On His Terms Read online

  “Oh, fuck. I’m so close, Sorcha, so damn close.” He groaned and grunted. “You’re going to come again, baby.” He moved his thumb to her clit and started rubbing it quickly. He pounded faster and harder into her, the sound of her pussy suctioning his dick loud to her ears.

  So close.

  She fell back on the bed, loving the way Rian worked that digit on her clit. Sorcha moved her hands back to the headboard, grabbed the slats tightly, and braced herself for the onslaught of pleasure. She opened her mouth to scream out, the eroticism so magnetizing she couldn’t control herself. Her pussy tightened of its own accord and milked his cock until her whole body ached from the aftermath. She opened her eyes, not even realizing she had closed them.

  His breathing hitched, and his face became a mask of pleasure when he suddenly jerked out of her, grabbed his shaft, and stroked it quickly. The vision of his cock in his hands, glistening from her juices, was a sight beyond words. He groaned, his eyes never leaving hers as ribbon after ribbon of cum shot out of him and landed on her stomach and chest. That sight alone could have given her another orgasm.

  He stared her, a small, satisfied smile tugging at his lips. “I could watch you come all night long.”

  “I don’t know if I could handle all night long.”

  He moved off the bed, and she watched him walk into the bathroom. His naked body was certainly a sight, and she realized that being with him made her feel truly beautiful. She didn’t feel fat or ugly when with him, because the way he looked at her, touched her, and kissed her, told her that Rian liked every bump and curve on her body. Lying there, sated and relaxed, she closed her eyes. The sound of running water pierced her relaxation, but she kept her eyes closed and smiled. A moment later she felt a warm, wet cloth smooth over her flesh. Opening her eyes, she watched as Rian cleaned her off before slipping into bed beside her. He covered them with the blankets and pulled her so she was flush with him—back to chest. Staring out the window, she could see the sky and stars, and tonight they looked so clear.

  God, this man had made her fall for him, and that scared the hell out of her. Even after all the shit that had happened she couldn’t block her emotions out for Rian. She was returning to work Monday, and she didn’t know how things would play out. How awkward would it be once work started again?

  All she could hope for was that letting her heart open to more than just disinterest toward this man wouldn’t hurt her in the end.

  ****

  The end of the contract

  Sorcha tightened her hold on her bag and stepped out of the bedroom. The week had flown by, and now that it was Sunday evening she would be returning to her crappy little apartment, with her crappy personal possessions, and her mundane life. She supposed she didn’t have any more debt concerning her mother’s hospital bills, which would help her immensely on saving up and maybe one day getting a small house she could call her own. She moved toward the study, expecting to see Rian there. He sat behind his desk, his phone pressed to his ear, and his voice tense and low.

  “I’ll have the proposal drafted up, and have the figures in place if it takes me all fucking night.” He was silent for a moment as he listened to whoever he was speaking with. “No, I’m not going to have someone else do this, because if I want something done right I clearly have to do it myself.” After a few seconds he hung up, exhaled, and stared out the window.

  “The car is taking you back?” he asked and looked at her.

  She nodded and felt this emptiness start to fill her. She could see this flicker of emotion cross his face.

  He stood and moved toward her, and when he was a foot from her, he said, “I can take you back.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I know you are swamped with work, and with the workweek starting tomorrow it’ll be hectic.” Although she wanted more from him, this was all so new for both of them. Yes, they had said how they felt, had expressed their emotions, but they also needed to really think about all of this.

  “I’m sorry I’ve been busy on our last day.” He cupped her face. “There was an issue with some paperwork never being drafted, and a potential client backing out of a deal we had set in motion for a while now. I’ve been trying to patch things up so I don’t lose a shitload of money in the process.”

  She nodded and smiled. “I know, and it’s okay.” Sorcha didn’t bother admitting that today she had snuck in glimpse of him working, or the concentration he exhibited, and of how much she wanted to kiss the look of determination off his face. It may have only been a week that they had spent together, and those seven days had gone quickly, but it seemed like they had been together for far longer, even if it sounded silly and cliché.

  “You’re thinking an awful lot right now,” he said deeply.

  “I’ve been thinking a lot lately, especially after the party and the whole Beatrice thing.” She spoke just as softly. Something passed across his face, and she wanted to ask him what he was thinking.

  “Yeah, not the most memorable time of this week.”

  That was an understatement, but she was about to tell him that what she had been thinking about concerned them, and how she wanted to see where they could go. Sorcha didn’t want this to be the end of their time together. She might have hated him before all of this, and a week wasn’t nearly long enough to determine if anything more than a sexual relationship could blossom, but she knew she wanted to try. But she also knew that Rian had a lot on his plate right now, and that they had plenty of time to work the small stuff out.

  “Are you ready, Miss Case?” Theodore asked from behind her.

  “I’m ready.” She stared at Rian, and then leaned forward to kiss him soundly. For several seconds all they did was stand there, their lips pressed together and their breathing the same hurried tempo.

  “I’m not about to let you go,” he said against her mouth, but it was so soft she didn’t know if she had heard him correctly.

