Out in the hall, Erin met her secretary’s stunned look with a self-satisfied smile and suantered past, pulling her shirt back on, uncaring of what the woman thought. Nothing could detract from the triumph that engulfed her at the moment, certainly not the fact that she’d walked out of her office half naked or the shock on Heather’s face.
She’d done it! She’d actually walked away with her pride intact, had proved to Ethan that she was just as capable of cold, hard revenge as he. Erin couldn’t help the wide grin that spread across her entire face at the image of Ethan standing there in helpless anger.
Fastening the buttons on her shirt, Erin turned to her secretary. “Heather, give my guest a couple of minutes alone, then make sure he doesn’t do much damage to the furniture.”
Heather could only manage a wide eyed nod as she cast an apprehensive glance at the still closed door, which only made Erin’s smile widen.
“Don’t worry, he doesn’t bite.” She assured the worried red head, then continued on to the elevator.
******
“Bloody hell!”
Ethan stared in disbelief as the conniving witch shut the door, leaving him naked, aroused and very very furious.
Erin had actually walked out on him. She’d seduced him, played him for a fool and then humiliated him in the worst possible way.
He let loose another stream of curses, desperately needing an outlet for his frustrations. Most especially, he wanted to wring the little minx’s neck, then take her over his knees and spank her silly till she begged his forgiveness.
No woman had ever dared to trick him this way. Certainly, no woman he’d ever paid attention to had ever resisted his love making or even walked away right in middle of sex, but Erin had somehow managed to accomplish both.
Ethan raked a hand through his hair. Amidst the fury that blazed through his insides, he had to admit a grudging admiration for the stunt she’d just pulled. Not that he was going to let her get away with it of course.
With another curse, he yanked on his pants, casting a resigned look towards his now soaked briefs, resting at the bottom of the fish tank. Ethan’s eyes darkened.
He was going to enjoy teaching Erin a lesson.
A tentative knock broke his venegeful thoughts. Ethan glared as the door opened to admit the red-haired secretary he’d passed earlier. She stepped into the room then stopped, eyes going wide as saucers, mouth falling open in shock as her eyes fell on Ethan, clad only in his pants.
“Oh…” She gasped, cheeks pink with embarrassment. Then she seemed to recover as her gaze slowly travelled over Ethan, lingering at the bare expanse of his chest.
Ethan scowled, sure the secretary’s entrance was just another of Erin’s ploys to ensure his humiliation.
“Where did she go?” He barked, pulling on his shirt with swift movements.
Heather jumped, cheeks flushing a hot pink in embarrassment at being caught oogling her boss’ boyfriend. “Umm….” She licked her lips nervously, “I don’t know…sir, she just asked me to check if…”
“Where is she?” Ethan cut in, his mood souring even more.
Flustered, the poor woman opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Impatient with this show of incompetence, Ethan scooped up his jacket and tie and stalked past Heather.
The minx had left the office in a dishevelled state, so there was only one place she had to be.
“Sir… I”
“Save it.” He growled, not bothering to turn around. “I know where she is.”
Ethan strode past the secretary, dismissing her as his mind focused on one single purpose.
Find Erin Gosling.
Damn! He should have seen that one coming. The minute that evil gleam had entered her eyes, that should have given him fair warning on what the little minx was up to.
But no, he’d fooled himself into thinking he could control the situation and Erin had one-upped him – again.
Ethan had to hand it to her though, it had taken a lot of guts and will for Erin to walk away. There had been no mistaking the sexual need that emanated from every pore when she’d looked at him before walking away. She still wanted him but he had to admire her strong will… Not that it served as any excuse to leave him hanging the way she had.
A picture of Erin spread over his knees while he spanked her silly flashed through Ethan’s mind. God, but in this frame of mind, he believed himself more than capable of actually doing that to her…might teach the witch a lesson or two and it would certainly give him immeasurable satisfaction…not to mention intense pleasure…to watch her squirm until she actually begged for mercy.
Despite his anger, an evil smile crossed his face as he stepped into the hallway, and past the empty secretary’s desk. His gaze travelled the length of the room, coming to rest on a doorway at the other end marked ‘private’.
The office door opened behind him and the secretary hurried out, giving him a worried look. Ethan ignored her again and made for the door, his quick determined strides covering up the distance in a few paces.
“E.. excuse me sir,” Heather’s voice came from behind, her footsteps indicating that she was right behind him. “You can’t go through there…”
Interesting
A wry smile curved Ethan’s lips at those words. So his hunch had been right after all.
