by Kendall Ryan
Allison snickers. “Yeah. Except maybe don’t use the word bang.”
“Then what do I say? I’ve never even asked a guy out on a date before. How am I supposed to know how to do this?”
“Sienna. Chill out. You’re gonna hurt yourself.” She smirks, biting into her sandwich with a wink.
I release my shoulders, which at some point I must have pressed against my ears in stress. Once I’ve taken a few deep breaths, Allison puts on her best pep-talk voice.
“Listen, his dick has already spoken. He wants you. That’s the most difficult part, and the work is already done for you. All you have to do is give him the go-ahead and then enjoy the best sex of your life. What’s the worst that could happen?”
I waste the rest of the hour inundating Allison with worst-case scenarios, most of which involve me losing both my jobs and somehow accidentally burning his house down. Allison swiftly shoots down every single one, and by the time lunch is over, I’m all out of potential disasters.
When I walk up to the counter to snag a salad for Case, I feel physically lighter. Maybe Allison is right. If I’m going to have a summer fling, why shouldn’t it be with the man who has literally written the book on mind-blowing sex?
I almost feel giddy at the thought of throwing caution to the wind like this.
In the parking lot, Allison offers me a ride back to the office, but I politely decline. I can use the time walking back to hone my strategy.
Is it really just as simple as flat out telling him I’m game?
That shouldn’t be too difficult. Case already made the first move, and his dick made the second one. All I have to do is walk in there and tell him what I’m sure he already knows.
I want him.
• • •
I strut through the door of his office, where Case remains working at his desk, worrying his fingers through his hair as he edits. God, the way he works his long, thick fingers through his hair like that. I want those fingers tangled up in my blond waves.
Shit. The thought knocks me off my game.
“Hey.” He barely looks up as I set the container of salad on the edge of his desk. “Thanks for that.”
I nod and take a deep breath, still standing beside him. I practiced a few potential lines on my walk over here, but one look at him and they’ve all evaporated. I rein in my nerves.
It’s now or never, Sienna. Just say the first thing that comes to mind.
“I want a ride.”
Case glances up at me momentarily, his eyebrows knitted together, then shifts his focus back to his screen before he responds. “Where to, home? Didn’t you drive here?”
I gulp. Am I really going to have to spell it out? I roll my shoulders back and take a quick cleansing breath. I’ve come this far. No turning back now.
Trying again, I use a lower, more sultry tone. “No, Case. You know what I mean. I want to take a ride.”
I ready myself for him to leap up from behind his desk, take me in his arms, and start demonstrating everything he’s going to write about in the next chapter of his book. Instead, all I get out of him is a muffled snicker.
“That kind of ride will cost you about five grand, babe.”
He hardly gives me half a smirk before turning back to his computer.
Shit. Why did I word it that way? Why did I use that voice? He probably thought I was joking.
I quickly set the plastic fork on top of the salad container and hurry back to my desk to hide my bright red cheeks behind my laptop screen.
What the hell do I do now? Laugh it off as a joke? Pretend it never happened? I lose either way. There’s only one way through this, and that’s to face it head-on.
“I was serious, Case.”
Silence again. Damn it. He’s not making this easy on me.
I ramble on to fill the silence. “I’m not looking for anything serious. Just a summer fling. And you said it yourself. You’re a little, um, selective these days. If you can’t get it up for anyone else, then this might be the perfect solution. I get a summer fling, and you get things up and working again. Maybe I could cure you.”
“Cure me? I’m not sick, Sienna. My dick is just choosy.”
“Well, it chose me. So, what are we waiting for?”
“You’re funny, Sienna,” Case says through a laugh. “But it’s not gonna happen.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re Ryder’s little sister.”
Seriously? That’s his excuse?
Fucking hell. Way to make me feel two inches tall and about as desirable as a garden gnome.
“I don’t report to Ryder on my sex life. I’m his sister, not his property.”
I know the aggravation in my voice can’t be sexy, but let’s face it. I’m annoyed. Using Ryder as an out?
I go for a gentler approach and a softer tone. “He’d never have to know.”
“He’d find out. Word travels fast around here. And he’d kick my ass, Sienna. I’ve been friends with him too long. I can’t fuck you, even if I wanted to.”
“It sure felt like you wanted to last night.” I fold my arms tightly over my chest, covering the flush creeping across my skin. But this time, it’s not from embarrassment. I’m red hot with frustration.
“It doesn’t matter, babe. It’s not happening.”
My throat constricts. Did he just babe me again?
“Listen, I don’t—”
“It’s not up for discussion,” Case snaps. “Can we get back to work, please?”
Like I could possibly get any work done now. I slam my laptop closed and spring from my seat. “You’re an asshole, Case.”
The insult rolls right off him without so much as a twitch. “Yeah, whatever. I get that a lot.”
Screw the chapter. I’d much rather skip out on a few hours of pay than spend another second in this office with this pompous asshole.
Practically fuming, I snatch up my purse and stomp out of the office and out the front door, slamming it behind me. I know I’m going full angry-teenager mode, but I don’t give a shit. If he’s going to treat me like a kid, then I’m going to act like one.
