How He Really Feels (He Feels Trilogy) (10 page)

“I look forward to it,” I said, panting.

He grinned at me, and I nearly dropped my panties again just for his smile.

“Me, too.
See you in the morning, Julianne.” He opened my door and kissed me one last time, and then he was gone.

I locked the door behind him and then sat on my couch, in total awe over the events of the night.

I had to talk about my night, and the only person I could talk to was Travis since my closest friends worked with me and I had to keep this all a secret from them – which, by the way, was becoming more and more difficult all the time.

“What’s going on, babydoll?” he answered.

“Guess who just left?”

“Ummm… the president?”

“You’re a little shit.”

“I know. Nick?”

“Yep.” I grinned into the phone.

“Jesus, Jules, I can actually hear your smile.”

“It was just a really great night.”

“Good for you. What happened?”

“Like do you want specifics?”

“Always.
Did you have sex yet?”

“No. But we got really handsy.”

“Didn’t I tell you not to call me until you fucked him?”

I giggled. “Yes, you did. But I was excited and knew I could share with you.”

“Always, babydoll. So what’s next for you two?”

“He asked me to spend the weekend with him.”

“So our shopping date Saturday is off?”

“Shit. I forgot. I’m sorry, Trav. I can cancel or maybe sneak out for awhile. Or we can both meet you.” Travis always made me go shopping with him when he needed new clothes because he had terrible fashion sense.

“Forget it. We can reschedule.”

“What about right after work tomorrow?
Or Monday night?”

“Let’s pencil in Monday.”

“So what are you doing tonight?”

“Jerking off.”

“I don’t need to know the details about your relationship with your hand.”

“What? I ordered some new porn.”

I laughed. “Travis, you’re an idiot. But I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

Chapter 7

I didn’t sleep all night because I was too excited to sleep. I was spending the weekend at Nick’s place.
His huge, magical house with just him. I couldn’t imagine that we weren’t going to have sex at some point during the weekend, so I got up extra early to buff, scrub, pluck, and shave all of the essentials.

I started packing my bag and realized that I needed to ask him if there was anything special I needed to bring. I didn’t know if he had plans to take me out, or if our entire weekend was going to be spent “in.” I packed some lingerie, my jeans and a few t-shirts, a sweatshirt, and a variety of shoes, including flip flops and sneakers. I packed my make-up and toiletry bag, my curling iron and my hair dryer. I decided to ask him at some point during the day if there was anything else I needed.

I headed into work a little early, after spending the better part of the morning primping myself, making myself look luscious in a long-sleeve, low cut black and red dress, and I spotted Nick’s car in the parking lot. He was already there.
Damn
, I thought, wishing once again for a repeat performance of his magical elevator kiss.

I went for my morning coffee, but Nick’s door was closed. I settled into my cube, logging onto my laptop and opening my email on my iPad. I pulled out the clients I needed to contact and got started on my routine.

Time passed quickly because I was so busy, and before I knew it, it was noon. I hadn’t seen Nick all day again, and I was itching to see him, to kiss him. I knew he was in the same building as me, even on the same floor as me, and that knowledge was enough to drive me crazy. I received one email from him first thing that morning, a forward from Davidson complimenting our team, specifically Julianne Becker, on the market analysis report. The only thing he had written on the email was “FYI.” I smiled at the compliment, but the email from him was so impersonal. I knew it had to be that way because we were at work and we had to remain appropriate, but I wished it had said something more than just “FYI.” Even a text would’ve been nice.

I glanced into his office on my way to lunch, but it was empty. I wondered where he was. Lucy invited me to lunch, so we met at the elevators and walked down to our favorite deli to order sandwiches. We ate and gossiped.

“Did you see the invitation for the party in a few weeks?” Lucy asked.

“What party?”

“The launch party for Brick City.” Brick City was one of our major clients who had just rebranded, and they were throwing a major event to unveil their new logos. Launch parties were always fun, and they were even more fun when they were for a restaurant. Brick City was a pizza place that had been opened for a decade, but they decided to expand their locations and their menu, now offering banquet facilities and a much more upscale atmosphere than the pizza place it had traditionally been known as.

“Yeah.
Are you going?”

She nodded.
“With Jake.”

“How are you and Jake?” I asked.

She got a faraway, dreamy look in her eye. “So amazing. He’s just so… wonderful.”