  Pulling away shouldn’t have been so difficult. Sorcha wanted to tell him that she didn’t want him to let her go, that she wanted to go further, but she didn’t say anything, and instead smiled. “I should go and let you get back to work.”

  “Okay, if that’s what you want.”

  No, it wasn’t, but she did need to get home, even if she wanted to stay here with him.

  He shoved his hands in his front pockets. “I’ll see you Monday, Sorcha.”

  “Okay.” She turned and headed toward the front door, but glanced over her shoulder once more. There he stood, dress slacks and button-down shirt all crisp and perfect, his shirtsleeves rolled up his muscular forearms, and the first few button left undone at his collar. He was wealthy and gorgeous, but that wasn’t why she felt this way. No, she felt this way because these were the first real emotions she had ever experienced. She didn’t want to ignore that because of the one side of Rian that he portrayed the majority of the time. With one last look at him, she left, and went back to her apartment, and the only thing on her mind was what in the hell the future held?

  She arrived back at her place, grabbed her bag, and watched from the corner as the black luxury car pulled away.

  “Hi,” Cora said from the front steps of Sorcha’s apartment, a cigarette in her hand.

  Sorcha had messaged her friend on the way back from Rian’s, so she was just glad she wasn’t going to be alone, and had someone to talk this out with. They both entered the building, climbed the steps, and once inside of her place she shut the door and leaned against it.

  “So, tell me. The texts didn’t give me shit,” Cora said, the curiosity clear on her face.

  Sorcha pushed away from the door and walked past the kitchen, but she stopped when she saw a vase with so many white and red roses in it she couldn’t even count them all. On the table was a card and box wrapped with blue tissue and tied with a white bow. Sorcha glanced at Cora, who was propped against the couch. “What’s this?”

  Cora shrugged. “No clue. There was a note when I got here twenty minute
s ago from the landlord that you had a package at his office. I picked it up for you.”

  Sorcha nodded. “Thank you.” She set her bag down and grabbed the card. Inside it just read, “It’s not over”, and it was signed with the initials RH. The postage on the card stated that these had been ordered today. “God, he had these sent over while I was still at his house,” she said to herself, but Cora came to stand beside her.

  She whistled low under her breath. “Seems like a week was plenty of time to have the arrogant Mr. Hartford falling head over heels for you,” Cora said and snatched the card out of her hands. Cora read the card and set it on the table. “Open the box.”

  Sorcha reached for it, unwrapped the dainty little thing, and when she opened the lid her heart stopped.

  “Holy shit, look at the diamonds and pearls on that.”

  Inside were the bracelet and earrings that Rian had given her on the night of the dinner party, the ones with the little sparrow and the dainty little jewels on them.

  “That’s one hell of a parting gift.” Cora walked into the kitchen and grabbed two glasses and a bottle of wine. “You have a lot of explaining to do, because I have a feeling Rian Hartford doesn’t give that kind of shit out to just any woman he screws.”

  Sorcha looked at the earrings and bracelet again. She looked at Cora, who held out a filled glass of wine to her. “I think I want more with Rian than just this one week.”

  Cora gave her a sympathetic look, and said, “Honey, we need to get a major buzz on if we are going to go down that road.”

  And for the next hour Sorcha spilled everything that had happened in the last week, and how she was digging herself a hole when it came to wanting a man like Rian Hartford.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Monday morning

  Sorcha stepped off of the elevator and into the office of Rian Hartford. It was early, and she didn’t expect him for another hour or so, but already her nerves were a wreck. After drinking a bottle of wine with Cora last night, and then looking at the jewelry after her friend had left, she knew what she wanted to do. Aside from the animosity that they had shared these last six months, and the fact her being with him for that week had been less than normal in any sense, Sorcha couldn’t deny that what she felt for him wasn’t just a passing emotion. She set her purse on the table, and the bracelet Rian had given her slid down her wrist. Her heart beat faster at the sight and feel of it. The sound of the elevator approaching told her Rian was early. She had refrained from calling him after Cora had left to thank him for the gift, because she would much rather tell him in person. What surprised her the most, though, was that Cora backed up any decision she had. She was a true friend, and if things didn’t work out, then Sorcha knew Cora would still have her back, and be that shoulder she needed.

  She turned and saw the elevator doors open, but her happy mood turned sour when Beatrice stepped off in her ivory pumps and matching skirt suit. The word “cunt” slammed into her head as the other woman came forward.

  “I’m here to see Rian,” she said with this snooty little voice.

  “You don’t have an appointment, and I’d know since I schedule all of them.”

  Beatrice flipped her hair and went to move past Sorcha, but before she made it a step she turned again and narrowed her eyes at her. “I did a little digging on you, because I was curious on why Rian would confront me on talking with you and slapping you. Normally he couldn’t care less, but still I was curious. I thought maybe you had something on him and that was why he gave a shit, but turns out you really are no one.”

  “What the hell do you really want?” Sorcha had walked away once, but she wasn’t about to do it again.

  “From you? I don’t want anything, but Rian needs to know all about you.”

  “Rian knows everything about me. I work for him, remember?” Sorcha said with a bite to her voice. She knew Rian had done a background check on her, as would any employer. She wasn’t hiding anything, and if this woman thought she was going to bust her out on something she was sadly mistaken. “I have nothing to hide.”

