Page 37 of Just The Way You Aren't

"Let go," he commands, his rhythm faltering as his own control slips. "Come for me."

His words, combined with the delicious friction of him moving inside me, send me careening over the edge. I cry out as my orgasm crashes through me, more intense than I could have imagined. He follows moments later, burying his face in my neck as he shudders against me, his grip on my thighs almost painful.

For several long moments, we stay like that, tangled together against his wall, breathing hard. His weight pins me in place, but I don't mind. I'm not entirely sure my legs would support me anyway.

When he finally lifts his head, there's a dazed quality to his expression that fills me with feminine satisfaction. Damien Langley, disheveled and breathless because of me.

"What do you think of my place?" he asks, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

I pretend to consider this, even as I'm acutely aware of him still inside me, my legs still wrapped around him, both of us panting and naked in his marble foyer.

"I really like this wall," I reply, shifting slightly against it for emphasis. "Sturdy. Excellent support."

His laugh is unexpected and genuine, transforming his face completely. He presses his forehead against mine, suddenly looking boyish despite our decidedly adult activities.

"I should probably be a good host and show you the rest of the house," he says, making no move to disentangle us. "We can start with my bedroom."

I trail my fingers down his chest, feeling his heart stillracing beneath my palm. "Lead the way. I can't wait to see what other surfaces we can test out."

The challenge in my voice makes his eyes darken again, and I know we're in for a long night. As it turns out, Damien Langley's intimidating exterior hides a man who knows exactly how to make a girl forget all of her inhibitions—along with her panties.

CHAPTER 13

DAMIEN

Something fruity tickles my nose. I open my eyes slowly, the morning sun shining just barely through the blinds. I would have bought blackout blinds, but I never want to have any reason to oversleep. I have a schedule to keep, after all.

What greets my eyes first is a cloud of red hair. Resting in the middle of it, as though surrounded by a halo, is Willow.

Sweet, beautiful, complicated, disorganized Willow.

We had sex all night long. Now the strawberry—or is it peach?—scent of her permeates the air and my sheets. My whole body wants to wake her up for another round, maybe carry on the rest of the day and through tonight. I could stand to wake up like this again and again with Willow in my bed.

I glance at my phone which is charging beside my bed. It’s a minor miracle I had the presence of mind to go downstairs and retrieve it last night. My alarm is set to go off in another two minutes.

Not wanting to wake Willow, I turn it off. I sit up in bed and, regretfully, give her hair one last soft touch beforegetting up. I need to get to the gym, then to work. It’s Saturday, but this is my routine and I have to make up for all the time I’ve been giving to Silver Hearts. No matter how tempted I am to stay in bed with her instead.

I hit my home gym for forty-five minutes, then come back to see Willow is still sleeping like a baby. After the punishing workout I’ve just had, the last thing I should be thinking about is another round of sex, but try telling that to my cock. Now that it’s had a taste of Willow, all it wants is more. It’s something I should have been prepared for before bringing her home with me last night, but it’s too late for second thoughts. I’ve opened the door and now I have to live with the consequences.

Despite my rampant hard-on and the lovely temptation sleeping in my bed, I force myself to head into the shower.

The marble floor is cold when I walk into the bathroom, and I frown and turn up the heat on the heated flooring. Then I get into the multi-jet, zero-entry shower. I think about Willow as I soap up and wash my hair. This whole Silver Hearts thing was meant to boost my image and, by extension, the company’s image. I was never meant to get romantically involved with the Executive Director, a woman so different from me that we might as well be night and day.

She’d be okay, of course. The woman is liquid sunlight.

I shake my head. Though last night was incredible, deep down, I know there can’t be a repeat. I don’t want things to get confused. No more confused than they already are, that is. I let her get under my skin—something few others have done. And none the way she has. The simple truth is, I like her. I like being around her. Hell, I even like myself when I’m around her, and that’s foreign territory on its own.

No, I will not do this with Willow again. I can’t bringmyself to call last night a mistake, but still, it absolutely, positively, cannot happen again.

Secure in my decision, I walk out of the bathroom in a towel instead of naked as I normally would. I don’t want her to get the wrong idea. Luckily, though, she still hasn’t woken up.

I pull on my clothes and am just slipping into a pair of Italian loafers when Willow slowly turns her head and looks at me. As her eyelids lift drowsily, she gives me a sleepy smile. “Hi.”

“Hi.” Even though I’m on a tight schedule, I smile back and ask, “How are you feeling?”

“Good. Thoroughly ravished.” Her smile melts into a frown when she takes in my attire. “Are you going somewhere?”

“I need to get to the office. I have a lot of work to do today.”

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