Page 44 of Inarticulate

“I can’t be seen in there.” She pleaded with her eyes, hoping he would be the lighthouse in the storm of rushing hormones.

Instead, he yanked at her jacket collar, pulling it higher to cover her jawline, then trailed his hand down her arm to link their fingers.

He stepped away, taking the first approach toward temptation. She kept her feet planted, their arms outstretching between them as her body filled with the freezing night air. This was one of those moments when she knew what she was doing was wrong. It was stupid. It was careless. And still her feet stumbled forward of their own accord.

She followed where he led—up the stairs, past the front doors, and through the lobby. She kept her head low, hiding under her collar while Keenan’s thumb stroked her hand, back and forth, back and forth.

She focused on the trail of tingles his touch ignited, not once looking up until they were in the sanctuary of the elevator hall. A relieved sigh left her lips and she leaned against the wall, waiting for one of the four doors to open to her rescue.

“What do we have until nine, Keenan?”

She chanced a glance to her side, but her vision bypassed the gorgeous man and became hooked on the security camera in the corner of the roof.Shit.She ducked her head and snuggled closer into him.

“I shouldn’t be here,” she muttered.

Keenan squeezed her hand and spun her to the far elevator behind them, its doors now open wide. She shuffled to keep at his side, hiding behind the wall of his shoulders as they entered the small space.

“Where to now?”

He ignored her and slid the room card into the security panel before pressing the button for the top floor.

“Keenan?”

The doors closed and he stared at the numbers that increased the higher they ascended. Three… Eight… Ten… Her heart rate climbed, too. Fifteen… Twenty… Twenty-five… Thirty.Ding.

Inch by inch, a view of immaculate tiles and a crystal chandelier opened before her. She stepped out of the elevator and into the opulence, immersing herself in the overbearing beauty of highly priced wall art.

Keenan’s palm pressed into her back as he led her to the penthouse door.

“I really shouldn’t be here.” But it was only for an hour. What trouble could they get into in sixty minutes?

He opened the lock with a press of the room card against the small black panel on the frame and ushered her inside. Her mouth was open wide as she entered the hall. The vast difference between Grandiosity and Rydel were laid before her in sparkling colors.

He slid his palm into hers, and the tingle of his touch accompanied her into the main room.

“Oh… Wow…” More pompous narcissism bombarded her, but it was beautiful. Oh, so beautiful. The black of night pressed against the floor to ceiling windows, and the reflection of glistening tiles and stainless steel appliances beamed back at her. Everything was immaculate, just as you’d expect from a room which probably cost her healthy monthly salary for one night within the sacred walls.

“It’s magnificent.” Keenan made to step away, but she clung to his hand and pulled him back. “It’s magnificent… But we should leave.”

The nudge of guilt entered her mind. Not only was she in a competitor’s building, she was in the penthouse, fantasizing about one of their employees and all the naughty things they could do under their roof.

He tugged her toward him, into his chest, and kissed her. He seduced a whimper from her throat and compliance from her body. It was confounding—his power. She shouldn’t be this malleable to a man, and yet all her heart thrummed to do was to please him. To make him smile. To make him growl.

He broke their connection slowly, his gaze staring down at her, saying silent words she deciphered like a mastermind code cracker. He wanted her, too. Not just a kiss or a caress. The need flowing through her veins was equally as potent in his. But there was more. She could see mindlessness staring back at her. He knew they shouldn’t be here, he knew all the risks and how careless this was. She could also see something bigger, something that added a spark of vulnerability. Did he want more than gratification? Was he aiming to steal her heart?

He turned toward the glass doors leading outside and opened them wide. The freezing air didn’t stop her from following after him, onto a balcony bigger than her San Francisco apartment. She blinked away the clouded fog in her mind and focused on the glistening shimmer of the illuminated pool. The surface seeped with mist, the warmth of the water fighting back against the cold of night.

The sound of rustling clothes came from beside her, and she glanced over to find Keenan throwing his jacket to a nearby lounger.

“What are you doing?”

He shot her a sly look and toed off his shoes.

“You’re going swimming?”

He unbuckled his belt and shucked his pants, leaving them in a pile on the tile floor. His shirt was next, exposing a mass of muscled skin covered with gooseflesh. One by one, he took off the remainder of his clothes, leaving only his boxer briefs behind.

He outstretched a hand, offering her an invitation to his insanity.

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