The Sinner's Bargain (Contracts & Deceptions #2) Read online

  And in that moment, she was angry. Beneath the pain tearing up her stomach, there was a bubbling anger that she hadn’t felt in a long time. She was angry at him…at Molly…at herself… at everyone, even her mother. Colin’s gaze shifted from her face, to travel down the length of her body slowly, the way he did when he was mentally undressing her. He did it purposefully when he wanted her to be hyper-aware of him. He liked it when he made her heart feel like it was sputtering out of her chest, and the longer she stood there, clutching her glass so hard she was afraid it would shatter, the more she felt like clawing his eyes out.

  He had no right to look at her that way. Not when they were in a room full of people, among them, his fiancée! Colin licked his lips slowly, dragging his tongue along the seam of his mouth and placing it between his teeth before sucking it back into his mouth. It was something he knew drove her crazy. How many times had she leaned into his mouth and sucked his tongue into hers when he did that? He was doing it on purpose, seducing her with his eyes…his lips…in a way that made her feel like she was burning from the inside out.

  Amara stood beside Brandon, who was busy on his phone, until she finished her glass of wine. Molly still stood beside Colin, but thankfully had kept her hands off of him. Amara had had enough. Putting her glass down with a clink, she turned to Brandon as he finished his call.

  “You want another drink?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ve reached my limit.”

  “One glass is your limit?” he asked, whistling out a breath.

  “No, I’ve reached my time limit for being here. I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” she said with a smile.

  Brandon nodded in understanding, then leaned toward her ear so that only she could hear his words. “I don’t blame you. You did good.”

  A ghost of a smile appeared over her face. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

  He laughed and shook his head. “One day you’ll tell me.”

  “Nothing to tell,” she said with a shrug, then reached up to kiss his cheek.

  “I’m almost ready to go. You sure you don’t want to stick around a couple more minutes?”

  “I’m positive.”

  Amara weaved through the crowd until she reached the door of the room, then turned and looked over her shoulder at Colin, one last time. When their eyes met, his were serious, contradicting the smile on his face. The longing between them loaded their gaze and weighted it down with emotion. Startled as she was jostled from behind, Amara turned and disappeared into the hallway. Her feet were on autopilot as she made her way toward the elevator. Once inside, she looked at her reflection: her long dark hair, olive skin and amber, almond shaped eyes were the complete opposite of Molly in every way. Good or bad, she didn’t know. As the elevator chimed, she stepped out into the empty lobby.

  Amara approached her desk with every intention of simply grabbing her purse and leaving, but noticed the door of Colin’s office was standing open. Her heels clinked on the hardwood floor as she walked toward it, unable to resist being surrounded by all things Colin. His office shouldn’t feel as warm as it did. It shouldn’t beckon to her the way it did. It was just a space with a desk and a bookshelf, but it was the place in which he spent the majority of his time. Amara rounded the desk and sat in his chair. She turned her face to the side and buried it into the soft leather, inhaling the scent of him. Before she got caught up in emotion, Amara stood and walked to the window to catch the last of the sunset over the Manhattan skyline. It was such a beautiful sight at this level. She placed her hands flat on the glass, wishing she could fade with the sun to take a break from the madness.

  Footsteps behind Amara alerted her that she wasn’t alone. She turned to find Colin in the doorway to his office, the look in his eyes making her heart leap into her throat.

  “Why did you leave?”

  Amara swallowed and licked her lips before she answered. “I just needed space.”

  “So you decided to hide out in my office?”

  She shrugged and fixed her gaze on the window again.

  “Did you meet anybody new?”

  Closing her eyes, Amara pressed her forehead on the glass. “I met a couple, yeah.”

  She kept her eyes closed even as she heard the door shut. Amara’s breath quickened as Colin’s footfalls brought him to a stop behind her.

  “Does it kill you to see me with another woman?” he whispered near her ear.

  “No,” she lied.

