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  But underneath her anger she also felt desire. Her panties were wet, her nipples hard.

  Fuck Ivan Redken.

  And fuck her desire for him.

  Ivan knew he’d gotten under her skin, but that was the point.

  There was something about Delaney Anna Croft that turned him on like no other.

  He headed back toward his office and went straight to the minibar. He poured himself a scotch, contemplated making Delaney one as well, but knew she would decline.

  Technically, they weren’t on the clock anymore, but she was stubborn and determined, focused on the task at hand.

  That’s why he wanted her so much, desired her so badly. His whole life had been focused on work, climbing that ladder to get to the top, knowing that with his money and the power of his family behind him, he could get whatever he wanted.

  But he didn’t want that. He wanted to work for what he accomplished.

  Money couldn’t buy everything, and he knew that now more than ever as he watched Delaney bust her ass for her career.

  She didn’t come from a prestigious family, didn’t come from money. Everything she had she worked for. She deserved this promotion, and he knew she would get it.

  But he liked getting under her skin because it turned him on. So, making her think that the long hours he stayed back, the extra work he did was because of the promotion was just a farce. He did all of that because he wanted her, because he wanted to be close to her.

  And now he had that chance.

  They were essentially locked in this building together all night.

  Sure, he could’ve really pushed them trying to make it to a hotel for the night. But he knew no matter what, she’d decline. She was too proud.

  So, he’d stay here with her, if only to make sure she was safe. But he also had far more selfish reasons for hanging back.

  And that was because he hoped for a chance to make Delaney his.

  Chapter 4

  There was only so much Delaney could do before her brain screamed at her to have a break. Leaning back in her chair, she rubbed her arms, trying to get warm. The chill filled the air, seeping into her bones.

  Glancing at the time, she saw it was nearly midnight.

  Getting up from her seat, she grabbed one of the blankets he’d found and pulled it around her body.

  Moving toward the window, she let out a gasp.

  There was no visibility, it was snowing that bad.

  Gritting her teeth as she berated her stupidity, she heard Ivan clear his throat.

  “You didn’t leave?” she asked.

  The Ritz sounded like a nice place right now.

  “I told you I wasn’t leaving you.”

  “You know you mentioned about the heat being lowered, was that true?”

  “Yes. There was a memo that went out a few months back. It helps to cut costs.”

  “Shit!”

  “My thoughts exactly.”

  She was aware of him looking at her.

  “Cold?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  This was no time to pretend they weren’t in a bad situation about to get worse.

  “Look, I know the last place on earth you would want to be is trapped here with me,” he said.

  “That’s right.”

  He rolled his eyes. “But the fact is, you’re stuck with me and we’re not going anywhere. You can keep working and pretending we’re not up shit creek, but it doesn’t change anything. As much as you’re a pain in the ass, I want to get through this and be adults.”

  He kept a stoic expression and shut her office door.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I’m trying to conserve heat. We’ve got to survive this, right? We need to be smart.” He went to the love seat and started taking the cushions off, then opened it out into a bed.

  “How did you know that was a bed?”

  “You’re not the only one who sleeps at the office, Delaney.”

  He pushed off his shoes and sat on the sofa bed, patting the space beside him.

  “What are you doing?”

  “It’s going to get a hell of a lot colder in here. We’ve only got each other and I’d like us to get some heat going before we freeze our asses off.”

  “I’m not sleeping in the same bed as you.”

  “Be serious right now and not a child. Maybe if you started acting more like a woman than a baby, you’d be in line for the promotion.”

  “Oh, you asshole. I am an adult. I deserve that promotion more than you,” she said. Kicking off her shoes, she climbed onto the bed and laid down. Wrapping the blanket around her, she stared straight ahead. She couldn’t believe she was in bed, next to him.

  Gritting her teeth, she held the blanket up to her neck, hoping to figure out some way of surviving without him.

  What a shit way to go, freezing to death next to the man she loathed … and wanted.

  Ivan seemed to know what to do and she wasn’t an idiot.

  “Why do you deserve that promotion more than me? We both work hard. What gives you the right over me? Is it because you’re a woman?” he asked.

  “Oh please, that is not it, and you know it. Not that my being a woman would even help my cause. Ugh, you don’t need it because you can do anything. You can be anything. Why do you have to take this from me?”

  “Wait a second. You think that because I come from a wealthy family I’m not allowed to earn a promotion?”

  “You don’t need it and everyone knows you’re going to be favored. Your family has connections.”

  “Hold on just a second before you go sounding even more stupid than you already do.”

  “How dare you?”

  “Do you even hear yourself? I earn every single thing. Nothing is handed to me. You think I don’t know what I’m up against? I know how good you are. How fearless you are. It’s why I’m working twice as hard just so I can get a look in. I’m not going to get this job because of who I am. I’m going to get it for hard work.”

  “See, you already know that you’re going to get it.” She shifted away from him, giving him her back. She hated how ashamed she felt for calling him out on being wealthy. She had to work for everything in life.

