Boost by Vi Summers

 

Chapter 26

-Greer-

 

 

I felt the instant Rafael arrived at the doorway of my office. Call it intuition, call it my soul sensing his close; whatever it was, it pulled deep in my chest, then burst into sparks when I looked up and met his dark eyes.

Although seemingly innocent, the roll of his tongue across his lower lip ignited a desire so hot it burned painfully under my sternum.

Each shallow inhale pushed the hunger down further until it nested low in my abdomen and pulsed longingly. That sweet, sweet ache dulled the air around me. Rafael literally took my breath away. Stole it right out from under the protection of my ribcage and consumed it. Consumed me from across the room with his direct, heated stare.

“Mamacita.” The single word fell from his mouth as if pained. Or, was it relief? I couldn’t tell until he crossed the room and cupped my face in his hands.

“I’ve been waiting so long to kiss you again.”

His expression filled with questions he refused to voice. I soaked them in. Absorbed the silent permission he sought and relished the womanly strength it gave me.

I’d promised myself just one time—just one kiss. One turned into two, and now, standing close enough to share his breath, a third time threatened. And I didn’t care that I wanted it so bad my heart raced with reckless abandon.

The way he kissed. The way he touched me without hesitation once receiving consent… He had me longing for more. So much more that it had me choosing my personal life over my professional one.

As if someone else was in control of my movements, my chin lifted in invitation and a panty-melting grin broke across Rafael’s face. It was gone in a flash as his lips claimed mine and moved as if I was the treat he’d hungered for all day. I relinquished control and got swept up in the high that came from kissing this devastatingly unavoidable man.

His hands smoothed into my hair and angled my mouth further to the side. My fingers grazed his jawline as our mouths worked in synchrony, beginning to slow and fade into sensual weightlessness.

We still hadn’t named what this was between us. We hadn’t discussed what this meant for our professional relationship, nor had we even broached the subject. It was a conversation we needed to have, and considering he’d just swaggered into my office and kissed me until my knees weakened, that little chat had to happen sooner rather than later.

I hummed during the final, tantalizing sweep of his tongue, and smiled when he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“You ready?”

“Am now. And we do need to set some ground rules.”

Raf tilted his head back to look down his nose at me. “‘Bout what?”

“You know what.” I reluctantly slipped from his arms and began to gather my things.

He tailed me around the side of the desk and then perched on the side. “Work, or pleasure?”

“The combination.”

Raf scoffed. “Okay… so, what ground rules are we talkin’ about? Because if it’s office sex, then I’m well aware you’d rather wait until most people head home for the night before we get freaky on this polished mahogany desktop of yours.”

I playfully swatted his arm and laughed. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about.”

The cocky smirk returned. “Then, what?”

“Boundaries, Rafael.”

His eyes narrowed. “Work, or personal?”

I simply raised my eyebrows and gave him the look—which he outright ignored.

After shouldering my bag and doing a final check of my belongings, I called farewell to Roxiee as I breezed past her desk. I ignored her raised eyebrows, as well as the snigger that came from Raf trailing behind me.

“Have fun, kids,” she sang.

“See you tomorrow, Rox,” I called before Rafael and I entered the elevator.

The doors closed and sealed us within a bubble that grew smaller with each passing second. Raf prowled the two steps across the cart with a darkening look in his eyes that made my thighs clench together. I dodged to the side before he could cage me against the handrail and turn his sex appeal up from a smolder to an all-out fuck me now.

“Wait, you go playin’ hard to get now that we’re alone?” His voice pitched in incredulity.

“I’m not playing hard to get, we just can’t do this here.” I motioned to the elevator we were encased in.

He huffed, shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned his ass against the handrail. “Didn’t seem to be a problem in your office just before.”

Pressing my fingers to my temples, I searched for a way to sum up the thoughts tumbling throughout my head.

“We need to talk about whatever this is, Raf. At the moment, I’m taking a huge professional risk by crossing lines I never thought I would have a problem staying behind.” I cut off before I sounded even more like a stuck record droning on about blurred lines and forbidden romances.

“You’re mine,” he stated, as if it were that simple.

“In what capacity, though? I need more than just you’re mine. I need to know exactly where we stand. If I’m just some ass on the side to fill your time, or if it’s more. I need to know that this won’t come back to bite me.” And destroy my career.

“You’re not just some piece of ass, Greer. And I don’t give a fuck about the business ties that are holding you back. You’re-” He dashed his tongue over his lip again and rolled his head from side-to-side in frustration.

“I’m...” I trailed off, and waited for his clarification; one that I hoped would define exactly what we were.

