Love Against Odds Volume One (Love Agaist Odds Book 10) Read online

  The least he could do was cover for her calling in.

  Then again, it wasn’t as if she would have a job for much longer anyway. He shouldn’t worry how it looked.

  But he did. He’d liked her for too long, and he had always known his interest was more than just a physical attraction. He respected her professionally too, and the last thing he wanted was for her to look bad.

  Especially since he was the reason.

  Ian left the meeting with his developers and ran right into his boss.

  “How’s everything coming along, Cope?”

  “Good, Mac. Just finished meeting with the development team on the changes that are needed.”

  Mac glanced around, making Ian do the same. “Have you gotten anything from Tucker?” he asked in a hushed tone, so he obviously wasn’t asking about the official project.

  “Yes sir. I’m learning about the inner workings of her office. I should have something for you next week.”

  “Just make sure you wrap up the consolidation plan by the time your project is finished.”

  Ian did his best to seem nonchalant. He knew it wouldn’t do to come across as a prick right now, no matter how much he hated what he was being forced to do.

  “I’ll get it done,” he said curtly and stalked off.

  He had no choice but to do the job assigned to him. He’d just have to get back in Cassie’s good graces first.

  And he’d have to shove all his fantasies about her into the deepest, darkest recesses of his brain. Because if he dwelled on the things he still wanted to do to her, he’d be in some serious trouble.

  Trouble he yearned for.

  “You fiddled the bean in front of Ian?” Sasha yelled loud enough that Cassie had to pull her phone away from her ear.

  “Of course you’d focus on the details.” Cassie sighed as she flung herself onto the bed and threw the covers over her head. She didn’t think she could get any more embarrassed after last night. She was quickly finding out that wasn’t the case. Having to relive the experience was almost just as bad. Almost.

  “I told you I wanted deets.”

  “You got deets. Now I need help,” Cassie groaned.

  Sasha sighed. “Cass, listen. You need to just chill. So you two got a little freaky last night. You’re consenting adults. You’re entitled.”

  “But I didn’t know! It’s hard to say I was consenting when I didn’t exactly get to consent.”

  “Good grief, girl. You practically shoved your pussy in his face. You can’t get much more consenting than that.” When Cassie didn’t respond, Sasha continued. “I get why you’re upset but just try and think about what he’s going through too. You both were hitting the sauce and getting cozy in your pj’s. If he’d actually been at your place, you would’ve fucked.”

  “You don’t know that!”

  “Whatever. Stay in denial. The bottom line is you have to work with him. You can’t avoid him forever. You’re on a tight schedule on this project, Cass.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know. And he tried calling me several times today. I checked my email, and not only did he try getting me to talk to him that way, but he actually got the ball rolling on our project and kept me up to speed on what he’d done. I don’t want him covering my ass.”

  “I bet he could cover it quite nicely right after he pulls his cock out—”

  “Sasha!”

  Unfortunately, Cassie’s reprimand only furthered Sasha’s laughter.

  “Okay, all right, okay. But you have to admit you’re being a little petty. He probably feels terrible and maybe even a little creepy. There’s no telling what’s going through his mind, and you’re not giving him an opportunity to talk about what happened.”

  Cassie really hated that Sasha was being logical. But how could Cassie face Ian now? It wasn’t as if she carefully orchestrated a seduction to pull him in with a sultry feminine show meant to fire him up. Nope, she just dropped her drawers and went at it. No teasing, tempting play. And working a man up into a frenzy was the best part. Well, one of the best parts. Cassie loved it when a man lost control and exerted his carnal, basic instincts. She didn’t want a knuckle-dragging Neanderthal, but there was something to be said for a man’s primitive reaction to a woman. The fact that Ian didn’t hold back was sexy as hell.

  And how could she tell him she was both embarrassed and turned-on by what had happened? He’d think she was a total freak. A total flaky freak who didn’t know what she wanted.

