Snowbound with the CEO (3 page)

“I’m mostly going to read through the notes we’ve already made, so you don’t need to stay. I’ll let the desk know when I’m done so they can restock the coffee.” He took the key to the room when she held it out. “Go have fun. Make sure you enjoy everything the hotel has to offer, and I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be getting regular updates on the travel conditions and will let you know as soon as the roads are safe. In the meantime, if you need anything at all, please let me know.”

She left him to his work, wondering what she was supposed to do for the rest of the day. The original plan had called for all of them to enjoy a pleasant evening after the meeting, including dinner. Then Adrian and Rachel would depart for Boston early in the morning, leaving the Bouchard family to enjoy the rest of the day and another night on Adrian’s dime before traveling on to Colorado for their Christmas holiday.

Now Rachel had no plans for the foreseeable future, except trying not to envision a hundred and one ways to seduce her boss.

She was up to seventeen before she reached the end of the hall.

* * *

By dinnertime, Adrian was bored. He’d pressed his team to wrap up everything before they scattered for the holidays, so the only thing on the table was the Bouchard deal. With the Bouchards stuck in Boston—where he should have stayed, dammit—he had nothing to occupy his mind.

And with nothing else to think about, his thoughts kept circling around to Rachel and the fact they were alone in one of the most gorgeous and romantic hotels in the country.

Maybe not totally alone. There were other guests, of course, besides the staff. But nobody from their world. No office-mates. No clients. Essentially, they were alone enough that he kept thinking about things a boss had no business thinking.

For one thing, Blackstone Historical Renovations was extremely proactive when it came to sexual harassment education and the boss doing his secretary on his desk, up against the wall or any other place he could get her wouldn’t set a good example. For another, she was the best damn assistant he’d ever had and he didn’t want to lose her.

But knowing she was two doors down the hall while everybody else was back around the water cooler played hell on his nerves.

Adrian thought about calling her and asking her to join him for dinner. They both needed to eat and there was no sense in eating alone. But they weren’t in the habit of sharing meals when they traveled. They kept the schedule tight, so both of them usually made do with room service while they worked.

But he was tired of being cooped up and the dining room beckoned. Unfortunately, it was a dining room that reeked of romance all year and especially at Christmas. He had no desire to request a table for one. And he was afraid if he invited Rachel to join him, she’d accept simply because he was the boss and she felt obligated.

Screw it. He’d go down to the bar. If he remembered correctly, they served basic sandwiches along with drinks, and he needed both. He never allowed himself to get drunk, especially in public, but maybe a beer or two would take the edge off and help him sleep.

He didn’t have any jeans with him, but he skipped the coat and tie. Leaving the top two buttons on his white dress shirt undone, he rolled the sleeves to just below the elbow and ran a cursory hand through his hair. Good enough.

Pausing in the entryway of the bar, he scanned the room, debating on a table versus a stool. Then he spotted a woman sitting alone at the bar, his gaze drawn to her for some reason, and considered a different way to take the edge off his sexual frustration. Neither bar pickups nor one-night stands were his usual style, but his secret desire for Rachel was reaching a critical point.

The woman at the bar had a cloud of blond hair, and a slim figure hugged by a shimmery red sweater and black pants. But she wasn’t too slim—the sweater rode up to reveal the curve of her hip. And when she reached for her glass he noted the lack of either a wedding ring or a revealing tan line.

He watched her another minute and she never looked around or looked to the door, so she probably wasn’t waiting for anybody. While she’d definitely be playing second fiddle to his assistant—unbeknownst to either woman—maybe some company would help distract him.

He started walking toward her then stopped, transfixed, when she threw back her head and laughed at something the bartender said. It was a joyful, unabashed sound and Adrian found himself wanting to watch a comedy with the woman or tell her silly jokes just to hear her laugh again.

He slid onto the stool next to her. “It’s too close to Christmas to be sitting alone in a bar.”

She turned to face him and Adrian felt as though all the air had been sucked out of his lungs. Christ, she was beautiful. “Rachel?”