“Is that so?” he muttered under his breath, not breaking stride even as he yanked the door open and walked into yet another hallway. At the end of the short hall, sure enough, was the elevator he knew was right there.
Erin might be a crazy woman, but Ethan could swear there was no amount of madness that would induce her to walk out of her office barely dressed, skin flushed, mouth still swollen from his kisses if she wasn’t sure of total privacy.
The way Erin had probably figured, it would take him a while to get dressed again and chase after her – but the little minx had underestimated him as usual.
“Sir!” Heather broke into his thoughts yet again, her voice indicating she was right at his heels in pursuit. “You can’t go through there, that’s a private lift – for employees only and besides, you’ll need a pass to get it to work…..”
Ethan stopped abruptly, causing the poor woman to crash into him. His arm shot out to steady her before she toppled onto her ass.
Heather gasped, the dual shock of having the breath knocked out of her and Ethan’s grasp on her arm flustering her beyond reason. Her once perfectly coiffed hair had been knocked loose at the impact, sending strands all over her face. Shaking her head in an attempt to get the hair from her eyes, she looked up at the man holding her steady and promptly lost her ability to breathe – again – whatever protest she’d been about to utter completely forgotten under that ice blue scrutiny.
Lord, but Erin must be real crazy to piss off such a man. That thought ran through her mind as she met his furious gaze, mouth a tight line of displeasure as he scowled down at her.
“You have a key card for it, don’t you?” Ethan’s words were less than a question and more like an affirmation of what he already knew.
His eyes glittered in determination, a lock of hair fell over his eye, giving him a dangerous aura, an air that warned Heather that lying or trying to stop him from going up there was not an option.
She almost felt sorry for Erin at the moment. Almost, because she could bet her savings that whatever was going to happen when Ethan finally got his hands on Erin, would simply be a continuation of what had happened behind the closed doors of the office.
The lucky woman.
“Yes.” The simple answer was all she could manage.
Ethan’s shoulders relaxed a little. “Where is it?”
“I- really shouldn’t…” Heather began but he cut her off.
“I’m not in the mood for games woman.” Ethan snapped, barely holding onto his temper. “Open the damn door.”
Flustered again, Heather simply nodded, sighing in barely concealed relief when he released her arm. With shaky legs, she walked back to her desk to get the card, unsure whether to call security and make a run for it or just let Ethan through and pray for Erin’s safety.
She discarded the former option. She had a suspicion that her boss would be displeased if she involved security in this and besides, Erin was more than capable of handling her personal business with Ethan. Of course, crossing the big, angry man waiting impatiently at the lift doors was also not an option.
With another sigh, Heather slid the drawer shut, the key card in her hand.
***
The minute Erin stepped into the safety of her apartment, she shut the door and leaned against it, eyes shut, triumphant grin still very much in place.
She could feel her heart hammering against her ribcage, adrenaline rushing like wildfire through her veins, bubbling to the surface of her emotions in the form of a laugh.
No doubt, Ethan was making his way towards her apartment right now like an avenging angel set on exacting swift and painful punishment for her transgressions. She felt sorry for leaving poor Heather alone to bear the brunt of Ethan’s fury, but that couldn’t be helped. Maybe, a raise or an all-expenses paid vacation would make up for that.
Still, the mental picture of Ethan making his way here without his briefs was enough to send a bolt of white heat race down her spine in anticipation of the confrontation sure to come. She knew Ethan well enough to know what he had in store for her and dear sweet lord in heaven, her body ached just thinking about it.
Talk about blue balls. The mental picture that conjured caused another giggle, quickly fading as yet another image swam to mind of Ethan seeking the company of another woman to relieve the sexual tension she’d caused.
The smile on her face withered to a frown as a bolt of pure jealousy ran through her. What if he didn’t come after her? What then?
Erin straightened from the door, tossing her jacket onto the couch and made her way to the bathroom, undoing her shirt as she went. The frown still lingered on her face as she turned on the taps, the sound of running water doing little to ease the sudden tension in her shoulders. She slipped out of her clothes and perched on the edge of the tub, trailing a hand into the water, her thoughts still centered on earlier events.
Ok, she was going to admit she needed sex and not just any kind of sex, she needed Ethan in a way that still confused the hell out of her. How she could hate a man’s guts and still want to have hot, mindless sex with him was totally beyond comprehension.
