by Kayla, Mia
“For shoving Connor’s face down to Charlie’s face. Niiiice,” Alyssa drawled out.
I stilled, and the blood drained from my face. “Shoved Connor’s …”
Alyssa turned to face me fully. “Our smart and nervous Nellie Casey was convinced you weren’t breathing and needed CPR, so she volunteered Connor to do it.”
“What?” I couldn’t breathe. Could. Not. Breathe.
No wonder why he had been acting bizarre and kept staring at my lips.
“And I bet you he wants to do it again,” Alyssa added.
“No, he doesn’t.”
Alyssa took an overly big bite of her sandwich. “Please …” She began to chew. “I know men. I know how to read them. I should know. I grew up with three brothers.” She swallowed and gave me a pointed stare. “And I know what they want. And I also know Connor.” She leaned in and gave me a wink. “And I know what Connor wants—and it’s you.”
Chapter 15
Connor
The limo brought us to the stores down Michigan Avenue. My mother had a personal shopper, so I had called up Susan to tell her we were on our way.
Lunch had been awkward, and I could admit that. But ever since lunch, Charlie would not meet my eyes.
When I addressed her, her eyes would look past my shoulder, at someone passing by, at the ceiling, at the floor, anywhere but at me.
It was frustrating as hell because … I couldn’t stop staring at her.
It was like the more I stared, the more beautiful she became.
“Where are we going exactly?” she asked, looking outside the window.
“Macy’s on Michigan. I contacted my mother’s personal shopper. She’s meeting us.”
“Okay.” She nodded. “Does she have the concepts of clothing?”
I angled closer, and when my knee touched hers, she jumped, but then her eyes locked with mine.
“She does have the concepts. First date. Proposal. Wedding.”
“Okay.”
Her eyes stared out the window again, and I’d had enough.
“Hey.” I reached for her hand without thinking what I was doing. “Why are you acting so weird?”
She stared at our intertwined fingers, and her breathing turned rapid. “I don’t know. Casey and Alyssa were saying some stuff about me fainting …”
When her gaze made it out the window again, I leaned in closer.
“Can you look at me? Charlie … please.”
She nodded, but she was skittish. “They said we kissed. Or more so, our lips met. And now, you’re acting strange, which in turn is making me act strange.”
My eyes flickered toward her mouth. Bad idea because she flushed red.
“Sorry.” I shook my head.
“Why are you acting so weird?”
I focused on her hand in mine. Her hand was so soft, so feminine, and I couldn’t stop picturing her fingers wrapped around my cock, stroking it—
Stop!
And because I needed this torture to cease, I wanted to know if she was attracted to me too.
“Because I can’t stop thinking of your lips and kissing you again.”
Her mouth slipped ajar, and without thinking, I ran my finger along her bottom lip.
I heard her deep intake of breath, and I decided I couldn’t take it anymore, so I closed the gap between us and kissed her.
For real this time
When she was awake and fully conscious.
Charlie
Oh my God.
Connor’s palm snaked behind my neck and brought me closer. He was kissing me. Me? And it was a mind-blowing, toe-tingling, amazing experience.
The kissing lasted forever, as though I were floating in an abyss of bliss, and I never wanted him to stop.
With his other hand, he reached for my waist and guided me to his lap until I was straddling him.
I breathed him in, his strong, masculine scent, and every part of me tingled with want, of more of this man.
Connor Colby was an excellent kisser, as though he’d studied the art of kissing in school, mastered it, and now taught classes on the form.
I crushed my breasts against him, and he moaned against me. When he flicked the seam of my lips open, I let him in.
Our tongues tangled in a mesh of fiery passion.
We were all lips and kisses and hands everywhere.
I pushed my core against his hardness underneath his slacks, needing some sort of friction to tame this ache deep down in my belly. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted more. I wanted closer.
His lips nipped a path down my neck and back up to my ear. “I’ve wanted to kiss you forever.”
Our make-out session went from zero to a hundred in a matter of seconds.
After his lips moved to mine in delicious torture, he cupped my breast and flicked his thumb against my hard nipple that he could feel against my silk shirt.
“Your breasts are so damn perfect.”
With my free hand, I untucked my shirt and guided his hand to my breast where he fondled me through my bra.
When I went on my knees, he pulled up my shirt, and he took my breast in his mouth. He sucked and teased me through my bra, and I wriggled above him as his head disappeared under my shirt.
But then the door flew open.
“Sir. We are here.” It was the limo driver.
I fell backward off his lap and took Connor with me. But too bad his head was still underneath my shirt.
The door shut as quickly as it’d opened.
When Connor tried to disentangle himself from my breasts and shirt, he jerked back so fast that the buttons on my shirt popped out and flew everywhere.
“Shit.”
“Fuck,” he uttered.
He pulled me back into his lap, and when our eyes met, we started to laugh and laugh until full-on embarrassment hit.
My cheeks reddened.
What is going on here? I needed to get my hormones in check and stat.
I stared down at my chest, pulling my shirt—sans the buttons—closed. “What are we going to do now?” Panic settled in my gut.
“You can go shirtless. I won’t mind.” His tone was full of humor, but this was nowhere near funny.
