But he wanted her to break first; he needed her to.

Releasing one breast, he stroked down her body until he had his hand poised just above her mound.

Her breath caught in her throat and she froze in mid-thrust, waiting.

Holding on by a thread, his heart beating like a racehorse, he finally pressed his thumb over her clit and started to work it.

Her sheath clenched around him as her eyes closed, her head fell back, and she sank down onto him. The wet lips of her pussy met the root of his cock, her moisture seeping onto to his balls.

“Now, baby,” he said. “I want to feel you come on my cock. Right now.”

It seemed she’d only needed his permission. Her body shuddered around him, her orgasm a flurry of contractions that built in intensity.

Without warning, he sat up. The motion brought her clitoris hard against the base of his penis, and she cried out, her fingernails stinging his shoulders.

Jared rode out the need to come, counting backward from one hundred by sevens until he felt her internal spasms fading.

As their harsh breathing resounded through the room, she let her head drop onto his shoulder. He let her rest, enjoying the feel of her surrounding him, the warmth of her.

When she sighed, her body growing heavier on him, he moved just enough to let her know it wasn’t over.

She moaned, and he thrust harder, but the position started to take its toll on his back.

In one fluid movement, he swung his legs to the side, still imbedded within her, then rolled until she was on her back on the chaise.

Raising her legs to clasp him around the waist, she opened herself wider, letting him ease deeper. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he fought back his own orgasm. He felt it gathering in his balls, boiling in his blood, and he forced it back, shoved it down.

Too soon. Not yet.

He froze, fingers digging into her hips. When he finally had himself under enough control to open his eyes, he found Annabelle smiling at him.

Then she moved. More like wriggled.

Jared groaned, his head dropping into the curve of her shoulder and neck. He put his mouth over the delicate spot where they met and bit down just enough to make her gasp. She tightened her sheath around his cock.

She turned her head, her lips brushing against his earlobe, raising gooseflesh over his entire body.

“Come on, Jared,” she whispered. “Move. I want you to. I dare you to. You know you want to. I want to feel you moving inside me.”

His body took up the challenge his mind tried to ignore. He moved. And then he couldn’t stop. The need for her, the feel of her, swamped him in a rush of pleasure so sharp, it took his breath away.

His hips pistoned against hers, his cock shuttling in and out, the friction with each thrust heightening the sensation.

Until he felt his balls tighten to the point of pain and he came, his body and mind exploding in a pure adrenaline rush of sensation.

Nine

Still trying to catch her breath, Annabelle clung to Jared’s naked shoulders.

In the back of her mind, she heard a little voice screaming, “You idiot! What the hell were you thinking?”

Well, that was pretty obvious, wasn’t it? She hadn’t been thinking. Or she never would have let him fuck her senseless.

No, that wasn’t right. She hadn’t “let” him. She’d wholeheartedly participated in their mind-blowing sex.

In her shop. Right before the interview that could push her career to the next level.

She felt a groan building in her chest, cushioned against Jared’s.

Jesus, I’m crazy. Crazy about him. No. Absolutely not.

She refused to believe that. Sure, he was great in bed…or on a chaise, as the case may be.

But that didn’t explain why she’d practically devoured the guy.

Holy hell, the sex had been explosive. Amazing.

She still felt him lodged inside her, and she tightened around him just thinking about it.

Above her, Jared groaned and nuzzled his nose against her shoulder.

She had to get up. She had to get him out of here before Carmen Moran showed up.

“Jared.”

Sprawled on top of her, the man gave no indication he heard her. His warm breath blew against her neck, raising goose bumps. The heat of his body along hers made her want to close her eyes and drift in a post-coital haze.

But she couldn’t. She gave his shoulders a shake, trying not to admire the sleek, hard muscles under all that silky skin.

“Jared, we need to get up.”

His arms tightened around her, as if he knew she was going to try to get away.

“No, we don’t.” His voice rumbled out of his chest, fresh arousal zinging through her veins.

God, she had to get the man out of here before she lost what few brain cells she had left and boffed him again.

God, was she deliberately trying to sabotage her meeting?

