John waved his hand as if to dismiss it. “I’ll take care of that, too.” Adrianna wasn’t sure she trusted that; what if he had aspirations of sharing a room with her? “I don’t want you to have to fret over anything this first time around. It should be a fun learning experience.”
Fair enough, she supposed. She dug into her food, and the conversation fell mostly silent until they were almost done eating. “What do you have planned for the rest of the day?” John asked her.
It took Adrianna by surprise. She obviously planned to be at work, and he knew that. So was he looking for details of what she’d be doing at work? It seemed a very odd question to ask. She stuttered, “I, well, I guess I’m going to give Sean the management assessment exam, so I know what we need to work on in terms of grooming. I’m also planning on running inspection on a couple of the floors where I’ve had a complaint or two to see if I need to have a chat with any of our janitorial staff.”
John raised an eyebrow. “And at what time do you intend for your work duties to end?”
Now she knew where this was going, and she wanted to halt it in its tracks. She didn’t need any awkwardness between them, especially when having a good business relationship was so important to making sure she got this promotion. “I’m not sure. I think I’m waiting for my friend to come take a look at the ballroom so she’ll have a better special idea of her setup. She’s been using a floor map. And then I’m going to take her to dinner to talk about her bachelorette party.”
Slowly, he nodded. “It sounds like you’re going to have a very busy day.” He leaned back in his chair. “Would you mind if I tag along on your inspections? I’d like to see how you notate issues.”
Was she supposed to tell her boss that he couldn’t join her for official business? Somehow, that didn’t seem smart, although she felt like it was a complete waste of his time. “I wouldn’t mind a bit.” She looked at her watch and took a deep breath. “I will say that I should be getting back. I need to send Renee on break so that she can man the lobby while Sean takes his assessment.”
“Very well.” She stood, and John stretched his long form as well. She turned to walk out and felt his hand on her arm. It stopped her cold, and she held her breath as he leaned over behind her until his mouth was inches from her ear. “Thank you for having lunch with me. I just thought it would be a great way to get away for a few minutes and have a conversation.”
She swallowed with relief, her heart pounding, and turned to offer him a smile and nod before continuing toward the exit. Once back on the street, John slipped his hand around hers very casually and led the way back toward the hotel. She didn’t pull away, taking comfort from the closeness in a world of loneliness that sometimes plagued the streets of New York. After all, John was a friend, and it was nice to remember that she had a friend at work, where she couldn’t be in the company of the rest of her friends.
She felt better once they arrived at the hotel and easily separated herself from him. Adrianna excused herself for a moment, needing a few minutes alone in her office to assess her reaction to the lunch she’d just had. She took a few deep breaths while she picked rooms to inspect, telling herself that John was just being friendly and making sure she was comfortable with the new direction of her career.
More relaxed and with a goal in mind that kept her nerves from frying, she rejoined John in the lobby, where he stood at the front desk, chatting with Sean. She could tell by their body language they got along famously, and that was all she needed to know. She had complete confidence in Sean’s ability to do the job, and now she knew he could relate to upper management. He had definitely been the right choice.
John looked up as she came over. “Addy here has told me a lot and has complete faith in you. You come with high praise, and I look forward to seeing you go far.”
Sean blushed and seemed incredibly pleased with the praise. Adrianna smiled at him, too, and told him, “I’m going to do a couple of inspections. When I get back, I’d like to sit you down and have you take the management assessment exam. I don’t want anything standing in your way when it’s time to consider a promotion, alright?”
Shock registered on his face, but he swallowed it quickly, replacing it with pride and confidence. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you. I’ll be ready.”
She nodded to John and took the assertive position, leading the way to the elevator and hitting the button for the tenth floor. “I’ve had three complaints in the last month about not having ample towels, or beds not being made properly on this floor. It may sound a bit petty, but that’s not the sort of hotel we are. Obviously, to pass as a prestigious, luxury hotel, you have to live up to the standards and then some.”
“I agree,” John said, suddenly very quiet and seemingly introspective. Adrianna eyed him, wondering what switch had flipped, and when she got off the elevator, she walked slowly toward the room she’d assured wasn’t currently occupied and swiped the master keycard for entry. He ambled behind her, and she couldn’t help but fear that some sort of strange conversation had occurred between him and Sean while she was in her office.
Adrianna pushed the door open, trying not to let her imagination get the best of her, and took her first glance around the room as John came in behind her. She pursed her lips, not at all happy with the way things looked. “This is what I’m talking about. The booklet with information on the television stations available is tossed randomly on the desk rather than placed nicely at the end of the bed. The sheets are pulled tight, but they aren’t turned down properly. And,” she opened the refrigerator and crossed her arms at finding exactly what she’d suspected, “We’re missing two bottles of water in here, as well as a sparkling water. This is unacceptable, and I haven’t even made it to the bathroom yet.”
