Dear Grumpy Boss: A Brother’s Best Friend Office Romance (The Harder They Fall)
Dear Grumpy Boss: Chapter 16

IT WAS LATE.

Midnight.

Sleep eluded me.

I stood at the door separating my room from Elise’s. Had she noticed we had adjoining rooms? More than once, I’d pressed my ear to the door to check if I could hear her moving inside.

Silence.

I rested my head against the door.

I’d screwed up today and hadn’t even realized it while I’d been doing it. When I sank into work mode, personal relationships didn’t really exist. Marisol riding with me to the second site had been natural. We’d been doing it that way for several years now. A habit.

That was no excuse.

Dev and Jeff were harmless, but they were also grade A assholes who talked shit about their wives and had no sense of humor. I’d bet anything the hour drive with them had been epically painful.

She deserved an apology.

Before telling myself the hundreds of reasons I shouldn’t, I raised my hand and rapped on the door. Something banged in her room. Rustling followed, then her voice.

“What? Is someone there?”

“Elise, open the door. It’s me.”

The lock clicked on her side. She swung the door open a few inches, peering at me with sleepy eyes.

“What do you want?” she rasped.

I pushed the door open farther, enough to fit through. She staggered back until I caught her shoulder, pulling her toward me.

The lamp beside her bed was the only source of light in the room. Her sheets were wrinkled. Her cheeks were creased from her pillow. Warmth emanated from her soft, plush skin.

Blood rushed to my cock. I’d seen Elise many ways, but never sleep mussed, in little silky pajamas. One strap had slid off her shoulder, but I did nothing to right it. I had no desire to.

Holding my breath, I watched it slip even farther.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispered.

“Because—” I squeezed my eyes shut. What was I doing?

“Do you…?” She placed a hand on my chest, over my pounding heart. “Why are you here?”

I opened my eyes, taking in the beautiful girl I should have stayed miles away from. That was a habit too. Whatever attraction I felt for Elise had been locked down tight for years.

Until now.

Nothing I did changed it.

Every time I saw her, it grew.

“I want you and pretending I don’t doesn’t make it go away. I fucking want you, Elise.” My jaw was so tense my declaration came out tight and angry.

She sucked in a breath, her fingers curling into my chest. “You’re an asshole.”

“I know that. And wanting you is impossible, but there it is. I know you feel it.”

Her chin went up. Defiant. Just how I liked it. “This will never work, you know.”

“I know that. But we need to burn this…whatever this is between us. We have to burn it out.”

Her brows winged. “Get it out of our systems?”

I took her face in my hands, rubbing my thumb along the cleft in her chin. “Exactly.”

“While we’re here?” she whispered.

“Only while we’re here.”

She rose on her toes, her mouth brushing mine. “I should say no.”

My lips twitched. “You absolutely should.” Then I slipped my fingers into the back of her hair and fisted it. “But you won’t because I know you feel it too.”

“You don’t know anything,” she hissed, leaning into me.

“I know I’m going to make you come until you scream.”

She shook her head. “No.”

I tugged her hair again. “No? Don’t deny me.”

Her lips ghosted across mine, and on the second pass, her tongue dragged lightly along my bottom lip. “The thing is, I don’t scream when I come.”

“Mmm.” I caught her lip with my teeth, tugging gently. “I remember exactly how sweet you sound when you come. But I think I can do better when there’s no one around to hear.”

She shoved at me, but not hard enough to make me think she meant it. “I’m mad at you. You know that, right?”

“I’m mad at you too.” I tipped her head back, licking a long line from her clavicle to her earlobe. “Still harder than I’ve ever been in my life. Still need to fuck you before I commit violence to rid myself of this insanity.”

“Is it so insane to be attracted to me?” she asked in a shaky whisper.

“The way I am, yes. You have no idea what goes through my head when I’m around you.” I sank my teeth into the tendon along her neck, sending shudders through her body. “When I see you, I want to eat you alive, spank you, suck your soft spots until I’ve marked every one of them.”

She let out a breathless moan, her head lolling back. “I’m all soft spots, West.”

“Then I guess I need to get started since I have a lot of work to do.”

My mouth clamped down on the base of her throat, sucking hard until she groaned. My lips pressed on the same spot, kissing the pain away.

I pulled back to check on her. Her eyes were closed, lips parted as she exhaled a long breath. “Do you like that?”

“Yesss,” she replied. “I don’t like you, though.”

I chuckled, ducking my face into her throat again. “I told you before, I like you enough for the both of us.” I sucked her skin and cupped her breasts. They were heavy and round, spilling over the edges of my palms in a way that sent shots of agony directly to my balls.

I had to have her, to know this part of her, so I could clear the questions from my mind. I couldn’t think straight anymore unless I was deep into my work, and even then, even then, my thoughts sometimes strayed to this woman.

