8. Linc
Surprise me.
I didn’t expect her to say yes. Not to going over to her house alone, and not to bringing her dinner and wine. But the moment I saw those two little words, my whole body tightened with anticipation. I’ll always rise to a challenge, gorgeous. And let’s be honest, I’ve been in awe of her since dinner last night and earlier at the warehouse.
She commands every room she enters, sure, but there’s so much more to her than the confident persona she shares with the world. Lex is as quick-witted and playful as she is stunning, but I get the impression she holds most people at arm’s length. But when I’d convinced her to get in her gym clothes and go for a walk? Ugh. Fucking exquisite. Relaxed Lex is my favorite.
She let me see a whole new side to her while I shared more of our story. Dec was a total shithead, giving her every right to storm out and never talk to any of us again. She would have been perfectly justified in dropping us, but she didn’t. She listened.
God, she listens so good. Too good.
I can see myself spilling my hopes and dreams to her without effort. She’s so attentive, the little half smiles and laughs she doles out getting under my skin and doing something to me. They make me want to hear what she sounds like at her most vulnerable, most open. I want to drown in the sounds she would make as she fell to pieces for me.
Down, boy. Who knows how tonight is going to go.
My maps app tells me I’ve arrived. I look up at the architectural monstrosity and whistle.
“Holy shit, Lex, you are living large.”
I pull Dec’s Tesla through the open gate (she has a fucking gate, and it better only be open because she knew I was coming) and up to the front door. The place is fucking palatial.
Modern and angular, with more windows than siding, it looks easily three times the size of our place. An attached four-car garage sits perpendicular to the entrance, and I can see a wrought iron gate with an arched canopy covered in green vines off to the side. I crane my neck to look as I slowly roll by, eyeing an expanse of manicured gardens. Is that an infinity pool? And a fucking pool house?!
Grabbing the wine and bag of takeout as I park, I climb from the car to walk up the white marble steps. Before I can knock, the door opens.
Fuck. Me.She stands there in an oversized shirt and leggings, her face scrubbed clean and jaw-length dark red hair–which I’ve only seen straight and parted precisely down the center–mussed.
“Hey Linc.” Her playful smile suggests she knows exactly what she’s doing to me, standing there looking delectable.
“Lex, you’re a goddamn vision.”
She laughs and opens the door wider, stepping back to let me in. Her eyes rove over me and my offerings as I step inside and kick off my shoes.
“You have my heels and clothes in that bag?” she teases, knowing I don’t.
“Oh, shit. Sorry, here.” I hand her the wine and takeout. “I left them in the car, give me a sec.”
I hold up a finger and whirl around to jog down the steps in my socks.
Her laughter follows me, and I drink in the sound. “Linc, your shoes!”
“I’m fine!” I call, opening the trunk and snatching her bag.
As I hustle back up the steps, I bask in her grin. Her eyes are sparkling, her rosy cheeks flush. She looks younger, somehow, without all the makeup and designer clothes.
“Here you go. Sorry, trust me to forget the whole reason I stopped by.”
Something decidedly naughty enters her eyes as she smirks. “Not the whole reason, though, is it? I don’t think my heels need wine or…” she peers into the bag, “Chinese?”
I grin, ignoring the way my cock thickens at her suggestiveness. “Felt like a lo mein kind of night.”
She laughs. “Somehow, that’s exactly what I’d expect from you. And, to be honest, it sounds far better than the crackers and wine I was planning. Come in.”
“To be clear, crackers and wine are not dinner.”
She just smiles over her shoulder as she leads me down the hall to her kitchen, where she places the bag and wine on the marbled island. As she opens a cabinet and pulls out some wine glasses, I look around the place, trying not to stare.
It’s ridiculously big, almost ostentatiously lavish with its crazy high ceilings and appliances I’m pretty sure cost more than Dec’s Tesla. But even with the impressive features, it feels almost empty. She clearly doesn’t spend much time here.