Her body still throbbed with unfulfilled needs, just thinking about how hot things had gotten in her office earlier was enough to turn her legs to jelly and her cord to mush. If Ethan didn’t come, then most likely, she would have to take matters into her own hands.
She broke off that train of thought as the bathroom phone rang. She frowned at the phone in confusion, then rose to answer it.
“Hello?”
“It’s me, Heather.” Her secretary’s exasperated tone floated into her ears. “Just a heads up, Mr. Lachlan is coming up like right now and he looks angry enough to commit murder.”
The tension eased from Erin’s shoulders and she relaxed against the tiled wall. “That so?” She laughed, thinking her bath would unfortunately have to wait.
“Yep. He bullied me into opening the private elevator, so ETA is in less than one minute. Matter of fact, he should be breaking down your door right about now.”
As if on cue, her front door rattled as loud, insistent knocking resonated through the apartment.
Erin smiled. Show time.
“Thanks for the warning Heather, he’s here. Remind me to give you a bonus this month.”
Her secretary snickered. “You bet I will. I’m sure fishing tightie-whities out of a fish tank isn’t included in my job description. Have fun boss, and go easy on the poor guy this time?”
She couldn’t resist the evil grin that split her lips. “We’ll see.”
Erin replaced the receiver and reached for her bathrobe hanging next to the phone. As she walked back to the living room, Ethan’s angry voice came through the door.
“Open the goddamn door woman or I swear I’ll break the fucking thing down!”
She opened the door, catching Ethan mid-knock. Careful to keep her expression neutral, Erin regarded him with raised eyebrows as he glared down at her, nostrils flaring in anger.
“Well hello again, Ethan,” Erin said, suppressing a shiver of trepidation under the intense fury that emanated from him.
He growled, the sound at once animalistic and deadly. With the lock of hair falling over his forehead, the deadly gleam in those eyes and the rumpled, yet sexy disarray of his clothes, Erin was forced to revise her earlier opinion of Ethan as an avenging angel. Destructive demon was more like it and maybe….
Ethan moved, his hands closing like steel bands around her waist. Ignoring her shrieks of surprise, he easily scooped her up in a fireman’s carry and strode into her apartment, kicking the door shut with one stocking foot.
Caught off guard, Erin shrieked in terror and instinctively clutched at his shirt to stop herself from toppling over, kicking her legs in futile protest.
“What are you doing? Put me down Ethan!” Erin beat at his back with clenched fists, but she might as well be hitting a rock for all the good it did her.
Her head spun as Ethan dumped her unceremoniously on the bed, and for a second, Erin lay there motionless, trying to get her breath back. One second too slow it seemed, as the bed dipped beneath Ethan’s weight. She rolled to the other side but with one smooth effortless move, he swung a leg over her, trapping her beneath his powerful body. He grabbed both hands in one of his and held it above her head, effectively holding her prisoner.
Erin froze, her gaze locking with Ethan’s determined glare.
“Ethan!” She began but he held up a hand for silence.
“Not a word Erin. Right now, I’m still toying with the thought of wringing your neck.” His tone was dead serious, the words a hiss through gritted teeth. “So help me God, but if you say something asinine, I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
“But…”
“Don’t fucking tempt me, woman!” He snarled. “You’ve already pushed me too close to the edge today.”
A more sensible woman would have shut up just then, but being sensible had never been one of Erin’s strong suits. Even lying pinned to her bed, robe gaping open to reveal her body, she refused to mildly sit by and be bullied into silence.
“All you had to do was admit you wanted me,” she shot back, returning his glare. “If you could lower your goddamned pride and admit you were wrong and none of this would have ha…. hey!”
Her words were cut off in protest as Ethan flipped her over so she lay on her stomach, face buried in the pillow. Panicked now, Erin began to struggle, but his iron grip held her down.
“Oomph!” she let out a muffled gasp at the painful sting of Ethan’s hand descending on her backside. Pain, shock and disbelief exploded within Erin as he repeated the action, the stinging pain causing her eyes to water. Then he stopped, flipping her over to face him again, arms pinned over her head.
“I told you to be quiet Sweetcheeks, but you just had to push it, didn’t you?” He said quietly, the angry expression now replaced by smug satisfaction. Ethan watched her intently, not missing the tears that now leaked freely down her cheeks. “You’re such a spoiled little princess, just begging for someone to do that to you.”
Pain quickly turned to fury.
“Get off me, asshole!” Erin spat, struggling against him, eyes flashing pure fury though inside, she burned with humiliation. “Get off me now!”