  “Being so fucking negative is never going to get you the job. You have to fight and behave like you already have it, Delaney. No one wants a quitter and right now, that’s how you’re behaving.” She gasped as he banded a hand around her waist. “I didn’t have you pegged as a quitter.”

  Biting her lip, she couldn’t help but like that he thought so highly of her. “I’m not.”

  “Then the competition is still on, baby. Don’t give up just yet. We’re both in this race to the finish line.”

  She couldn’t help it. Rolling over, she looked at Ivan and waited.

  He didn’t give her any sarcastic comeback or witty retort.

  He looked … genuine.

  She didn’t know if she could trust him or not.

  Taking a deep breath, she didn’t look away.

  Suddenly the lights went out, and they were thrust into darkness.

  Chapter 5

  Perfect, Delaney thought to herself. This was really how her day was continuing to go.

  She looked out the window and saw the city had been plunged into darkness.

  The storm had cut the power.

  This couldn’t get any worse.

  She wrapped the blanket around her more tightly and pulled her legs up to her chest, hoping to stem off the chill. Looking over at Ivan, she saw he already watched her.

  “Looks like it’s a blackout. Whole city has gone dark.” Ivan sounded amused.

  “This isn’t the least bit funny. It fucking sucks, to be honest.”

  “It could be worse,” he replied and leaned back on the couch, as if just making himself comfortable like he was at home.

  She licked her lips, looking back out the window. “No, it really couldn’t get any worse.”

  Standi
ng, Delaney kept the blanket wrapped tightly around herself as she moved over toward the window. She could feel the cold seeping through the glass, which shocked her, seeing how thick it was.

  Delaney placed her hand on the window and felt the chill go right into her bones. She curled her fingers into her palms and tucked her hand back underneath the blanket.

  She felt Ivan move in behind her, his body heat instantly covering her, seeping into her. Closing her eyes for a moment, she just absorbed it, wanting nothing more than to lean into him to take in all that warmth.

  But she wouldn’t do that.

  She couldn’t.

  Turning and facing him, she craned her head back to look into his face. He was such a tall, big man, clearly having a toned, hard body, no doubt working out to keep up his impressive physique.

  “If we could have actually left, going to the hotel sounds pretty good right about now.”

  He smirked and leaned against the window, as if the coldness didn’t affect him. He crossed his arms over his chest, his muscles bunching underneath the material of his shirt.

  “Truthfully, there probably wouldn’t have been a room open. Everyone most likely anticipated the storm getting worse and buckled down.”

  “No room even with your status?” She lifted her eyebrow and smirked.

  He chuckled. “Even with my connections I probably would have been shit out of luck, Delaney.”

  Odd, the way he said her name had chills moving through her, chills that had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with her arousal.

  “Besides, doubt we could make it to the hotel safely in this weather. Probably freeze our nuts off.” He smirked again and she rolled her eyes.

  She felt her annoyance rise.

  For such an elite man with a prestigious background, he had the attitude and mouth of a frat boy.

  Turning away from him and walking back over toward the couch, she sat down and felt her teeth start to chatter. She wasn’t built for the cold, and it had been stupid of her to move to a city where the winters got frigid.

  But it had been a good opportunity, so she’d deal with the cold.

  “You hate me,” he said softly, sitting beside her.

  She glanced over at him, the darkness making it nearly impossible to distinguish his expression.

  With the lights off, the full moon coming through the windows seemed intense.

  “I don’t hate you,” she finally said, leaning back on the couch and looking up at the ceiling. “To be honest, I’m kind of jealous of you.” She heard him snort and looked over at him.

  “Jealous of me? Not sure why you would be. If anything, I’m jealous of you.”

  She felt her eyes widen at that.

  “Me?” she asked, sitting up straighter, keeping the blanket wrapped tightly around her. “But why? You have everything you could ever want.”

  He wasn’t looking at her, but had his focus straight ahead. She could see him shake his head slowly, answering her without actually saying a word.

  “I’m jealous of your ambition, the fact you work so damn hard to get what you want. You don’t let anyone get in your way.” They were silent for a moment, but she didn’t know what to say.

  Finally, she exhaled but kept her focus on him.

  “You are hard working as well,” she admitted. Almost hating that she was feeding into his ego.

  Although it was true. He worked really damn hard.

  He might have wealth and money, but he didn’t use it to his advantage, even if she liked to bitch about it.

  As Delaney stared at him, her vision adjusting to the darkness, she felt the heat move between them. Despite the chill in the air, knowing it would get even colder, she felt beads of perspiration dot the valley between her breasts.

  Her heart started beating a little harder, the feel of her nipples pressing against her shirt becoming stronger.

  She was wet, her arousal for Ivan something she couldn’t deny, couldn’t ignore.

  And as he looked at her, Delaney could feel the electricity moving between them.