That made her pause before she mentally shook her head. No, that wasn’t true.

“Yes, we do.” She pushed against his shoulders and this time he moved, barely enough so he could see her.

His eyes were slits of sky blue as he stared down at her.

“Hey, babe. You okay?”

No, she wasn’t okay. She was so screwed. “What time is it?”

He frowned but grabbed his pants to look at his phone.

“Quarter of ten. You have somewhere you have to be?”

She sighed in relief. She still had fifteen minutes—

The bell over the front door rang.

Her mind blanked and a terrifying darkness yawned at the edges of her consciousness.

“Hello, Annabelle,” Teddy Walters called, his voice strangely deeper than normal. “There’s someone here to see you.”

Oh, my God.

“Oh, my God.”

With a shove, she pushed Jared off her and scrambled to her feet. Jared hit the floor with a loud thump, and she scowled down at him as she looked for her clothes.

“Be quiet,” she said. “They’ll hear you.”

Jared lifted an eyebrow at her as he stood, brushing off that perfectly formed, naked ass. “Just let me pull on my pants and I’ll get rid of—”

“Oh, my God, no.” Her heart skipped a beat as she pulled on her underwear. She wanted to yell at him but she had to keep her voice to a whisper. She heard Teddy and a voice that could only be female talking in the main shop area. “Don’t even think about it, Jared. Just stay here.”

Where the hell was her skirt and shirt? She spied her bra under the chaise and dragged it on as hysterical laughter wanted to erupt along with an impending sense of doom.

“Belle, what—”

“Damn it, Jared.”

“Just be quiet.”

She shot him a glare meant to shut him up, but her addled brain got caught on the sheer animal magnetism of his body. Could the man be any sexier than he looked right now, standing naked among her erotic collection? He resembled a piece of art himself, even with his cock spent and his watch the only thing on his body.

“Annabelle?” Teddy called again. “Are you here?”

She gasped and grabbed the first thing within reach—Jared’s jeans. She tossed them at him, uncaring when they caught him in the face.

Her blouse. Her coat. She needed to find them. Right now.

Her skirt was within reach and she pulled that on. Her coat was by the door. Screw it.

Doom sounded with every approaching footstep.

Behind her, she heard clothing rustle, the metallic snick of a zipper, then Jared slipped her blouse up her arms.

His warm hands caught her shoulders and turned her so he could button the placket of her shirt.

“You were expecting someone?”

With her brain still numb, she merely nodded as she shoved her top into her skirt and fumbled for her shoes. She couldn’t do anything about her hair but finger-comb it and hope to hell it didn’t look too bad.

Now, if she could just get Jared to stay hidden.

She nearly squealed in shock as he moved toward the door to the front room but caught herself before any sound emerged.

Oh, my God, she was going to kill—

“Jared?” A female voice she didn’t recognize called out as Jared disappeared from her sight and into full view of Teddy and whoever he’d brought into the shop. “What are you doing here?”

“Carmen! Hey, nice to see you. How have you been?”

“Fine, I’ve been fine. How are your parents?”

Her mouth dropped open as realization shot through her when they carried on a short conversation.

Jared knew Carmen Moran.

Well, of course he did. He collected art. It wasn’t much of a stretch to believe he’d dealt with Carmen Moran at some point.

“I take it you’re here to see Annabelle?”

Jared’s question jolted her into action.

Shit, she needed to get out there now.

Stopping in front of the display case, she checked her reflection as best she could before scooping her jacket off the floor and quickly buttoning it.

With one last finger-comb through her hair, Annabelle pasted on a smile, stuck out her chin, and headed out into the fray.

* * *

Two hours later, Annabelle’s temples throbbed and she swore her face was going to permanently freeze into this smile.

“Thank you again for taking the time to come out here, Ms. Moran. I appreciate it.”

The other woman smiled as she pulled on her overcoat and grabbed her Coach tote, holding Annabelle’s carefully crafted resume. “I very much enjoyed meeting you and I’ll be in touch soon.”

Probably with a “Thank you, but no thanks.”