“These were just delivered for you,” Jeremy said with a grin.
I got to my feet to inspect the beautiful bouquet. I was pretty sure who they were from, and my heart warmed as I reached for the card. I opened the envelope and pulled out the little card. My excitement died instantly as the smile wiped from my face.
Thanks again for agreeing to dinner
-Michael
I looked at the flowers, sadly running my fingers gently over the bright yellow petals, but they felt tainted.
“Put them in reception,” I told Jeremy as I returned to my chair.
“You sure? They’re your favorite,” he said, his brows drawing together in confusion.
I sighed, taking another look at the happy burst of color with a pout before handing Jeremy the card.
I watched as his eyes scanned over the message. “Reception it is,” Jeremy said and hurried out of my office toward the lobby.
It was a surprisingly thoughtful gesture from Michael, or more accurately his secretary. She never forgot my birthday or a single anniversary. I should send her a note.
Just then my phone went off. I groaned and reached for it.
Sean: Did you get it?
Madison: Get what?
Sean: The package.
“Jeremy,” I called.
He stuck his head in the door. “You bellowed.”
“Did a package come for me?”
“I only saw the flowers. I’ll check with the mail room,” he said, disappearing down the hall.
I sat back in my chair, tapping my fingers on the desk as I tried to figure out what he could have sent. Excitement bubbled up in my chest.
Sean: Just a little hint of my plans for us tonight.
That sent my imagination into a tailspin.
Jeremy came back carrying a small gold gift box. He set it on my desk and stood there, practically dancing as he waited for me to open it. “It must have just gotten here,” he said. “Open it, open it.”
I lifted the lid and frowned as I examined the contents. Inside was the strangest collection of items I have ever seen. I pulled each of them out one by one. A pair of black cat ears, a bottle of cheap bourbon, a map of Mississippi, and a card.
Be ready at seven. Cocktail attire
-Sean
What the hell? I really hope he wasn’t into some bizarre role play thing. I sent him a quick text.
Madison: I’m confused.
Sean: All will be clear tonight. See you at 7 beautiful.
Jeremy sifted through the box and looked up at me with a shrug.
“He says it’s a hint of his plans for us tonight.”
“Looks like he’s into some kinky shit,” Jeremy said, putting on the cat ears.
“You think?”
Jeremy shrugged. “Guess you’ll find out tonight.”
I dropped heavily into my chair, suddenly very wary about a date I was so looking forward to earlier.
“By the way,” he said, removing the ears and dropping them back into the box. “You’re all set for the dinner meeting with that developer. I made reservations at Provo, for Tuesday at seven.”
“Great. Thank you. You can get out of here then. Have a good weekend.” Gathering up the couple of files I needed to work on over the weekend, I decided to call it a night.
“You too,” he said with a wink and a nod toward the box. He and Margot really were of one mind.
***
I was putting the finishing touches on my make-up when there was a knock on the door. I took one last look in the mirror and went to answer.
Sean stood in the doorway, looking practically edible in a gorgeous gray slim cut suit, crisp white shirt, no tie, and that heart-stopping smile of his that made my heart nearly pound out of my chest.
“You are breathtaking,” he said, leaning in to kiss my cheek. Me? Had he looked in a mirror? “You ready?”
I swallowed and blinked, trying to regain some of my composure. “I just need to grab my coat,” I said, heading to the hall closet.
I opened the hall closet and took a few deep breaths behind the safety of the door. The effect Sean had on me was unnerving. Every time I saw him, the connection between us just became more and more intense. Nothing about that connection felt casual, and that scared the hell out of me.
I shook off the worry, grabbed my coat, and returned back to the hall, where Sean was waiting. His smile widened when he saw me and offered me his arm.
“So, where are we going?” I asked as he got in the car.
“You haven’t figured it out yet?”
I just shook my head.
He took my hand, brought it to his lips, and pressed a sweet kiss to my knuckles. “Then you’re in for a surprise.” His sweet smile and soft gray eyes helped to ease my nerves, and I relaxed into my seat.
It wasn’t very long before we were pulling into a parking garage downtown. So far I was seeing no connection to the items in the box, and the suspicion that it was some sort of weird fetish thing was starting to freak me out.
When we reached the street, we turned right and headed up the block. There were a few restaurants and bars, but we just kept right on walking.
Finally, we turned a corner and I looked up to see a glittering marquee that read Roosevelt Theater. I looked up at Sean, who was grinning at me, waiting for me to make the connection, although I was still drawing a blank. I was starting to feel kind of stupid when I saw the poster for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.
I started to laugh. The bourbon, the cat ears, Mississippi, it all made sense now. Now that I was clued in, I was impressed by how much trouble he went to just for a second date.
“Make sense now?”
“It’s amazing. I’ve never seen the play, only the movie.”
“The movie’s great. I love me some Elizabeth Taylor, but seeing it live is a completely different experience. Come on, let’s find our seats,” he said, pulling me toward the doors.
He handed our tickets to the usher, who led us down toward the front of the stage. The usher stopped three rows back from the stage in the center and pointed to two seats in the middle. We squeezed past a couple sitting on the end and took our seats.
