Authors: M Leighton
With a curt nod, I stand and leave as quickly
as I can without being obvious. After I’ve passed through the exit
and am making my way to the brightly lit parking lot, I give in to
the urge to scream in angry frustration. Just a little. It’s more
like a growl, actually.
I stomp to my car, throwing my purse onto the
hood to search inside for the keys. That’s when I hear footsteps. I
whirl, startled, as Cash comes to a stop beside me.
“Are you all right?”
His frown is still in place, but his eyes are
wide. He’s obviously concerned. He probably heard my scream-growl,
since he was coming outside.
Great!
“I’m fine.” I hiss. “Go back inside. I’m just
leaving.”
“I forgot to give you your copy of the
Release of Liability,” he explains, handing me a folded sheet of
paper.
I snatch it from his fingers and stuff it
into my purse. “Thank you. Good night,” I say dismissively,
returning my attention to the hunt for my keys.
Cash grabs my shoulders and turns me toward
him. “What is your deal?”
And I snap.
“Get your hands off me,” I demand, wrenching
away from him. He looks stricken, which only makes me madder. “You
don’t get to touch me. I’m not Taryn.”
“What?” He looks genuinely confused. Then he
rolls his eyes. And I see red. “Is this about that kiss?”
I ball my hands into fists. It’s all I can do
not to physically lash out at him. “No, it’s not just about the
kiss. It’s about kisses and body shots and late night booty calls
in your office and an assortment of things that shouldn’t be going
on here!”
I’m getting loud and I know it. I’ve also
taken a step forward that puts me right up next to Cash’s chest,
which is where my index finger is currently buried. I look at it as
if I have no idea how it got there, mainly because I don’t.
I look up at Cash, but he’s looking at my
finger, too. Slowly, deliberately he wraps his long fingers around
my hand then straightens his arm, pulling it out to his side. He
tugs sharply, nearly causing me to fall into him.
“Is that what this is about? You think I’m
sleeping with Taryn?”
“Of course I do! I’m sure it’s no
secret.”
“Why do you say that?”
He’s so calm. Curious almost. It’s
disconcerting.
“Well, first of all she’s gorgeous and—”
“You’re gorgeous,” he says softly.
My stomach flips over, but I continue. “And
she flirts very openly with you.”
“I wish you would flirt very openly with me.”
His eyes flicker to my lips and they throb like he’s touching
them.
“Stop doing that. Don’t act like there’s
nothing going on.”
“I’m not acting. Taryn and I have a history,
but that was before she started working for me. I have few rules,
but one is that I don’t get social with my employees. And now she
works for me. That’s it. Nothing more.”
“But you kissed her. I saw you.”
“No, you saw
her
kiss
me
. You
saw
me
not cause a scene in the middle of the club.”
“Well, you didn’t look like you hated
it.”
“But I did. The whole time, all I could think
about was kissing you instead.” He starts to bend his head toward
mine.
Blood is roaring in my ears. “But you don’t
get social with your employees,” I remind him quietly.
“I’d make an exception for you.” His face is
getting close and closer. Slowly. A centimeter at a time.
“But it’s your rule.”
“I’ll break it for you,” he whispers.
“No, don’t do that,” I say breathlessly.
“Fine, then you’re fired,” he says just as
his lips meet mine.
They are warm and the pressure is light. At
first. As much as I want to resist, my resolve goes out the window
when I feel his tongue run along the crease of my lips. Without
thinking, I part them.
And that’s all it takes.
The taste of Cash is like a perfectly aged
Scotch—rich and delicious. His tongue slides along mine, stroking
it, teasing it, as he uses his grip on my hand to pull me tighter
to him. I do the only thing I can. I melt into him.
The fingers of his free hand work their way
into my hair and tilt my head to the side as he deepens the kiss.
He gets more aggressive, like he wants to gobble me up. And I want
him to. God, I want him to.
He releases my hand and I feel his palm at
the base of my spine. He splays his fingers and presses me into
him.
He’s hard. And he’s huge. I can feel him
against my belly. Warmth gushes through me, pooling between my
legs. It’s been so long and I know instinctively that any sexual
time spent with Cash would be earth-shattering, soul-screaming,
body-rocking time.
