Sugar Read online

  She should have told him sooner, and especially not how it had gone down.

  “Hey,” he said in that deep drawl of his.

  “Hey yourself.” She was trying to act like she wasn’t on edge, hiding the fact her hands shook and her heart raced.

  “You want to choose dinner, or should I?”

  She felt herself relax a little. It was easy being in his presence. “I know this little bistro a few blocks over. It’s dog friendly and the food is incredible.”

  “Sounds good.” He grinned, flashing straight white teeth and having her heart flutter. “Lead the way.”

  They walked in silence for a little while, this weirdness moving between them, or maybe it was all her? Colton seemed like he didn’t have a care in the world as he walked beside her gently humming. Maybe she was ruining tonight because she still felt so uncomfortable about lying to him.

  She found herself stopping in the middle of the sidewalk and turning to face him. He lifted an eyebrow and smiled, maybe knowing where she was going to go with this.

  “Listen, I want to apologize for how everything played out.” She glanced away and licked her lips, wanting to word this right but knowing it just needed to be said. Lifting her head, she stared at him again. “I should’ve been honest with you as soon as I realized who you were, as soon as I saw your name on that business card. I guess at first I was dumbstruck by it all, and then afterword I didn’t want to ruin anything.”

  “Ruin anything?” The tone of his voice told her that he found humor in the situation.

  Here she was stuttering out her words, nervous beyond belief, and he was grinning at her like a fool.

  “Yeah, whatever this is between us.” She lifted her hand and moved it between them, just trying to say what she meant even though she didn’t know what the hell she was trying to spit out. “It’s just we were getting along, I was helping out with Boscoe, and I figured that since time already passed, it didn’t matter, that whenever I brought it up it would still look bad. I would still look bad.”

  “Sugar, I’m a firm believer in water under the bridge.” He smiled genuinely. “I don’t want to dwell on this and I don’t want you to either. Do I wish you would have been honest with me? Yeah, of course, but I see where you were coming from. You were afraid. Hell, if I had been in your shoes I probably would have kept it to myself as well.”

  And just like that she felt the stress of all of this leave her. “Really? You’re okay with all of this?”

  “I’m more than okay.” And then he lifted his hand and brushed his finger on her cheek.

  Chills raced up her spine and she felt arousal take a strong hold. She wanted Colton. There was no doubt about that.

  “Come on, let’s get something and start over.”

  She stared at his face. God, she could get lost in his eyes. “I’d like that.”

  He grinned wider. “Let’s get to know each other.” He took a step closer. “I really want that with you, Sugar.”

  10

  For the next week, that was all Colton did. He found out everything there was to know about Sugar. She was so smart, brilliant, sharp, a fantastic negotiator. Even though the initial deal had been struck between their companies, they still had a few snags to iron out and she was one hell of a negotiator.

  He couldn’t admit it to her in the boardroom but watching her fight for her company and to protect their interests aroused him. He couldn’t help but think about what it would be like if she belonged to him.

  Thinking about her in his bed, her dark hair spread out across his pillow, kissing her beautiful dark skin. His cock got so damn hard. He wanted her. Spending his days in the boardroom and their nights with their dogs, his attraction to her was high.

  Most nights he woke up with a hard-on, with only the thoughts of her able to take him over the edge so he didn’t lose his freaking mind.

  “I’m thinking ice cream,” Sugar said.

  “Before dinner?”

  “It’s hot and I want some ice cream. Come on, my treat.” She grabbed his arm and walked ahead of him, Poppy happily following behind her.

  With her dog being so small, by the end of the evening she’d be carrying her back home. Boscoe, however, didn’t have a problem with all the extra exercise.

  Socializing him, walking him, and making him part of his world, the shitting around his apartment had stopped. In fact, he hadn’t even had to do much in the way of cleaning. He’d also installed a camera system so throughout the day, he could keep an eye on him.

  He’d seen that Boscoe would randomly play with a few toys, eat the food he’d put down, drink a little, or sleep.

  This had been another fantastic idea from Sugar one day. They’d all taken a coffee break from negotiations and he’d been agitated while he thought about Boscoe. Sugar had seen how nervous he was and she’d shown him Poppy from her cell phone. The next day, he’d gotten something similar set up and Sugar had been there, playing with Boscoe while he spoke with the guys who installed it.

  Now, wherever he was, he could check on his dog.

  When he’d gotten the damn dog, he hadn’t been an animal lover, not even slightly. That had all changed with Boscoe. Now, he couldn’t think for a moment of living without him.

  There was a small ice cream truck set up a few feet away from the dog run. Sugar got in line and he stayed out of the way, holding both of their dogs while she got them both ice cream.

  He gave each of the dogs a treat for sitting good.

  He couldn’t help but stare at her. The sun hit her perfectly, illuminating her already perfect brown skin tone. God, he loved looking at her. He wanted to wrap her curls around his fist as he claimed her mouth. He wanted to do a hell of a lot more than that, too.

  She wore a pair of denim shorts and a crop top shirt. The outfit molded to every single curve of her body, highlighting her beautiful ass and full tits.

