Talia Nassar

"Did Lucas or Ethan ask why we canceled?" I'm standing at my office doorway, facing Imani's desk.

"No. I didn't get anything from them," Imani responds.

My body tenses. I only canceled the meeting ten minutes ago, but it's just now hitting me how little I thought it through. All I remember was feeling my heart rate increase with each tick of the clock. And then I couldn't bear it any longer. Just like the last time I almost got a tattoo, panic set in and I backed out at the very last minute.

Except now, my actions reaching the logical part of my brain, I can see how it looks very suspicious to cancel a meeting without any reason and without rescheduling. Unlike the tattoo shop incident where I didn't have to endure the embarrassment of being a flake, I will inevitably have to see Lucas again.... and now my heart rate is back to what it was before I canceled the meeting.

Ugh!

All of it is so unlike me. Rash thinking and letting my nerves get the best of me is Talia 1.0. We graduated from Talia 1.0 a long time ago. As much as I tried to distract myself with errands and catching up on work over the weekend, Lucas somehow tattooed himself on me, like he's Kat Von fucking D! And somehow, I'd let it happen, caution thrown to the wind.

Everything I've ever thought about him has been called into question. A full court session took place in my mind yesterday - with my mind and heart in heated debate. The verdict? Inconclusive and reassessment needed.

I just need more time to figure this out.

"Imani, go ahead and reschedule for the end of this week. And just say sorry it meant to get put on the calendar again but, um, we were just trying to find a time."

"Sure thing."

I take a deep breath in and turn back to my office. Now that it's settled, the meeting officially being canceled for this week, I can focus on work and figure out the Lucas situation later. Breathe, Talia. Breathe.

"Talia!" Lucas' voice hit my eardrums. I jump as heaviness settles into my muscles and bones.

I slowly turn around, heart racing, and find Lucas swiftly approaching, out of breath and slightly disheveled. Did he run over here?... Damn, he looks so good. "Lucas? W-what are you doing here? I canceled the meeting." The cage of butterflies that I worked so hard to lock up over the weekend explodes in my stomach. His raging blue eyes come into focus and my knees tremble slightly.

"I need to talk to you. In private," he says, glancing around.

I don't know how to respond. The urgency in his voice prompts a simple nod out of me, despite the flurry of activity in my body. His large hand splays across the small of my back as he guides me into the office and shuts the door behind us.

Electricity shoots through my veins. Something palpable swims in the air as I lean back on my desk for support and wait to hear what Lucas has to say.

He begins pacing a few feet away from me. I swear he mutters what sounds like 'delicate' once or twice. My gaze moves side to side, glued to the broad-shouldered, manly specimen before me.

Fuck. I've never seen this man so flustered. It's making me flustered. But I can't control this need, this deep desire, for him that's bubbling up inside me. It's unlike anything I've ever experienced before. That kiss under the spotlight...arousal shoots through me.

As I watch Lucas still pacing, I finally understand all the hype about placing your lips on another person's lips. I thought I got the memo, but oh God I certainly did not until Lucas' lips were on mine.

I can't fucking stand this silence anymore, this hunger flowing through my veins. Yet before I decide to do anything about it he says, "Fuck it," and quickly turns toward me looking like a starved vampire out for blood, my stomach tightens and my pulse pounds up to my eardrums.

Lucas strides toward me and crashes his lips onto mine. I am too stunned to move or even think about what's happening. Yet when Lucas' lips soften against mine, my nerve endings begin dancing in unanimous approval.

With my back against the desk behind me, I press into him, wrapping my arms around his head. I'm still partly in shock this is happening but it feels way too good to stop now. His hands roam my back, sending more heat down my body. The movements of his mouth oscillate between gentle and urgent as if he's testing the waters. I reciprocate the pressure and move my tongue in his mouth to taste everything that I can. There's mint mixed with what I can only assume is heaven's river of milk and honey. My undies grow increasingly damp as Lucas lets out a quiet moan against me.

"You make me so fucking hard, Talia," he says in between kisses.

Heat rushes over my neck and up to my hairline when I process his words. "Mmm. Well, you make me so fucking wet, Lucas," I respond breathlessly. Two can play the who's the most turned on game.

He grabs my shoulders and pushes me off of him. His eyes are wild and the darkest shade of blue I've ever seen on them as they graze down my body, leaving a blazing trail of pleasure in their wake. My gaze moves to his slightly swollen lips. The slice of pleasure moving through my abdomen and down to my center forces me to push his hands off of my shoulders and pull onto the sides of his navy blue suit jacket, landing his lips back on mine where they belong.

"Are you going to start begging me?" Lucas' lips quirk, but he still maintains contact as we continue to devour each other like we'd die otherwise.

I slowly move my hand down from his chest and over his clothes, to his hard length. I clamp over the massive form, eliciting a groan out of him. More tingles shoot through my stomach. "What if you start begging me?" I smile against his lips.

His head leans back with eyes fluttering closed as I begin massaging the hardness. But he quickly shakes his head. A grin creating the cutest lines on his cheeks appears across his face. "Never."

