She was hardly surprised by the corporeal aura of the space—Ryder exuded sensuality all the time, and his bedroom mirrored that part of him. A spike of jealousy lanced through Liese as she imagined other women here, on his bed. The thought was irrational; she’d had other lovers, and judging from the way he touched her, so had he. She squelched the possessive feelings; this couldn’t be a real relationship.

  A gigantic flat screen TV hung on the wall opposite his bed. Despite its blank display, the backlit black glow indicated it was on. A wire ran from the TV to her laptop, propped open on the dresser below. Liese again had the terrifying notion that Ryder had located the folder containing her saved videos.

  “What’s that all about?” She pointed to the set up.

  “You’ll see. Come with me,” he whispered, his voice rough with excitement. He guided her to the bed, and she climbed up onto the mattress. Liese folded her legs under her, kneeling at the edge.

  His finger traveled from the collar of her shirt to between her breasts, and he paused to flick open the button. Parting the fabric, he pushed it over her shoulders and down her arms, then tossed it on the bed. His hands went to her hips, and his thumbs hooked into the lace waistband of her thong.

  Liese used the same slow movements as she followed the contours of muscle along his arms and over his shoulders. Sitting back on her heels, her fingers found his belt buckle. She gripped the metal fitting and tugged until his thighs hit the bed.

  “May I?” She fingered the clasp, waiting for affirmation.

  “By all means.” Ryder watched her hands while she unbuckled his belt and unzipped the fly.

  “I have the button, by the way,” Liese offered, watching with greedy expectation as his pants slid down his thighs.

  “That’s a relief,” he replied, kicking free of the fabric at his feet.

  Her eyes fell to his black boxers and the generous erection straining against the thin fabric.

  “Would you like to perform a formal inspection?” He fingered the waistband.

  “More than you could know.”

  He moved her into the middle of the bed as he climbed up after her. Her lips parted as their mouths collided. The contact of skin on skin and the wet warmth of his tongue erased all thought in a red void of want. Liese parted her thighs, and he sank between them, that hard part of him finding the aching part of her. She groaned, arching into him, ready to feel him inside her.

  “I want to show you something,” he said into her neck, pushing up on his forearms to hover over her.

  “Okay.” Liese ran her hand down his chest and slid it into his boxers, gripping his erection.

  Ryder’s head dropped, his shoulders bunching as the muscles in his arms flexed. A guttural curse left him. Sitting up on his knees, he looked down his body to where she held him.

  He covered her hand with his, eyes rolling back as she brushed the head with her thumb. He pried her fingers away and told her, “Not quite yet.”

  She protested as he tucked himself away. Ryder ignored her lament and moved behind her, one leg on either side of hers. He propped himself against the headboard and she settled into him, her head on his chest.

  Ryder grabbed the remote control, and the black screen of the TV flashed blue. “I think you may recognize this.” His hand spanned her stomach, fingers drawing circles on her skin while he waited for the video to cue up.

  Liese suspected what she was about to see would reveal more about her predilections than she had ever shared with any of her past lovers. She didn’t know how she felt about that. He moved her hair over one shoulder and followed the line of her neck with his mouth. Images popped up on the screen, the volume just loud enough to hear the woman’s soft moans.

  “Oh, shit,” Liese breathed, recognizing the scene. She’d viewed this particular video about a week ago and given herself several orgasms in the process—all while thinking about Ryder.

  “Is this familiar to you?” he asked, his palm skirting the outside of her leg. When she nodded, his hand traveled inward, his thumb traveling along the inside of her thigh.

  He clicked the remote and a different video cued up. Liese’s breath quickened, and her heart began to race. Ryder dropped the remote, whispering the depraved things he wanted to do to her, the places he wanted to touch, to lick, to kiss. He coaxed her thong over her hips and Liese took over when he reached her knees. Shoving it down, she tossed her panties over the edge of the bed. Her bra went next, leaving her completely exposed as he continued to show her the scenes he found most enticing.

  “Should you really have been looking at these during work hours?” Liese asked, relishing his touch.

  “No, but I shouldn’t have been on the verge of fucking you on your desk either.” He ran a knuckle over her slick skin, circling her entrance, reminding her just how close they’d been.

  Liese grabbed the back of his neck, searching for his mouth. “And I’m the one who got the spanking. That’s hardly fair.”

  He kissed her hard, his fingers moving to the same rhythm as his tongue. Liese heard the click of the TV, and the room darkened, the glimmer of candlelight casting the bed in shadow. In the absence of distractions, she gave herself over to the feel of his touch and the taste of his mouth. His free hand moved to her breast, his thumb circling the pebbled skin, a gentle contrast to his work below her waist. With startling intensity, she came apart, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

  While she recovered, Ryder repositioned himself. No longer sitting behind her, he pulled the covers down. Liese scooted back, reclining into the pillows. He followed the contour of her bottom lip with his thumb, then gripped the headboard above her.

  With surprisingly steady hands, she removed his boxers. The muscles in his stomach tightened when she traced the length of him with a fingertip. Ryder bowed his head and closed his eyes, groaning softly.

