by Kendall Ryan
“You in that dress. Goddamned breathtaking.”
My pulse quickens with every second his lips linger near my neck. His hand keeps its hold on me as he pulls my chair back from the table.
“I’ve been waiting on you to start in on this champagne.”
I’d happily forgo the champagne for a taste of the man who ordered it, but Case guides me to my chair and I comply. My skin is still warm and tingly from where he touched me, even through my dress. But I fix a polite smile on my face.
“Cheers.” Case lifts his champagne flute in the air and I follow suit, letting the bubbles dancing within the glass distract me. “To the two best authors in town.”
“Ahem. The one best author in town and his assistant,” I say, correcting him.
“You know you’re much more than an assistant to me, Sienna,” he says, clinking his glass against mine.
We each take a hearty sip, and I don’t know if the head rush is from him or the champagne, but I never want it to end.
“More than an assistant? Am I supposed to read into that?” I playfully bite my lower lip.
“You can if you want,” Case says with a shrug. “Or you could just let me list you as a coauthor on the book.”
My flirtatiousness disappears at the suggestion. “That’s super sweet of you, Case. But having my name linked to an erotic bestseller probably isn’t the best thing for my budding career as a children’s dance teacher.”
Case sips his champagne through a smirk. “So you think it’s going to be a bestseller?”
“Don’t you? The things you teach in that book? They’re all kinds of life changing.”
“Life changing? Really?” Case’s eyebrows shoot up, and a smug smile spreads across his lips. “I’ve gotten a lot of good reviews from women, but life changing? That’s a new one.”
Heat climbs up my neck and floods my cheeks. “Your book, Case. I was talking about your book.”
“Are you sure?” He shrugs his eyebrows suggestively, which I respond to with a giggle and an eye roll.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“That’s a damn shame.” He leans back in his chair and folds his arms over his chest, the sleeves of his suit jacket pulling snugly against his rounded biceps. “Because if you weren’t talking about the book, if you were talking about, say, last night? I would’ve had to say the same about you.”
The fire in my cheeks shoots down to the juncture of my thighs. If there was any remaining question as to whether this is a date or not, there isn’t anymore.
The evening is filled with light banter and delicious food, and champagne I haven’t been able to afford since Mom and Dad footed the bill. It’s the sort of lifestyle I always thought I’d earn for myself one day instead of being grandfathered into. I just didn’t know I would get here so soon, or that the sexiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on would come along with it.
Case snatches up the bill the second it lands on the table, handing his AmEx to the waitress without even looking at our total. If it were any other day, I would put up a major fight about splitting the bill down the middle, but not today. I can’t stand another second of sitting across the table from him, having to look but not touch.
My fingers tingle with need as he takes my hand while walking me toward the waiting car. Holding hands in public might push the boundaries of normal summer-fling behavior, but Case initiated it, so I squeeze his hand tightly, waiting for the moment until he lets me go.
Except he doesn’t. Instead, he turns to me with a playful gleam in his eyes. “Are we continuing this celebration back at my place?”
“I would love to.” Heat warms my chest and a smile tugs at my lips.
A few minutes later, we arrive at his house. It’s so beautiful, on the top of a hill and all lit up with outdoor lighting against the dark sky.
And when we climb out of the car, the mood seems to shift.
As soon as he pulls the door closed behind us, Case’s hands find their familiar hold on the curve of my hips, tracing my silhouette with the pads of his fingers before pulling me into one deep kiss after another. When he pulls away, he takes all the breath I have with him.
“This dress is pure torture, you know that?” he growls, pushing the slit of the dress wide open as his hand slides up my thigh, leaving a trail of goose bumps behind.
I hum sweetly as he scrunches the dress up over my hips and pulls me in with a tug of the fabric. His hot breath on my neck is nothing short of heavenly.
“An awfully sexy outfit choice for dinner with your boss.”
I tilt my chin up and our eyes lock. “But we finished the book. Which is what you hired me to do. So technically, you’re not my boss anymore.”
Case lets out a low, throaty noise. “Perfect. That makes you slightly less off-limits.”
My lips twitch with a smile. Like that stopped us before.
In one swift motion, he tugs my dress up over my head and drapes it gingerly over the banister. He hums in delight at the discovery that I’m braless. He runs his thumbs over my nipples, and they go stiff.
Fuck, this man doesn’t even have to try. One touch and I come undone, whimpering at his skilled fingers.
I can tell he’s eyeing the stairs, more than ready to get me up to the bedroom, but I’ve been mulling over a change of scenery.
Might as well take the lead.
Weaving my fingers through his, I pull Case toward his office, my heels clacking across the floor the same way they did on my first day of work. I never would have believed then that I’d be making this same walk in nothing but panties and heels just a few weeks later. The book may be done, but we’ve got plenty of work to get done tonight.
As I reach for the handle of his office door, he scoops me up in his arms and I squeal in surprise. He carries me inside and sets me down on the edge of his desk.
His expression has turned serious, and oh my God, why is that so hot?
