A Powerful Attraction (Quicksand Book 1) Read online

  “Don’t pretend with me.”

  “I’m not pretending! Whatever you think I—”

  He laughed softly, bitterly. Maybe they’d spent too much time together. Maybe he’d had too much to drink. But a sudden recklessness invaded his thoughts, and words that he would never think to say otherwise spilled from his mouth.

  “You’re terrible at pretending, you know that?” Every bit of banked frustration that had accumulated over the past couple of years beat down on him with relentless force. “Every day I look into those pretty brown eyes, and I see how much you want me. And you have no goddamn idea how hard it is to resist you.”

  Her lips parted, as if she were about to say something, and then she swallowed. “I…I don’t—”

  “Don’t deny it,” Alex growled. “Don’t you fucking deny it. We both know that cake and ice cream wasn’t the only thing on offer tonight. I can’t stop thinking about fucking you, and if you think about it even half as much as I do, that’s pretty damn frequent.”

  Sherry seemed at a loss for words. Hell, he was at a loss for words. He hadn’t anticipated admitting any of that when he started talking. Maybe he had drunk too much. Or maybe he was tired of fighting these feelings that tortured him day after day, his break coming—minor though it was—when he left the office and didn’t have to see her until the next morning.

  “Okay, you want the truth.” Her voice trembled, and she tilted her chin higher, looking boldly into his eyes. “I admit it. I want you too. I want to screw your brains out, and it makes me testy and edgy all day, every day. And I have to remind myself to be nice to my customers and polite to my coworkers because it isn’t their fault that I find you attractive and wish that, just once, you would give a clear signal that you feel the same. Satisfied? So now what, Alex? I’m about to crawl out of my skin, and we’ve both admitted what we feel, but the ball’s in your court now. What are you going to do about it?”

  4

  She must be out of her mind, but after laying bare her secret desires, Sherry remained frozen, in a limbo state that left her holding her breath for Alex’s response.

  He ran his fingers through his hair and gazed into the distance. Not a word. Not a single word.

  He didn’t want her. At least, not enough to act on his feelings. Disappointment turned sour in her stomach. She’d thrown herself at him and…nothing.

  “Obviously you’re not interested, so I’ll find someone else to lavish my attention on.” Sherry swung away from him, not sure what to do next, but certain she needed to get as far away from Alex as she could.

  A strong hand encircled her wrist and swung her back around. Sherry gasped, as Alex hauled her into his chest, knocking the wind from her lungs and the purse from her hands. He shoved his fingers into her hair, cupping the back of her head and securing her in place.

  He brought his face so close to hers that his breath feathered across her lips. “Your attention belongs to me,” he ground out.

  They were smashed against each other—chest to chest, thigh to thigh.

  His gaze dipped to her lips, and she inhaled in anticipation, ached with the need to feel his mouth pressed to hers in the same way other parts of their bodies were pressed against each other.

  Alex muttered in Spanish and then crushed his mouth to hers. The force of the kiss scattered all thought and Sherry moaned. At last! She wrapped her arms around his torso as his firm mouth traveled over hers with intensity. He plucked at her lower lip and traced his tongue along the fullness of its edge. With shaky, shallow breaths, she kissed him back with the same ardor and silently pleaded for more, curling her fingers into the fine material of his jacket and whimpering when he cupped her bottom with one hand and squeezed.

  He guided them back to the building, away from the brilliant lights and into a dim corner. The hand at the back of her head lowered to her nape, and he used his thumb at the edge of her jaw to tilt back her head.

  He kissed and sucked on her neck with the same passion and unrestrained dedication he did her mouth. Her sex throbbed and her panties grew wet at the unrelenting seduction of his mouth. She was damn near dizzy with lust.

  Sherry let out a small cry as he edged below her collarbone to her ample cleavage. Grabbing a fistful of his soft hair, she thrust her aching breasts in an open invitation to his mouth.