  His hand curled over arm, her eyes popped open as he turned her to face him. His eyes searched his. “No?”

  The intensity in Amara’s stare matched his as she thought about his question and replayed the way Molly showed off the ring that should have been on Amara’s finger. She tried to mute her emotions—it was better to be angry than heartbroken.

  “What do you want me to tell you, Colin? That I hate you? That I can’t stand the sight of you right now? That I wish you would leave me the fuck alone? What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn’t you be downstairs?”

  Colin’s nose flared, his eyes narrowing in anger. “Shouldn’t you not be in my office?”

  “I came in here to make sure you didn’t leave anything for me on top of your desk.”

  “You weren’t anywhere near my desk.”

  “I didn’t realize enjoying the view for five seconds was a crime,” Amara seethed, inching closer to him, as if her mouth being close to his face was going to make him listen better.

  He dipped his face so they were standing nose to nose again, their breaths mingling with one another’s, their eyes wild with anger and contained lust. Amara wanted to claw his face and rip his shirt open at the same time. The emotion in Colin’s eyes made it clear he was warring with similar thoughts.

  “Did you need anything else or are we done?”

  “We are so far from done, Amara. You and I will never be done.”

  A short laugh escaped her lips. “What would Molly say about that? Maybe she needs to remind you that I’m only temporary.”

  His eyes were filled with anger as he took a step forward, making her retreat backward into the window, her elbow pinging sharply against the glass. The feel of Colin’s hard chest against her softness muted the sting in her elbow. The familiarity of his cologne made her head swim, bringing back memories she didn’t welcome. Amara placed her hands flat on his chest and pushed. Colin’s hands covered hers and pressed them until she could feel the wild beating of his heart.

  “Let go,” she said as he chuckled at the lack of conviction in her voice. A shiver ran through her as the timbre in his laugh resonated through her, as if he electrocuted her fingers with it and it zapped through her body.

  “Maybe next time you’ll say what you mean.”

  Amara glared at him. “I hate you.”

  Colin’s lips tilted in a slow smile. “Is that what we’re calling it these days?”

  “Let go,” she said again with more force, gritting her teeth.

  “Let go,” he repeated, testing out the idea. Even as he said the words, he leaned in closer, his soft, full lips brushing against hers. “Let go,” he whispered, his eyes closing. Amara’s lips parted, her heart thumped around in the cage of her chest. “But I can’t let go, Mara. Do you really want me to?” His lips were only a breath away, but he didn’t close the distance. Amara felt like she was going to explode. Her hands slid up the front of his shirt to his collar, her hands fisting in the fabric. She pulled, smashing her mouth against his. The kiss was frenzied. Their tongues carried the weight of their tension, the strokes whips and lassos, warning and begging at the same time. Colin’s fingers weaved into Amara’s hair and pulled at the nape of her neck, breaking the kiss and letting the groan of loss fill the air. His mouth reached the hollow of her throat in desperation, his tongue searching, his lips sucking as Amara placed her hands on the back of his head, beseeching him to keep going, her grip threatening him not to stop.

  Colin’s head snapped u
p and he looked at her, his eyes drinking in her face as Amara’s burned in lust.

  “Why’d you stop?” she breathed.

  “Turn around,” he said in a low voice that made her nipples tighten.

  Amara pivoted, leaning back against him, and inhaled sharply when he pushed his chest against her back and pressed her into the cold window.

  His breath was on her ear. “When I first got this office, the only thing I thought about was fucking you against this window. Overlooking the city, just like this,” he said, grinding his erection into her ass. “Would you like to be fucked here?”

  “That depends,” she responded, though the neediness in her voice betrayed her words.

  “On?” he asked.

  “Have you fucked anybody else in here?” she asked, inhaling sharply as he pushed his hips against her backside.

  “Would that bother you?” he asked in a murmur before sucking her earlobe into his mouth.

  “Yes,” she moaned, throwing her head back against his shoulder.