The view of the stage was unbelievable. I felt like I was seated right inside the world of Maggie the Cat.
“These seats are incredible. How did you get them on such short notice?”
Sean smiled. “I worked on the posters and advertising for the theater company. The tickets were a thank you.”
“Perk of the job?” I said, turning to face him.
His smile brightened and he leaned in close. “Tonight it is,” he whispered as he reached for my hand. I looked down at our joined hands in my lap as he slowly threaded our fingers together. His hands were large and slightly rough against my skin. I shifted in my seat and crossed my legs, his eyes following the movement. He swallowed, his Adam’s apple moving under the smooth skin of his neck.
His thumb brushed against the top of my knee, and I shivered from the contact. I looked up at him, and our eyes locked as the lights in the theater dimmed. His eyes dipped to my lips and he leaned in, his lips brushing gently against mine. I leaned into the kiss as static spread across my skin. The combination of his soft touch and the gentle press of his lips mixed with the sweet woodsy scent of his cologne made me dizzy.
The curtain opened, and the crowd erupted in applause around us. Sean pulled away slightly and smiled before turning toward the stage, leaving me dazed and lightheaded. I looked up at the stage as the lights lit up the set. If that kiss was any indication of how this night would go, then I was in some serious trouble.
***
After the show, we headed to a tapas place around the corner for a little food and some drinks. The restaurant was small with a line of U-shaped booths along the back wall. The entire restaurant was dimly lit. Candles flickered on every table as a soft music floated through the room.
The delicious scent of cilantro and lime wrapped around me as we followe
d the hostess to a quiet booth in the back. I smiled back at Sean as he guided me through the tables with his hand pressed gently to the small of my back.
Sean slid into the booth beside me and dropped his arm around my shoulders. I leaned into him, resting a hand comfortably on his thigh. I was riding a bit of a romantic high from a combination of the atmosphere and the thought he’d put behind this perfect night.
I was never one for PDA. Let me rephrase that, Michael was never one for PDA, and I was raised that ladies never did that sort of thing, but I was enjoying the attention. Sean was so free. He was comfortable in his own skin in a way I never could be. Tonight, it felt good to let loose a bit and just enjoy the moment. Wasn’t that what this whole reinventing myself thing was about? Trying something new?
When the waiter came, Sean ordered us both a glass of the house sangria, a cheese plate, and some hummus.
“What did you think?” he asked, turning his attention back to me.
“It was great,” I said. “You were right. It was much better live. I never realized that Brick was gay.”
Sean nodded. “They couldn’t get it past the censors for the movie, but it changes the whole dynamic between Brick and Maggie,” he said. “I mean, let’s face it, how else could you resist sleeping with Elizabeth Taylor?”
“You have a point there.” I giggled.
The waiter brought our drinks with a smile, and I took a sip, loving the tart fruity flavor as it warmed me from the inside.
“What are you doing on Sunday?” he asked suddenly.
“Just catching up on some work. Why?”
“Well, it’s Gran’s birthday. We’re throwing a party. She wanted me to invite you,” he said as he reached up and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.
“She wanted you to invite me?”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “It seems you made an impression.”
My cheeks heated just thinking about my last encounter with Gran. “I don’t know,” I said, feeling a little uneasy about him inviting me to a family party. This thing between us was meant to be casual, and family functions just didn’t feel casual to me.
“Hey,” he said, cupping my cheek and gently turning my face toward him. “It’s just a party. Alex and Drew will be there. It’ll be fun. It doesn’t have to be a big deal, okay?”
I stared into his beautiful gray eyes, my heart going into overdrive as the nerves set in. “Okay,” I said.
His smile widened, and he leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. He pulled away and smiled just as the waiter came over with the food. We separated and dug in to the food. I was surprised how hungry I was. Then again, I hadn’t eaten since lunch.
Conversation flowed easily, the food was incredible, and the drinks were doing a good job of helping me to relax. All in all, it was turning into a really great night.
“How did your call go the other day?” he asked.
I drew my eyebrows together, not sure what he was talking about.
He leaned in close, his breath tickling my ear as he spoke. “The one I interrupted.”
Blood instantly rushed to my cheeks, but I couldn’t keep the smile from my face. Sean slipped his hand to my knee as I tried to answer. “It was…it was good. We were discussing a new client that’s coming next week to…” I paused as his hand started to move north to my thigh, “to finalize the contracts.”
He flashed me that wicked smile of his as he leaned closer. “Congratulations,” he said, pressing his lips to the side of my neck. His hand began making its slow advance further north, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. “Maybe,” he continued as he kissed his way to my ear, “we should continue that conversation during your next meeting.” I giggled as his lips tickled my jaw line.
Just as his hand pushed under the hem of my dress, I heard someone clear their throat. I sat up quickly, squeezing my legs together and trapping his hand between my overheated thighs. Sean chuckled and removed his hand from under my dress as we both looked up to see who’d interrupted.
