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Leo Page 7


  He lifts his head and I feel the full focus on his piercing gaze. “Charlie? Do you want this?”

  “Yes?”

  His face darkens.

  “I mean, yes! Yes, I do, I just…”

  My eyes skitter around the room. How do I tell him I’m a virgin when he’s lying right on top of me?

  His hand in my hair gently but firmly lifts my head so that I have no choice but to meet his gaze. “Talk to me. What’s going on in there?” The hand in my hair massages the back of my head and I feel my nerves draining away.

  “Out with it, Charlie.”

  “I’m a virgin,” I blurt out. For a moment his eyes widen in shock and I’m sure I’ve blown it, but then his expression changes and the corners of his mouth curve.

  “So I’m your first?” He asks, in a voice lower than usual. I nod.

  “The first to do this?” He lowers his head and nibbles my breast, marking a circle around my areola and my tight, aching nipple.

  “Yes,” I gasp, my breath locking in my throat.

  “And the first to do this?” He brushes a hand down my body to cup my pussy through my panties. I give a strangled moan, flexing my hips against his touch. “Well?”

  “Yes, you’re the first to do tha-that.” I’m panting now, as his hand slides back and forth over my panties.

  “What about this?” He asks, slipping his hand beneath my panties to slide one long, thick finger into my aching, wet channel.

  I cry out, a long wordless moan of need and delight. “Y-yes,” I manage, as his finger curls inside me, sliding in and out of my body, dragging over nerves I didn’t know existed.

  Then his thumb brushes over my clit and my pussy clenches around his hand.

  “Oh please,” I beg. “Yes, that, more, please…”

  He lowers his head to brush his lips over my mouth. “Your wish is my command.”

  He sits back, and pulls his shirt over his head with his free hand, tossing it away and leaning back over me again. His hand sets a smooth, firm rhythm, and I scrabble and scratch at his shoulders, enjoying the bunch and pull of heavy muscle there, then crying out as his finger finds an unusually sensitive spot, making my hips buck.

  He pulls away and I cry out, grabbing his arms, trying to pull him back.

  He responds by grabbing my hands and wrapping them around the headboard above my head.

  Then he stands and I stare at the perfection of his body. Heavy, wide shoulders above slabs of pectoral muscle, leading to a ridged abdomen and obliques dipping below the waistband of his jeans.

  Which he’s now unbuttoning.

  My mouth goes dry as I watch him push his jeans and underwear off, then he straightens and I stare at the massive cock jutting out from his groin. He’s huge. How in hell is that going to fit inside me?

  “Don’t worry,” he says, kneeling on the bed. “By the time I slide inside you, you’ll only be begging for more.”

  I swallow and rub my thighs together against the throb in my clit. His smile is predatory as he reaches out and pulls my panties off, then grabs my ankles, pushing so I have to bend my knees, and spreading my legs wide.

  Cool air flutters against my overheated pussy and I twist in his grip, not sure if I’m trying to escape or bring him closer. He prowls up the bed and buries his face between my legs, sliding his hands beneath my ass and lifting my hips, then licking me, one long, firm stroke from my asshole right up to my clit.

  I shriek, bucking in his arms, and he holds me tight, then thrusts his tongue into my tight channel.

  The drag and slide of his flesh within me is too much. My bones are on fire, my skin too tight for my body. I want to crawl out of myself and into him, I want the sensual onslaught to end and yet continue forever. I can’t escape and I want to desperately, but at the same time, there’s nowhere I’d rather be. I shriek and twist and then, quite suddenly, an orgasm rips through me and I scream Leo’s name until the room rings with it.

  He rises up over my body, kissing a hot, wet trail over my sensitized skin, making me moan as pleasure trickles through me once more. Then the tip of his massive cock slips inside me and he sets up a shallow rhythm which soon has me gasping and begging all over again.

  The heat, the friction, his weight and his firm, warm lips, all combine to drive me higher and higher. His hips flex, between my legs, and I drag my fingernails down his back, wanting to feel all that power driving into me.

  He gasps, then grabs my hands and presses them to the pillow on either side of my head. “Not until I say,” he tells me, and his dominance has me bucking beneath him, sending a fresh wave of heat to my core.

  He stares down at me, then drives forwards, breaching an internal barrier I’d forgotten all about and filling me until I can barely breathe. The pain soon fades, and now I’m gasping for a different reason. I’ve never felt so full, so utterly possessed, and I can’t think, can’t speak. I want him to move and never to move. This moment, right here, with him dominating me from the inside out, is so perfect, I never want it to end.

  And then he moves, and I can’t stop screaming. Every stroke drags over some dark forbidden spot inside me, sending wave after wave of pleasure to crash over my pussy and roll through my veins. It’s a perfect storm and we’re at the center of it. He’s thunder and lightning, fire and rhythm, pounding in my blood and my heart and my head until everything explodes and takes me with it, blasting me across a vast starry sky, filled with galaxies of possibility.

  ***

  Charlie

  A little over twenty-four hours later, I walk into the garage, feeling the most relaxed I’ve ever been in my life. The last day and a bit were fantastic, and I find myself blushing every ten seconds, just thinking about some of the ways Leo and I spent our day off.

