Ask Me Something (The Something Series Book 2) (3 page)

Halfway
listening while everyone chatted a bit about plans, I was beyond the point of
being very good company. Brian’s intense looks toward me weren’t helping the
situation and neither was Jamie’s hand, which kept rubbing his thigh as if to
remind him who he was going home with tonight.

The waitress
thankfully came along to check on us, which provided the perfect opportunity to
get the hell out of here.

“No more for me.
Matter of fact, I need get home and get packed. Early morning flight tomorrow,”
I explained.

Catherine did
the same. “I need to head out, too. Nice meeting you, Jamie. Will we see you at
the wedding?”

Damn, I hadn’t considered
that possibility. Josh and Haylee were getting married down in Tortola on New
Year’s Eve. Catherine, Brian, and I were traveling down as guests.
Don’t
look alarmed, don’t look annoyed and, whatever you do, don’t look devastated at
the thought of him bringing Jamie
.

“Oh, you must
mean Josh’s wedding. Talk about last minute and to a twenty-three-year-old.
Makes you wonder, don’t you think?” Jamie mused in a conspiratorial tone.

Before I could
say anything, Brian lost his temper. “Actually, we all know and love Haylee, so
we don’t wonder at all. In fact, Josh is damn lucky.”

Jamie appeared taken
aback by his response. “I didn’t mean anything by it. And in answer to your
question, Catherine, that depends on if Brian invites me as his date. There’s
still time, you know.” The last part was said with the first glimpse of
vulnerability I’d seen from her all night.

Averting my eyes
from her fingers curled around his bicep, I glanced at my watch.

“Oh, I thought
you were a good friend who went way back with Josh. You weren’t invited?”
Catherine threw out casually.

I’d never
witnessed a passive-aggressive comment leave my friend’s lips before, and yet
there had been two in the last ten minutes. I was shocked.

Brian must have
felt the same, considering the amused look he shared with her across the table.
I wondered if he realized that his
friend
had pushed the buttons of the
nicest woman in this place.

Jamie managed a
strained smile. “It’s been a number of years. Anyhow, I hope you ladies have a
good evening and a Merry Christmas.”

I could’ve
hugged the waitress when she delivered the check. “Yes, Merry Christmas. Take
care.” Getting up, I attempted to shrug into my coat.

Brian stood and,
before I knew it, was assisting me with it from behind.

Always the
gentleman, I thought, watching him hug Catherine first, kissing her on the cheek
and then turn toward me again. To say it was awkward wasn’t even scratching the
surface.

His eyes
searched mine, and I looked away, unwilling to address the situation in front
of Jamie, who was observing us closely.

As I pulled out
some cash from my purse, his hand touched my wrist, stopping my motion and
making me flustered.

“This is on me,
ladies,” he insisted.

I didn’t bother
to argue as that meant I could get out faster. “Thanks, Bri.” I was so frazzled
in trying to leave that it took his slight intake of breath for me to realize
I’d used a nickname that I hadn’t called him in three years. If I thought for a
moment that he hadn’t noticed, the heat in his eyes refuted that possibility.

I practically
tripped over myself to get out of the restaurant and into the night air.

***

Catherine joined
me at the curb and didn’t say anything until her car pulled up. “Come on, I’ll
drop you by your place.”

I didn’t protest.
At thirty-two years old, I couldn’t believe I was fighting tears over a guy.

“I take it that
was the girl from the text message?” Catherine asked softly, bringing me out of
my daze once we were in the backseat.

“Yeah, it sure
was.” I exhaled, staring straight forward. “I’m being stupid.”

“If it helps, I
think he was absolutely stunned she showed up. It was obvious that he didn’t
invite her.”

“I figured as
much. It’s not his style, and we’ve sort of had this unspoken agreement that we
don’t bring people we’re dating around one another.”

“So you’ve known
each other for almost eight years and neither one of you has ever brought a
date around the other?”

Turning toward
her, I shrugged. “I’m not really a relationship kind of girl, and he’s never
been serious about anyone that I’m aware of. But considering he’s known Jamie
since college, maybe he’s been seeing her for years.” The very thought made me
want to throw up.

