by Leslie North
“Yeah, and with this one, we barely get the chance to embarrass her,” her dad complained jovially.
“Are you trying to say that I never have boyfriends?” Amelia asked in mock injury.
“Yes, dear, he is,” her mother confirmed, returning with a stack of books and what looked like a pile of photos on top. “Now, Joshua, I have all the damning evidence anyone could ask for, so I hope you have a few hours available.”
“I have days available for something like this. Weeks, even.”
Amelia groaned. “Oh, lord.”
Her mom and dad cooed over each new photo unearthed from the stack, which was immediately passed around Amelia and into Josh’s hands. Amelia watched with narrowed eyes, shaking her head at the worst ones.
“And here’s our little Meel in band,” her mom said, handing over the individual band photo from sophomore year showing Amelia clutching her clarinet between her hands.
“Oh, wow.” Josh clucked his tongue, nodding. “You were a band geek.”
“Hey—” she started.
“No, no. Don’t worry. No shade here.” He smiled over at her. “I was too.”
Her eyes widened. “No way. What did you play?”
“Flute.”
Rob snickered across the table.
“Are you serious?” Amelia had the beginning of an incredulous smile on her face. “That’s so…cute.”
“I was first chair even.” Josh sniffed, receiving another picture from her mom. Sure, playing flute had been a way to learn music, but as the buff, sports-inclined guy he also was in high school, it had been a new angle for him to get laid. He didn’t need to go into all that over the dinner table, though.
They all laughed over old pictures and memories until dessert was cleared and Josh felt the buzz through his body. When he looked over at Amelia, she had a heavy look in her eye. One that told him it was time.
“You ready to go?” he asked in a low voice.
She nodded, then reached to pull up the rideshare app. “Let’s do it. Hey, Mom and Dad, we’re gonna head out. There’s still some work waiting for us in the morning, so…”
A chorus of aww’s erupted.
“Why don’t you let me drive you?” Her dad stood up, pushing the photos aside as he did. He headed toward the front hallway and slid into his shoes.
“We can call for a ride,” Josh said.
“Nonsense. You’re my children. I’m taking you.”
Josh grinned over at Amelia and found her smiling into the heel of her palm. They got coats and shoes on, while her mom sighed that she didn’t want to see them leave, insisting they should have stayed in the spare bedroom upstairs, and why didn’t they just have the wedding in the backyard already. By the time they’d hugged their way through the family and out the front door, Josh had Amelia’s hand in his, more than ready to get back to the hotel.
But he had to play the nice-guy part just a little bit longer. They climbed into the back seat of her dad’s car, laughing as they did.
“Why do I feel like I’m back in high school?” Amelia teased.
“Because I’m not allowed to touch or kiss you right now,” he whispered into her ear. That prompted more laughter, and a quizzical look from her dad through the rearview mirror.
“I’d say hands off my daughter, but it’s too late for that, isn’t it?” he mused, blinker ticking as he pulled out onto the road.
Josh kept his grip on Amelia’s hand the entire drive back to the resort, keeping the conversation fun and lighthearted, even though desire streaked through him.
He’d gotten enough of Amelia the night before, hadn’t he? So why was he hungry for her like it was his first time all over again?
By the time they’d reached the resort, Josh was half-hard and ready to bolt to the bedroom. He’d simply been holding Amelia’s hand, proving to himself even more that she’d turned him into a horny teen somewhere over the course of last night.
After a friendly goodbye and lots of waving, Amelia’s dad finally pulled away. He cinched his arms around her waist, bringing her jolting against him.
“Upstairs?” he asked.
“Immediately.”
10
They ran, holding hands, into the Cedar Grove resort and headed for the elevators. Josh pushed the Up button too many times, even though it wouldn’t help. Once the doors opened, they tumbled inside, tucking themselves into the corner least visible from the outside. Kisses erupted, but this time they were deeper. More passionate.
Josh didn’t even notice when the elevator doors opened behind him. It took another guest at the hotel clearing their throat before he could tear himself off of Amelia.
“Excuse us,” he said, tugging at Amelia’s hand to get off the elevator. She rolled her lips inward, and a laugh burst out of her once they’d walked far enough away.
“Guess we were pretty distracted, huh?” It took three tries for him to swipe the keycard, but once the door swung open, the two of them stumbled in. Josh cupped her face in his hands, finally kissing her like he wanted now that they were in the privacy of their own suite. Long, intentional kisses. Far deeper than prying eyes would allow. Kisses so deep that they stole the breath from him. Made his vision go spotty.
When they finally broke apart, Amelia took a big gulp of air. Her lips were puffy. Kiss bitten. It just made him hungry for more.
“We had sex all night last night,” she breathed, her eyes wild, “but I still feel like I haven’t gotten it in years.”
He grunted, guiding her backwards into the bedroom. When she stumbled, he swept her up into his arms. She giggled, kicking her legs while she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Let’s never leave this room,” he suggested after he’d tossed her on the bed and covered her body with his own.
“I’m game. You can do your job from Cedar Grove, right?”
“Totally.” He dragged his lips over hers, then tugged at her bottom lip with his teeth.
