“Around this corner straight ahead,” he said.
I was positive he watched as I sashayed away. I could feel his feral gaze running a blaze up my body. Inside the bathroom, I leaned over the sink with my hands pressed against the cold mounted marble top. Turning the faucet on I glanced at the mirror. My image told a story on its’ own. My hair was slightly ruffled, and my lips were partly swollen from the intensity of our kiss.
“Shit,” I cursed.
There was no way I’d make it two weeks with him without jumping his bones. His response to my risky behavior confirmed what I wanted to know. He was just as turned on as I was. I washed my hands and finger combed my hair, attempting to pull myself together. My hands shuffled around my satin blouse and maxi skirt as I worked to make myself more presentable and professional.
Consider professional bounds crossed…
Yeah, that was true, but I still needed to try, didn’t I? There was a mild knock at the door in a rhythm of three’s. I almost jumped out of my skin. My hand flew to open the door to find Julian’s tall incredibly striking and all male persona standing with his hands in his pockets. His stare bore into me before he spoke.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes.”
I turned off the faucet and stepped out of the bathroom but didn’t glide any closer, making it a point to keep an opening between us.
“Should I apologize,” he asked.
I offered him a warm smile. “No,” I said, “not at all.”
“That’s good to hear because fortunately, I don’t regret it.”
We watched each other keenly before I spoke up. “Maybe we should resume this later in the week perhaps, say Wednesday?” It was Monday, and I needed at least a day to shake off this heaviness that saturated me.
“Wednesday?” Julian mulled it over. “Same time?”
“Yes, same time.”
“I’ll take you back to the Houston Report.”
“Oh no!”
I didn’t mean to yell, but I couldn’t possibly endure a car ride with him. Such proximity at this point wasn’t ideal if I wanted to stay off of his lap, if you know what I mean.
His brows rose in surprise. “How else will you get there?”
“I’ll catch a taxi.”
Julian was shaking his head no before I completed my sentence.
“I brought you here; I’ll take you back.”
“That’s really not necessary.”
“Look, you’ll learn soon enough,” he took slow steps towards me, and I begged my feet to move back, but they didn’t. “I’m not the type of guy you may be used to. With that being said, I won’t allow you to take a taxi… ever.”
His beautiful eyes pierced me, and I acquiesced. It was interesting that I considered myself this independent woman who didn’t take orders too kindly, but for whatever reason, his command I wanted to obey without hesitation.
“Okay,” I said, “Let’s go.”
Chapter Four
“So that explains why you dumped me for lunch.”
The smile I held stretched my face to the point that I covered my mouth and laughed. It was 8:46 pm and I was trying to get back into Santana’s good graces by treating her to dinner. The pizzeria we sat in was busy for a Monday night. I supposed the patrons were trying to get over the day just the same as we were.
“I didn’t dump you for lunch.”
At the unassured look on Santana’s face, I cajoled, “I promise!”
“Somehow,” she said, “I don’t think you put up a fight.”
“But, you don’t know because you weren’t there.”
My stomach growled as a waiter passed by us to deliver pizza at a nearby table. The smells of freshly baked bread, mozzarella cheese, and savory, ripe tomato sauce filled my nose. College jocks cheered and whistled when the waitress arrived at their destination. Santana turned to their ranting, and a few of them sent winks and blew kisses our way. She smiled demurely then turned back to me.
“I’m about ready to go over there and flirt with them if I can get a slice of pizza. Wonder what’s taking them so long with our order. Didn’t we sit down at the same time?”
I nodded as my eyes lingered on the steam that rose from their piping hot dish. “Yes,” I said, “We did.”
“Don’t try and change the subject,” Santana berated.
“How am I trying to change the subject when you’re the one who changed the subject!”
A smile formed at the corner of her mouth and she leaned forward. “What exactly did Fredrick say?” Before I could answer, she held a finger in the air and shook it. “I want details. No, he made me do it speeches, either.” She peered at me with untrustworthy eyes.
“Well, he did,” I shrugged. Santana glared. “Okay, you want details. It seems that Julian Alexander Rose—”
She interrupted. “That’s the guy whose brother is engaged to your sister, right?”
“Yes, that would be him,” I said. “For whatever reason, he decided that now was the time to give Fredrick the exclusive first look at a photo spread he’s modeling in Dubai, and he’s personally asked that I write the story.”
Her mouth fell open. “So, you’ll be traveling to Dubai with that gorgeous hunk of a man?”
“Apparently.”
“Oh, you’ve gotta be more excited than that.”
“Why should I be?”
She smirked at me and ignored my question. “Continue,” Santana quipped.
“Julian asked me if I had plans for lunch and I told him, yes, but Fredrick made it a point to say I didn’t so we ended up…” My sentence trailed off.
“You ended up what?”
I shifted in my seat. I had a feeling Santana was going to accuse me of being a harlot once I told her how our afternoon turned out.
“Don’t get quiet now,” she chirped.
“We ended up in his hotel suite.”
Santana’s eyes popped.
“It’s not what you think. I didn’t know we were going there, but by the time I questioned Julian, we had arrived.”
“So?”
“So what?”
