Chapter 19 – Sweet Surrender and Strategic Retreat
Chapter 19 – Sweet Surrender and Strategic Retreat
Liam’s POV
Hazel accepted the bag from my hands, her expression a mixture of curiosity and wariness. I seized the moment to cut a generous piece of chocolate cake, holding the fork toward her lips. Before she could protest, I slipped it into her mouth, my grin widening as she automatically closed her lips around the silver.
I took my own bite while watching her chew slowly, her eyes never leaving mine. When she finally opened the bag and extracted the small box, placing it carefully on her lap, I could barely contain my amusement. The lid came off, revealing the delicate lace panties inside.
Her jaw went slack. The shock on her face was priceless.
I immediately offered her another forkful of cake, effectively silencing whatever sharp retort was forming on her tongue. Her eyes blazed with a combination of outrage and something else entirely, something that made my pulse quicken.
This was better than I had imagined. I continued eating, savoring both the rich chocolate and the entertainment unfolding before me. Hazel lifted the panties from their tissue paper nest, examining the intricate lacework with obvious appreciation despite her indignation.
Then she did something that nearly made me choke on my cake.
Standing gracefully, she positioned herself directly in front of me on the coffee table. My breath caught as I realized her intention. This incredible woman was actually going to put them on right here, right now.
Every movement was deliberate, calculated to drive me insane. She rose to her feet, her hands. gathering the hem of her dress, lifting it slowly until it bunched around her waist. The sight of her long legs, the curve of her hips, the way she stepped into the delicate fabric with such poise. made my mouth go dry.
I was completely mesmerized, my body responding instantly for the third time today. The afternoon was far from over, and I was already losing my mind.
When she finished, she looked at me with unmistakable triumph, as if she had somehow gained the upper hand in our dangerous game. I would not allow that.
As she moved to lower her dress, I held up my hand, stopping her mid–motion.
“Now Hazel, that would be terribly rude of you. I just gave you a thoughtful gift. Don’t you think you should show me how it fits? Tell me whether you like it?”
19 Chapter 19–Sweet Surrender and Strategic Retreat
She exhaled slowly, her eyes shooting daggers in my direction, but her voice was honey–sweet when she replied, “Of course, Mr. Sterling.”
She began to turn in a slow circle, and I thought my heart might actually stop. This woman was
going to be the death of me. As she completed her rotation, she s
sure to brush against me,
her body tantalizingly close. When she faced me again, her voice was pure temptation.
“What do you think, Mr. Sterling?”
My control snapped completely. I pushed the cake aside and pulled her directly onto my lap. She gasped, falling forward with her legs naturally spreading to accommodate my position. Her thighs wrapped around my hips perfectly, and the contact sent fire through my veins.
I shifted beneath her, and she trembled in response.
“Hazel, what exactly are you trying to do to me?” I murmured against her ear, then moved lower, my nose brushing against her nipple through the thin fabric of her dress. The peak was already hard, practically begging for my attention.
I could feel my own arousal pressing against her, and there was no denying she was just as affected as I was.
I bit gently through the fabric, earning a soft moan that went straight to my core. The sound. was intoxicating. I moved again, finding her other nipple and giving it the same treatment. Another moan, another tremor in my arms.
This woman was going to destroy me completely. She was provocative, sexy, and affected me in ways that shattered every defense I had built.
With her still straddling my lap, I leaned back into the couch, keeping one arm around her waist while my other hand slipped beneath the lace I had just bought her. I needed to know if 1 affected her the same way she affected me.
She was soaked, burning hot, and perfectly tight around my finger. I groaned at the discovery, then withdrew my hand and brought it to my lips, tasting her.
“Hazel, you are definitely sweeter than chocolate cake.”
Her eyes widened in shock, but I was already pulling her closer, crushing my mouth to hers with pure need. When she responded, opening for me, I lost all semblance of control. I sucked on her tongue, bit her lower lip, then returned to kissing her with desperate hunger.
The more I kissed her, the tighter I held her against me, my hips moving beneath her in a rhythm that was driving us both toward the edge. I was close to losing myself completely, and from the way she was responding, she was not far behind.
Breaking the kiss left us both breathless. I reached for the cake again, feeding her slowly while taking bites myself. Our eyes remained locked throughout the intimate ritual, creating a
19 Chapter 19–Sweet Surrender and Strategic Retreat
connection that went far beyond physical attraction.
When the cake was gone, I noticed a small smudge of chocolate on her lips. Without hesitation, I leaned forward and licked it away, cleaning her mouth with thorough attention. Her lips were swollen from our kissing, and I finished with a gentle kiss at the corner of her mouth.
She was completely undone, surrendering to the moment. But I had to maintain some control.
I helped her stand, smoothing her dress back into place before rising to face her. Leaning close to her ear, I whispered, “You taste much better than chocolate cake, Hazel.”
I stepped back and walked to my desk, unable to hide my satisfied smile. This woman wanted. me desperately, and I had left her beautifully confused and frustrated. But as Damian had pointed out, this was inevitable. I was not going to give her release until she begged for it, and she had not begged yet.
“Hazel, please distribute our meeting notes to Owen and schedule a conference with only Owen, Damian, Evelyn and myself present. Make sure they understand this is strictly confidential. That will be all for now.”
I settled into my chair and watched her storm toward the door, slamming it behind her with satisfying force. I had won this round, but I was left with a serious problem that required immediate attention. I had not needed to take care of myself this frequently since I was seventeen years old.
Thirty minutes later, Damian was sitting across from my desk, shaking his head.
“What did you do to Hazel? When I walked past her desk, she was attacking that filing cabinet like it had personally offended her.”
I could not help laughing at the image.
“She probably wanted to use my head instead of that cabinet, Damian.”
i told him everything that had happened, and his expression grew increasingly incredulous. “Liam, that is extreme even by your standards. You were absolutely ruthless. But I am warning you as your friend, the fury I saw in that woman’s eyes means she is planning revenge.”
“I know, Damian. That is why I am going to barricade myself in this office for the rest of the day and avoid her completely.”
Damian laughed at my obvious cowardice, but I did not care. I was absolutely going to hide from Hazel for the remainder of the day.
