Tempting Her

by Chloe Peterson

  Robin looked briefly terrified. “A first date?”

  “Yeah, a first date. We have like six hours left on this plane, plenty of time for a first date.” Carly frowned and looked around the small cabin. “I’m not entirely sure what we can do. I usually like to do dinner and a movie for a first date. You know, something classic.” She flushed a little, remembering how just a few days ago she had been building up her courage to ask Ryan if he would want to go on such a first date with her. She suddenly wondered if he had heard about her and Robin’s “engagement” through the office gossip grapevine – what would he think of that?

  She cleared her throat. “Anyways, since that doesn’t seem to be an option – any ideas?”

  Robin was looking at her uncertainly, almost shyly. “Um. It’s been a while since I was on a first date, to be quite honest.”

  “This is useless.” Carly ran her hands through her hair. “Okay, look. We’ll just avoid everyone, and hopefully no one will try to talk to us.”

  “People will probably try to talk to us.”

  “Let’s hope that you’re wrong. And if they do, I’ll just smile and hang on your arm and look in love and go with whatever you say. Okay?”

  Robin sighed. “God, this is so stupid,” she muttered. “Damn Chris. He’s such an asshole. If he hadn’t been trying to steal this project from me from the get go, we’d never be in this mess.”

  Carly shrugged. “Let’s be positive. We get to spend a long weekend at a fancy hotel on a beautiful tropical island. I bet the food is going to be awesome. Um. And, we didn’t have to pay for airfare.”

  Robin laughed and gave Carly a tired smile. “You’re not wrong.”

  “Plus, you’re going to get this deal signed, and Chris can go suck his own dick. It’s going to be okay, Robin. This might be weird,” Carly waved a hand between the two of them, “but we’ll figure it out. Relationships at their core are just holding hands and sappy looks. And pet names. We’ll be fine.”

  Robin screwed her face up. “Please do not give me a pet name.”

  Carly laughed and picked up her phone. “It’s too late, I’m making a list. I’ll be sure to email it to you once I’m done.”

  Robin chuckled and picked up her own phone, and Carly looked out the window, watching the passing clouds. She smiled and took a sip of her tea. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad, after all.

  When the plane touched down, Carly woke Robin with a soft touch to her shoulder. The other woman startled awake, her eyes blinking open before she sat ram-rod straight. She looked at Carly.

  “You changed.”

  Carly looked down at herself. She was wearing a tucked in loose pink blouse and tailored gray dress pants that clung to her legs and ended right above her ankle. Her shoes were black flats. “I didn’t think it’d be a good idea to meet Mr. Jung in my hoodie,” she said with a smile and a shrug. “We’re here now, though. The pilot is just bringing us to the drop off point, and then we can get off.”

  Robin grabbed her phone and texted Dan that they had arrived with one hand, while with the other she grabbed a small flip mirror from her purse and flicked it open to look at herself.

  “Why didn’t you wake me? I probably look horrid.”

  Carly bit her lip. “I figured you’d probably want to miss the landing, what with the whole ‘scared of heights thing’, you know? Also, you look good. Um, fine. You look fine.”

  Robin closed the mirror and looked at her. She appeared surprised, but the frantic expression was disappearing. “Oh. Well, I do appreciate not being awake for landing. That was always my least favorite part. Thank you.”

  Carly nodded.

  One of the flight attendants came to stand beside them.

  “If you’d like to grab your bags, you’ll be able to leave the plane as soon as the pilot has parked,” she said, and then caught herself on the head of the seat as the plane jerked to a stop. “Which is now, it seems. And I believe Mr. Jung is here himself with a car to pick you up.”

  “Thank you,” Carly said, while Robin stood and stretched.

  The two of them followed the flight attendant, but right before they stepped out the door and down the ramp Robin whipped around to look at Carly. Her eyes were wide. She held out her hand.

  “This is something we should do, right?”

  Carly swallowed and nodded. She slipped her hand into Robin’s, their fingers threading together, desperately hoping her palm wasn’t clammy. Robin gave her hand a light squeeze, and then they were stepping outside, blinking in the bright sunlight.