Santana made an exasperating attempt at rolling her eyes.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
My eyes left her to wander around the restaurant. “Where is that pizza,” I whispered almost to myself.
“Desiree!”
My eyes snapped back to her. “Hmm?”
“Did you sleep with him?”
This time my mouth fell open. “Of course not!” I screeched glancing around to see if anyone heard her. “Why would you think I would do something like that? Show’s what you think of me.” I folded my arms and poked my lips out like a sulking child.
“Oh don’t give me that. Julian is the same man you talked about nonstop for a full week after returning from Chicago. And, might I add, he’s the hottest guy I’ve ever seen.”
A smiled ushered to my lips, and a giggle tickled from my throat.
“He is pretty hot,” I said. “But looks can be deceiving.”
Santana nodded just as a different waitress approached with our pizza.
“Thank God!” She reached for a slice and the steam rising from the dish fogged her glasses.
“I’m so sorry, ma’am. Your pizza was ready fifteen minutes ago, but it slipped and hit the floor, so we had to make another one. We normally don’t take as long; please accept our apologies. This one is on the house.”
“Thank you,” I said. Santana and I dug in immediately. But, as soon as the warm layer of melted cheese hit our tongues, we both yelped and laughed. I sent a cool breeze over the top of my slice in an attempt to cool off the simmering sauce.
“Mmmm,” Santana moaned, “This is good, burned tongue and all.”
I snickered as I continued to blow on my slice. After a few bites, Santana prodded me to go on with my afternoon story. I gave her a few details; purposely omitting the fact that I’d almost thrown myse
lf at him because my neglected sex life needed the healing I knew he could give.
“Wow,” Santana said. “Sounds like a delightful afternoon.”
I nodded again as no words came from my mouth. My thoughts traveled to Julian’s lips and the tight grip he held me in as I sat stupefied in his lap. The scent of his cologne mixed with his natural aroma assaulting my nose as if he sat before me now. His thick eyelashes and strong nose was the only thing I could see at the moment.
Santana’s arm reached out to me, her fingers snapping. “Earth to Desiree.”
“Hmm?” I blinked coming back to the restaurant and it’s tantalizing smells of rich pizza.
“Girl, you’ve got it bad.”
“What are you talking about?”
Santana shook her head slowly. “It’s too late. You can’t pretend you’re not attracted to him. I caught you daydreaming.”
I wanted to put up a fight and simply suggest that she was crazy. But I wasn’t fooling her, no more than I was fooling myself. I shrugged. “What can I say, I’m in lust.”
We both giggled and ate a few more slices of pizza.
“So what does this mean for your position at the Report? Are you still thinking of moving back to Chicago, or are you staying here with me?” Santana perked up laying it on heavy by batting her eyes, hoping it would entice me to stay.
“I’m not only thinking about it, I’m still going to move back. The only difference is, reporting on this story will build my brand. That way when I apply for a position in Chicago, it will look great on my resume. I shouldn’t have too hard a time getting a prominent spot.”
Santana’s lips twisted slightly. “With all the work you’ve done, you don’t need one story to seal the deal for you at any newspaper. They’d all be lucky to snag a reporter like you.”
I perked up. “Aww thanks, Santana.”
“I’m serious. I’m not saying it to boost your ego.”
“That’s good to know.”
“I was thinking,” Santana paused, and I evaluated her.
“What?” I asked.
“What do you think about me possibly moving to Chicago with you?”
My brows rose then I frowned. “No way, I couldn’t ask you to do that. Everyone you know is here in Houston.”
“First, you wouldn’t be asking me to do anything and secondly, I would love to venture out and see what another city has to offer. Besides, I would know you.” She wiggled her brows.
I sat back in my seat. “You’re serious.”
At the dumbfounded look on my face, Santana folded her arms across her chest. “Of course, I am. Just tell me now if you don’t want me to go.”
“No, of course, I would love for you to be there! That would be awesome! I just don’t want you to commit to something you haven’t given much thought to. I would feel responsible for your misery.”
She laughed. “I hardly doubt I’d be miserable.”
“If this is something you would really like to do, then you could stay with me and my mother until you found your own space.”
She perked up again and squealed.
“But I have to forewarn you. My mother can be something like a pistol.”
She laughed. “Hopefully I’ll be her favorite.”
“I don’t know about all that.”
Santana laughed again. “So, it’s official then.”
“Is it?”
She gave me a begrudging look.
“Okay then,” I said. “It’s official.”
This time we both squealed.
“What’s your next step with your assignment?”
“I have an appointment to see my doctor tomorrow. It was a blessing to even get one so quickly, but I told him it was an emergency.”
“Oh my goodness, he’s going to think you’ve got rabies or something.”
We both snickered.
“He’ll find out shortly that I don’t. However, when I get home I need to pull out my dusty passport and see if it’s any good.”
“How long have you had it?”
“Feels like about eight years now, give or take.”
“I think you get ten years before it expires.”
“Either way, Julian says if it is expired we can grab a visitor’s visa.”
“Seems he has everything covered. Almost as if this was premeditated.”
I quirked up a brow and stared at her. “What do you mean?”
