Rules of Contact

by Jaci Burton

  "That's why you made me your best friend in college. Because I was the one who said, 'Go ahead and have another Jell-O shot.'"

  "And because you held my hair when I paid the consequences for said extra Jell-O shots."

  Amelia laughed. "True. And on that revolting note, let's go get some lunch. I'm starving."

  "Me, too."

  They ended up deciding on Thai food. A restaurant they both loved was nearby, and they were seated at a window table. It was always nice to have a day off on a busy workday. There was something about enjoying the hustle of everyone else having to work while you didn't.

  Amelia sipped her tea. "How's work?"

  "Intense as hell. How about you?"

  "The same."

  "How's the hot boss?"

  She hovered over her straw for a few seconds before taking a sip, then answered. "Fine, I guess."

  Laura cocked her head to the side. "That was interesting."

  "What?"

  "That pause before you answered."

  "It was hardly a pause, and I was taking a drink."

  "Uh-huh. Tell me what's going on with sexy football player boss."

  She shifted in her seat. "Nothing's going on. Okay, maybe something. But not really anything because I work for him."

  Laura cocked a brow. "Do tell."

  "Let's not tell. In fact, let's forget I even said anything."

  Laura changed chairs so she now sat right next to Amelia. "What the hell, Amelia? Did you two have sex?"

  "What? Of course not. What made you think that?"

  "You are so lying to me. You had sex with him."

  Dammit. The greatest thing about having a best friend was they knew everything about you. The worst thing about having a best friend was them being able to read the subtlest change in your body language. Amelia had never been able to hide a thing from Laura. Not in college when she'd had that ridiculous crush on her humanities professor, and not now.

  "Fine. We had sex. But just once and it's not happening again."

  "Why? Was he bad at it?"

  She laid her chin in her hand. "God, no. It was amazing."

  "Did he take the tongue train down to your southern lands? Because any man who doesn't do that isn't worth a second ride."

  She choked out a laugh at the train metaphor, one she used all too often herself. "Why, yes. As a matter of fact, he did. And it was a mind-blowing trip."

  "Excellent. So why wouldn't you want another ride?"

  "Obvious reasons. He's my boss and there's a conflict of interest there."

  Laura waved her hand in dismissal. "Only if you make it one."

  "Come on. He's my boss. I work for him. You know how complicated that could be. I like my new job and I don't want to lose it."

  "Have you talked to him about your concerns?"

  "Not exactly."

  "Then you should. Before you put an end to something that hasn't even started yet."

  She shook her head. "Not to mention I'm freshly divorced and not looking for a relationship."

  "First, you're not so freshly divorced, and second, who says you have to marry the guy? Just hook up with him. He's hot and sexy and obviously great in bed. So what are you waiting for?"

  She had no idea. "I don't know, Laura. I'm just . . . hesitant."

  "Quit hesitating. Frank was a dick and you hung in there for about two years longer than you should have. You were miserable and heartbroken by the time you got out of that marriage. And ever since then you've been focusing on changing cities, changing careers and getting settled. Don't you think you're due for some fun?"

  When she put it that way, Amelia realized Laura was right. She'd taken her life--herself--all too seriously these past couple of years. It was time to let go and enjoy herself. And what better way to do that than with someone like Flynn? He was a fun guy.

  She could be fun, too. She lifted her gaze to Laura. "I can be fun."

  Laura grinned. "I know you can. I think you just forgot how. So it's damn time you remember. Tell me what you have set up with him next, and I don't want to hear 'nothing.'"

  "Actually, I'm having dinner with Flynn and his sister tonight."

  Laura's brows rose. "Meeting the family already, huh?"

  "It's not like that. His little sister is in town for a visit. I met her at the restaurant yesterday. She wants to spend some time with me."

  "Because . . ."

  "No reason."

  Laura slanted a look her way.

  "Okay fine. She overheard Flynn and me arguing outside last night."

  "About?"

  "Work stuff. And I might have mentioned us sleeping together during that conversation and Mia overheard that part."

  "Oops."