As I sucked on her skin, I backed her toward the bed. She’d gone pliant, letting me lead her. When the backs of her knees hit the mattress, we stopped, staring at each other.

This was it.

Jump or turn back.

For me, there was no choice. My loyalty, common sense, and self-preservation had all been buried deep under my need for Elise.

Her fingers raked through my hair. She bit her bottom lip, her eyes trailing over me. Then one hand dropped, dragging down my abdomen to the waistband of my joggers. My cock was right there, pushing at the elastic. She pressed against it with her flattened palm.

“West,” she breathed.

“You’re going to take it, aren’t you, baby?”

She nodded, biting down on her lip again.

“Say it, Elise. Tell me you want this.”

“I want you”—her fingers wrapped around my cock, sliding down my length over my pants—“to fuck me with this. Do it hard and dirty so I forget every reason why you shouldn’t.”

A dose of pure adrenaline shot down my spine. Grabbing the neckline of her top, I yanked it so hard the thin straps snapped and her tits spilled out, creamy, capped with delicious, dark-pink tips.

“Oh, fuck yes,” I growled. “Shorts off and get on the bed, baby. Let me see what I’m getting.”

We both moved, tossing our clothes aside. Elise scooted onto the bed, her dark hair fanning across her white pillow. I braced one knee on the mattress, slowing to take her in.

“Jesus, West, you’re hung.”

That made me laugh. I gripped my cock in my fist, still looking her over. “And you’re fucking pretty.”

She writhed on the sheets, her arms crossing over her middle. Not happy with my view being obstructed, I reached down, taking her hands in mine, slowly coaxing her arms open again.

“I have to see you, Elise.”

A little pant fell from her rosy lips. “Okay.”

I started my perusal over. Taking in her full, round breasts and pebbled nipples. The little swell above her oval belly button. The gentle slope of her stomach below leading to a perfect triangle of dark hair.

My cock was throbbing, aching to get inside her, sink into all that heat and plushness.

Her curves were decadence personified. Not a single sharp edge or harsh angle. Her skin was tan and creamy, soft and smooth all over. Everything about her was feminine and sensual to the extreme.

I had to swallow hard, something a lot like nervousness clogging my throat.

Elise Levy was a dream I had never allowed myself to have.

“Come here,” she demanded with honey on her tongue, holding out her hand. “Fuck me, West.”

Kneeling at her feet, I slid my hands up the backs of her thighs to her knees, pressing her legs apart. I couldn’t keep my mouth off her. She whimpered as I dragged my lips along the insides of her thigh.

My fingers were ahead of my mouth, trailing over her puffy, wet pussy, parting her slit to reveal her soaking pink folds.

“So fucking pretty, Elise.” I slid two fingers into her, my eyes slamming shut as her heat enveloped me. Moving them in and out, I worked on making space to fit myself inside her. “So tight, baby. I need in there.”

She held a hand out to me. “Come on, West.”

“Not before I have a taste. Gotta have a taste.”

I sank down between her thighs, brushing my mouth back and forth over her. She was fresh, clean, slick, hot. I buried my face in her folds, licking her all over, pumping my fingers in and out. The sound of her arousal was the sexiest thing to ever fill my ears. She was so swollen, her clit like a sweet little bead as I rolled it with my tongue.

“West,” she moaned, her fingers weaving through my hair. “More, more.” Her hips rose, bringing her pussy even tighter to my mouth. I gave her more, sucking on her clit, fucking her cunt with my fingers.

“So…good.” She rode my tongue, her pussy vibrating on my lips. “I’m coming.”

When she let go, it wasn’t with a scream. Elise’s cries were watery rainbows, vibrant but fleeting. Being the one to make her let go was achingly beautiful.

“Oh god, West, please.”

I rose to my knees and sheathed myself in the condom I’d tossed on the bed when I’d gotten undressed. Elise was reaching for me, arching her hips in offering.

When I was covered, I fell over her, licking at her mouth. Her tongue clashed with mine, curling around it. Teeth nipping and sucking my lips between hers.

My cock prodded at her pussy, searching for entry. I reached between us, angling myself so the head slipped inside her opening.

Her mouth tore from mine as her neck arched. “West!”

“I know, baby.” I slid in another inch, pushing up on my arms to watch. “Let me in.”

Her body slowly opened, stretching to accommodate me. The sounds Elise made as I found my way into her a little bit at a time only spurred me on. I had to fuck this girl, and fuck her hard.

“You ready for more?” I gritted out.

Her eyes flared. “There’s more of you?”

I chuckled, my head bowing over her. “Yeah, baby. I have more for you, and I’m going to give it to you. Let me in. You can take it.”

Pushing her thighs farther apart, I snapped my hips forward until my pelvis met the cushion of hers. I saw stars. Never. It’d never felt this good, and we were only getting started.

