Page 13 of Nothing to No One

“Yes,” she pleaded, eyes closed, head nodding. “Oh, yes.”

She couldn’t breathe, her throat scratched, withholding its desire to release the scream buried beneath her heart.

“You’re tight,” he murmured, but didn’t hesitate to drive two fingers into her. The slick connection flicked a switch and she cried out. “Fuck.”

The hissed word barely made it to her ears that echoed with the pound of their warring heartbeats. His body moved, sort of tipped to the side and she grabbed his neck, fighting to bring his mouth to hers. When he resisted, her drowsy eyelids parted just a sliver. Arousal didn’t cover what surged up inside her when his fingers slipped between his lips to taste her.

“Mmm,” she moaned, writhing beneath him, desperate to pull him closer.

“Delicious,” he groaned.

“Baby…”

“No,” he said and kissed her quick. “I want more.”

The whisper of her on his lips distracted her as he slid down low, kissing her breasts, her stomach, threading her legs out of her panties.

Was this a good idea? How could she be doing this? There with the—his tender kiss on her clit elevated her wondering to an overpowering bliss. And she went back to who cared?

“Ah,” she gasped, drawing her knees high. “I want you…” Though he felt good, this was selfish, he should take, not just give. Cupping his head, she tried to pull him higher again. “Please, I want you inside me…” Nothing, he just kept on trailing his tongue through her folds. “Mmm, Roman…”

Floating on endorphins, she could only smile when he rose. The blanket fell from his shoulders, haloing the intimate red light around him.

“Fawn…” the whisper of his voice matched the delicate press of his fingertips on her thighs. “I have to tell you something—”

A whine pierced the air, and a thud followed. Darkness. Shit. Why had darkness returned?

She sat up to be caught in his arms. “What’s happening?”

The lights came on, bright, jarring, jolting. And, fuzz, there he was, on his knees, the gorgeous sculpture that was his body, looming over her submission. Her spread legs relaxed around him, but, God, in that light.

Mood shattered, she shoved away and clambered to her feet, grabbing for her dress to cover herself. The zipper pinched her skin. On a yelp, she freed it and fought to position her shoulder straps again.

Her bra appeared in his hand in front of her. “Fawn, relax. It’s just the power coming back on.”

Yes, she could see that. Snatching the bra, that she should’ve put on before zipping her dress, a thunk at the door slammed her into keen mode. Rushing backwards, toward it, behind it, she watched and ignored it at the same time.

What was coming? Were they about to be caught?

The door opened and she leaped back again, losing herself in the rush of entering people. In the half dozen or so bodies that crowded the door, all voices, all focus, went to the man who’d just enjoyed her body.

Embracing the melee, she somehow got herself back upstairs to where she’d started. Like none of it ever happened. No chance of being lost or isolated with the number of people rushing around.

Renata burst from the mess. “Bambi, did the last of the vehicles leave?”

“I, uh—”

“Gather the leftover gift bags and get them to the stock truck. We’ll have to send them out with some, something extra, whatever, we’ll worry about that later. Then stick with Perry, she’s delegating.”

Delegating?

Her boss hurried off and she spun around to get to work. Maybe it should be upsetting no one noticed her missing, instead it was a relief. The fallout of the power cut would keep management busy. Thank goodness Renata was more interested in spouting orders than assigning blame. Good. She’d do her work and get home, fast. Really fast. And she’d never think of this night ever again.

SIX

AT HOME, she’d collapsed in bed, exhausted, chastising herself any time Roman popped into her head.

If Brooker was blamed for events of the night, there could be major fall out. No one could do that, could they? Blame Brooker? Its people didn’t orchestrate the power cut, that was like an act of God or something. Totally outside their control.

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