18. Evan
18
EVAN
A mber never responded if she’d be here early, but I assumed she would be. I stopped on the way here at a local diner and picked up breakfast. I wasn’t sure what she’d want, so I got a little of everything, along with a candle and some flowers. My plan to have her alone for a few hours before anyone else came in had a point. I’d been wrestling with what Jacob told me long enough. I needed to know what was going on, and if he wasn’t going to tell me I had to ask her.
I paced, cautiously chewing my fingernail down to the quick in anxiety. If something had happened between them, I promised myself not to get bent out of shape. She was a free woman, and that was in her past. I had no jurisdiction over her love life, not even now. We hadn’t committed to a relationship yet either, so it wasn’t like I could be offended if she kept things private.
I sensed her coming before I saw the first glimpse of her. It was far too early for anyone else to be here. The door, slightly ajar, moved as pressure in the building equalized and it made my heart jump a little. I ran a hand through my hair and smoothed the front of my jacket down. It felt wrong to corner her, but I had to know. The secret was keeping me up at night. Those kids looked suspiciously like my brother, too much like him.
When she pushed the door to my office open, she looked a little worse for wear. Her hair was down today, but she wore no makeup. Her blouse wasn’t buttoned up to the collar, and she had sneakers on, carrying heels in one hand. She was still ravishing though. A face I could definitely wake up to every morning for the rest of my life. She carried a coffee in her hand and a grumpy expression on her face, tired bags under her eyes.
“Morning,” I said, gesturing. “I got breakfast for us.”
Amber’s eyes flicked toward the table across the room where I laid out the takeout dishes full of breakfast sausages, pancakes, eggs, and donuts. “I already ate, sorry.” Her tone was flat, but not offensive. She didn’t act apologetic, and I didn’t expect her to be. Though my confidence wilted a little.
“Coffee?” I said, and she held up her hand. I’d missed the paper cup in her other hand as I focused on the red pointy toed heels in her other.
“Brought mine…Let’s get down to the numbers.” Amber dropped her heels on the floor and set her coffee on the corner of my desk. I assumed she had left her coat and purse in her office, probably her makeup bag too. She looked tired and worn out.
“Amber, I was hoping we could talk.” There was no point denying my real motive for getting her here. It had worked, but she didn’t seem happy about it. I didn’t need her help with the prep for the board meeting; Jacob and I had gone over things already. In fact, I had to order him to stay home, otherwise he’d have shown up to help.
She glanced at the food again and toed off her shoes, then peeled off her socks and shoved them inside the sneakers. Her bare toes were polished, sexy—catching my attention. She avoided making eye contact with me as she slid her feet into her heels and straightened her jacket with a tug on the hem.
“I thought we were working.”
“Amber,” I said, stepping closer to her. She smelled like lilacs in spring, the way the warm fresh air whips up the scent of the earliest blooming flower and invigorates the air. I felt sucked into her gravitational field. She didn’t shy away from me.
“Evan, you said we’d keep this professional at work. I thought you needed my help.”
“I do need your help, but it’s not what you think.” I reached up and traced her bottom lip with the pad of my thumb. The idea of dropping this bomb on her suddenly felt like a bad idea. She didn’t seem to be feeling the best. We’d been getting along so well, dating regularly, and the last thing I wanted was to push her away. “You look so beautiful, even without makeup or all the trappings.” My thumb continued to caress her lip.
“Evan,” she protested, but I curled my fingers around the back of her neck and pulled her in for a kiss. It seemed to be the only thing that we did well without me screwing it up.
Amber didn’t resist me. She let me kiss her gently, and then more fervently until her hands were splayed on my chest, gripping the lapels of my suit. The kiss deepened and I felt my body responding. This wasn’t what I had intended, not at all why I wanted her here, but she was guiding the way. I let her lead me.
“We shouldn’t,” she breathed, but her lips returned to mine.
“We could,” I said, kissing her again.
She pulled back, just enough to catch her breath. Her eyes met mine, and I saw the desire pooling in their depths. Her gaze bounced from my eyes to my lips and then to the door.
“Evan, we are supposed to be working.” She bit her lower lip, but she was already in my arms, already making me swell.
“We’re here alone…” Suddenly my mind decided I had all the time in the world to ask her about her children and Jacob’s involvement in her life. The desire churning in my gut made it impossible to think straight. If I got her a bit more relaxed, loosened up a little, maybe she would be more lucid when it came time for me to ask the question. She would trust me more to be honest.