“I’m not
criticizing your lack of long-term relationships. I’m only mentioning the fact
that neither one of you wants the appearance of one. Or even a casual date.
Almost like you’re waiting for the other one to make a move. That kind of
speaks volumes, don’t you think?”

Sighing, I
realized a good friend to confide in would be nice, and so I came clean. “We,
uh, almost slept together three years ago down in Miami. But let’s just say fate
intervened, and it didn’t end up happening. After I got promoted last year, I
practically patted myself on the back for not crossing that professional line
because he became my boss. But when I moved up here to New York, I missed him
much more than I ever thought I would. All this time, and I didn’t say
anything. Now it’s too late.”

Catherine shook
her head. “Who says? Remember you’re fierce, which means nothing intimidates
you. The only reason that twit brought it up was to try to undermine what you do
have with Brian. She noticed something from the moment she sat down. It’s one
hundred percent certain she came tonight because she knew he was most likely
blowing her off for you. Clearly, he’s talked about you enough that she
perceived you as a threat. She may have known him longer, but it’s evident who
knows him better.”

I was grateful
for her loyalty. “Thanks. I appreciate you taking her down a notch. I get
enough shit about my natural tendency to be overly reactive, and you saved me
from saying something I shouldn’t have. It was impressive, Catherine.” I
cracked a smile at how smooth she’d been.

She laughed. “It
was my pleasure. Believe me, you don’t get to where I am without having to deal
with plenty of catty women. And it was good that her little comment about
Haylee irritated the crap out of Brian, so there’s that.”

The car pulled
up in front of my building. “Thanks for being supportive and listening. I, uh—”
I took a deep breath before I admitted, “I don’t have a lot of female friends.
Chalk it up to my RBF or the fact that I forget how nice it is for someone to have
my back.” Or maybe being fierce really meant I was too much of a bitch to
sustain any real relationships. “Suffice it to say I’m glad we’re friends
Catherine.”

She looked like
she might tear up and squeezed my hand. “Me, too. Now go have a nice bath and a
Merry Christmas with your family. I’ll see you in a few days, and we’ll spend a
nice New Year’s in paradise.”

***

After entering
my apartment, I poured a large glass of wine, took that relaxing bath, and
checked my phone way too often. What was I hoping for? A message from Brian
telling me that he wasn’t going home with Jamie? God, what I needed was more
liquor and my vibrator.

With two more
glasses down and my suitcase packed, I was feeling slightly less anxious and
ready for bed. Thinking back to that night in Miami three years ago, I sighed.

Brian and I had
won a major campaign and our flow in the presentation had been amazing. We’d
gone out for drinks later that night to celebrate in South Beach. Before we
knew it, we were in the middle of a dance floor, hot and heavy. We shortened
one another’s names, as if we could be Sash and Bri for the night and thus shed
any thoughts of our professional relationship. The sexual attraction over the
prior four years had been building up to that moment. We’d gone back to the
hotel in the cab with his hand inching up my thigh and had arrived impatient to
get naked. He’d promised to meet me in my room in ten minutes and I remembered
my eagerness to have him in my bed. And then the worst thing possible had
happened. And I’d texted him that we couldn’t.

My phone rang,
interrupting my trip down memory lane. After looking at the caller ID, I tried
not to appear anxious and let Brian’s number ring twice. “Hello.”

“Hey, do you
mind telling me what the hell that was about?” his voice came through.

“Excuse me?” I
could hear the sounds of the street on his end and had a sick feeling that he could
be leaving Jamie’s place now.

“The fact that
you called me Bri for the first damn time since Miami.”

My stomach
clenched and I fought my irritation. “It wasn’t intentional, and if we are
seriously fighting about names, how about the fact that I had to find out from
your girlfriend that you and Josh, my boss and the owner of the company, have a
nickname for me behind my back?”

He sighed
audibly into the phone. “That was not how it was meant. It was only ever a
compliment and it wasn’t done intentionally.”

“You’re telling
me that she meant it as a compliment and let it slip unintentionally tonight?”
Unbelievable.

“No, not Jamie.”

The sound of her
name on his lips made me cringe.

