Bargaining with the Bride Page 10

  “Believe me, if you’d been forced to spend time with my brother, you’d think you’d won the family lottery,” Garret smiled.

  “A multi-millionaire executive playboy? Yeah, you’re right. Your brother always seemed like a real drag.”

  He laughed. “A real dog is more like it. Maybe he’s not as…formal as your family, but trust me when I tell you he makes an impact. And if he met you?”

  She waited for him to go on, but he didn’t. Instead, he cleared his throat and stared out the wide, bay window at the starry spring sky.

  “He’d what?” She prompted, but Garret didn’t turn to look at her. He simply speared a hand through his thick hair and shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”

  “I assure you, I do,” she scooted closer to the edge of her seat as if to illustrate her point.

  He tilted his mouth to the side, and, after another nine-months-pregnant pause, he said, “He would hit on you.”

  She laughed, “He would not. I’m not exactly the multi-millionaire type.”

  “He doesn’t have much of a type.” Garret shrugged.

  “So you’re saying he’d hit on be because I have a vagina?”

  Garret shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. “It’s not like that. He’d hit on you because…ugh, it doesn’t matter.”

  “I’m pretty sure it does.”

  Silence fell again, and she prompted him, “Come on, Garret.”

  “Okay, okay. He sort of has a system when he meets women. If they’re beautiful, he’ll come up to me and ask me their story.”

  “And you’ll tell him my family is a nightmare?” she raised her eyebrows.

  “No.” He didn’t bother to elaborate.

  “So…what would you tell him?”

  “I might mention your aversion to dogs.”

  “Not aversion, fear.”

  “Anyway, I would mention that. And that you’re a hard worker. He’d hate that.”

  “He likes a lazy girl, does he?”

  “Not lazy so much as stupid. You’d be too much for him to handle.”

  “I see.” She followed his gaze out to the starry sky. It really was beautiful tonight. The air was crisp and quiet. Romantic.

  “But I would also tell him you’re off limits.”

  “Because I’m an employee?”

  “No.” Again, he didn’t elaborate, but when his gaze met hers, she knew there was no need. The hunger in his eyes, the way his jaw tightened said it all. He wanted her.

  “I see," She swallowed hard, trying to work past the dryness in her throat.

  “I’ve been rethinking our situation,” he said, but before he could continue she held up one hand.

  “Do me a favor, Garret. Just for tonight, I want you to stop thinking. Instead, I want you to act.”

  * * *

  He crossed the room in one bound, taking her face between his hands so quickly that he heard and felt the little gasp she let out when their skin met.

  Gently, he pulled her to the floor, but once there he rolled on top of her, pressing hard against her so she could feel the thick length of him, hard and waiting for her. It was strange, the way things had turned out between them. When they'd begun, it had been a bargain of mutual benefits. Now?

  Now he didn't care what happened to him or the company or any of it so long as he could feel Rachael's soft creamy skin and stare into those warm, dark eyes.

  "Jesus, you're gorgeous," he said, and he took her bottom lip between his, nibbling gently before sliding his tongue out to greet hers.

  The same electricity of their first kiss sparked between them, and in an instant he felt her pulling him closer, rolling her hips against his hard length. Begging him for more.

  And he wanted to give it to her.

  Hell, if he could, it would give her everything he had and more, but he'd be damned if he was going to skip a single second of getting to know Rachael's body.

  Slowly, he slid his hand from the floor to her waste, cupping the little space where her waistline jutted out.

  Then he moved higher, tracing the little indents of her ribs until his fingers were on the underside of her breasts. With every movement, the fabric of her dress became that much more irritating. He wanted to rip it off in one pull, to leave her beautiful body exposed to him.

  Exposed and willing.

  Waiting.

  He dropped a kiss on her throat, feeling the vibration of her moan as his hand slipped low again, dragging the hem of her skirt up to her waist so that he could feel the flimsy scant fabric of her panties.

  "It's too dark in here," he whispered the words against her throat and she moaned again.

  "I want to be able to see you. I want to look at every inch of your body. I want to..." He pulled away, and this time her moan sounded more like a disappointed whimper.

  "What are you doing?" she rasped.

  "You told me to act. That's what I'm doing." He got to his feet and then pulled her up with him. Once she was settled, he hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her up the stairs.

  When he reached her bedroom door, he kicked it open, not caring what he broke in the process. That would be a problem for another day.

  He made his way to the bed and laid Rachael on the spread, then crossed the room again to flick on the lights.

  They were softer than he would have liked, but when he turned to look at Rachael—her soft curls glowing—he knew it had been the right choice.

  "Undress for me."

  She blushed, and though he thought she might have, she didn't protest. Instead, she stood and wriggled from her skirt, and he watched her all the while, taking in the way her hips sway from side to side. God, the things he could do to those hips.

  He would nibble on them gently, then kiss his way down between her thighs, teasing her clit ever-so-gently with his tongue before moving to her inner thighs and teasing her again. He would make her beg for him, and when he was sure she couldn't stand it another minute, he'd—

  A piece of clothing hit him in the face, and when he snapped back to attention, it was to find Rachael's perfect hourglass clothed in nothing but a matching set of peach lace underwear.

