Page 26 of Succumbed

I accept it and sidle over to her, itching to touch her. Being surrounded by her scent–both floral and fresh, with a touch of citrus–only enhances her gravity, and she effortlessly draws me in. She’s fucking gorgeous, that much any idiot could see. Tall, fit, with legs for days and an ass I can sink my teeth into.

But I want more than her body. I want to lose myself in that brilliant mind of hers, wrap myself in the essence of what makes her the most powerful woman in the Bay. It would be a goddamn shame to work with her for three months and only see her professional side.

“Linc.” Her husky voice catches my attention.

“Yeah?”

“You’re staring,” she murmurs.

“Yeah.” When did I get so close?

“Why are you staring?” she presses, her endless green eyes swallowing mine.

She has to crane her head slightly without her heels on, and the angle makes the lines of her neck deliciously inviting. I bend my head, my lips hovering centimeters from her skin. We aren’t touching yet, just close enough to feel each other’s body heat. I know this is my chance; if I let this opportunity pass me by, I might lose my nerve and never tell her how I feel. It’s now or never.

“Because I want you,” I rasp, fingers skimming over her cheek as I tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “And I’ve been thinking about how much I want you since you walked out in those fucking yoga pants.”

She shivers as my breath washes over her skin, and I want to groan. My cock is ready to punch a hole through my jeans to get to her. Her chest rises and falls with rapid breaths, and I desperately want to see what hides beneath her oversized shirt.

“May I?” Taking her silence as an opening, I run my fingers along the edge of her shirt, teasing the fabric up an inch.

Her breath hitches. I pull back to see her face and smile when I find her eyes closed.

“May you what?” she breathes.

“Have you.”

Her eyes fly open to reveal blown pupils. Fuck, she’s so goddamn sexy. Those lush pink lips I’ve been dreaming about part, and it takes all my willpower not to boost her onto the counter and devour her.

“Lex, please–”

“Ground rules,” she interrupts, placing a hand on my chest. The heat of her palm burns through the soft cotton of my shirt.

I grunt playfully and lean my forehead against hers, unwilling to let her go. “I hate rules.”

She huffs a laugh. “I’m not surprised. But we have to work together tomorrow, so we need them.”

“I’m a professional. We can work together fine. Just two consenting adults having some fun.”

Lex steps back and grins, the sight of it making my chest swell. “As much as I want to say ‘fuck decorum’ and take you upstairs, I think we need to take a minute.”

“No, no. Upstairs. I choose upstairs. What’s upstairs?” I look around. “Where are the stairs?”

Her laugh is a drug. I smile as she settles herself on a stool at the kitchen island, silently telling my dick to calm the fuck down. Heaving a sharp breath, I scrub a hand over my face and put the sexy thoughts out of my mind. For now.

“Food, then rules?”

“May as well do them concurrently.” Her eyes sparkle. “More efficient.”

I groan and drop my head back. “Fuck, don’t say shit like that. My blood’s all going to the wrong head.”

She makes grabby hands at me, ignoring my drama. “You mentioned lo mein?”

“And crab rangoon.”

“Ooooh, don’t tell the others, but you’re my favorite.” She digs into the containers I pass over, fishing out the sweet chili dipping sauce.

“For the record, your favorite what, exactly?”

---