All Of You (Only You) (5 page)

Sharp pain sliced through his jaw as he ground his back teeth. Sweat rolled down his back and dripped from his face. He held his breath so long stars flashed in front of his eyes. When Claire pushed back, angling her hips, his cock slid deeper, and the stretched skin of his sac rested on her pulsing clit. The hard bud branded him, and fire blasted out, igniting his orgasm like a fuse on a stick of dynamite.

Ryan gave himself over to the pleasure surging through his body. His hips pistoned back and forth, and rammed his hard length into her repeatedly. He pumped load after load of come into the condom. The spurts seemed to last forever without slowing down. At some point his thrusts set off another climax in Claire, and her muscles milked more sperm from his balls.

After emptying the last of his seed, Ryan collapsed forward, barely keeping his elbows locked to stop from crushing Claire. Breath rasped in his ears, both of them struggling to suck oxygen into starving lungs. His chest, slick with sweat, stuck to her back. She shivered against him, whether from final ripples of release or the chill of the air conditioner as they came back down to earth, he couldn't be sure.

The cold seeped in, dragging his mind back to the here and now. With care, he eased his softened cock from Claire's tightness, both of them shuddering in response. Disposing of the condom in a tissue, he turned her onto her side, once again spooning her in his embrace. Reaching down, Ryan gripped a handful of the sheet and tugged it up over them. Exhausted and sated like never before, he savored holding Claire. The thrill of finally having her in his arms hadn't worn off.

Snuggled in against him, Claire dozed, her deep, even breath a comforting sound. Something Ryan never expected to feel wrapped naked with this woman. Like a drug, she entered his system and took over, delivering a jolt to every cell and obliterating all else. And like any addict, he took the fix, felt the euphoria and craved more. The question was how would he cope when she'd had enough of him? Because he knew for sure he could get very used to having her in his bed—or being in hers.

*****

As it did every morning, the smell of fresh coffee woke Claire, and she blessed the inventor of auto-start coffee machines. Muted light seeped through the curtains, the sun just making its appearance. Stretching, Claire moaned. She ached all over. Memories of the night before flooded her mind, and her eyes popped open. Shock at her behavior couldn't out-strip the hum of satisfaction in her veins, but she still cringed at what she'd done. What they'd done. Before she could turn over to see if Ryan still lay beside her, he walked into her field of vision.

"Ah, you're awake. I brought you coffee." He placed a mug on her bedside table.

Gripping the sheet in one fist, Claire eased herself up against the headboard and reached for the cup with her free hand. She couldn't look at Ryan. Didn't want to see what was in his eyes the morning after. Not before she'd had a shot of caffeine anyway. She sipped the hot brew and felt the warmth spread through her chest. Closing her eyes, Claire savored the taste of her favorite blend.

"Damn, Claire. You make that look orgasmic."

Her gaze darted up to meet his. The desire swirling in his eyes surprised and pleased her. Claire smiled. "Believe me, in my experience good coffee first thing in the morning is often better."

Claire almost spilled the hot liquid as Ryan bent down and placed his hands on either side of her hips, pinning her beneath the sheet and his hypnotic stare.

"You think so, huh?"

She swallowed hard. She hadn't meant to challenge him, but from the look in his eyes that's exactly what she'd done. "Well
…I…um…"

"If I didn't have to get to the site in thirty minutes I'd prove you wrong, Claire. But don't worry. I'll be sure to change your mind on the subject Saturday morning."

"Saturday morning?"

"Yep, I plan to wake you up with something far more enjoyable than coffee." He nipped her bottom lip. "I'll leave you with a taste of what's to come shall I?"

Ryan took her mouth with his. Nibbled and licked until she opened for him. His tongue swept inside and tangled with hers. Bold strokes and hot slides stole her breath and drew moisture from her core. He touched her nowhere else, but she felt him in every inch of her body. Ready for more, she let go of the sheet and ran her hand up his chest and around his neck. She tried to pull him closer, but he resisted and slowed their kiss.

Groaning in frustration, Claire tugged at his hair.

Ryan pulled his lips from hers and stared at her with lust-filled eyes. "Damn. I'd really love to crawl back into bed with you, but that will have to do for now. I can't wait until the weekend when neither of us have to get up and go to work."

At the mention of work Claire looking at her bedside clock. "Oh shit! I'm gonna be late."

