“I’m feeling better.”
He dropped his hand into mine. “You don’t feel hot any longer, which is a good sign. You hungry?”
“Definitely. What time is it?”
“A few minutes after nine. Your roommate texted this morning. I assured her you were sleeping and feeling better, but she’d probably like to hear it from you. You’re welcome to have her over, too.”
“But you have work—”
He was already shaking his head. “I had Sunday brunch delivered and rented Little House on the Prairie. Thought we could binge watch on the couch downstairs if you don’t mind me being on my laptop. Or if there’s something else you’d rather do, we can.”
His thoughtfulness was overwhelming. “I think what you have planned sounds perfect. I’ll text Chloe.”
After Liam spent the morning taking great care of me, he took off for the gym.
An hour later, my roommate arrived. I could tell the moment Chloe stepped through his front door she had a million questions. Thankfully, she didn’t start in right away. “You look better. How are you feeling?”
She took a seat on the couch next to me, surveying the place, her eyes wide. I didn’t blame her. The house had the same effect on me the first time I’d seen it.
“I feel much better. Thanks for helping Liam get me here.”
“I know you said things were casual, but it sure didn’t seem that way when he came over.”
I sighed. “I’m sure that had to do with guilt. He thinks he overworked me into getting sick.”
Her pretty face turned pink. “My little comment about hoping he didn’t put you to work if he brought you back here probably didn’t help. But I have to say, guilt usually means he’d buy you flowers or check in to see how you’re doing. Guilt isn’t calling a doctor friend to come over in the middle of the night or inviting you to recover at his place. I think it’s more.”
Maybe, but I wouldn’t allow myself to go there. My emotions were already unbalanced. This morning, he’d sat on the couch with me to start the first season of Little House after ensuring I took my medicine. Suddenly, this didn’t feel like casual sex. It felt like something deeper. If I was being honest, it was starting to become something I could easily get used to. “If I go thinking this is anything but what we agreed on, I’m liable to get hurt.”
She frowned. “I don’t know much about relationships, but I have to believe it’s natural to develop deeper feelings as things evolve.”
Sure. But what if they only evolved on my side? Before I had a chance to think it through, the front door opened and in walked Liam in his workout attire, giving me a smile. “Hi.”
Chloe turned to whisper only for my ears. “Jesus, the way he looks at you makes me blush.”
I grinned, feeling my own face heat. “Hi. Um, you remember Chloe.”
He came into the living room and took a seat on the ottoman. “Yes. I certainly do. Nice to see you under better circumstances. You two want lunch? I’ll order, then take a quick shower, and be down to join you.”
Sounded too good to pass up.
By Tuesday morning, I was feeling much better. After Liam left for the office, I decided to return to my apartment and my own space. Get back into my routine. Not because I didn’t enjoy staying at Liam’s house, but rather because I enjoyed it too much. Hell, he’d even given me a key this morning in case I needed to come and go.
It was too easy to see him as the doting boyfriend instead of what he actually was. Frankly, I wasn’t sure exactly how to define what he was to me. All I knew was it would be easy to let myself fall for him. Hell, who was I kidding? It was already too late. He’d been so sweet, doting, and attentive the last couple of days—even choosing to work from home on Monday, which before now, he’d never done. My feelings were growing deeper. But I had no clue if he shared them.
Once home, I showered and dressed for the office before setting out for the bus. I couldn’t afford to get further behind in my classes and didn’t want to use any more sick time. I knew Liam would prefer me to spend another day resting, but my fever was gone, and I was getting restless. My boss would just have to get over it.
Once I arrived at the office, I knocked on his door. I peeked my head in when he said to come in. “Good morning, Mr. Davenport. Did you want the usual for breakfast?”
His response was terse. “No. Come in, Ms. Tate. Shut the door.”
I did as he requested, feeling butterflies in my stomach. His charcoal suit with the light blue shirt did funny things to me. We hadn’t been sexual in over a week due to the Hong Kong trip and then my sickness, which meant my libido was taking notice. Holy inappropriateness. Didn’t it know these were business hours?
As soon as the door closed, he stood up. “What are you doing here?”
“My fever is gone. My cold is manageable, and I can’t miss school again tonight. It was time for me to get back.”
His jaw clenched. “You should take another day.”
“You should get over the fact I’m not going to.” As much as I appreciated him taking care of me, I was in fact a grown-up who could make her own decisions on when to return to work.
We were in a standoff. The kind that made me want to sit up on his desk and show him just how much better I was feeling.
“All right. I’ll get over it. I already grabbed something for breakfast.”
I smiled. “Thank you. What else can I do?”
“The deposition is in a good place. But I have Stephen Walsh coming in later this morning.”
“He’s the tech guy from last week’s charity?” He’d explained the so-called “date” he’d had with Tabitha had actually been a new business opportunity.
“That’s him.”
“Do you need a conference room? Refreshments?”
“I have one on the eighth floor reserved. I believe there are drinks being delivered.”
“I’ll confirm.” Our facilities team was great about catering, but this was a big meeting.
