The Librarian Principle (11 page)

Ryder pushed the shirt over her shoulders and let it fall to the floor. Transfixed by the predatory hunger in his eyes, she remained passive, awaiting his next move. As he took in her half-naked form, Liese felt sexually alive and exposed at the same time.

His touch feather-light, Ryder’s palms came to rest on either side of her neck, his thumbs brushing along the underside of her jaw. He leaned forward, his lips grazing hers. “It’s a wonder I was able to keep my hands off you for this long,” he murmured.

“
I like your hands on me.” Liese took a step closer, curling her pinkies into his belt loops, bringing their bodies flush against each other. She tilted her head up, lips parted. Ryder took the invitation, his tongue meeting hers, a slow give and take that escalated into his complete domination.

Fingers threaded into her hair, his other hand moved down her back to her skirt, traveling along the edge, back and forth, over and over. “Where is the zipper?” he groaned, infuriated. Liese laughed and pushed him away. She pulled down the hidden zipper and let the garment fall to the floor.

Ryder’s jaw went slack for a moment before he composed himself. Maintaining a foot of space between them, he ran his hands down her sides and stopped just above the lace band of her thong.

“
You are stunning.” He took one of her hands, helping her step out of the discarded skirt.

Wrapping her in his embrace, Ryder palmed her backside and pulled her tight to him. Liese could feel the soft fabric of his shirt, the satin warmth of his tie between her breasts, the cold metal clasp of his belt on her stomach. She moaned at the firm press of his erection against her. She could care less if they made it to the bedroom. Being bent over Ryder’s desk in his library would fulfill at least one fantasy.

She attempted to snake a hand between them and struggled to locate his belt buckle. A fleshy smack followed by a painful sting made her gasp. Ryder had just slapped her ass.

“
Ah, ah, ah.” He shook his head in disapproval as he kneaded the tender spot. “You didn’t think it would be that easy to dissuade me from issuing your punishment, did you?”

Liquid heat blossomed inside her, and with it came an ache for more of his carnal discipline. “Is that all you’ve got?” she taunted.

“
Hardly,” he scoffed. “That was just a love tap.” Not giving her a chance to retaliate, Ryder spun her to face the desk. “Hands here, please,” he ordered, touching the polished wood.

Liese complied. His palm came to rest just below her shoulder blades, and he pressed gently, encouraging her to bend over the desk.

“
Perfect,” he murmured.

She felt feverish with need. Every word of approval, every soft touch contrasted with the promise of erotic punishment.

“
I really do love these.” He snapped the elastic of her garter against the back of her thigh.

She jumped, surprised by the lick of pain that preceded the heat of pleasure. She arched her back and widened her stance minutely. “I aim to please, Mr. Whitehall.”

“
I’m sure you will.”

Smoothing his hands over her skin, he grazed the swell of her breasts but avoided the most sensitive areas. Liese turned her head to place her cheek on the desk, allowing the rest of her torso to follow. The cool sensation of the wood did little to calm the need building inside her. She could see Ryder in her periphery, hazy and unclear from the odd angle, but the feel of his hands more than made up for the lack of visual stimulus.

Every other sense felt heightened. The scent of lemon polish from his desk overwhelmed her. She could hear the rustle of fabric as he moved, taste the bitter residue of his aftershave lingering on her tongue, see the dust moats floating in the beam of light as it hit the edge of the desk. Most of all, her skin hummed with electric need wherever Ryder made contact. Every torturous evasion of gratification was magnified by her acute desire for release.

Focused on the movement of his hands and the way they continued to neglect the most important parts of her body, Liese yelped in shock when his palm landed again with a heavy smack on her backside.

Ryder’s hand returned to the spot he’d spanked, his palm pressed firmly but tenderly against the smarting skin. “Too hard?”

“
Not too hard, just unexpected.” Liese craned her neck to gauge his reaction. The crease in his brow spoke to his uncertainty.

His relieved sigh extinguished any remaining nervousness. She hadn’t realized she’d tensed until she melted back into the desk.

The next slap came swift and sharp, followed by the graze of his fingertips between her thighs. Liese moaned, chasing a release that had been on hold for hours. But she should have known better. Just as the welcome tingle began, Ryder withdrew his touch, alternating punishment with pleasure. His finger slipped beneath the damp fabric of her lace thong to caress her skin. The butterfly passes shouldn’t have been enough, but she’d been teetering at the edge for so long, she quickly went over. Her orgasm sent her into a free fall, leaving only intense pleasure in its wake.

She tried to push up on her hands but couldn’t make her arms work. Her knees buckled on her attempt to stand. Ryder slipped an arm around her waist to catch her.

“
Easy. Are you okay?” He held her against him, her back to his chest, his erection pressed against her tender ass, demanding her attention.

“
Uh-huh.” Liese nodded dopily and let him take her weight. “I don’t think I can stand, though.”

Ryder chuckled, the sound strained. He turned her to face him and lifted her carefully onto the desk. She draped her arms over his shoulders and clasped her hands behind his neck. Ryder stepped between her parted thighs.

“
Lesson learned?”

“
Mmmm . . .” She nipped his bottom lip. “I think so, at least for now.”