“Well, look who we have here,” Margot said with a smirk, her hand propped on her hip. She looked at Sean, her eyes roaming over him. She made no effort to hide her inspection. I’m guessing he passed by the smirk on her face. She continued to watch him, biting her lip and shifting her weight, still wearing that sly smile.
“I hope I’m interrupting.” Margot winked at me, and I could feel the heat flood my face.
Sean chuckled beside me and tightened his grip around my shoulders. “Nice to see you again, Margot.”
A tall man in a dark suit approached her. “They said it will be twenty minutes before they can seat us,” he said, leaning in close to Margot and resting a hand on her hip.
She nodded and turned back to Sean and me. “Derek, I’d like you to meet my friends Madison Buchanan and Sean…”
“Taylor,” Sean said, reaching to offer Derek his hand.
“Derek Wayburn,” the man supplied with a firm handshake.
“Why don’t you join us?” Sean asked.
“We don’t want to intrude…” Derek started.
“We’d love to,” Margot said, interrupting him. She slid into the booth beside me, and Derek reluctantly followed.
“So, what have you two kids been up to tonight?” Margot asked, waving her hand to get the waiter’s attention.
“We went to see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Roosevelt,” Sean said.
“I heard it was pretty good,” Derek said.
Sean looked at me and smiled. “It was.” He rested his hand on my thigh, his thumb making lazy circles on my skin. My body heated instantly from the slightest touch. I swallowed and crossed my legs beneath the table. Margot’s interruption had done little to tone down my arousal, and the soft stroke of his thumb was only making things worse.
The waiter approached, and Margot and Derek began drilling him on the specials. Sean smiled at me and slid closer to me so we were pressed against each other completely. His knuckles gently brushed against the skin of my neck and I inhaled, closing my eyes as the soft touch sent shock waves through my body.
He leaned in close and pressed a gentle kiss to my neck. “I love making you blush,” he whispered as he tickled the short hairs at the back of my neck.
“Madison,” Margot said. I jumped and pulled my attention away from Sean.
“Ladies room?” she asked. Her face was serious, and it was pretty clear that it was more of a demand than a request.
“Right,” I squeaked. I turned back to Sean with a smile. “Be right back.”
Margot was already pushing Derek out of the booth so we could get out. I scooted out of the booth and stood, smoothing my dress down from where it had ridden up, and looked over at Sean. He winked and I gave him a shy smile before following Margot to the ladies’ room.
I’d barely made it through the bathroom door before Margot was on me.
“You two were looking pretty cozy in that booth,” she said, adjusting her cleavage in the mirror.
“So?” I asked, heading into the stall and locking the door behind me. I didn’t really have to go, but I needed to take a breather and get myself back under control away from Margot’s prying eyes.
“So, I thought you wanted to keep things casual,” she said through the door.
“I do…I mean, I am,” I said, frowning at the stall door.
“You sure he knows that?”
“Yes, I made myself perfectly clear.” I came out of the stall and stood beside her at the sink, washing my hands as she touched up her lip gloss.
“He seems to be quite smitten with you,” she said, dropping her gloss into her clutch.
I raised an eyebrow at her. Smitten? Really?
She raised her hands in defense. “Hey, I could be wrong, but from the way that boy has been looking at you, he’s one step away from bringing you home to Mama.”
I flinched and continued drying my hands that were already bone dry, refusing to meet her eyes.
“What?” she a
sked.
“He invited me to his grandmother’s birthday party.”
“You’re not actually going, are you?”
“I already told him I would.”
“You can’t meet his family. Why did he even ask you? Who brings a fuck buddy home to grandma?”
“First, I am not a fuck buddy. Second, I kind of already met them.”
“You met his family. Are you kidding?”
“Well, the first time we went out, he took me to his grandmother’s restaurant. So meeting her was unavoidable,” I said, checking my lipstick in the mirror.
I looked up and Margot was staring at me, her lips pursed. “Madison,” she began “I’m worried. It sounds to me like he’s pushing this fling into relationship territory. You need to do everything you can to keep it in the sex zone. You fuck guys like Sean to get over your ex, get your mojo back. You don’t actually date them. Dinner before sex, sure, keep it classy, but grandma’s birthday, meeting his friends? That’s some girlfriend shit you need to avoid at all costs.”
“So what do you suggest I do?” I asked, turning toward her with a hand on my hip.
“Go to the party, but make it clear to everyone there, Sean included, that you are not together.”
“How do I do that?”
“Ignore him, talk to other people, flirt with someone else,” she said, waving a hand at me like it was obvious.
“I can’t embarrass him like that,” I said. “Besides, all the men that will be there are either married or engaged.”
Margot was doing the staring thing again. “You like him,” she said, pointing her finger at me.
“Of course I like him. You don’t expect me to sleep with someone I don’t like.”
“No,” she said. “You like him, like him.”
“What is this, junior high?”
“You need to be careful, Madison.” Margot shot me a wicked smile, cocking her head to the side. The look in her eyes told me she was about to let loose with something I didn’t want to hear. “You know what you need?”
Choosing Happy (Madison Square #2) Page 11