“This what you had in mind?” Case shoots me a devilish grin, and I nod as he peels off his suit jacket first, then gets to work on the buttons of his shirt.
The warm light of his desk lamp casts a golden glow over his tanned skin. I feel like I’m staring at a Greek god. But Case doesn’t allow me much time to stare. He kisses me hungrily, his mouth devouring mine as he steadies his hands on the desk. He smells like leather and champagne. It’s intoxicating.
I make a wordless whimper, throwing my head back as his thumbs flicker over the tight pink buds of my nipples, pinching and rolling them in his fingers as I squirm. My breath quickens as his hand makes its way to the lace of my thong.
He pulls the fabric out of his way, and a shudder pulses through me as he parts me with his thumb. A low hum of approval builds in the back of his throat as he pulls his fingers through my wetness. I’m ready for him.
The sound of Case unhooking his belt is music to my ears. While I ditch my panties, Case undoes his pants just enough for his erection to spring free, then takes a step back, stroking himself as he drinks in the view.
“Better than I ever imagined.” He wets his lower lip. “And trust me, I imagined you on my desk like this a whole fucking lot.” To prove his point, he slides open a desk drawer and pulls a condom from it, discarding the wrapper and rolling the rubber down his length. I spread my knees for him, shimmying to the very edge of the desk.
“Better hold on tight,” he says, then pushes his full length into me.
I cry out in pleasure as he quickens his pace, each thrust deeper and more delicious than the last. My fingers are numb from gripping the desk so tightly, but I don’t care.
“Fuck, baby. You feel so good.”
His fingers tangle in my hair as he pushes into me again and again, my body contracting against his thrusts. My legs stiffen as he thumbs my clit, expertly rubbing me until my breath catches in my throat and I shudder around him, the heat pouring out of me in waves. Case doesn’t miss a beat, his thumb not relenting from the sensitive spot it’s been circling, his pace not s
lowing in the slightest.
I tense once more. Holy shit, am I going to come again? My body answers that for me, sending a second orgasm through me like a bolt of lightning as Case lets out one last groan and empties into me.
“Holy shit.” The words fall out of my mouth completely by accident, but Case meets them with a smile.
“Holy shit to you too.” He grins, easing out of me and disposing of the condom. “I’d say we’ve done some of our finest work in this office this summer.”
My giggle catches in my throat at that reminder, and my smile fades. It’s summer. And once summer ends, this fling will go with it.
I told myself this Case thing, just like this job, was only temporary. The perfect way to put myself back in the game, nothing more. And yet looking into those brilliant blue eyes, I can’t imagine telling him good-bye.
I never thought it would get this far. And I definitely never thought I’d start falling in love.
Chapter Nineteen
Case
Two weeks. Two weeks of stolen kisses and secret meeting spots, of torturing ourselves by acting professional during the day and releasing all that pent-up sexual energy on each other by night. Two weeks of Sienna in my bed, making her come, making her laugh, doing everything in my power to make her feel as happy as she makes me.
But it’s also been two weeks of feeling like an asshole for lying to Ryder.
I never meant for it to go this far, for my betrayal to become so deep and entangled, but every time I open my mouth to say something to him, nothing comes out. It kills me to think about what I’m keeping from him, and not just because I know how pissed he’ll be when he finds out.
If I’d known where this relationship would go—hell, if I’d known that it would even become a relationship—I would have gone about everything so differently. But now, here I am, deep into the most fulfilling connection of my life, feeling like shit because there’s no way in hell I can tell my best friend about it.
“Morning,” Sienna says as she walks into the office wearing a silky, floral-patterned button-down and a fitted skirt that she knows drives me crazy.
A smile curls my lips as I lean back in my chair to take her in, appreciative of the few buttons she’s left undone near her cleavage.
Our workdays have become a dance of stealthily taunting each other . . . a double entendre here, a lean a little too close over the other person’s shoulder there, mostly innocent stuff like that. But this top? That’s taking it to the next level. As if she isn’t distracting enough already, she’s gone and made it even harder to focus.
“Good morning, Sienna. Have a good night?” I ask with a wink, memories of last night’s escapades washing over me. It was the first night in a while that she didn’t sleep over—not that we didn’t spend plenty of time in my bed before she left.
She thinks it over for a second before responding. “It was okay. Pretty quiet, nothing eventful to report,” she teases, shrugging and placing her things on her desk.
Game on.
“You really ought to think about spicing up your life. I’ve heard it helps with work productivity.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Well, I’ve heard there’s a new Italian place by the lake, and rumor has it their calamari is to die for.”
“Oh, really? I guess I have to check it out.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
Sienna pauses, staring blankly at me as a smile slowly creeps over her face. She shakes her head at me, looking down at the floor before meeting my eyes again. “Is Ryder . . .”
“Taking a client out around the same time.”
She nods and turns back to her laptop, clearly still processing our new date plan.
We haven’t really talked about the fact that we’re essentially lying to him, and I don’t want to be the one to bring that up. I know how scared she is about him finding out—honestly, I think in her mind, the best-case scenario is that he never finds out, and we just keep doing what we’re doing.
