by J. S. Cooper
“Also, tell me more about what happened between you and your boyfriend?” he continued. “It didn’t have to do with what happened last night, did it?” He smirked. “I have been told that I have the lips of a sex god, and you seemed to be dying for us to—”
“It had nothing to do with you,” I cut him off. He really was the most egotistical man I’d ever met.
“Oh, yeah?” He laughed and then shook his head. “Savannah, I’m not sure what game you’re playing, but I know you didn’t have a boyfriend.”
“Excuse me? Are you saying that I lied?”
“Yes.” He walked over to a stack of books and pulled down a red leather photo album and brought it back to the table. “You’re too much of a romantic, too sweet, and I believe—though not in this instance—too honest.” He opened one of the photo albums and flipped through it. “There’s no way you would have gotten into bed and kissed me if you were in a relationship.”
“That is true,” I finally admitted. “I wasn’t exactly in a relationship.”
“So, you’re admitting you didn’t have a boyfriend?”
“Maybe.”
“I knew it.” His eyes were gleeful. “Your reaction to me last night was that of a woman who hadn’t been touched in a while.”
“What does that mean?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“Yes.” I blushed.
“Well, and I don’t mean to be crude ...” He laughed. “Who am I kidding? I don’t care. Let’s just say, when I slid my fingers into your panties, you were wetter than a Slip ‘n’ Slide.” He winked at me. “I’m pretty sure you were feeling horny from the moment my lips touched yours. And those little moans you gave.” He licked his lips. “You were enjoying the moment far too much for someone who would also have guilty feelings if she were cheating.”
“I … see.”
What could I say in response to that? He was correct, of course. I’d loved the feel of his fingers on me, his tongue had felt like silk, and my entire body had wanted to feel him inside of me. Not that I was going to admit that.
“I’m glad to hear I was right,” he said with a self-satisfied smile. “Here, have a look at this.” He pushed the photo album toward me. “This is a photo of Henry and me as kids.” He pointed to a photo of two young boys with blond hair. To the right of them, their dad stood beaming next to a barbeque. “This photo was taken the day before my sixth birthday. You might think my mother took the photo. She didn’t. She was in Palm Beach at a golf fundraiser with actresses and politicians.” He looked into my eyes. “This is the reality of relationships, Savannah. Smoke and mirrors. Photos lie. People lie.”
I recoiled from him, upset at his tone. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I don’t want you thinking that the world is this magical place and love makes it all go around. You're young, maybe a bit naive. I’m not trying to dash your hopes, but you’re not just going to move to a small town, go to a bar, and meet the man of your dreams.”
“I never said I was going to meet the man of my dreams.” I squeezed the pen in my fingers. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m just saying life isn’t a fairytale, and you’re not some princess about to be rescued by your Prince Charming.”
“Wade, I don’t know what high horse you’re on, but you need to jump on down. I don’t need you to school me on anything. And while I’m sorry for your parents and their marriage, that doesn’t mean true love doesn’t exist.”
He snorted. “Ask yourself how much you really could have liked that guy if you still slept with me.”
“I didn’t sleep with you.” I rolled my eyes. “And Gordon has nothing to do with you.”
“Defending him already?”
“Wade, do you have any other information you want to share about dinner tonight?” I took a deep breath. “Also, is it a dress-up event?”
“Yes.”
“So I should dress up?”
“You should dress appropriately, yes.” He cleared his throat. “As to the menu, you can make some of your specials.” He stood up. “I think you should go into town and get the ingredients now, and when you get back, you can start cooking.”
“Okay.” I pressed my lips together to stop myself from saying anything else. I was going to have to look up some more recipes. “Is that all?”
“You sound like you want me to leave.”
“Maybe that’s because I do.”
“Really?” He smiled. “I’m looking forward to tonight.”
“I bet you are.”
“Aren’t you?”
“Seeing as you enjoy my honesty, I’m going to be honest. No.”