  But he didn’t give her what she wanted. Instead, his lips climbed back up to suck on her neck. Sherry whispered her discontent with unintelligible words meant to prod him lower so he could take one of her aching nipples in his mouth. Her fingers tightened in his hair and she wrapped an arm around his neck as his warm breath and hungry, open-mouthed kisses beat against her skin.

  “Your place or mine?” he asked in a husky voice, close to her ear.

  “Mine.”

  “Where?”

  She gave him the address.

  “Too far. There’s a Winthrop Hotel a couple blocks down. We’ll go there.”

  “Okay,” she said with breathless anticipation. She never for a second considered refusing. Finally, after years of yearning, she would spend the night with Alex.

  He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. Grabbing her ass again, he forced her into contact with the hardness in his pants. He kissed once more, mouth brutal, almost savage in the way he sealed the bargain they’d just made.

  “Let’s go.” Alex took her hand, and they picked up her purse on the march to his sports car.

  Sherry settled on the seat and watched him walk around the hood to the driver side. Her body was on fire, and she felt as if she would jump out of her skin.

  They took off from the parking lot, and during the short drive, neither of them said a word. The thickness in the air promised sex, and she feared that if she said a word she’d spoil the mood and Alex would change his mind.

  But glancing at him from the corner of her eye, all she saw was a determined man, eyes focused on the road ahead.

  Sherry didn’t have time to pay attention to the exquisite room at the Winthrop Hotel. She only had eyes for the man before her—a man who made her want to behave out of the ordinary. To do things she wouldn’t normally do—like go to a hotel with her boss and have him make love to her.

  Alex tossed his jacket and shirt onto an armchair. Holding her hand, he backed up toward the bed and sat down, pulling her on top of his lap so she straddled his thighs. The pounding ache in her groin increased as he smoothed his hands up her thighs beneath the dress. His touch eased from her knees up to the edge of her panties. She squeezed her butt cheeks together, breath hitching at the slow but sensual touch.

  Even in the dim room, Sherry could make out the near perfection of his form—his nose, the rigid set of his hair-rough jaw, the curve of his soft lips, and the powerful muscles beneath the smooth skin of his shoulders and arms.

  Taking his time, he kissed her neck and moved the strap of the black dress down her arms so he could press his lips to her shoulder as well.

  Sighing, Sherry arched her throat into his mouth and moaned when he thrust his pelvis upward, teasing her with the promise of the hardness between his thighs. She could almost come from that pressure alone.

  Breathing heavily, she rose onto her knees and kissed him with a slow, sweet, lingering caress. He was such a good kisser, lips so soft and moist she could almost spend all night with the mouth-to-mouth contact. Yet that wouldn’t be enough, because the pounding ache in her loins had to be assuaged. Eagerly, she plied kisses along his strong throat, eliciting a groan of satisfaction from deep in his chest.

  Alex stood and set her on the carpet, and their clothes slipped away in a fog of desire. One minute Sherry was standing before him fully dressed, the next she was naked on her back on the plush white duvet, his lips to her bosom. Their hands roamed freely, exploring the terrain of each other’s bodies. He licked from her breasts up to her throat. He licked as if he’d been waiting to do it all night, groaning as if the taste of her skin was the best thing he’d ever had.

&n
bsp; He concentrated on her swollen nipples, and the curl of his pink tongue against the burnt-caramel tips had to be the most erotic sight she’d ever seen. Her fingers climbed into his hair and urged him to continue the attack on her senses. Raking her nails down his back, she reveled in the ripple of muscles under his skin.

  Settled between her spread thighs, Alex kissed her softly, gently, as if it were the first time. Winding her arms around his neck, Sherry opened her mouth to his tongue and deepened the contact, creating a greater sense of urgency between them. She arched restlessly, undulating her hips against his pelvis and the hard pulse of his arousal trapped between them.

  Rolling onto his back, Alex took Sherry with him. He caressed her back, buttocks, and thighs, and she whimpered softly, sliding her leg along his and sinking her teeth into his left bicep.