“I see how he treats you. You deserve it, Luce.”

“You look like you’re glowing,” she said. “What’s going on with you?”

I wanted to tell her, so badly. She was one of my best friends, and she knew about my crush on him; I was certain that she had been rooting for Nick and me to get together. But he had asked me to keep it a secret. In all honesty, I was closer to her than I was to Holly, and I trusted Lucy with my life. But she would inevitably tell Jake, and that meant that two people on my team at work in addition to Travis would know. Ultimately, I decided to keep quiet. I knew I had to respect Nick’s request of me, but I didn’t know how long I’d be able to keep it quiet. I was in love with Nick before he and I had started seeing each other, and now that we had kissed and had become intimate, those feelings had only been confirmed and deepened. I wanted to shout from the roof that I was in love with him, but I couldn’t.

“I started seeing someone,” I said nonchalantly.

“Who?”
Lucy interrogated. By some ironic stroke of fate, I glanced up to see Nick walking through the door with Davidson and a few other higher ups at McMillan, including Josie.

His eyes locked on mine for just a second, and I felt the heat pass between us.

Lucy turned around, spotting Nick. He smiled at both of us in an award-winning performance that would surely throw Lucy off the scent. Their group walked by our table. “Ladies,” Nick greeted us. The rest of the group was deep in conversation and either didn’t see us or chose not to acknowledge us. Lucy smiled and said hello and I waved. She turned back to me to continue our conversation, but I couldn’t peel my eyes away from Nick, and similarly, he didn’t stop looking at me. The rest of his group was nearing the counter. He winked at me, and I felt myself blushing as he turned away. God, he looked edible as usual in another suit, this one charcoal with a blue and white striped button down shirt and a solid blue tie. I couldn’t wait to unbutton that shirt and feel those muscles again. Maybe tonight I would finally get to taste them under my tongue.

“So who?”
Lucy repeated.

“Just this guy I met. It’s really new and I am not ready to talk about
it yet.”

“Come on, girl. I’m your best friend. You can’t keep secrets from me.”

“I know. But I’ll tell you when I’m ready.”

She glanced over her shoulder, following my eyes. I had to rein it in, but I couldn’t stop looking at him.

“Is it Nick?” she winked at me conspiratorially.

I made a face. “I wish.” There, that wasn’t exactly a denial, but it
was
deserving of an Academy Award. I don’t know how I kept my composure.

“Are you still pining for him?”

“Always.”

Lucy giggled just as her phone buzzed with a text, so she pulled out her phone to check it. I grabbed my phone while she looked at hers, and I fired off a quick text to Nick.

Keep the suit on.

I wanted to add, “Because I want to peel it off of you,” but I didn’t.

Lucy was still busy with her phone. “It’s a client. Sorry for the disruption. I’ll just be a minute.” She typed out a quick email while I watched Nick. I saw him place his order, and then I saw him reach in his pocket for his phone. He glanced at the screen, and then he glanced at me with that sexy heat back in his eyes. He tapped the buttons on his phone and slipped it back into his pocket, and then Davidson engaged him in conversation.

My phone buzzed a few seconds later. I checked it
:
Keep the dress on. And those heels. Jesus. You look sexy.

Tingles buzzed up my spine again as I looked forward to the weekend with much anticipation.

I wrote back, knowing that he would feel his phone buzz in his pocket but would be unable to check it until later. And when he did check it, I wanted to drive him crazy
.
Suits on you are fucking hot. It’ll look even better on the floor.

“Okay, missy.
Who are you texting? Is it your guy?” Lucy’s voice brought me out of my fantasies for the weekend.

I shook my head. “Travis.”

“Is your guy Travis?”

“Don’t be silly. We don’t see each other that way.”

“Are you sure?” she asked.

“I’m positive. Why do you ask?”

“I just got the feeling that Travis was into you as more than a friend on New Year’s.”

My brow furrowed.
“Really? But he was there with Brooke. What gave you that impression?”

“No specific reason. Just the way he looked at you.”

“We’re really close, but it’s not like that.”

“I believe you. But I don’t know if he feels that way.”

“I’ll keep my eyes open. But trust me; he doesn’t feel that way about me.”

Nick’s group sat at the open table next to ours. His leg brushed my arm when he sat, but Lucy didn’t notice. The brief bodily contact was enough to make me insane with want for him.

