by Alexa Riley
We grin and bear it as we get close to the lake, and blessedly, when we get there, the smell is gone. I jump down out of the carriage and hold out my hands, taking Jay by the waist and picking her up. Slowly, I lower her to the ground, letting her rub against my body as I do.
“I couldn’t resist,” I say, winking at her.
“And you didn’t even apologize.” Her cheeks are pink, but she hasn’t tried to pull away.
“I’ll never apologize for what I want when it comes to you.” I reach into the carriage to grab the picnic basket, and help her down to the lake.
“Thank you again for the flats,” she says as we follow the path closer to the water.
“I like when you look happy. And those heels did not make you look happy.”
I squeeze her hand, and the look she gives me squeezes my heart. God, this woman is going to break me in two.
When we get to the edge of the water, I take out the blanket and spread it out. The grass is soft but dry, and I help her sit down as I unpack the food and join her.
“I ordered takeout from the deli you like. I thought finger foods might be best,” I say, opening the containers and spreading them out around us.
She reaches for one of the cherry tomatoes and hums as she eats it. “They have the best food.”
We eat while we laugh and talk, just being our normal selves. Time goes by, and the sun begins to set, but it feels like we’ve only been here for a few minutes. I wonder if being friends first didn’t help ease us into this. I never wanted to only be her friend, but it was the best way to get her to know me. And to see that I’m not as scary as some people act.
“How’d you get your scar?” she asks, nodding at my cheek. “It’s not something we’ve ever talked about, but you seem to try to hide it sometimes.”
I didn’t realize that was a conscious maneuver, but if she noticed it then I must be doing it. I pause, thinking about how to tell her, and she takes my hesitation as something more.
“I’m sorry. That was rude. I’m sure it’s personal and—”
“No, I was just trying to think of a way to tell you without making you feel sad.” I shrug and let out a breath. “But there’s no way to do that. I’ve told you about my parents and how my mom died when I was in high school. She was hit by a drunk driver, and I was in the car with her. My face hit the passenger side window, and that’s how I got it.”
“Oh, Jordan, I’m so sorry.” She puts her hands on her mouth like she can take the question back. Then she puts her hand on my face like she can take the hurt away.
Maybe she can.
“Thank you. It was a long time ago. I miss her, but we’ve had to learn to heal. She would have wanted that.”
“And you still go see your father every week?” She smiles now, remembering the stories I’ve told her about Pop.
“Every week. The man loves his scratch-off tickets.” I place her hand in mine and bring it to my mouth, kissing the palm. “Come visit him with me on Sunday.”
Her eyes widen in surprise, but then she nods excitedly. “Yeah, that sounds like fun.”
“I’ll just have to warn him to keep his hands to himself.” I trace my finger along her jaw, and she leans into my touch. “I have a hard enough time as it is.”
Unable to stand it any longer, I take her face in both my hands and press my lips to hers. Almost immediately, she’s opening for me, allowing me to take control and taste all of her sweetness. I moan around her lips when I feel her tongue touch mine.
Before I know what’s happening, I’ve pulled her onto my lap, cradling her, her legs to one side. I’ve got both arms wrapped around her back as I hold her close to me, and she dips her hands in my hair.
I run my fingers down her side and to her hip, squeezing her there. Then I move them lower, brushing against the warm, exposed skin just below the hem of her dress. I ache to move my hand under it, to touch between her legs and see how wet she is. Wet for me.
She moans my name as my mouth moves to her neck, and I kiss her soft skin there.
“You drive me crazy, little bird,” I growl, sucking the skin under her ear, praying I leave a mark.
“Are people going to see us?” she whispers, but she doesn’t stop. She’s holding on to me just as fiercely as I’m holding on to her.
“Would it bother you if they did?” I bite her earlobe and feel her shiver. “If someone saw you being kissed like they could only dream of? If someone watched me hold the most beautiful woman in the world and make love to her with my lips?”
I kiss a trail down her neck to the center of her chest.
“When you put it like that...” she says, but she doesn’t finish her sentence.
Kissing my way back up, I take her lips again, and this time it’s even more intense. We are becoming crazed for one another, and now it might not be such a good idea to be in public.
“Take me home,” she moans, echoing my own thoughts.
I stand up, holding her in my arms, and she laughs. The sound is music to my ears, and it’s all I ever want to hear.
Just as I take a step, the edge of the blanket catches on my shoes. Jay thinks I’m going to drop her, so she tries to put her feet down at the same time I try to turn with her. The entire thing happens so fast I don’t have time to tell her no before she’s out of my arms and kneeing me in the balls as I fall backwards.
I hear a scream before I stumble back and hit the water, and as I’m submerged in the lake, I don’t know if the sound came from her or from me.
* * *
“Are you sure you won’t come up?” Jay asks with a disappointed look on her face.
“I honestly wish I could, but I’m afraid I might give your apartment E. coli. That lake isn’t exactly sanitary.”
A smile tugs at her lips, and she leans up to kiss me. As much as I hate it, I have to take a step back. I can smell the fishy stench on me, and I couldn’t allow myself to do that to her.