  The headboard creaked as his weight settled against the wood. With his cock inches from her face she closed the gap and touched her lips to the tip, the hot skin satin smooth. Ryder grunted a particularly obscene expletive.

  “Would you like me to start sucking up, sir?”

  Ryder stilled above her. The fire in his gaze wiped the grin off her face. She took him in her hand, stroking his length. With parted lips she lifted her eyes to his and licked up the shaft.

  His grunt of approval encouraged her, as did the view. Ryder’s muscles were corded and stark as he gripped the headboard. He shifted his hips forward with every stroke of her mouth and hand.

  “God,” he panted, “I can’t . . .” He slid one hand into her hair and held her still, withdrawing from her mouth.

  She fisted his erection tightly, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed. When she asked if he was okay, he held up a finger. It seemed like forever before he moved or spoke, and when he did, his response was so low she didn’t catch it.

  Ryder drew her up and kissed her. “Have I told you how much I enjoy when you suck up?” He tugged her bottom lip with his teeth. “Or how incredible your mouth is?”

  Liese’s laugh morphed into a moan as she felt his slick erection press against her.

  His hand went to her ass, and he squeezed. “Will you turn around for me?”

  “Is there another option?”

  “Did you need there to be one?”

  “No. You can have me any way you want me.”

  Ryder paused, suddenly serious. He kissed her again, but the passion was tempered with something she couldn’t quite place, and it unnerved her.

  Breaking the kiss, Ryder turned her to face the headboard and guided her hands to rest on the smooth wood surface. He ran his hands up her arms, over her shoulders, and down her sides. “So beautiful,” he murmured. He traced the curve of her hips to her thighs and spread her legs, bending her forward slightly.

  “Is this comfortable?” he asked, waiting for her affirmation before he continued. His left hand covered hers as his other arm came about her waist. His fingers splayed out over her hip and moved down, making light passes over her clit.

  “Mmmm, good. I want you like this.” He nuzzled the back of her neck, reaching across to the nightstand for a foil packet.

  After a few moments he toyed with her, replacing his fingers with his cock, stroking back and forth before slowly pushing inside. Ryder kissed her shoulder and up the side of her neck, pausing at the hollow beneath her ear. “I knew you’d feel like heaven.”

  Liese released a shuddering breath when his hips eased back. His hand ghosted along her ribs, palming a breast as he pushed back in. He moved over her, slow at first, the headboard protesting the forward momentum. Chest pressed against her back, Ryder’s fingers slid between her own, his grip tight on the smooth wood surface, gaining leverage as his pace quickened.

  His lips brushed her cheek, and she turned into the unexpected affection. “I want to feel you come while I’m inside you,” he said in a seductive whisper.

  It was all too much: Ryder moving inside her, his fingers threaded tight through hers, the feel of his lips, and then his teeth against her neck. The sensations he evoked paired with his words sent her over the edge. Freefalling, Liese gave herself over to the feeling of being completely consumed. Her orgasm hit her with such force it sent her spinning, just as she’d predicted.

  Ryder waited until she’d caught her breath before he moved again. His hand moved over her stomach and between her breasts, fingertips tickling hypersensitive skin. His palm came to rest gently against the base of her throat, his thumb finding its way between her lips. Liese bit down, sucking softly as his other arm came around her waist and pulled her tight against him. He pushed in deep, stilling as he lowered his head to her shoulder, a low groan of satisfaction muffled against her skin. Then he collapsed onto the pillows, taking her down with him.

  “Will you stay the night?” Ryder asked on an exhale, moving her hair aside so he could kiss her temple. “Because I’d like to do this again in the morning.”

  Liese woke to the soft sounds of jazz and a hard-on against her ass. Her eyes popped open as the events of the previous night came back to her in a rush.

  Ryder had spanked her. And then they’d had very hot, gratifying sex.

  As she lay in his bed, his warm body cocooning hers, she should have been relaxed. But the moment her eyes opened, her brain started to work. Liese became acutely aware that the moment she left Ryder’s bed, real life would come crashing down on her. She would have to go to work and spend the day pretending the night before hadn’t happened. In theory it seemed doable, but the reality carried a different set of complications.

  The arm draped over her waist moved as Ryder’s hand smoothed down her stomach. Her internal freak-out took a backseat when his fingers drifted lower.

  “Good morning,” he said in a sleep-graveled voice.

  Liese hummed in response, pushing her face into the pillow as Ryder burrowed his nose into her neck. She breathed into the cotton to find out how bad her morning breath was and decided not to roll over and face him.

  “Did you sleep well?”

  “Mmm-hmmm,” Liese replied.

  “Do you feel okay?” His hand moved lower, cupping her, indicating the part he referred to.

  “I’d be better if you’d stop teasing me.”

  “Is that so?” His hand disappeared.

  He palmed the back of her knee and pushed her leg up toward her chest. There was no precursor, no foreplay as he rubbed the head of his erection over sensitive skin. Liese groaned as he found her entrance and slipped in.

  He paused, breathing ragged. “Okay?”

  She nodded, pushing against him, urging him deeper. Ryder held her hip, keeping her still as he withdrew almost entirely before inching back in, filling her completely.