  “Well I haven’t,” he said, dropping kisses along her jaw, down her neck and along her shoulder.

  “Are you lying?” She turned in his arms and he rocked back, his eyes flashing to hers.

  “I don’t lie to you,” he said as his hands traveled around her back to unzip her dress. She let the top fall off her shoulders to pool around her waist, leaving her breasts exposed. Colin raised his large hands to squeeze her breasts, his thumbs teasing the pert nipples.

  Amara shivered at the possessive look in his eyes. Her hand drifted between them to cup his erection. She massaged it with the same ardor he was using on her breasts, and Colin’s eyes hooded, his head dropping back with a moan. His hand left her breasts and traveled to the back of her neck, pulling her toward him. She watched the emotion flit across Colin’s face, his defined cheekbones flexing as he clenched and unclenched his jaw, his eyes dark with a lust that equaled hers. Her hand left his erection to throw her arms around his neck, unable to wait any longer to press herself against him. And Colin didn’t make her. His lips claimed hers with an intensity that bruised, a desire that burned, and a need that could only be described as primal. In that moment, history didn’t exist outside of what they’d made together.

  The kiss broke after long moments. Still clutching the other in their desperation, they searched the other’s eyes to gauge willingness to continue.

  “Turn around,” Colin said, finding his answer, his voice commanding and rough. Amara didn’t argue, she turned her back on him and faced the city again. “Put your hands on the glass.”

  “Your tits look so good in the reflection,” he murmured, raking his short finger nails from her waist to her rib cage, the sensation making her shiver. “You’re wet right now, aren’t you?” he whispered as he pressed against her. He felt so hard she had a visual of his dick ripping through the fabric of his pants.

  “Are you?” he asked holding the weight of her breasts in his hands as his thumbs began to stroke against her nipples again.

  Amara’s head fell back on to his chest. “Yes.”

  He squeezed her nipples and she shimmied beneath him. “Yes, what?”

  “Yes, Colin,” she whimpered, hoping that was the right answer.

  “I don’t want to hear anyone else’s name slip out of that mouth of yours, understood? Your mouth is mine. I own it. Colin. Not anyone else.”

  Her eyes fluttered shut as he continued to play her body like an instrument. She wanted to be owned by him—to be fucked by him.

  Colin dropped his hands and pushed the dress off of her hips where it still draped. He held her hand as she stepped out of it and kicked it away with the toe of his shoe. He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off, undid his belt and pants, and pulled down his boxers until he freed his massive girth.

  “Take your panties off. I want you naked. Completely naked for me, Amara.”

  His eyes were heavily lidded with lust as he looked at her hungrily and massaged his cock in his hands. She wanted to take it away from him, but she did as she was told and quickly took off her lingerie, leaving her heels on.

  “Your shoes too. Everything.” His voice was strained; his large hand covered his rigid cock as he pumped it up and down. Amara was nearly panting, her need was so overwhelming. She slipped off her heels and faced him, her raven hair draped over her shoulders and covered her breasts.

  “Turn around and face the window,” he demanded.

  She did.

  “Open your legs,” he growled, sliding a hand up each leg only to stop when his fingers reached her dripping folds. “It feels like I’m going to have a heart attack just by looking at you like this. Having you here—knowing it’s not my imagination playing tricks on me.”

  His hands roughly squeezed her thighs, making her flinch, and, as he kneeled behind her, Amara looked down to see his knees between her legs. It seemed as if he was examining her hot center, brushing over her folds, her clit, simply touching and teasing. Without warning, Colin’s tongue replaced his fingers and Amara gasped at the intensity of the sensation. She flattened her hands against the window as she tried to steady herself against the tongue lashing between her legs.

  “I’ve missed this,” he said, making an appraising sound as he sucked her clit into his mouth.

