I can tell the rest of the team is uncomfortable with the tension between me and Zander, but I can’t make myself act civil. I’m about ready to chuck my camera at him.
“What’s so hard about this?” I demand to know. “You need to relax! You look like you have a hockey stick shoved up your ass!”
“Hey, I’m doing the best I can here,” he insists.
Throwing my hands up in frustration, I declare, “I give up! We’re running out of time, anyway. We can’t be late for our call with Juliet. What we have will need to be good enough today. I’m done.”
Before anyone can say a word or try to stop me, I turn and storm out of the room. I make it into the hall before I hear him coming after me, but I don’t look back.
“Hey,” Zander barks. I don’t stop. “Rylee! Stop!”
Whirling around, I snarl, “What, playboy?”
He marches up to me and glares down at me. “What the fuck is wrong with you Wildcard?”
“What’s wrong with me?” I exclaim. “You! You’re what’s wrong with me!”
“What exactly did I do? I was following your every instruction!”
“You know what?” I spit. “I know that. I know I fucked up back there, but you’re the one who left after giving me the best orgasm of my life, and… ”
Suddenly, Zander cups the back of my head and brings his mouth crashing down on mine in a hungry, demanding kiss and I melt against him instantly. I clutch the front of his shirt and part my lips to let his tongue inside. When his other hand wraps around me to cup my ass, I moan.
Fuck, he’s good. So, so good. I forgot how amazing of a kisser he is. His tongue moves against mine forcefully, and I can’t help but think of his tongue moving across other parts of me. How good it felt against my pussy. He tastes like minty toothpaste, and the feel of his beard rubbing against my face is strangely stimulating in a way I wouldn’t have expected. I’m lost in a haze of lust and desire, grinding against him, ready to jump him right here and now. I feel him getting hard against me, and I can feel myself getting wet, my pussy eager and greedy for him.
However, he pulls away, breaking the kiss before things go further.
Panting, I stare up at him, stunned. He gazes back down at me, his cheeks flushed and his chest rising and falling with his own heavy breaths.
“We need to get back inside for the meeting,” he murmurs. “I’ll see you in there.”
He steps back, releasing me and turns to make his way back into the conference room.
I watch him go, my mind reeling. What… what was that? Did I really just kiss Zander?
Fuck… this is not good. Or is it? I’m not sure. I can’t really think straight right now.
Shaking myself out of my stupor, I realize that I need to get into the meeting. Sucking in a deep breath, I hurry back into the large conference room and then into a smaller side room that’s been set up for the call. When I enter the room, I find Zander sitting at the round conference table, talking to Juliet on the monitor that’s been brought in so she can be on video. There’s a mirror along the wall behind him and I catch sight of my reflection. Messy hair and pink cheeks and chin from where his beard brushed against me. I frantically run my hands through my hair to tame it.
“Oh, Rylee, there you are!” Juliet says when I move into her line of sight. “I was just getting to know our charming bachelor of the year.”
I look from her to Zander, who’s watching me with an expression I can’t read, his emerald gaze darker than usual and his pupils dilated. His shirt is slightly rumpled and his lips seems red and swollen.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s a bit of mess after our kiss.
Releasing a deep breath, I plaster on a smile, raise my chin, and reply, “Great! Now that we’re all here, let’s get started.”
CHAPTER TWENTY: CATNIP BRIBES
ZANDER
When the meetingwith Rylee’s boss ends, I can tell she’s on the verge of losing her shit. She held it together well in front of Juliet, but her cheeks are flushed and she’s looking around the room at everything and anything but me.
“You okay?” I ask, gazing at her across the table.
Clearing her throat, she pushes to her feet and struggles to keep her expression neutral and her tone even as she hurriedly answers, “Yes, of course. I’m great. I should get back to the others and get things wrapped up for the day. You’re good to head out. I’ll see you at the apartment.”
She’s holding onto her professional demeanor by the very tips of her fingers.