  He molded his body around hers, one leg stretched out along her straight one, one knee bent to fit inside the crook of hers. It felt different than last night. There was nothing frantic about this coupling. He moved inside her slowly, his forehead pressed against the back of her neck.

  Reaching up, she slid her fingers into his hair, gripping the silken strands firmly. Liese felt his mouth on her shoulder, his lips parting to suck on the skin as he continued to thrust.

  He slid an arm under her waist to wrap around her, palming her breast. His other hand dipped between her legs to find the spot that made her moan his name. The slow grinding of his hips matched the lazy circling of his fingers, and a rush of warmth flooded her body. The sensation radiated through her in waves and she rode it out, desperate to hold onto the connection between them.

  “God, you feel so good,” Ryder whispered, holding her tight as he followed with his own release shortly after.

  They lay there for a long while, Ryder’s lips moving over her shoulder and neck, his fingers gilding languidly up and down her leg.

  “That was a nice way to wake up.” As she rolled onto her back, the sheets twisted around her calf to expose her torso.

  She looked at him, and what she saw made her fear this would be her only chance to be with him this way. His contemplative frown unsettled her. The consequences of their actions seemed too big a burden to carry.

  Ryder’s index finger traced the valley between her breasts, drifting over the swell to circle a nipple. “Yes, it certainly was.”

  He bent to kiss her, sucking her breast into his mouth, and his tongue swirled around the taut peak. He released it and blew on the tip, watching it tighten.

  He shifted and straddled her, rendering her secure beneath him. He looked past her to the night table where the clock glared its unwanted beacon. Their time had come to an end. “I need to get ready for work. I’m already running behind.”

  Liese was slow to process the electronic glow of the alarm clock. “Oh, God! We’re going to be late!” She pushed on his chest and struggled to sit up with Ryder still poised on top of her. “I have to go home and change.” She inhaled and blushed. “And shower. I smell like sex.”

  Ryder’s eyes narrowed as he bore down on her. Gathering her wrists in his hands, he kept her from leaving the bed.

  “What are you doing?” Panic and lust surged through her. She wanted to stay but needed to go.

  “I like the way you smell.” He breathed her in, his mouth hovering above the swell of her breast, his hair tickling her chin.

  “Ryder, we’re going to be late.”

  “No, we’re not.”

  “Yes, we—”

  Ryder raised his head, his lips at the corner of her mouth, and she pursed hers together. Like hell she was going to kiss him before she brushed her teeth.

  “Open,” he whispered.

  Liese shook her head.

  He shifted, his knee coming between her own. As he pressed his hips into hers she felt what seemed to be an erection but clearly couldn’t be since they’d finished having sex just minutes ago. As she began to state that fact, Ryder took the advantage and kissed her fiercely. Her hesitation dissipated as desperation took over. When he finally broke the kiss, she was breathless and hot all over again.

  “I really don’t want to leave this bed.” He released her hands and buried his face in the pillow beside her, his cheek pressed against hers.

  In a consoling gesture, she ran her hand down his back, feeling the flex of muscles. “We could call in sick.” Liese hated the hopefulness in her voice.

  He shook his head, and although she knew playing hooky wouldn’t be an option, she felt a pang of hurt.

  He rolled off of her, shifting to sit on the edge of the bed, facing away. “I took the liberty of enrolling you in a professional development session that runs until noon today. Of course, you’re not expected to attend, but you’ll need to be at FAHL by twelve-thirty.” He scrubbed his face with his palm. “You can go back to sleep for a while, if you’d like. I’ll be in the shower.”

  He pushed off the mattress, head dropping as he paused, then spun to face her with an expression that bordered on terror, his hand covering his semi-erect cock. “Fuck. What the hell was I thinking?”

  “Pardon?”

  At her confusion he continued, “No condom.”

  “Oh. I get the shot.”

  His shoulders relaxed a little. “Regardless, that was incredibly irresponsible of me.”

  “I trust you. I would have stopped you if I was concerned,” she said, fingering the edge of the sheets. She’d been so preoccupied with how good it felt, she hadn’t clued in to the why of it.

  He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. “Still, I apologize. I’m not so sure your trust was well earned, considering my lack of judgment.”

  He withdrew without deepening the kiss and turned away.

  Liese took in the sinewy expanse of his back, which led to his perfect ass, as Ryder moved across the room. The bathroom door closed behind him, cutting off her spectacular view, and the patter of water from the shower filtered through the wall.

  A sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. The doubts she’d pushed down resurfaced, gnawing at her conscience. She fought the compulsion to get dressed and leave before he returned from his shower. She didn’t want to think about what would happen next. She realized again how complicated things could get from here. She should seek a different advisor. She couldn’t continue to have him in that role when she wanted to be sprawled out on his desk—being spanked, no less. Now that they’d acted on the impulse, it would be impossible not to go there again given the opportunity, at least for her.

  Liese stared at the ceiling and tried to figure out what the hell to do. There would be no time to talk it out this morning. Even if he hurried, Ryder would still be late. The water turned off, and she listened for sounds of movement but could only hear the fan. Several minutes later, Ryder emerged from the bathroom fully dressed, fastening the last of the buttons on his dress shirt.