This was a bad idea, right?
I bit my lip, contemplating. He was crazy. But he did say he would do the party if I kissed him. And it was onlyonekiss.
I tried to tell myself that, yes, kissing one of my clients, especially one that exasperated me so much was a terrible idea. But the smell of his clean body and the feel of his proximity was causing my thoughts to bottleneck to one thing.
I wanted to know what it would be like.
If I was honest with myself, it felt good to be around Harper. It felt freeing to not have to be so nice. Not have to worry about hurting his feelings. To let go... And he was right about one thing. I’d never had a problem letting him have it. He let me have it right back in his own smart-aleck way, too.
Yeah, he said annoying stuff, that made me wonder what he thought of me, but he didn’t really treat me like the “princess” he claimed I was. He’d always given it to me straight, even that firsttime when he misread me. Even this most recent time when he said he didn’t want to do my party. He wasn’t out to spare my feelings. And I think that’s why his opinion actually meant something to me.
“You can turn me down, you know,” he said, cutting into my thoughts. “That’s lesson one. Only take what you want, and don’t worry about me. My feelings don’t hurt too easy.”
I blinked rapidly, clearing my throat. “One kiss?”
His eyebrows pulled together for the briefest moment, before he pulled himself together.
“For the party, yes,” he said, eyes trailing down my face to land on my lips. He licked his. “For the rest, negotiable.”
“Okay,” I said. “Hold still.”
I ignored all logical firing in my brain and told myself to stop thinking. Harper said to use him to let my feelings out. Harper said kiss him and he’d participate in my party. Harper was out of this world attractive. A girl could do wonders with those offers alone. I didn’t need wonders, I just needed to curb this curiosity he’d sparked in me. Getting my party was just killing two birds with one stone.
One kiss…
So closing my eyes and counting to three, I did what I always did. I struck first. So when someone asked me what I did when my big, tattooed client asked me to kiss him to blow off some steam, I could tell them that I stepped closer to him, touching cautious hands to his shoulders and I pressed up to my toes so my mouth was right under his.
In reaction to my nearness, Gus moved, spreading big hands on either side of my waist and holding me to him. The sigh I let out was way too close to a moan, feeling his front hard and solid against my front, and his hands were warm and steady as they tucked into the dips of my body.
“I said no moving,” I ordered in a breathy whisper.
“Sorry, Boss,” he said. And it was the sudden realization that his voice had gone breathy too, the scratchy sound of his baritone deep in his throat, that gave me confidence.
I could feel his heart beating, a lot more unsteady than he probably would have liked me to believe.Iwas actually in control here.
And that’s whyIchose then to stretch up the remaining distance and slant my mouth under his. Not because I liked Harper or something. Because he’d propositioned me and I was a businesswoman. I knew a good deal when I saw one. And because I was in control.
His pillowy lips were just as soft as they looked when I pressed mine under them. And even though it was only a peck—a slow peck that lingered maybe a second too long with the heavy pressure of something hungrier on the horizon—a low growly hum escaped his throat almost immediately upon contact.
The sound went straight to my core, turning everything from my waist down molten. I felt my nerves spark to life, causing my skin to tingle and everything in me telling me to press further. Kiss deeper. Take more.
What the heck?
Instead of listening to my crazy body I stepped back, my back pressing against the wall, my eyes wide as I looked at him. His eyes looked…different as he set them upon me. Heavier. Hungrier.
I cleared my throat, but my words still came out raspy. “Good?”
“Great,” he said.
We looked at each other, our eyes glued. “You’ll do the party now?”
“I’ll do whatever you tell me to do now.”
My stomach flipped as thoughts of what I’d like to tell him to do came dancing across my mind with zero hesitation.Seriously, what was wrong with me?
It was the stress. I had to be going crazy from the stress.
Sliding my hand around the doorknob, I said. “Just the party is fine, thank you. I-I have to go now.”
