by A. m Madden
“That was nice of him.” The driver opened my door, and when we got out I realized Kyle didn’t have any samples with him. “Did you forget the fragrance samples in the hotel?”
He shut the door and took my hand. “I had them shipped here. Bringing liquids on a plane is a pain in my ass.”
Once inside, I pulled out of his grasp. “What?”
“I work for you for the next few hours. It’s unprofessional.” On the ding of the elevator, I walked past him with a smirk.
No sooner had the doors closed when he pushed me up against the back wall. “No one in here to witness my unprofessionalism, Miss Monroe.” For the duration it took to climb the eleven floors, Kyle’s mouth was fused to mine. On the twelfth floor, he pulled away. “You may want to fix your lips, Miss Monroe.” He swiped his thumb across his lips and presented it to me as evidence.
“Sexual harassment on the first day,” I quipped. Gazing at my reflection in the closed elevator doors, I quickly repaired the damage he did to my lipstick while he chuckled beside me.
Jude’s staff was all very welcoming as they gave a quick tour of the fourteenth floor that housed Soren Enterprises. A few minutes later, we settled into the conference room waiting for Roxanne to arrive. I must have organized the small bottles on the rectangular table a dozen times.
“Nessa, relax.”
“Okay.” I sat in the chair next to Kyle, who was at the head of the table, and calmly folded my hands on the legal pad I brought with me.
A slight knock on the door frame caught both of our attention, and we both stood. Pictures of this woman were nothing like the real thing. Photoshop was not needed when it came to Roxanne DuMont. Her platinum blonde hair cascaded over her bare shoulders and down to her size D breasts. There was no doubt in my mind she could be the next Baywatch babe.
The corners of her naturally plump lips curled up when she saw Kyle. I, on the other hand, had become a ghost. That was until Kyle asked, “Would you like something to drink?”
“Can your secretary grab me a green tea?” Roxanne then brought her attention to me. “Thanks, love.”
What the fuck did she just call me?
When I didn’t budge, Kyle picked up the phone and asked the receptionist if she could please bring in some beverages… including the prima donna’s tea.
Once again right off the bat, I didn’t like one of Kyle’s selections. A pang of worry hit me square in the chest. What if I didn’t like anyone? This would be so much easier if it was for a man’s cologne and a lot more fun.
Kyle stood next to me. “Roxanne, I’d like to introduce you to Vanessa, my vice president in charge of special projects.”
Rather than appear shocked at the title he gave me, I stretched my arm across the table to shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” There, that was nice.
Her long boney fingers wrapped limply around my hand, and a fake smile made me wonder if maybe I was wrong and her lips were filled with Botox.
“Let’s all have a seat.” Kyle pulled out my chair and while he did the same for Roxanne, I scribbled a note down on my pad.
He took his seat beside me, his eyes cut to the message, and he turned to Roxanne. “Thank you for coming in today. As you know the reason you’re here is to determine if you’re a good match for a new fragrance I created, Risqué.”
Her voice came out like a porn star’s. “I love that name.”
Of course she does.
“Risqué is part of our Destination line. Each fragrance is intended to transport the wearer to a romantic location.” Kyle spritzed the inside of her wrist. When she rubbed it together with her other one, he cringed. I wasn’t sure why her action ignited such a response from him. Roxanne brought one of her wrists to her nose and inhaled. “It’s okay. But don’t worry, I’m a good actress, too. People will think that I love it.”
“Picking the right perfume is a personal thing.” He took my hand in his, flipped it over, and sprayed a touch of Risqué on my wrist. I brought my nose closer to my arm and inhaled. This woman was clueless. This scent had me instantly sitting on an island sipping a piña colada.
Kyle gave my hand a squeeze, looked at Roxanne, and said, “Thank you for coming in today. We will let your agent know our decision.”
At first she looked stunned until she realized he dismissed her. Then she wordlessly stalked out of the room, and when the door closed behind her tight ass, I let out a breath. Kyle called reception and cancelled her tea.