Chapter Two

Number thirty-two, or thereabouts, on Rachel’s list of one hundred and one ways to seduce her boss was to pretend to be a stranger in a bar. Being mistaken for a stranger in a bar was close enough to send a little sizzle down her spine.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh like that before,” he said, and it wasn’t in his Mr. Blackstone voice. It was definitely a picking-up-a-woman-in-a-bar voice.

“You’ve never told me a joke about two elves, a reindeer and a candy cane.”

He swiveled his stool a little toward her, so their knees almost touched. “Let me buy you another drink and I’ll think of a joke.”

She should claim exhaustion and go back to her room. For whatever reason, Adrian Blackstone was looking at her in a whole new way tonight and, while she’d fantasized about that very look many times, in reality she wanted to keep her job.

Her work with Blackstone Historical Renovations was challenging and it came with travel to beautiful places and professional respect. The work was hard and the hours could be grueling, but the financial reward more than made up for it. Beyond that, Adrian Blackstone was a man who respected his employees and said please and thank you. It would be a tough job to lose.

She couldn’t put it all at risk for a fling. It would be a huge mistake.

“One drink,” she heard herself say, “and then I’m going to bed.”

Two hours later, Rachel’s stomach hurt from laughing and she’d had more than one drink. Not enough to be drunk, but enough to make her laugh at his awful jokes. And his comedic timing was so bad she laughed even harder.

They were fully facing one another on the bar stools, one of his knees tucked between hers. With both of them leaning against the bar, heads close together, she knew what they looked like to the other people in the room—a man and a woman working their way around to going upstairs together.

“What do you call a person who’s afraid of Santa?”

“No more,” she cried, throwing up her hands in surrender. “I can’t take anymore.”

“Claustrophobic.” He captured her hands and tugged her closer. “Dance with me.”

Her pulse quickened and she glanced around the dimly lit room. “Nobody else is dancing.”

“Then I’ll have to keep telling you jokes because I’m not ready to go back to my room yet.” He scowled a little, as if trying to think of a good one—or a really bad one.

“Okay. One dance.” She could survive four minutes or so of being in Adrian’s arms without making an ass of herself. Probably. “I should warn you I’m not the best dancer.”

He stood and pulled her away from the stools, then slid his hands down her shoulders to her hips before taking one of her hands in his. The other rested just low enough at the small of her back to make her a little breathless.

“Neither am I,” he confessed, his breath brushing the hair at her temple as they swayed slightly to “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” “It doesn’t matter, though. All I have to do is dance us over to that corner where the mistletoe’s hung, and then you can stand still while I kiss you.”

With her body practically molded to his and his hand straying ever so slowly south, Rachel couldn’t find the will to tell him it wasn’t a good idea. She’d wanted him to kiss her for far too long for common sense to talk her out of it.

* * *

Adrian didn’t care if so much snow fell they never got shoveled out. There was nowhere else he wanted to be than dancing in a bar with Rachel.

She hadn’t responded to his mistletoe intentions, but she hadn’t said no or pulled away. And the glow on her cheeks made him suspect he wasn’t the only one looking forward to it. The idea Rachel might be as attracted to him as he was to her was a heady feeling, and he dug deep for self-control.

As the singer crooned about being home for Christmas and the lyrics sunk into his brain, Adrian sighed. “I feel bad now, you know, about dragging you up here. If I’d had the meeting in Boston, you’d be home and, with Christmas right around the corner, you probably have a million things to do more important than dancing with me.”

She laughed again, and it sounded even better up close. “No, actually. My parents live in Florida, but they come up every February for a ski trip, so we have Christmas then. Christmas Day is about hanging out in flannel pajamas watching all those awesome old movies they only show once a year so, no, I don’t have anything to do that’s more important than dancing with you.”

“Good, because we’re almost to the mistletoe. A few more steps.”

He felt her sigh, her breath blowing hot against his neck. “I guess it’s my responsibility to remind you kissing your secretary is a very bad idea.”

