Indecision tears at me. Will Luke be mad if I dress differently tonight? Will it make things stranger than they already are?
Screw it.
I don’t want to hide anymore. Luke knows what I look like now. No sense in pretending I’m that same old frumpy girl with a bun. I’m ditching my bun and wearing my dress.
I look forward to literally and figuratively letting my hair down for one evening. I deserve to have a little fun. I’m in a foreign country, I don’t have to hide the way I look, and I get to spend an evening with Luke. I may as well do it right.
I blow dry my hair and leave it in shining waves down my back. I put on some makeup, more than I’ve ever worn around Luke, actually accentuating my features instead of toning them down. I leave my glasses sitting on the nightstand by the bed and dab perfume at my pulse points. Then I slip into my daring open-toed shoes.
When Luke knocks on my door, I open the door and his jaw almost hits the floor.
Chapter 4
Luke
“Holy shit,” I mutter.
Jade smiles at me. “Is that good or bad?”
“Good. Damn good.” I look her up and down, mesmerized. “It’s just a surprise. That’s all.”
She lifts an eyebrow at me. “A bigger surprise than seeing me in a towel?”
“Actually, yes,” I reply. It’s not just the clingy dress that snags my interest, although it certainly did. But her face looks so different, too. She’s done something different with her makeup. It’s not like she painted on a new face. No, the differences are subtle, but powerful. “No glasses tonight?” I ask.
“No. Actually, I have a confession to make.”
“Let me guess.”
“Yup. I don’t actually need glasses,” she says, her lips curving up in a wicked grin. “I took your advice.”
“My advice?”
She nods. “You told me to try new outfits and to change my hair. So I did.”
“Yes, you did,” I say slowly, still unable to tear my eyes from her luscious curves. “I just didn’t expect the change to happen so soon.”
She shrugs, making her breasts jiggle enticingly. “Why wait? The cat’s out of the bag. No sense in going back to my baggy old clothes.” She leans forward conspiratorially.
I now get a waft of her perfume mixed with the smell of skin.
“I hated them with all my heart,” she admits.
“I’m sure you did,” I answer automatically. I’m too overwhelmed by the sucker punch delivered by her scent for my brain to work.
She looks at me from under her lashes and smiles slowly.
I shake my head in disbelief. “Who the hell are you, Jade Emerson?”
“Maybe it’s time for you to find out.”
“Maybe,” I say softly.
She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth.
At this action my cock twitches with interest. “Come on,” I urge impatiently. “We don’t want to be late.”
“Good idea,” she agrees and starts walking in front of me.
My eyes rove over her body and ass freely, now that she can’t see me looking. Her hips sway enticingly below her trim waist, hypnotizing me, keeping my eyes glued to it.
Heat flares inside me. Jade had been sexy in just a towel, but now she blows me away with how hot she looks. It’s like the woman who disappeared into her hotel room never came back out. This is someone else. Someone irresistible.
Even in her previous life, I guess I’ve always secretly found her attractive. She was always more than her baggy sweaters and her thick glasses. There’d always been a spark there. A hint of some sexual magnetism, but I’d always been able to ignore those stirrings. I’m not sure I can ignore them anymore.
We step into the elevator and I hit the button marked L.
Jade stands beside me, looking straight ahead, and saying nothing.
Since I don’t want to ogle her directly, I stare at her reflection on the mirrored walls of the elevator.
Her full, ripe breasts swell against the bodice of her dress. She’s not showing a lot of cleavage, but somehow, it’s one of the sexiest damn dresses I’ve ever seen. It’s like the towel. It shows off everything while revealing nothing.
My cock throbs in my pants. I shift my suit jacket to hide my growing erection. I close my eyes to shut the image of her out of my head. Control yourself, dammit. Stop gawking at her like a hormonal teenager.
Even with my eyes shut, I still see her. In my imagination, I’m there, too. I’m pressed up against her from behind. My hands slide up her dress, up her smooth, flawless skin. All the way up. Until my fingers encounter wet folds.
I open my eyes before things go too far. Jade is my assistant. I can’t have these thoughts about her. She’s been strong enough to keep things between us professional. I’d be smart to do the same.
I swore I’d never be so crass as to seduce my assistant. It’s cheap and tawdry. Not because she’s beneath me or anything like that. It’s because I don’t want to be that guy. I refuse to be the cliché businessman who takes advantage of his secretary. I’m not that. I won’t be that.
Deep down, this is the real reason I had my rule. Not to protect me from them, but to protect them from me. And in a way, to protect me from myself.
I enjoy sex. I’m not ashamed of that fact. The problem is, once I see a woman I really, really want, I have to have her. It’s a compulsion, a burning need that won’t go away until it’s satisfied.
Now, I want Jade.
We sit beside each other in the limo on the way to the restaurant. Night has fallen over Bangkok and the world outside our windows is lit by glowing storefronts and neon signs. The lights paint her face in shifting colors, giving her an ethereal quality. Almost like she’s not real.
Nothing feels real now, not since she emerged from her room as this vision of beauty. She’s thrown my world off-balance. I can’t concentrate. I can’t get my thoughts in order. I can’t even pry my eyes away from her.