“I meant that
Josh and I didn’t purposely call you that in front of her. It slipped and was
in reference to the Allied Airlines pitch four years ago where you were grilled
by that jerk. Remember? We said that with one arch of your brow you had him
regretting his tone. And for the record, she’s not my girlfriend.”

I tried not to
analyze the relief that hit me with his last sentence. “So where are you that
you’re calling me right now?” I hoped my tone was non-accusatory.

“Getting into a
cab.”

“And leaving
Jamie’s place?” The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them.

“Would it bother
you, if I was?”

The wine was a
hell of a truth serum. “I know I may regret saying this later, but yes.”

He muttered a
curse. “We’ve been down this road. You turned me down. Remember Miami?”

He was right, we
had been. “I know. Look, I’ve practically inhaled an entire bottle of wine
tonight which has me all out of sorts and I’m traveling home tomorrow for the
holidays which always makes me feel weird. I’m sure by the morning I’ll be back
to my senses, and we can return to normal.” The thought made me sad, but I was
starting to overthink the situation and become anxious. Normal. I needed the
normal routine without thinking about him with another woman.

Silence greeted
that statement.

“Brian, are you there?”

“Call down and
tell your doorman that I’m coming up. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

I hung up the
phone stunned. Brian hadn’t left much room to argue. He was coming over. The
thought of this being a potentially bad idea, given our working relationship,
was replaced with overwhelming relief that he was on his way to see me instead
of spending the night with Jamie. I quickly called down to the doorman.

Less than five
minutes later, he was knocking on my door.

I opened it
feeling my heart rate spike with the sight of him. “Hi,” I breathed.

“Hi, yourself.
Can I come in?”

“Oh, yeah.
Sorry.” I moved out of the way, not realizing I’d been standing there like a
deer in the headlights.

His eyes roamed
over me from head to toe.

I was suddenly self-conscious
in my cashmere tank set. “I didn’t have a lot of time to change.” I turned
around and quickly fetched a silk robe from my room.

After I walked
back out, tightening the belt, his head shook slowly with a smile tugging at
his lips. “Your robe is almost as short,” he pointed out huskily.

“If you wanted a
long fuzzy robe and bunny slippers, you have the wrong girl.” I crossed my
arms, feeling defensive.

He quickly
closed the gap between us. “I’d never picture you with the words fuzzy or
bunny.” He was standing so close that I could practically feel the chill of the
outdoors rolling off his coat.

“So what
happened with Jamie?” I sucked in a breath when his hand cupped my chin and he
put his thumb on my bottom lip.

“Why don’t we
run through the scenarios, and you give me your honest reaction to them?” His
eyes held an intensity that had my legs trembling. The pad of his thumb rubbed seductively
over my lip before sliding to the side of my face.

“That’s an
advertising strategy, not one to use in this situation,” I murmured.

He shook his
head. “Oh, I think we both need to understand your motivation before we can gauge
what will or won’t happen next, Sash.”

Heat flashed
through me. He’d abbreviated name like in Miami. “Go on,” I whispered.

“First scenario
is that I went back to Jamie’s place but afterward came here to ensure you’re
okay with us as we’ve always been.”

His voice was
hypnotic, and I was completely under the trance until his actual words sunk in.
My temper flared. “Maybe you should let go of me if that’s the case.” I didn’t
want to picture that scene in the slightest.

He shook his
head. “It isn’t, and you know it.” He moved his other hand up and positioned it
at the nape of my neck. He was seducing me one touch at a time. “The second
scenario is that I came here to you instead of going home with her.”

His fingers
started massaging the tender muscles in my neck, and I had to bite back the
small moan threatening to escape. “I think I like that one better than the
first.”

He smiled,
searching my eyes. “The most important question I have for you though is
whether you’re interested because you’re being competitive with Jamie or
whether it’s because it’s me that you truly want.”

I tried to move
back, offended that he would suggest that idea, but he wasn’t having it. He
tightened his grip and brought his hands on either side of my face, meanwhile
stepping into me with the fabric of his slacks brushing against my bare legs.

“No you don’t.
It’s a fair question.”