There are no cozy features or photos, only minimalist furniture in neutral colors. For someone so full of fire, her home is surprisingly dull. The kitchen looks toward the back of the house, where the infinity pool is visible amid the gardens through the double sliding doors.
“Is that a pool house?” I squint as I peer through the glass.
“It is. My nephew, Jax, lives out there at the moment.”
I blink at her, confused. “How the hell do you have a nephew old enough to live alone?”
She chuckles as she pours a glass of wine. “My brother, Nate, was in high school when he got Jax’s mom pregnant. Nate and I are only ten months apart.”
“Your poor mom.” I grimace.
“You’re telling me,” she mutters, grinning wryly as she offers me a wine glass.
I accept it and sidle over to her, itching to touch her. Being surrounded by her scent–both floral and fresh, with a touch of citrus–only enhances her gravity, and she effortlessly draws me in. She’s fucking gorgeous, that much any idiot could see. Tall, fit, with legs for days and an ass I can sink my teeth into.
But I want more than her body. I want to lose myself in that brilliant mind of hers, wrap myself in the essence of what makes her the most powerful woman in the Bay. It would be a goddamn shame to work with her for three months and only see her professional side.
“Linc.” Her husky voice catches my attention.
“Yeah?”
“You’re staring,” she murmurs.
“Yeah.” When did I get so close?
“Why are you staring?” she presses, her endless green eyes swallowing mine.
She has to crane her head slightly without her heels on, and the angle makes the lines of her neck deliciously inviting. I bend my head, my lips hovering centimeters from her skin. We aren’t touching yet, just close enough to feel each other’s body heat. I know this is my chance; if I let this opportunity pass me by, I might lose my nerve and never tell her how I feel. It’s now or never.
“Because I want you,” I rasp, fingers skimming over her cheek as I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “And I’ve been thinking about how much I want you since you walked out in those fucking yoga pants.”
She shivers as my breath washes over her skin, and I want to groan. My cock is ready to punch a hole through my jeans to get to her. Her chest rises and falls with rapid breaths, and I desperately want to see what hides beneath her oversized shirt.
“May I?” Taking her silence as an opening, I run my fingers along the edge of her shirt, teasing the fabric up an inch.
Her breath hitches. I pull back to see her face and smile when I find her eyes closed.
“May you what?” she breathes.
“Have you.”
Her eyes fly open to reveal blown pupils. Fuck, she’s so goddamn sexy. Those lush pink lips I’ve been dreaming about part, and it takes all my willpower not to boost her onto the counter and devour her.
“Lex, please–”
“Ground rules,” she interrupts, placing a hand on my chest. The heat of her palm burns through the soft cotton of my shirt.
I grunt playfully and lean my forehead against hers, unwilling to let her go. “I hate rules.”
She huffs a laugh. “I’m not surprised. But we have to work together tomorrow, so we need them.”
“I’m a professional. We can work together fine. Just two consenting adults having some fun.”
Lex steps back and grins, the sight of it making my chest swell. “As much as I want to say ‘fuck decorum’ and take you upstairs, I think we need to take a minute.”
“No, no. Upstairs. I choose upstairs. What’s upstairs?” I look around. “Where are the stairs?”
Her laugh is a drug. I smile as she settles herself on a stool at the kitchen island, silently telling my dick to calm the fuck down. Heaving a sharp breath, I scrub a hand over my face and put the sexy thoughts out of my mind. For now.
“Food, then rules?”
“May as well do them concurrently.” Her eyes sparkle. “More efficient.”
I groan and drop my head back. “Fuck, don’t say shit like that. My blood’s all going to the wrong head.”
She makes grabby hands at me, ignoring my drama. “You mentioned lo mein?”
“And crab rangoon.”
“Ooooh, don’t tell the others, but you’re my favorite.” She digs into the containers I pass over, fishing out the sweet chili dipping sauce.
“For the record, your favorite what, exactly?”
She gives me a sideways glare. “Off the record, you’re my favorite client. For this moment.”
My eyebrows rise and I puff out my chest. “That’s a pretty long list of people, isn’t it? You sure I can’t tell Dec? He’d be so proud.”