I have no idea how I’m going to get through this meeting with the clients. I’m too distracted. Jade is the only thing I can think about right now. The rest of my world has faded. She’s the only thing in focus.
If these potential clients weren’t so important, I’d cancel the whole thing. I need time to get my head straight. Time away from her. Instead, she will be sitting beside me tonight, a beautiful thorn in my side that’s impossible to ignore.
I should have left her at the hotel. But that wasn’t an option. I need her at my side. I’m the big picture guy. I sell clients on the broad strokes of my plans. Jade knows the numbers. The details. If a client has a specific question, she’s usually the one to talk to. Her presence is invaluable. She seems cool and collected now, unlike me. My great hope is that she can keep the meeting on track.
We get to the restaurant, and they seat us immediately.
We’re a few minutes early. Enough time to appear courteous, but not so much that we look desperate. The potential clients arrive shortly after. Four Japanese businessmen. They speak perfect English. All of them have been to American colleges before returning to Japan. I’ve done my research on them before coming here.
We start with some small talk and a few drinks to loosen everyone up. This part is easy. All I do is ask a lot of questions. It makes the client feel like I’m interested. I am interested, but this is how I communicate that to them.
The hard part is deciding when to start to sell. I don’t want to rush it, but I don’t want to take too long either. Normally, I have a natural feel for when it’s time to strike, but not tonight. I’m trying to listen to the client, but all I can think about is Jade sitting next to me.
She sits so close to me her thigh is almost touching mine. Once she moved and her flesh felt soft against mine. Her hand brushes my sleeve and I fucking get hard. Christ, I have it so bad for her. I shift slightly to hide my growing arousal beneath the table. I don’t think Jade notices.
If she does, she’s not showing signs o
f it.
If anything, she’s more on her game tonight than I’ve ever seen her. Cool, confident, and fun. Before I know it, she’s transitioning the conversation smoothly into our sales pitch.
I stare at her impressed.
She is different, and it’s not just her looks. I realize that it is her appearance that brought about the change. She’s not pretending to be something she’s not tonight. This is her. The real her. Now that she’s not hiding behind her dumpy clothes, she’s confident and sure of herself.
I like this new version of her. I wish I’d seen her like this before. It’s a shame my hang ups about beautiful women forced her to hold back. Her initiative triggers something in me, and suddenly, I get into the groove, and focus on business again.
I don’t stop her, though.
She’s on a roll and it’s beautiful to watch. The clients are eating out of her hand, and they’re engaged with what she’s saying. I jump into the conversation without interrupting her rhythm. For the first time, the sales pitch is an equal effort between Jade and me. We make a good team. We’re picking up each other’s ideas and running with them, almost like we’d rehearsed this. Except it feels completely natural.
Like we’re in sync.
The clients are on board with what we offer them. They haven’t agreed to anything yet, but I’m sure they will. They order us another round of drinks. I’ve already had too many sakes. I’m not drunk, but I’m close.
I need to keep my wits about me, not just because of the clients, but because of Jade. Things between us are getting complicated. Or, at least, they’re getting complicated for me. I can’t stop thinking about her as more than just my assistant tonight. I can’t stop wanting her to be more than just my assistant. Any more alcohol and who knows what might happen?
I’m about to decline the next drink.
Jade tugs on my arm. Her eyes are glittering and her cheeks look flushed.
I’ve never seen her like this. It makes the blood in my veins sing. I lean in close to her. The smell of her perfume surrounds me. I inhale it like a drug. She smells like an exotic garden. For a second, I can’t remember why I leaned in at all.
“You have to drink,” she whispers.
“Are you trying to get me drunk?”
“No,” she says quietly. “In their business culture, real conversations only occur when everybody is sloshed. The next morning all is forgotten on the surface, but the subtext and the friendship is not.”
I shake my head and snap back to reality. “Right. Shit. I knew that. Thanks for the reminder.”
This is the exactly the kind of distraction I don’t need. I studied my prospects. I know the protocols. But I lost sight of that because I have other things on my mind tonight. Better things. Hotter things. I have to refocus. This deal is almost closed. I can’t screw it up now.
When the next round of drinks came, we all lift our glasses and drink. My head is foggy. I hope this is the last one.
It isn’t.
We stumble out of the restaurant. It’s hot outside. It matches the inferno burning in my veins and the need pounding in my body.
Our Japanese clients are singing tunelessly. They can barely stand. They clap me on the back. We are all best friends now.
The deal is in the bag.
I try to help them into the back of the two black Mercedes Jade arranged for them, and almost fall in myself. They think that is hilarious and cannot stop laughing at Remington San.
Both Jade and I stand in the heat of the night and wave them off.
I feel Jade swaying next to me.
Our limo rolls up in front of us. I half-carry, half-push her into the backseat and go around to the other side. My entrance is not a graceful affair. My feet get twisted up and my ass lands hard on the seat.
Jade laughs. “You’re drunk, Mr. Remington,” she slurs.
I lean my head against the seat. “Yes, I am, Miss. Emerson, but so are you.”
