Chapter One
“That is one fine-ass man,” Megan murmured close to her ear so that the others standing around in their party couldn’t hear her.
Nakia would have agreed with her except that the sight of their boss, Justin Ragnarson, always rendered her speechless. In fact, ever since he’d walked into the staff Christmas party, for the first time since she’d been working at the firm, she’d been powerless to remove her gaze from following him around the room. He looked up then, brilliant green eyes blazing, and held her gray, almost silver-colored gaze. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Nothing existed except him, except them. She couldn’t look away.
“Girl, are you all right?” Megan gripped her shoulder and shook her.
Nakia gasped as her body finally realized that it needed oxygen to remain upright. She took a few tiny, rapid breaths to try to fill her starved lungs.
“You don’t look so good,” Megan whispered urgently. “Should I get you something to drink?”
Nakia looked down at the glass of red wine in her hand, looked at her friend in confusion, and then went back to feasting her gaze on the very gorgeous profile of Justin Ragnarson, almost drawn back into the vortex again.
“Nakia?”
“I’m okay, Megan. I just need some air.” And before Megan could respond to her statement, Nakia moved quickly to the double glass doors that led onto the balcony of the huge penthouse suite that almost extended the entire top floor of the hotel. She breathed in the clean, crisp sea air coming off the view overlooking Biscayne Bay. She moved into a darkened corner, away from the view of the party-goers in the next room, to hide and try comprehending the overwhelming feelings that had assailed her in there. With her hands braced on the railing, she took huge gulps of air. “Girl, you are such a hussy right now,” she mumbled.
“I was thinking more along the lines of beautiful. You’re beautiful.”
The deep baritone voice washed over her, caressing her senses and instantly making her pulse with need.
He moved to stand next to her and placed his palm at the curve of her spine. “You’re very beautiful, and I couldn’t stop myself from coming over here and introducing myself. I’m Justin, by the way.”
“I…I…” She had to clear her throat. The shock of his touch and his masculine heat so close to her had again rendered her speechless.
He smiled down at her gently.
She tried again. “I know who you are,” she said softly.
“Good, because I’m going to kiss you now.”
“Wha…” His lips covered hers.
After the initial shock of his daring to kiss her near a room full of people, who she was pretty sure would have an issue with the married senior partner of the firm hooking up with a junior lawyer, she returned his kiss and melted from the sheer bliss of it.
He pulled her more fully against him. She couldn’t help but feel his steely length buried against her belly, which only ratcheted up her lust even further. Trusting that the long slit in her evening gown would allow her flexibility, she curled a leg around his lean waist and rolled her hips to try appeasing the ache deep in her core. She whimpered. It wasn’t enough. She felt empty, consumed with a need, bone deep.
He gripped her ass and pulled her harder to him, grinding his length against where she wanted him most. She was so wet the satin thong she wore was soaked with her essence and probably already leaving a damp mess on his dress trousers as well.
He angled his head to deepen the kiss as he slipped a broad finger into her heat.
They both moaned loudly.
“Nakia, Nakia, what the hell is wrong with you?”
Nakia blinked and moistened her dry lips. She didn’t dare look at her husband, who she was positive was glaring at her. She’d been lapsing into daydreams ever since she’d woken up this morning. The remnants of the dream from the night before was still fresh in her mind, and she couldn’t stop thinking and reliving it.
Nakia stared up at the menu board of the airport restaurant. It was way too early in the morning for anything greasy or with too much sugar. However, it didn’t matter how long she stared up at that board. The words she’d been reading for the past five minutes weren’t going to change to give her anything healthier.
“Make up your damn mind,” her husband, Ralph, muttered irritably. He’d been fussing at her all morning about anything and everything. The daydreaming didn’t help, and apparently, she took too long with her makeup, and then she didn’t take long enough because he insisted she go fix it. Then her luggage was too heavy and she had too many bags. She wasn’t moving fast enough, and then of course, it was her fault that he was stopped by the TSA agent for the belt he forgot to take off and the coins in his pants pocket before going through the scanner.
Nakia had long since ignored his annoying ass and remained silent throughout his many tantrums, which only made Ralph more furious. She knew he was escalating to more violent tendencies. Fortunately, his abuse toward her remained verbal and non-physical. Given his past, with an abusive father, he’d always promised her that he’d never hit her. Too bad he didn’t realize that verbal abuse was just as bad as the physical kind, if not sometimes worse.
If the abuse was the only thing he had going, she may have been inclined to work on their marriage. A few months ago, she’d found some disturbing WhatsApp messages in his phone, and she did what she did best and investigated. She had found all she’d needed to know a few weeks ago. Never one to act irrationally, she was taking her time to deal with what she’d found. She had been in shock since and was still processing. Confronting him while he was supposedly on job interviews was not an option. However, when they got home, she had a big decision to make about their five-year marriage.
With her eyes still glued on the board, she took a step back with the intent to try another restaurant, but her back came up against the solid wall of a very male chest. “Oh! Sor—” She stopped mid speech as her gaze met a familiar pair of emerald green eyes, the same eyes from her dream of the night before. His dark blond lashes were sinfully long for a man. And God, his lips, which were mere inches from hers, made her lick her lips. Awareness zipped through her like a high-voltage live wire.
His arm must have gone around her waist to stop her from falling when she stumbled against him, because he still maintained a tight grip on her. She grabbed his arm, which was a solid band under her generous breasts, with every intention of moving it. But the road to heaven was always paved with good intentions. His expensive cologne registered on her senses then, and she helplessly leaned into him, because she damn sure needed support then. Otherwise, she would’ve swooned right there in the middle of the crowded airport.
“It’s okay,” he murmured.
Nakia couldn’t move or speak if her life depended on it. The smoldering gleam in his gaze sent sizzling awareness licking throughout her body. The dream from the night before and the sensations it garnered collided with the reality of now, and she stumbled again.
His arms tightened around her.
“You stupid cow! Why don’t you watch where you’re going?” Ralph roared as he tried to pull her away from Justin.