His dirty talk made me hide my face in his hard chest. He smelled faintly of soap and clean sweat.

“I just want to stay in you for a little longer. If I pull out, I can’t get back in without hurting you. Tell me why you’re as tight as a virgin, baby.”

My fingers started playing with his shirt buttons, needing something to concentrate on instead of my words. “Um… I never had time to date between work and family stuff.” I shrugged. “I had sex with a boy in college once.” His hands tightened around me. “But it was a clumsy, bumbling experience. It didn’t seem worth repeating. I figured I wasn’t very good at sex.”

“Baby, you are fantastic at sex. But only with me.” He sounded insufferably self-satisfied.

I made a loud snort at his cockiness. He responded with a playful swat on my backside and I gasped indignantly.

He chuckled. “None of your sass, baby. As I was saying, you were so sexy, you made me crazed with lust. You made me come twice and I still can’t get enough. That’s never happened to me before.”

I tensed at the reference to his vast experience.

He pinched the back of my stiff neck between his fingers and thumb and massaged the tension out of it. He read my mind. “Shh… don’t freeze up on me, baby. It’s just you and me here. Next time I want you naked on my bed. I can’t believe I didn’t even take time to undress you.” He squeezed my breast and I bit my lip as pleasure zapped through me. His voice grew huskier. “I want to see these pretty tits and lick every inch. Then I want to take your sweet nipples into my mouth.” My buds beaded painfully at the image he painted. His fingers pinched one of my nipples and I shuddered. “Hmm… you’re so sensitive. I bet I could make you come from sucking on them.”

His words aroused me unbearably and I ground my pelvis against him. Pain and pleasure made me cry out.

“Fuck! Don’t move, Cora.” His hands snapped to my hips and held me motionless. “I’ll take care of you.”

His right hand crept between our bodies until he found the swollen knot at the top of my thighs. With sure swipes of his fingers, he stimulated the bud until I was panting against him. His other hand prevented me from moving. All I could do was surrender to his ministrations.

“Give me a kiss.”

I raised my head and latched onto his lips. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to his decadent taste.

He flicked my clit harder and I felt the familiar tightening in my lower body.

“Jake!” I broke away with a shocked gasp as I felt the first tide wash over me. Then a bigger wave sucked me under. This time, the pleasure was slow and voluptuous, like a ten course meal for my senses.

By the time I came back to reality, I was sprawled on top of Jake, boneless with satisfaction. His fingers were combing through my tangled hair.

“I’d like to stay like this all night with you, but sadly we can’t.” He lifted my hips up and I moaned as he pulled out of my pussy. Wetness dripped out of me and I turned red. I squeezed my thighs together, but that didn’t help.

Jake sat up and snagged his jacket. He took out a pristine handkerchief from his inner pocket and pressed it between my thighs. Embarrassed, I tried to take over, but he held firm. “Let me.” He was infinitely gentle as he wiped my folds. Then he folded the fabric and efficiently cleaned himself before pulling up his boxer briefs and pants. I noticed he had not come and was still engorged.

He stood and helped me to my feet. My legs were still weak and I clung onto him for a moment. My panties dropped around my foot and I was sure my cheeks were somewhere on the chili pepper scale of redness.

He bent down and unhooked my black lace panties. Grinning devilishly, he tucked it and his handkerchief into his trousers.

“Jake, give those back!” I held my hand out. I was painfully aware that I was bare ass naked under my skirt.

“No, I think I’m going to keep it as a souvenir of our first time together.” He ignored my sound of protest and hooked his jacket over his shoulder. “Now, why don’t we go to my apartment and get cleaned up. Then I’ll take you and Marcus out for dinner.”

I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights because he looked amused. “Baby, what did you imagine was going to happen after we had sex?”

I honestly hadn’t considered it. “Um…I don’t know.”

He seemed less than pleased with my answer. Crowding into my space, he spoke in an implacable tone. “I know you’re afraid of letting me close, I want to be crystal clear. Once you let me into your body, you’re mine. That means we’re dating. Exclusively. No more pushing me away. No more denying me. No more flirting with Troy or Dale or any male for that matter.”

My mouth dropped open at his dictatorial tone. “I already told you I wasn’t flirting with them! It’s all in your warped imagination.”

“You’re too nice to them. Maybe you should stop smiling so much.”

His Exaltedness was making an unwanted comeback. “And you’re insane! I didn’t do anything wrong and I’m not going to stop being myself just because you don’t like it.”

“Okay, I’m willing to compromise. You agree not to have lunch with Troy anymore.” He made it sound like he was being magnanimous.

“Ha! Hell no!” I scoffed. Not only did he not have the right to dictate who I could see or not see, I enjoyed spending time with Troy. There was no reason for Jake to be jealous. I could never view Troy in a romantic light.

Jake had the nerve to growl at me.

I considered his other demands. He was right. As soon as I had sex with him, I had made the decision to get involved with him. I was sure it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but my heart was not giving me a choice.

“I’m fine with dating, but I have a few conditions. One: no cheating, even in thought. When you are interested in someone else, you let me know and we end it. I’ll do the same.” I tacked on the last for pride’s sake. I couldn’t imagine wanting anyone else but Jake, but I didn’t want him to know how deeply I’d already fallen for him. My heart ached just thinking about him moving on to the next woman.

He looked furious with my demand, but he nodded.

“Two: When you move on, I want to be transferred to another department.”

Folding his arms over his chest, he gnashed his teeth. I didn’t know why he was so annoyed by my conditions since they were perfectly reasonable. He looked like he was about to open his mouth to lambaste me, but he nodded curtly.

“And three: I don’t want anyone at work to find out about us.”

“Why the hell not?”

There was a faint thread of hurt in his voice and I chose my words carefully. “Jake, I don’t want to be fodder for the gossip mill. Everyone on my old floor already thinks I slept my way–”

“I’ll fire their asses!”

“And that is exactly why we can’t tell anyone. The staff will walk on eggshells around me, fearing for their jobs. Or they won’t respect me. Or they’ll start kissing up to me, thinking I have an ‘in’ with the boss. Maybe you should switch me to another department now. Our affair probably violates some personnel rules already.” I frowned thinking about the complications.

“Hell no! You’re staying as my assistant. And stop calling it an affair, damn it! It’s a relationship. And it doesn’t violate anything if I say it doesn’t.”

I huffed out a breath and prayed for patience. He was so damn stubborn. Of course, he’d probably claim I was the stubborn one. “Fine, but no touching or kissing at work. It’s easier for me to separate the two roles in my mind. Otherwise I’ll slip up in a board meeting or conference call and embarrass us.”

He narrowed his eyes. “If I have to give up kissing you for eight hours a day, then I have conditions.”

“What?” I eyed him suspiciously.

“You move into this apartment.”

“Hell no! That is non-negotiable.”

“You’re so goddamn stubborn.”