“Liar.” He grinned and headed toward the door. “The Range Rover is in the driveway, and the keys are on the table. You can drive, right?”
“Yes, Wade. I can drive.” I stood up as well. “I also emailed you the mockup of the database you wanted. And a preliminary list of non-profits. I will get started on some marketing materials later today.”
“I don’t think you’ll have time today, Savannah, but tomorrow will be fine.” He stopped by the doorway and smiled warmly at me. “You’re doing a good job, thank you.”
“A good job in the bedroom or out?” I quipped back. I was teasing, but I immediately regret my words.
“Which one are you hoping to do a good job in?” He gave me a lazy wink and left the room.
I stood there staring at the empty doorway and then buried my face in my hands. This was a hot mess. In fact, this was a fiery volcanic mess. Wade was on a different playing field from me, and I wasn’t able to keep up. I grabbed my phone and purse and made a beeline for the back door. I’d look up the recipes on my phone. I just needed to get out of this house and try to figure out what was going on.
“One second, Savannah, I’m just leaving the office to get a coffee.” Lucy answered the phone as I drove out of the Hart estate and made my way into town.
“Okay.” Fortunately, the car was connected by Bluetooth, so I could talk and drive at the same time. I drove down the driveway, feeling lighter. The car was luxurious, and it was a bright sunny day. Maybe if I shopped quickly, I could get a coffee in town and just sit back for a half an hour or so.
“Hey, I’m back.” Lucy sounded breathless. “Sorry. Everything in the office is just getting crazy. The market’s not great, so we’re not making a lot of money, and people are stressed out.”
“Oh, no, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I miss you though.”
“I miss you, too.”
“So, what are you up to?”
“I’m driving to the village right now to go shopping for dinner. Wade is having a dinner party for me, him, and his brother, and he wants me to cook up all his favorite dishes.”
“Oh, shit, Savannah, you’re not exactly Julia Child.” Lucy sounded worried. “How’s that going to work?”
“I know how to follow recipes, it should be okay.” I tried to sound convincing.
“Girl, I’m your best friend. I’ve seen you burn frozen pizza and set off the fire alarm boiling eggs.” Lucy giggled. “What does Wade want you to cook?”
“Mini quiches and shrimp cocktail.”
“Mini quiches.” Lucy started laughing harder now. “I’m sorry, Savannah, but really? Oh, my god, what are you going to do?”
“Well, if you want me to be one hundred percent honest, there’s a bakery in town, and I’m going to see if they have any.” I laughed. “And shrimp cocktail looks easy. I just boil up some shrimp and put some cocktail sauce in a dish. Easy peasy. Even I can’t mess that up.”
“Boil the shrimp?” Lucy sounded uncertain. “I think you should sauté them.”
“Maybe I’ll sauté them with some garlic. That sounds good.”
“I’m not sure about the garlic for a shrimp cocktail.”
“Oh.” I sighed. “This sucks.”
“Yeah, it’s crazy that he expects you to be his cook as well.”
“I agree ...” My voice trailed off. “So … I went to that poetry slam last night, well, it wasn’t a poetry slam, but an open mic night. You know what I mean.”
“How was it?”
“It was good, I met this cool guy. Oh, and I also made out with Wade last night. In his bed.”
“You what?” Lucy shouted. “Shit, I need to lower my voice, two guys just looked over at me. What is going on? You met a guy, and you made out with Wade? We’re talking Wade, your asshole boss?”
“Yes, I’m talking Wade, my asshole boss.” I bit my lip. “It was kinda nice, if I’m honest.”
“Okay, how did that happen?”
“It just kinda happened, but let’s just say we did more than kiss.”
“Oh, my god, do not tell me you gave it up to him?”
“No, of course not.”
“So? What else did you do?”
“Let’s just say my top was off and his top was off.”
“Okay.” She giggled. “We sound like high school girls, you know that, right?”