Hesitating, I
thought a moment. “The feeling hit me when I saw the text, not when I met her.
I didn’t like the idea of you with anyone. Her showing up only rubbed salt in
the wound. If it had been about the competition, then I would have challenged
her instead of leaving.”

I knew that he
appreciated my admission when his eyes softened. “I didn’t invite her, but I
did make the mistake of telling her I where I was.”

“But you had
every intention of going there tonight after drinks?”

He let go of me,
stepped back and ran a hand through his hair, looking frustrated. “I won’t
stand here and apologize for having plans. Did you think over the last few
years I haven’t been with anyone else? Or that I would think you haven’t?”

“That’s not what
I meant. I’m being honest about my reaction, but I haven’t figured it out any
more than you have. All I know is that the thought of you leaving here to go to
her makes me sick, but I don’t know what to do with that.” I was overthinking
it, but with our history and the fact that we were in uncharted territory, I was
paralyzed in place.

He stood there
staring at me for the longest time. “What if I told you that I’d rather be here
at this moment talking with you then doing anything with her? That I called you
for dinner and met you out for drinks because you’ve always been the priority?”

I let out the
breath I’d been holding. “Do you mean that? You two have a longer history than
we do.” I hated that fact probably the most.

“I’m trying very
hard right now not to be turned on by your jealousy, Sasha.” He moved close
again. “I want us both to be certain, though, before we go down a road from
which we can’t return. If she hadn’t shown up tonight, how would the
conversation have gone after Catherine left?”

It was time to
put up or shut up. “I’m hoping I would’ve been brave enough to ask you if you
ever think about more.”

His fingers
stroked my cheek. “Every fucking day.”

My lips were so
close to his mouth that I could feel his breath with that admission. “Are you
going to kiss me?”

His eyes
darkened. “I want to so badly it hurts.”

“Then what’s stopping
you?” Suddenly I didn’t want to think about any repercussions.

“Things have
changed since Miami. There are items we’d have to discuss before we could even
consider sleeping together.”

“I get it.
You’re my boss and—”

“There’s that,
but we’d need to come to some sort of agreement on things.”

“Agreement, huh?
What happened to just having sex?” I was both intrigued and amused with this
serious side of him.

“Not that
simple, gorgeous. Not with me. You’d have to agree to my rules, and we’d have
to establish boundaries.”

What in the hell
was he talking about? This was fun-loving Brian, not some guy who had rules and
limitations about sex. “I don’t understand. Are you saying you’d turn me down
tonight if I asked you to stay?”

“It might appear
that way, but the last thing I want is a one-night stand with you. I need you
to think about if you want to enter into a sexual relationship rather than
simply react.”

“I still don’t
understand what you’re saying.”

“I’m saying that
it would be very easy for you to fall into bed tonight and then tomorrow have
regrets. You think I don’t know you well enough to understand all those doubts
running through your mind with regard to your career and me being your boss,
but I do. I know what your priorities are, Sasha, and I respect them, but I
won’t let you take the easy way out and chalk this up to a lapse in judgement.”

It irritated me
that he could read me so well, but it was also a relief. I wasn’t always the
best at expressing my emotions, and having him do it for in this case wasn’t a
bad thing. Unfortunately, my body wasn’t getting the
sex-is-off-the-table
memo.
I’d been aroused since his leg touched mine in the restaurant. “What are the
rules?” I was suddenly very curious.

“If you make the
conscious decision to move forward, we start with the question of whether or
not you’d allow me to be in control in the bedroom. We can go over details and
negotiate the rules, but you’d have to agree to that fundamental principle
first.”

“I think I may
have hallucinated.” I moved towards the kitchen and poured a large glass of
water, needing to sober up. Meeting his eyes, I watched while he leaned against
my countertop awaiting my next sentence. “Let me get this straight. By you
saying you’d be in control, are you telling me you’d want to be dominant?”

He nodded, and I
noted there was no amusement in his eyes. He wasn’t joking.

“And by that
admission, you’d want me to be submissive?” The very idea was laughable.

“Not the way
you’re thinking of it, but in a sense, yes, I would be in charge. But make no
mistake. I’d do this for your pleasure more than mine.”