I slid my hand down her side, cupping her ass. She didn’t stop me as I coaxed her leg up around my hip where I could press against her core. Through our clothes, I felt the wetness between her thighs, the heat that rivaled my own.
“I want you,” I breathed in her ear, then lowering my mouth to her neck, “Amber…God how I want you.”
Her breathing was labored as she gripped my biceps and leaned in. “Evan…We can’t.”
“It’s just us,” I said, and she was right there with me, her mouth on mine. “No one will ever know.”
“Oh God,” she panted. “We…I…” Amber couldn’t finish her thought as my hand slid under her blouse, touching her bare skin. Electricity coursed between us, and I knew she felt it too.
I let my lips trail down her jawline to the sensitive spot below her earlobe where I knew she liked it best. “You want me too, don’t you?” I growled against her skin, my erection throbbing through my trousers.
Amber whimpered and then her lips were on mine again, this time more passionate than before. Her hands tangled in my hair, pulling me closer as she moaned into my mouth. Our tongues dueled and danced, teasing each other as our bodies clashed together. It was like fireworks exploding between us, something long dormant awakened.
I purred against her neck, my hand sliding up her thigh, brushing against the dampness between her legs. Amber shuddered and gripped my bicep, but she didn’t stop me from backing her toward the desk chair. Her hands were as greedy as mine were, groping and grabbing. She had my dick out of the fly of my pants quickly, and I had her panties around her ankles before she plopped down on the chair.
I knelt between her knees and inched her skirt up around her waist. She shook again as my fingers traced the line of her slit. Her eyes were now hooded with lust, devouring me as our gazes locked. She pulled me in for a kiss again and whispered, “I dreamed of you last night. Of this…”
“So you woke up horny?” I joked, and she pulled me against her mouth more tightly. The kiss was searing, melding our tongues together. I rubbed her clit and spread her juices around, and she sucked in a breath when I pushed two fingers into her.
Amber moaned into my mouth and her nails dug into my back, urging me on. I knew exactly how to make her come apart. My other hand gripped her thigh for leverage as I curled my fingers inside her, hitting the bundle of nerves that had her shuddering and moaning into my mouth. The sounds she made were music to my ears.
I pulled away reluctantly, needing to see her face when she came. Amber’s eyes were half-lidded, and her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. “Evan,” she panted, “I’m…so…”
“Close?” I said, but she unleashed before I could finish the word. Her eyes rolled back, mouth hanging open. Her body spasmed and jolted, her pussy clenching around my fingers. She whimpered and clawed at my wrist, and I continued to thrust my fingers into her. When the orgasm began to subside, she let me cover her lips with mine again. Her hand wrapped around my girth and stroked, pulling more pleasure from me, making me want her more.
I reached into my back pocket and produced my wallet. She whimpered when my fingers left her. We hadn’t been the most careful, but I didn’t want an unplanned pregnancy that might make things more challenging for her. She watched as I tore open the foil pack and extracted the condom. Then she took her hand away from my dick so I could roll it on. Her eyes remained glued to my dick, but her fingers rubbed her clit.
She let out a deep, guttural moan, her hands gripping the armrests of the chair with white-knuckled intensity as I entered her. Her warm, wet heat enveloped me, hugging me tightly like an old friend welcoming me home after a long journey. Every thrust sparked a wildfire of pleasure within us both, her walls pulsating and clenching around me as if never wanting to let go. “Oh God…Evan…” she gasped, her nails digging into my back.
I groaned in response and captured her lips with mine, our tongues engaging in a passionate dance as our bodies moved in perfect harmony. This time, there was no holding back, our desire and need for each other consumed us completely.
We were both lost in the moment, caught up in the passion and desire that had been simmering just below the surface for weeks. I pistoned into her, my hips slapping against hers in a primal rhythm. Amber was moaning into my mouth, her nails digging into my back as she arched her hips up to meet me with each thrust.
“Evan,” she panted, “I … I …”
I knew she was close again, and I didn’t want to miss it. I pulled out of her slightly, only to enter her again at a different angle, hitting that sensitive bundle of nerves that made her scream my name. Her pussy clenched around me, milking my cock as she came apart in my arms. I held her tightly as she shuddered and spasmed around me, memorizing the feel of her body climaxing.
As she started to go limp, I withdrew from her. The thin fabric of the sleeve I was wearing provided some extra friction and stimulation, helping me maintain my stamina. My desire for her only intensified, but the angle we were in was not quite hitting the right spot.