  Amelia nodded. "Yeah. So she knows there's something going on between us. But mainly I think it's because she liked my cooking."

  Laura gave her a knowing smile. "If she's like most nosy sisters, she probably wants more details about you and Flynn. She wants to check you out, make sure you're legit and you aren't out to hurt her brother."

  "You seriously think that?"

  "Of course I do. You remember what it was like when things got serious between Jon and me. His sister Rebecca interrogated the hell out of me for four hours over dinner one night."

  "That's different. You and Jon were getting serious. Flynn and I are--"

  Laura stared at her. "You and Flynn are what?"

  "That's just it. We're nothing. We had sex. Once. We work together. It's a fling."

  "A fling that could either get messy complicated, or could get serious."

  She sighed. "It's not going to get serious."

  Laura wagged a finger at her. "You can't predict the future, Amelia. You might believe right now that you're headed down Flingstown Road with Flynn, but you could end up making a sharp turn onto Love Lane."

  Amelia shook her head. "Not gonna happen. I've been to Love Lane and that road was filled with hazardous potholes. I don't intend to travel down that particular road ever again."

  "Many people have tried to detour and failed, my friend. I'll lay money you can't help yourself and you end up down that road again."

  "Nope."

  "We'll see."

  "Yes, we will." Amelia picked up her drink, and fortunately, lunch arrived so that particular conversation ended, much to her relief.

  After lunch, she and Laura ended up going shopping--but not for shoes. She pondered some lingerie, prodded by Laura who insisted that if she was going to have a hot sex affair, then she needed new underwear.

  "You probably haven't bought new, sexy underwear in years. What are you living in? Some cotton stuff, right?"

  She lifted her chin. "My cotton stuff is serviceable and comfortable for work. Besides, my lack of scandalous lingerie didn't keep Flynn out of my pants the other night."

  "Touche, my friend. But still, we're stopping in the lingerie department and buying you something fun and sexy. To make you feel good about yourself and not for Flynn."

  When Laura put it that way, how could she resist?

  She had to admit, fingering the silks and laces and deep lavender colors--her favorites--did make her feel good. And admittedly it had been a while since she'd shopped for anything this pretty. She certainly hadn't been interested in wearing anything that would turn on her ex, and after they'd split, underwear from the discount stores had suited her just fine.

  Now she had a bag filled with hot lingerie she couldn't wait to try out. And maybe--just maybe--she'd think about whether she wanted Flynn to see any of it.

  Okay, she was already thinking about stripping down and climbing on top of him wearing the dark lavender bra and panties. Her body tingled just pondering the thought of straddling him, his cock hard as she slid across it wearing next to nothing--

  "Are you all right?"

  They were riding the escalator and her attention snapped back from her oh-so-inappropriate fantasy to her friend. "I'm fine. Why?"

  "Your cheeks
are flushed." Laura put her hand on the back of Amelia's neck, sliding it forward to feel her forehead. "You don't feel feverish."

  Amelia laughed. "It's just hot in here and I have on too many clothes."

  Way too many clothes for that fantasy she'd just conjured up.

  They hit nearly every department, chatting the entire time as they tried on clothes, browsed makeup and perfume and looked at shoes, much to Laura's whimpering. In the end, Laura decided on a few pairs of socks, which made Amelia laugh.

  "Jon will be so proud you only bought socks," she said as she dropped Laura off at home.

  Laura opened her door. "He likely won't believe that's all I got and I fully expect him to inspect the closet. And possibly the trunk of my car."

  "If he needs confirmation, tell him to text me. I promise to vouch for your ability to resist that gorgeous pair of sparkly silver heels."

  Laura whimpered again. "Don't remind me."

  They hugged. Laura grabbed her bag and said, "Call me tomorrow and let me know how it goes over dinner tonight. Unless of course, you're in an after-sex stupor. Then just text me and let me know you lived through the night."

  "Funny. I'll call you tomorrow."

  When she got home, she went inside, checked her mail and her e-mail, then grabbed something to drink. She had a couple of hours to kill before she was due over at Flynn's house, so she picked up around the house, did that morning's dishes and folded some laundry. After that she headed upstairs to change clothes. What she was wearing was okay, but for some reason she decided to change into some of her new lingerie. And, of course, she chose the dark lavender bra and panties.

