“I don’t know about that,” she says, her voice full of doubt as she watches me approach.

“Let me prove it to you.” I take her hand so I can pull her to her feet.

“How?” Her voice is trembling, her gaze meeting mine expectantly.

“Like this.”

Chapter Twelve

Ivy

ARCHER’S MOUTH SETTLES on mine before I can utter a single word, and I’m completely lost. In the taste of him, the scent of him, the way he moves into me as if it’s his every right to be there. Touching me, holding me, drawing me close, his arms circling my waist.

This is what I really want. Working with him will be a great boost to my career; the Bancroft Corporation a stellar client to put into my portfolio and an opportunity that I would be a fool to pass up.

But this is what I not-so-secretly crave. Being in Archer’s arms again, his persuasive lips caressing mine, gently encouraging me to open to him. I do so easily, letting the soft sigh escape when his tongue touches mine. After all my arguments and protests, I still can’t believe I confessed to him what I really wanted.

A chance to be with him, to lose myself with him. Freely.

He’s the only one who’s able to coax an orgasm out of me. Men have tried numerous times before with a variety of methods. And when it wouldn’t work, when I didn’t work, they made me feel like a freak. A few had even declared me frigid. Unresponsive. Unfeeling.

Jerks. They’d tried to tear down my self-esteem and for a while, I let them. Until I realized I didn’t need any of them to give me an orgasm. I was fully in charge of that task. Quite happily, I might add.

Until Archer. And then bam. Instant orgasm. I’d like to experience that again.

And again and again and again.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispers against my lips, his husky voice sending a scattering of gooseflesh across my skin. “So damn much, Ivy.”

I’m about to tell him I missed him too, but he’s kissing me again, more forcefully this time. His tongue strokes mine, his hands clutch at my waist, and I step into him, run my hands up his chest, my fingers molding to the wall of hot, firm muscle beneath my palms. He shivers from my touch, and I realize he enjoys my touch as much as I enjoy his.

Such a powerful, overwhelming discovery.

As our hands move, our lips search, the kiss becoming deep. Hot. I slide my tongue into his mouth and I rest my hands at his sides, my fingers slipping beneath his sweater so I can touch the smooth, bare skin of his back. He grips my waist, guiding me backward, until I’m bumping against the wall and he’s got me trapped. Deliciously, wonderfully trapped.

He toys with the tie at the waist of my dress, his fingers playing with the ends, and then he’s tugging. Pulling the tie undone until my dress loosens and he’s pushing either side of it wide, exposing me to his perusal.

Breaking the kiss, he studies me, his smoldering gaze raking over my body, making me aware of how on display I am for him. I thrust my chest out and let him look his fill. Remind him of what he’s missed out on for the last month.

Me.

“You’re killing me.” He slips his fingers beneath the strap of my black bra, moving to trace the scalloped lacy edge across one breast, then the other. “So f**king beautiful.”

Pleasure swarms me, making me dizzy, and I lock my knees for fear I’ll collapse. I almost cry out when he leans in, one hand braced on the wall beside my head, his mouth at my throat, then my collarbone. Dropping sweet little kisses on my chest, the tops of my br**sts, sampling me. I grip his hips, holding on to him for dear life as he licks and kisses my skin.

Everything he’s doing feels so good I’m afraid I might pass out from the pleasure of it all. My belly clenches, between my legs I grow hot and damp, and I bite my lip when he trails his fingers down my stomach until they’re toying with the waistband of my matching black panties.

“I can see through them,” he whispers, and I crack my eyes open to find his dark head bent, no doubt staring intently at the tiny scrap of material that’s barely covering me. “I really think you are trying to kill me.”

A soft burst of laughter escapes me and he glances up, a sexy smile curving his delicious lips. Tilting my head back, I brush my mouth with his, licking his lips, a soft moan escaping me when his tongue touches mine. I could get drunk off his kisses. His fingers are teasing me, sliding across my stomach, dipping just beneath the waistband of my flimsy panties, not quite reaching where I really want him to be.

“I think I’m going to enjoy this orgasm task,” he mutters against my mouth, making me laugh again. I love how blunt he is. How honest. Spending time with him is never, ever boring.

Especially now.

“Let’s take this off,” he murmurs, pushing my dress off my shoulders so it falls to the crook of my arms. I straighten them as he steps away and the dress flutters to the ground in a heap around my feet. I kick the fabric away, standing before him in just my panties and bra and my black heels.

His gaze drops, running up the length of my body, frank appreciation in his eyes. “Holy hell, woman.”

I feel hot from his words, the way he’s looking at me. Thrusting my chest out farther, I contemplate him, heat blooming between my legs when he studies my br**sts, no doubt seeing my n**ples poke against the thin fabric of my bra.

Without warning he’s on me, his mouth fused with mine, his hands cupping my br**sts, thumbs circling my n**ples. I arch into his touch, a long agonized groan escaping me when he tugs on my n**ples. The pleasurable pain shoots through me, landing between my legs, and I rub against his thigh, sparks of heat blistering through me.

“I want to f**k you right here. Against the wall.” His hand sinks into the front of my panties, finally touching me exactly where I want him. “So wet, Ivy. God.”