His voice was
doing funny things to me, so I gulped down more water. I couldn’t believe we
were standing in my kitchen having this conversation. “Maybe I like to call the
shots with the men I date.” Quite frankly, if they didn’t like it, then too
bad, I almost added.

“Yeah, and how
has that worked out for you?”

His smug look
made me want to wipe it off. “I’m not into long-lasting relationships,
therefore it’s worked out just fine,” I retorted.

He chuckled
softly and moved, boxing me in against the countertop. With his forearms on
either side of me, he leaned in. His voice was low and gravelly as he murmured
against my ear, “I was talking about the sex, honey. How was the sex?”

I wasn’t sure I
wanted to discuss my sexual history, let alone admit it lacking. Meanwhile, his
nearness was wreaking havoc on my senses.

He pulled back
and danced his fingers down my arm. “Actually, I could tell you how it’s been
for you.”

I shivered at
his nearness and sexy voice. “Do tell,” I challenged on a whisper.

He smirked,
knowing exactly the effect he was having on me. “It was
fine.
And the
word
fine
is a throwaway word.
It’s what you
respond with to the doorman when he asks how your evening was: “Fine, thanks.”
It’s what you say to the client when they ask how your flight was: “
f
ine.”
But it shouldn’t be the way you describe your sex
life. Hell, maybe the first time was okay and promising. The second time, perhaps
a little bit better, but by the fifth time, you realize that’s it. That was the
main act with the encore. But it was
fine
, so you stick it out for a while. After all, it’s
nice to have a reason to wear something new and lacy with someone to notice.
Nice to get dinner with someone. But then you find yourself bored and staying
late at work even when you don’t have to because, frankly, the alternative
isn’t as appealing, and that’s not so
fine
.”

“Okay, enough.”
I moved one of his arms and stepped out of reach to lean against the opposite
counter. He’d touched a nerve, hitting too close to home on my sex life or at
least the one that I could remember.

“I only tell you
this because I’ve been there, and now it’s time for something better than
fine
.”

“Three years ago,
was this—I mean were there rules?” I was looking at a man about whom I’d once
thought I knew almost everything.

“No, not really,
but three years is a long time. Now I know what I want.”

“Okay. Are you
going to tell me what these rules are?”

“Not tonight,
but we can discuss them over the holidays if you decide this is something you
want to pursue. We’re not rushing into this, Sasha, and it’s not going to be
something we do because we’ve been drinking or you’re jealous. You need to be
sure.” He moved closer, his hands framing my face. “I’d better go and let you
get some sleep.”

“Do you have to
get a hotel room now that your plans have changed?”

“Is that your
way of asking if I’m leaving here to go see Jamie?”

I smiled, not
willing to give him the satisfaction that I’d been thinking of the possibility.
“Either that, or looking for an excuse for you to stay here tonight.” His expression
was pure desire and I took the moment to put my hand on his cheek.

He closed his
eyes like he was savoring my touch. “You have no idea how much I want to
explore that scenario, but you have a lot to think about.”

“About being
submissive?”

He smirked. “I
was thinking more about whether or not you wanted to pursue it at all given our
working relationship. But if you did, then yes, you’d need to think about
whether you’d be willing to let me be in control in the bedroom.”

Right, my
career. How the hell had I gone from panicking about the perception of sleeping
with my boss to hyper-focusing on what Brian meant about rules? He’d completely
thrown me for a loop with this new dynamic. “I’m having a hard time seeing you
as dominant. And if I’m being honest, I’m not sure that sort of thing would
turn me on.”

His carnal gaze
was possessive and as sexy as sin when he dipped his head and his lips crashed
down on mine. My body instantly ignited when his tongue touched mine, and his
hand wrapped in my hair. His kiss was all consuming. Then his hips shifted into
mine, and I could feel his obvious desire against me. Jesus, this man could
kiss. Then, as sudden as he’d started, he pulled away.

“Still think you
wouldn’t be turned on?” he asked, his breathing shallow.

At least he
wasn’t unaffected, I thought, feeling all out of sorts. “I, um, that was better
than what I remember from Miami.”