Lex snorts, then bursts out laughing at herself, her eyes wide with surprise.
“The venerable Lex Livingston snorts?! I did not have that on my Bingo card, ladies and gentlemen. That is truly unexpected.”
She’s laughing so hard I worry she’ll topple right off her stool. As I dash around the island to catch her, she grabs onto the counter and rights herself. Her shocked expression sends me doubling over with laughter, which makes her giggles start right back up. By the time I come up for air, I have no idea where the night is headed. But I am here for this ride, wherever it goes.
“So, did you tell me the whole story earlier? Or are there sordid details about Anne-Marie you left out?”
Her expression is teasing, but I feel a twinge of guilt over the one thing I haven’t divulged.
“Uh oh,” she says, reading my expression. “Oh, don’t tell me you were together?” She makes a face like she’s tasting something sour.
“Oh god, no. One night, years ago, right when we met.” I wave it off. “Once I introduced her to the guys, it was all business between us.”
She narrows her eyes playfully as she eats her first rangoon. “Likely story.”
I put my left hand up and place my right over my heart. “I swear.”
Her indulgent little smile soothes my worry over the confession.
“And how about now…any relationships or situationships?” Her voice is light, but I see a flash of vulnerability in her eyes as she glances up from her plate.
“No, none. Well, other than the one I’m hoping you’re about to propose with your list of rules.”
“I see.” She takes another rangoon. “None for me, either. If you were curious.”
“I was. I am. Curious.”
She takes a long sip, then sets the wine glass down and slides off her stool. As she walks around the island toward me, my whole body tightens, my fingers flexing with want. She stops a few steps away from me, just out of reach.
“I don’t do strings.”
Thank god.Her fingers drop to the hem of her shirt, playing with the material. It takes physical effort to drag my eyes back to her face.
“I don’t either.” This can totally be just a physical thing. Two consenting adults, right?
“Good,” she murmurs. “What happens between us stays between us.”
Ehhhh.“I’m not a good liar, Lex, especially not with the guys. If they ask, I won’t stand a chance.”
Her mouth curves in one corner, and I want to lick the expression right off her face. “I can live with that. No broadcasting, but no lying.”
“Deal. That it?”
“Keep it professional. I won’t risk anything happening at Athena or on company time.”
My eyes brighten. “So we’re talking more than just tonight.”
She flushes and looks away, her lips twitching up. “Maybe. We’ll see.”
She wants me.I fight back the desire to pound my chest and crow at the sky. The fact this incredible woman chose me is worth celebrating, but I don’t need to be a Neanderthal about it.
“You done?” My voice is all gravel.
She inclines her head, fingers still toying with the hem of her shirt.
“My turn.” I step forward and place a hand on hers, stilling her. “Tell me, Lex. Do you usually take control in the bedroom, or do your partners?”
Those seafoam eyes are almost black, her pupils wide. I love that I’m the one making her feel that desire, the one testing the limits of her control.
“I do.” Her voice is unsteady as her eyes search mine.
“I thought so,” I whisper. “I know we don’t know each other very well yet, but do you think you could trust me tonight? Let me call the shots?”
Her throat bobs as she swallows. “Yes. I think…I think I like the sound of that.”
“Good girl.” I surge forward and take her face in my hands, pressing my lips to hers.
Her body sways into mine in response, her eyes fluttering closed as she gives herself over to me without hesitation. Fucking hell, yes. More of that. I swipe my tongue against her lips and she opens for me with a moan, pressing her body flush against mine as her arms thread around my waist. I can feel every inch of her, and the rush of having her in my arms is overwhelming. My cock is a fucking steel rod trapped between us, straining toward her.
I release her from the kiss slowly. “Two questions.”
“No,” she whimpers, snaking a hand up around my neck to pull me back down.
Greedy little thing.
I let her direct the kiss for a moment, then reach down and swat her ass sharply. She gasps, and her eyes fly open as she gapes up at me. I look for a hint of accusation or offense but find none.