The climb out of the lake was a mess, and even more so because my balls ached so bad. I think she apologized a hundred times, but no matter what I said, she still felt bad.
“This only half counts as a date. Tomorrow, we get a do-over.”
That seems to brighten her up a little, and she nods. “Why don’t you come over and let me cook for you?” I like the idea. We could end up spending the whole weekend together if I’m lucky.
“Do you own a fire extinguisher and have the fire department number handy? I’m not saying you’re a bad cook, I just want to cover my bases.”
“We could always order in, if it makes you feel better. But I’m pretty good in the kitchen.” She winks at me and then turns, walking up the steps and into her building.
“Goddamn, woman, you are something special.”
Just then I hear the horses behind me and roll my eyes. The carriage driver gives me a thumbs-up, and I bury my head in my hands. After a second, I climb into the Cinderella carriage and lean back in the seat.
“Let’s go,” I say, and take the ride to my place next.
Chapter Ten
Jay
“You’re in early. Even for you.” I look up, taking my head out of my hands to see Skyler standing there, coffee in one hand and her bag in the other. It’s not even seven a.m. and she looks all done up and ready to go. “Oh no.” She drops her bag on the floor and sets her coffee on my desk before leaning up against it. “Did the date go that bad?”
I run my hand through my hair, trying to make sure it’s all in place. “Is it that noticeable?”
I didn’t put in much effort this morning, just grabbed the first thing I found in my closet, which was a black flowy skirt that comes to my knees, and a simple light pink button-up shirt. I push my glasses back up my nose, frustrated that I’m so easy to read.
“No, you look great. Your eyes are just sad.”
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I let out a deep breath and give in. I tell her about the date and every horrible, sweet detail of it. That date was terrible, but it was wonderful, too. When I left Jordan, I was excited and happy, even with everything that had happened. He’s asked me out on another date, but the more I sat and thought on it last night, I think he was trying to be nice. I almost killed the man. Well, killed him might be an exaggeration, but still. He’d backed away from my kiss at the end of the night. I tried to play it cool like it didn’t bother me, making a joke and smiling, but it kept replaying over and over in my head as I tossed and turned last night.
“Yeah, that’s pretty bad.”
“I know.” I drop my head back into my hands and cringe.
I feel Skyler’s hand on my shoulder in a reassuring hold.
“It would almost be outrageously funny if I didn’t like him so much. The worst part is, what if he slowly starts to back away from me? I’ll lose the only friend I have around here.”
“Hey, you’ve got me. And we’re having drinks tonight,” she reminds me.
I remember I told Jordan I would cook for him tonight. Maybe this is a way I can get out of that. Give myself some time to clear my head and not feel so sorry for myself.
“You still want me to come?” I ask, thinking maybe she might have told someone she invited me and other coworkers gave her crap about it.
“Hell yeah.” She gives my shoulder another squeeze.
We both look over as the elevator dings, and Mallory and Miles exit together, holding hands. A small smile pulls at my lips. That always happens when I see them together. They’re so in love. He chased after her for years and would do anything for Mallory. She is his everything. I want a love like that. Jordan flutters through my mind.
“Hey, lovebirds,” Skyler says, getting up from my desk and grabbing her bag and coffee.
“Hey.” Mallory smiles back while Miles gives a nod.
“Mal, drinks tonight.”
“She can’t drink, she’s pregnant,” Miles throws out instantly, as if we don’t know she’s pregnant. From the way he is with her, to the small bump that is already showing, we’ve got the picture.
“They have small plates there, too. Paige and Mal love small plates.” I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from smiling as a scowl forms on Miles’s face. He clearly didn’t want her to go. If it was up to him she’d be trapped away in their condo, where they’d never leave.
“I do love small plates,” Mallory says dreamily.
“Sir,” I say, standing as they get closer to my desk.
“Give me ten, Jay.”
I nod and sit back down in my chair as he starts to pull Mallory into his office. As she’s being pulled away, she shouts over her shoulder that she’s in, and then we hear the office door lock.
I put my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing out loud. I know he’s in there trying to convince her to not go but in the end Mallory will win because Miles can’t help but give her what she wants even if he doesn’t want her doing it.
“More like thirty minutes,” Skyler says, wiggling her eyebrows and making me giggle harder behind my hand. “Tonight.” She taps my desk in farewell and walks away.
There was no question in her statement. She said I’m going, and truth be told, it will probably be good for me. All the other ladies are in relationships, so maybe I can pick their brains. I’m terrible at relationship stuff. One would think someone who reads and writes romance as much as I do would be better at it.
I can’t even go off my own parents’ relationship. They’re still happily married to this day. While I love them both, I’m not into the free love they both espouse with their hippie lifestyle, but my sister seems totally okay with it. I never wanted to be the oddball in the family, but I always felt like a prude compared to them. I was the one who didn’t know how to relax and have a good time.
Maybe that’s why I kept messing everything up with Jordan. I worry too much, like I do with everything, but I can’t turn it off. Except when he’s kissing me. I can’t work through a single thought when his lips are on mine.
