“I told you not to call me that. I was just curious. I haven’t seen my brother in forever. Sorry for showing any type of concern.”
“I’m fine. I’m not doing drugs, I don’t drive drunk, and I always wrap up my dick before sticking it in.” I inwardly cringe, not needing that last tidbit. “Where have you been? I wasn’t expecting you home this early.”
“I had some work outside of the office today, and I didn’t make it back to the office, so I came home.” That’s the honest truth. I was outside of the office and I did come straight home, he just doesn’t need to know the details in between.
Asher is scrutinizing my every move. He leans over the counter with his chin propped up on his fist and narrows his eyes. “Something is up with you.”
I ignore his comment and grab a tumbler from the cabinet before snatching the bottle of whiskey from the counter. I wouldn’t normally drink before dinner, but after today, I think it’s a necessity.
“So, how are things with the club hottie?” my brother asks from behind my back, and I sputter, spilling a few drops of the amber liquid.
I clean up the mess before assuming the same position I found my brother in earlier. “Things are fine. It doesn’t matter anyway; she’s dating someone else.” I take a long sip.
“Oh, well, her loss.” I nod and hope he doesn’t keep talking about it. “So, then she has nothing to do with why your date with Vanessa went to shit?”
I scrub my hands down my face, groaning. “Nope,” I lie. “I’m sure she’s a lovely woman. I just wasn’t feeling it.”
Asher’s phone dings, and while his attention is on it, he clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Well, that’s too bad. Her pussy feels magical.”
Wait—what? I slam my hands on the counter. “You fucking set me up with one of your sloppy seconds? Are you fucking kidding me, Asher?”
He shrugs, not seeing anything wrong with his actions. “What? As you said, you weren’t feeling it, so what does that matter?”
I shake my head, at a loss for words.
“Well, my Uber is here. I’m out. Don’t wait up.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, let me guess, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Asher shoves his phone in his pocket and slaps my shoulder as he passes me.
I exhale, relaxing once my brother is gone. My brain is in overload after the day I’ve had. Playing hooky, spending the day with Lexi in her apartment, almost kissing her, and then to learn that my brother set me up with one of his previous hookups. No wonder she talked about Asher a lot during dinner. Maybe if I had been paying more attention, I would have picked up on that. Well, I guess I can be thankful for Lexi on my brain for saving me from possibly hooking up with one of my brother’s flavors of the week.
I top my drink off before grabbing the ingredients from the fridge for a beef stir-fry. As I sit alone at the island, eating my dinner, I imagine what it would be like to have someone here with me to share a meal with. Of course, a certain brunette comes to mind first. Fuck that; you had your chance. She’s no longer mine to dream about.
Business over pleasure, and now she is getting pleasure somewhere else. I must let her be happy, and today, that moment between us was just in the heat of the moment. I saw her smile the other day when he was around her. I refuse to come between them. It’s at that moment that I decide no matter how much it sucks, and my dick might not agree with me, it’s time to move on. I need to focus on work. I bought this company to succeed, not to be distracted, and frankly, that is all Lexi is—a distraction.
“You look absolutely gorg,” Hadley says while examining her handiwork. I enlisted the help of the girls to get ready for the Maritime Media holiday party. And when I say I enlisted their help, I mean they told me that this was happening, but who was I to say no? When your roommate is a hairstylist who also does makeup for weddings, why not?
Things had been weird for the last few weeks between Ben and me, and I wish I could understand why. If it’s not discussing work, Ben avoids me. I guess I read all of the signs wrong. Nothing like almost having everything you want only to have it ripped out from underneath you. I think I should be used to that by now, though.
I turn and barely recognize the woman looking back at me. My brown hair is down, draped in perfectly loose curls that frame my face, with a smoky eye perfectly outlining my emerald orbs and a red lipstick that matches the bright shade of my satin off-the-shoulder dress.
“Yes, someone might need to pick up Ben’s jaw off the floor once he sees you.” Brynn smiles, searching my jewelry box for the perfect earrings.