“Just a little bit.” I paused. “He has a huge cock.”
“Well, that’s not high school. How do you know? Did you blow him?”
“No, but I felt it against me, and my fingers grazed it. I wanted to blow him, though.” I laughed. “I was horny as hell.”
“I thought you hated him?”
“I do hate him. That doesn’t mean I can’t also be super turned on by him.”
“Wow, I need to meet this guy. He must be hot.”
“He is super hot,” I said a little dreamily then snapped back to reality. “I think he has issues, though. His mom was a deadbeat and basically ditched him and his brother. I don’t think he believes in love.”
“Ugh, that’s bad, but are you looking to marry the guy? Have some fun while you’re up there and then come home.” Lucy laughed. “Hit it and quit it, girl.”
“You make losing my virginity sound so romantic.”
“Obviously, you don’t want that. Ideally, you’d meet the man of your dreams and fall in love and make love on the beach or whatever, but girl, we don’t meet men like that.”
“That’s because men like that don’t exist outside of the Hallmark Channel.”
“Exactly. I’m not saying to do it with Wade. I’m saying to be open to the experience.”
“Are you meeting any guys you can be open to?” I asked, hoping Lucy had also met someone.
“Does the guy that bags the groceries at the store count?” She laughed. “He asked me for my number yesterday.”
“Oooh, he did?”
“Why do you sound excited, Savannah? I’m not dating the eighty-year-old man from the grocery store. Shit, he’s even too old for my grandma, and she’s in her late sixties.”
“Oh, Lucy, ha ha, I miss you.”
“I miss you too, though your life is sounding super exciting right now. Who knew that a job in the country was all you needed to jump-start your love life?”
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly say it jump-started my love life. My love life is still pretty dead.”
“So, who is this other guy you met last night? Is he a potential as well?”
“He seemed nice, very friendly, very sweet. Though, I don’t think we’re a match.”
“Oh, why not?”
“I think he might be gay.” I laughed.
“Are you sure?”
“No … but he’s an actor, and he was well-dressed, and I just got that vibe.”
“Oh, Savannah.” Lucy laughed. “Not a potential love match, then?”
“No, I’m pretty sure he’s not. A new friend though, which is perfect because I need some friends up here. He actually texted me this morning about hanging out tonight.”
“And you’re sure he’s not straight?”
“I don’t know for sure,” I admitted. “But even though he’s handsome, he’s no comparison to Wade.”
“Wow, you’re really into Wade. I guess it’s always the obnoxious ones that get the girls.”
“It’s hard to explain, Lucy. A part of me is so infuriated by him, but then another part of me just wants to kiss him and touch him. He’s such an enigma. He can be sweet and caring and teasing, and then other times, he seems like this bitter asshole.” I glanced at the GPS navigator and made a left turn onto the road that was to take me to the main shopping street in the village. “And he’s so sexy.” I shook my head even though Savannah couldn’t see me. “The man could melt ice cream just by looking at it.”
“Oh, Savannah, you’ve got it bad.”
“I don’t have it bad, I just think there’s a lot more to him than meets the eye. And, well … maybe I want to unpeel his layers.”
“You want to unpeel his layers all right. You want him naked.” Lucy and I both started laughing. “You want to suck on that lollipop.”
“Girl, it’s much bigger than a lollipop.” I passed a sign letting me know I was close to Herne Hill Village. “And maybe tonight I’ll get a lick.” I groaned. “Oh, Lucy, what are you doing to me? Let me concentrate on the road, and I’ll let you get back to work. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Have a good night, Savannah. I hope the dinner goes well. And stay safe. And practice safe sex if you decide that Wade is the right guy.” Lucy took a deep breath. “I hope it all goes as you want it to.”