He plucked the mug from her hand and stood up, offering his other hand to help her out of bed. It wasn't until she was halfway across the room that Claire remembered she was naked, but by then it was too late and too silly to race back to grab her robe. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Ryan standing still and staring at her ass. She gave her hips an extra wiggle as she continued to the bathroom for a shower.

She heard Ryan enter the room as she stepped into the steamy alcove and under the hot water. Surprisingly, his familiarity didn't bother her. He leaned against the basin watching her and sipped from her coffee.

"Hey, I thought that was for me?"

"I'm just having a sip and admiring the view." He grinned at her.

She laughed. "I thought you had to get to work?"

He cocked one brow. "You trying to get rid of me?"

"No, just trying to get my coffee back." Stepping half out of the shower, Claire grabbed the cup from Ryan's hands. She tipped the mug to her lips and drank the last of the warm brew. Handing the mug back, she said, "Thanks."

Claire tried to ignore him. She squirted body wash onto her bath sponge and began to wash, but she could see him from the corner of her eye. He placed the cup on the basin behind him. Taking a step forward, he reached in and wrapped his hand around her upper arm. She didn't fight him when he pulled her from the shower and locked his lips on hers. Claire melted as he kissed her. It should be illegal to kiss as well as Ryan did. When he let her go and pushed her back under the water she sighed.

"I'll see you tonight."

He walked from the room, and Claire stood there watching him go. The bang of her front door closing snapped her out of her trance. Recalling what she was supposed to be doing instead of drooling over Ryan, she finished washing and got out. The clock on the counter reminded her she was down to fifteen minutes before she had to leave or risk getting caught in peak hour traffic. If she didn't get moving she would be late for her nine o'clock meeting. Claire walked into her bedroom, hastily mopping the last of the moisture from her body with a towel.

Her suit hung on the back of her bedroom door where she'd left it after picking it up at the dry cleaner. The knee-length black skirt and tailored jacket were her favorite, and she wanted to be at her best for this meeting. Claire pulled the clothes out of the plastic and laid them on her rumpled bed. The messy bedding reminded her of Ryan and all they'd done together. She shivered and his parting words came back to her.

"Tonight?" she mumbled, shaking her head. Did the man think they were going to repeat last night? Claire's body pulsed with the remembered sensation. She squeezed her thighs together to ease the ache but only succeeded in making it worse. Groaning, she tossed the towel into the bathroom and yanked open her top dresser drawer. Her movements jerky, she pulled out underwear and turned to dress. She needed to focus and stop thinking about Ryan. This morning's meeting was important, and she wasn't about to let the best sex of her life get in the way.

Chapter Three

"Claire?"

Claire snapped forward in her chair, pulled from her thoughts of Ryan and last night by the frustrated tone of her best friend's voice. "Sorry, I missed that."

"I asked when you planned for the ad campaign to go live." Jane's words vibrated with annoyance.

Claire couldn't blame her, she'd zoned out at least ten times in this meeting already. Sorting through the papers in front of her, she found the timeline for their winter campaign. "Okay, print and TV goes live on the twentieth of February. The range goes in stores the same day."

"We can make the deadline?" Mr. Nichols asked.

"Yes. The stock arrives"—Claire sifted through her paperwork—"the last week in January. Our agent tells me they'll have it cleared in a week. It'll be unpacked and sent out to the stores from the warehouse around the tenth of Feb."

"Well you two seem to have it all under control. I'll leave you to it." Mr. Nichols gathered up his phone and dashed off as if the hounds of hell were on his tail.

No one made a sound until the door closed behind him, and then Claire and Jane burst out laughing.

"Did you see the look on his face when he saw the ad with Kendra in the scarves?"

Between giggles Claire said, "Yeah, I thought he was going to have a stroke he turned so bright red."

"You have to admit it's a damn sexy shot." Jane pulled out the twelve by twelve glossy and laid it on the table.

"It certainly is sexy, but it isn't so in your face that it'll be yanked by the sensors."

"I can't wait for this to be over. We've both worked ourselves to the limit on this one, but I think the sales figures will show the effort was worth it." Jane began packing away the photos and posters. "You know I think I might even take a week off once this thing goes live. You should do the same, Claire."

Taking a week off sounded like a great plan. Maybe Ryan could get some time off too. The idea of spending a week with Ryan made Claire shiver. They could stay in bed the whole time, only getting up to order take away. Her blood heated and her heart rate sped up. Claire's breathing grew harsh and the flesh between her thighs throbbed. Damn, just thinking of Ryan sent her libido soaring.