I snicker. I don’t know why they’re trying to push Ben over the edge again—look how well it worked out the last time. Tonight isn’t about him; it’s about me. I didn’t let my failed relationship with Dom ruin my career; I can’t let some one-night stand do it either. Tonight I am going to enjoy the amazing life I have made for myself.
“How about these?” She holds up a pair of diamond studs my father gave me when I graduated college.
I smile, recalling the moment, but the happiness is shadowed by missing my father, who passed away shortly after giving them to me.
“Ah ah.” Hadley waves her index finger in my face. “None of that. I know you and can see that look in your eyes. There is no crying and ruining my masterpiece. Got it?”
I humph and push my shoulders back. I can do this. I’m Lexi Baker, and I’m a badass bitch.
Hadley claps her hands. “Okay, now go get dressed, and we will meet you out in the living room.”
I carefully slip into my dress and heels—my favorite part of the outfit—a glamorous black Christian Louboutin stiletto with an almost five-inch heel. My “So Kate” heels may be the most expensive shoe I own that I bought with last year’s Christmas bonus and have been waiting for the perfect excuse to wear them. The glossy black patent leather, along with the signature red sole, is utter perfection. I’m staring at myself in the mirror when the girls start yelling from the living room. “What’s taking so long?”
“I’m coming,” I shout back.
Eat your heart out, Ben Harrington.
With one last glance at myself in the mirror, moving back and forth, I grab my black Coach clutch and head out before the girls come barreling into my room, wondering what the holdup is.
The clicking of my heels along the hardwood floors of our apartment halts whatever conversation Brynn and Hadley were having.
I run my hand over the soft fabric of my dress. “What, do I look okay? Did I mess something up?”
The look both girls are giving me reminds me of the look Sebastian had in The Little Mermaid when he first noticed Ariel on the beach with Eric and Scuttle had to lift his jaw off the rock.
I start to get self-conscious the longer they are silent. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth, thankful Hadley applied a lip stain versus a regular lipstick that I’m sure would be all over my front teeth by now.
“You look fucking amazing.” Hadley beams like a proud mom witnessing her only child headed off to prom.
“Okay, before you go, a quick photo,” Brynn calls out, grabbing her phone from the coffee table.
After a quick photoshoot, my phone pings, alerting me that my car is downstairs waiting.
Brynn is busy typing away on her phone with a smile spread across her face. “Cal says you look beautiful, and be sure to wrap it up with whatever lucky bastard takes you home.”
Hadley bellows out a loud laugh while my cheeks heat in embarrassment, and I shake my head.
Brynn is giggling along with Hadley and holds up her phone. “Hey, don’t shoot the messenger, I’m just reading you what he wrote.”
“Well, tonight is about having fun, not about finding someone to go home with or making Ben jealous.”
A smug look appears on both of my best friends’ faces, and Hadley purses her lips together. “Yeah sure, whatever you say.”
I roll my eyes. Even if they don’t believe me, that’s what I’ll ke
ep telling myself.
I grab my black coat out of the closet. Once the tie is fastened around my waist, I pull my hair out of the back of the coat and drape it across my right shoulder.
“Have fun,” they both shout.
“Don’t wait up,” I call over my shoulder as I walk out of the apartment.
The ride to the office takes longer than planned. Stupid holiday traffic. ’Tis the season for traffic. One of the things that attracted Paul Jennings to this building is the open space at the opposite end of the seventh floor. It makes hosting smaller events easier. In the past, we have hosted cocktail hours, art galleries hosting local artists, and even once sponsored a matchmaking event. That was different, to say the least.
I spent the morning here helping direct the vendors before heading back home to get ready. There are two bars on opposite ends of the room. An assortment of hors d’oeuvres are being passed out all evening, including the most delicious beef tenderloin crostini with whipped goat cheese and pesto, crab-stuffed mushrooms and Italian sausage, and caramelized leek flatbread bites drizzled in a truffle cream sauce.
