Exposed Page 7

  Nicky couldn’t resist. She reached out her tongue and ran it over the tip, sampling him, tasting him. Matt sighed deeply in response as she licked with soft flicks of her tongue. His essence was of salt and earth.

  His penis jolted with the contact, then came back for more. Her tongue encircled the thick shaft once, then ran along the length of him, lower, further, until she reached the intimate base where his two heavy balls dangled like forbidden fruit. She licked the sinewy base while cupping his balls with her right hand.

  Matt let out a sudden breath, as if taken by surprise. With his hands gripping her shoulders, he took control, firmly pushing her down against the bed, as if she’d gone too far. But as she looked up, she could see his face in the reflected starlight that was filtering through the curtains. And in his expression, she saw a new yearning, along with a new determination in his eyes.

  In a single movement, he stepped back and pulled his shirt off over his head, revealing a broad, taut chest sprinkled with dark chest hair. Then he came and leaned over her once more. Nicky lifted her hands to his chest and drew them through the silky fibers. In response, he reached down, sliding his hands over her arms to tug at the waistband of her panties. Helping him by lifting herself slightly, she watched him pull her panties down her legs.

  He quickly tossed the lingerie over his shoulder and placed his hands on her inner thighs, gently pushing them open. Suddenly, Nicky felt vulnerable as he took her in with his eyes. And yet, she wanted to open herself to him—to let him do whatever it was he planned to do. To let him try to please her.

  She leaned back on her elbows, closed her eyes, and felt his hands on her mound once again, taking up where they had left off earlier.

  She fell back against the bed and took a bracing breath as he sought out her clitoris and began circling it, this time with his thumb. Meanwhile, he probed her vagina with his fingers, delving into her slick opening boldly, aggressively, as if he had every right to be there.

  Nicky heard a breathless moan, and realized it was her own voice. It was as if she was outside herself, watching herself in the same way she had watched dozens of other lovers in the past few years. But this time she wasn’t just watching, she was participating. This time she was the subject—the subject of lust and desire.

  Matt was swiftly taking her further, higher. He added more and more pressure to her clitoris, pressing his fingers further into her vagina. The pleasure intensified until she felt herself rising on a wave of pure physical excitement. Her breathing was rapid, her skin on fire as the tension in her groin mounted and she reached what she knew was the final plateau before spinning out of control.

  “That’s it, Nicky,” he urged, his voice muted, resonant.

  She tried to hold back as his probing and fondling increased in intensity, but she couldn’t. She cried out as the climax hit, filling her with waves of blissful pleasure.

  She felt the pulsations gradually slow, echoing in the rest of her body as he continued to touch her. From head to toe, she throbbed with a delicious sensation, releasing the ache that had been mounting, building up all day, ever since she’d first laid eyes on that black-and-white photo of Matt with his strong features, his presumptuous smile.

  And now, as she drifted in a state of post-orgasmic calm, Nicky opened her eyes, looking at him. He was standing beside the bed, his eyes cast downward. She followed his gaze and realized he had produced a condom. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes spoke volumes and she could understand every word. She might be sated, but now he was going to have his turn.

  “Wait,” Nicky whispered, taking the condom from him. She placed the ring on the end of her tongue. Then, leaning toward his erection, she used her lips to slide the ring over the swollen head and down over the long, hard rod. She could hear him breathing heavily, and knew the warmth and heat of her mouth was giving him pleasure.

  Now he was ready. Ready to take what was rightfully his. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he pressed her down onto the bed. Then he leaned against her, his chest lightly caressing her still-erect nipples. His erection slipped easily between her thighs. Her labia, swollen and warm, seemed to open for him, inviting him in, while her wetness allowed his shaft to slip easily toward her opening. Slowly, sumptuously, he sank into her.

  She wrapped her legs around him as he thrust into her. Instantly, he took full possession of her slick passage, eliciting a gasp from her lungs. He didn’t stop but moved slowly, withdrawing and penetrating her again.

