Keeping Her Close: A Slow Burn Standalone

by Casey Diam

  “Yeah, dude, just hit me up. It’s great seeing you out again, and nice meeting you, Jordan.”

  The driver brought their limo around, and Jordan scooted inside first, noticing a fresh bottle of champagne at the bar. The fiber-optic boards on the roof and behind the bar made everything seemed so magical, like they were in their own universe with tiny stars twinkling around them.

  “So, did you have fun?” Brandon asked, settling next to her on the plush seats.

  “Yeah, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be,” she admitted.

  “Indeed. No one could take their eyes off you. By the way, I didn’t want to push it and introduce you as my girlfriend—first date and all.” He smiled. “Besides, I couldn’t live with the embarrassment if I got denied on the red carpet.”

  “I wouldn’t have denied you—on the red carpet, that is. I have more class than that.”

  “So sweet.” His eyes lowered to her lips. “I can only imagine what it’s like to partake.”

  She knew where his thoughts were heading, which made her sex ache with need. But she promptly ignored her body’s response to him. Although her body might be eager, her mind wasn’t ready to sleep with him. Was he expecting her to?

  She decided to change the subject. “Are we stopping for dinner? I’m starving.”

  “Yeah, me too. Where would you like to eat?” He retrieved his phone from the seat. “Shit, would it be so bad if I made a quick business call on our date? I need to make sure a deal goes through.”

  “Not at all, and I want to eat somewhere I can get hot tea or maybe soup.”

  “Tea? Really?” He pressed the intercom button for the driver. “Hey, Ben, can you please take us somewhere Jordan can get some tea and that also serves food that is somewhat healthy.”

  “No problem,” Ben replied.

  “Thanks, man.”

  Is he pals with the entire city?

  “Steve, how’s your day going? Tell me you have good news for me.” Brandon reached for her hand as he held his phone to his ear.

  She scrolled through her phone and opened an app to play a game while he spoke.

  “Steve, c’mon. You told me we could get it for that price. Did he make a counteroffer? I need this property . . . All right, fine. I’m not going to be a pain in the ass. Since I happen to be in a good mood tonight, add nine hundred to my previous offer . . . Yup, you got it. That’s my final offer, though. Take it or leave it . . . Make them take it, Steve. You’re the best. That’s why I got you. I should be up for the next two hours. And write up an offer that expires within twenty-four hours. They took three days to respond the last time, and I don’t have time to waste. I want to close as soon as possible. As I said, the contractors are ready, and so am I. Email me as soon as you get a response . . . Yeah, perfect. And if they turn it down, send me some more info on that backup property.”

  Jordan tried to distract herself with her phone, but she couldn’t resist eavesdropping. The sexy, businessman Brandon was such a contrast to the vivacious, sarcastic Brandon she was more familiar with.

  “All right. Thanks, man.” He put his phone in his pocket. “So, tea, huh? I’m taking it no after party tonight?”

  She shook her head. She couldn’t manage it. She was tired and could feel a headache coming on. Keeping up with Brandon was harder than she thought.

  “Psh . . . I’m glad you said that. I’ve been cutting down on my presence at these things for a while now.”

  “So, you go to school too?” Jordan asked, remembering his conversation with his friend at the event.

  “Yeah.” His fingers toyed with hers as he said, “I’m studying architecture.”

  “Oh, why not business? Or do you already have a degree in business?”

  “I know business. It’s in my genes. This will be my first degree if I stick to it. What did you study in school?”

  “Fashion design. Surprise, surprise.”

  “Are any of the pieces in your store your designs?” he asked as the limo came to a stop at a small restaurant on the outskirts of the city.

  “No.”

  Though it was her dream to have that one day, she wasn’t ready for her creations to be judged right in front of her at her store—probably thanks to her ex.

  “Why not?”

  “I’m not sure if my store is ready or if I’m ready for that,” she answered honestly. “But I just launched some of my designs in my online store, so we’ll see. That gives me a little buffer for how people may react to them.”