  “I know you’re right, Sasha. I’m going to eat some dinner and then respond to his email about the project. I’d rather touch base tonight than tomorrow.”

  “Good idea. Let me know how it goes.”

  Cassie rang off and ordered pizza while she read over the work Ian had done and contemplated her response. After the pizza arrived and she gorged herself on yummy pepperoni goodness, she took the bull by the horns and sent him a response, mentioning how great of a job he had done and that she’d get started on the white paper tomorrow since he was tackling the test plan. She was in the middle of talking herself into taking a much-needed shower—she’d skipped one this morning because she was too hungover to get out of bed—when her phone rang. She grabbed the receiver and sighed when she saw Ian’s name. His emails were sent to his BlackBerry, so he’d have known she was working. It wasn’t as if she could keep avoiding him. Besides, she’d rather have this conversation away from the prying ears lurking around cubicle land.

  “Hello.” She was proud of how relaxed she actually sounded.

  “Hi, Cassie. It’s Ian. I think it’s a great idea to get started on the white paper. I hadn’t actually thought about that yet.” He sounded like his regular, professional self, and she felt a little more at ease. “I, er, talked to the lead developer again after I sent you the status update, and he seems pretty confident that it’ll be ready for us to test in a couple of days.”

  “Good.”

  Uncomfortable silence. One second turned into two, three, four.

  “I’m sorry,” he breathed.

  Cassie shut her eyes. His tone was beyond apologetic. It was tortured.

  “It’s not your fault, Ian. If I was too drunk to realize I hadn’t disconnected our call, then you deserved the little show you got.” She shook her head, playing with the imaginary lint on her pajama bottoms.

  “No. I took advantage of the situation. That was not cool. I-I…shit, Cassie,” he sighed, and she could imagine he looked just as frustrated as he sounded. “I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t stop myself. The thing is I told myself you might’ve known I was watching and you were doing it on purpose. Granted it was a very, very small part of me that had hoped that while the rest of me was screaming to disconnect, but if there was even the slightest possibility you wanted me with you when you…then I wanted to share it with you,” he whispered the last part.

  He wanted to share it with her? Not just get off too? What was he saying?

  “Look, we’d both been drinking—”

  “I’d have done that with you cold-stone sober. Seeing your beautiful body was a very sobering experience anyway.”

  How she could manage to blush from his words after what had happened last night, she didn’t understand, but that was definitely happening. Her face felt inflamed, and her hands started trembling. There was no way the west coast hottie could think she was beautiful. Sure, she’d had her fair share of admirers and felt pretty good about her looks. But feeling pretty good about looks was a far cry from thinking she could turn this sex god’s head when his sobriety wasn’t in question.

  So why was she melting, slinking onto the bed with thoughts of what that hunk of man could do to her? She shouldn’t encourage this. She really shouldn’t…

  “Is that so?” she breathed. So much for being smart about this.

  A low groan filtered through the phone. “God, yes.”

  “Yes, you’d have done that anyway, or yes, you think I’m beautiful?”

  “Both,” he answer
ed without hesitation.

  She didn’t want to focus on the comment about her looks. She felt as if she’d be fishing for compliments if she asked him to explain. Besides, he could just be flattering her to ease his conscience. But she could definitely get the skinny on the other. “So you’ve had internet sex before?” She laughed at the thought of what they’d essentially done.

  He chuckled. “Actually, I can’t say that I have.”

  “Oh, we were both internet sex virgins, then.”

  He laughed louder. “I haven’t been an anything virgin in a long time.”

  “So you’ve done everything else already?” Cassie couldn’t seem to pull her decorum back from the gutter from where she’d dumped it.

  “Define ‘everything else’,” he said cautiously.

  “Oh no, my response might show too much of my dark side before I’m ready.” Plus he might think she was weak if she told him about the experience that came to mind—the time she submitted sexually to a man. It wasn’t a way of life for her, but it sure was fun to try, an experience she’d loved that she would be willing to do again with the right man. “How ’bout you tell me the kinkiest thing you’ve done.”

