After Hours

She cleared her throat and hoped her voice wouldn’t tremble. “Hi.”

“Hi.” His direct gaze disconcerted her.

“We got a memo about this installation, but the whole thing slipped my mind. I stayed late to get some work done.”

“Oh.”

He seemed at a bit of a loss for words, and she wondered if she could have great sex with a stranger who had zero social skills. She’d never given that angle much thought because conversation hadn’t been part of her fantasy.

“I hope I didn’t startle you too much,” she continued, thinking that eventually he’d have to utter more than two words or this fantasy would never get off the ground.

“You did startle me.” He got to his feet, picked up the cordless screwdriver and laid it on the receptionist’s desk. “But not for the reason you think.”

“I’m not sure what you mean.” Yet she was very glad that he could form complete sentences when he chose to.

“I was just thinking about—” He paused and shook his head. “Never mind. Look, if I’m interrupting your work, I can come back in a couple of—”

“Tell me what you were thinking about.” She had a hunch it would lead to something good.

“You’re going to think it’s a line. And I don’t do lines.”

Now she definitely had to hear what he’d been about to say. “Try me.”

He eyed her for a moment. “Okay. It just so happens that while I was working just now, I was picturing my ideal woman.”

It did sound like a pickup line, but somehow she didn’t think he meant it that way. Her mouth grew moist with anticipation. “I look something like your ideal woman?”

“Except that your hair is up like that, yes, you look exactly like her.”

Without giving herself any time to think, she reached up and pulled out the two tortoiseshell combs holding her hair in place.

He drew in a quick breath. “Why did you do that?”

She paused for a beat and held his gaze. “Because while I was in there working, I was thinking about my ideal man.”

“That’s hard to believe.” But he looked very much like he wanted to believe it.

“It’s true.”

He shifted his weight. “Are you saying that I…”

“Yes.” Amazing how the simple act of taking her hair down aroused her, just as it seemed to be arousing him. The gesture felt more intimate than stripping naked.

“So we were each thinking the same thing at the same time.”

“Looks that way.” She trembled as she contemplated the next step. She would have to be the aggressor. As the employee of a company licensed and bonded to work inside corporate offices like Traynor and Sizemore, he wouldn’t dare step out of line unless she made him feel completely safe.

“Ideals don’t truly exist in the real world,” she said.

“Don’t try to tell me this isn’t real. And I’m pretty sure I’m not dreaming,” he said with a crooked grin.

“This moment may be real. But our view of each other is likely skewed right now. We may seem to fit each other’s ideal, but I’m sure neither of us is close to perfect.”

“I’d never claim to be perfect. No human is—even you, I suppose.” He grinned again. “But I still say you look a lot like the picture I’ve been carrying around in my head.”

“I could say the same about you.” She responded to everything about him—the sound of his voice, the scent of his aftershave, the subtle gestures he made with his hands. And he reacted to her, too. She could see it in his eyes and the flare of his nostrils.

“Look, we both have work to do,” he said. “What if we go back to it, and when we’re finished, we can go out, have a drink and find out a little more about each—”

“No.”

He appeared taken aback for a moment. Then his gaze sharpened. “You’re married.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

She was grateful for legal training that had taught her how to present her case. “If we go out for a drink, if we take this in a conventional direction, we’ll lose the chance to create something extraordinary right now.”

He stared at her, his throat moving in a swallow. “Are you talking about what I think you are?”

She sensed tension, but excitement shone in his eyes, too. “Just so you know, I’ve never done anything like this in my life.”

He continued to stare at her.

The trick would be convincing him she could be trusted, when he had no reason to believe that. “Look, I know what you’re thinking. If anybody found out about it, you’d be fired. Worse than fired. But I promise you, no one will find out. This is between you and me. I could get in a lot of trouble, too, you know.”

“Not as much as I could.” He sighed and shook his head. Then he chuckled softly. “I have to admit, for a second there I was considering it. Never mind that you’re a lawyer who would know all about how to sue me six ways to Sunday. Never mind that everything I’ve worked for could go right down the tubes.” His green eyes blazed. “Idiot that I am, I was still thinking about it.”