Time that I’d probably live to regret when I
got too close and he got too bored.
The reality of what I’m doing slaps me in the
face and I pull back. My hands are in his hair, my body is glued to
his and I ache for him from head to toe. But still, I pull
back.
“What’s the matter?” he asks, his eyes dark
with passion and peppered with confusion.
“We can’t do this.”
“I was just kidding about firing you.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what
do
you mean?”
He steps back to give me room, but he grabs
my hands to keep me from completely retreating. I don’t know why I
let him hold them. Probably because I really don’t want him to let
go. I just know that I
should.
“Cash, all my life I’ve picked the wrong guy.
The bad boy, the wild child, the rebel without a cause. I bet you
didn’t even graduate high school, did you?” Cash doesn’t correct
me, doesn’t deny it. “See? That’s the kind of guy I’m attracted to.
You’re
the kind of guy I’m attracted to. I won’t even
pretend I’m not. But you’re the worst thing in the world for me.
I’ve had my heart broken one too many times and I’m done. I’m done
trying to tame the guys like you.”
He watches me closely, nodding slowly. “I
understand that. I really do. But you want me and I want you. Can’t
we just have that?”
My mouth drops open a little. “You’re
kidding, right?”
“No.”
“You’re seriously asking to have meaningless
sex with me?”
“Oh, it won’t be meaningless,” he declares
with a grin. “It will be everything you want it to be, with the
understanding that, in the end, we’ll go our separate ways.”
“That’s the problem. Who picks when the end
will be? You?”
“No, you can decide that. Or we can decide
that together. Up front. We can stop when you’re ready to stop. Or
before it becomes something you don’t want it to become.”
I know I should be offended, not intrigued.
“But that’s just…just…”
“It’s just like the majority of other
relationships without all the lies and expectations. That’s all it
is. It’s practical and it’s smart.”
“A practical, smart sexual relationship?” I
know my look is dubious. It has to be.
“Yes, but also a fiery, exciting, intensely
pleasurable one,” he says, his voice dropping into a slower, deeper
cadence. He steps toward me again. “I promise you won’t regret it.
I promise to make you feel things and enjoy things you never even
thought of before. I’ll make every night the best night of your
life until you say it’s over. And then I’ll walk away. No hard
feelings. Only sweet, sweet memories,” he purrs as he rubs our
joined hands up and down the outsides of his thighs.
I know I should be slapping him or laughing
in his face or at least pretending to be deeply insulted, which I
should be. Yet I’m not. Instead, I’m actually considering what he’s
saying.
Cash is smart enough to know when to pull
back and let things ride. So he does.
“Give it some thought. We can talk more this
weekend. In the meantime,” he whispers as he bends near my ear,
“think about how it will feel to have my tongue inside you.” He
nips my lobe with his teeth and I feel it all the way in the pit of
my stomach. I bite my lip to keep from moaning. “And I’ll be
thinking about what you taste like.”
And then, damn him, he turns around and walks
off, leaving me standing in a puddle near the hood of my car.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN- Nash
I’ve stayed away from Marissa on purpose,
just so I don’t run into Olivia. Not only could she screw up my
plans in a big way, she doesn’t deserve all the trouble I come
with. She didn’t seem too concerned when I told her about Dad, but
that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Well, maybe not the tip, but
it’s at least only half of the iceberg.
But, as usual, Marissa started getting pouty
and demanding, so here I am, soothing ruffled feathers over coffee.
I glance at my watch. I’m really hoping to miss Olivia altogether.
I think I remember Marissa saying she has her early classes on
Mondays and Wednesdays. I need to be gone before she gets up.
Seeing her will only make it harder to stay away from her. A man
can only be pushed so far before he gives in, regardless of the
consequences.
“If it wasn’t important, I’m sure he wouldn’t
be asking me to go,” Marissa is saying. I’m sure it’s something I
should be paying attention to, not ignoring while I think about her
cousin.
“I’m sorry, go where?”
She sticks out her lip. “What’s wrong with
you? I wanted you to come over so I could spend some time with you
before I left, not talk to you while you stare into your
coffee.”
