“Unbuckle my pants ...” He commanded softly, but I didn’t listen. Instead I wrapped my arms around his neck and returned his forceful kisses, fighting him for full control.
He slid his hands under my dress and squeezed my ass until I softened my kiss and gave in to him completely, returning the control to him.
As his tongue danced against mine, he lifted me up by my cheeks and carried me over to the desk, plopping my bare ass against the cool metal. Pulling away from my mouth, he pushed all my files and papers to the floor before laying me flat atop the surface.
Keeping his eyes on mine, he unbuckled his pants himself, quickly freeing his huge, hardened cock. He stepped forward, grabbing my hand and silently commanded me to stroke him.
He groaned as my hand moved up and down his length, as I leaned forward a bit and slowly took him into my mouth. I moved my mouth against his cock even faster and he fisted his hands in my hair and began to breathe harder.
“Fuck, Penelope ...” His voice was harsh. “Fuck ...”
I could feel his cock getting even harder between my lips, feel him on the verge of exploding right onto my tongue, but he gently pushed my head away before he could finish.
Looking beyond impressed, he kissed my lips and moved to the other side of me.
My breath caught in my throat as he suddenly pulled me forward by my ankles so my legs were dangling off the edge. I didn’t get a chance to ask what the hell he was doing before he knelt between my thighs and sucked my clit into his mouth, making me cry out his name in mere seconds.
With the soft strokes of his tongue, he teased me and brought me to the edge of an orgasm, but he never let me have it. Each time I was on the verge of coming, he simply stopped and blew against my clit—cruelly leaving me stranded between pleasure and an unbearable need to release.
Still teasing, he slipped two thick fingers deep inside of me and my hips began to jerk. I grabbed the edges of my desk for support.
“Please don’t stop, Ryan ...” I begged. “Please ...”
“I don’t plan to,” he said, his voice low.
He continued to torture me with his tongue until I could barely handle anymore, until I screamed his name and my pussy throbbed against his mouth.
Anxious to return the favor, I attempted to sit up, but he pressed his palms against my thighs—preventing me from moving.
“Don’t get up.” He warned, briefly letting me go so he could put on a condom. When he was done, he took a seat behind my desk and pulled me up, positioning me over his cock and lowering me onto him inch by inch.
“Ahhh ...” I cried out, as he roughly bit my bottom lip, as he attempted to distract me from taking the full length of him this way. “Ryan ...”
“Penelope ...” He grabbed my hips once he was completely inside of me, keeping his mouth attached to mine as he rocked my body against his.
“Come on my cock ...” He briefly tore away from my mouth and kissed my neck.
He planted wet kisses up and down my skin while still rocking me, and I felt tremors building inside of me.
“Oh, god ...Oh ...” I shut my eyes and bit his shoulder as my body convulsed for the second time in a row. I felt him go stiff seconds after me, heard him asking me something I didn’t quite understand.
We remained entwined and panting for what felt like forever. I didn’t want to move again, but he eventually lifted me off him. He set me on the desk and threw away the condom. Then he stood up to readjust his pants and headed to the door.
“You’re leaving?” I asked softly. “Now?”
“Not at all.” He locked the door. “We have thirty days of lost fucking to make up for ...”
THE CLIENT
RYAN
Subject: WOW.
I never thought I’d say this, but you did a damn good job announcing our global initiative today. I actually enjoyed watching your live interview, and I’m happy you learned how not to drop an F-Bomb on live morning television. (Thank God for Penelope Lauren & Associates. Can you please give them a raise or something?)
This email never happened and I still think you have another scandal up your sleeve somewhere ...
Nathaniel
Chief Organizing Officer & Board Member
Dalton International
Subject: Re: WOW.
Thank you for the rare compliment, Nathaniel. I truly appreciate it and I will be sure to give Penelope Lauren & Associates a bonus at the end of their term with us.
You’re completely right about me having another scandal up my sleeve: Apparently, I’ve managed to get three women pregnant at the same time. You’ll be reading about it in the press tomorrow morning.
Ryan
Subject: Re: Re: WOW.
You better be fucking with me, Ryan. Pick up your phone. NOW.
Nathaniel
Chief Organizing Officer & Board Member
Dalton International
Subject: Utter perfection from Penelope.
Ryan,
I’m currently heading to Mexico for a few days, but I just saw you on your fifth television interview this month. Good job.
I also wanted to let you know that I’m not sure what Penelope did, but AJ Aguirre has agreed to supply our linens for the next ten years. He called me personally and said he “holds nothing against us anymore.” (Do you know how she did this?)
Who would’ve known that a small firm would’ve been exactly what you needed to turn your image around? It makes me wonder what all those larger firms in the past were doing wrong and if we should ask for refunds ...
Anyway, good luck on the remainder of your press tour.
I’m honestly going to be a bit reluctant to let Penelope go at the end of her contract.
—Leo.
Subject: Re: Utter perfection from Penelope.