Her body responded to his admission, throbbing with pent-up needs. Her mind recognized that she still had a shot. “Think about it some more.”

He shook his head. “Way too dangerous.”

“What if I told you that for years I’ve had a fantasy of making it with a stranger? I’m not a flake. My semi-serious boyfriend has asked me to move in with him, and I plan to do that. But before I make that kind of commitment, I want to—”

“This semi-serious boyfriend—where is he?”

“Temporarily in Switzerland on business.”

“I suppose he’s also a lawyer?”

“Does it matter?”

He laughed. “Hell, yes, it matters. Getting beat up by a jealous boyfriend is one thing. Being hauled into court and deprived of a huge hunk of money is something else again, not to mention the damage to my reputation. You’re asking me to run a big risk, just for—”

“For an unforgettable experience.” She built on her knowledge that he’d been daydreaming about his ideal woman. A man who did that probably had a fantasy life. “Don’t tell me you’ve never imagined something like this.”

“That’s not the point. Fantasy’s one thing, reality is another.”

“It’s exactly the point. Both of us have a chance to act out a fantasy, with no repercussions. That chance doesn’t come along every day.”

There was no mistaking the heat in his eyes, but still he shook his head.

“If you don’t take advantage of this, you’ll regret it forever.” She certainly would. She couldn’t imagine a better setup than this one to satisfy her craving for anonymous sex.

“So all you want from me is—”

“This moment. I’ve already found Mr. Right, and he’s away in Switzerland for a few days. I’m asking you to be Mr. Right Now.” The situation made her bold, and she slid her gaze down to the telling bulge below his tool belt. At least she’d scored that much of a victory.

In the art of persuasion, timing was everything. Sometimes, you had to stop talking and give your words a chance to take effect. “It’s up to you,” she said. “If you’re interested, I’ll be in my office.” Then she turned slowly and walked down the hall, issuing a silent invitation with every sway of her hips.

2

SHANE’S HEAD FIZZED and popped as he watched her leave. This couldn’t be happening. Sure, phone installers liked to spin stories about sex-hungry women lying in wait for them at the job site, but most of the time the stories weren’t true or they involved some nightmare psycho woman. He didn’t think the lady lawyer was psycho.

Her pink cheeks and quivering hands told him that she was nervous. Nervous and determined, the way a woman might be if she had an unfulfilled fantasy and boring monogamy was just over the next hill, ready to grab her. He could understand that.

He believed her story, unfortunately, and that should make his decision easy. Serving as a one-night-stand fantasy and then disappearing into the sunset wasn’t his style, especially not with a woman like this. He had a strong feeling she could be exactly the type he was looking for, and he wouldn’t want to disappear.

Therefore he should get the hell out of this office. He could come back in a few hours and finish the job. After this jolt of adrenaline, he wouldn’t be sleeping much tonight, anyway.

So why was he still standing here? Deep down, he knew why, other than the obvious sexual temptation. She represented a challenge, something that had seriously been lacking in his life. The business certainly no longer tested his mettle. Now it was simply a daily grind.

In essence, she’d given him exactly one chance to change her mind about moving in with her boyfriend. If he changed her mind, then he could go on to Phase Two, convincing her that he was the one she needed. Suddenly he saw his life unfolding as he’d envisioned—a wife, a home and a close family like the one he’d grown up in. His folks kept asking about his love life, or lack of one, and they’d be thrilled if he found the woman of his dreams.

Plus he had a hunch that finding that woman would force him to cut back on work. He desperately needed a playmate to jolt him out of this rut, because he hadn’t been able to accomplish that by himself. All he had to do to make that a possibility, was win out over the current boyfriend.

She probably didn’t consider Shane a contender, stacked against a lawyer important enough to fly to Switzerland on business. Sure, he could tell her he owned Mercury Communications and level the playing field, but he was used to working with a handicap. He performed better when the odds were against him.

Besides, he sensed the boyfriend had a handicap, too. If he’d been setting the sheets on fire with the lady lawyer, she wouldn’t be searching for a thrill the minute he left town. Shane had a good opportunity to win the sexual contest, especially with this fantasy situation she’d chosen.