“For what it’s worth, I do love Risqué. For me, I imagined sitting in the sand staring at turquoise blue water.”
He smiled, lifted my hand to his nose, and inhaled. “It smells so much better on you. I knew there was a reason I wanted you here—you’re a natural. A beach is exactly where you should have pictured yourself.”
Pride caused genuine happiness which was obvious by the look on my face. No one had ever paid me such a warm compliment. “Thank you. I do have a question, though. Why did you make that face when she rubbed her wrists together?”
“Because when someone rubs their wrists together immediately after the fragrance is applied, it inhibits the release of the top note. Imagine sex without foreplay.” His voice deepened. “You won’t get the entire experience.”
Staring into his gorgeous eyes, and hearing his explanation, made me want to prove his theory right there on the conference room table. And since he dismissed Roxanne, we had the time. Kyle was super sexy on a normal day, but dammit, scientist Kyle did me in.
When he said, “Bailey is the opposite of Roxanne,” I was reminded why we were there.
Once again that damn pang hit me. “Kyle, what if I don’t like Bailey? Then what? Do we need to start all over again?”
“No. If Bailey doesn’t work out, I’m adding spokesmodel to your title.”
Kyle
Overall, our trip to L.A. was a complete success. Bailey turned out to be a perfect spokesmodel for Risqué. As quickly as our interview with Roxanne had gone, the one with Bailey went on for hours. The girls immediately hit it off, and I witnessed a side of Vanessa I’d never seen before. She was just as much of a perfectionist as I was. No detail was too small to overlook.
After we left Jude’s office, we grabbed a quick bite, and hit as many landmarks as we could. That started a trend for the entire week. Each night while in bed, I promised her the next day would be even better. My promise to top the skating rink experience was fulfilled on Wednesday night when I took her to Griffith Park. It wasn’t easy by any means, and our hearts pounded from fear more than passion. But while staring at the Hollywood sign, as she announced her orgasm, made it all worth it.
Another G-rated highlight was Disneyland. Before my very eyes she morphed into a little girl thrilled with everything her gorgeous green eyes witnessed. Today was our last day, and we spent it in Santa Monica enjoying the beach, the pier, and each other.
I wanted to bring in room service again and spend our last night naked in our suite, but there was one more thing I wanted to show her. Fortunately, it would make a perfect backdrop to things I planned on saying.
The tiny inn I found was a forty minute drive from L.A. Known for their ambiance, as well as their locally grown organic menu, I thought it’d make a nice way to end our perfect week. It took a bit of begging on my part to even get us in on such a short notice, but never underestimate a man with a plan… if we ever got there.
“Nessa, we need to go,” I called through the closed bathroom door.
“Coming.”
I sauntered over to the mirror and adjusted my tie. Through the reflection, the door behind me opened just as she hesitantly stepped through it. In a knee-jerk reaction, I spun to be sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me. There she stood in a fitted, strapless black dress that hugged every curve she had from her breasts to her knees.
“Too much?” The uncertainty in her voice surprised me. How could she even doubt what she chose to wear was anything less than perfection?
Only
when she began fiddling with the hem had I realized I hadn’t moved or spoken. In three short strides, I came toe to toe, gripped her face, and crushed my lips against hers. She stumbled a bit, holding my wrists to steady herself. When I pulled away to allow her to breathe, her eyes remained closed for a moment before sliding open to stare into mine.
“I take it you like it?”
“So much so, I regret making this reservation.” I couldn’t help but give her another hard long kiss. “Vanessa, you are breathtaking.”
“Uh oh. You called me Vanessa.” She smiled demurely. “You only do that when you’re serious.”
“I’m dead serious.” I stepped back, taking her hand in mine and spreading her arms wide so I could get a close-up look at her. “You’re perfection.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes raked over my black suit as she flexed her fingers. I released her hands and watched as she straightened my tie before smoothing it down under her palm. “You don’t look too bad yourself. This tie does wonders for your eyes.”
