by Kat Cantrell
Why had she gotten so upset? Because Jonas hadn’t fallen prostrate at her feet with declarations of undying love? They were essentially still in the early stages of their relationship, regardless of the label on it. Being married didn’t automatically mean they were where Grace and her husband were. Maybe Viv and Jonas were taking a different route to get to the same destination and she was trying too hard.
Also known as the reason her last few relationships hadn’t worked out.
“You’re already fixing it,” she murmured as his fingers drifted to her neck and lightly massaged.
Oh, God, that was a gloriously unfulfilled need, too. After a long day on her feet, just sitting here with Jonas as he worked her tired muscles counted as one of the highest points of pleasure she’d experienced at his hands. Her eyelids drifted closed and she floated.
“Did I wake you up this morning?” he asked after a few minutes of bliss.
“No. I was actually surprised to find that you were gone.” Thank God he’d lulled her into a near coma. That admission had actually sounded a lot more casual than she would have expected, given how his absence had been lodged under skin like a saddle burr all day.
“That’s good.” He seemed a lot more relieved than the question warranted. “I’m not used to sleeping with someone and I was really worried that I’d mess with your schedule.”
What schedule? “We slept in the same bed at your parents’ house.”
“Yeah, but that was over the weekend when no one had to get up and go to work. This is different. It’s real life and I’m nothing if not conscious that you’re here solely because I asked you to be. You deserve to sleep well.”
Warmth gushed through her heart and made her feel entirely too sappy. What a thoroughly unexpected man she had married. “I did sleep well. Thank you for being concerned. But I think I slept so well because of how you treated me before I went to sleep. Not because you tiptoed well while getting dressed.”
He did treat her like a queen. That was the thing she’d apparently forgotten. They were friends who cared about each other. Maybe he might eventually fall in love with her, but he certainly wouldn’t if she kept being obsessive and reading into his every move.
Jonas chuckled. “Last night was pretty amazing. I wasn’t sure you thought so. I have to be honest and tell you that I was concerned I’d done something to make you angry and that’s why you weren’t here when I got home after taking my grandfather to the airport. I could have called him a car.”
“No!” Horrified, she swiveled around to face him, even though it meant his wonderful hands slipped from her shoulders. “We just talked about no pressure and I was—well, I just thought because you weren’t here...”
Ugh. How in the world was she supposed to explain that she’d gone out to dinner with Grace because of a hissy fit over something so ridiculous as Jonas not being here because he’d taken his grandfather to the airport? Maybe instead of using the excuse that she’d missed his text messages, she should tell him how she felt. Just flat out say, Jonas, I’m in love with you.
“We did talk about no pressure,” Jonas threw out in a rush. “And I’m definitely not trying to add any. I like our relationship where it is. I like you. It’s what makes the extra stuff so much better.”
Extra stuff. She absorbed that for a second. Extra stuff like deeper feelings he didn’t know he was going to uncover? Extra stuff like being there for each other?
“I value our friendship,” she said cautiously, weighing out how honest she could be. How honest she wanted to be given how she managed to screw up even the simplest of relationship interactions.
And just as she was about to open her mouth and confess that she appreciated the extra stuff, too, maybe even tell him that she had a plethora of extra stuff that she could hardly hold inside, he smoothed a hand over her hair and grinned. “I know. I’m being all touchy-feely and that’s not what we signed up for. Instead, let’s talk about Cupcaked.”
“Um...okay?” He’d literally switched gears so fast, she could scarcely keep up.
That was him being touchy-feely? Jonas wasn’t one to be gushy about his feelings and usually erred on the side of being reserved; she knew that from the year of lunches and coffee. Clearly, he was uncomfortable with the direction of the discussion. She definitely should not add a level of weirdness, not on top of her storming in here and having a minor meltdown.
This was her relationship to make or break. All at once, it became so obvious what she should be focusing on here.
No, this wasn’t practice for the next man she dated. She was practicing for this one. If she hoped to get to a point where they were both comfortable with declarations of love, she had to tread carefully. While she didn’t think Jonas was going to divorce her if she moved too fast, neither did she have a good handle on how to be less intense.
She needed to back off. Way off. Otherwise, she was going to freak him out. And suddenly she could not fathom giving up this marriage under any circumstances.
“I’d love to talk about Cupcaked,” she said with a smile. “Seems like you owe me some advice.”
“Yes, exactly.” His return smile bordered on relieved. “You’ve been so patient and I’m a selfish jerk for not focusing on your career when that’s the one thing you’re getting out of this deal.”
“The sex is nice, too,” she teased. Look at that. She could be cool.
Jonas shot her a wicked once-over. “That’s what makes you so perfect. We can hang out as friends, but if I wanted to, say, slip my hand under your dress, you’d gladly climb in my lap for a little one-on-one time. It’s the best.”
She shrugged to cover how his compliment had thrilled her to the marrow. “I promised it wouldn’t make things weird.”
Now she’d stick to that. At the end of the day, Cupcaked was important to her. She’d just have to make sure that eventually Jonas realized that he was important to her, as well.