In regards to your last line, I need to talk to you about that.
Let me know when you get back in town.
—Ryan
THE PUBLICIST
PENELOPE
I took the elevator up to Ryan’s floor the following Thursday, my legs feeling weaker than ever. It’d taken me days to recover from the way he fucked me, and I was grateful that no one from my team had stopped by the office that night.
I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to look at him and even attempt to act professional after that. Not only that, but now he had the ultimate trump card and could have me fired per the fraternization clause, if I did anything he didn’t like over the next few weeks. So, to prevent it from happening again, I’d used up three of my personal off days at the beginning of this week so I could formulate a plan.
I vowed to show up four hours early every day. That way, I’d only have to be around him for five hours in the morning, the same time when our teams were around us and he wouldn’t be able to get me alone.
“Good morning, Miss Lauren!” His secretary greeted me as soon as I stepped off the elevator. “You’re here super early today. Why?”
“Good morning, Linda,” I said. “I just have lots of work to do.”
“Need help with anything?”
Avoiding your boss ... “Just the key to the conference room. Is Mr. Dalton here?”
“This early?” She laughed and tossed me a key. “Never. It’s just you and me.”
“Great.” I carried my files to the conference room and looked over the past week’s press coverage. Everything was positive, again.
I checked my emails to make sure his event appearances were still set and noticed I had more emails from other PR firms.
Subject: Please tell me he’s at least paying you a million ... You deserve it.
Subject: What. A. Turnaround. Congrats!
Subject: No, really. What type of drugs did you get Mr. Dalton to take?
I laughed and leaned back in my chair. I began writing out my team’s assignments for the week, and when I looked up, I saw Ryan staring at me from the doorway. Looking tempting as hell, he was dressed in grey lounge pants and a black T
-shirt.
“Mind if I join you?” He didn’t wait for an answer. He simply walked over to me.
“What if I told you that I do mind?”
“I’d say tough shit.” He smiled. “Why are you here four hours early?”
“I couldn’t sleep.” I shrugged. “Plus, I figured it made perfect sense to get here and be ready for your board’s final stock strategy meeting.” I paused. “Why are you here four hours early?”
“I live in the penthouse across the street,” he said. “I also have an alarm that goes off anytime someone other than Linda accesses my floor during off-hours.”
“Good to know.”
“I think you’re attempting to avoid me lately.” He looked into my eyes. “Because we’ve fucked and you honestly think I would hold that over your head ...”
“I’m not attempting to avoid you.” I lied. “You have quite the schedule coming up and I want to be sure it’s still on track.”
“You’ve had my schedule on track since the day you started,” he said. “And if you think you’re going to get away with getting here four hours early every day so you’ll only have to deal with me for five, you’re sadly mistaken.”
I didn’t say anything. I just sat there, completely speechless.
Without another word, he stacked all my files and placed them into my box. Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my chair.
“You’re going to let me into your office so I can finish?” I asked.
“No.” He led me out of the conference room and to the elevator. I’m going to show you exactly where you need to go whenever you feel like coming to work four hours early. Hint, it’s my penthouse.”
“And if I decide I’d rather come here instead?”
“I’ll come here to get you again.” He pressed his lips against mine as the doors closed. “Or I’ll fuck you in the boardroom. I’ll be a gentleman and let you choose.”
THE CLIENT
RYAN
Several weeks later ...
I could still smell the sweet scent of champagne in the boardroom when I walked by a few days later. My board members had spent all night celebrating the end of my successful press tour, and I’d surprised them all by leaving early.
Of course, my excuse to them was that I was “tired,” but I’d spent my night in the same way I’d become accustomed to in the recent weeks. With Penelope.
Her firm’s initial contract with us ended today, and not a single person on the board objected to extending it for another six months. They even offered to increase the amount by more than triple.
There were just a few things I needed to personally amend before we pursued the deal.
“Okay, lay it on me,” my brother said as soon as I stepped into my office. “I’ve got three meetings today and I’m hoping I can make two of them less than ten minutes long. Where are we with the contract extension with Penelope Lauren and Associates?”
“Everything is set, but I’d like us to amend the fraternization clause.”
“Amend it or end it?”
“End it.”
“Why?” He shrugged, laughing. “Are you going to sleep with Penelope? I can’t imagine her ever doing that with you. She’s too classy, too smart, too—” He immediately stopped talking as if the truth was dawning on him. And then he began to pace my floor. “Please don’t tell me that you have fucked Penelope ...”
“Okay, I won’t.”
“Are you shitting me?” He paced even faster. “Just when I thought you’d changed, just when I thought, ‘He finally gets it,’ you find a way to not get it. No wonder you were doing so well on your press tour ...”
“I like your rants better when you prepare them in advance,” I said. “They sound less juvenile that way.”
“Have you two been fucking this whole time?”
“Not the whole time. We didn’t fuck at all yesterday.”
“Be serious with me.” He stood still, looking concerned. “Is this a fling that could come back to bite us in the form of a sexual harassment lawsuit, or is this an actual relationship?”