But the more time we spend together, the more I realize that my mom and Nic were right. When the right girl comes along, you’ll know, and that will change everything. I’m scared out of my fucking mind, and I’m wrecked over the fact that I can’t talk to my best friend about it. But more than anything, there’s one thing I know for sure.
Whether I like it or not, whether it’s right or not, I’ve fallen for Sienna. And I have no clue what to do about it.
The rest of the workday goes by quickly. Honestly, I haven’t been getting a whole lot of work done since Sienna and I started seeing each other. Ever since we finished the book, everything else has seemed a lot less important.
Of course, the business is still important to me—as is helping my mom get settled—but now that we’re not breaking our backs to meet a deadline, the days feel a lot more relaxed. Especially because they’ve practically become an eight-hour master class in flirting and delayed gratification. Sienna and I have gotten really good at innuendos—not that anyone is ever really around to catch us.
But honestly, the possibility of Ryder walking in at any moment keeps us on our toes at the office. And at this beginning stage of a relationship, paying closer attention to every little detail makes the whole thing that much sweeter.
When five o’clock rolls around, Sienna gathers her things to head home, eyeing me from her desk as I finalize the schedule for the week.
“So, what’s the dress code for this place? I don’t want a repeat of last time I showed up to a white tablecloth joint in distressed denim,” she says, slinging her purse over her shoulder.
“Anything you pick out will be perfect. Besides, if memory serves me right, those jeans didn’t stay on for long.”
She rolls her eyes, a pretty blush creeping over her chest and up her cheeks. “Fine, I’ll just google the place before you pick me up. Seven, right?”
I nod, shutting down my computer. “I’ll make sure Ryder’s out on time, and I’ll text you when I’m driving over.”
Sienna nods back, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one else is around. I do the same, and when we’re both convinced the coast is clear, I pull her in for a kiss, my hands settling on the small of her back.
Her fingers curl around the back of my neck, and for a moment, the rest of the world fades away. Ryder, the business, even everything my mom and Nic said about finding “the one.” It’s just Sienna and me, coming together in a way that feels like the most natural, inevitable thing in the world.
When she pulls away, trailing her fingertips along my jaw before turning to leave, I watch her walk away with a confidence that sends all my blood rushing behind my zipper.
And all at once, it hits me.
I love this woman. And I’m done dancing around it. I have to find a way to tell her how I feel, as soon as possible. Tonight. At this dinner.
I spend the next hour and a half getting ready, both physically and mentally. I do a quick workout to get some of my nervous energy out and hop in the shower, practicing my speech in my head while washing up and doing some much-needed manscaping.
It’s not just that I want her to know how my feelings for her have grown and changed. I also want to make it clear that I see her as so much more than my employee or my friend’s little sister. Sienna has become the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning, the one person I can’t wait to see. I think about her all the time, and more than anything, I want her to be happy—and I hope to God that she’s happy with me.
My stomach does backflips the whole drive over to her place, making me feel like the biggest loser in the world. I’ve seduced countless women, and built a career around charming and wooing them like there’s no tomorrow. But now? Now my palms are sweaty and I’ve got butterflies in my stomach, all for a girl who very well might still see me as nothing more than a good lay. It’s risky as hell, and it could ruin everything all in one night, but I have to tell her. And more importantly, I have to know i
f she feels the same way.
Sienna answers the door in a dark red silk dress that hugs her curves in all the right places, the fabric dipping around the neckline and stretching tight around her hips.
The things I want to do to you right now . . .
Practically picking my jaw up off the floor, I scrub a hand over my face, trying to wipe away the stupid grin I know is plastered there.
“What, is it too much?” she asks, nervously adjusting the neckline around her cleavage.
“No, it’s . . . Fuck, it’s perfect.”
I pull her toward me by the waist and our lips collide, all the passion that welled up in me at the sight of her rushing out all at once.
“Whoa, there, tiger,” she says when we part, her breathing heavy and ragged. She tucks a few loose strands behind her ear, searching my face for any traces of her lipstick.
“Come on.” I lead her by the hand to my car, trying not to walk so fast that she stumbles in her heels. “The quicker we get to this dinner, the quicker I can take you back to my house and show you how much better that dress will look on the floor.”
Sienna chuckles and climbs into my car.
By the time we get to the restaurant, I’m completely on edge. If I wasn’t nervous enough trying to find the right time to slip a casual “I love you” into the conversation, Sienna had to make it ten times worse by looking more drop-dead gorgeous than I thought possible.
Luckily, the rumors I’ve heard about this place were right—it’s romantic as hell. Tall, cream-colored candles have been placed artfully around the room, giving the whole place a warm, hazy glow.
The hostess seats us at a cozy little table near the front of the restaurant with a perfect view of the lake and city outside. I remember someone telling me about a rooftop bar in this same building, and I can only imagine how amazing the view must look from up there. Especially if Sienna is a part of it.
“Case, this place is amazing,” she says once our waiter is out of earshot, her blue eyes wide with disbelief.