  Beatrice fixed her little ivory gloves and pursed her lips. “No, maybe not, but even if Rian doesn’t know about your breeding, I plan to show him what white trash really looks like.” Beatrice narrowed her eyes at Sorcha.

  “You fucking cunt.”

  The outraged gasp that left Beatrice had Sorcha smiling.

  “How dare you,” Beatrice said, and reared her arm back, intent on hitting Sorcha again.

  Hell. No.

  Sorcha grabbed Beatrice’s hand before it make contact, and brought her own plan right across the bitch’s face. The slap of her hand hitting flesh filled Sorcha with satisfaction, but then she head the ding of the elevator and knew Rian was about to witness this little cat-fight for himself. Sorcha pushed Beatrice back, and the other woman instantly put on a horrified expression. Rian stepped off the elevator, a giant bouquet of flowers in on hand, his briefcase in the other, and his long black suit jacket hanging around his legs.

  He stopped when he saw them. “What the hell is going on here?” He looked between her and Beatrice. “Sorcha, are you okay?” He started to look angry, set his briefcase down on the floor, and took a step forward.

  Beatrice started crying harder. “Rian, this little piece of trash hit me.”

  Was this woman for real? It was okay for her to hit Sorcha, but when the tables were turned she was acting like Sorcha had just beat her ass. In all honestly the slap hadn’t even been hard enough that her hand stung afterwards. Sorcha had gone easy on the bitch.

  “Sorcha, is that true?”

  She stood up straighter, gritted her teeth, and nodded. “It sure as hell is. And I’m not about to apologize. In fact, I’ll do it again if she wants to insult me more.” She stared at Beatrice, and the other woman was barely reining in her anger, and keeping up the little charade. Beatrice ran over to Rian and pretty much threw herself in his arms, but he didn’t wrap his arms around her, and instead kept his gaze on Sorcha.

  “Rian, didn’t I tell you she was trash? I mean, she hit me.”

  Rian scowled and pushed Beatrice away, and Sorcha watched in surprise as the man she had always cared about deep down, but just finally let the emotions out, was clearly about to put the snob in her place. He turned toward Beatrice and stared at her with this blank expression on his face.

  “You should fire her on principle alone.”

  Sorcha didn’t bother correcting the cunt that she had been insulting her. Besides, she needed that damn slap like she needed to breathe.

  “Leave, Beatrice.”

  Beatrice took a step back, looking outraged. “You’re going to let the help treat me like this?” Her voice was rising to this obnoxious tone.

  He took a step closer to her and said in a low voice, “You’re going to leave, and never come here, call, or try to see me again, or I am going to go to your father and tell him I am perilously close to breaking off ties with the family because his daughter is assaulting my woman.”

  “Your woman?” Beatrice asked in that high-pitched voice that probably attracted dogs. “Since when does a fuck-buddy constitute as ‘your woman’?”

  “Since she isn’t bat-shit crazy like you. Now get out, or I swear to God everyone will know exactly how crazy you are.”

  Beatrice was nearly shaking with her anger, but with a hard look at Sorcha, and an even harder look at Rian, she straightened and headed toward the elevator. “If you want what’s at the bottom of the pond, then by all means swim with the garbage.” And then she stepped into the elevator, and, Sorcha hoped, out of their lives.

  For several minutes they just stood there, neither speaking, but their focus trained on the other.

  “I’m sorry about that,” he said with a bit of regret in his voice.

  “It’s not your fault.” She was so exhausted all of a sudden, and leaned against the desk.

  “That should be the last time we see her, especially since the prospect o
f me outing her to everyone that thinks she’s normal would ruin her reputation,” Rian said and walked up to her. “That is something she won’t risk.” He handed her the flowers. “For you.” He gave her this cocky little half smile, one that she had seen several times, but right now it made her warm all over.

  “Thank you.” She took the flowers, and loved that they weren’t anything fancy, just daisies and baby’s breath, and a few lilies. “They’re beautiful,” she said and looked up at him.

  He reached out and touched the bracelet she wore. “I’m glad these got to you safely.”

  She nodded, licked her suddenly dry lips, and knew that what she needed to say would need to be done now. “Listen, I did a lot of thinking yesterday after I left your place, well, all week actually.”

  He didn’t say anything, but his focus was directed right on her.

  “I hated you for a long time.” She watched as his throat worked. “But deep down I hoped that what I was feeling was for a man other than the one you portrayed.” She glanced down at the flowers. “I wanted you, and felt things for you that pissed me off because of the way you acted.” When she looked at him again it was to see this vulnerable expression on his face. “But after that week with you, and aside from the reason why I was with you, I saw the man that you hold deep in here.” She placed her hand right over his heart.

  “Sorcha, I—”

  “Wait, let me say this because after I’m finished you might kick me out, too.” She smiled, but it was a little forced. “I have feelings for you. I’m not saying I’m in love, but these are not just passing feelings either. I’ve felt this way for you for months now, and something I buried deep inside of me—”

  He stopped her with a hard, passionate kiss, but she placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away.