* * *
Jonas ducked out of a meeting on Friday with a guilty conscience. While he knew Viv would understand if he put off a thorough analysis of her business plan, he wasn’t okay with ignoring his promise. Unfortunately, Park had come through with some amendments to the merger agreement Jonas had drafted, which had taken his time and attention for the whole of the week.
The moment he stepped outside the Kim Building, the sunshine raised his spirits. He was on his way to see his wife at Cupcaked, which oddly would mark the first time he’d graced the store since they’d gotten married. Before the wedding, he found excuses to drop by on a frequent basis. But now he didn’t have to. The cupcake baker slept in his bed and if he wanted to see her, all he had to do was turn his head.
It was pretty great. Or at least that’s what he’d been telling himself. In reality, the look on Viv’s face when she’d told him she valued their friendship had been like a big fat wake-up call. Basically, she was telling him no pressure worked for her regardless of how hot he could get her with nothing more than a well-placed caress.
Well, that was great. He didn’t have any desire to pressure her into anything. But he couldn’t deny that he might like to put more structure around things. Would she think it was weird if he expected her to be his plus-one for events? His admin was planning a big party for the whole company to commemorate the anniversary of opening the Kim Americas branch. He wanted Viv by his side. But it was yet another favor. If they were dating instead of married he wouldn’t think twice about asking her.
Everything was backward and weird and had been since that no-pressure discussion, which he’d initiated because he needed the boundaries. For no reason apparently. Viv so clearly wasn’t charging over the imaginary lines he’d drawn in the sand. In fact, she’d drawn a few lines of her own. Yet how could he change those lines when Viv had gotten so prickly about the subject? In fact, she’d already tried to call off t
he intimate aspects of their relationship once. He needed to tread very carefully with her before he got in too deep for them both.
When he got to Cupcaked, the door was locked. Not open yet. He texted Viv that he was outside and within thirty seconds, she’d popped out of the kitchen and hurried to the plate-glass door with a cute smile.
“I didn’t know you were coming by,” she commented unnecessarily since he was well aware it was a surprise. After she let him in, she locked the door and turned, her brown hair shining in the sunlight that streamed through the glass.
Something was wrong with his lungs. He couldn’t breathe. Or think. All he could do was soak in the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life. And all of his good intentions designed to help her with her business flew out the window in a snap.
Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She softened instantly and the scent of vanilla and Viv wound through his senses, robbing him of the ability to reason, because the only thing he could think about was getting more of her against him.
Almost as if she’d read his mind, she opened under his mouth, eagerly deepening the kiss, welcoming the broad stroke of his tongue with her own brand of heat. Slowly she licked into his mouth in kind, teasing him with little flutters of her fingers against his back.
That was not going to work. He wanted to feel her fingers against his flesh, not through the forty-seven layers of clothing between them.
Walking her backward, he half kissed, half maneuvered her until they reached the kitchen, and then he spun her through the swinging door to the more private area, where the entire city of Raleigh couldn’t see them.
Her mouth was back on his without missing a beat, and he pushed her up against the metal counter, trapping her body with his. Her sweet little curves nestled into the planes of his body and he wasn’t sure if he could stand how long it was taking to get her naked.
The zipper of her dress took three tries to find and then slid down easily, allowing him to actually push the fabric from her shoulders instead of ripping it, a near miracle. There was something about her that drove him to a place he didn’t recognize, and it bothered him to be this crazy over her. But then her dress slipped off, puddling to the floor, and he forgot about everything but her as she unhooked her bra, throwing it to the ground on top of her dress.
Groaning, he looked his fill of her gorgeous breasts, scarcely able to believe how hard and pointy they were from nothing other than his gaze. Bending to capture one, he swirled his tongue around the perfection of her nipple and the sound she made shot through his erection like an arrow of heat.
“Hurry,” she gasped. “I’m about to come apart.”
Oh, well, that was something he’d very much like to witness. In a flash, he pushed her panties to her ankles and boosted her up on the counter. Spreading her legs wide, he brushed a thumb through her crease and, yes, she was so ready for him.
She bucked and rolled against his fingers, her eyes darkening with the pleasure he was giving her, and he wanted her more than anything he could recall. As much as he’d like to do any number of things to bring her to climax, there was one clear winner. Ripping out of his own clothes in record time, he stepped back between her thighs and hissed as she nipped at his shoulder.
“Tell me you have a condom,” she commanded, and then smiled as he held it up between his fingers.
He’d stashed a couple in his wallet and he really didn’t want to examine that particular foresight right now. Instead, he wanted to examine the wonders of Viv and sheathed himself as fast as humanly possible, notching himself at the slick entrance to her channel. Her wet heat welcomed him, begged him to come inside, but he paused to kiss her because that was one of his favorite parts.
Their tongues tangled and he got a little lost in the kiss. She didn’t. She wrapped her legs around him, heels firm against his butt, and pushed him forward, gasping as he slammed into her. So that’s how she wanted it. Two could play that game.