I frowned. “That’s not going to work, and your limo guy just saw his boss fondling his employee in the back seat of your limo.”
Realization set in. He’d gotten to second base, and at the speed we had been going, there was no doubt he’d have been at third if his limo driver hadn’t stopped us.
“Steven won’t say a word.” Connor pulled me against him and kissed me.
He wanted a second round, and it took all of my willpower to place a hand on his chest.
“Connor”—I met his eyes—“what are you doing?”
“Kissing you.” A sexy, lusty smile was sported on his face.
But kissing would eventually lead to other things … and he was leaving. And this shouldn’t be happening. He was the boss man.
“Where is this going?”
My question seemed to sober him up. Quick.
“I’m attracted to you, Charlie. And based on a minute ago, I think you’re attracted to me too.”
I hopped off his lap and sighed. Connor was all man, thinking like a man and acting impulsively on his feelings.
“You’re basically my boss.”
“I know,” he sighed. His eyes flew shut, and he rubbed at his brow. “I’ve never felt an attraction this strong. I knew I shouldn’t have kissed you, but I couldn’t control myself.”
His revelation had me cheesing, big and corny style. It was a good thing he had his eyes shut.
“I know. I’m pretty much hot stuff,” I scoffed sarcastically.
His eyes flew open then. “You have no idea just how much.”
“Yeah, whatever.” I waved it off like I did every time someone complimented me.
His hand went to my waist and squeezed. “Seriously, Charlie. When I’m around you, I’m like a teenage boy with his first girlfri
end. Literally, I walk around with a hard-on all the time around you.”
My gaze flickered toward the ground. My heartbeat was pounding so hard that it sounded off, like a gun going off in my ears.
“You absolutely have the right to know that I want you. But I’m also leaving. Chicago is not my home. Never was. Never will be.”
And as high as my insides had soared like a blown-up balloon, his words popped and inflated that balloon.
“Okay.” I appreciated his honesty. It hurt, but I appreciated it. But I also knew then … that nothing could happen between Connor and me.
He was leaving.
Here.
Me.
Which meant he wanted a casual relationship, which I did not do.
Chapter 16
Connor
My words in the limo had created distance between Charlie and me. I could sense it. It was in the way she walked a whole foot away from me, or when I tried to reach for her, she’d jerk away or flinch.
And it killed me. Just getting a taste wasn’t enough. And though every sane part of me needed to stay away, all I wanted to do was touch her, kiss her, and do other things that I shouldn’t be thinking about.
I had lent her my suit jacket to cover herself up, and just knowing that she was almost bare beneath it had me salivating.
We entered Macy’s and went straight to the eighth floor to meet Susan. I’d only met Susan a few times when I happened to be shopping with my mother for a tailored suit.
Susan wore a fitted black pantsuit, and her hair was slicked back into a low ponytail.
“Susan, this is Charlie. There was a mishap to her shirt .Can you help her get another one before we get started?”
Charlie’s cheeks brightened, and she smiled awkwardly with all teeth. “Mishap in the limo … I mean, my shirt, it got stuck …” Her stare dropped to the floor. Rattled, she tried to think of a lie, an excuse as to why her shirt had suddenly lost its buttons.
Yes, my head had gotten stuck in her shirt, but I didn’t want to add that.
Susan smiled and straightened, beckoning a flustered Charlie forward. “Not a problem. I have a few silk shirts down this aisle.”
Susan didn’t ask about Charlie’s shirt mishap even though she noticed that Charlie sported my suit jacket. Susan wasn’t dumb, but I was thankful for her professionalism.
Ten minutes later, we were seated on a plush couch at the wedding area. Mannequins wearing these elaborate white bridal gowns surrounded us.
Odd how we were here, but given that there weren’t any desks anywhere in the shopping area, this was the only place we could discuss ideas on what we needed.
Charlie took out the sketchbook and portfolio. When she flipped open the page, my eyes widened.
“You drew everything out.”
I mean, she’d redone the loose sketches from our meeting in the boardroom to a more detailed portrayal of what needed to be taped. Right next to each scene, she had drawn out the props needed and the dress that each character would wear.
“I have some samples of the material I want to use,” Charlie added, getting swatches of cloth out.
I blinked at her. I didn’t know why I was surprised. She was an artist through and through, and her attention to detail was unprecedented.
“For the female, I like the feel and texture of this material for the date scene.” Smiling from ear to ear, Charlie extended a piece of blue fabric with tiny flowers on it to Susan. “I want her to wear a nice, flowy floral shirt and white skirt that accents the flowers on her shirt.”
“I have something perfect for your vision,” Susan said.
Charlie bounced on her seat, excited, and flipped to the next page. “For the male, I’d like him to wear a solid blue polo shirt and dark-washed jeans.” She turned to face me and pointed to her sketches. “Sorry … this is your gig too. How do these look?”
She looked great, and the way her silk shirt stretched over her full breasts had me shifting in my seat.
“Connor?” Charlie lifted a brow, and my eyes moved to meet hers.