  Nicky felt the residual heat and tightness of her orgasm surround him, felt it excite and encourage him. Bracing himself with one hand, he fondled her breasts with the other, exploring and kneading them as he grew harder within her. Gradually, he increased his pace, thrusting with a momentum that drove toward completion. And she responded to his tempo, pulsing her inner muscles each time he withdrew.

  He groaned with pleasure as she tightened around him, then he looked down at her with an expression she hadn’t seen before—savage, determined. He plunged harder, faster while she clung to him, her hands holding onto his ample biceps that were rock-hard with exertion. His skin shone with a dewy film of sweat that defined and enhanced every sinew of his upper body, arms, shoulders, chest.

  His eyes were wilder than ever now as he stared hard at her, refusing to let her look away, and she felt the supreme power of him as his rhythm and tempo increased even more. She knew he was close now—she could feel his excitement in every fiber of his being, but especially inside of her.

  She decided to help bring him to the cusp by clenching her vaginal muscles as tightly as she could, almost as if she were trying to prevent him from entering her. Yes, he was dominating her, but she too could wield her power.

  And it worked. Feeling her so tight around his hard, moving cock, he closed his lids and threw back his head. A loud moan filled the room. He held her tight while he ejaculated for a long suspended moment, pushing hard against her. Then he collapsed down onto the bed with her in his arms, breathing fast and hard.

  She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feel of him, the weight of his body on hers. She was so sated, so perfectly satisfied as she lay in the warm circle of his embrace. She knew she would probably have regrets tomorrow, but right now she didn’t care if she did.

  Suddenly, she felt Matt rousing himself, his arm slipping out from behind her. Was he leaving her so soon? Disappointment threatened to wash away her feelings of elation as she watched him walk away. But instead of heading out the door, he slipped into the ensuite bathroom. He came back less than a minute later. Then she remembered—the condom…

  He came over to the bed and pulled down the covers. “Get in, sexy thing,” he whispered, holding them open for her.

  Smiling, she crawled under, content to cuddle up next to him and think about the wonder of what had just happened. She let herself drift in this feeling for a long, contented moment. A moment that unexpectedly stretched into a deep, timeless sleep.

  Chapter Five

  Early the next morning, Matt left Nicky sleeping in her bed and softly returned to his room. Images of last night’s lovemaking filled his mind as he stepped into the bathroom and distractedly turned on the shower.

  Nicky’s naked body, so long and luscious. And those full, perfect breasts, those curvy hips, those long legs, that slick, warm opening…

  A spray of icy water hit him like a shot of hard, cold reality. Damn, he’d forgotten to adjust the temperature before stepping in. Oh well, he thought, like it or not, he had to wake up.

  And like it or not, he had to put aside his sexual needs and relationship, or lack of relationship, issues. True, he’d like nothing better than to stay in bed all day with Nicky Evans, but he had to get back to the office and see what was happening with the company stock.

  There were some nasty rumors floating around. Talk about a rival firm, Cromwell Incorporated, buying up Anderson Press shares. But no one admitted to being worried about it, except him. Everyone on his board of directors
stuck to the same view. There was no possible way a smaller firm could present a threat.

  Maybe, but Matt couldn’t say he felt good about it. Something was up all right, he could feel it. Or maybe it was just his former worries surfacing again. The whole problem that Nicky was here to sort out—finding his bride before control of the company got ripped out of his hands.

  Turning off the shower, he stepped out and grabbed a towel, his thoughts returning to his guest as he picked up his toothbrush and looked into the steamy mirror. He wondered what she thought of his performance in bed last night. He knew from the way her body had responded to his that she’d thoroughly enjoyed herself. Unless she’d been faking it, he’d brought her to a rousing orgasm.

  No, he thought, she couldn’t have been faking it. Not considering the way she’d arched her back, the way she had tightened around him, the way she had screamed.

