by Watson, Lisa
Now that he’d allowed himself to openly imagine making love to her, there was no way he could stop. Like a checklist, Adrian’s conscience ticked off all the things he wanted to do with and to her. He imagined what her body would look like devoid of that delectable dress she was wearing. Her face materialized before him in the throes of desire. It was maddening.
He stifled a curse as his body reacted almost painfully to the images writhing about in his head. Standing, Adrian ran a not-so-steady hand over his face.
Milán was the most intriguing woman he’d ever met, and she had single-handedly done something no other woman had ever done: she had gotten under his skin. Wow. When had that happened?
“Milán?” Her name burst forth like a cannon shot. When she didn’t answer, Adrian went looking for her.
He finally discovered her on her hands and knees in his kitchen. Her bottom was hoisted in the air and her head had disappeared into one of the cabinets on his island.
“Lo siento, eso fue un trabajo… ¿Qué estás haciendo?” he said loudly.
“No mucho,” she called out.
Adrian arched an eyebrow at that. He took in his entire kitchen, and then regarded her again. His expression was incredulous. “Nothing? Milán, you’ve…completely rearranged my kitchen. I’d hardly call that nothing.”
“It needed it,” she said defensively backing out of the way she’d come.
Adrian’s face took on an intense expression as he watched her rear end rock to and fro as she moved. Milán stood up and smoothed her dress. The material strained across her breasts for a few long seconds. Adrian had to force his eyes not to stare at their progress.
“The feng shui was completely off. The energy was all wrong, and it didn’t make sense from a utilization standpoint. Now it does.”
“Uh…it’s not that I’m complaining, but it’s just that…you rearranged my kitchen.”
“It’s fine,” she said bending down to retrieve the sponge and cleaner. She placed them back in a utility bucket under his sink. “Here, let me show you.”
Milán gave him a brief overview of the changes she’d made. Adrian stood in the middle of the room completely speechless.
When she opened his refrigerator, Adrian ran a hand over his face. “¿Milán, lo que está mal?”
She shut the door and looked up at him. “What do you mean, what’s wrong? You don’t like it?”
“I’m not talking about the kitchen,” he dismissed. “La cocina está bien. Perfect de hecho. Estoy hablando de usted.”
“I’m good, but it’s getting late. I really should be going,” she turned to leave, but he blocked her path.
“Milán, you cleaned a kitchen that didn’t need it—in your good dress. You organized all the food in my fridge by food groups, the water bottles are now all stacked and arranged by brands, and from the smell of it, you can eat off my floor,” he joked.
When she didn’t smile, he tilted her face up to meet his. “I’d like to think that I’m pretty observant, especially when it comes to people I care about. So tell me. What’s upset you?”
“I’m fine.”
When she didn’t elaborate, recognition dawned. “Is this about my phone call? If so, I can explain. It was—”
“It’s okay, no explanation needed. I’m sorry, I really have to go,” she said backing out of the room. “Good night, Adrian. The party was great.”
He followed her down the hallway and back into his living room. He watched in silence as Milán retrieved her shoes, grabbed her purse from his hallway closet and then bolted out of his house like it was on fire. Not once did she look back, and not once did he try and stop her.
This time when Adrian swore it was out loud. The harsh sound ricocheted around him. He strode into the kitchen, yanked open the right side door and scanned over his newly organized fridge. He reached for an alphabetized beer and then opened a drawer to get a bottle opener. When he didn’t find one, he opened another drawer, and another. On the third try he found one. Adrian returned to the couch and put his feet up. He took a long pull on his beer. The more he thought about what they could have been doing right now, the angrier he got. “It’s amazing, Milán. You can feng shui the hell outta everyone else’s stuff,” he said loudly. “Too bad you can’t do the same for your own personal life.”
Chapter 17
The next day, Adrian decided to arrive at work earlier than usual. He knew Milán would already be there and he thought it best to clear the air before the office got busy. What are you going to say? he asked himself. Part of him was still pretty pissed off that she’d left without an explanation. It stung that Milán hadn’t been honest with him about her feelings. His phone rang interrupting the inner musings. He leaned over to pick up the receiver. “Adrian Anderson.”
“My, you sound like a bear this morning.”
Adrian closed his eyes. “I didn’t exactly get a lot of sleep. What’s up, Mom?”
“Nothing much,” Norma Jean replied. “I was just calling to see how your party went last night.”
“It’s seven in the morning, Mother. You couldn’t have called later in the day to ask me that?”
“You know mothers. We always know when something is wrong with our babies. So what happened?”
He stared at the phone. “Mom, I just want you to know that this whole sixth sense thing is kinda creepy.”
“Then stop making me have to use it and tell me what’s wrong.”
“Nothing I can’t handle, okay?”
When his mother lapsed into silence, Adrian ran a hand over his eyes. “Fine. Milán and I had a disagreement, okay? Now do you mind if we discuss this later?”
“Okay, but you fix it, do you hear me? Milán is a wonderful girl and I won’t have you upsetting her.”
