by Anna Durand
I collapse on top of her.
She threads her fingers through my hair, peppering light kisses over my throat.
I haul in breath after breath until I've regained some of my wits. Then I withdraw from her body reluctantly---she feels so fucking good---then toss the condom in the bin beside the bed and roll onto my side next to her. Elena still seems dazed, her eyes closed and her breathing heavy.
"Have I done you in?" I ask.
"Mm-mm." She takes a deep breath, exhaling it slowly, and flips onto her stomach. Her elbows raise her head and shoulders as she throws me a sidelong look, her sexy lips curling into a smile of pure satisfaction. "That was fantastic. Elevator sex was hot, but this was beyond better."
"Glad you enjoyed yourself." I skate my palm along the curve of her spine. "You are the most sensual woman I've ever taken to bed."
"So, what now? Dinner? Or more sex?" She tosses her hair in a deliberately saucy way. "I vote for more sex, followed by room service."
"But you wore a sexy frock for me. Don't you want the elegant dinner I promised you?"
"Yeah, but I want more of you first. How late is the restaurant open?"
"Until ten, I think." I run my palm back up her spine and along her shoulder. "I need to tell Raisa I'm seeing someone."
Yes, don't I know exactly how to ruin a mood? As much as I'd rather make love to Elena for hours, we need to talk about how this will work once we get back to, well, work.
Elena springs up into a sitting position, her wide eyes on me. "You can't tell Raisa we're dating. She'll fire me so fast the whole building will spin. I'll never get another job if she tells everyone what a husband-stealing slut I am."
"I won't tell her who I'm dating. But she needs to know I am seeing someone, so she'll give up her ridiculous idea that she and I might reconcile."
"Oh, I'm sure that'll put her in a great mood."
"Relax, we can get through this together." I sit up and frisk my hands up and down her arms. "We're adults, and we don't need permission to have a relationship. Raisa will calm down, eventually."
Elena's head droops, her hair falling over her face. "I'm such a scummy liar. Raisa asked me to help her win you back, and instead I sleep with you."
"She had no right to order you to interfere in her personal life." I cradle Elena's face in my hands, lifting her head so she looks at me. "I want you, Elena, not my ex-wife. I like you, and I want us to get to know each other. That's what dating is, right? It's been a while since I tried it."
"I like you too, Chance. And I want the same thing, but..."
Raisa. My ex-wife is the "but" standing between me and Elena. I need to clear the air with Raisa and make sure she understands there is no chance of reconciliation. I've told her before, many times, but this time she will listen. She has to.
Because I will never give up Elena.
"Let me handle Raisa," I say. "Maybe it was a mistake for me to take the job at her firm. Quitting might be the best way to prove to her I mean it when I say it's over."
"Fabulous idea," Elena says with breezy sarcasm. "That'll put her in a terrific mood. I'll be fired ten seconds after you quit and blacklisted an hour later."
"Raisa isn't vindictive. She's still coming to terms with the divorce, but she will get over it."
"Maybe you should find her a boyfriend, so I don't have to play matchmaker for the two of you."
I cup her face again and kiss her gently. "Don't assume the worst. Let's see how this plays out when I tell Raisa I'm dating someone else."
Elena moans with so much misery that I can't help folding my arms around her. "Trust me. I know Raisa, and she listens to me. I will not let her do anything rash."
She snuggles into me, her cheek on my shoulder, the sweet warmth of her surrounding me. "Okay. I trust you. Do whatever you think is best."
"Thank you." I comb my fingers through her hair, loving the feel of the silky strands on my skin. "Everything will work out, you'll see."
And I pray I won't be making a liar of myself.
Chapter Ten
Elena
The next morning, everything starts out wonderful. I wake up with Chance's body molded to mine, his arm draped over my belly and his breaths fluttering my hair. We both lie on our sides, and his stiffening cock pushes against my backside. I lie there for a few minutes, enjoying the comfort of starting the morning this way and remembering all the pleasure we gave each other last night.