“Thank you.” He stood up, moving one more step in front of me to lift his hand to my face. “You sure you’re okay?”
I leaned into his touch, appreciating it more than he could know. “Yes. I’m much better thanks to you. You took really good care of me.”
“I was happy to do it.” His hand dropped as if he’d just remembered we were standing in the middle of his office.
Guess I needed to remember that, too. Back to purely professional.
Later in the morning, I informed Liam that Stephen Walsh had arrived in reception. Typically, I went to get most of our guests, but considering Stephen was a big deal, my boss went downstairs to greet him personally. I hoped the meeting would be a good one.
I was sitting at my desk when the conference room line rang through. Immediately, I worried something was wrong, but I’d checked earlier, and things seemed to be in order.
“Hello, this is Kendall,” I answered.
Liam’s voice was on the other end. “Yes, Ms. Tate. Can you please see about getting kombucha sent up to the room?”
“Kombucha?” I repeated the unfamiliar word, trying to place where I’d heard it.
“Yes. It’s fermented tea.”
“Certainly.” I hung up and called the cafeteria. I was happy when someone answered. But no kombucha.
Next recourse was going downstairs and three blocks over to the Whole Foods. The receptionist assured me they’d definitely have it. I forced myself to walk as fast as I could in my gray skirt suit, ignoring the pang in my side from the post-sickness rushing around.
I’d been gone more than ten minutes by the time I took the elevator up with two bottles of kombucha. I wasn’t sure which kind I should have gotten. Steadying my breath, I went through the glass conference room door, hoping to get in, drop off the drinks, and get out again unnoticed.
But it wasn’t to be. All three men focused on me. Liam frowning. Phil, the managing partner, appearing relieved to see I’d brought the bottles of kombuc
ha, and the guest of honor looking at me with a big grin on his face.
It turned out Stephen Walsh was a good-looking man. In his forties, perhaps, he had short-cropped black hair, deep hazel eyes, and a megawatt smile.
“I apologize for the delay with the kombucha,” I said.
Stephen stood up. “None necessary, considering you’re the one delivering it. Miss—?”
My boss was on his feet now, too. Phil stood as well. Liam did the introduction. “This is my assistant, Ms. Kendall Tate.”
“Lovely to meet you. I’m Stephen Walsh.”
I put the bottles down on the table so I could take his extended hand. Here was hoping I didn’t get our potential top client sick by spreading any germs. “Pleasure to meet you. I, um, I brought two kinds of kombucha.”
He didn’t spare a glance for the kombucha. “I’m sure they’re both great. Tell me, Ms. Tate, what are you passionate about?”
My gaze flicked to Liam’s face, which showed surprise at the question but provided no help. “Pardon?”
“What are you passionate about? I assure you, there’s no wrong answer. Sorry, it’s a bit personal putting you on the spot in front of your boss and his boss, but you see, I always like to know who I’m working with. Not just the lead attorney, but also who else works at the firm.”
Oh, boy. It was clear by the intense way he was staring at me, I could only go with the truth. “I’m passionate about food. Cooking, baking, learning new recipes from different cultures.”
His eyes lit up like a beaver in a forest full of trees. “Excellent. Food is a passion of mine, too. Now then, if you had unlimited funds, what would you do with that passion?”
I glanced over toward Phil, who was giving Liam a nervous look. Crap. I didn’t want to ruin this opportunity to get Stephen Walsh as a client for them by saying the wrong thing. “I’d probably open up a catering business.”
“Ah. And would you do big, fancy parties?”
“No. I’d prefer more intimate affairs in someone’s home or maybe cooking prepared meals that could be dropped off for a family hoping to eat healthy during the week.”
He smiled. “And tell me, what would you do with all of the leftover food?”
My mind recalled the event Liam and Tabitha had attended had involved a charity for the homeless. The right answer was to feed the homeless. But if I said that, it would appear rehearsed.
As if he was leading me to water, Phil piped in. “Would you donate the food?”
Stephen gave him a sigh of disappointment as if the older man was ruining his game.
I finally answered. “Maybe, but I’m not a huge believer in simply feeding the homeless.”
Now Stephen’s attention was back on me. “Then, what would you suggest?”
I licked my lips, nervous regarding what I was about to say. “I read this article a few weeks ago about a community setup in Texas. They built these tiny houses, taught the homeless how to grow their own fruits and vegetables, and set up a community. They taught people job skills. They were subsidized in the beginning, but before long, the once homeless were self-sustaining, selling goods to pay for the ones they needed to buy. The project was deemed a short-term success.”
Stephen’s gaze didn’t leave mine, but he leaned forward. “Why do you think that worked?”
“Because they developed a sense of community and pride. I’m not opposed to feeding the homeless, Mr. Walsh, but that’s only one meal at one time, and only a few hours later, they will be hungry again. If I had unlimited funds, I’d find ways of teaching the population to self-sustain. Or put dollars into programs to help get people off the streets. Of course, it’s easier said than done with mental illness prominent in the population, but I also believe there’s hope based on the results of that experiment.”
There was a silent pause. One that Phil obviously felt the need to fill. “I think we can all agree it’s a nice dream.”