  “Well, from a guy’s point of view, they’re really good,” Brandon said, taking her hand as she stepped out of the vehicle.

  Jordan started her day early the next morning with a burst of energy that propelled her into a five-mile run. And after a hot shower and breakfast, she ran around doing errands all day, restless from the few hours before when Brandon had bid her good night, at her door, without a kiss.

  All right, so technically he did kiss her. But the quick peck on her cheek near the corner of her mouth was not what she’d expected—though the resolute sensation of the soft pressure of his teasing and torturing lips was still present. She’d wanted to kiss him so bad that all night she kept imagining what it would have been like to feel his lips caressing hers. And she would have initiated that kiss if he hadn’t run off like he had somewhere else to be—which made her wonder if he did have somewhere else to be.

  How could she know he wasn’t off screwing some chick while toying with her on the side? She couldn’t put it past him to do such a thing. She’d seen the way women looked at him, and how he flirted. Not only that, he was friends with multiple—not just one—hot models. What if that was why he’d run off? He’d probably come to his senses and seen she didn’t have anything to offer compared to the others.

  His name lit up her phone with a video call, and butterflies swarmed her belly. Oh, Brandon, what are you doing to me? I was just seconds away from cutting you off. Damn you.

  “Hey, you, how’s your day going?” Brandon’s deep voice echoed in her office.

  She tilted the phone so he could see all the paperwork on her desk. “Good. Just handling boring work stuff at the store.”

  “Hmm . . . sounds like you could use a little distraction.”

  She took a deep breath and exhaled, but her voice still trembled. “What kind of distraction are we talking?”

  “Oh, I don’t know . . . How about I should have kissed you last night?”

  “Oh.” She giggled stupidly, replaying the moment his lips made contact with her skin. “That kind of distraction. But you did kiss me.”

  Brandon sighed. “Beautiful, that was on the cheek. Trust me, when I kiss that pretty mouth of yours, you’ll know the difference. What are you doing tonight besides talking to me on the phone?”

  “Presumptuous, aren’t we? I think I’m going to yoga, then maybe relaxing and reading a book.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to you later. Right now I have to try not to think about you doing yoga while I’m doing my boring work stuff. Call me later before you go to bed? I want to make sure I’m the last thing on your mind.”

  She felt like a teenager discovering romantic feelings for the first time. And then she wondered how many times he’d used lines like that with another girl. This constant battle between her emotions should be warning her away. But each moment she’d spent with him, she learned something new that gave her hope. Like on their way home in the limo, he’d confided in her about his real estate investment firm and how often he traveled to secure new investments.

  It was a step forward, but she wanted to know more personal things—what he enjoyed, why the promiscuity, and what he wanted with her. However, she didn’t want to question him since then he’d expect her to talk about herself and her past too. That was something she couldn’t do.

  The next night, when Brandon took her to the movies, she didn’t know what came over her, but she was scared he was going to kiss her when he picked her up at home. She h
adn’t kissed anyone in years. What if she was out of practice and had become a terrible kisser?

  Instead, he kissed her on the cheek and embraced her.

  After the movie, he walked her to a secluded area along the boardwalk to a pier overlooking the seafront. It was surreal how romantic he could be. The man knew exactly what women wanted and went in for the kill.

  He tugged her next to him as he leaned on the metal railing. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  Leaning sideways so she could face him, she held on to the railing for support, unsure of where the conversation was heading. “Okay.”

  Her muscles tensed as her eyes shifted to his lips. The tip of his tongue slid over them, and just like that, the urge to kiss him returned. Distracted, she raised her eyes to the couple passing by—a young couple, maybe in high school even.

  “So, now that you know a little about my lifestyle, and assuming you don’t think I’m a complete asshole, I like you. I can tell you’re hesitant sometimes, like right now, but I want you to be my girlfriend.”

  Giddiness abounded, and she gripped the rail tighter. That was the last thing she’d expected him to say.

  “It’s just that I can’t tell how you feel sometimes, and I want to make sure we’re on the same page,” he continued.