“Suddenly, out of nowhere, this man decides to give Fredrick an exclusive look? And at the last minute no doubt. You’ve got a week to get yourself together. Who plans a trip at the last minute like that?” She answered her own question, “Seemingly, he does.”
“I don’t see your point.”
“Clearly. No one is beating down the door at the Houston Report to offer exclusives. Then, on top of that, he’s required you to write this exclusive?”
“He didn’t require me, per say.”
“Oh, girl! Now you’re just messing with me.”
“So you think he did it to what?”
“He has the hots for you just like you’ve got the hots for him.”
My phone dinged. I reached into my bag and pulled it out exhaling a heavy sigh.
“Who’s that?” Santana asked.
I groaned. “Fredrick.”
Chapter Five
Fredrick had been calling my phone on and off all night, but I ignored him like the plague. Just because he was my boss didn’t warrant him the rights to disturb me after hours. I knew what he wanted; to make sure, I hadn’t screwed up the meeting with Julian. I wondered for a moment if Fredrick called Julian like he called me. But after thinking about it a bit more, I reasoned he wouldn’t harass him, for fear of losing the account. Getting out of the shower, I wiped the condensation from the mirror and blotted the towel across my skin. It was Tuesday morning, and I set out to make my doctor’s appointment. Since this trip was last minute, I begged my hairstylist to squeeze me in today at noon. It gave me ample time to sit in Dr. Bradshaw’s office, even if it was busy.
I lotion my legs and dressed quickly while I tried not to step on Jasper my Pomeranian. It made sense for me to wear something that would be easy to remove being that this physical would mean getting fully undressed. I chose a simple sundress that accentuated my breasts holding them firmly upright. A belted buckle sat around my waist and the thin material flared over my thighs coming to a halt right above my knees.
I pulled the pin from my hair, and my strands relaxed falling down my back. Although I kept my hair neat and styled with a personal touch, having my stylist dress my hair always gave it an extra bounce. At the door, Jasper wagged his tail and barked. I crouched down to rub his soft fur.
“Be a good boy. I’ll be back soon,” I quipped.
When I stepped outside, a brisk breeze of cool air whipped around me. The winter’s winds hadn’t exactly turned into spring, and I was in denial. I loved springtime, but January, February, and March had been brutally cold. Now the confused climate tried to invade April with its unruly weather. Winter just reminded me how alone I was, but I’d rather be alone any day than being with a lying, cheating scoundrel who didn’t know how to treat a woman. I rethought my dress and decided I couldn’t be late for my appointment. When my phone rang, I rolled my eyes. After last night, I put Fredrick’s number under a melodramatic scream tone; not one that screamed over and over, but one that was a long drawn out nightmare on Elm Street screech. I chuckled. It was perfectly suitable, considering.
“Yes sir,” I answered.
“Desiree, I’ve been calling you since last night. Haven’t you gotten my calls?”
We were on a first name basis. Weird right? Well after years of tidbits and getting on one another’s nerves, it seemed appropriate.
“You mean last night after hours? Unfortunately, I wasn’t available then. I am now. What can I do you for, Fredrick?”
I tried to keep my tone friendly. I didn’t want a bow out knockout match any more than Fr
edrick probably did.
“You didn’t check in after your meeting with Mr. Rose yesterday.”
“I wasn’t aware I needed to check in.”
The phone went silent, and I checked the screen to see if the call was still connected.
“Fredrick,” I said.
“Desiree, whenever you have a meeting with this account, I need you to check in. I need a play-by-play of what’s going on. You leave in four days, and I want to make sure you have everything you need.”
I smirked. “I could use the company card. I’ll more than likely need it since I’ll be in Dubai for longer than a week.”
“Mr. Rose is taking care of all your accommodations,” he quickly added.
I pulled into Dr. Bradshaw’s office parking lot and cut the engine. “You don’t expect to me turn to Jul—Mr. Rose for all my needs, do you?”
I could hear him exhaling now, no doubt turning red at the thought of me spending lavishly with the company card across seas.
“You’ll have a daily spending limit so don’t go over it. But I implore you to ask Mr. Rose what his accommodations cover before spending anything.”
I rolled my eyes so hard they almost got stuck in the back of my head. “Okay.”
“Now tell me, how did the meeting go?”
Images of Julian’s lips seared against mine made me squirm in the driver’s seat. I tried and failed to remove the sensual images. I must have taken too long to answer because Fredrick started barking.
“Desiree!”
Annoyed by his interruption of my pleasant thoughts, my jaw tightened. “Everything went fine, Fredrick. I asked a few questions, took some notes, we had lunch. It was very easy going. Now, I’m on my way into the doctor’s office so I can find out if I need any vaccinations and get Dr. Bradshaw’s recommendations. After that, I plan to touch basis with Mr. Rose to see if I’ll need anything specific for the trip. I checked my passport last night. It hasn’t expired, and as long as Dr. Bradshaw says everything’s a go, then we can get on with it. How’s that?”
“Thank you,” he huffed. “And I’m sure Dr. Bradshaw won’t have any objections, so that’s nothing to worry about.”
Only If You Dare (Falling For A Rose Book 3) Page 3