  Their lovemaking was slow and leisurely as they explored each other. Sherry had fantasized about him for so long that she wanted to take her time getting acquainted with every bit of his beautiful body. She tongued his nipples, and the flat disks turned hard. She showered his broad chest with attention—kissing and caressing the surface from left to right, down to the trail of hairs that led to between his thighs.

  Alex eased her onto her back, and she again rubbed her smooth thighs against his hairy legs. The contrast in texture was unbearably erotic. She gently sucked on the side of his neck and tasted his skin before nipping at his collarbone.

  He spread his knees and pried her legs apart.

  “Alex,” she moaned.

  “Sí, amor.”

  He knew. The need had become so great that she couldn’t articulate what she wanted him to do. She had become a mindless fragment of her former self, focused only on the pleasure he imparted with each touch. But he understood.

  Alex retrieved a condom and then rejoined her on the bed. Sherry opened her arms in welcome, eager to feel the weight of him again. He drove up into her, the juices coating her canal allowing him to enter with ease. He buried his hot, thick flesh inside, his deep stroking making her moan his name.

  Her mind unraveled under the sheer force of the pleasure he inflicted.

  “Dios,” Alex said. He let out a groan that could only be described as tortured. “You feel so much better than I ever expected.”

  “Alex,” she whispered, clinging to him. Forehead to forehead, they moved in sync. Needing him deeper, Sherry dug her nails into his sides and closed her eyes, letting the delicious sensation that traveled over her skin engulf her.

  He sank into her, over and over again, his breath turning choppy as he struggled to maintain restraint while delivering the utmost pleasure.

  “Yes. Like that.” Sherry sucked air between her teeth, certain this slow, exquisite torture would be the death of her.

  Alex lifted her leg over one arm, and with the position change, he switched up his slow thrusts into rapid, hard drives. The shocking tempo change made her cry out. Then she met each powerful motion with rapid responses of her own, her exploring fingers climbing back into his hair. Faster and faster he went, his mouth moving to her tender throat and kissing the sensitive spot right below her chin.

  Sherry bucked beneath him, gasping for air, breathing choppy as his body owned hers.

  He didn’t stop until her inner walls clenched around him and she called out his name. A wave of ecstasy engulfed her, and only then did he claim his own release.

  5

  Sherry squinted, slightly disoriented at the light pouring through the big windows that took up half the wall. She wasn’t at home. Then she remembered that she and Alex had spent the night together. First talking over dinner and then arguing in the parking lot before coming to the hotel and making love twice.

  She heard muffled movements and rolled onto her side. Light came from under the bathroom door, which was where Alex must be.

  She burrowed deeper under the thick duvet and soft sheets, pointing her toes and stretching her legs. She turned her nose into the pillow, which smelled like him and made her curl the same toes at the memory of their intense lovemaking.

  His thoroughness had made her believe that he knew her body better than she did. She didn’t regret not one kiss, caress, nor one part of the night she spent in his arms, but what now?

  Parts of her still ached for his touch. Her nipples swelled and she moaned quietly. Even the soft linens proved to be too much for the sensitive peaks, and she touched them gingerly, wishing his hands were on her body instead.

  Alex exited the bathroom, fully dressed in the clothes he’d worn last night. When he saw her awake, he paused in the middle of the floor.

  Holding the sheet over her nakedness, Sherry sat up and smoothed a hand over her disheveled hair. “You’re leaving? No breakfast?” She wanted—no, needed—to extend their time together.

  He shook his head regretfully. “I have to run. I’m going to see a friend in the hospital, and I need to go home and change before I head over there. I can’t get out of it.”

  “I wouldn’t expect you to.”

  He studied her for a bit, his emotions veiled behind a neutral expression.

  “You look like you want to say something,” Sherry remarked.

  “I do, but I don’t want it to sound terrible.” He took a deep breath. “Last night… What happened between us can’t happen again.”

  A shaft of pain sliced across her chest. Sherry swallowed. “I see.”

  “It’s for the best. For both of us.” He didn’t move, but the huskiness of his voice and the smoldering heat in his eyes betrayed the lies his lips told.

  “I’m not arguing.”