Was he seriously considering her proposition, then? If she blabbed about this, to anyone, she could ruin his business reputation. The responsibility for the welfare of his employees weighed on his conscience.

He thought about the way she’d looked, standing there waiting for him to make up his mind. His gut instinct told him she wouldn’t blab, and that instinct had never betrayed him before. No, he couldn’t use his work responsibilities as an excuse to back away from this one.

And finally he had to admit that he didn’t want an excuse. She had the potential to be everything he wanted in a woman. Physically she was perfect. Added to that, she was smart enough to be a lawyer, and sexy enough to want a fantasy before she settled into a dull monogamous routine.

Slowly he unfastened his tool belt, his fingers shaking just a little, and laid it on the receptionist’s desk. The minute he did that, his cell phone beeped out its cute little “bombs away” melody. It was no longer cute. He grabbed the phone out of habit, punched the button and said hello.

Sure enough, the person on the other end was one of his oldest customers, someone who’d had a problem earlier in the day but hadn’t had time to call until now. Of course he’d called the minute Shane had a hot woman waiting for him just down the hall, a woman who had all the markings of happily ever after. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a prospect like that. The customer would have to wait.

“Sorry, George,” he said. “You’ve caught me at a really bad time. I’ll get back to you in the morning. Talk to you then.” He disconnected before George could give him any reason to stay on the line. Then he turned off his phone. And his pager.

Surprisingly, the world didn’t come to an end when he did that. He stared at the two pieces of equipment that had been his ball and chain for way too long and felt a sense of triumph. He hadn’t really lost control of his life. He’d only thought he had.

Straightening his shoulders, he turned toward the hallway. He had no condoms with him, so he’d have to be creative in how he satisfied her. But he guessed that was what she wanted, creativity.

His pulse rate jumping off the charts, he walked toward the only doorway with light spilling out onto the gray carpet. His senses recorded everything with the kind of accuracy that told him he’d always remember the sound of his footsteps on the Berber underfoot, the scent of commercial carpet cleaner he stirred on his way, and the Monet “Water Lilies” print in the gold frame hanging just outside her door.

In the silent office, she would hear him approaching. He wondered how that affected her, knowing that her fantasy was about to come true. Because it would come true. He planned to make this the most memorable sex she’d ever had, so memorable that she’d want to keep him around…forever.

When he walked into the room, his focus narrowed to include only the woman leaning against the front of her desk, waiting for him. His fantasy woman.

Her breathing came in quick, shallow gasps, which made the front of her white blouse quiver. She’d unfastened enough pearl buttons that the white lace of her bra peeked from under the crisp linen. The blouse had long sleeves and French cuffs held snug with the same pearl buttons, and it was tucked neatly into the waistband of a navy skirt that stopped a couple of inches above her knees.

Nylons in a subtle navy tint covered her slender legs. She wore pointy-toed heels that looked expensive. He was facing a professional businesswoman who wanted him to create havoc with her dressed-for-success presentation. She wanted her skirt up around her waist and her panties down around her ankles.

The prospect nearly destroyed his composure, but he breathed deeply and overcame the urge to lunge forward and pin her to the desk. He took a step closer and caught her scent, the sweetness of orange blossoms mingled with the tang of arousal. His mouth watered.

“So you decided to risk it.” Her voice was husky.

“Yeah.” He looked into her blue eyes and felt as if he’d gazed into them as a lover many times before, even though he didn’t even know her name. But he’d find out her name. This was her office, and her name would be somewhere in it. Getting that information was important, considering he planned to take this beyond her proposed one-night stand.

He pretended to survey the office. “Nice space.” She was partial to rosewood, apparently, but he was glad to see that the desk was sturdy and not some spindly antique. He’d be needing the desk.

It was still covered with files and papers and maybe she wanted it that way. Maybe she wanted to have sex on top of all that paperwork. Her computer was out of the way on a trolley beside the desk, but the phone could get upset in the process of what he had in mind. No problem. She was getting a new phone tonight, anyway.

