Dark and Stormy: Sacred Hearts Coven (10 page)

Regina heard the door open and realized she was standing there in the open, almost naked. She wasn’t sure if Reddick had seen her, but she decided to grab the ling
erie and head back into the conference room.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Stuck Together

REGINA FINISHED CHANGING out of her wet panties and put on the lingerie she gathered from Ser
ena’s stash. The towel had warmed some from the blasting heat. She wrapped it around herself just as there was a knock at the door.

“You can come in. I’m decent,” she called out.

“You are more than decent,” he mumbled to himself before he opened the door.

Regina wasn’t prepared for him to come in there looking like he stepped out of the locker room.

She knew he took good care of himself. She knew he worked hard at keeping his body in good shape. What she didn’t know was how her body would react at the sight of his hard work.

He entered the room in his basketball shorts
, which were covered with what looked like flecks of wood. The tie in his drawstring had come undone. His shorts hung just low enough on his hips that she almost drooled at the cuts along his waist that were like two arrows pointing down to what she really wanted to see.

His chest was glistening from the rain. It helped to accentuate the stacks of muscles from his belly button all the way up to those bunched on top of his wide shoulders. It was official that there was no extra shoulder padding in his suit jacket. It was all man and muscle.

Regina stood nearly naked, gazing at Reddick’s perfectly sculpted chest fantasizing about having the chance to rip the remaining layers of his clothes away. The only problem was she knew she shouldn’t feel that for him, he certainly didn’t feel the same way.

Regina
always thought Reddick could be a pig and would probably sleep with her if he had the chance, but at that moment, she decided she wanted him to want her. She wanted him to feel what she was feeling for him. The intensity of her sentiments burned between her legs. She was glad he couldn’t see how he was making her feel.

Reddick cleared his throat and extended his arm to her. He brought his blazer down for her to keep warm and, unfo
rtunately, cover herself.

“What happened to you? Why are you all wet again?” R
egina broke the silence.

“I went out to the porch to grab some firewood.” He reached over and grabbed a wad of paper towels.

“For what?” she asked.

“The fireplace in the other room.”

“There’s a fireplace here? I never even noticed.” She shrugged and realized that was why his shorts were so dirty.

“Yes, Regina. You really do work too hard. It’s right behind your bestie’s desk.”

Regina turned her back to him and dropped her towel to put on his blazer. He kept his head facing down and away from her but stretched his eye muscles to see where her long legs stretched up to a very short sheer dress. He loved the way her waist pinched in just above her round, heart-shaped bottom.

“She's not my bestie,” Regina said as she turned back toward him.

He smiled at the sight of her swimming in his blazer. Her hands were nowhere to be found, but they were in there somewhere, holding the front closed. He looked down and noticed the length of the jacket came a few inches above her knees, longer than the little dress she was wearing underneath.

It was cute and sexy the way her knees knocked together. He knew she’d dated enough
, but loved how once her professional guard was let down, there was a sexy innocence to her. He wanted to get to know the soft side she hid so well.

“Well, the two of you were laughing
it up yesterday at the meeting,” he pointed out.

“She's so crazy. She was drawing pictures of penises with faces and mustaches. She’s a wild one.” Regina laughed.

“I'm sure if you weren't a little wild inside, you wouldn't get along so well.” Reddick hoped to plant the seed in her mind.

“She and I are very different, but we do know how to have fun, on the rare occasion I give in.” Reg
ina sat down and sipped on her tea.

“I think we need to make some new tea. Mine is cold and you didn't even touch yours.” She stood back up to clean up the cups.

“We can do that, but first, do you know if we have any flashlights or candles in the office?”

Reddick finished wiping away the rain from his chest. He imagined Regina reaching over and helping him with the task. He wanted her to see him dripping like that again, but next time from the exertion of them pleasuring one another.

“I have a small flashlight in my purse. There is one on our phones. There’s one under the sink in the bathroom upstairs, and there might be one down in the basement by the furnace. We have a whole shelf of candles in the kitchen. Most of them are small scented votive candles. Serena bought a few cases, as she likes to light them to make the office smell good,” Regina informed him.