She turned her indignation toward John, and her eyes grew wide. He watched her intently but didn’t seem to be listening to a word she said. Something in his eyes looked hungry…
CHAPTER 10
Before she could finish the thought, his lips came down on hers, and while she thought about fighting and saying no, he tasted so good that she kissed him back. What on earth had come over her? His arms pulled her in tighter, and Adrianna lost control of her bodily reaction, pushing harder against him until her hips grinded against his.
John pushed her against the wall, between the bed and the bathroom, and his hand slid up her thigh as she lifted her leg to wrap it around his waist. She tilted her head to the side, letting him kiss her more deeply as he fisted his hands in her hair and tipped her head back. She moaned into his mouth and reached around, scoring her nails over his shoulders and back, wishing she could just rip right through his shirt to that incredible skin beneath.
As if reading her mind, he broke the kiss, leaving Adrianna shivering from the sudden disconnect, and pulled his shirt over his head. She wriggled out of her jacket while John worked the buttons on her blouse, and she was actually grateful her bra clasp was in the front today, meaning she was bared to him without having to break contact.
She threw herself around him with such force that he stumbled, backing into the bed, and with another slight push from Adrianna, he was on his back, her on top of him. She straddled him, feeling his hardness rubbing between her thighs, and she couldn’t control the shiver that ran down her spine. He reached up, cupping her breasts and massaging as she leaned down and took the aggressive position, kissing him with long, slow strokes of her tongue.
His hands wandered, over her back, down to her buttocks, and he removed her pants and panties, baring her skin so he could tickle her inner thighs. She gasped when his fingers crawled further up into her already moist folds and toyed with her cleft, smoothing over the layers and lighting fire to all the nerve endings so she couldn’t help but clench and whimper at the indescribable sensation.
As he played and stroked, she toyed with his tongue, tangling hers with his and allowing him only small tastes. She reached for his fly and opened it, reaching in to release the imprisoned er
ection and caressing him up and down from head to base and back until he was fully extended and swollen to the point of bursting.
She wasted no time, moving his hand away from her core and easing herself down onto him, slowly and methodically. As she did, John clenched his teeth, hissing in a breath with his head thrown back and his eyes squeezed shut. She sat on him, fully sheathing him, for a long moment, letting the chills ride her spine and down her limbs as she reveled in the sensation.
But John didn’t give her long to bask, his hands falling to her waist and lifting her so she slid almost completely off him before he drew her back down with exuberant force, making her peak and moan in complete ecstasy. She let him control the rhythm for a time, one orgasm bursting on top of the ebb of the one before it, and then she became impatient, wanting to feel his reaction.
He was close when she took over, grabbing his hands and holding them down above his head on the bed. It changed the angle of entry, and she cried out at the difference in penetration, the increase in pleasure. It drove her wild, and she began to ride him hard and fast, pinning his hands by the wrist. He didn’t struggle against her, just grunted as he tried not to let go just yet, his shaft twitching inside her as her inner walls convulsed around him.
Now, he ripped his arms from beneath her grasp, using all his strength, and he gripped her hips, his fingers biting into her skin, and he slammed her up and down so hard there were smacking sounds. Adrianna’s eyes rolled back in her head as she came over and over with such force that she lost all possible thought process and could only react on physical sensation. When he finished, he pressed her down on him so hard, his body jerking, that it almost made her nauseous with the utter intensity of her release.
She fell on top of him, both of them drenched in sweat and burning up, heaving as if their lungs couldn’t find oxygen in the air they breathed. Finally, realizing where she was and that she had to be careful not to be seen by anyone, she sat up with a start and climbed off him. “Get dressed, John.”
He frowned at her as she rushed to straighten out her clothing and get it back on her body. “What’s your hurry, Addy?”
She gritted her teeth. “Please don’t call me that. And we’ve got to get out of here. This looks bad.”
Slowly, he sat up, reaching lazily for his pants. “It’s not like anyone saw us come in, and no one is going to question your authority or think anything other than that we are inspecting the room, even if we are seen together.”
Frustrated that he couldn’t see the problem here, she shook her head. “Just please do me a favor and dress quickly so we can sneak out. I’ll have to make this room off limits until I can get it fixed, and I won’t be able to use it as a strike against the maid, either.”
John laughed and nodded toward the rumpled bed as he stood. “Actually, we’ve just created an even bigger case against her.”
Adrianna narrowed her eyes at him. “I’m a fair manager, John, and if you don’t respect that—“
“It was a joke,” he interrupted, finally growing serious. “Look, Addy…” She gave him a harsh look and he held up his hands in surrender. “Adrianna, you are being very paranoid. I think maybe you’re concerned that I expect something from you in exchange for this promotion. I want to assure you that’s not the case.”
She didn’t turn to look at him, blushing and feeling like a complete slut right at the moment. And if not a slut, she was at least a wanton, easy woman. She’d made the mistake once, and while it had eaten at her, she could have lived with that. How had she gotten in over her head like this? Why hadn’t she stopped it before it began? Instead, she’d jumped in headfirst with all engines on go.
