couldn’t believe he was actually leaving her, though she had told him to. She panicked and reached out to pull his arm. “I’m sorry. Don’t leave.”
Elliot turned around to look down at her. His dark brow lifted with playfull mischief. “Are you ready to play nice?”
Thandie licked her lips nervously and looked over at the elevator shaft; the red light was still lit. In a room full of drunk, drugged-out mating couples, Elliot was her only ally. She would prefer the devil himself over him, but by her own doing, she was stuck with him. She could not say she hadn’t been warned.
Elliot slid his hands into his pockets. His eyes focused on her thighs. “Are we in agreement?”
She nodded.
He leaned down until his lips were only a breath away from her own. She expected him to kiss her, but he surprised her by placing his hands on either side of her on the sofa and lowering himself to the floor. Kneeling before her, he hooked his hands under her knees and pulled her to the edge of the seat so that her thighs were on either side of him. The hem of her dress effortlessly hiked up to her waist. If not for the black lace of her panties, she would be fully exposed to him.
Elliot’s silver eyes flashed in the murkiness, hypnotizing her with their predatory power. His lips came crashing down on hers. He made her escape impossible by cupping the back of her head in his palm. His lips were cool to the touch, but his tongue was scorching hot. He swept every curve of her mouth with masterful skill. It was not long before she stopped pushing against him and leaned into his hold, her hands resting on the sides of his ribcage.
Keeping her mouth pinned beneath him, Elliot grabbed handfuls of her flesh and squeezed with the selfishness of a gluttonous man. He pulled her open legs closer to him until his groin was nestled against the crotch of her panties. He groaned. Her eyes sprang open, and she pushed hard against his chest.
Not easily detoured, Elliot dragged wet kisses along her neck. “Damn, you feel good, honey. I’m going to eat you.”
“No,” she gasped, warning bells going off in her head, but unable to react quickly enough. “I need to get out of here.”
“Shh,” he cooed softly in her ear. “You’ll love it. Lie back.” He slid his hand from her bottom to her inner thigh. “Relax.” He kissed the sensitive spot just below her earlobe as he pushed aside the fabric of her panties. Thandie gasped when he brushed his fingers over the sensitive bud of her clit as he made a slow trail southward. He groaned when the tips of his fingers became slick with her desire. “You’re already wet for me,” he whispered against her ear. “Tell me you want me.”
“No.” She could hardly breathe, let alone sound certain of herself.
Elliot lifted his head to look into her face. Her eyes were practically glowing with lust. “Tell me what I want to hear,” he demanded in the husky voice. “Tell me you want this.” He slipped his finger inside her again. Her folds closed around him greedily. “You don’t want me to stop.” He moved his fingers in and out of her with agonizing slowness. “I’m more talented with my tongue.” He leaned forward and flicked his tongue against her earlobe. He chuckled when a fresh wave of her cream saturated his fingers.
It took all of Thandie’s power to muster up the strength to grab his wrist. “Stop, Elliot.” Her brown eyes were now shining. “Let go of me now.”
He stilled his hand. She meant what she said. “As you wish.” He pulled his hand away from her and held his wet fingers up between them before licking them clean. “The offer is always open.”
Just then, the elevator chimed, and the doors opened. A laughing couple tumbled out, both frantically ripping the remainder of their clothes off. Thandie pushed Elliot away and headed for the elevator car, catching the doors just before they closed. She didn’t dare look back at him. He represented every weakness known to women.
* * *
An hour later, Thandie fell across the bed in Warren’s guest room. Her hasty retreat from Babylon had not been very graceful. She’d stumbled out of the elevator, looking disheveled and glancing over her shoulder like a frightened animal. Thankfully, there was no on around to see her.
Righting her clothes, she quickly weaved her way through the dancing crowd. It was pure luck she spotted Len and Raja standing near the bar.
Stalking up to them, Thandie announced they were leaving. Wisely, neither girl objected. They followed her, and managed to keep their babbling to a minimum while waiting for the valet to deliver their car.
On the drive home, Thandie informed the girls they were not allowed to go the Tower under any circumstances. When Len asked what was in the Tower, Thandie replied, “Unemployment.”
It was not until they arrived at Warren’s home, that she remembered her feet hurt. But who the hell cared? She had bigger problems now. As soon as they entered the house, Thandie retreated to the privacy of her room. She shut the door shut behind her and tossed her limp body on the bed.
Thandie buried her face into her pillow. Replaying it in her mind, she could almost feel his fingers inside her now. She groaned. That was the most disgraceful job performance ever. Yes, he had set her up, but she had rightfully put herself in that position by going to the Tower when she’d been forewarned. Under the right amount of pressure, she’d made it very apparent to him that she was attracted to him, and he’d made the most of the situation. She bet he took a lot of women up there. The sex-crazed Steinberg didn’t seem surprised to see Elliot in the Tower. She groaned again. She had nearly given herself to a smooth-talking male slut. What did that make her?
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to block out the provocative images swirling around in her head. She had to force herself to think clearly. If she stood any chance of successfully completing this project, she would have to make a point to stay as far away from Elliot Richards as possible...and find a good male masseur immediately.
* * *
Elliot lay naked across his bed. He stacked his hands behind his head, but he couldn’t close his eyes just yet, because every time he did, he saw Thandie’s smooth, bronzed skin.
She’d really put him in his place tonight, and that annoyed and excited him. He couldn’t remember the last time a woman had turned him down. Usually, women were stepping over each other to get to him. He would have his pick of the group, using them at will before growing restless and discarding them.
But not Thandie.
She’d surprised him by snubbing him twice tonight, once by refusing to kiss him and again by refusing to let him go down on her. He had to admit he’d been toying with her, but after her first rebuff, he felt compelled to prove to her that he was the one in control. And then, she had refused him again.
That fact did not sit well with him. He had no idea why he even cared. Perhaps it was just his wounded ego, but whatever the case, he didn’t like the injury his pride had sustained at the hands of Thandie Shaw. She wasn’t even his typical brand of woman. In the past, he had preferred slender buxom brunettes; however, he was inclined to be attracted to the occasional blonde from time to time.
Thandie was on the opposite side of the spectrum. Yes, she was tall and slender, but had more curves than he was prone to desire. She had full hips and a wonderfully round derriere. Her long dark hair had been every bit as soft as he had imagined, and she tasted so sweet—like hot sex. Elliot had prided himself on never being easily swayed by any