“You’re so much more than a secretary to me, Rachel. And I’ve been telling myself kissing you is a bad idea for a year and a half, but I’ve been lying to myself. It’s a very good idea.” Two more gliding steps and they’d be there. “Besides, even if we parted ways right now, I’m too far gone. I’ll never see you in the office again without remembering how you look tonight, with your eyes sparkling and your face flushed from laughing so hard at my stupid jokes.”

“God, are we there yet?”

“Close enough,” he said, and then, finally, he was kissing her.

His mouth was gentle on hers at first, until her arms wrapped around his neck and she moaned against his lips. Then he devoured her.

Sixteen months of imagining this moment and he hadn’t even come close to how amazing it was. It was...perfect. Worth every agonizing month of wishing and waiting.

But it was far too short. Some wiseass gave a wolf whistle and Rachel pulled her face away, laughing. “We’re making a spectacle of ourselves, Adrian.”

The sound of his name on her lips was as potent as a physical caress. “You know, that’s the first time you’ve ever called me by my first name.”

He regretted the words when the laughter left her eyes. “I...you know, that’s why this was a bad idea. You’re my boss and, quite frankly, even if you didn’t kiss like some sort of...Greek god of kissing, there’s nobody else I’d rather work for. I love my job, and having a one-night stand with your boss is an incredibly stupid thing to do.”

She tried to pull away, but he held her fast. “Whoa. First, your job is not in jeopardy. You are invaluable to me. You could probably whack me over the head with a wine bottle and steal my wallet and I wouldn’t fire you. Second, I like the Greek god thing. And third, since I’ve only heard you call me Adrian in my mind—sometimes when I’m dreaming and sometimes when I’m in the shower—I want to hear it from you more often.”

Her cheeks reddened at his blunt words. “It just feels a little weird, dancing with you under the mistletoe.”

Adrian tipped her face up so he could see her eyes. “You don’t feel pressured, do you? Like if you say no, it could hurt your job?”

Much to his relief, her smile was an honest one. “No, I don’t. I kissed you because I’ve wanted to for a very long time.”

Anticipation coursed through him and he pulled her hips closer so she could feel it, too. “Good. Now, back to my list. Fourth, you and I having a one-night stand hasn’t even crossed my mind.”

* * *

Rachel felt her cheeks grow hot and she fixed her gaze on his top button.

A one-night stand hadn’t crossed his mind? Where, exactly, did he think the dancing, kissing and the impressive erection pressed against her hip were leading?

Adrian kissed the side of her neck and she shivered when his mouth moved to her ear so he could whisper, “It’s going to be more than a one-night stand. I’ve wanted you for too long to get my fill of you in one night. It’ll be at least two.”

The chuckle after his words tickled her skin and she shivered. “I think we’ve gone as far as we can with an audience short of an indecent exposure charge.”

“Will you spend the night with me, Rachel?” She nodded and he groaned into her hair. “You’re sure?”

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him until everything around them—the other patrons, the carol piping through the speakers—faded away. When he broke it off and stared into her eyes as though searching for something, she took his hand and led him toward the exit.

It took them almost six minutes to reach Adrian’s room and Rachel didn’t allow herself even a second of it for second thoughts. Tonight was for the bedroom. She’d worry about the boardroom later.

When the door closed, Adrian stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he nuzzled the back of her neck. “Have I told you how much I love your new perfume?”

How did he know it was new? They’d discontinued her former favorite fragrance a month before and she’d had to scramble to find a new scent. “No, I don’t think you have.”

“You wore this one for the first time the day of the Edelstein meeting. I was so distracted I forgot the name of his company three different times.”

When he slid his hands under her sweater and brushed his fingertips across her bare stomach, Rachel almost forgot what they were talking about. “I...you didn’t look distracted.”

“That’s because of all the practice.” His hands came to rest under her breasts, not quite touching them, and she sank back against him with a sigh. “Every single work day for the last sixteen months I’ve had to pretend I didn’t want you—had to pretend I gave a shit about somebody’s expense report when all I wanted to do was touch you.”

With a shiver, Rachel admitted to herself that her career wasn’t the only thing she was doing a poor job of protecting. Her heart was in just as much peril as her job.