He engulfed her in his arms and braced her for a demanding rhythm, then gave it to her. She took each and every thrust eagerly, her mouth working the flesh at his throat, his ear, nipping sensuously. He was the one about to come apart.
Viv flew through his soul, winging her essence into every diameter of his body. Wiggling a hand between their slick bodies, he fingered her at the source of her pleasure, gratified when she cried out. Her release crashed against his, shocking him with both the speed and intensity.
She slumped against him, still quaking as she held on. He was busy losing the entire contents of his body as everything inside rushed out in a flash to fill her. Fanciful to be sure since there was a barrier preventing anything of the sort. But she’d wrung him out, taken everything and more, and he couldn’t have stopped the train as it barreled down the track, even if he wanted to. Why would he want to?
He turned his head, seeking her lips, and there they were, molding to his instantly. Viv was amazing, a woman he liked, cared for deeply even, and they had the most spectacular chemistry. He could hardly fathom how much he still wanted her four seconds after having her. It was everything he said he wanted.
Except the warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with sex wasn’t supposed to be there. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew what was happening. He’d let her in, pretending that being friends gave him a measure of protection against falling for her. Instead, he’d managed to do the one thing he’d sworn he’d never do—develop feelings for someone who didn’t return them.
This was a huge problem, one he didn’t have a good solution for. One he could never let her know he was facing because he’d promised not to pressure her.
Best thing would be to ignore it. It wasn’t happening if he didn’t acknowledge it. And then he wouldn’t be lying to her or dishonoring the pact he’d made with his friends, neither of which could ever happen. If he didn’t nurture these fledging tendrils of disaster that wound through his chest, he could kill them before they ruined everything.
Actually, the best thing would be to stop being around Viv so much. Without letting on to her that he was deliberately creating distance.
The thought hurt. But it was necessary for his sanity.
Nine
Jonas helped Viv off the metal countertop that she’d have to bleach within an inch of its life and pray the fourteen different health-code violations never came to light.
It had been worth it. Whenever Jonas got like that, so into her and excited and feverish as if he’d die if he didn’t have her that instant...that was the best part of this fake marriage. Men were never that gaga over her. Except this one. And she secretly loved it. She couldn’t tell him. What would she say?
Slow and steady wins the race, she reminded herself. Not-Clingy was her new middle name and she was going to own it. Even if it killed her not to blubber all over him about how it was so beautiful it hurt when he was inside her.
They spent a few minutes setting their clothes back to rights, no small feat without a mirror. She gladly helped Jonas locate his missing tie and then buttoned his suit jacket for him when he forgot.
“Gorgeous,” she commented after slipping the last button into its slot and perusing the final product of her husband in his power suit that she immediately wanted to strip him out of again.
He grinned. “Yes, you are.”
Great, now she was blushing, judging by the prickles in her cheeks. Dead giveaway about the things going on inside that she’d rather keep a secret.
“Now, stop distracting me,” he continued. “I’m here to get started on my promise to review your books. Lead me to them.”
Oh. For some reason, she’d thought he’d come by strictly to have an explosive sexual encounter in her bakery. But in reality, he was here for business reasons. That took a little of the wind from her sails though it shouldn’t have. Of course he’d ho
nor his promise to help her, despite absolutely no prompting on her part. “Sure, my office is in the back. We can squeeze in there.”
She led him to the tiny hole in the wall where she paid bills and ordered inventory. It wasn’t much, not like the Kim Building, where Jonas had an entire office suite expressly designed for the CEO. But she wasn’t running a billion-dollar electronics company here, and they both knew that.
He didn’t complain about the lack of comfort and space, easily sliding into the folding chair she pulled from behind the door and focusing on her with his dark eyes. “Let me see your balance sheet.”
Dutifully, she keyed up her accounting software and ran the report, then pushed the monitor of her ancient computer toward him so he could see it. His gaze slid down the columns and back up again. Within a moment, he’d reviewed the entire thing and then launched into a dizzying speech about how her asset column was blah blah and her inventory was blah blah something else. After five minutes of nodding and understanding almost nothing of what he said, she held up a hand.
“Jonas, while I appreciate your attention on this, you lost me back around ‘leveraging your cash.’ Can we take a step back and focus on the goal of this?”
She knew what her goal was. Spend time with Jonas. But clearly he’d taken the idea of helping her seriously.
“Sure, sorry.” He looked chagrined and adorable as he ran a hand through his hair. “I shouldn’t have gone so deep into financial strategy that quickly. Maybe I should ask you what your goal is since your career is the most important thing to you. What do you want to see happen with Cupcaked?”
Oh, yeah, right. Her career. The thing she’d sold to him as the reason she didn’t date. “I haven’t really thought about it.”
Should she be thinking about it? She wasn’t rich by any stretch, but she made enough and got to bake cupcakes for a living. What else was there?
“Okay.” His smile broadened. “I hear you saying that you need help coming up with a five-year plan. Part of that should include a robust marketing strategy and expansion.”