Bram nodded. “I’ll see you at my place in a few then. Good luck with Lace.”
Dragging in a deep breath, Ry watched Bram head for the kitchen. He wasn’t so much worried about the heavy convincing he had ahead of him as having to fight the urge to peel off Lacey’s clothes and bend her over the arm of the couch while he devoured her pussy. His cock once again nudged at his zipper, giving a resounding hell yeah to that scenario.
Apparently his dick hadn’t gotten the memo about being patient.
Stifling a growl, he strode in the direction of Lacey’s office. He was less than five feet away when her door swung open and she peeked out. His focus veered to the purse swinging from her fingertips. The little scaredy cat intended to sneak out. She turned her head and spotted him. Mouth popping into an O of surprise, she dashed toward the entrance of the restaurant. She got no more than two steps before he blocked her exit and corralled her back into her office. Ignoring her scowl, he shut the door behind him and locked it.
“What are you doing?”
“Keeping you from running and hiding.”
She flung up her arms. “I was going home.”
“Exactly.”
“So what, I’m not allowed to leave my office now?”
“Only if you agree to have dinner with Bram and me at his house tonight.”
A distinct look of panic flashed across her face. “I—I can’t.”
“Why?”
“I have plans.”
“Yeah, with us.” He stalked forward, backing Lacey into her desk. “You agreed to one item, remember?”
“I never said it’d be tonight.”
“Lace, Bram and I aren’t going to let you weasel your way out of this. Might as well accept it.”
She reached behind her and white-knuckled the edge of her desk. “I’m not trying to get out of it.”
“But you will. I know you.”
A spark of angry defiance shuttled across her face. “I’m not a coward, damn it.”
He crowded against her, invading her space. He could tell from the widening of her eyes and the shortening of her breath that he’d caught her off guard. He leaned down until their lips were almost touching. “Then stop acting like you are.”
“Ry…”
Unable to resist the lure of kissing her a second longer, he claimed her mouth. Her lips parted on a shaky exhale and he took full advantage. Rather than thrust his way inside, he played the tip of his tongue over the edges of her teeth, teasing for deeper access. After the tiniest hesitation, her tongue met his.
Unlike their first kiss, this one was a slow, lush exploration. A promise of pleasures yet to come. He felt it, and he damn well made certain Lacey did too. Sifting his fingers through the silkiness of her shoulder-length blonde strands, he grasped her ass with his free hand. He traced the center seam of her wool slacks, a groan escaping him when he realized she was wearing a thong. He’d seen Lacey plenty of times in a modest two-piece bathing suit that still managed to torment him and make the fit of his shorts uncomfortably snug in the groin. That was nothing compared to the torture facing him now as he imagined the soft cheeks of her ass bisected by the skimpy scrap of fabric. More than anything, he wanted to tug her pants down so he could knead and massage her butt before licking and grazing his teeth over her creamy skin. Then he’d push aside her thong and stroke his tongue from her pussy to her asshole, taking his time to properly worship every inch of her sensitive flesh.
Unfortunately, her office wasn’t exactly the most private place to be at the moment, even with the door locked. Instead he made do by gripping her tighter and rubbing his denim-imprisoned erection against her belly. His mouth captured her gasp. Her hand crept around his neck, grazing his nape as her thigh shifted, sliding along his. He wasn’t sure she even realized what she was doing.
It was a safe bet she had no clue what she was doing to him. He broke the kiss, his breath ragged. “I have half a mind to say fuck dinner and eat you instead.”
Kiss-swollen lips parting, she stared at him, her pupils dilated. Her chest rose and fell on choppy, staccato inhalations.
“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to take it as an invitation to make good on my word. Right here, right now.”
She snapped her mouth shut and pulled her hand from him, using it to swipe a lock of her hair behind her ear. “W-what time should I be at Bram’s?”
He battled the urge to grin like a fool. Good girl. “I was just about to drive over there. How about you ride shotgun with me?”
“But my car…”
“If you decide to head home later, I can always bring you back here.”
She frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be going home?”
He tried not to let his disappointment show. “I was hoping you’d be open to the possibility of spending the entire night with us.”
Her eyes became shadowed with worry. “Ry…”
He stopped any forthcoming protest with a lingering brush of his lips over hers. “It’s okay. If you don’t feel comfortable doing that just yet, you don’t have to.” But I’m damn well going to do everything I can to change your mind.
The storm clouds in her irises cleared and she offered a tentative smile. “Thank you for understanding. You’re an awesome friend.”
He hugged her to him and kissed the top of her forehead. “Maybe. I know I plan on getting extra friendly with you before the night is done,” he teased.
A rosy flush bloomed on her cheekbones. Her dusky eyelashes lowered as she stared at his chest and nibbled on her bottom lip. “Sooo…have you and Bram narrowed down which item you’re helping me check off?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Her gaze jerked upward, and she blinked at him. “Yeah, I would, as a matter of fact.”
“Hence the reason I’m not going to tell you. Far more exciting this way.”
Her eyes narrowed into slits. “I take back all the nice things I just said about you.”
Chuckling, he dropped another kiss on her sulky mouth before steering her toward the door.
The butterflies dive-bombing each other in Lacey’s stomach were either on a suicide mission or had just stumbled out of a kegger party. Regardless, the sensation wasn’t doing much to bolster her confidence and make her feel like a vibrant sex goddess on her way to a night of kinky fun with her best buds.
Smoothing a trembling hand over her jumpy tummy, she tried to relax as Ry parked his truck and shut off the engine.
“Wait there. I don’t want you slipping on your way out.” Ry shoved his keys into the pocket of his leather bomber jacket before climbing from the vehicle. Pulling up his collar in defense of the cold, he hurried to her side and cracked open her door. Snowflakes clung to his glossy, midnight-black hair and his eyelashes. She couldn’t resist running her fingertip over one of the thick fringes. He blinked and grinned at her. “Let me guess. I look like Frosty.”
Sure, if Frosty were over six feet of hard-muscled, sexy man candy.
He slid his hands beneath her coat and stroked the sides of her breasts, making no bones over the fact he was copping a cheap feel before he anchored his palms beneath her armpits and easily lifted her from the cab. He caught her dry look, and his wicked smile widened. The sight of it was enough to bring a surge of wetness between her legs.
Well, at least her nerves had been momentarily banished.