  She stared at herself in the mirror, turning from one side to the other. She didn't have a curvy body and in fact was kind of stick straight. Her friend Laura got all the lush curves and she'd always been kind of jealous. But admittedly, she looked okay in the new underwear. The bra pushed up what little breasts she had, and the double straps on the panties sat nicely on her hips. Her stomach was flat--mostly--and she felt prettier than she had in a long time.

  She had long legs, which Laura had always said were Amelia's best assets. So tonight she decided to wear a dress instead of her usual pants. Especially since she was going to officially meet Flynn's sister. And maybe because she felt extra special in this underwear.

  She washed up, redid her makeup, brushed out her hair and decided on a black silk and cashmere dress with long sleeves. It was cool out so she went with her black heeled boots. She finished off the look with a long silver pendant and her silver earrings.

  She hoped she wasn't too overdressed, which meant she had to ponder her choice of outfit for fifteen minutes, deciding whether or not she should change into jeans. She finally texted Laura.

  I'm wearing a dress. Is that too much?

  Laura replied almost immediately. No. It's easier for Flynn to take off of you later. Are you wearing your new underwear?

  Amelia rolled her eyes. First, we aren't having sex tonight. His sister is visiting. And yes, I'm wearing new underwear.

  Laura replied: If you aren't planning sex, why the new lingerie--hmmm?

  Sometimes her friend was a pain in the ass.

  Shut up, Laura.

  Laura replied with: LOL. The dress is a good choice. Go have fun tonight and quit second-guessing yourself.

  Laura was right, of course. She grabbed her purse and her keys and headed out the door. She was going to enjoy a night out, some dinner, and that was all that was going to happen.

  THIRTEEN

  After a grueling day at practice, Flynn felt tight in his right quadriceps. He knew better than to ignore it, so he'd had one of the team therapists work him out for about an hour and a half after practice, which meant he was late running all his errands afterward.

  He'd planned a menu for tonight's dinner, and he wanted to have a lot of it done before Amelia showed up.

  Fortunately, Mia was home by the time he got there, so he enlisted her help.

  "You're sure going all fancy for dinner," Mia said.

  "Not really. I just want it to be something other than burgers on the grill."

  She nudged him as they stood side by side at the island. "Or because you want to impress your girlfriend, the chef."

  "She's not my girlfriend, Mia."

  Mia lifted her gaze to his. "But she could be?"

  He waited for a few seconds before responding. "I don't know. I haven't had much luck in that department lately."

  "This one's different from the women you typically date, though, right?"

  "Yeah. She's different."

  "Good. I want you to be happy, Flynn. No one deserves that more than you."

  Dammit. He liked it when they teased each other much more than when she got all serious and emotional. He nudged her back. "Thanks, kid."

  And then she nudged him hard. "Not a kid anymore."

  He groaned. "Quit reminding me. And hey, how did your meeting go today?"

  "It went well. Everything seems to be on track so far."

  "I'm glad to hear that."

  "Me, too. I have another meeting tomorrow. I'll know more after that, but I'm pretty sure it's going to go well."

  He liked this confident side of his sister, this motivation to build something. "I'm sure it will, too. Do you need anything from me?"

  She turned to face him. "Actually, I do."

  That surprised him. "Okay, sure."

  "You can pass me the tomatoes."

  He rolled his eyes. "Smartass."

  Within an hour they had the lasagna in the oven and the salad had been made. Flynn opened a bottle of wine to let it breathe. Mia had gone to the guesthouse to change clothes and make some calls.

  The doorbell rang, so Flynn went to answer it.

  Amelia looked beautiful. She'd worn her hair down and the wind blew a strand across her cheek.

  "Come on in," he said.

  "Thanks."

  She stepped inside and he inhaled a deep breath as she brushed past him. Her scent was always so unique--something sweet like vanilla, but with an exotic undertone. He didn't know if it was perfume or something she cooked with, but whatever it was, he really liked it.