  The air was warm, and Carly could taste salt in the air as Robin led her down the plane ramp. Three men were standing at the bottom of it next to a large black SUV – two in jeans and comfortable looking Hawaiian shirts, while the other was dressed in a black suit. He was twisting car keys through his fingers. They looked up as Robin and Carly stepped off the stairs, and one of the men in a Hawaiian shirt stepped forward, a smile stretched over his face. He and the other man looked almost exactly the same, though the other was significantly younger, and was scowling, not smiling.

  “Ms. Carroway!” the older man cried. “I’m so happy you have finally arrived. I am Mr. Jung. Welcome!’

  “Mr. Jung, hello,” Robin said with a graceful smile. Carly watched as she completely shed all of her panic from before and stepped right into the appearance of a professional and qualified businesswoman. Their hands slid apart. “Please, call me Robin. And this is my fiancée, Carly.”

  “Hello, hello!” Mr. Jung shook Robin’s hand excitedly and pressed a friendly kiss to her cheek, and then did the same to Carly. “Again, welcome. I trust the plane ride went well?”

  “Oh, yes.” Robin nodded. “Thank you again for allowing us to use it.”

  “It was my pleasure. It’s the least I could do for all you have done for me and my investments.” He turned, and waved towards the other man, who stepped forward. He was still scowling. “This is my son, Philip. He is the one getting married this weekend.”

  “Nice to meet you, and congratulations,” Robin said kindly, and Carly quickly echoed her. Philip didn’t say anything, just tersely shook their hands and nodded.

  “Come, let us take you to the hotel,” Mr. Jung said, nodding to the man in the suit. He immediately opened the car door for them. “Cam will take your bags. Today is a day for relaxing, so there is no rush, but we are having a dinner tonight with the whole wedding party. I would love it if you attended.”

  “We’d be honored, thank you,” Robin said, casting a quick glance at Carly, who nodded.

  They handed their bags to Cam, and then slid into the car. It was set up much like the plane cabin, with benches lining the side and a small table set up in the middle. Robin took a seat in one of the far booths, and Carly settled next to her. Grabbing her hand, Robin pulled it into her lap, her thumb rubbing over Carly’s knuckles slightly as she turned her head to whisper in her ear, her lips hidden by Carly’s hair.

  “Chris’s deal was set up with Philip, mine with Mr. Jung,” she said. Carly shivered as the woman’s warm breath brushed over her ear. “He’s probably very unhappy it’s us who are here and not Chris.”

  Carly turned to whisper back to Robin, “Your deal was much more stable and more lucrative for both parties. You deserve to be here. Not Chris.” She leaned away a bit and startled when she saw just how close their faces were. Robin’s eyes were shining in the dim light of the car, her gaze locked on Carly’s. Carly cleared her throat and looked away, her cheeks hot.

  Mr. Jung and his son got into the car as well, and Cam slid into the driver’s seat. As they pulled out of the airport, Mr. Jung gestured out the windows at various buildings and landmarks, happily keeping up a stream of conversation that mostly Robin replied to. She was still holding tight to Carly, her thumb brushing patterns over the back of her hand. Carly looked at the window, smiling whenever Mr. Jung pointed something out, but mostly she watched Philip.

  It looked like he had a frown per
manently marring his face. His angry gaze flickered between where Robin was holding her hand in her lap, and Robin’s purse, where the top of some folders and documents could just be seen peeking out. His eyes turned to Carly, and his frown deepened even more when he saw that she was looking at him. He cleared his throat.

  “I must say, I was not expecting you two to attend this event,” he said quietly. Robin and Mr. Jung continued talking, not hearing. “I was under the impression that Ms. Carroway was not in a relationship, and thus not someone my father would be able to trust.”

  Carly gave him a tight smile. “We’ve tried to keep a low profile, I guess,” she said. “What with us working and all, we didn’t want our relationship to be a distraction in the office.”

  “Ah, yes. Your relationship.” His eyes flickered between the two of them again, and Carly wondered if Philip and Chris were still talking, and if Chris had said anything. She turned away from him, leaning against Carly and laying her head on the other woman’s shoulder.