"Claire? Are you all right?" Jane took a step toward her. "You look flushed, are you ill?"

She took a deep breath, tried to steady her racing pulse, and smiled at her friend. "I'm fine, it's just a little warm in here with this suit on," she lied. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell Jane about R
yan, more that she wasn't sure
what
to tell her.

"Take your jacket off now that we're done. I'll help you take all this back to your office and then we can duck out for something to eat and drink."

"Can't, I've got to get started on sending all this back to Branded so they can go ahead with scheduling the campaign."

"Surely you've got thirty minutes to have some food, Claire." Jane sounded exasperated with her.

"Okay, fine but let me just make a couple of calls first and then we'll go." She glanced at her watch. "Actually, it's almost eleven now, by the time I make those calls it'll be close to twelve, and we can go to lunch." It would also give Claire some time to get herself under control.

"Sounds good. Where do you want to eat?"

They gathered up their things and left the conference room. "How about that nice café on the Quay?"

"The one that does those gorgeous desserts?"

Claire smiled. Jane was such a sucker for sweets. "Yeah, that one."

"Excellent." Jane leaned the portfolio of photos against the wall in Claire's office. "I'll be back at twelve."

"See you then." Claire skirted her desk and sat down with a sigh. She ached all over, but it was a pleasant hurt. It reminded her of last night and the pleasure she'd found in Ryan's arms. Goose bumps broke out as a ripple of desire flowed over her. Closing her eyes, Claire leaned her head back and savored the sensation. She squeezed her thighs together and squirmed in her seat, sending waves of pleasure through her pussy. Moisture dampened her panties and threatened to leak onto the back of her skirt.

The ringing of a phone in the outer office dragged Claire back to the here and now. Jeez, she had to stop this. Needed to put Ryan and all they'd done from her mind until she left work, or someone would catch on. She wasn't prepared to tell anyone what, or who, had her all flustered and aroused.

She pulled over her diary and address book, flicking through the pages until she had the week of the campaign launch open. After checking the number on Simone's business card, she reached for the phone and dialed the advertising agent. The woman was a visionary as far as Claire was concerned. Without fail Simone always managed to bring to life what Claire could see in her head—one more reason why Branded's exorbitant fees were acceptable.

Pleased with the way the winter range launch was shaping up, Claire had just hung up from talking with Simone when Jane walked back in.

"Ready?"

"Yep." Claire grabbed her purse from the bottom drawer of her desk. "Let me just run to the ladies' room before we go."

"Sure, I'll meet you at the elevator."

Claire made her way to the bathroom. She needed to freshen up before she faced Jane across the lunch table. It would be stupid to fool herself into thinking she could hide something as monumental as sleeping with Ryan from her friend, but it wouldn't stop her from trying.

*****

"Crap. What's with everyone rushing about?" Jane asked as they jostled their way through the crowd over to the little café they'd discovered last week.

"It's the lunch rush I guess." Claire shrugged. "Mind you, the city streets are always teeming with people. I guess this summer heat has everyone hurrying to get things done so they can get back into their air-conditioned offices."

"You could be right." Jane pulled the front of her blouse away from her chest and fanned herself with it. "This summer has been a scorcher."

"According to the weatherman it isn't about to cool down anytime soon either."

They reached the café and waited to be seated. When the waitress gave them a choice of inside or out they spoke together.

"Inside."

"Inside."

Laughing, they followed their waitress as she led them into the cool interior. Depositing menus on the table she asked, "What can I get you to drink?"

"Iced water, thanks," Claire said.

"Mmm…I'll have a fresh orange juice, thank you." Jane picked up her menu and handed it back to the woman. "And I already know what I'm having for lunch. Greek salad and the grilled chicken, please."

"Oh, that sounds good. I'll have the same, thanks." Claire handed over her menu and turned to Jane. "I take it you've been here a few times since the other day."

Jane grinned. "Guilty. I think I've had lunch or dessert here four times since then."

"You'll be getting a frequent flyer discount soon," Claire joked.

"You mean like this?" Jane pulled a card from her wallet and held it up.

Claire laughed. "You've got a loyalty card?"

"Yep. I get a free dessert every time I spend thirty dollars." She popped the card and her wallet back in her handbag. "And we both know it's all about the dessert."

The waitress placed their drinks on the table. "Your meals will be out shortly."

Jane waited until the woman had walked away. "So, enough of this chit-chat. Tell me who you got it on with last night."

