Crude Heir (Billionaire Heirs #3)

Chapter 10

Derrick

Nicole is nearly comatose with fear, barely responding as I guide her along. I need to get us somewhere safe until the power returns.

Fumbling in the dark, I dig my phone out from the back pocket of my jeans. Once I have it in my hand, I angle the screen away from my face. I don’t want to risk the power coming on and having Nicole see I’ve been watching her through her camera.

I press my thumb to the button at the bottom of the screen, turning on the flashlight. Bright white light slashes across the floor in front of us, illuminating our path out to the hallway. “Here you go, now we can see where we’re going.”

I should have thought of this sooner. Instead, I walked into her office expecting the safety lights to kick in. Only they haven’t. It would have made it a lot easier to get her out of there. Then again, if I’d acted sooner, I likely wouldn’t have her slight form tucked against my side, close enough to crawl into my shirt pocket. As twisted as it sounds, that realization makes me grin into the darkness.

“We’re nearly there,” I murmur as we shuffle along. I turn, guiding us toward the executive offices. The first place I can think of that has windows and will be unlocked. Even the hallways are dark since the employees are encouraged to keep the blinds closed to conserve energy during the hottest part of the summer months.

Whoever designed this building didn’t think much past the corner offices. Big enough to be conference rooms, they were built for the prestige that comes from being a high-powered businessman like the great Simon Kelly. Meanwhile, people like Nicole end up in a small office with no windows.

Granted, if she’d gone home at a decent hour, she wouldn’t have ended up trapped in darkness when the power went out. But here we are, with me leading her down the maze of darkened hallways. Finally, the emergency lights kick in with a dull click, illuminating the way. “It’s about damn time,” I mutter under my breath.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, her voice quavering.

I hadn’t meant to say that out loud and make her feel bad. I glance down to find those pretty brown eyes filled with vulnerability. My damn cock responds with renewed interest. It’s like a shot of electricity through my veins.

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” I reply, more gruffly than I intended.

Despite sounding weak and shaken, her grip on me is iron strong. Purely reactionary from fear, I’m sure. But that possessive clutch awakens my baser instincts—to keep and claim, to be the sole one permitted to touch her this intimately. I push those dangerous thoughts aside. My focus needs to be on getting Nicole somewhere safe.

I can’t help but wonder what made her so special that the old man decided to give her an office? A long-term, third-party employee working with Kelly Oil for the past ten months, she should have been released like the rest of the admins when the Eagle Ford Shale expansion was put on hold. Instead, she was moved to the accounts payable department and given an office.

There’s no denying Nicole is attractive. At a moment like now, with her defenses down, and her wide-eyed and terrified, she looks downright beautiful. Could the reason be that simple? It wouldn’t be the first time Keith Kelly took special interest in a pretty young woman who worked for him. The thought leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

I head down the next hall to the executive offices. Pushing through the door, I usher her into the opulent office I was assigned, but I’ve never bothered to use.

The blinds are angled, strips of dim light breaking through the darkness as the storm rages on outside. Her eyes grow wide as she takes in the surroundings.

She squeezes me tighter. “We shouldn’t be in here. Isn’t this office off-limits?” she asks, her voice filled with uncertainty.

Part of me agrees with her but for totally selfish reasons. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure they’d understand, given the circumstances.” Though in truth, I feel oddly territorial bringing her here, hoping she’ll feel safe.

I reach for the light switch out of habit then pause and squeeze my hand shut. That’s not going to work if the power’s out. “Let’s have you sit down.” I start across the plush carpet, intent on depositing her on the leather couch against the wall.

“Wait.” She points at the massive desk. I change direction, taking her away from the windows. She reaches out, steadying herself.

I’ve never had somebody so terrified of a storm. Me, I enjoy the sheer strength of it. You never know whether it’s going to bring destruction or just clear away all the crap that’s been stacking up.

But Nicole looks tiny and scared. The sight of her vulnerability appeals to me in some messed-up way. Hell, I’m an asshole for half the things that have crossed my mind when it comes to her. I’ve come to accept who I am—what I am. A bastard, in deed and detail.

Having someone so innocent and fragile awakens something dark and possessive inside me. Part of me wants to protect her, to make her feel safe. The rest wants to ruin that lipstick. To tear away the prim little blouse and taste her skin.

I want the passionate woman caged beneath, the one I was able to glimpse last night. How many times has the image of her filtered into my mind today? How many times have I wished it was my fingers sliding through her slick folds, bringing her to orgasm?

Rain bashes against the glass as thunder booms outside, threatening to shake the building’s foundations.

I set a finger under her chin, tilting her face up. “The storm can’t hurt you in here. I’ve got you. You’re safe.” She shivers in my arms. I bring her close, letting her feel me next to her, an anchor in her moment of need. “I’m right here beside you.”

Only those eyes are beckoning me closer, and I feel myself slip.

* * *

Nicole

Derrick’s face lowers toward me, his eyes dark and heavy lidded. My lips part in anticipation as he captures them for a kiss. If not for the shock of awareness blazing through me, I’d think I’d passed out in my office.

He deepens the kiss masterfully, sending my senses reeling. I’m clinging to him again, only for a totally different reason this time.

I’m fully awake, sparks dancing across my skin everywhere he’s touched. I want more. I run my hands up his chest, over his shoulders, letting my chest press against his as I cup the back of his neck.

He groans into the kiss; his arms tighten around me, steel bands holding me against the hard angles of his body—every hard angle of his body.

Dear lord, I may have melted inside.

His hands sweep over my hips, the heat of his palms covering my ass. The tips of his fingers tracing the curve at the bottom. It’s an odd sensation, having him do that. His grip tightens and he moves up, bringing my dress with him.

Cool air whispers higher on my legs. I should stop this, but my nipples pucker the moment the denim of his jeans brushes the inside of my thighs. His fingers return to run along the back of my legs. The pad of his thumb follows the edge of my panties, dipping under the elastic.

My pulse throbs at my core, my pussy wet, waiting for him to make the next move. My breasts ache, demanding something I can’t put into words. All I know is that it’s more, but more of what?

I press my chest to his, needing the pressure against my nipples. My breath hitches, intoxicated by his touch, the heat of his body next to mine. This is far beyond anything I could have imagined when I was touching myself last night. Infinitely better.

Derrick brings a hand up to cup my breast, his lips leave mine, and it’s like losing a lifeline. He moves to my neck, nuzzling the spot under my jaw. I’d swear the wall covered in mini blinds blurred.

He finds the bikini underwear I have on. The pad of his thumb following the elastic along the front of my body until he’s at the juncture of my legs. I widen my stance, welcoming the caress. His fingers are at either side of me, with the lightest of pressure in between, making me gasp.

It might be a groan he lets out as he licks the skin below my ear. That section of the panel on my panties has to be drenched the way my pulse is pounding at my core.

He slips under the material, caressing me, teasing my clit. My breath hitches. He stretches, learning every sensitive spot along my pussy, then curls his fingers on the way back. The sound of him moving through my wetness should make my cheeks burn, but I’m well beyond that.

He’s at my clit, circling the nub, quickening his pace. My nails are digging into his shirt as my breath stutters through my lips. It’s not much longer before the pressure breaks inside me. My back arches, tremors taking over my body. I press my eyes closed, savoring the sensations assaulting my senses.

I’m weak, slumping back against the desk. I open my eyes to find Derrick watching me. A frown on his face as his gaze roams across my features.