  Not only did Sugar have a killer body, her mind turned him on as well. She was an intelligent woman and he loved the conversations they had.

  None of it was about sex or money.

  When they weren’t in the boardroom, they even talked through plot points of their favorite shows. That’s how obsessed he was with her. Women had never meant anything to him before. They always got in the way of work. With Sugar, she’d somehow managed to make her way into his heart and that was what terrified him. Especially since they hadn’t known each other all that long.

  She paid for their ice cream and came toward him. “Here you go.” She handed him one while licking at the other. She took Poppy’s lead, and they entered the dog run.

  He watched her bend down.

  “Nope, this is not for you. We’ll get you some ice cream when we get home, little miss.” She let Poppy go and she was on her way home. Next, she did the same with Boscoe.

  They took one of the spare benches, eating their ice cream while watching the dogs play.

  “I actually really love coming here at the end of a long day at the office,” he said.

  She chuckled. “It’s addictive. You know, I never used to come here. I had Poppy because she’s a Pomeranian and I figured it would make her a good house dog. Then one day, I saw she was unhappy and she’d sit near the door, looking outside. I couldn’t do it. I got a lead, took her out, found this place, and I’ve been coming back here every single night. She loves it.”

  “I love coming here with you.”

  He chanced a glance toward her.

  “I love coming here with you. It’s fun to have some company.”

  Company wasn’t what he was going for. They were still negotiating as companies and she’d warned him that they couldn’t be anything more than friends. That didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about it.

  How good she’d feel underneath him as he stripped each layer of clothes off, spreading her thighs, teasing her pussy.

  He shouldn’t be thinking about fucking her, taking her hard—and yet all he could wonder was if she’d be a scre
amer or silent as he fucked her or made love to her.

  Finishing off his ice cream did little to soften the arousal building inside him.

  “You make me laugh so much,” Sugar said. “I had no idea you had a sense of humor.”

  “Yep, I totally do. I’m a stand-up comedian. You know me. I know how to make my audience laugh.”

  She snorted.

  The dogs were racing back and forth, Boscoe slowing down so that Poppy could keep up. They were the best of friends, and it made him wish he and Sugar were in sync like that.

  Sugar was still licking away at her ice cream and Colton had to look away. The sight of her tongue flicking out and then the tip going into her mouth where she’d suck on it was making him think of other things she could put her mouth around.

  Don’t ruin a good thing.

  Tapping his leg up and down, he tried to think of sheep, taxes, Boscoe’s mess around his apartment to try and stop thinking about her lips around his dick.

  11

  They stopped in front of her building and Sugar felt her heart race. A breeze picked back up, moving the curls along her cheeks, tickling her face and causing her arousal to heighten even further. Poppy sat by her feet, Boscoe doing the same by Colton.

  Sugar couldn’t help but stare at his face, the masculine features, the way he made her heart flutter, her belly tighten. She licked her lips and looked down, knowing what she wanted to say but fearing she didn’t have the courage.

  The truth was what she wanted to do with him, say to him, probably wasn’t the best idea. Their companies were in the middle of a merger. Getting involved with Colton in any way that was not professional was crossing lines, wasn’t it?

  “Do you want to come up for a drink?” The words came out of her before she could stop them, before she could really try and talk herself out of it. But the truth was she probably wouldn’t have tried to talk herself out of it.

  She wanted Colton, the memory of the kiss still so fresh in her mind despite the time that had passed. And the way he looked at her, watched her with that smoldering gaze, told her he wanted her as well.

  “Yeah, I’d like that.” He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet. She wondered if he was as nervous as she was. Heck, they could go up there and he might keep this strictly friendly. That was for the best anyway, because what she wanted was so far over the professional line it wasn’t even funny.

  They headed inside and got into the elevator. Poppy was trained well enough in the building that she sat in the corner, knowing that she had to be on her best behavior. Boscoe, on the other hand, was a little more rambunctious, his tail whipping back and forth as he tried to jump up on Colton. Sugar held in her laugh, and when the doors finally opened and she stepped out she didn’t stop her grin.

  They walked down the hallway to her apartment, and once inside, the door shut behind them, she breathed out. This was the first time he had been in her place, and as he walked around looking at the small confines, her apartment so modest compared to where he lived, she couldn’t help the heat that moved through her.

  “Would you like something to drink?” She was so nervous right now, her hand shaking and her heart racing.

  He looked over his shoulder at her and smirked, nodding before facing forward and looking at her apartment once more. Sugar bent down and unhooked the leash from Poppy’s collar, the little ball of fluff running right to where Boscoe was making himself comfortable on the rug in the living room.

  She headed into the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of wine out of the fridge, two glasses out of the cupboard, and set the items on the island. She uncorked the bottle and poured the wine, filling up the glasses. She glanced up briefly when she felt she was being watched.

  Colton was just a few feet away, his hands in his pants pockets, his focus trained right on her.

  She grabbed the two glasses and headed over to him, handing him one and instantly taking a sip from her own. She needed the liquid courage right now because the truth was she didn’t know if she could keep her feelings to herself.

  That would be smart though.