The wooden mini-blinds covering the window behind her desk were closed tight, so she wasn’t into exhibitionism. At least not this time around. Otherwise the office contained a wooden lateral file, a bookcase filled with serious-looking law books, a credenza with a vase of silk flowers and some framed photos. Two armchairs that might have been in front of her desk at one time were now up against the wall. She’d given him room to maneuver. Nice.

He noticed a couple of bare picture hooks and realized that if she’d had diplomas hanging there, she’d taken them down before he arrived. And if she’d had a nameplate on her desk, that was in a drawer now, too. She didn’t want him to know who she was.

But he would find out. A woman eager for a long-awaited orgasm could be coaxed into saying all kinds of things. He would learn all he needed to learn.

So the diplomas were gone, but an impressionistic watercolor hung above the chairs. Its undulating curves and pink tones might look like nothing to the casual observer, but Shane decided the picture was definitely about sex.

“Do you like that?” she asked softly.

He decided to test her. “What’s it supposed to be?”

“The title is ‘Shades of Pink.’ I bought it at an art fair. I suppose you can interpret it any way you want to.”

“And how do you interpret it?”

She glanced at him. “I’ve…always thought it looked like a depiction of…an orgasm.” She swallowed. “I’ve never told anyone that,” she added quickly. “And it probably isn’t at all, but I—”

“You hung it on the wall because you liked that interpretation.” It wasn’t a question.

“I guess so. Yes.”

He took another step toward her. “That’s what tonight is all about, being sexually honest, maybe for the first time in our lives.”

Her breathing quickened. “Yes.”

“I’ll start. I’ve never been so turned on by a woman, or by the thought of having sex. I want to take you right now. I want to shove your skirt to your waist, unzip my jeans and brace you against that desk. I want to rip apart whatever lacy underwear is between us and shove deep.”

She gasped.

“Am I shocking you?”

“No.” She struggled for breath. “No. That’s…that’s what I want, too.”

He wondered just how much of a risk taker she was. “You’d be a damned fool to let me, with no protection in sight.”

Slowly she stretched her hand toward him, her fingers closed. When she opened them, a square packet lay in her palm.

He gazed at the condom and then looked into her eyes.

Her voice vibrated, almost like a cat’s purr. “Be my guest.”

Desire gusted through him with enough force to leave him shaking. He waited for the tremors to pass. Then he cupped her soft hand in his and lifted it, condom and all, to his lips.

First he kissed the tip of each manicured finger. Now it was her turn to quiver. Next he sucked gently on the end of her fingers, all the while watching her eyes.

Her lashes fluttered closed, and her breathing grew more ragged. “I thought…you wanted to…take me quickly.”

“I do.” He closed her damp fingers over the condom. “But I plan to take you slowly.” He unfastened the pearl button at her cuff and edged the white linen to her elbow. Then he dropped kisses on the faint blue vein at her pulse. “Fast and hard is good, but slow and seductive is better. I’ll let you hold the condom until I’m ready for it.”

Her lashes lifted to reveal blue eyes stormy with passion. “What if…I’m ready now?”

“If you think you’re ready now…” He released her hand and reached for her other one. “Just think how ready you’ll be in a little while.”

Reaction flared in her eyes.

“Good.” He smiled as he unfastened the second cuff. “Now you’re imagining the possibilities.” If he had only one chance to make an impression, he would make it a beauty.

Maintaining some distance between them, he started undoing the buttons down the front of her blouse. “Have you ever been naked in this office?”

She drew in a breath. “No.”

“Ever had sex here?” He pulled the unbuttoned blouse from the waist of her skirt and opened it to reveal the sweetest breasts ever molded by lace and underwire.

“No.”

So lawyer-boy hadn’t tapped into this particular fantasy. How could she possibly think the guy currently in Switzerland was Mr. Right? “Tonight I want both.” He slipped the blouse off her shoulders and tossed it over the papers piled on her desk. “There’s something about being naked in a place where people usually wear business suits.”

Her voice curled around him like smoke. “It seems unreal that I’ll be back to work as usual here tomorrow.”

