Chapter 6 Lucian #2
Her body milked me hard, squeezing so tight it ripped the climax out of me. I groaned, shuddering as my cock throbbed inside the condom, pumping load after load until I was drained.
My hips jerked through the aftershocks, grinding into her as I came hard, breath tearing from my chest.
She collapsed under me, still trembling, her body clenching weakly around me as if wringing me dry. I held her pinned, buried to the hilt, both of us gasping in the fogged-up backseat of the car.
“Christ,” I muttered, forehead pressed to hers, sweat dripping between us. “You just wrecked me.”
Her breathing was beginning to steady, but I could feel her heart still racing against my chest.
The city lights painted patterns across her skin through the tinted windows, and I found myself memorizing the curve of her shoulder, the way her hair fell across her face.
The car had stopped now, but David had the good sense to realize what was happening and not interrupt us.
I kissed her collarbone softly, then pressed more kisses across to one nipple which I sucked into my mouth before I let it free with a wet pop.
"We should go upstairs," I said eventually, though moving was the last thing I wanted to do.
She nodded and sat up, pulling her coat around herself, but she suddenly seemed a bit shy. I straightened my shirt and ran my hands through my hair, trying to restore some semblance of order to my appearance.
And as she buttoned up, I tugged the full condom off and tied it shut before tucking it back into the foil pack and sliding it into my pocket. When we were both decent, I pressed the intercom button.
"We're ready."
The partition lowered slightly, and my driver stepped out to open our door. His expression remained neutral as we exited the vehicle, professional discretion written in every line of his posture.
Some conversations never needed to happen, but as Tessa's heels clicked on the snow-dusted pavement, I winked at him and drew a smirk from his lips.
The elevator ride to the penthouse was charged. She stood beside me with her shoulder brushing mine with each small movement of the car.
I wanted to pull her against me again, to lose myself in the heat we had generated, but something about her posture suggested she was processing what had just occurred.
"Go find something comfortable in my dresser," I said as we entered the penthouse. "I'll have clothing sent up in your size tomorrow."
She nodded and disappeared down the hallway toward my bedroom. I stood in the entryway for a moment, listening to her footsteps on the floor.
The familiar space felt different with her presence in it, warmer somehow. It had lacked the feminine energy that makes a house feel like a home, and I liked having her here.
I made my way to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, staring at the sparse contents. A bottle of water, some leftover Thai food from three days ago, and a container of protein shake stared back at me.
The emptiness was embarrassing, a reminder of how sterile my personal life had become. I lived off fast food, protein shakes, and sheer grit.
"Well, this explains your physique."
I turned to find her standing in the doorway, wearing one of my white dress shirts. It fell to mid-thigh on her frame, the sleeves rolled up to reveal her forearms.
She looked comfortable in my clothes, at home in my space, and the sight made something inside me full and satiated. Especially when she smiled playfully.
"I eat out most nights," I admitted, closing the refrigerator door. "The demands of the job don't leave much time for grocery shopping."
"Or cooking?"
"Or cooking." I chuckled.
She moved closer, and I noticed her feet were now bare. "We could order something. Thai food? Italian?"
Food was the reason she came, but I found it difficult to focus on mundane decisions about dinner knowing under that shirt, she was naked. The evening had taken turns I hadn't anticipated, and I was still adjusting to the shift.
"Tessa." I turned to face her fully. "We should talk about what's happening here."
Her expression grew serious, and she leaned against the counter. "Yes, we should. Because I can't let this destroy my career."
Her concern was valid. I'd seen promising careers destroyed by office gossip, had watched talented people lose opportunities because their personal lives became public entertainment.
But I had also seen potential wasted because people were too afraid to take risks that could change their lives.
"What if I told you this could enhance your career rather than destroy it?" I shut the fridge and leaned on it as the thoughts in my head started to organize themselves.
Tessa had way too much talent to not tap into it, for the benefit of Cross Capital, and for her own benefit.
Her eyebrows rose. "How?"
I moved to the island that separated us, placing my hands flat on the cold surface.
