Temporary Boss, Permanent Mistress

He slid one bra strap off her shoulder and kissed the bare skin. ‘I’m in your hands, min kjære.’

She undid the buttons of his shirt, her fingers hesitant at first and then more confident; once she’d bared his chest, she splayed her fingers across it. ‘You’re perfect.’

He smiled wryly. ‘And you’re good for my ego.’

Her hands drifted lower, over his abdomen, and he felt a kick of excitement as she undid his belt.

Funny, it was like being a teenager again. The sense of urgency, the need, the feeling that he was somehow stepping into the unknown. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like that.

Certainly not with Grace.

But it was pointless feeling bitter about it. Practically anyone would’ve done the same, in his ex-fiancée’s position. And she’d done him a favour, really—she’d saved him from future heartache, because he wasn’t going to let anyone into his heart again. Wasn’t going to let anyone close enough to reject him the way Grace had.

This was one night out of time.

Getting the mutual attraction out of their systems.

Tomorrow, maybe everything would be back to normal and he could be sensible again. Tonight, he was going to give in to the need that was driving him crazy, and lose himself in Lydia.

He quivered as she undid the button of his trousers, lowered the zip infinitely slowly and trailed one fingertip along his erection through the soft cotton of his underpants.

What it would feel like, to be skin to skin with her…

But she was getting a little too close for comfort. Gently, he locked his hand round hers. Stopped her. ‘I’d rather you didn’t.’

She flushed. ‘I’m sorry. I’m not usually this…’

She broke off, but he could guess the rest. Uninhibited. Reckless.

Now she was embarrassed, clearly believing that he thought she was easy.

Oh, hell. He hadn’t thought that she might take it that way; he’d just wanted to avoid an awkward explanation. ‘It’s not that, min kjære.’ He fumbled for the right words to reassure her. ‘You’re delightful.’

She said nothing, but her eyes were so expressive. Really?

Someone had obviously hurt her very, very badly. Hacked her confidence away.

And he was a bastard to take advantage of her like this. He really ought to stop.

Yet, if he stopped now, he knew they’d both feel bad. Awkward, embarrassed and frustrated. And he wanted to make Lydia feel good. He wanted to see her eyes go hazy with desire and her body arching against his.

So he dropped a sweet, reassuring kiss on her mouth. ‘It’s not you, elskling. Only…’ He’d tell her the truth. Just not the whole truth. ‘It’s been a while for me, and I find your touch incredibly arousing. If you touch me now, I won’t be able to make it good for you.’

The wariness in her eyes vanished, to his relief, and he caught her lower lip gently between his. ‘And I want to make it good for you, Lydia. I want to blow your mind.’

‘You’re doing pretty well so far,’ she said shakily.

He undid the zip of her skirt and eased the material over her hips so it fell to the floor; then he dropped to his knees before her and rolled her tights slowly downwards. As he stroked her inner thighs, she shivered. Good. Because he needed her too turned on to think straight and use that clever lawyer’s mind when they were finally skin to skin. He stroked the sensitive spot at the back of her knee, then drew her tights down over her calves, her ankles. Her skin was so soft; he didn’t think he’d ever be able to stop touching her.

He pressed his mouth against her abdomen and kissed his way up to her ribcage, breathing in her scent and loving it. Deftly, he unclipped her bra, letting it drop to the floor while he cupped her breasts. ‘Oh. Now this, I really like.’ He rubbed the pads of his thumbs over her nipples, enjoying her little gasp of response. ‘Lydia Sheridan, you’re utterly gorgeous, and right now I feel like a kid in a sweetshop. I want to look, to touch, I want everything.’

He rose to his feet, kicked off his shoes and removed his trousers and socks, then lifted her onto the bed, laying her back against the pillows.

‘You’re absolutely sure you don’t want me to stop?’ he checked, wanting to make it clear that he wasn’t taking her for granted.

‘If you don’t touch me in the next nanosecond, I’m going to go completely insane.’ Her voice had grown deeper, huskier, with arousal.

‘Good,’ he said, and knelt between her parted thighs. He teased one nipple with his lips and tongue.

‘Oh, yes, Jake,’ she whispered, sliding her hands into his hair and urging him on. ‘Yes.’

He teased her other nipple, then kissed his way down her abdomen. When he slid one finger underneath the edge of her knickers, she quivered and arched against him, tilting her hips to give him the access he wanted. Slowly, looking straight into her eyes, he pushed one finger inside her. She felt like hot, wet silk wrapped round him. Glorious. But it wasn’t enough. He wanted to see her shatter in climax, her mouth parted and her eyes unfocused with pleasure. He wanted to know that his touch could turn this clever, capable woman to mush.

And he wanted her to do exactly the same to him.

He moved his thumb to tease her clitoris, and she dragged in a breath.

‘Don’t tease, Jake.’

‘No teasing, min kjære.’ But he needed her right on the edge before he removed the rest of his clothes. Too caught up in the moment to think. Because, despite the surgeon’s skill, he was sure that it was obvious.

And he knew that if Lydia noticed, she’d ask. Tactfully, but she’d definitely ask.

‘Lift up for me,’ he said softly. She did so, and he swiftly removed her knickers, abandoning them over the side of the bed.

Lydia had never had hot sex with a man she wasn’t even officially dating. This was way, way out of character for her.

And she didn’t regret a single second of it.

Because Jakob Andersen was gorgeous. His body was firm and toned, his skin was soft, and he knew exactly how to use his mouth and his hands to give her maximum pleasure. How to stoke her desire higher and higher until she was burning.

He kissed the hollows of her ankles, and as his lips moved slowly upwards her pulse quickened. She realised exactly what he had in mind—and, oh, she wanted it.

Desperately.

She could feel the heat of his breath against her inner thighs; she gripped the pillow and held on for dear life as she finally felt the touch of his mouth against her sex, the long, slow stroke of his tongue exploring and teasing and stoking her desire.

‘Oh, yes. Jake. Please, yes.’ She hardly even recognised the voice coming from her mouth, it was so guttural and deep. And it didn’t matter that she was begging shamelessly, because she knew that later she’d have him in exactly the same state—completely given over to pleasure and wanting more. This was mutual.

‘Please,’ she whispered. ‘I need you. Inside me. Now.’

Jake knew he had her exactly where he wanted her: at the point where she wasn’t going to ask questions. Where her need for him was so great, she’d accept him exactly as he was.

He climbed off the bed and grabbed his wallet from his trousers. The condom in there was so old, it was probably out of date. But in the circumstances, that didn’t matter. There was no real need for protection: he could tell that Lydia didn’t make a habit of sleeping around, and neither did he. And, more to the point, he couldn’t make her pregnant. Not without the help of a laboratory and an army of doctors—and she’d be the one who’d have to go through the mill.

But he didn’t want to explain all that. To see the pity in her eyes.

Not yet.