“Thanks, girl. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
As I hung up the phone I thought about her last words, I hope it all goes as you want it to. What did I really want? If I just focused on me and not on Wade, what did I want from this situation? What did I want from Wade? Did I want him to be my first? Did I want to just go with the flow, and then when my contract was up, leave and continue on in my life? And could I even do that? Could I sleep with this man and just leave? And what if I fell for him? What if I wanted more? How would he feel? He’d made it clear he didn’t believe in true love.
I sighed. Maybe the moral of the story was that I just needed to wait. Maybe I should have no expectations. I hadn’t even known him a week, after all. What was to be would be.
“Everything is looking and smelling delicious, Savannah.” Wade walked into the kitchen wearing a dark suit and crisp white shirt. His hair was freshly washed, and he’d trimmed his mustache and beard. He had an air of excitement about him, and I couldn’t help but smile as he walked toward me. “Shall I open a bottle of wine?” he asked.
“Sure, that would be great.”
“Will you have time to change before dinner starts?” He peered at me as if he were gazing into my soul and I nodded quickly, looking away and focusing on buttering the French bread I was about to heat in the oven. “I’ll set the table to save you time.”
“Will we be eating in here?” I nodded over to the kitchen table.
“We won’t be, no.” He shook his head. “I’ll get the nice silver and china plates and place them on the dining room table.”
“Wow, sounds fancy.” I grinned.
“Just a little.” He moved closer to me and looked down into my eyes. “You have the most open eyes.” His nose brushed mine as he lightly kissed me. “When I look at you, I can read your every emotion.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound good.” I was breathless. “When I look into your eyes, I can’t tell anything you’re thinking.”
“I’m good at hiding my feelings. You have to be when you’re in business.”
“I suppose that’s true.” I kissed him back lightly, and his eyes widened in surprise. “What?”
“I didn’t expect you to kiss me back.”
“Why not?”
“You seem shy.”
“I might be a little shy, but you kissed me first.” I shrugged. “I figured it was okay to kiss you back.”
“I suppose it was okay, it just surprised me.” He looked hesitant. “You don’t hate me, do you?”
“Why would I hate you?” I blinked at him. It was my turn to be surprised.
“You said I was arroga
nt, a jerk, an asshole? Something along those lines, I believe.” He laughed.
“Well, you are a bit of all of those things. But you’re also kinda cute. And fun to kiss.”
“You’re fun to kiss as well.”
“I know.” I winked at him, and he burst out laughing.
“I’m going to enjoy tonight,” he murmured as he slid a hand around my ass. “I’m going to enjoy it immensely.”
“The dinner?”
“The dinner, yes, but I’m thinking that there’s something else I’ll enjoy more.” His hand slid to my waist, and he pulled me into him. His lips fell to my neck, and he kissed me softly. “I want you, Savannah. I would be lying if I said I didn’t. And I think you want me as well.”
“Maybe.”
“Just maybe?” His hand slid up to my breast and squeezed gently. “If I didn’t have this dinner party planned, I’d be bending you over and sliding into you right now,” he growled. “I’m so hard right now just thinking about being inside of you.” I shivered at the lust I could see in his eyes. “I want to fuck you, Savannah.”
“Is that a part of the job description?” I whispered. I stroked his face, enjoying the intensity of his expression.
“No.” He grinned. “It’s just a perk.” He just looked at me for a few seconds before stepping back. “I should go and get everything ready. Dinner will be ready at seven?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, wondering why it was so important for the dinner to start at seven. “When will Henry be here?”
“Any moment, I think.” He smiled. “Okay, let me make myself busy.” And he stepped away from me. I turned back to the stove to fluff the pot of rice and mixed vegetables I was cooking. I didn’t have a fancy dress to put on, but I would do my best to dress nicely. I was quite excited for the evening. I almost felt like the lady of the house cooking for Wade and his brother. It was almost as if we were throwing a dinner party. I checked to make sure that everything was cooking as it should and walked down the corridor so that I could change.
“Oh, Savannah?” Wade called after me as I walked past the dining room.
“Yes, Wade?”
“Thanks for putting on your uniform tonight.”