“And I can probably work my new position from this suite.” She pushed her tongue into his mouth. He grunted again, settling between her thighs. Desperate to get their clothes off already.
“All these clothes? Need to come off.” He pulled away from her, even though every cell of his body protested the decision. It was necessary for forward movement. To get back to that sweet heat that had held him captive since yesterday. That might keep him captive for days or weeks to come.
Amelia sat up as he helped tug her dress over her head. He fumbled with the buckle on his belt, almost tripping out of his own pants. When he eased back onto the bed, she welcomed him between her legs, hooking her ankles behind his back. His stiff cock immediately found the slick groove of her pussy. She whimpered.
“Jesus, Josh.” She smoothed her hands over the ridge of his shoulders. “I need it. Like, so bad.”
“I know.” He buried his face in the hollow of her neck, enjoying the small jolts of pleasure as his cock danced dangerously close to the prize. “Me too.”
Amelia dragged her fingernails down the sides of his arms, then swirled up the expanse of his back. Her touch drove him crazy. Every little thing she did was erotic. All the way down to simply holding his hand.
He didn’t know what that meant yet. Didn’t know if he should pay attention to it or hide from it.
But for now, all that mattered was getting more of her. While he still could.
Amelia moaned through a kiss as his cockhead slipped into place. And then he pushed forward, taking it slow and steady, sinking into her with a patience that he didn’t feel even slightly. No, he wanted her hard and fast. But something about this union felt different than their sex-a-thon the night before.
After the evening spent bathing in the warmth of her family, a new side to Amelia was making him fall even harder for her. She wasn’t just his sexy, whip-smart assistant that he’d been forcibly overlooking for the past few years.
No, now she’d dug an even deeper hole inside him. One that she might ge
t lost in after this trip.
“Ohhhhh, Josh,” she moaned, throwing her head back. His abs were rock hard as he sank into her, sweat already prickling his temples from beating back the urge to fuck her senseless. Every flinch and sound from her lips sent his heart racing.
He thrust into her, and then drew himself out slowly, watching the expressions on her face as they morphed from drunkenness to ecstatic to something that looked like pain but surely wasn’t. He dragged his lips over the hollow of her neck, his belly rock hard as he fought the swell of pleasure that would end this dizzying union.
“You feel…so good…” He didn’t even recognize his own voice. He drilled into her again, stilling for a moment to get his bearings. She arched against him, writhing and jerking.
“Ohhh, Josh,” she pleaded, almost whining. Her fingernails dug into his bicep. “Please. Please. I’m so close.”
And so was he. Even though he’d intended to take it slow, something about the deliberateness made it hotter. Even harder to beat back the orgasm.
He scooped low and took one pebbled nipple between his lips. He laved it with his tongue and then scraped his teeth against it.
“Josh!” There was an edge to her voice that told him the little push had done it. She wailed, her thighs turning into a vice around his hips. “Ohhh, Josh, I’m coming!”
He surged into her again, burying himself until he could go no further, and the velvet squeeze of her pussy sent him over the edge too. His limbs turned hot, and for a moment he couldn’t see anything except the swirl of pleasure inside him. His hips jerked as he came, and a low, gravelly groan escaped him.
“Ohhh my God,” she moaned, a puddle beneath him. Her legs folded down to the bed, and she blinked lazily, a smile creeping across her face.
He grunted, easing himself out of her before hitting the bed. He pulled her into his arms, needing the weight of her against him. They lay like that, breathing heavily and intertwined, for a long time. Saying nothing. Just soaking in the post-orgasm bliss.
Finally, Amelia shifted in his arms, turning to face him.
“Wanna order room service?”
Josh laughed, swiping his thumb across her jawline. “What do you want?”
“Cake.”
“We had dessert at your parents’ house.”
“But I need cake after what just happened.”
Josh laughed, rolling off the bed. He went to the bedside phone, and her eyes sparkled as she watched him.
“Wow. I didn’t mean you had to call for cake. But I like the fact that there was no question.”
He smiled, picking up the receiver to call down to the desk. He ordered two slices of chocolate cake and a bottle of wine. Just in case.
“I like this,” she said once he climbed back onto the bed and pulled her into his arms. “Second dessert. It’s almost Christmas, anyway, so why not go hog wild?”
He murmured his agreement, his lips lost in the hair on the top of her head.
“We need to replace the calories,” Josh affirmed. “But it serves another purpose too. Though you might not have realized it, the chocolate cake qualifies as reconnaissance.”
“Does it?”
He nodded, squeezing a handful of her ass. “Oh yeah. You see, I’m big on the cake that’s served in our existing hotels. But maybe their cake is better. We need to find out.”
Amelia laughed, propping up on an elbow to look down at him. “Why the big deal about cake?”
A flicker of doubt flashed through him. He didn’t normally get too deep about his family life with anyone, but with Amelia, it seemed safe to go there. “Just one of the ways I try to honor my mother’s memory. She made the best chocolate cake. Like, out of this world. And, well…” The clamp of emotion arrived. But after so many years without her, it didn’t rule him anymore. He could talk about her now without retreating inside himself for hours afterward. “It’s just how I try to keep her around.”