I sigh. “I’m sorry, babe. I just keep
thinking about that case Carl has me working on.” I set my mug down
and reach for her hands. Her ice cold hands.
Damn, that’s fitting.
“Tell me again. I’m all yours,” I declare
with a smile.
“Daddy wants me to go with two of the senior
staff to Grand Cayman to look over those accounts. I’m hoping that
means he’s gonna let me in on the whole project.”
I understand her excitement. I’m envious of
the opportunity. She’s three years older than me, so she’s already
graduated and practicing law, while I’m still stuck in internship
for another few months.
“That’s great! I’m so proud of you. I’ll miss
you, of course, but when do you leave?”
“Tomorrow.” She’s still pouting.
“And how long will you be gone?”
“At least two weeks. Could be longer.”
“Well, that just gives us good reason to
celebrate when you get back, because I’ll have missed you
and
you’ll have good news. I’m sure of it.” I pull her to me
and she plops down on my lap. She winds her thin arms around my
neck and kisses me. I know all I’d have to do is pick her up and
carry her into the bedroom and I could have an early-morning
quickie, but I don’t. I’m not that heartless and inconsiderate,
because even as she’s in my lap, wiggling around and kissing me,
I’m thinking of bright green eyes, jet black hair and the luscious
little body sleeping just a couple rooms away. And that’s not
cool.
Marissa leans back and frowns down at me.
“You still seem distracted.”
“I’m fine. Really. I just need to get going.
I was supposed to be getting some paperwork ready over an hour
ago.”
She smiles. “So you’re saying you’re blowing
off work to spend the morning with me?”
“Yep. That’s what I’m saying.”
She gets that look in her eyes and she
presses her upper body into mine and rubs back and forth.
Obligingly, I cup her small breasts and stroke her hard nipples
with my thumbs. Her lids close a little and I know where this is
going.
And then a throat clears. Both Marissa and I
look up to see Olivia standing in the doorway, looking sleepy yet
horrified.
“What?” Marissa snaps. “Get your coffee and
go. We’re a little busy.”
She turns back to me to pick up where we left
off, but I stop her. “I really need to go.” Without giving her a
chance to say much else, I scoot her off my lap and stand. From the
corner of my eye, I can see Olivia looking at me. I avoid eye
contact at all costs. I can feel her shooting daggers at my heart,
though. And at my dick. I’m sure she’s just about ready to spew
venom and hatred all over the kitchen floor. What she doesn’t know,
though, is that I hate myself ten times more than she could ever
hate me for what I did, for what almost happened.
“But wait. I wanted to ask you if you’d pick
up my car from the shop on Monday. I’ll leave my keys for you.”
“Fine,” I say hurriedly, grabbing her hand
and towing her out of the kitchen.
If Olivia wanted me to feel guilty, mission
accomplished!
“I’ll call you later,” I say, pecking her on
the lips. “Maybe we can have dinner tonight.” In my head, I’m
thinking I’ll say anything to get out of here.
“I can’t! I’m going to spend the night with
Mom and then riding to the airport together with Daddy in the
morning. Hang on. Let me get you my keys. I can call for the limo
later.”
She rushes off, leaving me standing by the
door waiting, hoping Olivia stays put. But she doesn’t. Of
course.
I see her come to stand in the doorway.
Although it’s against my better judgment, I turn to look at her. In
her eyes is embarrassment and disappointment and shame, yes, but
there’s also the spark of whatever is between us. There’s just no
denying that we’re attracted to each other. Very, very attracted to
each other.
I hear Marissa’s voice. She’s on the phone
with someone, so I move toward Olivia.
I don’t really know what to say, so I just
stand there, staring down at her. She really is breathtaking, even
first thing in the morning.
Before I even realize what I’m doing, I rub
my fingertips down her smooth cheek. Her eyelids flutter shut,
making me want to kiss them.
“Sorry about that,” I hear Marissa say as she
comes down the hall. I step back and walk to the door, stopping
where she left me. I glance quickly back at Olivia. There’s a
mixture of emotions on her face, emotions I can’t easily identify.
Unless it’s the same thing I’m feeling, too.