  “It’s just that you work for me, and…and I—” He swallowed back whatever he’d been about to say. It seemed he was trying to convince himself as much as her. “It could never work because you work for me and people would talk.”

  Be bold. Be daring for once in your life. “We don’t have to tell anyone. It could be our secret,” Sherry said softly.

  Alex swore under his breath and ran his fingers through his rumpled hair, causing it to fall across his forehead in the most adorable, haphazard waves. “No,” he said firmly, more to himself than to her. “I can’t. I really regret this, but it’s for the best.”

  Her gaze dropped to the erection tenting his trousers. “Are you sure?”

  A long pause filled the room. Then he swore again, louder this time, and in two long strides was at the bed. He grabbed her and caught her lips with his. They tumbled back onto the sheets, him on top of her.

  She reached between them and stroked his erection, tearing a groan from the depths of his chest. He pushed away the sheet and fastened his lips on her nipples.

  “Yes,” Sherry breathed, spreading her arms wide and arching her back as she indulged in the suction of his mouth.

  “This is the last time.” Alex kissed his way down the middle of her stomach.

  Her belly quivered as his tongue swirled around her navel. Sliding a hand between her legs, he cupped her sex as if he owned it. Then he dragged his tongue across her slit, groaning as he indulged in the sticky wetness.

  “Sweet,” he whispered.

  Sherry shoved her fingers into his hair, twisting against the teasing caress. “Alex,” she gasped.

  He pushed her onto her stomach. His hand smoothed down the curve of her bottom and nudged her legs apart. Sherry closed her eyes tight and lifted her bottom, ready for whatever he intended to do to her.

  Soon he was naked from the waist down and inside her.

  “We can’t do this again,” he muttered beside her ear.

  “Never again. Last time,” she panted, gripping the thick duvet and knowing full well if he approached her in the future, she would say yes without hesitation.

  “Dammit, you feel incredible.” He held on to her hips as he pushed in deeper.

  Sherry moaned into the soft linens, lifting her ass into each thrust.

  They were not making love like last night. He fucked her, good and hard, as if he neede
d it—and so did she.

  No way this could be the last time. Because she was certain she could never, ever have enough of this man. And if this was a mistake, it was the best mistake she’d made in a long time.

  6

  He’d screwed up, but rectifying the situation was an easy fix.

  Alex climbed out of his Porsche and ignored the admiring glances he received from a couple of women who’d just exited the elevator in the parking garage. Briefcase in hand, he jogged down the stairs to street level and walked briskly toward the office building where he worked.

  On Sunday, he’d had clarity of thought. He would simply remove Sherry from the Ovation Printing project. It was that simple. Then they’d go back to business as usual. No problema.

  Yet when he reached his office, his resolve almost crumbled at the sight of Sherry bent over his secretary’s shoulder, looking at the computer screen.

  She wore her hair bone-straight today, parted in the middle. From his vantage point, he saw down her silk blouse to the fullness of her breasts. His mouth watered in memory at the pleasure he’d taken in sucking the nipples.

  Both women looked up. “Good morning,” they said in unison.

  Gina, his secretary, coupled the greeting with a wide smile. Efficient and friendly, she wore her hair in a thick Afro that framed her face. Sherry, however, returned her attention to the computer almost immediately.

  “Good morning,” Alex said. He marched to the door, thinking he should take a moment to regroup before calling Sherry into a meeting, but changed his mind at the last minute. His gaze slid to her backside in the horizontally striped pencil skirt as she remained bent over Gina’s desk. “Sherry, may I see you in my office, please?”

  She straightened. “Now?”

  “Yes, now.”

  “I’ll show you how to do part two when I get finished,” she said to Gina.

  “Thank you,” Gina said.

  Alex entered the office and walked behind his desk, putting as much distance between him and Sherry and possible. He placed his briefcase flat on top of the neat surface and turned on the TV secured to the wall. It remained on mute, displaying the latest in stock market news. He waited as Sherry closed the door and came forward. She clasped her hands together in front of her.