“Questions,” I repeat, pressing my thumb to her chin and holding her in place with insistent fingers. “What’s your stance on condoms?”
“Condoms?” She blinks. “Condoms are a yes.”
“Noted. Now, where are the stairs?”
“Around the corner–”
I bend and hoist her onto my shoulder, heading in the direction she pointed.
“Linc!” she shrieks, giggling.
“Hush, I’ve got you.”
“Linc, put me down!”
I crack my palm against her ass with more force than the last time and groan when I feel her whole body go pliant in my arms.
“I’m in charge, remember?” I rub a soothing hand over her as I climb the stairs. “If you do as you’re told, I promise I’ll make it worth it. Can you do that for me?”
Her whimper is barely audible, but I catch the “yes” she gasps out as I turn the corner and stride into the first bedroom I see. I flip her over my shoulder and onto the bed. She looks like a dream, all flushed with her hair in disarray. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing her in such a state, so far from the perfectly put-together CEO.
She shifts on the bed, her thighs pressing together. I tsk and put a hand on her knee, smiling when she freezes.
“That’s it,” I croon. “When I’m in charge, I’m going to tell you what to do, what not to do…when to come. If you don’t listen, there will be consequences.”
Her eyes flare at the mention of punishment, and I breathe slowly through my nose to keep myself under control.
“You going to spank me again, Linc?” she asks, her pulse thundering in the hollow of her throat.
I run a soothing hand along her leg as I nod. “Spanking is one method of punishment, yes. But it can also be fun on its own.”
She bites her lip and squirms again. I smirk as I kneel on the bed.
“Do you like the sound of that? Does the thought of me smacking that sweet ass make you wet? Do you want to let me have my way with you, Lex?”
She rolls her lips between her teeth and nods. I fucking knew it. I reach up and grab the waistband of her leggings, tugging gently. She complies immediately, lifting her hips to make it easier for me to peel her leggings and underwear off her body.
“Before I see how ready you are for me, let’s talk safe words.”
Her eyes widen. “What exactly are you planning to do to me?”
“So many things, Lex.” My chuckle is dark as I stroke my fingers along her bare legs. “I have this feeling you’re dying for someone to take control. I promise it’ll feel good, when you give in.”
I bend and place a wet kiss on her inner ankle. She moans, relaxing back into the mattress once more.
“Let’s start easy, okay? We’ll use colors.” Her eyes find mine as she listens, rapt. Such a good girl. “Green means keep going. Yellow means slow down, but don’t stop. And red…”
“Stop,” she says, her breathing almost ragged.
“That’s right. If you say ‘red’ at any point, I’ll stop immediately. Okay?”
“Yeah, okay.”
“Now, let’s see how wet you are, hm?”
I run my hands from her ankles up to her knees, pushing them apart gently. She resists for a moment, but relents at my pointed look and lets her legs fall open. My cock woke up the second she opened the door, but that was nothing compared to how it reacts to the sight of her pussy spread before me, pink lips glistening with her arousal.
“Fuck, that’s a gorgeous cunt,” I murmur. “I bet you taste even better than you look, don’t you?”
She whimpers and writhes, her fingers tangling in the hem of her shirt. I tsk gently, reaching up to help her. She raises her arms and slips out of the tee to lie back on the bed, naked and waiting. I take her hands in mine and guide them to her knees.
“I want you to stay still so I can enjoy my dessert, beautiful. Can you do that for me?”
Her eyes flutter as she nods, fingers digging into her knees.
“Perfectly still, that’s it. But don’t be quiet. I want to hear you.”
She gasps as I descend on her pussy, roughly sucking her clit into my mouth. Fucking delicious. I groan at the taste of her, gripping her hips as I devour her. She whimpers and moans, but keeps herself in place. I hum in approval, my lips vibrating against her clit.
Her legs tremble as she struggles to stay still, but I don’t relent. I want to see how much she can take, how long she’ll fight her body’s need to writhe as her pleasure ramps higher and higher. How good can you be for me?