Breaching His Defenses by Allyson Lindt (read aloud books .TXT) 📖

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He was better off just asking his question. “Do you really know what we’re up to? And do you really have something better?”

She crossed her legs at the ankles and used the wall to support her, putting a few more inches between them. “It’s a demo. It was made to sell products.” Which was what he’d expected. There was no reason to put her on stage just to taunt Skriddie. Still, he wasn’t surprised when she continued. “But.”

Lust and fantasies of stripping her down aside, he wanted to know what came next. “I knew it.”

She laughed, and the carefree note tickled his senses. Damn it, he wished he could ignore his response to her. “It’s all the same old stuff. Things you already know,” she said.

Something about the casual assurance, as if this were shared knowledge between them, triggered another wave of warning bells in his head, but he couldn’t place the source. “Placate me.”

She shrugged and fiddled with the edge of her shirt. “It’s all about the remote machines, right? The ones no one realizes are connected directly to the servers. The machines they wouldn’t expect to have access to their deepest, most important information. They’re a risk for anyone, because no one thinks to check them thoroughly. All it takes is one person giving someone a password who doesn’t deserve it ‘just this once’ and you’re compromised. It happens three times, and if you don’t catch it, you’re screwed.”

Three times was an awfully specific number. What’s hiding under her explanation? He scooted closer, irrationally pleased when his hand brushed hers and she didn’t pull away. “They got lucky hiring you, didn’t they? There’s no one there who recognizes how much you know. Or have they just hidden their appreciation of your skill that well?”

“I’m not the best they have, and they gave me a chance.”

She wouldn’t look at him. Every few seconds, she wove the hem of her shirt through her fingers and then released it again. She glanced behind her, and then gave him most of her attention again.

“Am I holding you up?” he asked.

She finally met his gaze again. “Do you work all the time? Like, twenty-four seven all business and professional and company first?”

If he’d guessed a hundred times what she might ask next, that wouldn’t have been anywhere on the list. “I do what’s required of me.”

Her lips twisted, and she ran her tongue along her teeth, metal ball clacking. “What was different about last night?”

Everything. The question loosed a floodgate of memories, rushing across his skin. He couldn’t hold them back. Not good. “Last night was out of character for me. A one-time thing and such.”

Her brow furrowed. “So you wouldn’t do it again? It’s not professional.”

He was missing something; he had to be. When he set the rapid-fire questions aside and studied her face, he didn’t see any irritation or malice there. In fact, the same challenge as the night before stared back. He didn’t know what she was looking for, and trying to make sense of it simultaneously excited and infuriated his brain. “I wouldn’t rule out the possibility, but I don’t spend a lot of time doing things like that.”

“Things like what?” She clucked her tongue along the roof of her mouth. “Having fun, or being impulsive?”

Great, now she was twisting his words. “I can be impulsive. When I’ve got time.”

She rolled her eyes. “Checking your calendar isn’t being impulsive. You need to look up the definition of the word. Before last night, when was the last time you did something out of the blue, without second-guessing yourself? Without planning, without having a step-by-step list of possible outcomes, consequences, and stumbling blocks?”

The question flipped a switch in his head, taunting him. How did she make perfectly reasonable behavior sound so unreasonable? He searched her face, not sure what he was looking for. Then he let instinct take the wheel. He rested his hand at the back of her neck and kissed her.

She leaned in to the gesture, full lips crushing into his, almost imperceptible gasps drifting from her throat. Every sound goaded his pulse, and his lower extremities stirred in response. Jesus, she tasted good.

He let her go but didn’t pull back. “Just now.”

Her cheeks turned pink, and she smirked. “And was it as horrible as you thought it would be?”

Did she have any idea she was fucking with his head, or was she just talking as things occurred to her? “No. It was pretty incredible.” Another flash of inspiration struck, sending electricity through his veins. The idea heightened the heat of her standing so close and brought every nerve ending to life. His gut tightened with the swelling potential. If he was going to do this, it would be under his terms. “Help me be impulsive again tonight.”

Her breathing quickened, and her pupils dilated. “What did you have in mind?”

He pulled the spare room key from his wallet, slipped it into her hand, and gave her his room number. “Meet me upstairs. We can play things by ear from there.”

“You’re on.”

He shouldn’t be doing this. Going a second time with anyone he wasn’t dating, but especially her, was a bad, horrible, terrible idea. Too bad his aching cock disagreed.

Please don’t let him run into anyone between here and the elevator. Not just because he desperately wanted another round with this gorgeous, brilliant woman, but because he was so hard it hurt, and he didn’t know if he could hide his erection if he had to stop and make small talk.

Chapter Nine

Mikki’s heart threatened to tear from her ribcage. She hadn’t started the night out meaning to goad Jared, but opportunity had struck, and the inspiration was too tempting to ignore. And if he was offering another chance, there was no way she was turning him down. A hint of hesitation—if this became a habit it would be harder to walk away from—mingled with her excitement, both spreading under her skin and making her squirm in anticipation.