“So you’re keeping your mouth shut about this new guy, huh?” Lucy asked. Nick had to have heard what she said because he was so close to us. I was dying to glance over at him, but I forced myself to focus on my friend across the table.

I nodded. “My lips are sealed, Luce. Tell me more about you and Jake.”

“Our six month anniversary is coming up. What should I get him?”

“You get gifts for monthly anniversaries?”

She nodded. “It was actually his idea. We don’t do it every month, but he said that six months is half a year. He wants to mark it with something special, so we have a big date planned for Saturday and I just want to get him something that he will always remember.”

“I can think of a few things,” I said slyly, and I swear I heard Nick’s sharp intake of breath, but I held strong and didn’t look over.

I saw him in my peripheral vision trying to hold a conversation with Josie. Their food was delivered just as we were finishing ours.

Lucy and I stood to leave, and Lucy waved at Nick’s table. I smiled and followed suit, waving at them, too. “Bye,” I heard Nick murmur, and I felt his eyes on me all the way out the door.

About two hours later, I received a text from Nick
.
My office. Now.

Commanding Nick was sexy. I walked down to his office, and his door was closed. I knocked.

“Come in,” I heard him yell.

I opened the door, and he was at his desk, papers spread out before him, a master in his kingdom. “Close the door,” he murmured.

He advanced on me and before I knew it, I was in his arms, the one place in the entire world where I wanted to be. His lips crashed against mine, and he kissed me hurriedly, a contrast to the slow, sensual way he usually kissed me. This kiss was filled with need, desperation, desire.

“What the fuck are you doing to me, woman?” he asked, his lips never leaving mine.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I said against his mouth.

“That text.
Your conversation with Lucy. You looking so fucking hot in that dress that I can’t wait to peel it off of you.”

He kissed me aggressively, and as much as I loved his slow, sensual kisses, this was a hot new side to him. He was filled with lust for me, and I was ready to give it all to him.

His hands traveled down my back to my ass, and he pulled me tightly against him. “God, I needed that. I needed to feel you.”

“I’m not complaining.”

“I can’t wait until tonight,” he said. “I have a meeting in two minutes in Josie’s office, but I had to see you.”

“I can’t wait, either,” I whispered close to his ear. I sucked on his earlobe and he moaned.

“Fuck. Now I have to go meet Josie with this giant erection.”

I giggled, and then he gently took my hand and placed it to show me just how hard he was. I moaned into him and closed my eyes. “Maybe tonight I can see what it tastes like,” I murmured as I squeezed him in my hand.

His eyes widened. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. How the hell am I supposed to concentrate on a fucking meeting?”

“Good luck,” I said, grinning. “Don’t let anyone touch that but me.”

I let myself out of his office and returned to my cubicle with a giant smile on my face. Luckily no one saw me, and as I tried to concentrate on my own work for the remainder of the afternoon, I was beginning to understand why McMillan had the dating policy in place.

I realized I forgot to ask Nick about clothes for the weekend during the lust-induced meeting, so I texted him a little before 4:00, with just an hour left in my day
.
Do I need any specific clothes for this weekend?

I received a text back a few minutes later
.
Don’t pack any clothes. You won’t need them. :)

I actually laughed out loud, and a second text came through a few seconds later
.
Kidding. I’m taking you out tomorrow night, so something for that. Otherwise, whatever.

Ok. See you at 7.

I checked his office before I left, but it was empty again. He must have been stuck in meetings for the majority of the day. I headed home, knowing I’d see him in two hours anyway. I finished packing my bag, grabbed a dress and some heels for dinner the next night, and freshened up my make-up and hair. And then suddenly it was 6:25 and time for me to head to Nick’s.

I called Travis and talked to him the whole way. Lucy’s words were still stuck in my head, but nothing seemed off about Trav. He told me he was thinking about calling Brooke, and I told him to leave the poor girl alone. And then he told me he wished he had Mindy’s number so he had someone to hook up with. He said he and Danny were hitting the bars that night, and I told him to be careful.

Finally, I pulled into Nick’s driveway, so I had to cut it off with Travis. I parked my car in his driveway and walked up to the door. I rang the bell, excited for a whole weekend alone with Nick.

My “alone” time sentiment was shattered as a very handsome man that I didn’t know answered the door. I smiled. “You must be either Josh or Eric.”