Claire choked on her water and wondered if it was Jane's new aim in life to kill her at the lunch table. Using her serviette to hide her embarrassment, Claire mopped at her mouth and stalled for time.

Jane just grinned at her. "Stalling won't make the question go away, Claire."

For the first time in her life, Claire couldn't think of what to tell her best friend.

"Oh, my God!" Jane leaned forward. "You did Ryan. Hot damn! You go girl."

"Shh, keep your voice down." Claire looked around them.

"Relax. No one knows us or who we're talking about." Jane grabbed Claire's hand. "I'm so glad you took my advice."

"How do you know—?"

"Please, I know you better than anyone, including you sometimes."

Jane was right, they told each other everything—had since pre-school—and if anyone could pick up on a change in Claire's behavior it would be Jane.

"I'm not sure I want to talk about it yet. I still don't know how it happened but Jane, I swear, last night was the best night of my life."

"That good, huh?"

"Better than good. Better than any fantasy I've ever dreamed up. The man knows what he's doing, and isn't afraid to do it."

"Good. It's about time you let loose and enjoyed yourself."

"Enjoy is too tame a word for last night." Claire's body tingled with remembered pleasure.

They fell silent as their meals were delivered to the table and talk became secondary to eating lunch. Claire couldn't help thinking about Ryan. What did he want? Was last night a one-time deal? Could she cope with it if it was a one-night stand? She was no closer to answers when she took the last bit of chicken off her plate.

"Stop over thinking it."

Claire's gaze met Jane's.

"Don't raise your eyebrow like that at me. I know you. You over think everything. And after yesterday's lunch discussion, I can tell you'll think this development to death before it's over."

"How can I not think about it," Claire argued.

"I think that's too much to ask, but try not to think too much. Just enjoy it while it lasts."

While it lasts.
Jane was right. It would end eventually. Maybe she should just ignore the voice of reason and go with the flow. Take whatever Ryan offered and enjoy the time they spent together.

*****

Numerous times during the day Ryan pulled his phone from his pocket to check he hadn't missed a call. Of course he hadn't and certainly not from the one person he wanted to hear from. He couldn't believe how much of a schmuck he was being. Claire didn't even have his number. Mentally rolling his eyes at himself, Ryan picked up his hard hat and jammed it on his head. He left the portable office and walked over to where Brett was checking some wiring that had been completed that morning.

"Everything in order?"

"Yeah, that new contractor seems to be working out just fine," Brett said as he stood.

"We lucked out there I think. What's on for the rest of today?" Ryan glanced around the work site. Their men were busy doing their jobs, and the building was finally taking shape.

"Council will be here at three to inspect the wiring. Plumber isn't due back until morning, so if things go quick with the inspection, we could knock off early. Give the guys a bonus for all their long hours."

"Sounds good. We've already pulled overtime on this job, and there'll probably be more before we're done. Are we back on schedule?"

"Yep. One of us can move on to the next project by the end of next week. You want me to stay on this one?" Brett asked.

"Whatever. It makes no difference to me."

"Okay, I'll start the shop refit while you finish up here."

"How many of the men will you take with you?"

"Just one. I plan on doing most of the demolition myself." Brett grinned.

Ryan had to smile. They might both enjoy building things from the ground up, but there was definitely some satisfaction in clearing out the old to make way for the new.

"So you gonna tell me who's got you all starry-eyed and picking up your phone every three seconds?"

Ryan whipped his head back around to stare at his brother.

"Close your mouth, Ryan. You'll catch flies. So did you finally get into the pants of the woman next door?"

He felt his face heat and knew he was blushing. Something he hadn't done since he was a pre-pubescent schoolboy. Ryan turned away, for once in his life he didn't want to brag about his sex life. Not even to his brother.

"Wow. You aren't gonna spill the beans?"

Turning back to Brett, he tried to smile and make the whole thing seem like no big deal even if he felt it was. "Not yet. Didn't get very far, but it looks promising," he lied.

"I bet she's hot in the sack."

Ryan ground his teeth together and clenched his fists. He would not punch his brother in the face for his crude observation, even if it was true. Claire was hot in bed—and in the kitchen—but Brett would never hear that from Ryan's lips, and he certainly wouldn't be finding out on his own.

"Knock it off. There's nothing to tell, and you shouldn't talk about Claire like that."

"Well, well, well. Has little brother gone and fallen for the woman next door?"

"Don't be stupid, Brett." Ryan took a step closer to his brother.

Brett held his hands up. "Wow, calm down. I'm just mucking around."