As soon as I exit the elevator, the most fantastic aroma hits my senses, and my mouth instantly waters. I can’t wait actually to taste the food after selecting the menu. That was another thing—in previous years, I worked closely with Paul finalizing the details, whereas this year, Ben gave me almost full control of my decisions minus needing to remain within budget.
I drop my coat off at the coat check, and a smile forms on my lips as I hear the cheerful sounds of Pentatonix and Whitney Houston’s “Do You Hear What I Hear?” playing from the speakers. So I may have flirted a little with him during our consult meeting so that he would play songs by my favorite band.
I glance around the room, taking in all the smiling faces and fabulous decor. I sigh, content with my work.
I can sense him before I see him. My back straightens, along with the little hairs on the back of my neck.
“It looks great in here,” I say softly, more to myself than him.
“Yes, it’s beautiful.” With my peripheral vision, it’s not the room that I notice Ben looking at, but it’s me.
Ben currently has his hands in his pockets, looking incredibly handsome in his suit—black pants and jacket, a crisp white dress shirt, and a red tie that just so happens to match my dress. Don’t look anything into, Lex. Red is a standard color worn during the holidays.
I turn and give him a bright smile. I swallow thickly as his eyes rake up and down my body.
“Cal is a lucky man,” I hear him say under his breath.
“Excuse me?”
Ben clears his throat. “I just said that Cal is a lucky man to have such a beautiful woman on his arm tonight. Is he joining you?”
Cal? Oh, fuck!
“I have something to tell you.” I glance down at my heels and pretend to push a piece of dirt around. Is this why he’s been so weird? Cal. I’m going to kill Hadley and Brynn for their stupid fucking plan.
“What is it?” Ben gently touches my elbow, pulling me off to the side, away from the center of the room.
Here goes nothing.
“Cal isn’t my boyfriend. My two best friends tried to prove a point that all you needed was a push over the edge.”
Ben’s brows bunch together, and he runs a hand over his dusting of facial hair. “A push.”
“Yes, a push. They thought it would make you jealous, and we would stop playing this game of cat and mouse. But I guess the joke’s on me since I tried to explain that I wasn’t dating Cal twice, and we were interrupted both times. I think it just wasn’t meant to be. We’re better off as only colleagues.”
I can feel the tears threatening to spill over as I say the words I don’t really mean. “Have a good night, Ben.” I brush past him and head straight to the bar.
I had stood behind her, watching as she admired her surroundings. That red dress clung to her slender figure, and those heels had me as hard as the ground we walk on.
It’s been two hours after her confession—Cal is not her boyfriend. It was all a fucking setup.
Two hours of watching her mingle.
Two hours of her ignoring me, although I don’t blame her. I’ve been an asshole for the past few weeks—pissed at myself for my stupid rules I set in place when all I wanted was her. I thought I had lost her, but in fact, she was still single. It makes my blood boil when I think about the way he touched her and kissed her as if she were his. I clench my fist at the memory.
I’ve stood at the bar opposite where she had run off to, chatting with guests and meeting spouses and significant others all night. I chug the rest of my whiskey and set the empty glass on the bar top. I button my suit coat and make my way over toward where Lexi stands with fellow employees. Lexi currently has my back to her, but Ashley and Amy, whom she is speaking with, notice me and greet me with a smile.
“Excuse me, ladies, sorry to interrupt, but I need to borrow Lexi here for a moment.” She shivers with my breath against her skin.
“Oh, of course,” and “No problem,” they respond at the same time while Lexi seems unsure of herself. I place my hand on her lower back and escort her out of the room in the direction of my office. The lights are low, the only glow coming from the night lights. We roped off the office area to keep employees from fraternizing outside of the party, but fuck those rules. Lexi and I do not need an audience for this.
I ignore her pleas to stop and talk to her. We’ve beaten around the bush, and now after her confession, I am a man on a mission with one goal in mind—her. Her friends thought I needed a push; well, here goes jumping out of an airplane without a parachute.