  She didn’t know if she could hold in her emotions, telling him exactly how she felt, how she had felt since the moment she’d met him. He’d annoyed her at first, despite his devilish good looks. His arrogance drove her crazy and caused her independent side to rear up. But when she’d gotten to know him she felt differently.

  There they stood in silence. She wasn’t blind to the fact things felt different. The air seemed to heat, thicken, and her heart raced even more. If it wasn’t for her hand holding the wine glass, or the other one curled into a tight fist, she’d be shaking right now.

  She took another hearty drink. She needed a little liquid courage right now. Sugar had to be honest with him because it was eating her up inside. She lifted her head and looked into Colton’s face, realizing he’d taken steps toward her. He was so close to her now, just a few feet away.

  Just tell him how you feel. Damn the consequences. To hell with the fact it may not be “right.”

  “Colton,” she whispered, her throat so dry all of a sudden.

  But before she could say anything else he was standing right in front of her, his lips on hers, the flavor of everything he was making her moan.

  She kissed him with all the pent-up arousal she had, with all the desire she felt for him. He took her wine glass away, and for just a second broke the kiss, set the glasses on the table beside them, and resumed kissing her.

  Yeah, she wasn’t going to stop this moment, not this time.

  12

  On the walk to Sugar’s apartment, Colton kept trying to think of a million different reasons why he shouldn’t pursue her. Not one of them was a good enough reason to not kiss her or to try and have a relationship with her. So, when he stood in front of her and her lips just looked too tempting to not taste, he did the unthinkable and just kissed her.

  That first taste kept him going. He didn’t want to stop. She let out a little whimper and that was it, he was addicted. Sliding his tongue across her bottom lip, he heard her moan deepen and he slid his tongue into her mouth. She gripped his arms and he couldn’t help it. Moving her back toward the wall, he took hold of her hands and locked them above her head, keeping her trapped at his mercy.

  Breaking from the kiss, he stared down into her dark eyes. They were glazed over with arousal. The points of her nipples pressed against her shirt. She wanted him.

  They shouldn’t be doing this.

  There was still a lot of negotiations to do at work but right now, his cock was having a lot of other ideas, much more fun ideas.

  “We shouldn’t be doing this,” Sugar said.

  She made no move to fight him.

  “Why not?”

  “We’re working together.”

  “That doesn’t matter, not with how I feel for you,” he said. He still held her hands above her head. Pressing his cock against her, this time he moaned. “You feel that? I want you so damn badly I can’t think straight. I’ve wanted you for a long time. So long. That first day, I wanted you.”

  She chuckled. “Please. You just wanted someone to care for your dog.”

  “Not just that. I wanted you.” Keeping both of her hands locked above her head with only one of his, he slowly slid his fingers down her body, cupping her large tit. The beaded nipple pressed against his palm. “You want me, Sugar. Why deny yourself that pleasure?”

  “Because of work.”

  “Work is just work.” He could see the hesitation and worry on her face. “This is real.”

  “This is crossing lines,” she whispered.

  “How about we make a deal?”

  “What kind of deal?” she asked.

  “The kind that means no one has to know. It can be our little secret, Sugar.” He didn’t want this to be a secret. He wanted to tell everyone that she was his. But if that made her feel better, more confident and less worried, he’d do what she wanted.

  He moved his h
and down her body, cupping her pussy. The denim shorts she wore annoyed him. He wanted her in skirts so that he could touch her easily without anything between them. Through the shorts, he felt the warmth of her pussy. He wondered how wet he’d be able to get her.

  So slick to cover his cock.

  She let out another moan.

  “You can’t tell me you don’t want this. In the boardroom, we’re nothing to each other, but here, I want you, Sugar. I know you want me too. Come on, live dangerously.”

  He leaned in and sucked on the flesh above her pulse.

  The scream she released filled the air, echoed off the walls, and he knew he had her.

  “Then touch me. Stop teasing me and touch me.”

  He didn’t need to be told again. Releasing her hands, he started to attack her shirt. Her hands were on him, peeling away his too. In record time they both stood in their underwear. She wore a pair of black lacy panties while he had on a pair of boxer briefs.

  She reached out, touching his cock.

  His dick pressed against the front of his boxer briefs, wanting out. He wanted inside her.

  Taking her arm, he placed it behind her back and slammed his lips down on hers. She moaned and he licked his tongue across her mouth and she opened up. He didn’t deepen the kiss. Instead, he trailed his lips down her body, sucking on her nipple through the lace of the bra before moving on to the next one.

  When that wasn’t enough, he tugged the straps of her bra down her shoulders until her tits spilled out of the cups. He pressed them together, taking each of her nipples into his mouth, flicking his tongue back and forth over the beaded nipples.

  He let her tits go and slid his hands down to her waist before dipping down to cup her pussy. He tapped her feet, getting her to move them open and then he held her pussy in his hand.

  Tugging the fabric of her panties out of the way, he tore them from her body and slid a finger through her slit. Finding her clit, he stroked over her nub before moving down to fill her pussy. She was soaking wet. Adding a second finger, he felt how tight she was and he started to stretch her so that she’d be able to take his cock.