  "Now you," she smiled.

  "Oh no, I'm going to look at you," she crossed the room and pushed her back onto the mattress, but she shook her head.

  "You can see me once I see you."

  Normally, he would have gotten his way, but tonight he wanted her too badly to waste his time. He tugged off his clothing as quickly as he could, pulling off his boxers and pants in one and letting out a little groan when his aching cock sprang free.

  Rachael gasped and he looked down at her, questioning. "I just didn't know..." she blushed, glancing from his eyes to his crotch without daring to finish the thought.

  He grinned, but didn't bother to respond. He had more important things on his mind.

  Like what exactly was underneath those tiny pink panties.

  He pulled her close and twisted her bra off with one quick motion. When it fell away and her breasts were revealed to him, it was all he could do not to let out a gasp of his own.

  Damn, they were perfect. A size of a handful with nipples so pebbled and pink it took every inch of his self control to not bury himself between them and lose his mind.

  Well, that, and the fact that he still hadn't seen all of her.

  At first, he teased her, rolling his thumb over her inner thighs, then drifting over the soft fabric of her panties. He pressed the spot where he knew her clit was, and smiled as a little shiver ran through her.

  "Please," she asked, and he obeyed.

  He slid the panties away, watching as they gliding over her silken legs before finally turning and staring at the spare between her toned thighs.

  Once her saw her, every thought of teasing went straight out of his head.

  He dropped to his knees, then grabbed each of her ankles and pulled her pussy close to him. So close that all he had to do was dip his tongue out ever-so-slightly
to waste the sweet wetness waiting there for him.

  He teased her lips, and she gasped again, making him smile against her and move faster, pushing his lips between her folds.

  "Oh my god, Garret." She weaved her fingers through his hair and when she pulled, another jolt of energy shot through his body, straight to his cock.

  Jesus, how he wanted her. To watch her face contort as he pushed into her over and over again. To make her come while kissing her so that he felt the vibration of every moan.

  Her thighs quaked beside him, so he moved closer still, tracing her slit until her found the center of her pleasure. Gently, slowly, he circled it, waiting for the moan he knew would come before he flicked his tongue up and down over her.

  "Garret, please. I need you."

  He closed his eyes, taking in the words before he pushed one finger into her pussy. And once he did...

  Once he did, it took everything in his power not to fuck her right then and there. Her pussy was pink and wet and pretty, but it was so tight that he could hardly believe it.

  That was, until she winced.

  "Did I hurt you?" He asked.

  "No, I just..." Her rosy cheeks turned a startling shade of scarlet. "It's been a long time since I—"

  He nodded, pushing past yet another wave of roiling hatred for Lance. That prick should have known how good he'd had it. Should have known how good—how perfect and beautiful and fantastic—the woman he had was.

  The fucking prick.

  But he couldn't focus on that now, either. More than ever, his focus had to be on Rachael and making sure she had the best sex of her life.

  "I'll be gentle," he soothed. "Tell me if it's too much."

  Slowly, he pushed into her again, moving gently so that she could adjust to every move. As he continued on with his mouth, she ground into his finger more, spurring him on, making him go faster.

  "I want you," she said.

  "Are you sure you're ready?"

  Her nod was all he needed. He pulled a condom from his discarded pants, rolled it over himself, and then straightened, gripping her thighs before guiding her back onto the middle of the bed. All the while, she kissed him moving from his shoulders to his neck, and making the rest of him feel like one pulsing ball of need.

  When they were settled, he reared back and stared at her naked body one more time. Gently, he took her thighs in each of his hands and spread them wide, making sure that he had the best view of her he could possibly have.

  "You're incredible," he said.

  "So are you." She smiled and he kissed her softly again. Then, keeping her lips on his, he gripped himself and slid between her folds.

  This time, she didn't wince. Instead, she wrapped her legs around his back and pulled him deeper, pushing him into her. He wanted to follow, but knew he couldn't, not yet.

  He pulled away and teased the her opening with his head, pushing in one inch at a time and then out again. It was slow, agonizing, and incredible. The way her pussy stretched to accommodate him. The way he could feel her getting wetter with every thrust.

  The way he knew exactly what to do to make her let out another sweet, soft gasp.

  "Please, Garret," she said, "I want all of you."

  "Rachael..." he breathed her name into her ear, and then nibbled on the lobe.

  "Please."

  And so he did, in one swift move he buried himself to the hilt, and she moaned against him, "again."

  He did as she wanted, taking control of her body by anchoring her hips with his hands and then thrusting deep and hard and slow. He was on the brink of explosion, and when she sucked the tender skin of his neck, the world went dark with need, but he tried to keep himself together.

  He had to. Had to for her. For—

  "Please, faster, I'm going to come." Her nails scraped down his back and he lost all control. He pistoned into her over and over, amazed at how her body moved with his without any preamble.

  Her feet pushed into his ass and the sensation rippled through him and him push harder and faster still.