Eventually, Chance wakes up. Before I can even finish saying good morning, he's making love to me. It's the sweetest sleepy sex ever, and the best way to start the morning.
But afterward, I have to disappoint us both. "I need to work today, and tomorrow. Not only do I have stuff to do for you, but Raisa piled on more."
"I should work too, but I'd much rather stay in bed with you."
His sleepy-sexy voice makes me want to curl up with him under the covers and never leave. But we both know what we need to do, so we climb out of bed and take a shower together. Okay, maybe that "shower" involved orgasms. We did get clean too...eventually.
I freak out when I realize I'll be walking into the office wearing a red evening dress that's a rumpled advertisement for the fact I didn't sleep at home last night. My panic seems to amuse Chance.
He smiles and says, "The hotel has a boutique, and there's a clothing store down the street. I'll pay, obviously, since it's my fault your clothes are a mess. I'm the one who tossed your frock on the floor and never bothered to pick it up."
"Even if it wasn't wrinkled, I can't wear an evening dress to work."
"I said I'll buy you whatever you need."
Maybe I should say no to letting him buy me an outfit, but I can't think of any reason not to let him. I need work-appropriate clothes. Sure, I should've thought to bring an outfit for the morning, but I'd expected to leave after dinner and sex. We never made it to the hotel restaurant, though. Chance ordered room service, and we fed each other while naked on the bed. Which probably explains the crumbs stuck to my ass.
Last night was so good I half suspect I dreamed it.
Today might turn into a waking nightmare. Raisa will be at the office for sure.
Way to be positive, Elena.
I pull on my fancy dress and let Chance take me to the hotel boutique. Everything is so expensive I don't feel comfortable buying a new outfit there.
"Go on," Chance says in a tone so seductive I'm ready to do anything he asks. "Splash out this one time."
Yeah, I'll probably do that if I figure out what the heck it means. "I'm not planning to jump in a swimming pool."
He makes a sound that's halfway between a laugh and a sigh. "Splash out means to spend an obscene amount of money on something you don't need."
"But I do need clothes, something I can wear to work without making everybody think I've won the lottery. Please take me to the shop down the street." I raise my hands, palms pressed together in a pleading gesture. "Please, please, please."
"Have it your way."
We head down to the other boutique, which turns out to be middle-of-the-road expensive instead of I'm-married-to-royalty extravagant. I choose an elegant but reasonably priced pantsuit, ignoring Chance's flirtatious comments about how much he loves me in a skirt. I love his smile and his winks whenever he tells me something like that.
We agree to arrive at work separately. Chance goes first, since he always gets there earlier than anyone else except for Raisa. This morning, he's not as early as usual. I amble in twenty minutes later.
Only a handful of my coworkers are there. I briefly wonder if some of those lucky dogs got the weekend off, then realize they're probably off doing research somewhere or writing summaries in their PJs at home.
Chance is already in Raisa's office. I can't see them because the door is closed and the glass has been turned opaque, but I hear their voices. Even when I can't understand the words, I recognize Chance's voice. And I realize, ba
sed on their tones, that they're arguing.
Not loud enough to raise eyebrows. Luckily, everyone else is busy and not paying attention to the voices coming from Raisa's office.
I sit down at my desk and try to work, but my gaze keeps gravitating to the door to Raisa's office. How bad is it in there? Is Chance okay? I can't go in there to check without some legitimate excuse.
Grabbing a folder from my desk, I march up to Raisa's office door. Their voices are louder now, but I still can't make out the words. Chance sounds annoyed. Very annoyed.
I hesitate for a couple seconds, then knock.
Everything goes quiet inside the office.
The toe of my brand-new shoe taps furiously while I chew the inside of my lip.
At last, the door swings open.
Chance looks tired, but he moves aside and gestures for me to enter the room.
I can't make my feet budge. "I, um, need to talk to you about that pharmaceuticals case. I have the summaries you asked for, but I want to make sure it's everything you need."