“Ben. It’s the damn Christmas party. Can’t whatever you have to say to me wait until Monday?”
“No, it can’t.” I shut the door behind her a little harder than I planned, causing her to jump. I stalk toward her, throwing my jacket on the chair, her eyes following my every move. Even in the darkness, I can see her pulse racing and her chest heaving.
“Well, what is it?” Her voice trails off as I slowly roll up the sleeves of my dress shirt. Her eyes dart to the ink on my arms, and she bites her lip. She backs up toward the window, and I follow like a predator stalking its prey. “What is so important that can’t wait until Monday?” She’s doing a shitty job at keeping her voice calm. I can feel the need vibrating off her words.
“This.” Before I give her time to respond, I wrap my hand around the back of her head and pull my mouth to hers.
I pinch her bottom lip between my teeth, and when she gasps, I take advantage of her parted lips and slide my tongue into her mouth.
I kiss her as if my life depends on it. As if we were just told that an asteroid was about to collide with Earth, and I want to spend my last waking moments on this Earth kissing her so that her taste is forever branded on my lips.
After a few minutes, I pull back, peppering kisses along her jaw.
“It’s not enough.”
“What’s not enough,” she breathes against my lips.
“Kissing you—it’s not enough. I thought I could satisfy my craving by kissing you.” I press another soft kiss to her lips. “But now that I’ve had a taste, I need more.”
I claim her lips hungrily, desperate to taste her, to have her again. Lexi lets out a soft whimper when I deepen the kiss, and I know I am royally fucked. This one time will never be enough. I grab her waist, pulling her close to me, the evidence of how turned on I am poking her. When I reach under her thighs and lift her, she instinctively wraps her toned legs around my waist. I press her up against the window. She arches off the cold glass, leaning more into my touch.
Anyone could come in search of us, and honestly, I don’t fucking care.
“Do you know how many times I’ve imagined bending you over this desk and burying myself deep between those gorgeous legs?” I drag my tongue down her neck, her pulse convulsing under my tongue, and I can’t wait for her clit to do the same.
In a heated passion, I spin us around. With one hand wrapped firmly around her waist, I use my other hand to push everything off my desk. Not giving a shit about the loud crash, I lay her down on the large desk, and she leans back on her elbows. I stand back, taking her in— her lips swollen from my kisses and her skin flushed from her arousal.
She starts to kick off her heels, and I stop her. “No, leave those on. They’re sexy as fuck.”
I trail my hands up her legs, pressing my thumb into her skin, massaging her legs as I reach her thighs, giving her a preview of what I plan to do to her body.
Lexi pushes up on her arms, closing the distance between us. I can feel her warm breath over my lips as I continue to tease her.
“Ben.” I wanted to hear my name on her lips like this. Not in a professional way but in pleasure. Her voice is full of want and need. I crash my lips to hers and pull her to the edge of the desk and flush against my body.
I lace my fingers in her hair and tug. She tilts her head up at the slight pressure, giving a heavy sigh. I take advantage of the new access as I kiss her jaw and down her slender neck. Nipping, licking, sucking—with every intention of making her mine.
“Ben,” she moans again. She continues to press her pussy against the rigid outline of my cock. He is begging to be free, pushing against the zipper of my dress pants. There are too many barriers between us. Now that we have gotten rid of the barrier keeping us apart, it’s time to rid us of these clothes. Her legs wrap back around my hips.
With her dress now bunched up around her hips, her lace panties are on display. Our eyes have adjusted to the darkness, and with the light coming in through the windows from the mood, I can see the darkened spot in the center of the black lace, telling me how bad she wants this to happen, too. Finally, I get to have her and not just the fantasy in my head, with my hand wrapped around my erection wishing it was her, or her mouth or her pussy. I drag my thumb over the damp spot, her juices leaking through the material. I bring the thumb to my mouth, sampling her sweetness. But I’m ready to sample straight from the source.
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