  He needed her. Needed to give her everything. Needed—

  "I'm coming." She screamed the words into his ear, but he didn't care. Instead, he tucked his hand beneath her chin and brought her lips to his. He wanted to taste them as she came. To feel her—

  Her pussy clenched around his aching cock, working him so hard that he felt like he might break from the intensity, and their kiss mirrored every move. When they pushed and pulled, so did their lips, their tongue, the whole of their bodies.

  It felt as though they could go on like that forever, losing themselves in each other and the coil of energy strengthening and exploding and fissioning out to every extremity.

  And when the final waves of her climax began, he followed her into that sweet abyss, thrusting and pulling and kissing until he was utterly and completely spent.

  After that, he wasn’t sure what to do or how long they’d lie there on top of each other.

  There was only one thing he knew for sure. Now that he’d gotten into bed with Rachael Ford, he had no plan of getting out any time soon

  11

  The second Rachael's eyelids blinked open, she felt as if a weight had been dropped into the pit of her stomach.

  Last night...

  But, no. It could have been a dream, right? Like the weird pre-wedding dreams that involved her making every shrimp cocktail by hand or having to go down the aisle naked.

  But last night she'd been more than a little naked. And so had Garret. And it had most definitely not been a dream.

  She rolled over, but found the space beside her empty. He was gone. Probably already off to work, jotting down her REM cycles for his next study.

  Which was fine. That's what she'd agreed to. Being studied and tested. Hell, she'd even have been okay with a little prodding, but this...

  She pulled a pillow from beside her and shoved it on top of her face. Maybe if she squeezed hard enough, she wouldn't have to deal with the ramifications of what they'd done.

  And, as far as she could tell, the consequences were limitless. What would they do about work? And what if he didn't want to do it again?

  And why did his not wanting to do it again seem like a fate worse than death?

  She hucked the pillow across the room and was surprised when it hit a now-indignant-looking Tesla. Apparently the pug had taken a liking to the chair in the corner of the room.

  Which, she supposed, was fitting. Why not have an audience for her personal suffering?

  "I'm an idiot." She said the words to the dog slowly, but when he simply panted at her in response, she leaned her head back against the headboard and sighed.

  There was only one thing to do now. If Garret was at work, which he most definitely was, she'd just have to spend the day devising a new set of rules. Some stipulations for their, um, additional experiments.

  If he wanted to continue them.

  God, let him want to continue them...

  She picked his shirt off the floor and buttoned into loosely before trotting down the steps two at a time. After some coffee, it was going to be go time—

  "Ah!" She must have leapt two feet in the air, but Garret didn't seem to notice.

  Hell, he didn't even turn around. He just kept flipping whatever it was he had on the stove, shaking his head all the while.

  "You know, I could understand your surprise the first time, but don't you think a second time is a bit much?" He shot her a grin just as Tesla swept by her leg.

  The bristles of her fur almost made her want to jump again, but she steadied herself. One step at a time.

  "What are doing here?" She asked.

  "I live here."

  "No. You don't. But that aside, I meant what are you doing here right now? You should be in the office."

  "There are certain benefits to being the boss." He sat an plate with a warm bagel in front of her and she glanced from it to him before reaching a reluctant hand out for the cream cheese.
>
  "Okay. I'll bite." She smeared the spread on the bagel, and then met his gaze again. "What's your plan?"

  "I wanted to have a meeting with you. To make sure you were okay."

  She worried her bottom lip. He was going to tell her it couldn't happen again. She could just tell. It was something about the way he spoke. Like he was in a meeting with a very important but very moody client.

  "I'm fine." She crunched into her breakfast, and then watched as Tesla circled her feet for crumbs like a pudgy vulture.

  "Good."

  "How are you?" she countered.

  He smiled. "I'm quite well."

  "Good, good." She nodded, and then swallowed hard.

  It would have been such a help if he would only freaking sit down. If he'd just, she didn't know, act normal for once. He'd been so normal at dinner and when they'd gone shopping, but whenever they were alone, it was like something flipped in him. Like he was all steely business.

  Or, at least, that how it had been every time except last night.

  Then he'd been hard and soft all at once. Compassionate and passionate. And so strong...

  "I think there's a matter that we need to discuss." As if he'd read her mind, he finally took a seat across from her.

  Okay, that was something. Common ground.

  She cleared her throat, "I assume you're referring to our copulation." She'd said it in her best scientific voice, but he broke out into laughter.

  "Exactly." He nodded.

  "Look, uh, I understand if you'd rather not. I could see where it might mess up your statistics and stuff and I know there's a lot going on with me and—"

  "That's not at all what I was going to say," he was so sincere when he spoke that it made her heart beat a little faster.

  "You...weren't?"

  "No. I was going to say that last night was the best night of my life. Of course, I'm your boss and I want you to know that if you'd rather not continue, I would understand."

  She couldn't be hearing him right. This was straight-laced cut-to-the-chase Garret telling her that he wanted to fuck her five ways from Sunday? And, okay, it might have been a little more shocking if he'd phrased it that way, but she knew what he meant.