Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Leena
Washing my hands, I’m lost in thoughts of a blue sky with clouds rolling in before a storm. The clouds turn the sky that unique navy gray, the blue is hazy with rain in the distance that hasn’t quite reached you. That’s the color of Julian’s eyes.
The deep blue-gray color is a premonition of a brewing storm with a magnitude I have never seen before, and I am wholly unprepared.
Scoffing at myself, I jerk the faucet off and dry my hands.
Seeing Julian here tonight has completely thrown me off balance.
Charlie and I came out tonight to try to clear my head.
Instead, I feel even more confused and drawn to the man.
I have no right to be jealous of him being surrounded by other women who are clearly interested in him, especially since I told him I don’t do workplace romances.
Should I have no qualms about our pending professional proximity and how it can impact my career?
But seeing Alisha once again touch his arm so casually made me want to jump across the table and rip her hand away from him, then turn to Devin and Tasha and growl, “He’s mine! So back off!”
Groaning, I shake the water from my hands and spin away from the mirror.
Yanking at the paper towel with too much force that it rips, I wrestle out the other piece and two others with more aggression than is warranted.
Breathing deeply through my nose, I dry my hands.
My jealousy is surprising, I’ve never been so territorial over a man before.
I just freaking met him yesterday, for goodness sake.
Who even am I?
I push through the door into the dimly lit hallway and come to an abrupt stop, stunned, because there is Julian oh so casually leaning back against the wall with his hands loosely tucked into his pockets.
“Julian,” I gasp.
My eyes inadvertently drag over his tanned forearms, exposed by rolled up sleeves.
They are lightly dusted with dark hair that does nothing to disguise his sinewy muscles with pronounced veins I long to trail my fingers over.
My gaze moves up along his biceps, and I briefly wonder if he is flexing because the fabric of his sleeves strain over the contours of his muscles.
Continuing along his broad shoulders, I admire how his white button up shirt stretches over his towering frame.
From the unbuttoned collar, I stare at his exposed neck as his Adam’s apple bobs with a swallow.
His low chuckle brings me back to myself, my eyes darting up to his. The crinkling by the sides of his eyes—those stormy eyes I was contemplating moments ago—is endearing as he grins down at me.
“You know, I would do unspeakable things to keep you staring at me like that all night long.” His deep voice is noticeably husky, but it still startles me in the silence of the hallway.
I have to force myself to look away, glancing around to make sure we’re alone. Turning my attention back to him, I unnecessarily whisper, “What are you doing?”
Straightening from his relaxed pose, he glides toward me and I can't help watching how his blue dress pants hug his thighs. If he gets closer, I know I won't be able to resist the seductive temptation to give in to him, so I back up a step, then another, and another until I feel the wall at my back. My gaze is still locked on Julian’s as he closes the distance, pressing a palm next to my head against the wall. He’s so close there’s no way he can’t feel the hammering beat of my heart against his chest.
He leans in closer, running his knuckles over the apple of my cheek. He pushes my hair over my shoulder, cups my neck, leans down until his lips are brushing my ear. “If I could stay away, I would. But Leena, I don't think you really want me to.”
I don't want him to stay away. And as of now, I can't even remember what my reasoning was for staying away. “Wha— Yes, I—” I stop and take an audible breath before continuing, but I can't quite look him in the eyes. “Julian, I told you—”
“Yes, I heard you.” His voice is deep and teasing, and it causes a rush of adrenaline to course through me.
“You don't want to get involved with someone you work with.” Pulling back just a fraction, his tongue darts out to lick his lip.
The thumb of the hand cupping my neck tilts my face up to his, just enough to look me in the eyes.
"It's just your beautiful green eyes seem to be saying something else entirely. "
His eyes bounce between mine, holding me captive and unable to deny his claim. Lowering his head, he brushes his nose along my temple. “Leena, please. Give me a chance to show you how good we could be together,” he roughly pleads.
Pulling back, his gaze zeros in as I bite my lower lip. His scent surrounds me—bergamot with a soft smokiness of toasted vanilla and something spicy. He groans when I drift my hands along his hips, holding onto him.
Julian’s large hand grips my jaw and neck, his thumb caressing my chin.
Then his lips are pressing against mine, and he softly sucks my upper lip before angling my head with both hands to deepen the kiss.
His tongue traces my bottom lip, the smooth, wet heat opening my mouth to his.
The gentleness of him sweeping his tongue inside and gliding against mine is in direct contrast with the way he grinds his hips against my abdomen—or am I pulling him against me?
His very unmistakable and heavy erection is unable to hide his desire from me.
I voraciously caress my tongue over his.
