“That could be. I’ll speak to him. Was your bath all right? Let me know if the water temperature wasn’t adequate. I can speak to him about that as well.” Roman realized he was babbling when he should just leave.
“It was lovely,” she replied, her already unusually deep feminine voice even huskier—and more seductive—than usual. “I’ll hurry. I didn’t realize you wanted to take a bath tonight.”
“I don’t. I was just going to wash up.”
“There isn’t any warm water.”
“I prefer cold at the moment.” He really needed to stop talking.
“I see,” she murmured. Something about her tone—the way the word see had climbed—made him think she was not completely innocent. Perhaps she understood what it meant if a man was specifically seeking cold water.
Roman could not allow his mind to chase those thoughts. “I truly am sorry. About this…and about earlier. I hope I didn’t drive you away.” He knew he hadn’t, or so she said. She’d just wanted to eat the tart without hair on her face. “The tart was quite good,” he added, apparently unable to keep from talking to hide the incredible tautness of the encounter.
“It was delicious.” The way she said that last word sent a tantalizing shiver across his flesh. “I took it with me, if you recall.”
“Yes, I knew that.” He forced out a breath. “I’m very distracted.”
The sound of her laughter danced along his spine. It relaxed him and made him smile. Without thinking, he looked back over his shoulder at her. Their eyes locked. She sobered. The heat filled her gaze once more.
With great effort, Roman turned away from her. “I’ll leave you to it.” He started toward the door.
“Be careful. There’s a bit of water on the?—”
Roman cut off her speech by finding the puddle of water on the floor to which she referred. His bare foot slipped, and his leg went forward. He reached and barely caught the doorframe. Still, he stretched himself in a rather awful way and was certain he appeared a complete fool. He pulled himself up with a grunt, his hand still holding the door jamb.
“Are you all right?” she asked. Her voice was much too close. And far too full of concern. She touched his bare arm, sending a jolt of desperate heat straight through Roman. He turned his head toward her, but she quickly snatched her hand back.
Roman was filled with regret in that moment—that he hadn’t wiped the ink from her lip, that he hadn’t asked her to stay and eat the tart with him, that he was going to leave the bathing chamber without taking advantage of their distinct lack of clothing and potential mutual interest in exploring that state.
The edge of her mouth ticked up in a sultry smile that made him want to groan. “We have to stop doing this.” She was definitely aware of the sparks between them.
“I’ll be honest, I don’t mind if we don’t stop doing this. I mean—” He still couldn’t help sounding like a complete idiot. He ought to be plainer. “I wouldn’t mind if we took it further.”
She sucked in a breath and looked away.
He’d surprised her. And perhaps not in a pleasing manner. “I can’t seem to stop causing problems. Please forget what I just said. It was highly inappropriate. Good night, Ellis.”
Turning from her, he stepped quickly into his bedchamber and pulled the door closed behind him—probably too forcefully. He leaned back, grateful for the cool wood as it soothed his heated flesh. He worked on taking deep breaths.
He told himself to move away, but he couldn’t stop listening to her finish her toilet. The entire time, his body raged with want for her. Without thought, he slipped his hand into his open fall and withdrew his hardened cock. He stroked himself, and he could no longer hear Ellis’s movements due to his blood storming through his veins. He could see her, however, in his mind’s eye—her gorgeous back and enchanting backside, her naked, feminine face. He could’ve stared at her all night. He never wanted to see her with facial hair again.
Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back as he moved his hand faster over his rigid flesh. This was madness. His heart was racing, and he was nearly panting with want as his body tumbled toward release. He should stop.
He slowed his movements, but then he heard the distinct sound of the other door to the bathing chamber creaking open then closing. She was gone. He gripped himself more tightly and worked his cock until he came with a grunt that she would have certainly heard if she hadn’t left. It was many moments before he could catch his breath.
A flurry of sensations washed over him, but regret wasn’t one of them. Damn, if that hadn’t been the finest orgasm he’d had in many years. Perhaps in his entire life.
Opening his eyes, Roman swore. He shouldn’t lust after his secretary. He didn’t even know her real surname.
If he couldn’t find a way to stop thinking of Ellis as anything other than an exemplary employee, he was going to have to let her go. Anything else wasn’t fair to her, and it certainly wasn’t right for him to continue wanting her.
He was a better man than this, rutting after someone who worked for him, who trusted him, wasn’t he? He hoped so, but he’d been too long without a woman and even longer without a woman who truly wanted him.
That was the real danger. He saw his own desire reflected in Ellis’s eyes, felt it in the touch of her hand—which she’d immediately withdrawn. He wouldn’t impose himself on her, employee or not.
But if she invited his attentions?
Roman didn’t think he could resist.
