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Closer now, his lips brushed hers. He repeated, “Kiss me. Like you mean it.”
She placed her soft lips on his and the brief worry he’d had about boundaries and who knew and who didn’t dissipated. Addi went pliant beneath him, draping her arms around his neck while her tongue danced with his.
She lowered to her heels, her eyes opening slowly. “So, you’re not upset?”
“Have you met me? When am I upset?”
Why should he care what anyone said about who he was with? He was an adult. No one could tell him not to date Addison Abrams except for Addison Abrams.
He kissed her again and she pressed against him, breasts to thighs. This time when the kiss ended, he didn’t loosen his hold on her.
“You really shouldn’t encourage me.” He was fighting a full-on erection at work. He was going to have to hide behind his desk until it went away, which at this rate might be tomorrow.
“And you shouldn’t go to your next meeting wearing Think Pink lip gloss.” She swiped his lips with her thumb.
“You are such a tigress. Had I known...”
“You’d have called me in here sooner?” She gave him a grin.
She wasn’t wrong. If he’d known how much fun they could have together, he’d have called her in here a hell of a lot sooner.
An entire year sooner.
“It’s been too long,” Addi told her friend Carey as she sat down across from her at Pestle & Pepper. Typically, she met her best friend once a month for a girls’ night, but this month had flown by. Must have been because Addi was so damned happy.
“It has! The last text I had from you was that your car blew up on the highway on your way to Lake Tahoe.” Carey flipped her sleek, black hair over her shoulder, showing off envious cheekbones. They’d worked together a few jobs ago and had kept in touch. She was now an ad executive in Palo Alto.
They chatted about Carey’s latest overseas trip, but Addi hadn’t filled her in on any of the bigger changes in her life.
Carey glanced over her menu. “Is the car in the car graveyard yet?”
“Ugh. Yes. I have a rental while I shop.” Despite Bran insisting she use a company car, she couldn’t allow herself to do it. See? She was plenty independent! “It takes time to find a good used car. And I’ve been...busy.”
“Aw, hon.” Carey looked up from her menu. “Has work been hard?”
Addi swallowed her laughter. Their server dropped off their appetizer—fried avocado slices with jalapeño ranch dip.
“These are evil.”
“Calories don’t count on girls’ night,” Addi reminded her friend. They both dipped a wedge into the ranch before sipping their chardonnays. “Work’s been great. I’ve been busy...elsewhere.” She let the comment hang.
Her friend accurately gleaned there was more to that statement. “Oh?”
“I haven’t had a chance to tell you... Well, I have but I didn’t want to jinx it.” Addi couldn’t hide her smile. When she’d busted in to find Bran’s sister in his office, she was sure he wasn’t happy with her. Instead, he’d pulled her against his amazing body and commanded she kiss him. Uh, no problem there. Since then she’d on Cloud 999.
She’d been treading lightly since they’d been sleeping together, making sure not to crowd him. Making sure she didn’t presume too much too soon. Bran showed no signs of slowing down. And before she left work today, he’d asked her if she had plans for the Fourth of July. Granted, not the most momentous of holidays, but it was a holiday. She’d told him she was free and he hadn’t said more, only sent her a sly smile.
“There’s this guy...” she started.
Carey’s sharp, high-pitched cheer turned the heads of the patrons at three neighboring tables. “Oh my God, tell me everything! Is he hot, rich, great in bed?”
“Yes to all of the above. He’s also my boss...”
But he was so much more than that. They’d spent many nights in bed talking after having amazing sex. They’d spent as many days ironing out work issues—working together as seamlessly as they always had.
She shared the highlights of her recent trip to Tahoe. From Bran driving her to staying next door to her hotel room to extending their trip one more night and then extending their affair.
“Is affair the right word?” Addi wrinkled her nose. “Sounds so scandalous.”
“Agree. Let’s call it a hot billionaire hookup,” Carey said it so matter-of-factly that Addi burst out laughing.
It felt good to laugh. It felt good to be with Bran. Part of her worried she was in way over her head—with her heart dragging her further and further out—but for some reason that felt good, too.
As loathe as she was to admit it, she was enjoying living in the now.
