The way he says my name, the way it trails after me, both frightens and thrills.
“Goodnight, James,” I reply, feeling the loss of him as he takes each step away from me.
I close the door and lean against it, my head spinning from more than just drinks. Salem meows, a slight protest at being ignored for one second.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I whisper. “I know I’m in over my head.”
I set Salem down, and he scampers toward his food dish. I follow, pouring kibble into his bowl before flopping onto the sofa with a sigh. I fish my phone out of my purse as the sudden realization hits that I have to find a way to get to work tomorrow.
I text Mina.
Can you drive me to work in the morning? I had to leave my car. I’ll explain on the way!
Mina
Of course. I’ll be there at 7:15!
I finally relax. Just seeing her response brings me back to myself.
A slow exhale, and I type out the last message of the night.
You’re a lifesaver! Coffees on me <3
I fling my phone aside and bury my face in my hands, replaying every moment of today and the last few weeks in my mind.
Nash’s flowers. His invitation to dinner. His persistent flirting. His hands on me.
And James. His warmth and his touch. The connection I felt to him tonight. I can’t put my finger on exactly what it is about James, but I know I’m drawn to him in a way that feels like more than curiosity.
If Nash is fire, James is a slow burn. Both dangerous, both hard to resist.
Salem jumps into my lap, and I sink deeper into the sofa. I close my eyes, trying to make sense of all these thoughts racing through my head, trying to convince myself none of this is a big deal. Just harmless attention from my boss and my paralegal. Nothing I can’t handle.
The weight of the day catches up to me, and I let it wash over me, a slow and steady pull toward sleep.
***
A man is beneath me, his hands on my hips, his touch scorching against my skin. My head thrown back in the throes of pleasure, I don’t see his face, but the heat of him is unmistakable.
His hands roam, claiming and wild, and I shiver as I ride him.
“Tell me what you want,” he says, his voice a low rumble that sends a jolt through me.
I moan, my body answering before my mind does. The words are caught in my throat, my breath quickening as his fingers trail down, down, finding me, teasing and tormenting me until I can’t think of anything else.
“Say it,” he urges, his insistence a thrill that breaks me apart.
“Nash,” I gasp, the pressure of him thrusting up into me, the heat of his mouth capturing mine with a hunger that makes everything spin.
I open my eyes to find…
James?!
My boss.
The shock wakes me. I jolt upright, disoriented and gasping, the weight of what this means settling over me. I’m losing control. I don’t know how to handle all of this. Nash, James, the recklessness of wanting them both and the impossibility of having either of them.
Chapter 7
