Page 33 of Fiancée for the Cameras

Monica arched into his touch, her nipples peaking painfully as his mouth drifted lower, tugging the V-neck of the blouse as far as it would allow. She hummed at the back of her throat, an action she didn’t know she was capable of, begging him wordlessly to do more. His scruff was rougher than the previous night, and pleasure jolted down to her sex when he pushed her blouse and bra roughly down and rubbed it against her nipple.

It was decadent, wanton and felt so filthily divine that she thought she might come apart at the seams.

Moaning, writhing on his lap, she sank her fingers into his hair, keeping him there. He licked at the needy knot before drawing it into his mouth. Monica jerked at the swift pool of dampness that one action caused and God, if he continued, she would come just like that and... He stopped.

Then he was tugging her bra and blouse back into place while she trembled with unmet need. “You’re dangerous,bella. That wasn’t what I had in mind for this morning.”

“Then why did you start it?” she asked, unable to keep her peevishness out of her tone. “You...you...”

Brow risen, Andrea watched her with a keen interest, the earlier amusement returning to his eyes.

She struggled to get off his lap but his arms were steel bands around her. “I’m beginning to think you find this all hilarious,”she said, anger and something more beating at her. “Me, I mean.”

“I find you...sweet and naive,bella,” he said, the humor vanishing from his eyes. “But it doesn’t mean I’m laughing at you.”

The tenderness in his voice could undo her so easily. Monica nodded without looking at him. This time when she tried to stand, he let her go, and she wished she hadn’t.

God, she was a contrary fool.

Instead of running away or clinging to him, she chose the middle ground and settled on the coffee table in front of him, her legs on the outside of his, pathetic enough to want that little bit of closeness.

Hand under her chin, Andrea lifted her head. His dark eyes searched hers, challenging her to hold his gaze. “Now, tell me what this morning is all about.”

She wished she could lie or fob him off with some flirty remark, or have the guts to grab him and kiss the hell out of him like she wanted to. But she was who she was and Andrea wasn’t someone she could deter when he set his mind to something. “I...didn’t want to be a nuisance to you. And I didn’t want you to think I was expecting anything. Work had piled up anyway so I thought I should just...make myself useful.”

He nodded, looking thoughtful. “This doesn’t have to be awkward, Monica. We’re consenting adults who trust each other,si?”

“I just... I panicked because I didn’t know how to behave in this context and—”

“Because you’ve never done this before?” he cut in.

“No,” she said, this time managing the fake flirty smile. “I haven’t had a red-hot affair with my boss before.”

“No, you’ve never had sex before.”

Her gaze met his and her silence offered its own answer without her permission. Suddenly, she understood the intent behind his frown before. If he called her pathetic again...she might get actually mad and stomp out of there. “I think that’s my business.”

He leaned forward, trapping her between his thighs before she could pull away again. “I agree,bella. I only wish you’d told me so—”

“So you could find another reason to put me off? I don’t know about you but I truly enjoyed what happened last night, Andrea. And I have zero regrets. Maybe this is about you and your—”

He caught her mouth in a devastating kiss that would have taken her out at the knees if she hadn’t been sitting. There was none of the gentleness from last night, no exploration, no building to something more. Only rough, hard possession, making her words a lie, making her tingle from head to toe, telling her in no uncertain terms that this was a two-way obsession. At least for now.

His tongue plundered her mouth; his teeth nipped her lips as if in punishment for her doubts and God, his hands stroked over her hips and her back and sank into her hair and tugged her neat little braid until she tilted her head up in complete surrender. “I have plans for this braid and you.” His words sent pulses of damp desire arrowing down to her core. Like a bow, he pulled her body taut and tight under his hold, ready to splinter at one tug. And she didn’t mind one bit.

All her life, she’d hidden in the margins, making safe, defensive choices, always toeing the line of security but now, she was more than willing to let it all unravel at his hands.

His mouth left a wet, hot trail down her blouse, and then he bit the curve of her breast. “Still believe I didn’t enjoy last night?”

Hands splayed on his thighs, she scooted closer and closer until somehow, she was on his lap and his erection was notched right where she needed it. She cursed herself for wearing skin-tight jeans. “Let’s leave it at that, then.”

Slowly, he released his hold and pulled back. This time, Monica couldn’t help it, she ran her thumb over his lower lip and farther down until she could trace the marks she’d left on his skin. God, she loved touching him like this, loved knowing what he liked, just...knowing him at this intimate level.

“You were engaged to that scoundrel,cara mia. I’m trying to understand what was going on and if I need to find him and thrash him.”

“I know how...it looks and I want to share some things with you. But what if it makes you laugh at me?”

His mouth flattened with quick anger and she felt stupid for projecting her own insecurities at him. “I’m not him,bella.”

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