“You feel way too good,” I breathed out. “Way too fucking good, Elise.”

“Move, West. I need to feel you move,” she cooed, gripping my flexing biceps.

I repeated the snap, drawing out and plunging forward, over and over. Elise watched me, dragging her hands and nails along my arms and chest, letting out the sexiest little cries each time I bottomed out inside her.

My chest rumbled from an unfamiliar, deep, guttural groan. Each slam, her breasts shook. I took one in my hand, kneading it, rubbing her nipple with my thumb. Her fingers wrapped around my wrist as I touched her.

“Pretty tits, baby. Perfect, greedy pussy.” I shook my head as I sank into her. “Can’t believe I’m inside you.”

She drew her knees up along my hips, taking me deeper. “You came here for this.”

My mouth hitched. “Wanting something and getting it are two different things.”

“Now you have me.”

“Aren’t I lucky?”

She brushed my hair off my forehead. “Stop talking to me and kiss me.”

I smiled against her mouth, kissing her with the same thoroughness I’d fucked her. The deep, licking strokes of my tongue on hers matched the hard, powerful strokes of my cock.

Elise took it, rising to meet me, her arousal coating me from balls to tip. Her fingers were in my hair, her mouth on mine.

It was too much.

My hips jerked faster, powering into her. She moaned against my lips, arching her spine while I rode her soft, sensual body.

“So close,” I grunted. “Want you to get there.”

“Touch my clit so I can come with you,” she rasped. “Bring me over with you.”

My control was a razor’s edge, but there was nothing that would stop me from giving her exactly what she needed.

Rearing back to my knees, I circled her legs around my hips so she was spread out in front of me. I held on to her hip, digging my fingers into the give of her flesh, and used the other hand to play with her clit.

“Yes, West. Keep doing that.” She pressed her palm to the top of my hand, her back bowing to lift her ass off the bed. “I’m close.”

“Get there.”

The view of her all spread out, her pink pussy stretched around me, tits bouncing as I slammed into her, was going to be my undoing.

I loved the way her body moved with mine. I was mesmerized by it. We weren’t even finished and I already knew I needed to do this again with her. Once wasn’t going to be enough.

Her nails dug into my hand, and her mouth fell slack as her inner muscles went tight and fluttery, pulling me deeper.

“Oh, shit,” I yelled. “Fucking hell, Elise.”

Once she started, there was no holding me back. I fell over her, sealing my mouth to hers, needing that extra level of connection. My hips pistoned into her, over and over, racing toward the end. She held on to my shoulders, swirling her tongue around mine, kissing me with the same crazy fervor.

Building, building, pressure, need, madness until I made one final thrust and stilled at her deepest point. I panted into her mouth as I jerked my release, despising the condom blocking me from coating her bare inner walls.

I rocked and nibbled at her lips as aftershocks swept through me. She dragged her fingertips along my taut neck and sifted them into my hair.

“Oh god,” she groaned. “I think you wrecked me.”

Laughing somewhat deliriously, I rolled my forehead on hers. “I know you wrecked me. Fucking hell, Elise. What was that?”

Rolling to the side, I slowly pulled out of her. When my body had left hers, I stared at her, blinking hard. Her kiss-swollen lips tipped into a grin.

“That was really good sex.” Then her teeth dug into her bottom lip like she was biting back another grin, but she lost. “Am I out of your system?”

Groaning, I shook my head on the pillow beside hers. “I feel like I just injected you directly into my veins.” I cupped her breast and dipped my head to rub my mouth over it. “We’ve got two more days to replace the cure.”

She shoved at my sweaty chest. “Sure. Maybe. Now, go back to your bed. I’m tired.”

I bit her nipple, making her squeal and shove at me again.

“Stop it.” She kicked her feet wildly, nailing me in the shin.

I brought my head up, laughing. “You’re really kicking me out?”

She brushed her hair away from her face and let her eyes move over me. “Yeah,” she breathed. “Don’t you think?”

Didn’t I think it was a good idea to go? Didn’t I think if we slept together, we might get confused? Didn’t I think sharing a bed for more than sex could lead to feelings neither of us wanted?

Yeah. I did.

But my every instinct wanted to protest having to leave her.

“All right.” I propped myself up on my elbow. “This isn’t over, though.”

She raised a brow, and the look she gave me was something new. In all the years I’d known her, she’d never once been coy or flirty, but that was what this was.

“We’ll see.” She shoved me again. “Now go.”

With a huffed laugh, I cupped her cheeks and pressed my lips to her forehead.

“Good night, Elise.”

“Good night, Weston.”

I climbed out of her bed, grabbed my clothes from the floor, and started for the door separating our rooms. When I took one last look back, she’d already rolled to her side, facing the opposite direction, the blankets pulled up to her shoulders.

I forced myself to walk through the door, even though all I wanted to do was stay and soak up every minute we had until this was over for good.