Desire Collection: November Books 1 - 4. Charlene Sands
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her up all over again. “And after that?”
He held her gaze for a moment before he said in a quiet voice, “That’s up to you. But this is a big bed,” he went on, giving her a playful grin. “Plenty of room.” To emphasize this, he patted around. “I might get lonely. Just saying.”
She should say no. She should walk away while she still could, before they crossed that final line. If she were strong enough, she’d sleep alone tonight.
But just then, Eric cupped her face and brushed a tender kiss over her lips and she knew she wasn’t going to be strong enough. She knew she’d be right back in his arms tonight.
“That would be tragic, wouldn’t it?”
He leaned up to press a hard, quick kiss against her lips before he patted her bottom. “Devastating. But we’ve got a lot to do before then.”
With a sigh, she rolled off him and out of bed. “Then we better get to it.”
* * *
“Well,” Eric said as the elevator doors closed behind them. “I think that went well.”
It took almost everything Sofia had not to slump against the wall of the elevator. And frankly, she didn’t have much left. Who would’ve thought that paying attention to conversations all day long with a smile plastered to her face would be so exhausting?
But that wasn’t the only thing that had left her drained. The effort it took not to watch Eric, not to smile at him—not to show that she was aware of every single thing he did—had taken a lot out of her.
She hadn’t wanted to look like a woman lusting after her boss. She had no idea if she’d made it.
Because she was definitely lusting after Eric.
She barely recognized the woman reflected in the mirrored walls of the elevator. The black-and-white lace patterned dress was working overtime, as was the strapless bra. She almost didn’t look like the mother of twins, which was impressive.
If she threw a suit jacket over this dress, she could wear it to work. But for dinner tonight, she had tucked the pashmina shawl around her shoulders and left her arms bare.
Eric had noticed, too. She’d felt his gaze upon her all night long. Just like it was right now. He shifted closer to her so their shoulders were touching. In the reflection, he smiled at her and Sofia couldn’t help but think, We fit.
Which was ridiculous. Just because his black suit and bright blue tie looked good with this dress absolutely did not mean that she fit with him. But it was enough to pretend for this weekend.
“Can we wait until morning to go over our notes?” Meryl asked, sounding drained.
Sofia startled. Were they supposed to be business professional after eight solid hours of meetings? Before she and Eric could pick up where they’d left off this afternoon?
Even throughout dinner—one of the finer meals she’d ever eaten—she’d been focused on listening. She was used to sleep deprivation. Anyone with small children was. But coloring with the kids required a much lower level of mental engagement than following along with a dinner conversation that encompassed state, federal and city ordinances.
But she hadn’t made a fool of herself. She’d offered up a few compliments and paid attention and managed not to stare at Eric and think of nothing but his body against hers. Nothing tonight had come naturally to her, but she’d made it. It seemed that, for one weekend at least, she could pretend she belonged by Eric’s side.
“Absolutely,” Eric readily agreed. His fingertips brushed and then tangled with Sofia’s. That simple contact went through her like a lightning bolt. Instantly, she was wide awake. “It’s been a long day, but I’m so impressed at the way everyone recovered and I know that tomorrow, we’ll be right back at it.”
“Go, team,” Steve said weakly, which made Meryl laugh.
Sofia managed a chuckle. Tomorrow would be another long day and she wasn’t entirely sure she would be able to fake her way through it.
But tonight?
Tonight she would wrap her arms around Eric and be a little bit selfish. She could take what she needed instead of having to worry about what other people needed. It would be worth it, even if it were awkward tomorrow morning. She wanted to remember that she was Sofia, a woman with desires and needs.
She gave Eric’s fingers a squeeze and felt a ripple of tension move up his arm. Then he let go of her hand as the elevator stopped at their floor. “What time is the first meeting tomorrow?” he asked as they filed out of the elevator and down the hall toward their rooms.
“Nine a.m.” Sofia replied. And since everything had been pushed back today, there was no hoping for an extra hour tomorrow morning.
“Let’s meet in my suite at eight for breakfast.” He still sounded confident and alert, as if he could have lingered at the bar for another few hours.
She didn’t want to linger at the bar. She wanted to linger in his bed, by God.
Meryl and Steve mumbled their agreements as they reached their room. Eric paused and looked back over his shoulder, making eye contact with Sofia. She bobbed her head, agreeing to the question he hadn’t asked—at least not in words.
It didn’t matter. The answer was still yes.
“Good night,” she said to the hallway at large as she went into her room. She took a moment to use the bathroom and freshen up and then, still in her fancy dress, she opened the door on her side of the wall.
His side was already open. Quietly, she stepped into the room. Even that simple act had her pulse beating at a higher rhythm, which was still a new and exciting feeling to her. During that first year after David had passed, when she’d been struggling to care for her newborn twins, her sexuality had been in hibernation. She hadn’t had the energy to miss it then, but when she’d begun to emerge from the fog of depression and sleep deprivation, she’d wondered if she would be capable of sexual desire again. It was almost like she’d forgotten how.
Then, this afternoon, Eric had made her shatter with nothing more than a well-placed touch and some passionate kisses. Which had been wonderful relief. She could still feel. That part of her hadn’t died with David.
But she wanted more. She wanted it all.
She wanted Eric. And thank God, he was here for her.
This was just the weekend. On Monday, they’d go back to normal. She’d go to work and he’d go boating. No more clothes, no more kisses in the back of his car. No more pictures of Eric cuddling her children.
No one would know. Especially not her mother.
Eric came out of his bedroom and, without breaking stride, crossed the room and pulled her into his arms. His mouth came down over hers, a kiss so hot that suddenly she had on far too much clothing. Luckily for her, he was hell-bent on rectifying that situation.
“All night long,” he murmured against the delicate skin of her neck, making her pulse flutter wildly, “I’ve been staring at you in this dress.”
“I like this dress.” The zipper moved down her back one notch at a time as his mouth drifted down her neck to her cleavage at the exact same pace. Luxurious warmth built low in her body and radiated out. For the first time in so long, she was warm. God, she hoped Eric heated her up.
She went on, “It makes me look...”
Well, it made her look like she fit in his world.
“Correction,” he said as he tugged the zipper down the rest of the way. Cool air kissed her back and she shivered, her nipples going hard. “You make the dress look amazing, Sofia.” He took a step back, and the dress gaped at her chest. He ran his fingers under the straps then pulled them off her shoulders. “But you know what’s better than you in this dress?”
“What?”