  He knew one thing for certain. She was attracted to him, just as much, it seemed, as he was attracted to her. But what did she make of the supposed fact that he had a girlfriend? She probably believed the same as everyone else, that he was a playboy out to score. And he couldn’t say he exactly liked that image.

  He rinsed his mouth, then picked up his razor. He began shaving and considered his options.

  First, he could tell Nicky the truth—that there wasn’t a girlfriend. Then her interest in him might be preserved and even enhanced, knowing he was indeed available and that he wasn’t the playboy everyone thought he was. On the other hand, telling her the truth would mean her job here would be finished, and he didn’t want her to leave just yet. Also, she might be angry with him for openly lying to her.

  His second option would be to keep playing this little game a little while longer. If she continued to believe he had a fiancée, then she would have no choice but to stick around until the fiancée appeared. Which would be a very long time at this rate. Or perhaps not so long after all, if he could convince Nicky to get seriously involved with him.

  As Matt dipped his razor under the faucet, he decided he already knew what he would do. It was a more dangerous choice, but it also gave him something to work with. If Nicky left, and especially if she left angry, it would be over—a nice, but brief one-night stand. But if he could keep her around… Well, he could definitely imagine the possibilities.

  Sure, he felt a little guilty about continuing to lie to her. But then again, wasn’t she lying to him about who she was, and just as blatantly? Granted, it was her job to put on this magazine photographer front. But it was also a deception, turning the whole situation into a contest of wits.

  Well, Nicky Evans, he thought, picturing her in that hot red dress with the plunging neckline, then picturing her out of it—her plump, delicious-tasting breasts, her long hair the color of fire streaming down her bare back—two can play this game.

  * * * * *

  Nicky sat up and rubbed her eyes. The first thing she saw was the red dress lying on the floor near the bed. And the first thing she felt was an ache throbbing across her forehead.

  She fell back down into bed and groaned as the events of the previous night came flooding back to her. She’d had an enjoyable evening. Too enjoyable, and she’d had far too much of Matthew Anderson. Things would have been a lot easier if he hadn’t been so courteous and attractive at the same time. If he hadn’t looked at her with those intensely dark eyes of his. If he hadn’t walked—no, practically carried her—to her room.

  She turned over and noticed a warm dampness between her legs. She was still ready for him, still wanted him, despite the regret that weighed heavily on her mind, adding to her headache. True, Smith had encouraged her to get close to Matt, but not that close. Still, she couldn’t stop those nighttime images from replaying in her mind. She could still see how strong and hard his naked body was, how solid and imposing his erection had been as he’d descended over her. The way he had felt as he sank into her.

  How had it all started? She’d been drunk with all of Mathew Anderson’s attentions and had tumbled, collapsing like a fool on the dining room floor. Now she wished she would have insisted Smith get someone else to take over the job. She was starting to feel resentful about being placed in this awkward position between Matt and her boss.

  No, she corrected. The real problem here was that she was caught between Matt and his fiancée.

  Of course, she knew what Smith would say to that. He’d tell her she’d had plenty of warning about Matt’s wandering and all-consuming interest in women. And she had to admit Matt knew what he was doing when it came to seducing and lovemaking. But at the same time, that selfish, playboy image just didn’t seem to tell the full story of Matthew Anderson. Yes, he’d flirted and unabashedly come on to her, but she also knew her undeniable attraction to him had shown through her attempts to hide it, and that, consciously or unconsciously, she’d been encouraging him.

  But all of that aside, she couldn’t deny Matt had been more than attentive to her. He had been altogether kind and generous, cooking an enormous dinner for her and inviting her to spend the night, even allowing her to wear his beloved’s clothes.

  Sighing, she eyed the red dress again and closed her eyes, well aware of the lengths she had gone last night with Matt. The gorgeous lengths of him…

  Just thinking of him made her want to relive the ecstasy she had felt last night. Pushing her warring thoughts aside, she slid one hand under the covers. She opened her thighs and delved into the thick wet warmth of her own juices. Opening her labia with her thumb and middle finger, she began to circle her clitoris with her index finger, mimicking the way Matt had touched her. The way he had controlled her seemingly uncontrollable excitement.

