Benath the Surface (Reluctance #1) by M.A. Stacie
“Thank you.” It was a whisper; Dale was unsure why she was thanking him.
They kept their gazes locked. Their heavy breathing, along with the lowering of his zipper, was the only sound to break the silence. Her heart crashed against her chest as she prayed they wouldn’t be caught. She wanted this moment with him so much. No matter where they were.
Kyran lifted his hand to her mouth, tapping her bottom lip with a silver condom wrapper.
“Prepared much?”
Crinkles appear at the corners of his eyes as he replied, “Boy Scout. Can’t help myself.”
Unable to think of a witty retort, she let her gaze drift over his chest and abs. His waist was small in comparison to his broad shoulders, but it was his enticingly lickable V that had her mouth watering. It started at his hips and led below his underwear.
Kyran smirked at her perusal. The man’s ego was huge. She continued to inflate it even more by drinking in every drop of him. And by the way his underwear strained, his ego wasn’t alone in its inflation.
“Like what you see?”
She bit her lip. The man was so sure of himself, he didn’t need her reaffirming the obvious.
“Stand up, Dale. Rest your hands on the table.” The firmness of his voice made her squirm with arousal.
Dale did as he asked, feeling the cool air hit the cheeks of her ass when Kyran lifted her skirt around her waist. Her stomach flipped with excitement, her nipples ached with desperation. His body molded against her back, and he started to molest her neck with open-mouthed kisses. Kyran licked her skin and cupped her breasts from behind her.
With each flick of his thumbs over her nipples, she moaned, rubbing her ass against his shaft. Without a doubt, the man had skilled fingers, knowing what she needed to urge her lust further. Joel had been good, but Kyran made him seem like a teenage virgin.
He spoke seductively into her ear. “I’m going to take you here, Dale. Rough. Hard.”
Biting her lip, she stopped a loud groan of lust from escaping. The way he spoke, the words he used, had her insane with desire.
“I’m not going to touch you again until you agree to it.”
“I d-don’t . . .”
“Don’t what? Want me to do this?” He started trailing little kisses down her neck, his fingers walking up her spine. She was melting into a pool of arousal, wet with the anticipation. The desire grew worse when he spoke; his lips moving against her neck.
“Don’t want me to fuck you? Is that what you’re trying to say?”
Dale struggled to verbalize what she needed. The concern for their surroundings still clung to her.
Instead of words, she used actions, and ground her ass against his erection.
“That’s not good enough. Tell me.”
Her heart sped up as she finally said, “Yes, I want you.”
“How? How do you want me?” His words were followed by the tearing of the condom packet. He lifted her hip, and with a little twisting, she watched him sheath himself while still keeping her back to him. Air rushed from her lungs. They were going to have sex. At work. In the boardroom.
Dale’s breathing became shallow as her temperature began to rise. Kyran caressed her ass and then her thighs. She closed her eyes, preparing for Kyran to enter her.
“Oh God!” She screamed out when she felt his tongue lap at her sex.
“Damn, you are delicious.”
Unable to form a coherent sentence, she murmured her response, hoping he took her garbled words as a good thing. He was going to kill her before he even entered her. His tongue was divine, and she wanted more.
Rolling her hips against his mouth as she opened her eyes, she felt him hum in approval. The vibration ran along his tongue, tickling her clit. It was too much. Her stomach began to spasm and her thighs shook. “Please . . .” She begged, resting her face onto the cold table.
Kyran paused and then moved back up her body. “Please, what?”
“I need to feel you inside me.”
Her skin was on fire, a sweat breaking out on her forehead. He gripped her hips and his erection rested against the crease of her ass.
“That’s all I was waiting for.”
He shifted his position and pushed Dale down to rest on her elbows. They both hissed as he entered her body. She moved her legs farther apart to accommodate him; the man was larger than she’d assumed.
“Dale,” he whispered, pulling his cock out of her.
Dale whined, though it morphed into a grunt when Kyran proceeded to slam himself right back in. He set the pace and continued to thrust into her with force. It was rougher than she’d ever had, and yet the whole scenario was perfect, taking her to heights she’d never been to before.
Their moans filled the room, escalating when Kyran slipped a hand around to her clit and pressed with his thumb. Dale bucked against him, mewling like a kitten. Dale wondered how he could know what she needed, what would make her lose her mind.
The table scraped a little on the floor, but Kyran pounded harder and harder into her. It verged on brutal. Dale thought she would probably have bruises in his wake.
“Fuck, Dale, you feel so damn tight.”
Her skin began to tingle as her orgasm started to build.
“You’re so slick. So fucking perfect.”
She moaned louder, no longer concerned if they got caught. Kyran began to speed up, stroking her clit and driving her closer to her crescendo. Their voices became a series of husky groans, and with each thrust they grew less rational.
Dale spiraled over the edge. She cried out as the white light seared through her system. Pleasure burst within her, and every cell in her body exploded with ecstasy. Kyran grunted and followed her as he pressed his face into her back, muffling the sounds of his own orgasm. She was oblivious to everything, consumed by her fulfillment. Her heart was pounding, her blood coursing through her body far faster than it should.
