She mentioned these book club friends of hers all the time. But was careful not to mention names.

I couldn’t help but wonder if they knew about me. And, if they didn’t, why not?

Were we crossing professional boundaries? Sure. But she wasn’t my subordinate. We were both adults. There was no rule or law saying we couldn’t do exactly what we were doing.

So why all the secrecy?

Saff’s hands slid up my arms to wrap around my neck. Comfortable, familiar. My hands tightened on her hips as she leaned in and pressed her lips to mine.

It was the first time she’d taken charge and led with softness and sweetness. Normally, she was all rough demands.

There was a warm, crushing sensation across my chest as she sighed against my lips before letting her tongue slip inside to toy with mine.

My body was aching to move this forward, but I let her set the pace. Her lips moved down my jaw, over my ear, then down the side of my neck, her tongue teasing over the pulse point.

She kept moving downward, her hands slipping between us to work each button free before kissing her way down my chest, my stomach, then—as she lowered herself to the floor—her tongue teased across the waistband of my pants as she worked my belt, button, and zipper free.

Anticipation sparked across my nerve endings as she reached inside and closed her hand around my length.

My head fell back on a deep exhale as her tongue teased across the head before sucking me into her mouth.

There was none of her usual urgency, though. Her movements were torturously slow, like she was enjoying the giving too much to rush it.

So when my hands glided into her hair, I didn’t try to make her move harder and faster, like the need for release that was clawing at me. I just moved her hair out of the way so I could watch the way she worked me.

It took superhuman self-control not to give in to the need for release when she let out a little whimper around my cock. Like she was enjoying this as much as I was.

Only then did she slowly move back, looking up at me with warm, needy eyes.

She moved to stand, and I sat up, reaching for the hem of her tee, pulling it up and off.

Goosebumps teased over her skin as my fingertips skimmed up her belly, teased under the bottom of her bra, then reached around to slide the clasps free.

The material fell to the floor as I leaned forward, pressing a kiss to the center of her chest, feeling the way a little shiver moved through her.

My hands trailed upward, closing over her breasts, fingers circling, rolling, twisting until little whimpers escaped her.

They drifted down, snagging the waistband of her pants and panties, and drew them down.