,” she said, happy for an excuse to leave the weird air swirling between them. Entirely her imagining, she was sure.

When Lauren rounded the corner of her desk, she moved to sit in her chair…and found something in it. A textured white envelope. Nothing written on the front, but definitely something inside, judging from the bulge of neatly-folded paper.

Given the fact it was on her chair, she assumed someone set it here for her. Safe assumption, right?

Shrugging, she opened the envelope, withdrew the lone page inside, and unfolded the thick paper.

You. Me. Naked skin. Shared fantasies. A whole night.

Soon.

Lauren blinked at the typed note. Read it again. And nearly stopped breathing. Someone here wanted her? Someone who’d gone to the trouble of writing her a note and leaving it in her chair. No hint of a signature or his identity. And maybe the situation should have creeped her out…but she didn’t sense menace behind the words, just desire.

She looked around the sea of cubicles with new eyes. Who? Gary was too straightforward. Most of the other men here were older, happily married, or gay. Except Noah, and he had little Miss Pom-poms to keep him warm at night. Maybe it was simply someone who worked in the building. Tender Forks shared this building with several other

-13-

Shelley Bradley

businesses. Security was relaxed. Maybe it was one of the consultants across the hall? The possibility didn’t excite her.

“Lauren?”

The object of her fantasies stopped just behind her, his deep, sin-inspiring voice seeping into her. His warm breath cascaded down the back of her neck. She couldn’t help it; she shivered. “You find that report?”

“Report?” she repeated numbly.

She couldn’t seem to get her mind off a whole night of naked skin and shared fantasies and inserting Noah in the picture.

“This it?” He took the piece of paper from her hand and lifted it to read.

Lauren reached out to grab the page back, but it was too late. His dark expression told her he’d already read every word.

“Did someone give this to you?”

She could feel herself flushing every shade of red. “I found it in my chair. Someone left it there.”

“Interesting note.”

She couldn’t tell whether he was pissed she might be hooking up with someone in the office or so amused he was about to laugh his ass off. He was a master negotiator. His face never gave away anything unless he wanted it to.

“I—I don’t know who left it.”

“Well, you don’t have to guess what he wants.”

The flush spread wider, seeping heat through her body. “No, that’s clear.”

He quirked a dark brow at her. “Worried? Do you think this is some psycho? I can beef up security.”

-14-

Naughty Little Secret

Gnawing on her bottom lip, she cast a brief glance up at Noah. Those gorgeous blue eyes were too much to look at, her desire too deep to conceal from him. She looked away.

How perfect. One man wanted her—a man who clearly understood how much she loved surprises and wished for a lover. But the man she ached for stood right in front of her, asking questions and offering to protect her like a brother. Damn, he chased everything else in a skirt.

Why not her?

“I’m fine. You need that appetizer report, right?” She moved to round the corner of her desk, toward her computer.

Noah grabbed her arm, his grip gentle but unyielding. “Talk to me.

Are you scared?”

With a rueful smile, she worked to set him at ease. “I probably should be. But this is the most admiration I’ve had since my divorce. Whoever it is, I don’t think he means any harm.”

Slowly, he released her arm and sent her a long stare. “You want naked skin and shared fantasies?”

Lauren sighed. “What red-blooded woman doesn’t? I appreciate your concern, but—”

“Can you handle skin and fantasies?”

She shrugged, wondering if Noah cared even a tiny bit that some other man wanted to hold her. “According to him, I’ll find out soon.

Guess I’ll let you know then.”

-15-

Shelley Bradley

TGIF! Lauren was more than ready to call it a week. After Wednesday’s fiasco with the short skirt and filmy blouse, she almost thanked the unexpected cold front that forced her to wear wool pants and a cashmere sweater on Thursday. Or she would have been happy, if she hadn’t realized that the more clothes she wore, the more comfortable Noah seemed to be.

Grateful for casual Friday, today Lauren wore no-nonsense jeans and sneakers and a turtleneck. She sighed. Only a nun’s habit was more asexual.

She glanced at her watch as she made her way back to her desk from a meeting so boring, watching paint peel sounded positively thrilling in comparison. 3:45 p.m. An hour and fifteen minutes. Sorting through the rest of her email today would take up that time. Then…she’d have a whole weekend to herself.

And she was determined to spend it thinking about anything and anyone except Noah Reeves.

As Lauren approached her desk, she immediately saw a pristine rectangular box with a big red bow sitting on top of all the clutter. A red rose lay across the lid.

She hesitated, frowning, and looked around. No one stood nearby.

Her desk was in a corner, near the window. There was no way someone

-16-

Naughty Little Secret

had accidentally left this here. It had been specifically placed on her desk, where she couldn’t possibly miss it.

By the person who’d left the bare skin and fantasies note the day before yesterday?

Biting her lip, she approached the box and picked it up, setting the rose aside. Light. A little smaller than a shirt box. It bore the markings of a posh lingerie store not far from the office, where she’d window shopped many times. But she couldn’t justify actually buying anything there, given the fact no one would see the sweet nothings except her. And maybe an EMT or two if she ever got into an accident.