Chapter Eleven
Case
What the fuck just happened?
I stare down the hallway outside my office, where Sienna just stormed out. If last night’s impulsive move on my part wasn’t bad enough, now this? What the hell is she thinking? She just told me how pissed off her brother was when one of his friends kissed her at a dumb high school party. What does she think he’ll do if he finds out I fucked her?
It doesn’t matter what I want. It doesn’t matter that she’s the only woman who can seem to get me hard, or that she smells like sunshine and flowers. It doesn’t matter that she’s smart and sexy, or that she tasted like heaven when I kissed her.
It’s a terrible idea. And one that I definitely, definitely can’t act on.
To be honest, I’m more than a little surprised that she wants me too. At first, I thought she was kidding, teasing me with that smart mouth of hers. But one look at her big blue eyes told me she was one hundred percent serious. I had to shut that shit down hard because I already knew I could never, should never sleep with her, and the sooner she knew that, the better off we both would be.
Scrubbing my hands roughly through my hair, I let out a deep sigh.
I can’t fuck Sienna.
I can’t fuck Sienna.
Maybe if I repeat it to myself enough times, I’ll actually believe it.
It’s time to put my head down and get back to work. I’ve still got a deadline to meet, and this final chapter isn’t going to write its damn self.
Skimming through what I’ve already written, I do my best to find my lost train of thought. Only the second I start thinking about the G-spot, my mind immediately goes to Sienna and all the things I’ve wanted to do to her since the second she walked into my office.
No matter how hard I try to push through and ignore how much I want her, it’s no use. Sienna’s
fully and completely screwed with my head. And there’s only one way for me to get out of this funk.
I need to find some other way to unleash all this pent-up sexual energy that doesn’t involve Sienna.
After saving what little I’ve managed to write, I shove up out of my chair, knowing I’m not going to get anything else done today.
Wandering into the kitchen, I grab a bottle of water and weigh my options. Maybe my dick knows the difference between work sex and a casual hookup. Maybe I’m only broken because I’m overworked. Since I can’t have Sienna, maybe the next best thing is to try to have sex just for fun. I hardly remember what that’s like anymore.
That’s fucking sad. No wonder my dick’s bent out of shape. Not literally . . . that would suck.
It’s still too early to hit the bar scene, but with my mind made up, I already feel better. More calm, in control.
I head to my bedroom to change, deciding a light run on the treadmill will clear my head. Then I’ll shower and head out to a club where I know there are bound to be single ladies.
• • •
At the bar, I order two fingers of whiskey, neat. Not so much that it’ll mess with my already confused dick, but just enough to take the edge off. I have no problem picking up women—it’s literally part of my job—I just need something to calm my confusion and frustration over Sienna.
I still can’t believe she propositioned me like that. What the hell was she thinking?
Within minutes, my sights land on a pretty redhead across the room wearing a low-cut floral print dress, perfectly accentuating the nicest rack I’ve seen in a long time.
Well, the second nicest, if I’m being honest. But since I’m not allowed to touch Sienna, this will have to work. At least, I hope it does.
The redhead is exactly the kind of woman I would have picked up before things got screwed up down south—pretty, but not overly done up. When our eyes meet, she shoots me a smile before shyly looking away.
Game on.
I join her at her end of the bar, leaning my elbows on the wood surface and cocking my head to the side. She turns to face me, crossing one knee over the other, an amused smile pulling up the corners of her lips.
“I don’t mean to bother you, but I just wanted to let you know that Mr. Frat Bro over there is planning to make his move on you any minute now.” I nod toward a man standing by the dartboard wearing a pink polo with the collar popped, chugging the last of his beer and staring intently our way.
She raises her eyebrows, tossing her crimson locks over her shoulder as she turns to check him out, and rolls her eyes as she turns back to me. “Not exactly my type.”
“I had a feeling. Some men have a hard time telling who’s in and out of their league.”
She smiles and leans toward me, giving me even more of an eyeful of her ample cleavage. “And how exactly do you fit into my league?” she says, her voice low and suggestive.
Normally, this kind of response would be any man’s dream, a clear invitation to keep barreling forward to the inevitable end goal, full speed ahead. Except it isn’t doing a damn thing for me. No twitch in my pants. No ache in my gut. Not even a goddamned hint of arousal.
Un-fucking-believable.
She’s practically shoving her tits in my face, and I can’t even muster up a flicker of interest. Fuck, maybe I’m more broken than I thought.
I push my frustration aside as best I can, chatting with the redhead a few minutes longer before making up some phony excuse to get out of there. Anything to get away from the living, breathing reminder that my cock wants one person, and one person alone.
Fucking Sienna.
After climbing back into my car, I grip the steering wheel with both hands, my blood on the brink of boiling.
I’ve tried everything. I stopped seeing clients. I stopped having sex. I ignored my attraction to her. I even tried to find someone else, anyone who might make me forget about those big blue eyes and that long blond hair. But no, my cock has made it absolutely clear that it won’t perform for anyone else.
I’m not a goddamned circus monkey, but damn, I feel like one right about now.
That’s when I decide.