He gives me a grateful look, one Raisa can't see since his back is turned to her. "I'll take a look later, but thank you for checking in with me."
Raisa rises from her chair, shoulders back, chin lifted, her cool gaze trained on me. "You should join us, Elena."
"No," Chance says. "This has nothing to do with her."
She ignores him and speaks to me. "Come in, Elena."
I shuffle into the office, my feet like big rocks attached to my legs with massive iron chains, and take a seat in one of the chairs on this side of Raisa's desk. Chance drops into the other chair. Only a couple feet separate us, but though I long to touch him, I don't do it.
Raisa can't know about us. Not unless Chance told her, and he wouldn't do that. She is one of the top legal minds in the country, a smart woman who can be very perceptive when she wants to be. So far, she's seemed oblivious of the chemistry between me and Chance, but maybe she's set her perceptive mind to the task of figuring out who he's dating.
I assume he's told her that much.
Raisa remains standing, like the teacher about to ream her wayward students. Or student. She's looking straight at me when she says, "I know about you and Chance."
Every ounce of blood in my body seems to evaporate, leaving me cold and stunned. I feel like I might pass out, but that's just crazy. I don't faint because my boss finds out I'm sleeping with her ex-husband. I sit up straighter instead, my hands flat on the folder on my lap.
Chance's gaze flicks to me. "She knows I sweet-talked you into telling me about her little scheme. I've made it clear to Raisa I don't appreciate or approve of the way she bullied you into helping her spy on me."
I can't think of a damn thing to say. Spy on him? I guess he's talking about Raisa's plan to win him back.
Chance aims a squinty-eyed look at Raisa. "I've set her straight on all of that."
Raisa waves a hand in my direction. "Forget about the plan, Elena. I shouldn't have asked you to do that."
"And?" Chance prompts.
She meets my gaze. "I'm sorry for what I did."
Wow, she apologized. Maybe I won't be fired after all.
"I appreciate that," I tell her.
"See?" Raisa says to Chance. "It's all settled."
"Yes, that's a good start." He gets up and nods to me, then to Raisa. "This matter is settled, and I'd better not hear anything more about you trying to win me back."
"Of course not," Raisa says.
Chance casts a furtive glance at me, smiling faintly, then walks out.
"Shut the door," Raisa calls out, and he does it.
I'm alone with my boss. Who just found out her ex is seeing someone else. So yeah, I grasp the arms of my chair while pretending to be relaxed.
Raisa sits down, clasps her hands on the desktop, and eyes me with her lips pinched. Though I've worked for her for barely more than a week, I've come to know that expression. It means she's figuring out whether I've kept something from her. Which I have. Big time. My conscience urges me to confess everything, but even if I wanted to, I can't do that without talking to Chance first.
"I know what you've been doing," Raisa says, leaning back in her chair, still staring at me in a way that makes my skin crawl.
Fighting the urge to scratch my arms, I try to look innocent. Jeez, I was dealing with one of the toughest lawyers in New York, and I thought I could fool her? Well, she hadn't figured out the truth yet. Maybe that snowball wouldn't melt in Hell after all.
"You had a fling last night, didn't you?" Raisa asks. "It's all right. After being at the law library most of the week, I imagine you needed to cut loose for a night. But I need you sharp, Elena, not tired and distracted."
I almost cry from relief. She clearly doesn't know I slept with Chance last night, though she's guessed I spent the night with someone. "I'm fine, really. Only had one martini last night, so no hangover."
"Good, but I'm not talking about hangovers." She waves a finger toward my face. "You have bags under your eyes, and that's a new suit from Sheri Ann's boutique. She's a friend, and I know what she keeps in stock. And the price tag is hanging from your armpit."
Is it? I lift my arm, and yes, the tag is hanging there. Damn. Isn't that just my luck? Raisa knows the woman who owns the boutique where Chance bought me a new outfit. I hope Sheri Ann didn't recognize Chance. I mean, if Raisa bought clothes there...