  I pull myself back together in a hurry, though, when I see Frank. Leo may be the head honcho, but Frank’s the manager. If I’m to have any hope of holding onto my job after Leo leaves, he’s the one I need to impress.

  The thought of Leo leaving does something strange to my insides, twisting in my gut like a broken camshaft, and I push the thought away. I don’t want to think about the future, but it’s going to arrive at some point where I like it or not. The man could have anyone, and he clearly knows his way around a woman. Is it really realistic to expect him to stick around for me? For there to be something else between us? I shake off the dark mood threatening to descend. I can’t dwell on all that, not right now. There’s work to be done, a deadline to hit, and a car to restore to its former glory.

  Today I’m rebuilding the engine alongside Julio, who turns out to have a near-photographic memory for where he saw this part or that among the crates and crates of stuff which arrived from the junkyard the day before yesterday. I’m glad to see him looking better, but he doesn’t look as rested as he should, and I finally get up the courage to ask him why he always looks such a mess.

  He looks around nervously. “You can’t tell anyone.”

  I’m surprised, and intrigued. “Promise.” I can’t imagine it’s anything illegal. For all he looks like a meth addict, Julio strikes me as a solid guy. Whatever’s going on, if it’s not illegal, it’s no one else’s business. “I’m just worried about you.”

  He sighs and smiles gratefully. “Thanks, nena. Thing is, I don’t have a car.”

  I gape at him. “You what? How come?”

  He looks uncomfortable. “Well, I have a car, but my son, Alvaro, he’s sick, and my wife needs the car to take him to the hospital for treatment. We don’t have insurance, so we have to take him to the free hospital, when they can fit him in, and sometimes we only get an hour’s notice, because someone else didn’t show up, you know? So, I leave the car with her, and I walk to work.”

  I realize my mouth’s hanging open and snap it shut, then force myself to focus. “How long does it take you to walk here?”

  “Three hours,” he says, and I drop the wrench I’m holding. He goes on to explain the buses don’t start running
until seven in the morning, so he leaves his house at four.

  I run the math and it’s horrifying. “My God, Julio, are you getting any sleep at all?”

  He waggles a hand in the air, a universal ‘kinda’ gesture. “Sometimes I just find a place off the road and sleep there. I charge my phone here during the day and set an alarm. And pray Ana doesn’t need my help with anything.”

  “Julio, that’s awful. Have you told Frank?”

  His eyes widen and he shakes his head. “I can’t. You know what he thinks of me. I hear him, when no one else is near. ‘Spic’ this and ‘spic’ that. I can’t give him an excuse to fire me. With Alvaro’s treatments, Ana can’t work. I need this job, especially with the overtime the big boss is handing out right now.”

  I wince. I’ve heard Frank’s comments, too. He hasn’t said anything to me. I don’t know why, not for sure, but I’m guessing Leo’s interest in me has something to do with it. I’m under no illusions where Frank’s concerned. That said, Julio’s words are a reminder that I’m kidding myself if I think Frank will keep me on after Leo’s gone. There’s just no way that old bigot will stoop to having a female mechanic. Especially if the big boss loses interest in her the minute he leaves the building.

  I sigh and refocus on the job and a few minutes later hear the silky purr of a modern high-performance engine. I look up to see an Audi S8 pull up in the lot and a gorgeous stranger gets out and heads into Reception. A moment later, I see Leo leave his office and go to greet the newcomer, before showing him into the office.

  What is it with all the stunningly hot men around, I wonder. Not that it matters. They’re beautiful, but Leo’s face is the only one that makes my face burn and my pussy throb.

  Like it’s doing right now.

  Great.

  I shove thoughts of Leo’s face, and hands, and body, and down girl! out of my mind and drag my attention back to the job at hand. Four hands make light work and we’re motoring along, to the point where I don’t realize we have an audience until someone clears their throat.

  I finish tightening a bolt, then turn to see Tall, Dark And Handsome watching. “Can I help you? I’m Charlie Steele.”

  “Jackson Dane. So you’re the secret weapon I’ve been hearing about. You know your stuff.”

  “Er, thanks.” I check my hands. Covered in oil and grease. “Sorry,” I say, holding my right hand up to show why I’m not offering to shake.

  “Oh, no worries,” he says with a smile. “You’re busy. I just wanted to come and see what’s got the Lion King so happy lately. It’s been a while since he got his hands dirty. Although, I think there’s a little more to it than that.”

  He angles me a sideways look and a knowing smirk and my face flames, to the point where I’m sure my hair is about to catch on fire. He chuckles.

  “It was nice to meet you, Charlie. Be seeing you around.” He heads back to his car and I shake my head, trying to dispel the feeling of foreboding. How come he knew me? What’s Leo been saying? Is he really the type to brag about his conquests to his friends? The idea makes me a little queasy. But only a little. I mean, he wouldn’t do that, right? He’s just not that kind of guy.