He sounds tortured. I feel tortured. Without thought I grab him, mold my hand around the length of his erection, stroking him over his jeans. I wish I could touch his bare skin. I wish I could go down on my knees and draw him into my mouth . . .

Deciding that’s the perfect idea, I frantically undo the snap and zipper on his jeans, shoving them down with impatient, shaky hands. They fall to his feet and he kicks them off, his mouth locked with mine once again, his hand between my legs. I ride that hand unashamedly, whimpering as his fingers work a sort of magic over me, and I lose myself in the sensation. My breaths leave me in shuddery exhales and I throw my head back, my eyelids fluttering as his fingers circle and stroke my cl*t again and again.

“Come for me, baby,” he whispers against my lips just before he kisses me. “Reach for it.”

A ragged little cry escapes me and I close my eyes, moaning when I feel his lips on the side of my neck. He drags his hot tongue over my skin as I grind against his palm and I’m close. So, so close, I’m almost afraid it’s not going to happen.

“I can feel you. Hot and clenching so tight around my finger. You want more, don’t you Ivy?”

His hot words send me straight into oblivion. My body is racked with tremors as my orgasm pulses through me, taking me completely over the edge until all I can do is ride the wave. I grip his shoulders for fear I might collapse as he continues to stroke me, his fingers feather light and so gentle I almost want to weep at how amazing his touch feels.

God. He makes me fall apart with a few hot kisses and delicious touches like some sort of sexual miracle.

As I slowly come back down to earth, I realize he’s still touching me, licking my collarbone, pressing up against me. I can feel his erection brush against my stomach, still covered by his boxer briefs, and I reach for him. Brush my fingers down the light trail of dark hair that lines a path from his navel downward. Sliding my hands beneath the waistband of his underwear, I touch bare, hard skin, my fingers curling around his length.

“Jesus, Ivy,” he chokes out.

Smiling, I slide my back down the wall until I’m level with his cock. Slowly I tug his underwear down, revealing him to my gaze, and his erection springs out toward me almost eagerly.

I feel just as eager. Exhilarated. Reaching for him, I curl my fingers around the base of him and lean in, dropping a kiss on the tip. His agonized groan fuels me and I lick him, wrap my lips around just the head as I suck and work him deeper.

“Not like this,” he gasps, tugging on me so hard I have no choice but to stand and face him again, my feet wobbly since I’m still wearing the damn heels. I’m about to kick them off when he rests his hand on my cheek, making me look up at him. “Keep the shoes on.”

Archer

THIS IS MY every fantasy come to life. Ivy in my arms, spent from the orgasm I just gave her. Ivy kneeling in front of me, drawing me into her mouth, her enthusiastic tongue whipping me into such a frenzy I knew I wouldn’t last long.

No way was I going to come too fast again. This time around, I want to make it last as long as possible. So I yank her to her feet and push impatiently at her tiny panties, wanting them off. Then I’m unsnapping her bra, watching her toss it to the floor before I’m on her again, nestled close, our mouths locked, our tongues dancing, my hands wandering.

We’re both nak*d save for her heels and I pick her up, her legs automatically going around my waist, her pointy heels poking into my ass but I ignore the sharp pain. I press my c*ck against her, dying to plunge inside her.

Fuck. I need a condom first.

“I’m on the pill,” she whispers as if she can read my mind, and I lean back to study her. Her lips are puffy from our frantic kisses and her hair is in wild disarray about her head. Red marks dot her neck from my mouth and her chest is flushed; her n**ples so hard I’m tempted to suck one into my mouth right now and pull and tug with my lips until she’s whimpering from the pleasure.

“Yeah, uh . . . despite what you’ve heard, I’m clean. I swear.” I swallow hard, overwhelmed with the idea of taking Ivy with no barriers. Just skin on skin. All that wet, silky heat sucking me deep . . .

“I want you, Archer.” She tightens her legs around my h*ps and I can feel her. Hot. Slick. Tempting me like no one else ever has. “I trust you.”

Her simple statement threatens to unravel me.

Reaching between us, I guide myself in, teasing her with the head of my c*ck before I finally sink into her depths. She throws her head back against the wall with a loud groan when I fill her completely and then we’re moving. Grinding. We’re in absolute perfect sync as she slowly rides the length of my cock.

Closing my eyes, I press my forehead to hers, breathing hard, trying to keep my shit together. She feels f**king amazing, surrounding me, all over me until she’s the only thing I can see, hear, smell, taste. I turn my head and bite along her neck, soothing the nips with little flicks of my tongue, and she releases a shuddering sigh, my name falling from her lips.

That little sigh spurs me on, and I increase my pace. Her arms and legs clutch me close and I nuzzle her damp hair, breathe in her heady scent. I’ve never felt closer to a woman than I do at this very moment with Ivy. She’s all I want. All I’ll ever want.

The realization is so staggering I fumble for a moment, my hands gripping her ass tight. I pause, trying to keep my control, desperate to make this good for her, but she’s circling her h*ps and sending me deeper. So much deeper I’m afraid I’ll never find my way out of her.