She had been dressed casually, in a formfitting black skirt, not too short, the hem flirting around her knees. She had worn a pink tank top beneath a billowy, long-sleeved white tunic, buttoned halfway and tucked neatly into her skirt.
Maybe a little bit on the bohemian side, but not outlandish. Nothing special, but on her it looked sexy as hell. The colors she had worn were a perfect foil for her dark skin, and the skirt was fitted enough that it showed off her small waist and tight butt. Perfectly, deliciously proportioned A.T.W.: ass to waist.
And what an ass she had. Perky, the round globes appeared firm, and he had felt his cock stir again at the thought of what they would feel like cupped in his hands. What it would feel like to slide his hands over their no-doubt silky-feeling perfection. She’d wake up the morning after from a night of hot sex with his handprints all over that butt of hers.
She had just enough overflow to...bounce.
His eyes had met hers, caught them on him, checking him out just as he’d been checking every fine inch of her out as well.
Good. She now knew he was interested, and as he prided himself on knowing women, he also knew he’d piqued her interest.
Max had known time was limited; the ride would only last so long.
“Which floor?” Max had asked, his voice low, guttural, his mind on what he would love to do to her even as his gaze locked and loaded on hers.
The offices of MagHard Interior Design were located in a building that the corporation owned and managed, leasing out the luxury suites in the high-rent district of downtown Austin at a premium price. His office as well as all of upper management resided on the top floor, with the two floors directly beneath for the rest of the company. One floor was dedicated to the design team, the other for administration, including Human Resources.
Max had focused his gaze on the beautiful woman, her eyes downcast as she tried her best not to look at him.
So damn sexy, he had thought. And again his dick had reacted to the visual of the offbeat little beauty. A small smile had tugged the corner of his mouth upward when her tongue had sneaked out and swiped across her bottom lip.
When she had glanced up at him, he had dropped his lids low to hide his eyes. He knew his lust had to be shining brightly; there was no way he could hide his reaction.
She had that offbeat, backhanded, casual type of sex appeal. The type that came as naturally to her as breathing.
Max had been incredibly fascinated and headed toward clinical obsession the longer he stared at her.
The elevator had jerked slightly and she had been jostled, not enough to bring her to his side, but enough that it moved her closer. His eyes had been drawn to her breasts, which bounced right along with the elevator, and the jiggle...fuck. If he wasn’t careful, Max knew he would be in trouble of accosting a woman he didn’t even know.
His nostrils had flared as he dragged in a deep breath. He had felt the overwhelming need to close his eyes, take in her intoxicating essence. It reached out and ensnarled him, dragging him in. What the hell was going on with him? one part of his mind had questioned.
Although he’d had plenty of women, he’d never felt this immediate and damn-near feverish type of attraction before that day.
The thought had hit him that the woman was turning him on in ways he hadn’t been turned on by anyone in a long time. Damn. And that was with her clothes on, in a public area...an elevator, no less.
What the hell would happen if he could get her alone? He’d convince her to take off her clothes and see if that perfectly mounded butt of hers fit into his palms with a hint of hang time, the overflow spilling over his cupped palms like two deviously ripened small melons, like he thought it would.
Max had shaken his head. He was getting ahead of himself. At the rate his mind was racing, the images that were bombarding his heated libido, he’d have her up against the wall and be balls-deep before he could even find out who she was.
He’d never been this affected by someone he didn’t know. Hadn’t spoken to.
He had known that he only had a finite time before the elevator ride ended to find out who she was, whether she worked in the office building and where.
She had cleared her throat and Max had met her eyes.
“Could you press number fourteen for me?” She had asked, her soft voice like music, the end notes floating over his skin like a butterfly’s caress.
He had frowned, the strength of her appeal unlike anything he’d ever felt.
Max had casually leaned forward to jab the button she’d requested, his gaze never leaving hers. Her eyes had broken contact, and again he caught the hint of a blush staining her pretty cocoa-brown skin.
His glance had raked over her again.
Max had learned a long time ago to go with his gut. It was what had allowed him to break away from the family and their fortune and earn his own way, and why to date he’d amassed a fortune through commercial real estate that was a force to be reckoned with, although it didn’t exactly match the family holdings. Although he held an interest in the family business, he hadn’t relied on his family to give him extra leverage.
Working for himself and not using the family name as a way to get his foot in the door, Max prided himself on the fact that he was a self-made man.
In doing so, he’d learned a valuable, sometimes painful lesson, that when he didn’t follow his hunches, his gut, it was a surefire way of fucking up.
And he had no intention of fucking up this hunch. The hunch that had told him that the woman occupying his space was important to him.
And his gut had told him this chance encounter was...going to be interesting. He didn’t know in what way, but he had felt it, deep within his core.
He had allowed the smile that had been lurking to break free, fully aware that she’d caught him staring. But it was her own fault for being so damn fine. So...intoxicating to his senses.
He had drawn in a breath, his smile widening when he saw her reaction. Her pupils had dilated. His glance had dropped to the hollow of her throat, and the banging little pulse that beckoned for his mouth to cover, caress and assure that he wasn’t going to hurt her...that he would take good care of her. His dick was now painful within the constriction of his pants.
His eyes had suddenly narrowed as realization hit after he had pushed the button. They worked for the same company. It was then he had noticed the messenger bag she had slung over her shoulder that featured his family’s crest. Many of the new employees had been given a bag with the emblem emblazoned on the front when they began to work for the company.
“Thank you,” she had said and ducked her head, but Max had caught the flare of awareness, the look of admiration that crossed her beautiful face as she had been sizing him up.
“No problem,” Max had finally muttered, realizing that he’d been staring at the woman far too long.
He had waited for her to realize that he was headed toward the same company.
He had stuck out his hand. “Max Stele. I’m new,” he had said, his voice low, his gaze fixed on hers.
Locked and loaded.
“Figured you worked for MagHard, too,” he had said, indicating the button he’d just depressed and her bag with the corporate logo.
“Oh, okay...um, I’m Nikki. Nikki Danes. I, uh, work in Accounting,” she had replied, and glanced down at his waiting, opened palm.
She had hesitated briefly before lightly placing her hand within his. Immediately Max’s much larger one had clamped down firmly. He had bit down a groan; her hand was soft and felt...right held within his. He had held on longer than necessary, and when she had