She counted off the room numbers to keep from sprinting down the hallway. No reason to make herself breathless before things even started. And then she was there, in front of Jared’s room. The door swung open before she could slide the key into the slot, and his confident grin sent another layer of tingles through her.

He grasped her fingers between his and tugged her inside. His arms wrapped around her waist from behind, and he pulled her back into him as the door clicked shut. Comfort and desire flooded her frame when his solid chest pressed into her spine.

Everywhere he touched, the textures of her clothing caressed her skin. The anticipation had made her hypersensitive. The shift of fabric against her arms, her back, and her stomach sent shudders of want through her. I can’t believe I’m doing this. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, even. She needed to feel his skin on hers, not muted by too many layers of decency. She tilted her head back to rest on his shoulder, exposing her neck.

He took the hint, kisses so light along her skin she wondered if she actually felt them. The hard length digging into her tailbone, though, she definitely felt that. His hands glided forward and under the hem of her shirt, palms resting on her bare stomach. How could such a simple gesture short-circuit so many of her thoughts?

“There’s something alluring—” his voice vibrated through her skin, “—about every curve and slope of your figure, and the thought of revealing it all inch by inch.”

His touch called to the compliment wrapped inside his words. She closed her eyes so she could focus on each sensation.

He made quick work of the buttons on her shirt, breaking contact with her long enough to rake it down her arms and toss it aside. It landed near the bed, but he stayed behind her, hands returning to dance along her ribs.

Cool air brushed her mostly bare chest, and a new thrill rushed through her. Sex with Payton had been getting naked in the dark, crawling under the covers, and a couple of minutes of grinding before he rolled over and fell asleep. She’d been interested in more, but his passive belittling had kept her from asking. Even worse had been finding out after the fact that he blamed the boredom on her lack of impulse.

Last night had been a rush—sex in a public place. But something about now sent a new kind of euphoria racing through her veins. She was standing topless in an almost-stranger’s room, about to let him do whatever he wanted to her. She forced herself to swallow.

His thumbs trailed up her sides, voice low, a commanding current running through it. He brushed the bottom of her breasts, and she gasped in surprise. “Watching you all day, and only having a hint from last night of what’s hidden under your clothes, has been driving me insane.” His hands continued up, fingers brushing her throat before gliding down her spine. “You know what my one consolation is?”

Each time he leaned in, she caught a hint of the rain-and-aftershave scent whispering from him. She shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. The only thing she knew was how wet she was from his attentions. Memories of his fingers bringing her to orgasm teased her, mingling with the thoughts of what it felt like to be spread open when he’d pushed inside her. She had only been in his room a few moments, and already the way he was drawing out the moment was a more delicious torture than she’d ever imagined.

He unsnapped her bra, and the fabric fell away. He drew the straps down her arms, letting the cups drag across her already rock-hard nipples before he tossed the lingerie on top of her other clothing. Everywhere his hands moved, his long, talented fingers danced along her skin. “My only consolation is finally getting to see.”

Oxygen stole from her head when he grazed her shoulder with his teeth, leaving her light-headed and wanting more. “You can see it all if you want.”

“Oh, I want.” The seductive baritone of his voice hummed through every inch of her, adding flames to her desire. He unbuttoned her skirt and slid the zipper down, a tooth at a time.

She pressed back into him, grinding into the erection tempting her. The buttons of his shirt were cool against her bare back, and the cotton teased the hyper-sensitive skin. He inhaled sharply. His fingers dug into her hips. Her belly clenched in response as desire pulsed through her legs.

He pushed on her skirt. It dropped to the floor, pooling around her ankles. He traced a line along the elastic of her string bikini panties. “Black bra and red lacy bottoms? So not only do you not match, but you’re trying to obliterate my thoughts before I even get you naked? Fucking sexy.”

“You’ve figured out my master plan.” she teased.

“I doubt such a thing exists, but I have more important things to focus on.” He moved his hands back up her chest, cupped her breasts, and sucked on the soft flesh between her neck and shoulder.

She gasped, and her knees wobbled at the combination of light pain and exquisite pleasure. He pulled her closer, fingers rolling her nipples, gently at first before he pinched both.

The need between her legs screamed for attention. She ground her butt against him as he massaged and sucked relentlessly. She was vaguely aware of the soft cries tearing from her throat and mingling with his hungry groans.

One of his hands moved away from the pink nub it had been lavishing, but before she could wonder why or feel disappointed, he brushed the crotch of her panties.

“Jesus, you’re soaked.” He rubbed through the lace, pushing the fabric against her slit.

She was too lost in the multiple sensations to reply. She covered his hands with hers, partly to help her stay upright and partly to make sure he kept going. The only thing she could manage was, “Harder.”

He obliged, going straight for her clit, pressing back when she ground into his hand. Was she crying out? She didn’t know, and she didn’t care. Every single touch was pushing her closer to the edge. She tossed her head back further as she came, waves of ecstasy pouring through her. He eased off as she struggled to catch her breath, but he didn’t stop kissing along the