The feel of her hands on me, even with my shirt and tie as a barrier, caused my skin to sizzle with need. “We better go… now. Or we’ll never get out of here.”
Romance oozed from every corner of the inn. On purpose, tables were small and intimate, accommodating two diners. Vanessa scanned our surroundings with a small smile, but otherwise said nothing.
In fact, since arriving she became very quiet. I attributed it to sadness over our time in California coming to an end. After we ordered our entrees, I asked, “Are you okay?”
She looked up and smiled. “I am. Thank you for an amazing week, Kyle. You cannot begin to understand how much this means to me. Showing me all that you did, making each and every day more fun and more exciting than the one before. I don’t deserve all this attention.”
“What a silly thing to say, of course you do.” I took her hand in between both of mine. “Nessa, you’re very special to me. Before you came along, the only way I knew how to connect with a woman was through my master flirting skills. In these weeks we’ve been together, I learned two things.”
Her eyes widened as she waited for me to continue. I stared down at her hand in mine, tracing a pattern over the top of hers. The first thing was easy to admit as I said, “I almost feel like you tamed the flirt in me. But oddly enough, it seems like he needed to be tamed by someone like you. When I’m around you, I’m different.”
“Different how?”
That was a loaded question. Different in the way I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it, but admitting that much to her now would no doubt send her running in fear. If there was one thing I learned about her, it was baby steps were required to get her to accept the changes between us. For instance, her ridiculous rule stating no sleepovers was now long forgotten. No romance was another thing I broke her of.
“Different in how I see women now,” I finally admitted.
She laughed and shook her head. “I’m afraid to ask how you see them.”
“Not at all.” The smile fell off her face. I lifted her hand and placed a kiss on the inside of her palm. “The thing is… now… I only see you.”
Chapter 20
Kyle
Imagine if I had admitted what I really wanted to?
Imagine if I came right out and said I was falling for her?
Because, by just saying that she was the only woman I saw, based on her expression, you would’ve thought that I admitted to fucking every female in Los Angeles.
She sat across from me shaking her head in denial. “What, Nessa?”
“Kyle. Let’s not ruin our time.”
I released her hand and replaced it with my wine, drinking half it of it in one large gulp. Before I could even formulate any response other than, “are you fucking kidding me right now, Nessa?”—our meals appeared. That ended the conversation, that ended my confession of sorts, that ended anything to do with feelings.
The rest of our dinner went by benignly, filled with idle chitchat of the things we saw during our stay and nothing else. She even stayed away from the topic of all the amazing sex we had. Like somehow it meant more than just sex, which of course to me it did.
Clearly, I was way off the mark.
It wasn’t until we were back in our suite and getting undressed when she said, “I’m sorry.”
Stopping on the fourth button of my shirt, I stared at her before asking, “For?” I knew damn well what she was sorry for, but the prick in me needed to hear her say it.
“You paid me an amazing compliment, Kyle. I’m sorry I freaked out over it.” In spite of her words, she still had the same bewildered look on her face as she had earlier.
Unable to speak, I walked around the bed to where she stood and pulled her into my arms. This complicated woman was out of her element. Baby steps, I reminded myself. It had to have taken a lot for her to even offer an apology. If small doses were the way to turn her around, then my scientific background prepared me to have the patience I needed.
“Forgive me?” she asked, her face resting against my partially opened shirt.
I pulled away with a devious smile. “Well, you’ll have to make it up to me somehow. I’m not that easy of a pushover.”
“I beg to differ, but okay. If payment of some form is required, then I’m game.” Her fingers resumed unbuttoning my shirt where I had left off. “Of course, you owe me an apology as well.”