It was bliss.
Exhausted, Dale rested flat against the table. Kyran pulled out of her, leaving her bereft without him. But she would never admit that to him. Not even in her fuzzy erotic haze.
He moved his lips to her neck again and nibbled a path along her shoulder. She squirmed, her skin overly sensitive after her orgasm.
“Ticklish?” he asked, lifting her torso off the table and turning her to face him.
“Not usually. I think you spiked my drink.”
“You’re the one who got me coffee, remember?”
Smiling, she let him right her bra, and then she began to button her blouse. “Yeah, I think it’s cold now.”
He smiled back, his eyes glittering with playfulness. His cheeks were flushed and his lips were swollen.
Kyran looked happy. It took her breath away. The man was stunning when he wasn’t spewing anger and spitting caustic curses. She couldn’t drag her eyes away as he dressed then corrected his cufflinks and tie. Her body began to throb again, signaling a renewed need for his touch. Any thought that once would be enough was dispelled. She was in deep.
Putting some distance between them, Dale moved away from the table, allowing Kyran to haul it back into place.
“The floor’s going to need re-polishing.” He stalked over to her, giving her the distinct impression that she was his prey. “But it was worth every cent it’s going to cost me.”
“We could have been caught. Taylor—”
“Is a lazy bastard who was never going to turn up today.”
Confused, Dale scowled. “He wasn’t?”
Kyran shook his head, grasping the front of her blouse and pulling her flush against him. “No, he wasn’t, but I’m not in the mood to discuss him.” He lowered his tone and held out her panties. “Was I too rough?”
Dale snatched her underwear from Kyran and quickly put it back on. She hadn’t expected concern, not that she knew him well enough to have any expectations.
“Um, no.” She blushed. “You kinda warned me, right?”
“I did but that doesn??
She grinned. “I knew you spiked my drink.”
He kissed the tip of her nose in a romantic gesture she didn’t expect. She liked it but buried any sentimental thoughts that this meant more than it did.
“I’m not the drugging type, Dale. With me it’s always consensual.”
“Good to know.”
Awkwardness seeped between them. What happened now?
Kyran stepped away and moved over to the door. Dale combed her fingers through her curls, hoping she didn’t appear as disheveled as she felt. Her legs still felt like Jell-O and her body still lost without the blanket of his.
“Did you come in here knowing Taylor wouldn’t turn up? Was I just a quick diversion?” The words blurted out unexpectedly. She’d been thinking them but hadn’t meant to verbalize her thoughts. However, she did want answers.
Kyran turned back to her, eating up the space between them. “I came in here to get my coffee and to tell you to go home for the day. Yes, I knew the imbecile wouldn’t be back, but I never planned this.”
“Promise me you didn’t.” Her voice shook.
Taking a few deep breaths, Kyran closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose. Dale stayed silent, ready to flee.
He opened his eyes, boring them into hers as he spoke. “I never make promises. Dale, you mix me up so much I don’t know what the fuck is going on. I’m never like that. Never.”
“So what happens now?”
“I have no idea. It’s not like I regularly have sex with my brother’s assistant in the fucking boardroom, is it?”
Picking up her purse, she stomped over to the door. “And I know that how?”
Kyran stiffened. “Because I don’t do that. And because I just told you.”
“Forget it, Kyran. Chalk it up to a mistake. We’ll go back to Mr. Reese and Ms. Porter, okay?”
“No!” he said, following her. “We will not. That . . .” He pointed to the table. “What happened there can’t be forgotten or chalked up as nothing. I don’t have the answers. I don’t have anything.”
Dale sagged, too tired to fight with him. “Maybe you should figure stuff out and get back to me. I know that was the best sex I’ve ever had. I know my body is still hungry for you, and I know one touch from you will have me panting all over again. When you know what’s going on, call me.”
Pulling the door open, Dale straightened her spine, her resolve stronger than ever, and she started walking away from Kyran.
“Why am I the one who needs to find the answers? You were here, too, dammit.” She kept walking. “I’ll be at the club tonight.”
Not quite ready to back down, she shouted, “Good for you!”
Chapter 9
The woman made him crazy. He didn’t recognize himself anymore. The man staring back at him when he looked in the mirror was a complete stranger.
Kyran stood in his office bathroom, trying to calm his shaking hands. He had splashed water onto his face, needing to snap out of his sexual stupor. There was work to be done, and even though he shouldn’t have fucked her in the boardroom, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. Dale had rocked his fucking world.
The whole situation made him cringe, though. It was far too much like his father and Clara. Kyran had spent years proving that he was nothing like the man. The apple and tree analogy rattled around in his head, refusing to disappear no matter how much he wanted it to.
“Are you in here?”
Kyran stilled at the sound of his father’s voice. He hadn’t expected him today, though Jacob enjoyed dropping in and catching them all unaware. And there was always the hope that he’d come to sort Taylor out. Kyran had asked enough times.
While checking his appearance, Kyran shouted, “I’ll be out in a minute.” He stared into the mirror, positive his lips were still swollen. He could still feel the way Dale’s body molded against him, still smell her vanilla scent, and all of it drove him crazy.