I let out a deep grunt as I pulled out, my hands gripping her waist tightly. “Stand up,” I coaxed, pulling her upward. She stood up slowly, still lost in the haze of pleasure. I guided her over to the chair and bent her over, positioning her just right for this angle.
As I slid back into her warmth, I could feel every inch of her against me. The friction was electrifying and made me shiver. She moaned and clawed at the arm rests of the chair, and I couldn’t help but admire the sight of her from this position. Her hips curved perfectly, inviting me to continue thrusting with more fervor.
“God, you’re incredible,” I told her, slowly letting my hands slide up under her shirt. I cupped both breasts and pulled her backward, and she slowly straightened.
The new angle was dangerously close to pushing me over the edge. I could feel my body trembling with every thrust, aching for release. She stood in front of me, her back pressed against my chest as I continued to move inside her. The way her pelvis tilted and swayed with each movement was like a dance, the rhythm driving us both closer to the brink of ecstasy.
“God…this is so hot,” she gasped, her breath coming in short pants as she reached down to touch herself. Her hand hovered over her clit before finally making contact, sending a jolt of pleasure through her body.
Unable to resist, one of my hands left her breast and trailed down her stomach, tracing the curves of her body until it reached the apex between her thighs. I gently pushed her hand away and took over, using my fingers to rub her clit in time with our movements. Amber’s moans grew louder and more desperate as she began rocking her hips in sync with mine, meeting each of my thrusts with a grinding motion that only heightened our pleasure. The air around us crackled with heat and tension as we moved together towards a shared climax, lost in the intensity of our passion.
“Oh God, Evan,” she moaned, and I knew she was close again. “I’m…”
I gripped her breast tighter, feeling myself rapidly approaching climax. Sweat dripped down my brow as I pounded into her. Amber’s orgasm ripped through her like a thunderclap, and I couldn’t hold back anymore. I came with a groan, filling the condom and letting her milk every last drop of my seed. Her body continued to jolt and twitch around me, and I held her close until our breathing returned to normal.
Her arms reached up and wrapped around my neck, and I leaned down and kissed hers. She still smelled good, but now with added musk of sweat and sex. It was the perfect way to start our day. As I pulled out slowly, she whimpered; then her hands dropped to her skirt, which she fixed.
I gave her a few minutes to collect herself as I removed the condom, tied it off, and tossed it in the trash. I tucked myself away and fixed my shirt and slacks. She had to tuck her shirt in too, and she avoided eye contact the whole time.
The hint of blush on her cheeks was adorable. She was flustered or embarrassed, probably by wanting me so badly she broke her own rule about being professional. But I wasn’t embarrassed. I had worked up an appetite, but I hadn’t forgotten why I wanted her here to begin with.
“Amber, can I ask you something?” I said, tightening my tie.
She spun around and saw her panties on the ground. Picking them up, she hummed, “Of course.” Then she sat in the chair and slid her feet back in the leg holes and shimmied them up under her skirt, covering herself.
I noticed the way the door moved, as if air pressure in the offices shifted again. Someone else was here, but it wasn’t going to keep me from asking my question about Jacob and the twins. Still, I wanted privacy, so I walked to the door to shut it.
“It’s about the kids,” I said, letting the door latch, but before I could get my question out, the door opened, surprising me.
Shelby walked in with her coat on and a cup of coffee in hand. She smiled. Her cheeks were rosy from the chill, but her makeup was intact, unlike Amber’s.
“What were you saying?” Amber asked. “The kids are doing well. The program seems to be helping them already.”
Shelby grinned. “Oh yeah. Amber told me how you were helping with the kids’ grants. Mr. Montgomery, that’s so generous of you. Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul. I know how these vultures we work with would all be begging for a handout. You’re a stand-up guy.”
Shelby’s grin and Amber’s wide-eyed expression clued me in. Amber had invited her here as a buffer. I told her we could get one, but I never followed through. Now I was grateful that she hadn’t walked in five minutes earlier.
I couldn’t ask my question now, and I didn’t know how, when, or where to do it. Maybe I just had to blurt it out, or maybe I was overthinking things and I should just back off. Amber didn’t appear to be playing a game, but it was obvious she felt vulnerable and not quite safe enough around me to open up. If that was truly how she felt, maybe I was out of my league. Or maybe Jacob just swore her to secrecy.