  “Babe, do you think we could go to the beach today, before dinner?” She smiled widely at her boss, squeezing her hand and pushing their thighs together. Trying to look in love. “We’ll have time before dinner, won’t we, Mr. Jung?” She looked at the older man, who smiled kindly at her.

  “Of course. The hotel is right on the beachfront, and it is quite beautiful. I was just about to suggest you visit there later today.”

  “Perfect.” Carly smiled. “You’re up for it, aren’t you, hon?”

  Robin was staring down at her, her eyes confused and a smile pulling uncertainly at her lips. “Of course. Whatever you want… babe.”

  Carly giggled, looking from the corner of her eye at Philip, whose expression was furious. Suddenly feeling bold, she pressed a kiss to Robin’s cheek and then settled back down with her head resting on the other woman’s shoulder.

  Fuck him, and fuck Chris, she thought smugly. We’ll be so in love this weekend, it’ll be disgusting.

  4

  Mr. Jung’s car slowed to a stop, and Robin put a hand on Carly’s knee, shaking it a little.

  “We’re here,” she said softly into the other woman’s ear. “Wake up.”

  Mr. Jung and Philip slipped out of the car as Carly groggily sat up, staring around and blinking before turning to Robin, confused.

  “We’re here,” Robin said again. “Mr. Jung is getting our rooms set up for us. Ready to go?”

  “Jesus, yeah.” Carly stood, crouching under the car’s low ceiling, and followed Robin out to stand in the glaring sunlight. The heat washed over them without mercy, and Carly gave a soft moan of appreciation. She tilted her head back, turning her face straight up to the sun, and closed her eyes, a small smile on her face. Robin’s eyes traced the fine lines of her throat and the curve of her collarbone. She flushed and looked away.

  “Jet lag is awful, but god do I love the sun,” Carly murmured, and Robin gave a wry smile.

  “So I’m guessing you’re still interested in going to the beach over a nap?”

  “Oh definitely.” Carly looked uncertainly at Robin. “I mean, unless you didn’t want to?”

  Robin bit her lip, thinking of how much paperwork she still had to fill out, all the emails she had to send. She opened her mouth, prepared to say that she didn’t have time, but as Carly stared at her with big eyes and an excited but shy smile, what came out of her mouth instead was “No, no. The beach definitely sounds nice. Let’s do it.”

  “Okay, great!”

  The driver pulled the car away after unloading their bags, and a hotel employee loaded them onto a trolley. With a wide grin, he led them into the hotel and into a far corner of the huge, ornately decorated lobby, where Mr. Jung and Philip were standing by a row of elevators.

  “I’ve got your room all set up for you,” Mr. Jung said, handing them both a room key. “You’re on the sixteenth floor – I made sure you have a great view of the ocean.”

  “You’re amazing, thank you,” Carly gushed. “And what time is dinner tonight?”

  “Not till eight, so you have plenty of time to enjoy the beach and even rest afterward.”

  One of the elevators dinged as the doors opened, and Mr. Jung pointed to it. “That’ll take you to your room. Your bags should already be there.”

  “Thank you,” Carly said again, nodding gratefully to Mr. Jung and smiling politely at Philip, before going to the elevator.

  Robin cleared her throat.

  “Mr. Jung, when would you like to discuss and sign the–”

  “Later, later.” Mr. Jung waved her words away and gestured toward the elevator. “Go enjoy the beach with your fiancée and have a good time at dinner tonight. There will be time for business later.”

  Robin forced a smile. “Right. Thank you, Mr. Jung. Philip.” She nodded at them both and went to join Carly, who was holding the elevator door open for her. She let them close, and then the two of them were going up.

  Carly looked at Robin. “Everything okay?”

  Robin sighed and tapped at her lips. “Yeah, I think so. I’d just like to get this deal done with as soon as possible. I don’t trust Philip. He’s going to try and throw a wrench into the signing, I just know it.”