A curious anticipation settled in her belly. In truth, she should be scared. If this was the same guy who’d written the note, he was starting to look serious. That excited more than scared her. After being sexually invisible to Tim for years and being certain the opposite sex regarded her as a mom/fellow football fan, a little sexual attention felt nicer than she ought to admit to.

Heart picking up pace, Lauren tugged on the silky red ribbon. It unraveled under her fingers, slithering to the desk in silence. She lifted the lid and read the typed note sitting on top of the crisp pink tissue paper.

You. Me. Naked skin. Shared fantasies. A whole night.

Tonight.

The same note as Wednesday, but he’d changed
soon
to
tonight
. As in after work tonight? Would he just…reveal himself? Call her? Maybe the box held answers.

Her pulse picked up a bit more speed as she broke the golden seal holding the tissue paper closed and peeled back the delicate pieces.

-17-

Shelley Bradley

Holy cow!

If the note hadn’t spelled it out, Lauren would get a very clear idea of what Mr. Mysterious had in mind now from the contents of this box. The two items inside were red lace and small. Scratch that. Red lace and very small.

She picked up one. A red thong, soft and delicate. It would caress her body—what little it covered—in silken seduction. She didn’t even need to pick up the other item to see it was a red lace camisole with velvet laces up the front. And underwire support. A glance at the tag had her jaw dropping. Her secret admirer had guessed her bra size perfectly.

“Do a little shopping in preparation for the weekend?” drawled a familiar raspy-sexy voice behind her. “If so, I’m guessing you found something more exciting to do than lay tile.”

With a gasp, she shoved the lingerie back in the box and closed the lid. “Did you need something?”

“Eventually. First, I want the answer to my question.”

Lauren started chewing on her lip again, torn between hiding the truth and complete embarrassment. He seemed…amused. A heartbeat away from laughing.

This was so not funny. Just because he didn’t find her attractive didn’t mean no one else would.

“No. As a matter of fact, the admirer who left the note on Wednesday left this while I was at my last meeting.”

“Tenacious. I’ll give him that.” Noah stroked his chin. “And you have no idea who it is?”

“I don’t,” she admitted. “But after spending the kind of money to buy this little…ensemble at Seductions and Secrets, I don’t think he’ll be a stranger much longer.”

“You okay with that? After the divorce—”

-18-

Naughty Little Secret

“It’s been two years, Noah. I know you and Tim are pals and all, but it’s really no longer any of his business what I do with my time.”

“Agreed.” He held up his hands to ward off any further tirades. “So, is red your color?”

Oh, yeah. Sinful, sexual, siren red.
“Why not? Do I not look like a red sort of woman?” she challenged. “You probably think I’m all white cotton, and you’re wrong.”

The full line of his mouth twitched, as if he might be fighting a smile, before his expression smoothed.

“I’m pleading the fifth.” He frowned. “How did this guy know your size? Assuming he even got it right.”

Lauren hesitated. “Well…I don’t know. But the size is perfect, so I’m guessing he knows his way around a woman’s body.”

“You sure you can handle this? You don’t want me to have security look into the situation?”

She felt her blood pressure rise. Hell, rise—it skyrocketed. “Thank you for the intimation that the only man who could want me must be a psycho.”

“I didn’t say he was a psycho. Even if he’s not, most men are sexually demanding, Lauren. This sounds like someone who wants to tie you down, fill you up with everything he’s got, and take you for a long, hard ride.”

“And your point is…? Noah, I’m divorced, not a virgin.” Gritting her teeth, she pulled away from him, stomping around the corner of her desk.

He grabbed her and brought her back around to face him. “You want to find yourself on your knees with a mouthful of cock or be introduced to the back of the couch when he bends you over it to fuck you?”

-19-

Shelley Bradley

His words flooded her with heat. She pictured herself before Noah, kneeling at his feet, looking up into his familiar, rugged face as he grabbed her hair and led her mouth to his waiting cock. She’d lick the head, drag her tongue all down the shaft, then suck him deep and feel him fist his hands in her hair and groan, demanding more.

“Your pupils are dilating. You like that idea?”

Lauren took a deep breath, watching his unreadable face with hot eyes and resisting the urge to press her thighs together. Oh, God. She was getting hot having a conversation with her boss. And if he knew he starred in her little X-rated daydreams, he’d probably run in the other direction. She needed to watch her tongue and her temper—and her runaway fantasies.

“I don’t want to talk about it. Did you need something, sir?”

Impatience skated across his features. “Lauren, answer me.”

“Please, just forget it.” This whole argument was too humiliating for words.

He sat on a corner of her desk. By virtue of his six-three frame, he towered over her as he braced his elbow on one knee and leaned closer to her. Not for the first time, Lauren wished her sense of smell was something more than non-existent. She’d bet Noah’s scent was yummy.

“Lauren, I’m sorry if I’ve upset you. I didn’t intend to. I just wanted to make sure you know what you’re getting into. Do you?”