“Fuck it,” she murmured. She’d already paid her twenty dollars, so why not? “Kiss me.”
He didn’t wait for her to ask again.
Ryan’s lips met hers, and a shock wave traveled through Elissa, starting at the point they touched and radiating all the way to her toes. Heat followed in its wake, and she melted against him. He wrapped his arms around her, the only thing holding her up.
Regaining her senses, she ran her hands over his back, the muscles below his shirt firm and rippling with restrained power. Elissa parted her lips, and his tongue traced their contours. Shivers raced along her spine as he ran his hands down her arms, interlacing their fingers. Ryan broke the kiss.
“Like that?” His voice was barely audible, harsh with desire.
“More,” she said, surprised at her own audacity, surprised at her own hunger.
Elissa tried to pull her hands away. They itched to undo the buttons on his shirt and run along his skin. Ryan held tight.
“I thought you wanted to keep this professional.” The corners of his mouth twitched.
Oh, God, what was she doing? She’d always prided herself on her professionalism, yet here she was, in a compromising position with the son of her firm’s biggest client. This was stupid, and Elissa didn’t do stupid. Except…
“I did.” She bit her lip, grappling with the storm of emotions swirling in her. “I do. At the office.”
“We’re not at the office.” He kept a firm grasp on her hands and smiled wolfishly. His smile melted the last of her reservations. Admittedly, they’d been holding on by the thinnest thread.
“I know.”
“I should go.” Ryan made no move to leave.
“No!” The idea of him leaving sent waves of dismay through the turmoil already spinning through her. “I don’t want you to leave.”
“What do you want, Elissa?” His voice was soft, his eyes gentle.
When was the last time anyone had cared what she wanted? Her parents had assumed they knew, had pushed her toward a lucrative career. Ami and Leo, like most younger siblings, had no regard at all for her feelings. She was either a partner in crime or an obstacle. Even Karina expected her to take on all her clients when she retired.
“I don’t know,” she replied after a long pause. “No one’s asked me that in a long time.”
“Then I should go until you do.”
He released her hands. An icy chill replaced the heat of his touch, and an ache settled deep within her.
“Please don’t go.” Warm tears trailed down her cool cheek.
His hand cupped her cheek, wiping the tears once again. What was it about this man that brought on the waterworks? She hadn’t cried this much since her mom’s diagnosis.
Ryan placed gentle kisses down her face, tracing the path of her tears. When his lips met hers once more, she tasted the salt of her own tears in their kiss. He kissed her, long and slow, so thoroughly she lost track of time. Their tongues brushed against each other before he delved deeper into her mouth. He kissed her until her momentary turmoil melted away.
Desire, red hot, replaced it and drew her hands to his buttons. What she desired now was his bare skin under her fingertips. She yearned to explore his body, and God, she yearned for him to explore hers. The mere idea of his lips somewhere else on her body sent a jolt of pleasure through her.
Ryan drew away as Elissa worked the first button free, stilling her hands with his own.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said in a husky voice.
She looked into his eyes, their soft brown now aflame. His breathing was quick and harsh, and his heart raced beneath her hands. Elissa finally knew what she wanted. She wanted him, wanted to touch him and to be touched by him. Ryan seemed determined to stop her even though his kiss told her he wanted her just as badly. She pulled her hands away, and he let them go, a fleeting shadow of disappointment crossing his face.
Elissa unbuttoned her own shirt, first one button, then a second, exposing the swell of her breasts. Ryan’s sharp inhale brought her gaze to his. His pupils dilated, and she dropped her eyes again, the passion she’d glimpsed almost too much. Almost.
“I want to do this.” She undid the third button, exposing the edge of her plain beige bra. “I want you to stay.”
He tried to grasp her hands again, but she easily freed herself from his feeble attempt.
“I can stay without…this.” Ryan made a half-hearted gesture toward her. She undid a fourth button, and he groaned. “But…professional…”