“Uh-huh.” He unfastened the front hook of her bra. “I want you to think about this all day tomorrow.”

She shivered. “I will.”

He guided the bra straps down her arms. He’d meant to throw the bra on top of her blouse, but he became mesmerized by the sight of her breasts and the bra dropped from his fingers to the floor.

She’d spent time in the sun this summer. Golden skin gave way to cream where the bikini had barely covered her rosy nipples. Their taut promise invited the brush of his fingers. Somehow he found the strength to resist.

“Don’t you…want to touch me?”

“Oh, yes. Very much. But not yet.” He had a hunch that the boyfriend was predictable, so he would work not to be. Most any man when confronted with breasts like hers would dive in with pure joy. He would hold back and finish undressing this goddess. When she could hardly stand the suspense another second, he would begin to touch her.

He found the back zipper of her skirt and drew it down until the skirt slipped easily to the floor. His erection strained against his briefs as he gazed at the white lace garter belt holding up her navy stockings. It was as if she’d dressed this morning with him in mind. At every turn, she revealed more of the woman he’d been waiting to find.

She stepped out of her skirt and kicked it gently to one side. “Are you going to be naked, too?” she murmured.

He forced his attention from the garter belt and what lay beneath it so that he could look into her eyes. “Would you like that? Or do you want—”

“Yes. Take off your shirt.”

Wordlessly he pulled it over his head and dropped it to the carpet.

“You look strong.”

“Strong enough for what I have in mind for tonight.” Holding her gaze, he knelt in front of her and ran both hands down the silky length of her leg. She was warm and quivering beneath his touch, and the scent of temptation drifted from between her thighs. Gently he eased off one of her shoes and caressed the sole of her foot.

She moaned. “I want you.”

“I know.” Unfastening her stocking, he leaned forward to flick his tongue over the bare skin of her leg as he rolled the stocking down her thigh and over her knee.

She trembled. “I want…”

“What?” he whispered, running his hands down her other leg and slipping off the second shoe.

“I want you to…”

“Tell me. Tell me your secrets.” The mounting tension made him fumble taking off the other stocking. His tongue seemed to sizzle against her trembling thigh.

“Make me come.”

His heartbeat thundered in his ears. “And how would you like me to do that?”

She cupped the back of his head and guided him to the triangle of lace and silk nestled below the garter belt. Her plea was low and urgent. “With your tongue…please…I can’t wait….”

As if he could resist, once he was this close and surrounded by her scent. His mouth watered. “When you’re completely naked,” he whispered, nuzzling the damp silk of her panties.

She groaned. “Then get me completely naked. Right now.”

Grasping the garter belt and panties together, he pulled them down in one swift move.

When she stepped out of them, he paused to sear the moment into his brain. The woman of his dreams stood before him, naked and eager, surrounded by the sedate trappings of a lawyer’s office. The contrast was absolutely delicious, and he wanted to savor it before he was swept into a firestorm of need.

When he cupped her sleek bottom and sank to his heels, the thrill of the forbidden made him dizzy. She moaned again, an urgent little sound that told him she was desperate for release. Leaning forward, he slid his tongue boldly through her golden curls and tasted paradise.

The condom she held landed on the floor beside him as she gripped his head in both hands and shuddered.

He moved in closer, getting his shoulders under her thighs as he lifted her to the edge of the desk.

As he began to feast, she whimpered and tightened her hold on his scalp. Ah, she was heavenly, melting on his tongue like fine chocolate. He guided her to spread her thighs even more, and with a sigh of surrender she obliged him, stretching one leg along the edge of the desk. Papers rustled and drifted to the floor.

He caressed her with his tongue and slid his fingers deep into her wet heat, probing and stroking her to a fever pitch. Her cries grew more intense, her breathing more labored.

And then the wave broke, filling the small office with the sound of her ecstasy. His groin throbbed with nearly unbearable tension and he longed to rip off his jeans and bury his penis in her quaking vagina. But too much was at stake to risk muting any of the pleasure he wanted to give her. So he followed her all the way through her climax, lapping the nectar of her release and heightening her contractions with the rhythm of his fingers.