  It was what she wanted deep down, but trepidation tickled inside of her. Suddenly she realized she couldn’t have that—not after the many years she’d been imprisoned by a relationship. But she cursed the bricks tumbling from the wall she’d built around her heart. Because each day she spent with Brandon, she found it that much easier to fall for him, that much easier to get hurt. Those bricks needed to stay in place. They were her only refuge. Not Brandon.

  “Why do we have to make it official? It’ll ruin everything. It’s not what you want. You said so yourself. You don’t have to do that for me. Besides, I’m not good with relationships, Brandon. I should have said this sooner.”

  That’s what she had to tell him to avoid the heartbreaking details of her former relationship, the one that had been haunting her more as of late.

  Brandon’s eyes fell to the ground as he let out a breath. Walking away from the railing, he muttered, “Most women would die to hear what I just told you.” He turned to her. “So that’s it? We stop dating?”

  Jordan shrugged, on the verge of tears. She didn’t want to stop seeing him, but she also didn’t want to fall victim to his games. “I don’t know.”

  He walked toward her. “Jordan, I won’t hurt you.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  Brandon nodded. “But I’ll do everything not to, because I want you.”

  She let out a breath, leaning her back against the rail. “I think I want you, too, but—”

  “But what?” With an intense, body-shivering stare, he inched closer. “You don’t want to be mine?”

  He stopped just shy of her, disturbing the natural rhythm of her breaths. Her hands gripped the rail, but even they couldn’t create distance between them. Vulnerability at its zenith. “I . . . I . . .”

  In a low voice, he asked, “Why don’t you want to be mine?”

  He isn’t serious. Is he being serious? She stared at his biceps. “You did tell me I have a stick up my ass once. I’m not sure I’m your type, Brandon. But I like having you around, so if we don’t take things further, and remain friends, things won’t get complicated, and we can still hang out. I think we’d be so much better as friends.”

  He lifted his hand to toy with a tendril of her hair. “Since we’re on the subject, what if I told you I’ve thought about my stick being up your ass? That kind of complicates things, don’t you think?”

  As her emotions changed course from melancholy to hot and bothered, she inhaled. Why weren’t his brazen remarks upsetting anymore?

  “You can’t just say that,” she whispered.

  “I know, unless you were my woman and wanted to explore with me. Then I could say whatever I wanted. But if we remain friends, I guess I could talk to you, tell you how I can’t stop thinking about you. Or how I’m scared to kiss you because, fuck!” He shook his head. “I don’t know if I can just kiss you and not want to fuck you right away. I know you’re not ready, and I’m afraid I’ll scare you off, Jordan. So as my friend, what would you advise?”

  He was too close and his words too much. A low, whimpering sound settled at the back of her throat, and she drew her legs together against the surging ache.

  Grasping the rail a few inches away from her hands, he leaned his body into hers and whispered, “Fuck, Jordan. Stop fighting. Admit it. You want me as much as I want you.”

  Again, she cursed herself for being so responsive to him. “I don’t just become yours because you say so.”

  Brandon’s focus strayed from her eyes to her lips. “All I’m asking for is a chance.”

  Jordan gazed at the neckline of his shirt. “I can’t think when you’re so close,” she murmured. Unable to concentrate on a less-than-truthful answer, she went on. “But fine, as long as you respect me.”

  “I do respect you, beautiful, more than you realize.”

  The heat from his body radiated into hers, and she felt every ounce of the sexual energy consuming him, and now her. His growing erection pressed against her stomach, and she almost lost it. She could feel every inch of him.

  “Do you feel the chemistry we have?” His raspy voice followed, seizing the rest of her control.

  Weak and emotional, Jordan inhaled. “It’s scary.”

  The brush of his lips against her forehead sent burning need through her. He feathered his fingers down her outstretched arms and unwrapped her trembling palms from around the rail.

  Lacing his fingers through hers, he murmured, “Look at me.”

  After a few beats of her rapid pulse, she tilted her head. Dark green eyes looked down at her, and a whisper of his breath touched her lips as he asked, “You’re really giving me a chance?”

