One Night Forever (The Cinderella Chronicles) by Lisa Renée Jones Page B

reminder. A reference to that first night in his apartment
when he had spoken them before. The meaning didn’t escape Lauren.
And she hadn’t forgotten. Not that night. Not Matt. She felt his
hands slide down her arms with tantalizing results. Goose bumps
formed a trail behind his caresses. His hands settled on her waist.
Though her mind screamed for her to step away, to stop this now
before it was too late…his touch seduced. Drawing her into a spell
of sorts. She was lost… It felt so incredibly good to have him
touch her again.
    Acting off instinct and
need, Lauren’s head fall back against his shoulder. Matt’s scent
was warm and perfect as it infiltrated her senses, acting like a
splash of arousal dousing her body. Matt eased closer, ridding them
of the small space that had been between their bodies and his hands
flattened on her stomach. The action molded the roundness of her
bottom to his pelvis.
    “ What do you
say, Lauren?” he asked brushing his lips along her earlobe. “Shall
we enjoy our own little fantasy world?”

Chapter Twelve
     
    Lauren suppressed a
shiver. “I came here to talk,” she whispered, thankful Matt stood
behind her. All of her resistance—the little she retained—might
melt into those amazing dark eyes of his.
    The touch of his lips, a
featherlight touch, brushed the delicate area of her neck and
enticed a shiver. “Then talk.”
    “ I can’t when
you’re…” She lost the words when his hands slid up her sides, past
her ribs, and just barely skimmed the curve of her breasts.
Instantly, her nipples tightened. Lauren swallowed hard. Her
panties were damp with proof of arousal. If she didn’t act soon,
she wouldn’t. She knew she wanted Matt. Of that there was no doubt.
But being with him was wrong, and she knew it.
    As if he’d read her mind,
Matt offered reassurance. “This isn’t wrong.” With a gentle touch,
he turned her to face him, keeping her close, their thighs
touching. Bodies intimate in their connection. Lauren rested her
hands on his too-perfect chest. Then, she did the very thing she
knew equaled the death of her willpower—she let her gaze lock with
his.
    What she saw scorched her
with its intensity. Potent and sexual, the look in his eyes told
her how much he wanted her. Her fingers curled in his shirt,
fighting the urge to run her hands across his chest and shoulders.
He wasn’t dressed for work as she still was. It somehow made this
easier. His slacks and pullover made him seem less the president of
Carlson. Less her boss. She had no doubt he knew as much. He’d
dressed to take her mind off their daytime connection.
    “ While we’re
here,” he slipped his hand to the side of her face, into her hair.
“Carlson doesn’t exist. We are two lovers enjoying each
other.”
    The tender way he held
her made her stomach flip-flop. “You make it sound so
simple.”
    “ It can
be.”
    Lord only knew, she
wanted it to be. “What if someone finds out?” she whispered, but
deep down she knew she had already made up her mind. No way could
she walk away from another night in Matt’s arms.
    “ Ah, baby,
who’s going to find out?”
    The endearment caught her
off guard. It made things feel less sexual. More intimate and
close. But even as he said the words, Lauren saw a flash of
something indiscernible in Matt’s eyes. Without warning, he dropped
his hands from her face and took a step backwards. Lauren found
herself wanting to reach for him, to pull him close
again.
    “ Look,” Matt
said. “If this isn’t what you want, I’ll turn and walk away. We can
pretend nothing ever happened between us. My intent isn’t to make
your life hell.” He paused. “This is your decision. Your job is
secure as is the secret we share.”
    Confusion hit her like a
powerful blow. He’d made this his decision. Not that she’d felt it
hadn’t been. “I never thought my job was at risk.” Not completely
true. “At least not directly from you. My reputation in the