“The latter.”
“Okay, that’s a start.” He plopped down on the couch, holding his hand over his heart. “That’s a very good start. For covering your ass purposes, when did this begin?”
“Before she started here. She was the reason I missed the ribbon cutting ceremony at Oasis. We met at a club and had a one night stand, and I saw her again when I showed up to her firm. The irony in that is that I might’ve pursued her anyway if that hadn’t been the case.”
“You really expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t have a reason to lie.”
“True.” He sighed. “Continue.”
“The sex didn’t start until thirty days into her contract,” I said. “And even then, sex with her wasn’t like it previously was with other women.”
“You mean there were rainbows and butterflies?”
“There were feelings. Small feelings, but feelings nonetheless.”
He raised his eyebrow, looking as if that was the most shocking thing I’d ever said. “So, you want to end that clause so you can continue sleeping with her?”
“I would prefer the term dating.”
He stood up and walked over to me, placing his open palm against my forehead. “Are you sick today?”
“I’m very well, thank you.” I ignored his laughter. “Just say you’ll agree to end the clause.”
“I’ll definitely agree to it,” he said, looking at his watch. “But we’re going to discuss this—thoroughly, and I’m going to be sure there won’t be any legal ramifications from her or objections from the board.”
“Sounds fair.”
“It’s more than fair.” He headed toward the door. “I’ll call you tonight.”
I took a seat at my desk and wrote the number twenty million in place of the six million for Penelope’s pending contract. Then I began masking the fraternization clause with a tube of white-out.
“Mr. Dalton?” Linda’s voice came over my speakers. “Miss Lauren is here. Shall I send her in?”
“Yes, please.”
The door opened and Penelope walked right over to me, looking as if she wasn’t sure whether she should kiss me or not. It’d become a habit to do so when we went out on private dates or met up at each other’s places, but there was still that awkward ‘pause and deflect’ reflex when we saw each other at work.
“You can have a seat, Miss Lauren,” I said.
“Miss Lauren?” She sat down, looking slightly confused. “I thought this was supposed to be a personal meeting for us.”
“It is.” I pushed the contract across my desk. “I want you to consider an extended contract with Dalton International. You are undoubtedly the best publicist I’ve ever worked with, and my board can’t sing your praises high enough. I made a few amendments to the contract, more importantly the amount we’re offering and the fraternization clause.”
She picked up the contract and glanced at it. “That’s a huge increase, Mr. Dalton.”
“I’ll be sure there’s enough work to go with it.”
She smiled, but it quickly faded. “So, you amended the contract so we can publicly tell people that we’re fucking?”
“I’m sure certain people already assume that we’re fucking, but yes, this is a way to confirm it. And to also protect us both legally.”
“This is ...” She crossed her arms, and I braced myself for a rant of epic proportions. “This personal meeting you’ve been telling me about all weekend was just a ruse for you to ask me to sign an extension?
“It was a ruse to ask you to be my girlfriend.”
She pretended to look upset, but her cheeks gave her away. “You could’ve asked me that over the weekend.”
“You would’ve said no.”
“No.” She smiled. “I would’ve said that the only reason you’re asking me to be your girlfriend is because you think we might possibly have more sex that way.”
“We’re definitely going to have more sex, but if that was my reasoning, I would’ve just amended the fraternization clause in your contract and left it that. I’m asking you to be my girlfriend because I think I might actually like you.”
“You might? How compelling. If that’s any indication of how you’d write a love letter, I don’t think I’ll ever marry you.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever ask you to.”
She laughed and I couldn’t help but break into laughter with her.
“All jokes aside, are you being serious with me, Ryan?”
“About the girlfriend part, yes. About the marriage part, it depends on if we’re still together in a few years.”
“I see.” She stood up and walked behind my desk, sitting in my lap. “Well, I accept the offer to be your girlfriend, but I would like us to discuss the terms.”
“What is there possibly to discuss about this?”
“You committing to being a better client. That, and us finally having sex in your office.”
“I can commit to the first part.” I covered her lips with mine and unzipped the side of her dress. “There’s no need at all to discuss the latter part. That’ll be happening every day ...”
**THE END**
REASONABLE DOUBT
(Sneak Peek)
REASONABLE DOUBT
SYNOPSIS
The complete New York Times Bestselling serial, now available in one book!
My cock has an appetite.
A huge and very particular appetite: Blonde, curvy, and preferably not a fucking liar... (Although, that's a story for another day.) As a high profile lawyer, I don't have time to waste on relationships, so I fulfill my needs by anonymously chatting and sleeping with women I meet online.
My rules are simple: One dinner. One night. No repeats.
This is only casual sex. Nothing more. Nothing less.
At least it was, until Alyssa...
She was supposed to be a 27-year-old lawyer, a book hoarder, and completely unattractive. She was supposed to be someone I shared law advice with late at night, someone I could trust with details of my weekly escapades.