  Her clitoris was already swollen with excitement, she noticed, and as she stroked the engorged nub, she knew an orgasm was what she wanted and needed.

  While continuing to caress the walls of her clitoris with her thumb, she slipped her fingers down to explore the slick passage, the place where Matt had entered time and again. Sliding her fingers inside, she felt her way around the soaking circumference. Then she pressed her fingers together into a modest imitation of Matt’s penis and clenched her vaginal muscles against it as she stroked herself.

  Suddenly, she felt the need to return her attention to her clitoris. She did so immediately, rubbing it with the tips of her fingers, gently at first, then harder, faster.

  Meanwhile, she imagined Matt over her, penetrating her with his long, straight cock. She recalled his wild eyes, his determination to conquer her. The image of him doing exactly that brought her to the edge.

  She cried out as she came, imagining him climaxing inside her at the same time. She saw herself clinging onto his muscular arms, his firm, muscular shoulders looming over her, the smell of their sexual juices combining. She could almost feel her channel closing tight around his throbbing cock, holding him deep inside her. Her clitoris pulsed beneath her fingers as she felt herself soaring. And then the slow, easy descent to earth. The feeling, at last, of release.

  After a long moment of recovery, Nicky opened her eyes and looked around the room. She decided the bright morning sun streaming through the window was exactly what she needed to stop dreaming and wake up.

  She couldn’t keep allowing Matt to affect her like this. He’d admitted to having a special woman in his life. Then he’d undauntedly had sex with her as if he were still as single as the day he was born. Maybe his father’s clause wasn’t such a bad idea after all. A mandatory marriage might be exactly what Matthew Anderson needed—a good shove towards monogamy.

  Nicky cursed as she threw back the covers. She couldn’t believe she’d slept with another woman’s boyfriend. Wasn’t this precisely the situation she’d sworn she would always avoid?

  She got to her feet, which, she soon found, were nearly as sore as her head. Glancing down, she saw they were blistered from wearing shoes that belonged to you-know-who. After circling the room naked, she dug out some clothes from her suitcase and put them on. She
had to admit, her own skirt, top, jacket, and sandals felt awfully cheap all of a sudden, but at least they were comfortable. At least they were hers.

  What had she been thinking last night when she’d put on that red dress? That she could slip into Matt’s girlfriend’s skin? That she could remind Matt of his girlfriend while, at the same time, helping him forget all about her? No, she thought with a frown. The problem was that she hadn’t been thinking at all.

  It was confusing now that she’d awakened from the resplendent fairy-tale evening. Was she a reporter or an investigator? Had she been the hunter or the prey? Was Matt a gentleman or a rogue? It was too much to think about, especially with her head already spinning the way it was. She definitely had to leave.

  After taking a quick shower, she put her camera and flash in the camera bag, picked up her suitcase, and crept out into the silent hallway. It wasn’t going to be easy sneaking out of a fortress like this, that was certain. First there was the problem of finding an exit. Next, she had to ensure she didn’t get lost in the extensive grounds. But the biggest challenge was transportation. How was she going to get back to Boston?

  She ran a hand down over her damp hair, deciding she’d deal with one problem at a time. Right now she was willing to hitchhike all the way if necessary. She had quite a lot she wanted to say to Smith.

  It was still well before eight as she descended the stairs leading to the dining room. Hopefully there wasn’t anyone about just yet. Holding her camera bag over her pounding heart, she quietly crept down the stairs, concentrating on one foot at a time. But despite her efforts, the floorboards moaned beneath her. Just as she’d suspected, the place was a minefield of creaks.

  “Where do you think you’re going?” a voice called out from below.

  She felt like crawling into a hole. It was Matt, of course. Considering how this assignment was going, who else would it be? “I—just needed some air,” she mumbled, her voice deep and hoarse from sleep.