I hastily unbuckle his belt. His head drops forward to stare at the action. When his pants and belt hit the floor, I skim my fingertips along the waistband of his underwear. His breathing hitches, but I coyly retreat my hands, making a show of it like I'm in control, despite my pounding heart, and lean them against the desk behind me.

He glances up questioningly for a moment and when he seems to register my smirk, he laughs. "You really are the devil."

"I'm waiting to hear you beg."

"Talia, you underestimate me." He shakes his head playfully before moving his hands slowly over the sides of my body. Over my hips and down to my thighs that are on either side of him, causing a feverish sensation to course through me. My breathing labors as his large hand undoes the button and zipper of my slacks in one smooth motion. I glance down as he begins untucking my white button-down shirt.

Fire. My body is on fire just from the anticipation alone. Yet, just as Lucas' hand moves closer to my underwear, my phone rings out forcing him to stop against my abdomen. But the ringing is like a stream of water from a backyard hose being directed over a massive forest fire. I can't stop now. I'm about to dance in the flames.

Lucas shifts back slightly. "You should get that," he whispers hoarsely before stepping back and out of his pants pooled around his ankles.

I shake my head. "I'm in a meeting," I say in all seriousness which garners a laugh from Lucas.

"I'll wait."

The raging fire settles to a campfire level. I groan in disappointment before stepping down toward my phone. I start fanning myself as I place the call on speakerphone. "Hey, Imani," I clear my throat, "everything okay?"

"Sorry to interrupt, Talia. I have Henry from SGI waiting on line one. I figured to let you know since we had trouble reaching him last week."

My stomach drops. I was hoping I could just tell Imani to dismiss the call, but I had so much difficulty trying to reach this client. I need to let him know about the merger so we can release the press report this week.

"Put him through, Imani," I say with a sigh. I glance up at Lucas who is at the door, turning the knob to lock it. He turns back to face me with a dangerous look in his eyes.

Henry's voice streams through the speaker as Lucas strides over to me. I quickly look away to try to focus on the conversation but my heart goes back to its rhythmic incline.

"Hi Henry, I'm so thank-" I freeze. Lucas is now standing in front of me and placing his hands around my waist. I try hard to ignore him by looking up to the ceiling as he shimmies my pants down. I let him. "Sorry, Henry. Uh, um, thank you for calling me back."

I glance back down at Lucas who is now getting on his knees in front of me. Oh, my God. My eyes try to push out of their sockets. If he starts doing what I think he's about to start doing, there's no way I can finish this phone call with Henry.

Lucas looks up with a challenging smirk. I press against his shoulder to stop with the games. His hungry eyes scan my lace panties causing my breath to catch. Then again, I'm never one to back down from a challenge. I can't help but smile, which Lucas rightfully takes as his cue to proceed.

I clear my throat and begin diving into the explanation about the merger to Henry as fast as I possibly can. Lucas' hands tenderly skim the fabric of the lace. When he pulls my underwear down, I nearly gasp and stutter over my words. I'm now fully bare for him and he begins to kiss my thighs up toward my center.

"Talia? Are you still there?" Henry's voice brings me back to reality.

Lucas, still on his knees, nudges me with his hands to sit on the desk. I comply and open my legs wider for him, heart beating wildly in my chest. "Yes, sorry, Henry! I'm, um, having connection issues today."

Lucas' lips pause for a moment on my thigh, and a quiet breath of air comes out of him that sounds almost like a chuckle.

"How is everything going on your end? I'd love to get an update!" I say before quickly hitting the mute button. Lucas' mouth finally meets my desperate center.

Oh. My. God.

He starts licking and exploring me with his tongue as Henry begins going into detail about God knows what.

I run my hands through his smooth hair as the pressure inside me continues to build. Each lick against my clit and sound of slickness against my ears tighten the coil in my stomach. The mind-bending euphoria of the pressure of his mouth on me is sending more and more jolts of energy through my body. And when Lucas hums, the vibrations send shivers of pleasure up and down my spine.

Lucas starts adding more force against me, as if it's his life's mission to make me come with just his tongue. I can no longer take it. I curl around his head as the fireworks shoot off inside of me and waves of pleasure run rampant throughout my body. My moans are muffled against his head as I ride out the orgasm.

Lucas continues to lick and suck as my body jerks slightly. Then, when I've settled into a panting, heaping mess, he smiles against my folds. He gives me one last slow lick, sending lazy tingles through me, before leaning back and glancing up.

"I hate you," I say through my heavy breaths and with eyes locked on his. Oh, but I really, really don't.

"I know, baby." He smiles back and then begins wiping his glistening mouth on my inner thigh.

As my mind begins settling back into reality, I hit the unmute button on my phone. "Henry?" With no reply, he must have hung up.

But do I care? No. What I should care about is what just took place.

It's just sex. Just sex, nothing more.

I glance at the clock on my wall. Fifteen minutes until my next meeting. That's just enough time to return the favor and show Lucas who's really in control.