“Me upsetting her?” This is priceless. “Mom, has it occurred to you that maybe this issue we’re having is her fault?”
“No.”
Irritated, Adrian decided to end the call before he said something that would only get him in trouble. “I have to run, Mom. I love you and I’ll talk to you later. Tell Dad I said hello.”
“I will, but I meant what I said. Whatever the problem is, you’d better fix it fast. These things have a way of festering. Just the other day your father and I—”
“Mom?”
“Oh. Sorry, dear. I’ll talk to you later.”
After he hung up, Adrian decided to go see if Milán was in her office. Her door was shut so he tapped lightly.
“Come in,” she called out.
Adrian opened the door and walked in. Milán was sitting at her round table with papers and magazines strewn all over it. She watched him advance across the carpeted floor.
“Good morning,” she said in a tired voice.
Adrian noted the dark circles under her eyes. “It appears neither one of us slept that well last night.”
“I guess not.”
“Can we talk?”
She nodded her head and indicated the seat next to her.
Once he had sat down, Adrian sighed heavily. “Milán, I think we need to discuss what happened last night.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry I ran out like that.”
“I’d like to think that we’ve gotten to know each other pretty well. I know what you like, what you don’t like, what makes you happy and when something is bothering you. Last night at my house, there was definitely something bothering you. I got off the phone to find my entire kitchen had been remodeled.”
“Reorganized,” she automatically corrected.
He arched his eyebrow.
“I know. Honestly, I don’t know what came over me.”
“I do,” Adrian said moving closer. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together, and we’re getting closer. It’s natural we’d have feelings of jealousy when other people intrude on our time together.”
“I’m not jealous,” she said quickly scooting her chair away from him.
Adrian stopped her progress with
his outstretched leg. He used his foot to slide the chair back where it was and hold it in place. Milán’s expression turned mutinous.
“Then what had you in OCD mode last night?”
She looked indignant. “I wasn’t being compulsive.”
A smile played at the corner of his mouth. “Uh-huh.”
“If anything I was pissed off.”
“About what?”
“You called me nothing, Adrian. How the hell did you expect me to feel hearing that?”
His mouth dropped open. “Come again?”
Without warning, Milán broke into a rapid-fire conversation with herself in Spanish, her arms waving wildly around her.
“Whoa,” Adrian said trying to get a word in edgewise. When that didn’t happen, he sat back, crossed his arms and waited.
Eventually, Milán stopped and switched to English. “On the phone, you said you weren’t busy. That you had plenty of time for whomever it was you were talking to. Like I wasn’t even there.”
This time when she pushed back on her chair he let her go. She got up, moved away from him.
“I mean so little to you that I’m invisible now? What gave you the idea I wouldn’t mind you setting up a booty call right in front of me, Adrian? What planet do you live on where you think any woman would be okay with that?”
Adrian stood up. “Lani—”
She held up her hand. “¡Alto! No me llamas Lani!” This is not a Lani moment, Adrian. You disrespected me last night and it was uncalled for.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Milán,” he said quietly. “Necesito que lo me escuchen. Contrary to what you may think, I would never, ever disrespect you that way. What puzzles me is why you’d automatically assume the worst of me? Granted, it hasn’t been that long since we declared a truce and started working together, but you just flat-out thought I would play you? That tells me you don’t trust me.”
“Part of me doesn’t,” she admitted.
Adrian’s jaw clenched. “Don’t hold back, Milán, tell me how you really feel.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m trying to be honest.”
He let out a harsh sigh. He strode over to stand in front of her, putting his hand on her back, testing her mood. “There are two things you need to know. First, I was speaking to a woman on the phone last night, and you’re right, I did make it seem like I was alone, but if you recall, I told you it was work that called me. I was talking to our mortgage specialist. I didn’t know how you’d feel about her knowing you were at my house at that hour, and what that could’ve implied. It just seemed easier not to disclose that bit of information. The second thing is that I need you to stop denying there’s something between us that’s more than just friendship.”
She stared at him. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Her eyes were wide pools of liquid amber. They implored him without words.
Adrian’s hand moved from her back to her neck. Unlike the last time in his office, his touch was infinitely gentle. When his lips found hers, they were not there to punish or dominate. They were exploratory and tender.
She clasped her arms around his neck. Her fingers stroked his hair and neck.
“Milán,” he breathed against her mouth. His hands roamed over her back. “This is about to pass that line friends don’t cross.”
Adrian buried his lips into her neck. She moaned in response.
“If you don’t want this to go any further, you’ll have to say so— Ahora.”
*
Talk? He actually wanted her to form enough words to make up a sentence? Was he crazy? Milán’s body slowly moved toward autopilot. Desire left her weak and wanting nothing more than to find the nearest flat surface, hard or soft, to lie on so that they could take this exploration thing up another level.
It was harder to say no than Milán had ever imagined. She wanted Adrian with a fervor she’d never known. It was impossible to keep her body still. “Adrian,” she pleaded moving against him.
His lips nibbled her ear. “Lo dicen,” he commanded.