Before I let my mind wander down that daydream path, I click on my keyboard, deciding to email Jordan. I texted him last night, but he didn’t respond, which wasn’t like him. That was when all my worrying about our date started.
From: [email protected]
Subject: Cooking
Sorry, but I have to cancel tonight. I forgot I told Skyler I’d go out for a drink with her and some people from work when we get off.
Hope you have a pleasant day.
Jay
Blah. God, that sounds terrible. I hit Send and wish I could snatch the email back. Hope you have a pleasant day. What is wrong with me? I shake my head at myself. I stare at my computer for minutes, but no response comes. I don’t know how long I’ve sat there when the door to Miles’s office opens and Mallory comes out.
“Small plates are on.” She winks at me as she walks by, her hair a little ruffled.
I shake my head and smile.
Grabbing my notepad, I give a knock before entering Miles’s office and get back to work. We go over what needs to be done today and other projects in the works. I’ve been noticing our workload is getting less and less with him handing off more projects to different department heads. It gives me more free time, but I’m not sure how I feel about that. I like staying busy.
Everyone he entrusts seems competent, and I haven’t had to chase them down. Except one. I roll my eyes thinking about what Jordan had to do to get that file—the file that still isn’t adding up.
I go back to my desk and get to work on the items Miles has flagged as urgent. Setting up some meetings and drafting some emails, I keep busy with what I know. I can do this all day every day, and it keeps my mind from drifting places I don’t want it to go.
When I look at the clock and see the time, I call in lunch for Miles, Mallory, and Skyler, and then order something for myself, too. I don’t want to run into Jordan in the cafeteria. I can’t even bring myself to check to see if he’s emailed me back. It’s easier to get lost in my work than to have to deal with the embarrassment I’m still feeling.
When the food comes, I take Miles’s and Mallory’s into Miles’s office and drop Skyler’s off, too. She normally eats at her desk while she works. If she doesn’t eat at her desk, it means she’s using her lunchtime to shop.
I set mine on my desk next to me, but I don’t really feel hungry. I head to the small break room to grab a drink from the fridge but stop still when I turn around and see Jordan standing in the doorway. The room isn’t big as we don’t need a giant room with so few of us on this floor.
He walks toward me without uttering a word. He takes the drink from my hand and places it on the counter. He looks just as handsome today as he does every day. But today there’s an edge to him. Or maybe he’s on the edge. Something about it—him—makes my breathing heavier, and not because I’m scared. It’s because I’m instantly turned on by the look he’s giving me. Like he’s a predator and I’m his prey.
I take a step away, and he follows until my back hits the wall. Everything we did in the park on our picnic comes flooding back, the wonderful things he made me feel, how he got me to lose control and not care about anything but the two of us.
“You’ve been ignoring me, little bird,” he says. His voice sounds deeper than normal. I tilt my head back so I can look him in the eyes.
“I have not. I texted you three times last night and you didn’t respond. Then I sent you an email. In fact, I think I might even be pestering you.” I try to say the words in a stern voice, like the one I use at the office when I have to scold people.
“Hmm,” he says, leaning down, his nose coming to my neck and traveling up. Then I feel his lips on me as he places small kisses up and down my neck. My eyes fall closed, and I turn my head to the
side, giving him more of me.
“That tone won’t work on me, babe,” he informs me as he presses into me, and I feel his hard erection between my legs. His mouth moves to my ear.
“I had to get a new phone this morning. Mine didn’t survive the water last night.”
“Oh?” I only half hear his words. I lean into his lips, wanting him to go back to kissing my neck. He chuckles, and his mouth goes back to it. I reach up, wanting to have my hands on him. I run my fingers through his hair as I try to rock against him.
“Fuck. You’re lucky I turned off the cameras in here,” he growls, and I feel us moving, but I don’t open my eyes. My back lands against another wall. “Take what you want, little bird. I came up here to give you what you need.”
I don’t really understand his words, but I keep moving against him. The thick ridge of his cock hits me perfectly between my legs as I wrap my thighs around his waist. My lips go to his, and suddenly I’m hungry for him. My orgasm climbs closer to the surface as I rub my center over the hard line of his stiff length. Everything about him is so perfect against me, and I moan for more.
He grips my hips hard, and I start to come undone. He consumes my pleasure with his mouth as my body can’t hold back any longer.
My orgasm explodes through me, and he kisses my cries of satisfaction, trying to quiet them. As I pulse, and as warmth floods my body, his body jerks against me, and he groans.
I pull my mouth from his, burying my face in his neck and trying to catch my breath. I’m wrapped around him, up against the wall of the break room, and I’ve just been given the most intense orgasm of my life.
I hold on to him, breathing in his scent and marking it on my skin. My eyes are still closed. I don’t want to leave this moment and go back to all the thoughts I was having before.
“You feel better now, little bird?” I hear him ask, and finally I get the energy to lean back and look him in the eyes.
“I, well, I—”
“I know. You got caught up in your head, probably thinking something that isn’t true.”
“Maybe,” I admit.