“Not until you apologize for walking out on me.”
“Yeah? Well, hell’s going to freeze over before I ever apologize you creep. I’d rather have my teeth ripped out.”
Ethan smirked and shrugged. “I could do this all day, Sweetcheeks.” His gaze travelled down her exposed body, lingering on her heaving breasts. “But I will admit I find you very desirable, especially when you’re glaring daggers at me like that.”
Erin gaped at him in disbelief. Now he admitted he found her desirable? After imprisoning her on her own bed and delivering the worst sort of humiliation possible? The man was unbelievable.
“You’re unreal.” She breathed, “Completely and utterly unreal.”
He chuckled and leaned down, palming one exposed breast in a gentle squeeze, brushing his thumb over her nipple. Erin tried to squirm away from his touch to no avail. “Doesn’t my touch feel real Sweetcheeks?”
Oh yeah, it felt all too real and way too good for her peace of mind. Already her body flooded with desire, the anger and pain fast becoming a distant memory. Dear God! She still wanted to kill him for spanking her of course, but at the same time…..
She gasped. Ethan’s hot mouth had closed over her nipple and he proceeded to light her body on fire with every flick of his tongue over the sensitive flesh. Erin squirmed beneath him while he tortured and pleasured her, unable to escape the torment and yet straining for more as Ethan alternated between both breasts.
He raised his head, studying her through hooded eyes.
“I never stopped wanting you Sweetcheeks,” He murmured, tracing a line down her exposed skin down to the belt of her terry robe. One sharp tug and the material fell free, leaving her completely vulnerable to him. “The question now is – do you want me?”
“Don’t kid yourself.” Despite the desire that raced through her, Erin was still angry at him for the spanking. “I don’t have sex with men who take pleasure in hitting women.”
His eyes darkened. “You needed to be taught a lesson. It was either that or me throttling you.”
“How typical of you to justify your actions with misguided logic. Brilliant idea Lachlan.” Erin sneered up at him.
Ethan grinned, totally unfazed. “Hmmm…. you’re giving me ideas.”
His hand closed over her left breast, squeezing the soft globe gently, thumb brushing over her nipple. The touch set her already sensitive body on fire again and Erin had to grit her teeth to stop the moans that bubbled at the back of her throat.
“Stop this Ethan.” The words were a hiss through gritted teeth as his hot mouth closed over the other breast.
His only response was a quick nip on the soft flesh. His hand left her breast to travel south, lingering over her belly button before going even lower. Erin shut her eyes at the fresh onslaught of pleasure, knowing full well what Ethan was trying to do.
He was going to make her beg for mercy.
******
Two hours and fifteen minutes later, Ethan lay on his side studying the sleeping woman beside him, lightly brushing aside stray strands of hair from her face. He’d made her beg for release alright, but above all, he’d thoroughly enjoyed making love to this fiery woman.
It bothered him, just how much he found himself attracted to her. And even more alarming was the fact that it wasn’t just a sex thing – though that was an added bonus. The woman drove him near insane with anger but still, he found himself lusting after her each time she was in the same room.
Yeah, he’d lusted after several women, but God knew if any of those previous women had pulled the stunt Erin had pulled this afternoon, he would have walked away and never looked back…. of course making sure the unfortunate woman learned a valuable lesson in crossing paths with him.
So why was he still here?
He hadn’t set out to seduce the spoiled heiress, but that was hardly the point now. What mattered now was, what the hell was he doing?
Much as he’d set out to despise Erin and all she represented concerning his past, he had to admire the woman. She’d pulled the rug from under his feet with the Saunders move, subtly achieving the feat without him even knowing a thing beforehand, good god
Erin constantly surprised him and that was something he’d never experienced with another woman, not even her cousin. Nicky had been…predictable, never throwing a tantrum but she hadn’t excited him this way.
Erin stirred, muttering something in her sleep. She turned, snuggling close to the warmth of his body, her delectable backside fitting snuggly against him. Ethan felt the now familiar stir in his groin, amazed he could still respond to this woman so quickly. He slipped an arm over her middle and pulled her close, burrowing his nose in the back of her neck. The sweet scent of jasmine from her shampoo filled his nostrils, the fine hairs tickled his face.
Ethan sighed. It had been five years since he’d last allowed himself the luxury of post coital snuggling. Now, as he held the same woman responsible for putting an end to that particular pleasure, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the obvious irony.