  She nodded, lost to herself as his lips brushed hers, first once, then twice before closing in fully. His succulent mouth prodded hers open, taking and giving, forcing her to return the same passion he unveiled, kissing and sucking his lips between hers.

  Releasing her hands, he wrapped his arms around her, finding some way to pull her even closer. Taking the opportunity to touch his muscular body, she glided her hands over his back and relished the feel of his hard body draped around her. Lust wound deeper, and a small moan escaped.

  Cupping her face, Brandon whispered, “So damn sexy. Damn, I can only imagine the sounds you’ll make once I start fucking you.” Taking a breath, he stepped back and ran a hand through his hair. “Fuck, I was right. We should head back, where I will not enter your apartment tonight, but fuck if I don’t want to. Wait, don’t move. This look . . .” He snapped a picture on his phone while she tried to regain her composure. “Stunning. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such lust on your face, and all for me. I’d say you’re mine now, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yeah, sure,” Jordan replied, still trying to get her breathing back to normal, along with the brain cells floating around inside her head. She only vaguely comprehended what he was saying, but whatever he was offering, she was accepting.

  After parking his Range Rover by the stairway to her apartment, he opened the passenger door for her. “Can I come up, or is it too soon?”

  The whole ride home she’d been thinking about his mouth and how much she wanted it back on hers. It was nothing like she’d imagined, but everything she wanted.

  She tugged at his shirt as she stepped out of the vehicle and walked around him. “After that kiss, I think too soon.” Cheeks flushing, she looked to the sky to avoid his eyes, not wanting to seem like an amateur, but acting exactly like one.

  She didn’t have to look at him to feel his penetrating stare.

  “I love your body,” he said. “The way it fits against mine—just perfect.”

  She smiled, finding the courage to look into his
dazzling eyes. “I bet you say that to all the girls. But whatever. I like your body. It doesn’t make me feel fat.”

  He sniffed. “You should never feel fat. What man doesn’t love a woman with some sexy curves to grab on to? And speaking for men everywhere, we don’t want a scrawny thing that will skitter away when we fuck. Actually, some of them do, but I’d rather not take my chances.”

  Her eyebrows flew up. How did he know she wouldn’t “skitter” away, and how many girls had he slept with to come to this conclusion?

  “Ah-ha.” Leaning against the vehicle, he crossed one thigh over the other and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

  “What?” she asked, wondering what he was thinking.

  He shook his head. “Nothing. Come here.”

  She paused, trying to figure him out, but to no avail. “Why?”

  He cocked his head to the side, his broad shoulders welcoming. “So I can bid you a proper goodnight.”

  She stood still.

  He smiled. “You know if you don’t come to me, I’m going to come get you, right? Don’t worry. I don’t bite, at least not yet.”

  “That’s not funny.”

  “It wasn’t meant to be,” he said. “Or is it that you don’t want me to go? Talk to me, beautiful. In the meantime, I guess I’ll add this picture to your contact info. So every time you call me, you’re giving me the look.” He glanced up at her and then down at his phone.

  “Oh my gosh! Delete it!” she exclaimed, trying to look at his phone.

  He extended it out of her reach. “But I love that picture of you,” he said, draping his arms around her and pulling her close. “Plus, it has its advantages. Look where you ended up—right where I wanted you.”

  “Fine, you got me.” She looked up at him and cheekily circled her arms around his neck.

  “You’re jumpy around me. I don’t want to make you nervous,” he said, outlining her lips with his thumb.

  Then stop being so seductive and all that is man.

  As his thumb traced the curve of her mouth, her eyes closed and her lips parted. She wanted to bite her lip to ease the tingle his thumb left behind, but his mouth covered hers, and the want was gratified. The feel of his erection pressing into her and his soft, meticulous lips massaging hers had her wondering what his lips would feel like lower, between her legs. Would it be as thorough and attentive? His tongue reached in and slid against hers, eliciting a wave of pleasure with a short sigh in its wake.