“No puedo,” she croaked. “We’re friends, and colleagues. That’s where it should end.”
“Tell me you don’t want me and it will end here.” He pulled away, but his hands still held her waist. “Prometo. I won’t force you to do something you don’t want, Lani.”
She watched his lips move with a single-minded intensity. “I can’t do an office fling, Adrian.”
“I’m not asking you to, Milán.”
“Then what are you asking? We should keep things strictly professional between us. It’s never a good idea to date your boss.”
His fingers touched her cheek. “I know, but we have a serious problem we need to address. You see, I realized after you left that I wanted to spend last night making love to you, not sitting on my couch watching late-night TV because I was too angry about your leaving to sleep.”
Milán stared up at him for a few moments before she looked away. “I’m…sorry I misjudged you. I guess I was feeling a little overwhelmed by everything and just…panicked and—”
“Came up with any excuse so you could get the hell out of there,” he finished for her.
She nodded.
“Aside from the damage that confession just did to my ego, why didn’t you just talk to me? You have no problems letting me know what’s on your mind any other time, and all the sudden you get tongue-tied?”
She looked sheepish. “That does seem rather silly, doesn’t it?”
“Yes it does.” He pulled her into his arms again. “I’m not going to pressure you,” he said softly into her ear. “If you want to keep things the way they are, we will. I won’t be happy about it,” he teased, “but we will.” Adrian tilted her face so that their eyes met. “Still, I can’t deny that I want you, Milán. I know we work together, but we’ve got to figure something out.”
“I know.”
She knew Adrian was patiently waiting for her to decide if they should make love. You’re different. You are not one of the women that he’d kick to the curb after a week. He won’t hurt you. Since they’d become friends, they’d compared notes on their respective dates and he’d never mentioned doing anything that sounded ungentlemanly. But would he tell you everything? her inner voice warned.
Still, she couldn’t run the risk of being hurt. She cared about him, a great deal, and if things did end badly, Milán didn’t think it would be that easy for her to recover.
Her nerves were stretched taut. “Adrian, I think we should just…be friends,” she blurted out. “Our working and personal relationship mean everything to me. I…I don’t want us to ruin what we have.”
Adrian searched her face. “Friends,” he repeated slowly.
“Yes.”
He lowered his arms to his side. “I see.”
Milán watched him closely. He seemed to take her decision well, but she had a nagging feeling there was more to it.
That thought was driven home seconds later when he said, “Okay, but on one condition.”
Milán stepped back. “What?”
“You go out on a date with me.”
Her hand drifted to her chest. “¿Es tu grave?”
“Soy muy serio. You say there’s nothing there, I say there is. I’m asking you out, Milán. If at the end of our date, you don’t change your mind, I’ll agree to your request.”
“¡Es una locura!” she stammered out.
“It’s not insane. I think it’s the perfect solution to our predicament. You say you don’t want us to become intimate. I say you do.” Adrian placed a chaste kiss on her lips. “One of us is going to be wrong about this, sweetheart—and I definitely don’t think it’ll be me.”
Chapter 18
Scheduled to meet Justin after work for drinks, Adrian was in a pensive mood as he stepped into HUB 51, a trendy hot spot in Chicago’s River North neighborhood. It didn’t take long for him to spot his friend. He strode over and sat down.
“Hey,” he said.
The waitress descended not even a minute later to ask him for his drink order. Adrian ordered a beer.
“Wait,” he said as she turned to leave. “I already know what I want so we’ll just order now.”
They placed their dinner selections and handed the menus over.
“So how did the closing go?” Justin inquired after their server had left.
“Great.”
“If that’s the case, why do you look like you just had another run-in with Tony Ludlow?”
Adrian’s lip curled in distaste. He paused before he answered. “Was it really necessary to bring up that guy’s name?”
“I’m just saying, I usually only see that look when you’ve crossed swords with your arch nemesis.”
“This is not about Ludlow,” Adrian replied. “Granted, I did run into him at a business luncheon a week ago, but this is about Milán. I asked her to sleep with me.”
Justin choked on his beer. “What?”
“You heard me.”
“Dude, start from the beginning.”
Adrian filled Justin in on his conversation with Milán, and their subsequent agreement to a date. While he listened, the smile on his face grew wider by the minute.
“You can’t be serious.”
“Extremely.”
“You know you’re my boy, but I have to admit. As far as the roadblocks you mentioned, I can see where she’s coming from.”
Adrian’s expression darkened. “Thanks for having my back.”
“I’m just saying, considering your lack of lasting relationships, it’s not unrealistic to think she might be wondering what happens after that magic moment.”
“I wish you’d stop watching therapy shows,” Adrian quipped. “Either that or tell Sabrina to keep her opinions to herself.”
Justin smirked. “You have to admit this is outta left field. Why now? I know you two are close, but you haven’t said anything before about getting in to her—”
“Here we are.” Their server reappeared with their food and Adrian’s beer. They watched in silence as the woman set the plates down and told them to enjoy their meal. Conversation was momentarily forgotten as each attacked their dinner with gusto.