“Is that so?” I reached behind her and found the zipper of her dress. Her fingers paused at my waistband when I slowly slid it down its entire length. “What do I need to be sorry about?” I continued, just as I pushed her dress down her body to allow it to pool at her feet. Offering her my hand, I took one pace backward. She placed her hand in mine, moving toward me after she stepped out of the dress.
“The romantic dinner.” A perfectly sculpted brow lifted in challenge. “Did you think I didn’t realize you chose the most romantic restaurant in Los Angeles tonight?”
“Was it?” My hands roamed over her smooth skin, and I followed with my lips. Starting at the silky spot under her ear, I sucked and nipped before adding, “I really didn’t notice. The food was good though.” I paused long enough to place a few more kisses on her. “Not as delicious as you are. On that note…” I lifted and placed her in the center of the bed. In just her black strapless bra and panties, my cock struggled against the fabric that confined him. Our eyes locked while I removed my shirt and remained that way when I unbuttoned and unzipped my pants.
She sat up and reached behind her back. “No,” I said with a firm shake of my head. “Don’t move.” On my command, she reclined back, leaning on her elbows, and remained perfectly still.
Gorgeous green eyes remained focused on me as I removed my pants and then each sock. Like a lion with his prey, she licked her lips when I lost my boxers. The way she looked at my naked body propelled my excitement within seconds. I hadn’t even touched her yet, or she me, yet I was hard as stone because of the look in her eyes. I could see right through to her soul. And whether she’d admit it or not, based on that look, I knew she felt the same.
At that moment, I needed her more than I ever had. Maybe to negate her behavior at dinner, or maybe validation of how great we were together was what I was searching for. In either case, the desperation to feel every inch of her surrounding me became more important than my next breath.
I climbed on the bed beside her. I couldn’t stand waiting any longer. Digging one hand into her hair and sliding the other between her panties and her ass, I pulled her body over mine. In slow motion, I initiated a kiss like no other we shared.
Kissing really wasn’t our thing. We did it often, but never for a purpose. With this kiss it was important that she felt her universe shift ever so slightly. This kiss needed to become a force in its own right, and not just foreplay.
The warm skin of her belly pressed up against my abs. Our legs entwined, our hands didn’t know where to touch first. Yet throughout, as our bodies tried to fus
e, the kiss never faltered… until I pulled away.
Her eyes were wild for more. And I would resume soon. After I got her naked. My hands smoothly released the back clasp of her bra. I pulled the fabric around to her front and dropped it to cup a breast in each hand. Goose bumps riddled her flesh when I sucked on her neck while rubbing her nipples with the palms of my hands.
For the first time since being with Vanessa, I wouldn’t rely on anything other than our connection to blow her mind.
I rolled us into the missionary position, and the next to go were her panties. As I dragged them over the curve of her ass and down her magnificent legs, I followed their path with my mouth. She lay before me naked in every sense of the word. There wasn’t dirty talk, suggestive innuendos, or even promises of things to come.
Reversing back up her body, once face to face I resumed our kiss. With our lips communicating in a profound way, I slid into her and stilled. She held my head firmly as we devoured each other’s mouths. I felt her inner thighs gripping my hips, her heels pressing into my ass. She even went as far as whimpering to get me to move faster.
I pulled away far enough to stare into her eyes, and with our gazes tethered, I made love to Vanessa. For a few moments, I felt her responding in the way I needed her to. Long minutes passed, the magnetic energy between us doubled in intensity. Until she broke the connection.
Looking over my shoulder, she drifted off, suddenly feeling a million miles away. I needed her to come back to our moment. With my hand, I gently held her cheek waiting for her eyes to meet mine. But when they did, the look we shared just minutes ago was different.
Words I needed to say lodged in my throat, and I found it almost impossible to breathe. No words were spoken. Instead, in the silence so much had been said. Combined with the glistening in her beautiful eyes, it felt like a good-bye.
The day felt a lifetime long. By the time we dragged ourselves into her apartment, the seed of tension that sprouted the night before had become a dense forest.