She's studying me again, like she knows I've done something but can't quite put her finger on it.
"If that's all," I say, "I should get these summaries to Chance."
"Not yet." She swivels her chair side to side. "You've let me down, Elena. I asked you to do one simple thing---find out who Chance is sleeping with---and you failed."
"I'm sorry."
She puckers her lips again, steepling her index fingers under her chin. "Never mind. I'll find out on my own. You're dismissed."
And of course, she waves her hand to indicate I should leave.
I've just shut the door behind me, intending to head for Chance's office, when a strange noise inside Raisa's office makes me stop. I tip my head to the side, listening. It almost sounds like crying. Sniffling, for sure.
Oh God, she's upset. About Chance dating someone else.
Which means her tears are my fault.
Feeling like the slimiest, wartiest toad on the planet, I go to Chance's office and shut the door behind me when I get there. I set the folder on his desk. "She's not giving up. I've been fired from being her little spy, but Raisa says she'll figure out on her own who you're sleeping with."
"She's bluffing. Lawyers are good at that."
"After I closed the door to her office, I heard Raisa crying."
He goes stiff, his unblinking gaze nailed to mine. "Crying?"
I nod.
"Shit." He runs a hand over his mouth. "I can't help that. What am I meant to do? Take her back so she won't feel bad?"
"No, of course not. But maybe we shouldn't---"
He surges up from his chair and slants over the desk to kiss me. His mouth lingers on mine for a moment, a long and blissful moment of feeling his warm lips and tasting a hint of the tea from the mug that sits on his desk. Though he peels his lips away, he doesn't move back. He stays there, an inch from my face, his sapphire eyes gazing into mine, and tucks a lock of hair behind my ear with one finger.
I try again to say something but manage to speak only one syllable. "Chance---"
Then he kisses me again, fervently, pulling back only enough to speak. His lips graze mine. "I'm sorry Raisa is upset, but she made a mess of things when we were married. She doesn't get to play the victim now. I want you in my life, Elena. We're not doing anything wrong."
"The firm's policy says coworkers who start dating have to report it to Raisa. I don't want to tell her, but my damn conscience kicked in this morning."
"We will tell her, once she calms down. The policy gi
ves us thirty days, remember?"
"She seemed pretty damn calm when she told me I'd failed her and that she'll figure out on her own who you're sleeping with."
"And then she cried." He drags the backs of his fingers down my cheek. "I just told her I'm seeing someone. Let her digest that information before we tell her the rest."
It makes sense. But I have an annoying habit of being the good girl who follows the rules to the letter, sometimes going beyond what's required in my zeal to do the right thing. Maybe this once I can not be that girl. Waiting until we find out for sure if we really want to date seems like the smart thing to do. What if after a few more days we realize we're not right for each other?
Sorry excuses, I know.
But Chance is kissing me again, and all thoughts zip out of my brain, flying off into the sky.
He steps back and settles onto his chair. "I suppose we should discuss those summaries."
For a second, I can't remember what the hell he's talking about. Then the knowledge surfaces in my hormone-addled brain, and I hand him the folder and sit down.
For the next twenty minutes, we talk about legal summaries.
And I keep thinking about that boutique owner and what she might've seen.
Chapter Eleven
Chance
We survive the weekend, both of us working our arses off because we have a lot of work to do and because it keeps us away from Raisa. Overworking ourselves also stops us from sneaking into the file room to have sex, or sneaking into the restroom to have sex, or--- Well, let's just say there are plenty of spots where we could enjoy each other.
But we don't. We behave like professionals.
It's bloody awful.
We survive Monday too, though barely.
Elena agrees to meet me in the hotel restaurant for dinner, claiming she won't get any food unless we eat first and go upstairs after. She might have a point. At lunch, I took her to a different boutique to buy a new dress for our date tonight. I hadn't known Raisa was friends with the owner of the boutique down the street from the hotel. But then, I hadn't been a part of Raisa's life for more than a year. Longer, really. We led separate lives even before the official separation.