Kyran straightened his tie before opening the bathroom door and saying, “I didn’t expect you today.”
Jacob’s eyebrows rose as he turned to face his son. “Isn’t that the idea?”
“Apparently.” Kyran walked over to his desk, taking a deep breath before sitting down. “Any special reason?”
“I need to speak to your brother. However, I’ve been told he left and hasn’t returned.”
“So it seems.” Kyran cleared his throat. “Have you spoken to his new assistant? Maybe she knows where he is?”
“No, I haven’t.” His father took the seat across from his, rearranging his shirt and pants in the process. The man didn’t seem to understand the meaning of the word casual. In fact, Kyran was amazed he wasn’t wearing a suit.
“Truthfully, I’d have been more surprised if Taylor were busy at his desk.”
“So why do you let him get away with it?” Kyran said.
Jacob’s pursed his lips. “You sound very childish sometimes, son.”
Anger bloomed within him. “There you go again, jumping to his defense. When will you open your eyes and see what a mess he is?”
“You think I’m blind to his flaws?”
“To be honest, Dad, yeah, I do.” Jacob opened his mouth, but Kyran continued, regardless. “You let him get away with using this company like a hobby. He doesn’t do half the work I do, and when he is here, he might as well not be since he’s usually in some kind of drunken stupor. It’s disgusting.”
“He’s working through his own stuff, Kyran. You do your thing, he does his.”
“Meaning?”
Jacob shook his head in dismissal. “Nothing. I’m just telling you it’s not being ignored or allowed.”
“You’re not here every day. You don’t know the half of it.” Kyran’s hold on his temper was diminishing by the second.
“Son, I know enough. What exactly do you want me to do? Write him off? Disown him? Would you expect me to treat you the same if you landed yourself in a sticky situation?”
“It was hardly sticky, Dad,” Kyran scoffed. “And it’s not just one situation. He bounces from one disaster to the next. The business will suffer.”
Jacob leaned forward, flashing a sly smile that Kyran did not like one bit. “Would you prefer it if I returned to the company?”
Kyran suppressed a shudder. The mere thought of his father lording over his hard work gave him nightmares. After two years of running the corporation his way, hell would have to freeze over before he handed it back to his father. Gritting his teeth, he replied, “Clara wouldn’t know what to do without you. While we’re on the subject, where is your wonderful child bride?”
“For God’s sake, Kyran, get over yourself. Clara is thirty-seven, no more a child than you or Taylor. She’s been incredibly patient with you, even with your shitty attitude toward her.”
“Money will make anyone patient, Father.”
Kyran expected anger but his father stayed calm, and when he spoke, his tone was curt.
“My relationship with Clara is none of your business. I know exactly how you feel regarding my wife, so no elaboration is required. Going over the same ground will not get you what you want, son. You are not five years old—I will not give in to your tantrums.”
“Oh, please, give me a break. Like you have any idea what I was like at five years old.”
“So we’re going to bring your childhood up, too? I thought I was here to check on Taylor, but apparently you feel this is the right time to spill your guts.” He paused for a moment. “You’re right, I wasn’t around when you boys were children; however, you wouldn’t have a company to run now if I hadn’t spent all my time here. Both of you would be on the family ranch in Hunter’s Hollow, cleaning horse shit from your boots, so don’t complain that I wasn’t around.”
Kyran tapped his fingers on the edge of his desk. He hated dealing with his father. The man would forever avoid answering to any wrongdoings. Kyran would always push for answers only to be disappointed. Lik
Jacob’s shoulders sagged. “Your mother wouldn’t want this, Kyran.”
“Maybe not, but she’s not here, so let’s move on.” His throat constricted with emotion. He hated thinking about his mother and despised recalling the tortured expression on her face as she took her last breath. He shouldn’t have had to watch her die. He’d been just a child.
“I’m trying.” Jacob stood. “I’m going to find your brother and try to slap some sense into him.”
“Can you come back? I need to talk with you about a client.”
A small smile teased his father’s lips, and he straightened his tie again, saying before he left, “I can do that.”
Kyran’s head still raced from having sex with Dale in the boardroom, and now his thoughts sprinted twice as fast from his interaction with his father.
He needed the club.
Metro was Kyran’s sole outlet to vent his frustrations. He got what he needed there. He didn’t consider the ramifications of fighting. He just needed focus, and nothing made him sharper than the club.
Kyran booked a fight.
Messing with Dale had been a mistake, but one he couldn’t bring himself to regret. Kyran stayed clear of relationships, although he enjoyed the adrenaline rush of a one-night stand. He didn’t want the intimacy, because relationships led to nothing but pain and bereavement. He learned that at a very young age. But with Dale he’d wanted to do it again . . . and again.
“You in pain, kid?”
Kyran shook his head. He held his hand out, waiting for Sam to undo the bloody bandages across his knuckles.
The fight had been tough. His opponent had been large. He had biceps that could only be achieved with an injection or two, and he was far more technical with his moves than Kyran was used to. None of the men here was professional, but he had a sneaky suspicion the other guy had been at some point.