“That sounds like a good stash.” The lights flickered again as he spoke. He tossed the wad of damp paper to
wels in the trash by the door.

“I know you love those shoes, but do you think you might be more comfortable taking them off? We’re going to be here all night.” He looked down her long legs at her feet and bit his bottom lip.

“I guess, but I don't want to walk around barefoot, and the other option is those pink marabou slippers. You really think we’ll be here all night?”

“We don't have a choice. I think the storm is going to get worse in a few hours. We have no idea how bad the damage is in the area. We know how bad it is here in the parking lot from that tree falling down. We’re going to have to wait until the sun comes up to make sure it’s safe for us to get out of here.

“You should probably send out that email telling everyone that we’ll be closed, at least in the morning. Tell our sales teams they should do what they can to work from home tomorrow. I’ll shoot Michelangelo and Serena an email letting them know what happened so they can try to make arrangements for a tree service to come out here.” Reddick started to walk out the door before Regina could say anything, so she just followed him upstairs.

REGINA AND REDDICK were at their desks, finishing up their emails, when the lights flickered on and off several times. They looked over at each other. Then they flickered off.

The office went dark. The only light came from the glow of their laptop screens. They looked over at each ot
her again.

“Close your laptop and grab your phone.” Reddick left his laptop open and turned on his phone and pointed the light in her direction.

Regina did as he said. She put her phone in the pocket of his blazer and stood up. She kept her hand in the other pocket to help keep the front of the coat closed. She carefully followed the light over to his desk.

“Did you get the email out to the staff?” Reddick asked her.

“Yes, I was just checking my email. Did you get the message off to Serena and Michelangelo? If not, I can text them.” Regina stopped in front of his desk.

“Yeah, I got it off to them.”

“Now what?” she asked him.

“I’m going to close my laptop. I want to make sure we use our devices sparingly in case we need them. We should turn our phones off to keep the charge. We can turn them on if we need them. I just saw that there are several power outages in every county along the coast. They said not to expect it to come back on tonight.”

“Oh, great.” She huffed and sat on the edge of his desk and crossed her legs. Her right red heel dangled very close to his crotch.

He sucked in a deep breath and tried to blow it out nice and slow. The glow of his phone cast a flatte
ring light, illuminating her legs. Her legs were so close to him, and too close together. He wanted to push all the items from his desk and spread them so he could bury his face where her legs met in the middle.

He cautiously placed a hand on her lower thigh. He wasn't sure what scared him more—that she would push off his hand or that he couldn’t keep himself from pulling her onto his lap.

Regina shivered at his touch. He wanted to do more than rest his hand on her knee. She rubbed her legs together a little, teasing him more than she could possibly know. He wondered if she made sure that her foot brushed against the inside of his thigh or if she had no clue.

Reddick turned off his phone so she couldn’t see the strain in his eyes or how hard of a time he was having controlling the sparks that were shooting off in his heart, mind, and groin.

“Come on, hold on to me. We can go downstairs and grab the candles.” He helped her down and they locked arms to walk together. “Are you cold? Do you want me to start a fire?”

“I’m actually pretty hot right now. You did blast the heat, right?” She held his arm tight.

He was beyond hot—hot for her. His better judgment was going to get the best of him if he kept finding her half naked and brushing up against him.

“I did, but the temperature could drop pretty quickly without the power. We can go down and light some ca
ndles. I will get the fireplace at least set up and ready to go if you get cold. I’m hoping the wood is dry enough to catch fire.”

“Well, if it doesn't, you’re going to have to keep me warm. We never even got to make our tea.”

If she only knew… He could do more than keep her warm. He wanted to get her hot. He felt a fire starting between them that was soon about to blaze out of control.

Reddick put his arm around her and held her tight. “I’ll do what I can.”

CHAPTER THI
RTEEN

Foreplay

THEY WERE CAREFUL as they approached the stairs. They had both spent many late nights working there, but even with all the lights off, there was always a glow from the streetlights and the moon. This was a dark and stormy night, and those options weren’t offering them any assi
stance.