The car takes a corner and she falls against my side. A jolt shoots through me at the feel of her against me. I perk up a bit through my drunken haze. It’s just her arm leaning against mine, but somehow it feels like the most intimate moment we’ve ever shared.
I raise the partition as we speed off into the night. I’m trying not to get swept up in the moment. I should just keep it professional.
“You did great tonight,” I say. “You’re the one who sealed that deal. Not me.”
She leans her head on my shoulder, and suddenly, it’s difficult to breathe. “You helped, a whole lot,” she mumbles.
“Even so, I’m impressed.”
She giggles. “I bet you say that to all your assistants.”
I smile down indulgently at her. Inside the cool cocoon of this car, it feels as if she belongs to me. Warm feelings fill my chest. I’m not sure if it’s her or the alcohol. Maybe both. “I really don’t. You’re the first assistant I’ve said that to.”
She tilts her head up and our eyes meet. “Well, I’m honored, then, Sir,” she says, staring into my eyes. Her cheeks are flushed, making her look even more beautiful. She nestles her head against my chest.
I worry she’ll hear how fast my heart is beating. My arm is wedged between us and she shifts slight so her breast presses into me. She has no idea of the effect she has on me. She’s just drunk and almost certainly jetlagged. My insides clench at the feeling of her soft flesh squashed against me. I move, trying to make some space, but when I do, she follows, pushing even closer to me now.
“Thank you for bringing me with you on this trip,” she murmurs.
“No, need to thank me. I couldn’t leave you behind. After how you handled yourself tonight, you’ll be coming to all my meetings with me.”
I feel her head nod against my chest. “Good. I’d like that. I’ve never been out of the country before. And certainly, never to a place like this.” She tries to make a sweeping movement with her hand and it falls flat on my chest.
Her breath is warm against my skin. It sends tingling sensations radiating through my body. Desire rises up in me, hot and hard. The longer I spend this close to her, the more difficult it is to keep my thoughts clean.
“I haven’t been this drunk since I was fifteen,” she adds. “When I accidentally drank a whole load of spiked punch. It was horrible. Ugh. I threw up all over my dress. And it was new too.” She hiccups. “Oh, ha-ha. I mean, what kind of spider is blue?” She looks at me with adoring eyes. “And you killed it. My hero.”
The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, “You’re beautiful.”
She gawks back at me, those sensuous hazel eyes wide with shock. “What?”
“You heard me.” I reach down and stroke her chin.
“Do you want to hear a secret?”
“Sure.”
“Pinky promise?”
I can’t believe that I’m entangling my little finger with her. “Satisfied?”
She takes a deep breath and confesses, “I think you’re really, really, really beautiful,” she stage-whispers.
I smile and she catches my hand putting it in her lap. She lets go of my hand, but I don’t pull it away from her. I let it rests high on her thigh. My fingertips caress her skin softly through the fabric of her dress. My touch is light. I’m not sure she can even feel it.
I know I shouldn’t be touching her like this. This is crossing a line, but she feels so damn good. I trace light circles on the material of her dress.
Jade sighs in contentment and nestles closer to me.
My hand keeps moving in the same spot. Every swirl of my fingers pulls the hem of her dress higher. Her skin is pale in the darkness. My eyes savor every inch of flesh as more and more is revealed. My cock aches with excitement. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been so turned on.
Jade’s breathing quickens. I feel it in the steady rise and fall of her chest against my arm. It makes me bolder. I slide her dress up more, to the point where I can almost see the cleft between her legs. My han
d is on her skin now, with nothing separating us.
She moans softly against me. Her hips are shifting now, almost imperceptibly, but the movement is hiking her dress up farther, revealing the white lace of her panties. My whole body throbs with desire. My cock strains against my zipper, begging for release.
I slip my hand between her thighs and run my finger over her panties. She’s soaking wet. She moans again. The sound sends shivers through me and urges me on.
My fingers slide over her in a steady rhythm. Her sweet juices slick my fingers, making it feel like nothing at all is separating me from her. Jade grabs my wrist, and I think she’s going to stop me. Instead, she pulls my hand against her. Her hips push up.
She wants more.
I slide my hand into her panties. She’s blazing hot beneath my touch. My fingers part her silky folds and I plunge a digit into her wetness. She gasps and clenches around me, tight and eager. I rest my palm over her hard clit while I stroke her.
Jade buries her face in my chest to muffle the moans and little breathless sounds that escape her throat. I stroke her hair with one hand while I work the other furiously between her thighs. She squirms and rubs herself desperately against my hand. I speed up in response. I want to push her to her limits and beyond.
Her cries are louder now. I can tell by the way her body is squirming that she can’t hold back any longer. Her whole body tenses up against me in sweet release.
When she can breathe again, I tilt her head up to look at her. Our eyes meet, and I see my own desire reflected back at me. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” I say.
Just then, the limo stops. I look out the window to see our hotel.
We can’t get upstairs fast enough.
Chapter 5
Jade
Luke pulls me into the suite, and I’m tearing his clothes off before he can even close the door. What he did to me in the limo was amazing, but I need more. A lot more.
Too hot to handle: A curvy girl romance Page 32