"I see potential in you that others have missed.
Your intelligence, your instincts, your ability to see patterns that escape other people.
I want to mentor you, help you develop those abilities into something that commands respect in this industry. "
"In exchange for sex?" Her eyebrow tipped up, and I cringed inwardly.
The bluntness of her question caught me off guard, but I appreciated her directness. "No, Tessa. Not in exchange for anything. The mentoring would happen regardless of what occurs between us personally. I am not in any way suggesting that. Alright?"
She sighed and crossed her arms under her breasts which made the fabric pull tight over her nipples, and it distracted me for a moment. "Then why bring it up now?"
"Because I want you to understand that my interest in you isn't solely physical.
You have the capability to be extraordinary in this business, and I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't tell you that.
" I paused, choosing my words carefully.
"The physical attraction is separate, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a factor.
I never would've given you a second thought if we hadn't made that really sketchy choice during the Christmas party. "
As I said it, I realized how true my own statement earlier had been. Sketchy choices sometimes yielded amazing results. This was one of them. I could almost bank on it.
She was quiet for several moments as she chewed the inside of her cheek. "People will talk if they see you giving me opportunities. They'll assume the worst."
"People always talk. The question is whether you're going to let their assumptions dictate your choices." Again, I felt for her. She was right. People would talk, but I never let that stop me.
"Easy for you to say. You're not a twenty-six-year-old woman trying to prove she belongs in a male-dominated industry."
"You're right. I'm not." I moved around the island to stand closer to her. "But I am someone who's spent twenty years in that industry, and I'm telling you that talent rises to the top regardless of what people whisper in hallways. Your work will speak for itself."
"And if it doesn't? If people decide I'm sleeping my way to success?"
"Then they're idiots who don't deserve your attention.
" The vehemence in my voice made her eyebrows rise in surprise.
"Tessa, you're brilliant. Anyone who spends five minutes talking to you about market analysis or strategic planning would recognize that.
Don't let fear of other people's opinions keep you from reaching your potential. "
She looked up at me, her eyes searching my face. "This is a lot to process."
"I know."
"The age difference…"
"Is twenty-two years. I'm aware of the number." Oh, how wretchedly I was aware. It was the only part of this that made me even slightly doubt whether I should continue chasing her.
"People will say you're taking advantage of me."
"Are you going to let them?"
The challenge in my voice seemed to spark something in her. Her chin lifted slightly, and I recognized the stubborn streak I had witnessed in the office when she dealt with difficult clients.
"No," she finally said. "I'm not."
"Then we understand each other."
She nodded slowly. "So, what exactly are you proposing?"
"A partnership. Professional development during business hours. Personal time after hours, if we both choose it." I stepped closer but resisted touching her yet. "Two adults who are attracted to each other and smart enough to handle both aspects of their relationship professionally."
"No strings?"
"No strings you don't want." And somehow, those words were hard to get out. Why? Did I want strings? Was it a relationship I was asking for or just to have her in my bed whenever my itch needed to be scratched? I hadn't thought that far.
She considered it, her gaze moving from my face to some point beyond my shoulder. "And if one of us wants to end it?"
"Then we end it. Clean break, no drama, no impact on work—or the mentorship." I raised my hand and extended my palm outward toward her. "Scout's honor."
Tessa chuckled. "You were a Boy Scout?"
"Not a single day in my life," I said, grinning.
She extended her hand toward me, and I took it, her skin warm against mine. "Deal."
"Deal."
But as she moved closer and settled into the space between my arms to kiss me, I felt my self-control slipping.
The careful compartments I had built around my emotions, the walls that kept personal feelings separate from business decisions, started to blur at the edges.
I knew myself well enough to recognize the warning signs. This arrangement we had just agreed to, this careful balance of professional mentoring and personal attraction, would not remain as controlled as either of us believed.
I was going to lose control in a catastrophic way and I knew it.
But as she leaned against my chest and I breathed in the scent of her hair, I found that the prospect of losing control didn't terrify me as much as it should have.