Amelia trailed a finger along his collarbone, her brows drawn. “That’s really sweet. I’m glad to know that, actually.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. I thought maybe you were just obsessed with cake.” She grinned, and he tugged her by the hip, bringing her closer to him.
“Maybe I am. But for all the right reasons.”
Amelia snuggled up against him. “Hm. If I had to do something in my mother’s honor for my epic chain of hotels…well…I think she’d like it best if I served potato salad nonstop.”
Josh laughed. “I missed her potato salad obsession over dinner.”
“It’s only a matter of time before she reveals it. Trust me. It was one of the reasons I had to move to New York.”
Josh laughed. “The largest reason, right?”
“Escaping potato salad for every meal was the primary reason. Building my career was a close second.”
Her words made his smile fall a little. The career that had led her to him…and stalled out in his office.
“And where do you want it to build to?”
She narrowed her eyes as she thought. “The top. I don’t know exactly what position, but something like what you do. That’s my dream.”
His smile fell even further, but not because he disliked what she said. Not exactly. He would have kept her as his assistant for the rest of his life if she hadn’t negotiated the promotion as part of this deal. He’d never fully considered the fact that this position might be holding her back…or just a mere stepping stone along the path of her career.
“You’ll get there,” he said, and then squeezed her ass cheek. She giggled.
“Is that the ass squeeze of support?”
“Exactly.” They laughed, just as a knock sounded at the door. The way her eyes lit up sent a hot streak through him. He was having too much fun with her. Enjoying this just a little bit too much.
But he needed to remember that however fun it was, this union of theirs was strictly business. Once the new year hit, she’d be moving along. Gone.
Unless there was a chance that this thing between them could become something more.
Something real.
11
At brunch the next morning, Amelia was practically floating on air. They rubbed elbows and snickered at inside jokes the whole way to the lobby.
There was no acting between them anymore. This glow? One hundred percent real, after their two sizzling nights in their couple’s suite.
The resort restaurant had a small line at the host’s stand when they arrived just before eleven a.m. Amelia leaned into Josh after he wrapped his arm around her. Sure, they could claim they were just pretending. Putting on a show for the curious eyes.
But she wanted to be doing this. Nothing about their laughter or conversation was forced or fabricated.
“Man. Christmas is next week,” Amelia clucked as they hung near some potted ferns, waiting for the hostess to call their name. “It still feels so far away.”
“But it’s terrifyingly close,” Josh said, straightening slightly. “Let’s just hope this deal is done by Christmas. I want to be done with it by the holidays.”
“I think you’ll get your answer by then.” Amelia smiled up at him, getting lost in the icy blue of his eyes. “I think it’s already in the bag.”
A grin tugged at his lips as he gazed down at her. “Thanks for believing in me.”
She returned the smile and then pushed up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
Nope, this was definitely not acting. But if it wasn’t acting, then what was it? It wasn’t like they were dating now. Except, maybe they could start? The whole thing was so confusing, she didn’t even know where to begin.
She figured she’d ignore it a little bit longer. Ride the wave until she was forced to make sense of this.
That seemed like the safest bet.
Loud voices snagged at her attention a moment later. Laughter followed, and then Stan Lewis strolled into view.
Followed by Colin Forest and his family.
“No, seriou
sly, I’d love to talk more about it,” Colin was saying. Josh stiffened. He only watched them for a moment before something slid over his face like a mask. Steel determination. Focus. She’d watched Josh at work long enough to know that he’d just clicked into competitive business mode.
“Stan! Great to see you again.” Josh made his presence known, striding over to offer his hand. He sent a polite greeting to Colin, and Amelia nibbled on her lip as she watched. She was sure that Josh was a shoo-in. But still—Colin made her nervous. She knew enough about him and his business to know that he was a real threat. Which was why Josh was going on the offensive. Why he was standing over there jangling change in his pockets, looking back at her with a bright, but plastic, smile.
“Isn’t that right, honey?” Josh asked her. She blinked, realizing suddenly she’d missed a good portion of their conversation.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“I said we’d just been talking about wanting to speak with Stan again. You should all come sit with us—it’ll make brunch even better.”
Amelia’s forearms prickled, recognizing this for what it was: a power move. She nodded, smiling. “Yes, that’s perfect! That way we can all catch up.”
Josh went to the hostess to amend their reservation, and when he came back, she could see the change in him. He’d transformed in front of her, from the laidback lover she’d met over the past two nights to this bristly, hard-edged business man. To be fair, she’d seen this side of Josh plenty. But it had never been in comparison to the new side of him.
The one that she wanted more and more of.
Their large group was seated quickly near a long row of windows overlooking the trees lining the southern edge of the property. Josh made sure to sit across from Stan; Amelia faced Stan’s wife, and to her right, Colin.
“You know, I’ve been hearing a lot about you,” Colin said to her once drink orders were taken and everyone had settled into pleasantries. “Seems you’re a Cedar Grove poster child for success.”
Amelia smiled, but panic seared through her. What could he have possibly heard? Maybe she’d underestimated how small Cedar Grove really was. “Is that so?”