  “Hmmm. You want me to show my cards before you do,” he said playfully, then hesitated and cleared his throat. “Dark side, huh? All right. I went to a sex club in L.A. with my brother, Aaron.” Was he a damn mind reader? When she didn’t say anything right away, he continued. “He’s a Dom, and I have some dominant…urges, I guess you can say. It’s not a lifestyle choice I could make, but Aaron, he’s the real deal. Doesn’t like ‘weak-ass men’, as he puts it, coming in and pretending to be a Dom, so he doesn’t usually entertain inquiries into that life. But when I expressed an interest, he showed me around, gave me a taste of it. I know more now about what I like and what I don’t. He thinks people who dabble in it and don’t invest fully into the life give it a bad rap. I disagree. I think there’s no harm in playing a little without the major commitment.” He sighed. “And I probably just freaked you the hell out.”

  Oh, she wasn’t freaked out. Not at all. Just hearing Ian talk about being dominant in bed got her hot as hell. “No,” she said a little breathlessly.

  “Well, now, if I didn’t scare you off with that little tale, you must have a little kink in you. Ready to show your cards now? What’s the craziest thing you’ve done?”

  She turned to her side, glancing at her reflection in the mirror across the room. She didn’t realize her eyes were glazed over, though she should’ve known. Her pussy was drenched and her nipples were aching. Ian was a dream man, and not only were his looks off the chart, but the two of them also liked the same things in the sack. This was so unfair! Why did this man have to live in another state? If he were here right now, there’d be a lot less talking and a lot more fucking going on. “I know this is going to sound completely ironic, but I swear what I’m about to say is the exact thing that popped into my mind when I asked you that question.” Oh God, she was really going to tell him! She’d never told anyone about this. Until now. “I’ve, er, yeah, I’ve submitted sexually to a man before.”

  She heard his sudden intake of breath and her heart raced at his reaction. She wasn’t the only one turned-on. The image of him stroking his dick came to mind and she suppressed a moan. Damn, but that had been a sexy sight to see last night.

  She wanted to see it again.

  “What happened when you submitted?” he rasped.

  “I, um, he blindfolded me, chained me to the wall and kissed me…with his crop.”

  “Fuck,” he breathed. “How long did he beat you?”

  Her laugh was but a sultry little sound. “Awhile. Until my ass was on fire. Then he fucked me while I was still manacled.”

  “God, Cassie, was that what you wanted?”

  “That question is one of concern, but your tone betrays you,” she chided playfully. “You liked hearing about my experience.”

  He groaned. “Damn, baby. Like doesn’t even begin to describe it.” At least he was honest with her. After hearing about his dominant tendencies, she knew he’d enjoy hearing her story. “But you didn’t answer the question.”

  “Did I like it? Well, yeah, Ian. I wouldn’t have agreed to it if I didn’t. But honestly, I’m not a masochist. I got off on the experience because he got off doing it.”

  “So you wouldn’t want to be beaten just for your own pleasure.”

  “No. Now that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t find pleasure in it, because I know I have before. But I wouldn’t wake up one morning and ask some guy to whip me with a crop for the hell of it.”

  He made a noncommittal noise as if he was digesting this information, filing it away for future study. He was learning stuff about her that no one else knew. But Cassie didn’t want to be the only one spilling the beans tonight.

  “What did you do at the sex club, Ian? Did you spank some pretty, young thing?”

  “Yes.” His voice was ragged with need. “Would you let me spank you while I fucked you?”

  She gasped at his raw desire. God, would she ever! Her legs fell open, her hand splaying on her exposed belly. “Oh yeah. I’d let you, and I’d love the feel of your hand on my bare ass.”

  “Damn, baby, you have a dirty little mouth on you. I’d have given anything to be able to hear the whispered words you said last night while you touched yourself.”