Completely consumed by him and lost in his hungry kiss, it could be moments or hours later that loud laughter drifting from the lounge startles me. Breathing heavily, I pull back. His lips follow mine, but I slip by him, intent on putting distance between us.
Grasping my wrist and spinning me back to him, he halts my escape. “Don’t run. Please," he rasps.
Looking up, his earnest expression bleeds vulnerability and sincerity, and I’m unconsciously leaning toward him, his magnetism pulling me in. In this moment, my instinct to run is nonexistent. The connection between us is burning through my veins, so demanding that I say, “Okay.”
With large hands holding my hips, he backs me further down the hallway.
In the recessed doorway of the emergency stairwell, he spins me once again so my back is pressed tightly to his front.
With his hard cock nestled firmly against my ass and his lips at my ear, he has to be stooping down to curl around me like he is with our difference in heights.
I moan as his breath fans along my ear, and his grip on my hips tighten.
“Do you feel what you do to me?” Julian gruffly says as he grinds my ass against his cock. The hair of his beard tickles the skin below my ear.
Moaning at the gentle sucking kiss he places on the same sensitive spot has me further relaxing, forcing him to hold my weight and keep me standing.
“Oh god, Julian,” escapes from my lips on a sigh, almost inaudible.
This is so reckless. I’m not thinking clearly. He has me so lost in the lust raging between us. Apparently, he doesn’t seem to care either that anyone could walk up and discover us.
“You can’t deny there’s something here, Leena.” One of his arms wraps across my body, holding me up, his other hand clutches my thigh. He drags that hand up, pulling the hem of my dress with it, maneuvering further up my leg.
I throw my head back against his shoulder and arch my hips toward his wandering hand, holding my breath when he rubs his fingers along the crease of my thigh. If he moved further in, he would be able to feel the arousal between my legs.
And then he does just that, growling when he feels how wet my panties are. “Yeah, you feel it. Your body can’t hide how you feel—just like your eyes, this wet pussy can’t lie to me.”
Clenching my thighs together at his words, trapping his hand, I bite my lip to hold in my moans. This intense physical response to Julian is so foreign to me, the complete inhibition and quiet in my mind has never happened with another person.
His fingers run up my damp panties, finding my swollen clit, and I cannot hold in my gasp of pleasure.
He hums and continues his ministrations on my neck, alternating between licking, delicate nips of his teeth, and sucking kisses.
And oh god, I want him to mark me. I press my pelvis down on his fingers that are working me over.
“You love what I’m doing to you, don’t you? Your needy little pussy wants more.”
Nodding my head against his chest, I breathlessly plead, “Yes.”
The pressure is intensifying, the circling of his fingers tightening and speeding up have me barreling towards release. I’m actually frightened by how quickly he’s bringing me to orgasm, but I’m unable to stop working my hips in tandem with his hand. I whimper at how close I am to coming.
“That’s it, pretty girl, let me get you there,” he says as he hooks my panties to the side. His middle finger glides along my wet pussy lips, sinking in just the tip and grinding the heel of his palm against my clit. “Fuck yes,” he groans out. “Your cunt is so fucking wet.”
Bringing one hand up to my mouth, I bite my fist. I have never had a man talk to me the way he is and I’m loving it. The dirty words roll off his tongue so easily, and his deep voice makes them even hotter.
My other hand, over the fabric of my dress, clutches his hand that is between my legs.
I hold him there, not allowing him to pull away even if he tried.
The rolling of my hips falter as I explode, my pussy clenching around the tip of his finger, aching for more.
I squeeze my eyes closed, trying to hold in my moan, but the sound escapes anyways.
My legs are shaking so bad that I desperately need to sit down.
I bring a shaking hand to my throat. My breathing starts to slow, and I’m aware of how the indistinct chatter filtering down the hall to us from the lounge is muffled by the low whir of the air conditioning.
Julian still holds me tightly with one arm, nuzzling my neck and humming with appreciation, all the while his other hand is still under my dress and cupping me, shallowly pumping and circling my center.
“That’s my girl, you did so good coming on my hand,” he croons.
His praise threatens to take me under again.
But realizing what we’ve done—and where—has me stiffening and pushing his hands away from me.
Rounding to face him and the hallway, I look around to see if anyone may have caught our clandestine embrace.
When I ensure no one is watching, I swiftly glance back to Julian.
I catalog his dark and hooded eyes, the flushed color of his cheeks above the sharp edge of his beard, and his puffy and moist lips.
My eyes continue their journey down his heaving chest and fall to the unmistakable bulge in his pants.
The bulge that was just grinding against my ass.
Then he raises his hand to his mouth and sucks on his middle finger, never breaking our gaze, causing me to blush furiously from more than just my recent orgasm.