I blew out a breath. I didn’t remember the last time I’d wanted a woman this badly. It wasn’t because the lack of sex I’d had. I’d had casual friends with benefits in New York, and it hadn’t been that long, but shit … it seemed as though it had been, given my nonstop thinking of being inside Charlie.
“Yeah. It’s perfect. You’re perfect … I mean, your vision is perfect.” Screw me sideways. What is my issue? I tipped my chin toward her sketchbook in her lap. “What else do you have?”
“Oh! So, here …” She flipped the page and pointed to the picture where the male was down on bended knee. “I think we should have her in a flowy dress, and the proposal should be at the lake or some sort of beach.” She pulled the fabric stuck between the pages and extended it to Susan. “I was thinking chiffon.”
“Yes. And maybe a touch of organza?” Susan’s face lit up as she rubbed the fabric between her fingertips.
“You ladies do what you need to do. I’m just here to pay for whatever decisions you make.” Because what was the difference between organza and chiffon?
Susan laughed. “And paying is what you shall do.” She addressed Charlie, “Is that all?”
“Oh … the wedding scene. I don’t have anything particular other than a beach-themed wedding, so maybe something not too big or ballgown-style but a fitted piece.” She lifted her shoulder to her ear. “But I think that’s it.”
Susan clasped her hands together and then stood. “Okay, now, the fun part begins.”
When I squeezed Charlie’s knee, she stiffened, and her gaze dropped to my hand. The smile on her face slipped, so I jerked back my hand. There was a sadness in Charlie’s eyes—something that hadn’t been there.
I could see what mixing business and pleasure was doing to her, which wasn’t good. But besides her over-the-top good looks and her charming personality, she had insane talent that made her beyond irresistible.
But … boundaries. Personal space. Isn’t that what they’d taught us in grade school?
“Let’s get started, shall we?”
“Yeah,” I muttered, knowing that it would take continuous effort to try and stay away from her.
Charlie
“I love it!” I stood on top of the circular stand where mirrors outlined the room and lifted my hair to a ponytail.
I could picture it—me opening the door, seeing my date standing there, a little nervous. His hands would be behind his back as he held the chocolates and flowers within his fingertips.
“Do you love it?” I liked the feel and look of the light-blue floral top with short sleeves capped with ruffles at the end. It was girlie and pretty and totally the look I was going for.
“It fits you perfectly,” Susan added.
I turned to Connor to get his approval, and he had the same dang gaze in his eye. Every time I caught him looking at me, heat would rush to every part of me, and arousal would set deep in my belly.
He ran one shaky hand through his hair. “Yeah. Looks great.”
We’d just started shopping, yet he wasn’t really talking, only responding with one- to three-worded answers to my questions.
I knew we’d have to talk about the elephant in the room once this shopping session was over, but I just wanted to get the look right for the commercial and get the rebranding done because numerous families depended on it.
“I really need you to have an opinion, Connor. Like, a real one instead of, ‘Fine. Looks good,’ and, ‘That works.’ ” I placed my hands on my hips. “I’m not doing this for me. I’m doing this for you, your company, the employees at Colby’s.”
He cricked his neck from side to side. That was a new thing too. It was like he couldn’t sit in his own skin. He stood and shook out his legs, as though they were cramped. “This is the thing. You’re smart and creative, and you’ve got these concepts spot-on.” He walked toward me and stood right by the circular pedestal, staring in the mirror in
front of me, brushing his hand on my waist, leading up to my shirt and tugging at the end. “It looks great, and I’m not only talking about the shirt.”
Good God, if I’d any doubt that Connor was flirting, I knew he was most definitely flirting now.
And it only continued.
Susan had picked out a cute, delicate white linen skirt. The front stopped at my knee, and the back was longer and flowed out like a little train. His eyes scoured my body as though he hadn’t eaten breakfast and I was his next meal of choice. I felt his presence everywhere. I took back my earlier command on him having an opinion because, now, he had a lot of opinions, and they all were coupled by him touching me.
“Susan …” Connor’s fingers brushed at the hem of the dress.
Goose bumps prickled up my legs, and I held my breath as his fingers inched higher. “I think we should take the hem up.” He lifted the fabric to my thigh, and his fingers were light as a feather, but he might as well have gripped it in a tight vise because I felt his touch everywhere.
His eyes never left mine as he inched it higher. “It’s the first date after all. He’s determined to impress her, and she’s determined to impress him.”
His eyes were filled with lust, and it was as though I could imagine the thoughts running through his head.
My breaths turned shallow, shorter, and I swallowed. I ran my fingertips along my neckline back and forth and forth and back again, and his eyes flashed.
“Maybe she’s not going to give it to him on the first date.” My voice was husky soft. “Maybe shortening this dress will give him the wrong idea.”
“It won’t.” His fingertips inched higher. “And he’ll wait. As long as it takes, he’ll wait until she’s ready.”
Heat flushed my cheeks, and I exhaled a heavy breath. The insane part of my brain wanted him to take me in this room, not caring that Susan was watching. But I knew that was crazy. There was no way I would ever have sex with him, knowing it would lead nowhere.
I bit the inside of my cheek, getting blood to rush there instead of the rush of blood deep in my belly.