  “Mmmm…” Her fingers lightly traced her bellybutton.

  “Where are you at right now?”

  “In bed,” she said slowly.

  “Good.” He took a deep breath. “Take you shirt off, Cassie,” he ordered, his tone brooking no argument.

  “Why? You can’t see my breasts.”

  “Because I want them exposed. Do it now.” He said it with such finality that Cassie sat up in the bed. He was giving her a taste of his dominant nature.

  And she was more than eager to sample it.

  4

  Ian sat on his bed, leaning against his pillows with the phone propped against his shoulder. He’d never had internet sex before last night, and now it seemed he’d be having phone sex for the first time too. He wasn’t some wet-behind-the-ears guy when it came to matters of lust. Truth was he’d had plenty of sex in his life. Good, dirty, sweaty sex in a multitude of positions and sometimes with as many partners who could fit on a king-size bed. He liked it rough. He liked it sweet. He just liked what he liked and wasn’t too picky about trying new things.

  And because he liked exploring the boundaries of his sexuality, he’d tried that one time being a full Dom. It wasn’t for him. He liked being controlling in the bedroom. Hell, he loved that shit! But he also liked it when a woman exerted a little control. And he did not like the idea of dominating a woman outside the bedroom. Having a woman who’d kneel naked at his feet while he ate dinner with his buddies did absolutely zero for his libido. And zero for his ego. His brother, Aaron, on the other hand… Man, that guy was in it to win it. It just wasn’t Ian’s cup of tea.

  But exerting control over a woman sexually from time to time? Yeah, that got the blood flowing to his cock.

  Like right fucking now. His dick was harder than steel just thinking about Cassie submitting to him. And not that prick she was talking about. The thought of her submitting to any man other than him made him see red. He’d kill any motherfucker who tried to control her. But God, the thought of him tying her up and ordering her to do his bidding… He shivered. His hands shook. And his cock? It was pressed against the zipper of his jeans, demanding attention.

  “Hold on,” Cassie said, and he took that time to alleviate his discomfort by easing the zipper down and releasing his aching erection. He pulled it out and suppressed a groan when he gently stroked it. He wanted her soft hands on him instead. “Okay. I took it off.”

  “Good girl. Now tell me what your nipples look like.”

  “They’re small and pink.” She gasped and he felt the jolt in his balls. She was playing with them already.

>   “Did I say you could touch them?”

  “No,” she said with the sexiest little pout in her voice.

  “You’re being a bad girl now, Cassie. Don’t do anything unless you’re told.”

  She whimpered. “All right.”

  “What are you wearing?”

  “My pajama bottoms and panties.”

  “The same bottoms you had on last night?”

  “Yeah,” she breathed.

  Ian could almost picture her lush breasts exposed, her wavy brown hair tumbled around her head, and her light-green eyes half-lidded. She was a fucking bombshell, and she didn’t even act like it, which made her even sexier. “Push your pj’s and panties down to your knees like you did last night.”

  He heard her rustle around on her bed while he caressed his cock, stoking his own pleasure with his hand while Cassie did it with her responses.

  “Okay. Are you undressing too?”

  “I haven’t, but I have my pants undone and my hand around my dick. Do you want me to undress, Cassie?”

  “Just your shirt.”

  He smiled. If he took off his shirt, they’d both be dressed the same. Or undressed the same, actually. “Give me a sec.” He put the phone down long enough to pull his shirt off. He tossed it to the side, then picked up the phone again. “Okay. Can you lick your nipples?”

  “I-I don’t know. I’ve never tried.”

  “Try now.”

  She panted into the phone and moaned with a wet licking sound. “Yeah, I can.”

  “That’s good, Cassie.” His balls were already tingling and his belly burning with the need for release. He had to slow down or he’d blow way before he wanted to. “Lick your middle finger and circle your hard little clit for me, baby.”