In other words, he thought I was a silly girl. I didn’t bother to meet Liam’s eyes, afraid I’d find disappointment reflected in them.
Stephen interrupted. “John Klein ran that experiment. He’s a former engineer and very passionate about finding ways to help the homeless. I have nothing but respect for him.”
Either Stephen knowing about the man and experiment worked in my favor, or he was about to tell me how he didn’t believe in it. My breath held as I waited for his response. Then he smiled.
“You are a delight, Kendall, if I may call you by your first name. And your vision is one I think we could all use more of in this world. Good things can happen when someone believes they can.”
“Thank you.” What else could I say?
He turned toward Phil. “Without dreams, we’d never change things for a better future. Now that would be a real shame.”
Huh. His words had the managing partner turning red.
Stephen wasn’t done. “Gentlemen, I’ll be signing with your firm today. Thanks again for the kombucha, Kendall.” He picked one up and put it in his bag. “Take the other one. It’ll change your life.” He handed it to me with a wink before walking out with Phil scrambling after him to escort him out.
I simply plopped down in the conference room chair, giving Liam a dazed look. “What just happened?”
He grinned. “I believe that was a test. One you just kicked ass at passing.”
Chapter Forty
Liam
There had been something incredible about watching Kendall handle her own with Stephen Walsh. Then she’d taken it a step further by owning him with her sincere answer to his question. She’d been amazing, and it had been immensely satisfying to watch, not to mention a huge turn-on.
As soon as she popped her head in to inquire about lunch, I could feel my pulse race. Feel the magnetic pull toward her. I was aching to touch her.
“Hi. Salad or sandwich today?”
“Salad is fine. Thank you.”
As soon as she left, I breathed easy, then thought about jerking off. It would be a first to do so in my office. But considering she’d be back soon, it would have to wait.
Once she returned with the food, I found myself standing up and helping her take the tray to put it on my desk for the excuse to touch her hand.
She glanced up at the same time I caught a whiff of strawberry lip gloss.
“How are you feeling?” I asked in an intimate, husky tone that was very different from how we normally spoke to one another in the office.
“Good, actually. I think I’m ninety percent.”
As if she’d given me the green light I’d needed, I crashed my lips to hers. Crossing one of the unbreakable lines I’d promised I never would by touching her in the office. But unfortunately, once I had a taste, there was no way I couldn’t have more.
I pulled away, moving to flip the lock on my door. “Is anyone expecting you during this hour?”
“No, but I may still be contagious.”
“I don’t care.” And I didn’t. I pulled her back into my arms and met her lips again before trailing my kisses down to her neck and behind her ear. “I promised this would never happen here in the office. That we wouldn’t do this here.”
She kissed me back, igniting my need to have her. My hand dove under her skirt, swiping her thong to the side, fingers searching for her pussy. Jesus. She was wet. Clearly as turned on as I was with this impromptu make-out session.
“I need you,” I muttered, unable to stop this madness.
She was working my belt buckle. “I need you, too. It was too long of a week to go without touching you like this.”
Yes, it was. “I need a condom.”
“Do you have one in your wallet?”
“No. Shit. Wait. I think I have one in my desk.”
My answer earned me a raised brow, making me amend that remark. “It was for a campaign for safe sex for a client we were representing. They gave them out. I stuck mine in a drawer.” God, I hoped I still had it from months ago. Otherwise, this wasn’t
happening.
After rifling through my bottom drawers like a madman, I pulled it out like a prize. “Aha.”
She giggled, coming around to move my keyboard and sit up on my desk in front of my chair. All laughing stopped once we reached for one another again. We were frantic. Me with sliding off her panties. Her with undoing my trousers and taking out my cock.
“This will be quick, but I promise to make it up to you this weekend.”
“I’m holding you to your promise. Now, how do you want me?”
“On your feet, bent over the desk with your ass in the air.” It was like a fantasy to watch her assume the position.
My hands massaged her globes, wishing I had more time to play. “We have to be quiet. Can you do it?”
“Uh-huh. Just fuck me, Liam.”
Jesus. She had no idea what her words did to me. I quickly sheathed myself in the condom, wincing when I realized it was a bit snug, but it didn’t matter as I had the perfect woman over my desk. I wasn’t about to waste this opportunity after having thought about her all week.
When I pushed inside her, we both groaned, though trying to keep the volume down. She was both snug and wet. Perfect. I pulled out slightly before pushing home again. I’d give anything to pound into her harder and faster, but I knew it would be too noisy. Too risky to make loud sounds. I relied on measured thrusts, reaching around to play with her clit. She went off in record time, turning her mouth into her arm to keep from crying out. I followed quickly, grinding out my orgasm deep inside of her.
We were both still panting when I pulled out slowly. I was already wishing I had more time, so I could spread her out on my couch and pleasure her with my tongue.
She stood up and watched me tie off the condom, careful to wrap it in tissues so no one would see it in my trash. While I zipped up, she found her panties and straightened her skirt.
“Well, that was unexpected,” she said, grinning.
Miss Understanding (The Miss Series Book 1) Page 20