Fuck it. I’m going for it.
Within fifteen minutes, I pull up outside Sienna’s apartment. Ryder’s with a client tonight, so I know it’s safe to see her. Without thinking about it a second longer, I get out of my car and march to her door, knocking with more purpose than I ever have before.
A few moments later, a very confused-looking Sienna answers the door, dressed in an oversized T-shirt and baggy sweatpants, her hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Even without any makeup on, she’s fucking gorgeous, and I can’t help being turned on by the sight of her so undone.
She looks shocked to see me, frozen in the doorway with one hand still on the handle. I’m vaguely aware of the fact that I’m practically panting, but in this moment, I don’t have a single fuck left to give.
“Case, what are you—”
“Do you still want to fuck?”
She falters, her mouth falling open as she searches my face for a hint of sarcasm. “I thought you made your feelings clear about that earlier.”
“Changed my mind.”
“Well, you didn’t have to come all the way over here. You have my number, you know.”
“Are you in or not?”
Folding her arms over her chest, she shifts her weight from one foot to the other, her mouth lifting slightly at the corners. “Yes,” she says quietly, briefly making eye contact before looking down at the floor.
This shyness is the last thing I expected from her, after everything that’s already happened, but it only makes me want her more.
Without thinking, I close the distance between us, wrapping my arms around her as my mouth crushes over hers. She meets my kiss with equal passion, her hands instinctually snaking over my shoulders as our bodies collide, my growing erection already pressing into her belly.
Reluctantly, I pull away, my breathing heavy and ragged. “Tomorrow,” I say on a gasp. I’m so turned on, I can barely get the word out.
She nods, her eyes glazed over from the kiss. “After work. Ryder has another client. Come by around eight.”
We kiss again, every inch of my body screaming at me to stay and take her right here, but I know I can’t do that. We need to be smart about this. The stakes are too high for me to be reckless.
Now I just need to find a way to get any work done tomorrow.
Chapter Twelve
Sienna
If anticipation is half the fun, Case’s office should be freaking Disneyland today. But instead, it feels a lot more like a test of my patience. Since the moment I set one heeled foot in the office this morning, today has been nothing short of a full-on battle between me and my sex drive. So that’s been super fun.
And with every passing moment, I’m more and more certain that I’m losing. I’m not sure if it makes it better or worse knowing that Case is just a few feet away, fighting the exact same battle. Those wild blue eyes of his have spent a bit too much time tracing my curves and not quite enough time focusing on the chapter we need to get done today. It’s going to be a long day, to say the least.
The clock in the corner chimes, reminding me that time is not standing still, despite all evidence that says otherwise. I glance up at it, surprised to see it’s only ten thirty. This hour and a half has felt like a full work week. That being said, I’ve probably done all of ten minutes of actual editing so far. My sex drive and my work ethic must be inversely related.
All right, Sienna. Focus.
No matter what plans are in store for the evening, there’s still work that has to be done before we get to playtime. I shift into work mode, but after two sentences of this chapter about G-spot stimulation, I slip right back out of it.
Damn it. A bead of sweat trails down my lower back. Is it warmer in here than usual?
I consider asking Case to lower the air-condition
ing, but if he’s having half the trouble concentrating that I am, I don’t want to break his workflow.
I slip out of my emerald-green cardigan one arm at a time, revealing my freckled shoulders, but as I go to hang it on the coat rack, I see the temperature of the room isn’t the problem at all. Case’s stare is hot on my skin, watching my every move like I’m his personal private show.
“Nice skirt,” he murmurs under his breath.
Yeah, sure. It’s the skirt he’s looking at.
I shuffle back to my desk, homing back in on the chapter. I can’t force Case to write, but at least I can tackle the task in front of me. Maybe if I can get through editing our work from yesterday, I can help Case brainstorm ideas for this upcoming chapter on cunnilingus. To be honest, I haven’t stopped brainstorming since we finally made our deal last night.
I hardly make it another paragraph and a half before that wave of heat comes over me again. Case isn’t even pretending to work; his eyes are fixed on me. This isn’t just stealing glances. It’s full-blown staring.
“Keep your eyes on your work, Mr. Smith,” I remind him. I try desperately to focus on my typing, but once I spot him in my peripheral vision pushing up the sleeves of his shirt, I go completely weak.
“Call me Mr. Smith again,” Case says with a smug smile, those blue eyes heating.
All right, I’ll play along. My tongue hits my teeth slowly and deliberately as I comply with his request. “Mister. Smith.”
Case shakes his head, rolling his chair back from his desk. “Fuck. It’s taken me this whole hour to write one damn paragraph, you know that?”
“Sounds like you need some inspiration,” I say with a shrug.
Would it be so bad if we sneaked up to his bedroom and did this thing now? Hell, we could take care of it right here. If we locked the door, I could be quiet enough that no one would have to know. He wouldn’t even have to take my skirt off if he didn’t want to. Just bend me over his desk and pull my panties to the side.
Oh my God, I’ve seriously lost it. Yes, having a summer fling was on my bucket list for this summer, but I’m just becoming brazen about it now. I hardly recognize this side of myself.