Traveling together as often as they did lent itself to a certain amount of intimacy. Not intimacy in the sense of his hands brushing over her naked stomach on their way to her breasts as they currently were, but in the sense of knowing each other very, very well.

She’d been a little bit in love with Adrian Blackstone for months and now, knowing the sexual chemistry was as potent as she’d imagined, she was in danger of sliding from a little bit into a full-blown, breathless, break-out-the-show-tunes-in-the-shower kind of love.

“Is that distraction why you signed off on reimbursing Dana for her coffee shop runs?” she teased, thinking maybe if she kept things light, she could keep her emotions out of it.

“I reimbursed the coffee because it was keeping a new mother sane.” He nipped at her earlobe as his hands finally cupped her breasts, and the dual sensations made her suck in a breath. “Probably the same reason you worked late for three weeks after she came back from maternity leave so nobody would know she was struggling to catch up.”

“I didn’t know you knew about that.”

“I know everything that happens in my company, especially if you’re involved. And your compassion is one of the things I find very, very attractive about you.” His thumbs brushed her nipples through the satin of her bra. “Along with your eyes, your smile, your sense of humor. Those legs. Your laugh.”

Rachel grabbed the bottom of her sweater and pulled it over her head, hoping to prod him into less list-making and more lovemaking.

“Oh, Merry Christmas to me,” Adrian murmured, and then he spun her in his arms so she faced him.

Any response she might have made fled her mind as Adrian slid the straps of her festive red bra down over her shoulders. While his hands slid under the satin to bare her breasts to his touch, she began working on his buttons.

Adrian Blackstone worked out. A lot. Rachel ran her fingertips across the tan expanse of his chest, her body shuddering as he grazed her nipples with his thumbs.

“I’m not sure how slow I can take this,” he told her in a husky voice. “Just being near you has had me aroused for almost a year and a half, so you touching me...let’s just say I’m gritting my teeth and reciting football stats in my head so I don’t embarrass myself.”

“Then let’s expedite this first meeting and schedule a lengthy, in-depth follow-up.”

He laughed and unhooked the clasp of her bra. “Since you’re the keeper of my agenda, when can you pencil in that follow-up?”

Emboldened by their casual ease, Rachel slid her hands down his taut stomach and unfastened his pants. “Twenty minutes from now?”

Adrian let his shirt slide to the floor and started backing her toward the bed. “Let’s get to expediting, then.”

The next few minutes passed in a sensual haze of stripping, kissing and touching. A
lot
of touching. His hands squeezed her breasts, holding her nipples captive to his tongue until she whimpered with need. As he teased her, she explored his body with her fingertips, feeling the muscles in his shoulders and his back and his ass.

And it was even better than the many times she’d imagined it.

“I’ve thought about this so many times and the reality is even better than the fantasy,” Adrian told her, lifting his head from her breasts, and she smiled at the synchronicity of their thoughts.

The smile died, though, as his hand slipped between her legs. She arched her back as his fingers stroked her, the sensation almost too much to bear. And when he slid one finger inside of her, she couldn’t stop the moan.

“You feel so good,” he whispered against her hair.

“I want to feel
you.
”

Far too soon—and yet not soon enough—Rachel heard the crinkle of a condom wrapper and then Adrian was between her thighs. She sighed as he slowly entered her, his hard length pushing deeper with each slow stroke. The feeling was exquisite and she plunged her hand into his hair, making him kiss her as he finally buried himself fully inside of her.

He groaned against her mouth as he moved, and the raw sound inflamed her. Running her hands over his shoulder blades, she raised her hips, finding his rhythm and then urging him to thrust faster. Harder.

His back was hot and slick under her hands, and she reveled in the feel of his naked skin. As he moved within her, his breath blew hot against her neck and she closed her eyes to savor the sensations.

“You are so beautiful,” he said in a husky voice as his fingertips bit into her breast.

She moaned as the orgasm shook her and met him thrust for thrust as it racked her body. And when he collapsed on top of her, panting as much as she was, she wrapped her arms around him and held tight.