  “Hm.” Carly studied her nails. “If anyone can get the job done, it’s you. And hey,” she added, her voice teasing, “we definitely did a great job at fake being in love. That was easier than I thought it would be.”

  Robin flushed. “Yeah, it seemed to go all right.”

  “You were a little cold, though. You might want to be more affectionate in the future.”

  Robin sputtered, flustered, as Carly giggled and the doors slid smoothly open.

  “I was not cold!”

  “You were. It’s fine, though. Just figure it out by dinner.”

  Robin rolled her eyes. “I’m still not giving you a pet name.”

  Carly laughed. “Oh, come on!”

  Robin was laid out on the beach towel Carly had carried down, her toes sifting through the sand as she watched Carly dive into the surf. The other woman’s red hair was like a halo of fire around her head, blazing under the bright sun, and every time she moved drops of water made her look like she was covered in diamonds, gleaming on the smooth surface of her skin and entwined with her hair. In her dappled green and purple bikini, Robin couldn’t help but compare her to a mermaid.

  However, she was trying not to pay too much attention to her assistant and her scantily clad body. She had always thought Carly was beautiful – someone would have to be blind and stupid not to realize it – but she had never really thought of her as a person with such curvy hips and soft looking skin, with freckles splattered over her shoulders and her thighs muscled and looking entirely too bitable.

  Okay, so maybe Robin had been aware of Carly as a sexual being before seeing her in a bikini. It was just that she had never let herself think of the redheaded woman like that.

  Although, if you can’t think your fiancée is hot, who can you lust over? Robin thought wryly. Not that it meant anything. Sure, Carly was attractive, but that was entirely objective.

  She sighed and sat up, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. Carly was still splashing in the waves, a smile dancing over her lips. She looked up and caught Robin’s eye and made a wild hand gesture. Robin waved back. But then Carly was dashing across the sand toward her, and Robin quickly looked down at her hands, her cheeks flushing at the sight of how running made Carly’s body move.

  “Come swim with me!” Carly said, panting a little as she sat beside Robin on the towel. “The water feels amazing, it’s so warm. It’s amazing.”

  Robin shook her head, ignoring the way Carly’s bare, wet arm was brushing against hers. “Oh, no. That’s okay. I’m not a huge fan of swimming.”

  “What are you talking about? You swam in high school.”

  Robin winced. “Yeah, and I quit because I was awful. It’s not really my thing.”

  “I don�
�t care how good you are. You think I expect you to do the butterfly? Come on. We’re on vacation, kind of.” She put a hand on Robin’s shoulder. “Please?”

  Robin sighed. “Okay, okay, fine.”

  “Yes!” Carly stood, and looked expectantly down at Robin, who sighed and stood up as well. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, she looked down at the ground as she pulled her beach dress over her head, leaving her just in her swimsuit. It was pink, with a deep dip in the front. Robin had always thought the blushy peach color looked good against the tanned shade of her skin, but right now she just felt vaguely embarrassed.

  She looked up at Carly, who was staring at her, her lips parted and her eyes blank. She frowned, shifting on her feet.

  “Um, Carly?”

  “Oh. Oh, sorry.” Carly shook her head, and then smiled. “Let’s go.”

  5

  Carly was trying not to smile, she really was. It was hard when her boss, who she had always seen as emotionless and cold, was currently standing in front of the mirror, moaning and groaning at how the neckline of her dress was too low to cover the streak of sunburn dusted over the top of her breasts.

  “I told you that you should have worn sunscreen,” she said, trying not to sound too smug, and Robin growled.

  “Sunscreen is for pale white people. I am not a pale person.”

  Carly laughed again and came to stand beside her. “Someone sounds bitter,” she teased.

  She examined them both in the mirror and had to admit to herself that the two of them looked pretty good together. She was wearing a dark emerald dress that brought out the dusty flecks of green in her eyes, with her hair curled slightly and lying loose around her shoulders. Robin’s dress was dark blue and matched her eyes too, her curly hair piled on top of her head. She let her eyes drop to skim over Robin’s subtle cleavage, forcing herself not to blush. There was the faintest hint of pink, if one knew what to look for, but it was barely perceptible.