“You’re more to me than anyone else has ever been. I wouldn’t be here otherwise. Fuck, even if I wanted to stay away, I can’t. The thing is, we’re in different leagues and that should be enough of a reason for me to walk. But fuck the league, baby. To hell with all the corporate bullshit you’re hiding behind. I want you, plain and simple.”

“I’m not hiding behind it,” I argued, only to receive a contemptuous snort.

“You’re a shit liar, Boss Lady. You keep tellin’ yourself that and you’ll never allow yourself to be happy.”

The blatant truth hit my chest and cut deep. Rafael called it like it was and he was spot on. It wasn’t him that scared me—it was the thought of losing everything I’d fought so hard to create from nothing but hopes, dreams and Tian’s matching tenacity.

The elevator doors opened and spat us onto the polished tiles of the ground floor, saving me from arguing to defend my hurt feelings. Rafael easily kept up with my power-strides and brazenly splayed his hand across the small of my back—a fraction lower than necessary—as we reached the revolving doors.

“We’re going to talk about this,” I hissed.

Brooding silence took the place of his reply.

Out on the street, I wasn’t surprised to see his car parked in the nearby loading zone; it was like he purposely flouted the rules any chance he got.

After depositing me into the passenger seat, Rafael rounded the hood of his Porsche and slid behind the wheel.

“I’d rather fuck some sense into you,” he snarled with surprising force, picking up where our conversation left off.

Thick waves of irritation radiated off him as he gunned the engine and speed into the street.

“Hear you scream my name as you come around my cock. But sure, if you wanna talk, then whatever.”

I spluttered for words. “There is absolutely no need to be an ass about it.”

A sadistic snigger came from my left. “Baby girl, if I was being an ass I would make you suck me off on the way home just so I didn’t have to listen to you wap on about-”

My entire body locked with rage. “That is enough,” I yelled.

Raf cursed under his breath and scrubbed a hand over his clipped hair. “Fuck, that was out of line. I’m sorry, Greer. I know this is no excuse, but I’m fucking struggling to process what’s in here when I’m around you.” He tapped his chest. “It’s screwing with me.”

All it took was one sideways glance at him to see how much he agonized over his feelings.

“I like you, Boss Lady. More than I should.”

The soft confession melted me on every level. It was major turning point, because, as forbidden as we were, the rhythm my heart hammered to whenever Rafael was near was undeniably real. The depth of my blossoming feelings was confronting, and they grew stronger every time I saw him.

We were fire, Raf and I. Combustible in every sense of the word. Our arguing proved it, and our chemistry emphasized it. And I knew, just knew that when the clothes came off, there would be no turning back for me. It would be all or nothing from there, because that was how I was programmed.

The writing was on the wall; I’d fall so hard that I wouldn’t see the ground crumble from under my feet until I found myself tumbling into the place that was impossible to return from.

And yet, here I was, willing and wanting more.

Rafael’s throat clearing brought me back to within his leather-upholstered Porsche. “Like, I know I shouldn’t expect anything in return, but a little feedback would be nice ‘bout now.”

I let out a hard breath that almost held a laugh. “If I wasn’t so pissed at you, I’d say the feeling was mutual.”

He snorted—which I ignored—and pulled up to the pin-pad at his gate. He rolled his head my way and studied me intently. “How good’s your memory?”

“Impeccable.”

Another cocksure smirk came. “Good. Remember this for when you need it.”

He quickly punched in a six-digit code and stared straight ahead while the wrought-iron gates opened inward. “I’ve had parties here, but never just… never just one woman.”

It was my turn to snort. “Wow, way to make a girl feel special, slick.”

I jumped when his fingers wrapped around my thigh and squeezed in warning.

“Don’t,” he murmured. “Don’t make light of this.”

The sincerity in his gaze made my inhale snag. He offered me a part of him that seemed sacred and not easily found. I held my breath as the car coasted forward, and Raf didn’t look away until I gave a small head-shake.

“I won’t. Not now.”

Satisfied with my answer, his hand lingered on my flesh and heated my skin until he’d parked inside the internal-access garage attached to the house.

With the engine cut, Raf reached for me. His inked fingers wrapped around the back of my neck and drew me close. I welcomed the luxurious graze of his mouth along mine and smiled when the tip of his tongue followed the same seam.

As air grew thick with desire, the aroma of conditioned leather faded until all I could smell was Raf. His scent called to me. Lured me in. Possessed me as potently as my body responded to his. As if he already owned it.

“Welcome to my home, baby girl,” he murmured against my lips.