  "A dress tonight, huh?"

  She turned around. "Too much?"

  He stepped toward her. "No. Definitely not too much. You look beautiful."

  As if she was self-conscious about it, she crossed her arms. "It is too much. I knew I should have worn jeans."

  He wound his arms around her and tugged her against him. "I haven't had a chance to be alone with you in over a week, Amelia. And you come in dressed like that? No, it's not too much. You look damn perfect."

  He was going to kiss her but then the back door opened and Amelia took a very large step back and turned around to face his sister.

  "Hello, Mia," Amelia said.

  "Hey, Amelia. I'm so glad you came tonight. Flynn's been going all out on dinner to impress you."

  Flynn frowned as they made their way toward the kitchen. "I have not. I'm just fixing dinner."

  "Oh, right." Mia grabbed a glass and began to pour wine. "Like you make smoked oysters, crab salad and lobster lasagna every night."

  Amelia lifted a brow. "That sounds very good."

  He shrugged. "I thought it might be."

  And maybe he wanted to impress her. You didn't just toss burgers on the grill when you had a chef over to dinner. For Mia, he'd totally do that. For Amelia, absolutely not.

  Mia poured wine for everyone.

  "Let's go sit in the living room. We have time before dinner."

  "Is there anything I can do to help?" Amelia asked.

  "No," Flynn said as they made their way to the living room. "Tonight's your night off and you're not cooking."

  Amelia took a seat on the sofa and Flynn noticed Mia grabbed a spot on the chair, so he sat next to Amelia.

  "You do know I like to cook," Amelia said. "I cook on my days off, too. It's not a burden and I'm happy to pitch in an
d help."

  "Good," Mia said. "Because I highly dislike cooking, so you can feel free to be Flynn's assistant. He's been barking orders at me for the past couple of hours."

  "Mia," Flynn warned.

  Mia laughed. "What? It's the truth. You're very cranky in your kitchen."

  Amelia smiled over the rim of her wineglass, then took a sip. "Most chefs are very particular about their cooking."

  "I'm no chef," Flynn said. "But I am particular about how I want things done in the kitchen."

  "That's not a bad thing, Flynn. And I'm looking forward to dinner tonight."

  "How long have you been a chef, Amelia?" Mia asked.

  "About eight years. I started as a prep cook at one of Seattle's finest restaurants right out of college, then worked my way to sous chef at the same restaurant. After I got married and moved to Portland, I got a position as head chef at a restaurant up there and remained there until Flynn hired me to run the kitchen at Ninety-Two. But I've been cooking my entire life. I've always had a passion for it."

  Mia nodded. "There's nothing like being devoted to something you love."

  "So true. And what do you do, Mia?"

  "Right now I'm about to graduate with my MBA. I was planning to get a PhD, but at this point I'd like to take a break from school, so I'm looking at starting a business."

  Amelia's eyes widened. "Wow. Good for you. What kind of business?"

  Mia looked over to Flynn, who nodded. "I'm laying some groundwork to start a sports management company."

  "That sounds incredible, Mia. I'd love to hear more about it."

  Flynn sat back and listened as Mia told Amelia about her plans for starting up her company. The more he listened to his sister lay out her ideas, the more impressed he was with her forethought and organizational skills.

  "It's definitely a risky venture," Flynn said.

  Mia nodded. "I agree, but anything worth having is worth the risk, right?"

  "Agreed. But you need to be sure before you move forward that you're ready to take this on."

  Mia smiled. "Spoken like a true big brother."

  "Hey, I'm just looking out for you. I want you to succeed. I believe in you, you know that."

  "I know you do."

  "Tell me about the risks, Mia," Amelia said.

  While the two of them talked, he got up and finished prepping the appetizer. They had already set the table before Amelia had arrived, so when he pulled the oysters out of the smoker, he took the sliced lemon and cocktail sauce he'd made earlier out of the fridge and set everything in the dining room.

  Mia and Amelia came in and Mia poured more wine for them.

  "These smell amazing, Flynn," Amelia said.