  “So, you don’t loathe me,” he said gruffly, his voice so deep, the pitch changing the longer they stared at each other.

  “I didn’t say that,” she whispered and smiled. He chuckled softly and shifted so he was facing her.

  The longer they stayed silent, the more she felt the chemistry grow.

  This was a bad idea, she knew that, but as she licked her lips, she could see him glance down to watch the act, and Delaney knew that stopping what could happen would be impossible.

  Besides, in this moment, being pressed up against Ivan didn’t seem like such a bad idea after all.

  Chapter 6

  Ivan’s cock was hard as fucking rock as he stared at her.

  Even though it was dark, he could see her face. She was so close that, even as she tried to pretend there was no heat between them, he felt it.

  Hard not to, all things considered.

  She let out a breathless sigh.

  “What were you going to do at Christmas? Does your family have a big gathering or something like that?” she asked.

  He laughed.

  “What?”

  “You think because I’ve got a wealthy name that it instantly means I’m spending time with them, making new deals, celebrating over millions of dollars?”

  “I don’t know what it is you do.”

  “I was going to go to my penthouse apartment, open a bottle of wine, and watch television.”

  “What about food?” she asked.

  “A microwave dinner.”

  “No, you can’t have that. It’s Christmas.”

  “Okay, fine, show-off, what will you do?”

  “I do not show off.”

  “You’re arguing a point that is useless. You don’t need to argue everything in life.”

  “When it comes to you, it seems I do because you have an answer for everything.”

  “Of course I do. I know what I’m doing.”

  “You’re saying I don’t?”

  “I’m saying you don’t have a fucking clue half the time,” he said with a smirk.

  She went to pull away but this time he wouldn’t let her.

  “If you really want this promotion then you’re going to have to learn to stay and fight like a true leader, otherwise everyone is going to walk all over you.”

  “I don’t need to be taking advice from you.”

  “Yeah, you do. Especially when I know what I’m talking about and you clearly do not.”

  “Screw you, Ivan.”

  He moved in close to her, so close their bodies were now touching.

  With his body flush against hers, he felt how soft and curvy she was, and it made him ache for things he really shouldn’t have.

  Why couldn’t he have Delaney?

  Because there’s a no-fraternization policy in place.

  But he’d never been one for rules.

  She had the most kissable fucking lips.

  He’d imagined them wrapped around his dick a time or two or three.

  Ivan had denied himself that pleasure for too long.

  With the snow all around them and the promise of a future fight with the cold, he took his chances and slammed his lips down on hers.

  At first she was stiff, tense.

  But she didn’t fight him.

  Her lips stayed firm and closed.

  Grasping her hip, he held her captive between the bed and his body, feeling her melt as he refused to stop kissing her.

  She let out a little moan and her hand on his shoulder moved to his back, gliding up to sink into his hair.

  He had her exactly where he wanted her, at his mercy, kissing him back.

  Forgetting about the chill, he gripped her hair, loosening the band that she’d used to tie the strands back.

  Running his fingers through the locks, he heard her moan.

  Sliding his tongue across her lips, she opened up and he tasted her.

 
; She gripped his shoulders and he tugged on her lip, staring at her, waiting.

  He wasn’t going to stop this, not when he finally had her.

  What the hell am I doing?

  Even as Delaney thought how crazy this was, she wanted his lips back on hers again.

  Would it be so wrong to kiss him back? To maybe have a Christmas fling? Didn’t most people have them at the holiday party, where they slept with a colleague?

  Ivan was the last person she thought she wanted and yet that kiss had been amazing.

  Licking her lips, she stared into his eyes, kind of hard to do with no light on.

  The hard ridge of his cock pressed against her thigh and it had been so long since she’d been with anyone.

  “You’re hating me now, aren’t you?”

  “No, I’m not hating you.”

  “This is really bad,” he said.

  “I know.”

  “I’m not going to let you get that promotion,” he said and she saw him smirk, heard the teasing in his voice.

  “I know.” She stared at his lips. “This means nothing.”

  “Of course. It has no meaning. It’s just sex.”

  Her heart hammered against her chest as his hands gripped her hips.

  “Yes, just sex.” But even saying that, she knew it wasn’t entirely true.

  “Is that what you want me to do, Delaney? You want me to fuck you through the night? To drive my dick so deep inside you that you forget I’m your competition?”

  “You’ll always be my competition, but this can’t hurt, right?”

  “No, it can’t.” He chuckled. “I love that even now, with your pussy soaking wet, you’re negotiating.” The hand on her hip moved.

  The tips of his fingers moved down over her thighs between her legs and she cried out as he touched her pussy through her pencil skirt.

  The action was so unexpected.

  She cried out his name as he pressed a finger against her pussy even harder. No, not one finger, three, rubbing against her, moving up and down.

  “I want you naked, Delaney. Tonight, I’ll have it and you’ll beg me for more.”

  He used his upper body to press her back against the mattress.