“Are you hungry, Regina?”

“Not really. I could maybe do a snack.”

“Okay, I just don’t want us to open the fridge more than we have to. Let’s see what we can find in the cabinets when we grab the candles.”

“Sounds good, but I’m not letting go of you.” He couldn't see it, but he knew her smile was stretched across her face.

Reddick liked the sound of that. He knew he would make sure she wouldn't want to. Reddick had never found a female worth the time and attention he gave to other a
spects of his life. All this time, he’d been working with the one woman worth giving it all to. She had many of the same goals in life and they shared a mutual work ethic. How did he not see it sooner?

He realized they were the answer. They were the key to their PowerPoint presentation. If they were a united force, nothing could stop them, not in business and not in love. He would find a way to show her they belong t
ogether. His new goal in life would be to prove his worth to her.

Reddick stopped halfway to the steps. He bent his knees and tucked his left arm behind her legs and scooped her up.

Regina yelped and held on to his neck. “What are you doing?”

“I don't want you to trip and fall in those sexy shoes you continue to insist on wearing. I don't need you falling down the stairs again.”

At first Regina felt stiff in his arms, but by the time they made it halfway down she’d laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling into him.

He could feel her breath tickling the fine hairs on his neck. Regina's nose tapped gently on the bottom of his ear lobe with each step he took. He could hear her breathing him in. With every exhalation she made, he felt more and more sparks igniting throughout his body.

Regina wasn't sure what possessed Reddick to carry her down the stairs, but she had no complaints about it. She’d never had anyone carry her like that, at least not as an adult. She was impressed with how effortlessly he moved with her weight in his arms. He was as strong, if not stronger, than he looked.

She wanted to stay in his arms for an eternity. She held on a little tighter, hoping he wouldn’t put her down just yet. The skin on his shoulders was soft and she wanted an excuse to run her hands all over him to see if he felt that good everywhere else.

“Please don't drop me,” she whispered against his skin, making sure she let her lips touch his neck. Her heartbeat got stronger and louder as the butterflies in her stomach made her feel weightless. She was glad he was holding her because she was having trouble feeling her legs.

“Never.” Reddick turned his face toward her.

Their noses glided against each other. Regina could almost taste him. She wanted to taste him. She wondered what she would do if he closed the distance and covered her mouth with his.

Once they reached the bottom
of the stairs, Reddick took extra care not to trip or bump into anything. He lifted her a little higher and closer so he could control better where her head and feet went. Slamming her head into a doorjamb would really ruin the moment.

They got to the kitchen without any accidents. Reddick slowly lowered Regina onto her feet. She was than
kful he made sure she was stable and held her small but firm upper arms.

“You good?” he asked
.

He put her down so her back was to the cabinets. She put her hands behind her for a point of refe
rence in the dark.

“Yeah, thanks. I’m just really hot. And you want to start a fire?” She really wanted to take off his jacket. She was nervous about what he would think if he saw her with almost no clothes on. Lucky for her, they were in co
mplete darkness. “I know you said you think it’s going to get cold, but I think you can hold off.”

“Whatever you want. I don't mind the cold, and yes, it’s very hot in here.”

Mostly because of the heat between us.

“Okay, so where are the candles? I maybe should have brought my phone so we had some light. I think that was my plan.” Reddick huffed.

Regina reached in her pocket to grab her phone. She slipped her hand in and felt around—no phone. It must have gone into the other pocket. She switched hands—nothing.

“I put my phone in my—your pocket. I don't know what happened. I swear I put it in the pocket and now it’s not there.”

“Maybe you missed the pocket?” he asked. “Are you sure?”

She considered offering him the opportunity to search the pockets himself, but instead she took the jacket off and shoved it on the counter. She put a hand out in front of her to make sure he was still there. He was less than a foot in front of her.

Reddick could hear her take off the blazer. On any other given day, if someone threw his clothes in a ball somewhere, he would have been very agitated. He took his appearance very seriously. His clothes were not something he skimped on; he felt like they were an investment in his future.