  She could only moan in agreement, circling her hips against his face. Colin spread her ass cheeks apart and leaned into her, his tongue disappearing inside her as he feasted on her juices. An appreciative sound rumbled from his throat and Amara felt it all the way through her body. Her legs began to weaken and her arms felt like rubber, sliding down the glass as the pressure in her body built to capacity. Light exploded in her vision as an orgasm rocked through her, the intensity of it leaving her gasping for air.

  Colin stood and wiped his mouth as Amara leaned over to rest her hands on her knees. He bent his knees so that his erection was between her folds, showing her they were far from being done.

  “I’m so hard for you, Amara,” he whispered. He wrapped an arm around her middle, holding her gently as he inched his cock into the wet lips of her pussy. “Since you’ve been here, I’ve thought about ninety-eight different ways I want to fuck you. I shouldn’t do it.” He drove his cock in an inch more and paused, “I should make you suffer for what you made me go through.”

  “Please don’t,” she whispered, trying to push her hips back, but he held her in place, both hands gripping her waist. Her eyes rolled back when his hand reached between her legs and his fingers started circling her clit. “Please, please don’t stop,” she whimpered.

  “Oh, I’m not stopping,” he said, taking his hand away and grabbing her hips as he seated himself into her with one forceful thrust.

  Amara screamed. She was sure the entire building could hear it. She looked outside, wide eyed, expecting every eye in the city or in the buildings next door to turn to them. She soon forgot her distraction when Colin began to ride her faster. He lifted her hips so that Amara’s feet were off the ground, the entirety of her weight rested on his lap—on his erection inside of her. Amara knew she had never before felt that deliciously full.

  “That’s right, squeeze my dick just like that,” he grunted as his fingers dug into her hips. “I want you to remember this when you go to Méchant. I want you to remember who owns this pussy.”

  Amara’s clammy hands began to slide down the glass again, her legs trembling as she felt the orgasm begin to build again, and Colin moved faster, thrust harder, until her head hit the window.

  “Shit,” he said with a groan. “Fuck. So close…”

  His words were her undoing; she began to writhe and shake uncontrollably with her own orgasm as Colin unloaded himself into her. He lowered her to the floor slowly; a rush of his breath tickled her naked back and gooseflesh erupted along her spine. He kissed it away, his lips pressed gently in the center of her back. “Wait here,” he said, pulling out slowly —so opposite of how he entered her.

  Amara straight
ened, her legs still shaky, her arms feeling sore as if she’d worked out that morning. Colin walked to the bathroom in his office and returned to her. He was still naked, his erection resting over his leg, not completely soft yet. When he reached her, he crouched down and placed wet paper towels between her legs, wiping softly. As he cleaned away the evidence of their joining, Amara’s hand threaded through his wavy hair. His head snapped up, his eyes searching hers at the feel of her comforting touch. For once, his eyes were completely stripped of anger, only shining with something she hadn’t seen in them since… before. It made her heart clench.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  He stilled his movements, the edges of his brown eyes darkening as Amara trailed her hands from his hair over the beard on his face to scratch it softly. Colin was lost in her gaze, a captive to the compassion in her amber eyes. He stood slowly and as Amara dropped her hand from his face he cupped hers, his thumb stroking her cheek slowly as they acknowledged the potential that swam in the other’s eyes—the love that remained between them—the broken promises that shattered their dreams. They were cut, but maybe it hadn’t been enough to cripple them.

  Colin’s ringing cell phone served as a reminder that they couldn’t stay there all night —that he still had to go back downstairs, back to her. Amara sighed heavily when he dropped his hand from her face to reach for his phone.

  “You should go,” she said, averting her eyes.

  He nodded slowly and swallowed, his gaze dropping to her mouth. He watched as she sucked in her bottom lip in self-consciousness. He couldn’t help it —he dipped his face and bit her full, bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth. All of the frenzy that had just died down, built again with lightning speed. The electricity crackled, building, their tongues intertwining, and the desire he had just cleaned from between her legs began again. Colin broke the kiss as his phone interrupted once more, bringing with it, a sobering reality.