  Leo certainly seems less tense than when he first arrived. Yesterday was the first time I saw him laugh since I started here. But now I’m wondering if that comes at a price. Am I distracting him? Worse, am I making him look unprofessional to his friends, his colleagues?

  It shouldn’t matter what he gets up to in his personal time, but in this world, it does. A guy who gets a reputation for banging the staff might find people thinking he hires on a female mechanic for what he can get out of it, not for her skills.

  The thought frustrates me, but there’s nothing I can do about it, and damn if I’m going to let people’s prejudices derail me on this job. I’m doing the best job I can, and Leo knows that. That’s the only reason I’m still working here. He wouldn’t keep me on, and he certainly wouldn’t have let me work on his Dad’s Superbird yesterday, if he didn’t think I had the necessary skills and experience.

  When it comes to what other people think of his professionalism, he’s old enough to look after himself. Let’s face it, I won’t be here for much longer anyway, and then the problem will go away on its own.

  I try not to think too hard about that. The car is starting to take shape. It looks like we might actually have a fighting chance of hitting this insane deadline Leo took on for us. What happens after that happens. Either way, at least I’ll have a chunk of cash in my pocket to help me figure out my next move.

  ***

  Leo

  I leave my office after Jackson leaves and see him talking briefly to Charlie. She watches him leave a few minutes later, looking nervous, then shakes her head and gets back to work. For a brief moment, jealousy flares in my gut, but then I realize it’s not that. Something he said upset her, and now I have to restrain the impulse to call him up and find out what he said to make her frown.

  I roll my eyes, mostly at myself. I’m on the verge of making a fool of myself over this woman, but there are other things going on. For one thing, I’ve had some time to go through the numbers, particularly the employee paperwork Sheila left on my desk this morning, and a lot of things just aren’t adding up. Frank and I need to have a talk, but I need all hands on deck for now. The project is moving forward well, but we can’t afford to slack off. Even Frank seems to have redoubled his efforts after a day off. I can’t afford to lose momentum. Talking to him is just going to have to wait.

  Charlie’s voice rises, just a little, and I’m instantly on alert.

  “No iPod jack,” she’s saying, insistently, with the air of someone who’s having to repeat themselves and isn’t happy about it.

  “You’re not the boss of this project,” Frank says, in a tone bordering on flat out rude. “The client already okay’d it. Said his wife loves music and she’ll want to listen in her car.”

  Charlie shakes her head. “She won’t like it. The boys never had an iPod jack in the car. Well, they did briefly, but—”

  “Nobody cares, Steele,” sneers Frank, and my eyes narrow. His back is to me, and I have a feeling he wouldn’t use that tone if he knew I was listening in. It bothers me that he’s being such an asshole towards her. Has he been like this the whole time and I just didn’t notice because I was thinking with my dick? Or not thinking at all, just focusing on getting the work done and not paying attention to the dynamic between my employees?

  “Install the damn jack,” says Frank, throwing it at Charlie who catches it an inch from her face.

  A snarl builds in my chest and I take a step forward, only to slam to a halt as Sheila bursts out of Reception.

  “Frank! It’s the client. He says it’s urgent.”

  Frank turns to Charlie and I catch the edge of a smug smile. “You see? The client wants to talk to me. Not you. Got it? Just do as you’re damn well told.”

  He wheels around to head to Reception, sees me, and his self-satisfied expression falters. He focuses on the floor and hurries through the door, carefully not meeting my eyes.

  I look over at Charlie, who looks resigned but not terribly upset. Like she’s used to this kind of bullshit. And that’s not okay either.

  Two seconds later, Frank storms through the door, pushing it so hard it bangs against the wall. “Gimme that damn jack.”

  Charlie holds it out and Frank snatches it from her, then strides across the shop floor to throw it into a crate, muttering under his breath.

  Charlie watches him go, her lips pressed together in a valiant attempt not to laugh. Julio isn’t quite as successful and a muffled snort slips out. She shushes him and redirects him to the work.

  “Don’t think you know everything, Steele,” Frank snaps at her. “I’ve got decades of experience on you. Know your damn place.”

  “Yes, sir,” she says. Her eyes catch mine and to my surprise, she looks upset to see me watching. Does she not want me to know how Frank behaves towa
rds her? Why does she think I’d be okay with that, or that I wouldn’t want to know he’s being a shithead?

  The thought pisses me off. She still doesn’t trust me. I don’t know how else to show her, but suddenly an idea occurs to me, and I smile.

  Then I see her coming towards me and blink. It’s like I summoned her just by thinking about her.

  “Boss, may I speak with you?” Maybe she is ready to speak to me about Frank after all. The cozy feeling expands in my gut. She trusts me, and I’ve got an idea to show her exactly how much I trust her.

  “Sure. Step into my office.”

  I force myself to keep my eyes on her shoulders and not her curvy ass, swaying in front of me as she precedes me into the room. Then I shut the door and take a moment to absorb the glitter of her eyes, the soft silky texture of her hair, and the way her breasts fill out her shirt, because damn she looks good and I’d be a sorry excuse for a man if I didn’t take a moment to appreciate every aspect of her in a private place.