Reddick brought the image to his mind of what Reg
ina looked like just before she put on the blazer. It was too dark to see her now. He imagined what the front of her body looked like in that see-through dress. He was having trouble stopping himself from reaching out to feel his way around what she had to offer, if only she were offering.

“Whatever, I know where they are.” Regina turned around and hoisted her butt up onto the counter.

She reached out and grabbed Reddick’s strong shoulder and pulled him close to her. “Spot me. I don’t want to fall down. They’re on the top shelf. I know I’m going to have to stand up.”

His body was pressed against her legs. He wanted to spread them and have her wrap them around him. He put his hands up onto her hips.

“I'm here. I’ll hold you the whole time. Just take your time.”

He helped guide her as she turned around. Just before she stood up, her butt brushed against his cheek. He could feel himself growing. He had more than the tingles this time; he could feel himself pres
sing against the counter in front of him. In his silky gym shorts, there was no way to stop himself from getting hard.

Regina stood up and felt her way around the cabinets, keeping her left hand on Reddick’s for extra support. She liked the way his thick hands felt squeezing her and
opened the cabinet that housed the votives. She grabbed a small box and handed them back to Reddick. He took them in his right hand, never letting go of her left side. She hoped he wouldn’t let go of her.

“Do you think that will be enough or should I take down more?” she asked before she turned around.

“I think it’s fine, at least if we get a few lit, we can use them later to see in here and get more,” he answered.

“Okay.”

“Just be careful. Turn around slowly and I’ll help you get down.”

Both of his hands now stretched up, holding her at her waist. Regina put her hands on his shoulders and let him lift her off the counter.
He gently lowered her in front of him, She could feel her body slide down his before her feet hit the ground.

Regina couldn’t mistake his manhood for anything else. She felt how rock hard he was as he put her down. She might have been embarrassed or mad on any other day. Instead, she felt herself begin to moi
sten between her legs.

Reddick’s hands were still wrapped around her waist. Regina’s hands had slid down onto his ripped pectoral muscles. She gently held on to them and allowed her body to stay pressed against his. Even though there was smoothness to his skin, every part of him was hard.

Reddick inched his hands down over her hips to the tops of her legs just below her ass. She could feel him throbbing against her. She was ready for it; she was ready for him. She decided to let her guard down and throw caution to the wind.

There was plenty of wind whipping around outside. As dark as it was, there was no silence. The howling wasn’t loud enough that they couldn’t hear how each ot
her’s respirations had changed. It was yet another standoff between the two of them.

Reddick lifted his right hand and tucked it into her hair. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

Her knees went weak with anticipation. Without the sense of sight, they couldn’t use their imaginations to interpret or assume the meaning behind each other’s facial cues this time. It was all about what they felt, what they heard. They were seconds away from what they could taste.

She felt his breath on her lips just before his lips connected with her own. His mouth closed over hers and he took care in gently taking the surface of her full bottom lip into his mouth.

Swirls of electricity took flight in her stomach. She let her lips part to make room for his tongue. He eased it into her mouth and let it do a slow waltz around her tongue. He knew the perfect time to close the kiss for her to catch her breath.

They both stood there slightly out of breath, shocked and amazed at what had just happened, what was about to happen. There was no more fighting or denying what they both needed. The sparks had fina
lly ignited the flame between them.

Reddick had h
er pressed against the counter. She reached up and took his face between both her hands. She searched the darkness with her lips and kissed him hard, she was going to go at this like she did with work. When she set her mind to doing something, she gave it her all. There was nothing else to think about. Reddick was her goal. She would do whatever it took to please him. She would make sure he wanted her and wanted to keep coming back for more.

As Reddick reached up to cradle the back of her head, she let her arms drop down, allowing her hands the o
pportunity she’d been thinking about ever since he walked shirtless into the conference room. Her left hand slid under his right arm to hold on to the back of his shoulder. She slid her other hand between the two of them, down the ripples of muscles stacked from his chest down to the waistband of his gym shorts.