She finished dressing and was buttoning her blouse when she stiffened at John’s hand on her elbow. “Adrianna, look at me.”
She barely managed to hold back tears, and she didn’t want to turn around, but there was no way she was going to be that weak. Slowly, she turned and looked up into a concerned face. “Do you feel like I pushed you into something? Was I misreading the signals? Because I thought you were enjoying yourself. If you didn’t want it, you could have said no. It has no bearing on your promotion at all. I just…really like you, Adrianna. That’s the long and short of it.”
CHAPTER 11
It was the last thing she’d expected to hear, and she didn’t know what to say in return. Closing her eyes, she tried to settle her thoughts enough to extract the things she needed to say from them so she didn’t just ramble while trying to get to a point. They didn’t have a lot of time before people began to wonder where she was. “It’s not that I didn’t want it, John.” She couldn’t lie about that. In fact, without the complications involved, she’d want it long term. “And it’s not that I don’t enjoy your company, either. But the situation is all wrong, and I don’t want things to look bad.”
He inhaled sharply. “Are you more worried about being caught sleeping with your boss or being caught sleeping with a white man?”
His question made her flinch. “Honestly, it’s both. Women and blacks are both still looked down on and underestimated. How would it look if someone saw us together, like this, and then a couple of weeks or a month later, I’m promoted to take over your position? It’ll look like the black bitch slept her way to the top.”
John’s expression grew grim. “Why would anyone think that? You prove yourself day in and day out at this job. Your ratings at this hotel are higher than any other under my management, and that’s not something I control. You know, this is 21st century New York, Adrianna. I know there’s still Harlem, but you obviously aren’t just some poor lost soul looking to sleep your way out of or into anything. My guess is that you really think that’s what I’m asking you to do.”
“Aren’t you?” she burst out. “I mean, I’ve worked for you for years, and you’ve never expressed any interest. And I’ve never seen you look at a black woman. Why are you sleeping with me now?”
“Because I’m tired of holding back how I feel!” he threw back at her. She stared at him blankly, and he rubbed his eyes. “Come on, Adrianna, is it really that hard to see? I respect you in your career because you’re damned good at what you do. I think you deserve the promotion, and I intend to see you get it one way or another. But I’ve admired you for a lot more than that for a long time. You’re beautiful, you’re smart, you’re sexy, you have great taste, you’re funny. I could go on forever about the things I’m attracted to when it comes to you. Are you so blind you really didn’t know at all?”
No, she hadn’t, and if she had, she wouldn’t have slept with him the first time. This is exactly what she didn’t want – a complicated relationship. The sex? It was everything she wanted and needed right now, that can’t-walk-straight-the-next-morning sort of sex that left you stupid for hours afterward. But she didn’t want any feelings mixed in with that. And she sure as hell didn’t want the complications that came from sleeping with your boss.
“I didn’t know, John.” Her voice was soft now, all the energy gone out of her like the last breath at the end of a marathon. “But regardless, other people wouldn’t see it that way, either. Society likes drama, and they like to keep up old stereotypes. I want to earn this promotion in everyone’s eyes, John, not just yours.”
He closed his eyes. “What if we were discreet? What if there was no way anyone could possibly find out we were sleeping together? Better yet, what if we weren’t coworkers at all? Would you still want to turn me away?”
It was a trick question, but with her body still buzzing, Adrianna didn’t have the capability of lying. “I don’t think it’ll come as a shock when I tell you I think any woman in the right position would be insane to turn you down if you wanted to have sex. You are amazing in bed.” She blushed saying it, but she meant it and thought she could at least give him an ego boost since she was so adamant about her decision.
He smiled shyly. “That’s good to know. Then, let’s keep everything strictly professional here and only see each other
away from work.”
He sounded like it was that simple, but then, he assumed she was alright with his having feelings for her. “I’m not at a place in my life where I’m looking for a long term relationship, John. I really do care about you, and I think you’re a wonderful man. I have a great time when I’m with you, even if it is all business. But I can’t just start something right now, especially if I’m going to be traveling all the time and taking on a lot of new responsibilities.”
“That is fair,” he answered. Adrianna wasn’t stupid. She heard the ‘but’ in John’s voice. “But just look at that as a reason to start slowly. I just want a chance, Addy.” He didn’t correct himself, and she didn’t correct him either. She liked the way it sounded when he said it, actually.
With a heavy sigh, she sat down hard on the end of the bed. Could she manage to get what she wanted out of an arrangement with John? Honestly, with the exception of wondering what he wanted from her for the past few days, she’d been much more relaxed and capable of doing her job. Could she maintain that if she sorted things out to get the sex without the commitment? And most importantly, could they manage to pull it off without anyone finding out?
She couldn’t believe she was going to try. “If we can keep things casual for a while, I think I’d be alright with seeing where things go. But we have to plan carefully, because I don’t want anyone to know.”
The Boss's Baby (Interracial with Baby) (BWWM) Page 5