She’d touched that nerve again. “You don’t enjoy your job.”
He looked away, taking a long sip of his whiskey. “I enjoy many things. I just seem to have trouble making any of them stick.”
“Do you have to work for Exeter? I mean, couldn’t you do your own thing like Pippa?”
“I could.” He didn’t elaborate, so she decided not to pry.
“Well, I’m a good listener if you want to talk about it,” she said. “And I’m a safe person to talk to, since you never have to see me again after tonight.”
“A shame about that last part,” he said, before his expression softened. “And I appreciate your offer. It’s nothing nearly that serious. I just haven’t found my place within the company yet, that’s all.”
“I’m sure you’ll find it soon.”
“Thank you.”
They shifted to safer topics as they finished up their drinks. Flynn called for his driver to pick them up, and then they were in the car, headed for her hotel. Ruby felt a bit blurred around the edges, a mixture of alcohol and emotion. Their day together had come to an end, but she wasn’t ready for it to be over. If she was fully committed to embracing her wild side on this trip, then she had to own the part of herself that unabashedly wanted Flynn in her bed tonight.
“I’ll walk you in,” he said when they arrived. He walked into the lobby with her, pausing to kiss her, a soft, gentle kiss that nonetheless lit every cell inside her on fire.
“Would you like to come up?” she asked, emboldened by the events of the day.
“Are you sure it’s what you want?” he asked, ever the gentleman, even as his pupils dilated with lust.
“Positive.” She hooked her fingers in the lapel of his jacket, fitting herself up against him.
“I don’t want to do anything you’ll regret in the morning.”
She lifted her chin to whisper in his ear. “The only thing I might regret is letting you walk out that door right now.”
A slow, sexy grin spread across his face. “All right, then.”
His next kiss was nothing like the first. This was a kiss with intention, a promise of the pleasure to come. She ran her fingers down his tie, feeling his warmth, his strength as her knuckles grazed the front of his shirt. And then she led the way toward the elevator.
6
Ruby swiped the keycard and led the way into her room. She flicked on the small light by the door, which threw a soft glow over the rest of the room, casting deep shadows everywhere. On the far side of the bed, London glittered outside the window.
She looked at Flynn, momentarily tongue-tied as she took in the sight of him in her hotel room. He looked so handsome in that charcoal-gray suit, so posh, but at the same time, just Flynn, the man who’d been charming her since the moment they met. It might seem impulsive, inviting him up to her room, but she was doing this for herself, taking what she wanted for once, no holding back.
“Seems impossible we’ve only known each other for twenty-four hours.” She stepped closer, tugging at the knot of his tie, loosening it before tossing it over the chair behind him.
“It does.” He settled his hands on her hips, toying with the lace shapes cut into the design of the dress.
“Do you do this a lot?” She wasn’t sure why she’d asked, because she didn’t really care what the answer was. She already knew everything she needed to know about him for tonight’s purposes.
“What do you think?” he asked, his gaze never wavering from hers.
She unfastened his belt and pulled it free. “Probably more often than I do.”
“Maybe, but that’s still not very often.” He brought his hands up to cup her face, pressing his lips to hers. His kiss was as intense as it was brief, leaving her gasping for breath as he lifted his head. “It sounds like tonight is out of the ordinary for both of us.”
“I like that,” she whispered, shivering with pleasure as his hands slid over her shoulders and down her back, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. He gripped her ass, bringing her hips against his.
“I can’t even begin to tell you how sexy I find you in this dress.” His voice sounded like he’d swallowed sand, thick and gritty. “Which is not to say I haven’t found you sexy in everything I’ve seen you in, because I have. But this dress…” His fingers bunched in the lace overlay, tugging gently.
“That’s a shame.”
“Why?”