“
Am I to look forward to further bad behavior?”

Liese fingered the open collar of his shirt. “I have a feeling you’ll be watching for misdeeds so you have an excuse to bend me over your desk again.”

“
Does that mean I have the authority to spank you anytime you’ve done something to warrant another punishment?” Ryder kissed her bare shoulder and bit down on her collarbone.

“
If you promise to make me come that hard again, I’ll give you the authority to do whatever you damn well please.” Liese wrapped her legs around his waist, hooking her feet to secure her position.

“
I was hoping you’d say that.” Ryder smiled.

“
Mr. Whitehall?” Liese widened her eyes, seeking to embody the picture of innocence as she ran her fingers through his hair.

“
Yes?”

“
I’d like to see your bedroom now.”

“
I was hoping you’d say that, too.”

Toying with Ryder’s tie, Liese loosened the knot until she could slip it free. Despite her eagerness to see his bed—and ultimately end up with him on top of her—she wanted to draw out the anticipation as long as possible now that she’d had some release. Hanging the tie around her neck, she let it fall between her breasts.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing?” Ryder asked.

“Leveling the field.” She popped the remaining buttons on his shirt. “Look how naked I am and how not-naked you are.” Liese looked down at her cleavage spilling out of the satin-and-lace cups of her bra and then at Ryder’s still-covered chest.

“I like you this naked.” His hands drifted along the outside of her thighs to her knees. “Maybe next time I’ll have you walk around in this getup until I decide what I’m going to do to you.”

The promise of future possibilities combined with the feel of his hands on her body made Liese shiver. Misunderstanding her reaction, he shrugged out of his shirt and draped it over her shoulders.

“You must be cold.”

She wasn’t, but any step closer to undressing him was a positive one in her eyes, so she shoved the too-long sleeves up her arms. Liese flattened her palms against his chest, his muscles flexing beneath her fingers as she let them drift down toward the waistband of his pants.

“As much as I enjoy you undressing me here . . .” He fastened the button below her breasts. “. . . and while the idea of taking you on my desk is alluring, I would rather this time be in my bed.” He unhooked her legs from his waist and gave her enough room to stand.

Liese slid gingerly off the desk. A bed and soft sheets would definitely be kinder to her ass than a wood slab.

“Are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” she assured him.

Keeping his arm around her waist, Ryder led her from the office. They passed the same stairs they’d ascended on their way down the hall, stopping at another set of double doors. Ryder paused to open them, guiding Liese inside. She processed the space in silence. All the personality in the house resided in his office and bedroom.

The bed occupied the center of the room, set beneath the dramatic backdrop of a black wall with white designs that flickered with shadow in the dim light. The gunmetal gray duvet complimented the charcoal black headboard, and the floor mirrored the same dark cherry that ran throughout the rest of the house. The only splash of color came from a wine-red throw at the foot of the bed. Candles burned on almost every available surface, transforming the haunting quality of the room into something seductive.

She was hardly surprised by the corporeal aura of the space—Ryder exuded sensuality all the time, and his bedroom mirrored that part of him. A spike of jealousy lanced through Liese as she imagined other women here, on his bed. The thought was irrational; she’d had other lovers, and judging from the way he touched her, so had he. She squelched the possessive feelings; this couldn’t be a real relationship.

A gigantic flat screen TV hung on the wall opposite his bed. Despite its blank display, the backlit black glow indicated it was on. A wire ran from the TV to her laptop, propped open on the dresser below. Liese again had the terrifying notion that Ryder had located the folder containing her saved videos.

“What’s that all about?” She pointed to the set up.

“You’ll see. Come with me,” he whispered, his voice rough with excitement. He guided her to the bed, and she climbed up onto the mattress. Liese folded her legs under her, kneeling at the edge.

His finger traveled from the collar of her shirt to between her breasts, and he paused to flick open the button. Parting the fabric, he pushed it over her shoulders and down her arms, then tossed it on the bed. His hands went to her hips, and his thumbs hooked into the lace waistband of her thong.

Liese used the same slow movements as she followed the contours of muscle along his arms and over his shoulders. Sitting back on her heels, her fingers found his belt buckle. She gripped the metal fitting and tugged until his thighs hit the bed.

“May I?” She fingered the clasp, waiting for affirmation.

“By all means.” Ryder watched her hands while she unbuckled his belt and unzipped the fly.

“I have the button, by the way,” Liese offered, watching with greedy expectation as his pants slid down his thighs.

“That’s a relief,” he replied, kicking free of the fabric at his feet.

Her eyes fell to his black boxers and the generous erection straining against the thin fabric.

“Would you like to perform a formal inspection?” He fingered the waistband.

“More than you could know.”

He moved her into the middle of the bed as he climbed up after her. Her lips parted as their mouths collided. The contact of skin on skin and the wet warmth of his tongue erased all thought in a red void of want. Liese parted her thighs, and he sank between them, that hard part of him finding the aching part of her. She groaned, arching into him, ready to feel him inside her.

“I want to show you something,” he said into her neck, pushing up on his forearms to hover over her.

“Okay.” Liese ran her hand down his chest and slid it into his boxers, gripping his erection.