Not Safe For Work: A Steamy Fake Dating Romance

Chapter 21

I have never been so temptedto blow off a work event in my life. I’m kicking myself for being good at my job, because if I wasn’t going to be accepting an award, I could stay in this room with Liv for the rest of the night and no one would care about my absence.

“You like it?” she asks, like there is some alternate reality where I don’t think she looks incredible.

I nod my head dumbly, like a cartoon character who just got shot with cupid’s arrow. “People might stare. You okay with that?”

“Will you be one of the people staring?”

“You could try and stop me.”

She beams. Part of me wants to talk before we leave for dinner, to figure out what’s happening with us, because this relationship is feeling more real by the minute, and I need to know if it’s the same for her.

But she starts shimmying her shoulders and her hips, showing off the feathers of her dress. I’ve never seen her giddy like this and the feeling is contagious. She’s never looked better.

“You ready to go?” I ask.

“Yep. Just—” She reaches for my hand. “Please don’t let me fall.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” As if I have the self-control to keep my hands to myself right now.

“Four years in a row,this guy has held the title. Sure, he had a little bit of a scare when the New York office brought on the NFL last year, but Gavin Scott wasn’t about to let someone else claim the top spot on the sales team.

“It’s no surprise why he’s won this award four times. Gavin is first in the office every morning and usually the last one to leave. When a deal falls through, he never makes excuses, just moves on to the next opportunity and tries to learn from his mistakes.

“I’ll keep this short since it is the fourth time I’ve done it. Gavin, get up here.” Vaughn ends the announcement just as we’re finishing dinner.

I jog up to the head of the three long tables we’re sitting at so I can collect my check. People seem to think I just enjoy being the best. Which I do, but not enough to work as hard as I have been. What really drives me is the extra ten grand I get each year when I win this. Another chunk of Gabby’s tuition will be paid off with this money, and it couldn’t come at a better time. Our rent just went up. Again.

“Thanks, Vaughn,” I say, knowing they’ll want me to speak to everyone. “It’s a team effort. I wouldn’t be able to sell anything without the hard work of everyone here.” I glance around the room and find Ian laughing. He’s not talking to anyone either, just trying to show me what he thinks of my award, what he thinks of me.

I really hate that guy.

“Especially Liv,” I continue and clear my throat. “Olivia sourced seventeen deals for me last year that closed within nine months or less. And I’ll admit, I probably wouldn’t be in so early every day if it wasn’t to spend more time with her.” That elicits a few laughs, but Ian is just glaring at me now. Awesome. “Cheers, everyone.”

“You didn’t have to say that,” Liv says when I get back to my seat.

I throw an arm around her chair, squeeze her shoulder a bit because I just feel better when we’re connected. “It’s true.”

Once the dinner ends,our whole group migrates across the beach to the resort next door, where a nightclub is blasting a mix of rap and electronic music.

I’m honestly not sure if this is the kind of thing Liv likes or not. I’m about to ask what she wants to do, but Andie grabs her hand and drags her onto the dance floor.

She turns back to look at me, and I take a mental snapshot. The way she flips her head has her wavy hair catching the air around her just as her dress swishes with the movement. She’s a fucking goddess.

But the best part is the way she looks at me. Her gaze is filled with promise. It’s telling me, “I’ll be yours again soon.”

I suck my bottom lip into my mouth and nod. Mine. After all this time. What a fucking feeling.

Daanesh finds me a minute later and we grab drinks by the bar. It’s so loud in here, we can barely talk to each other, so we end up doing a few shots.

Then Liv appears at my side, grabbing my hand and tugging. “Come dance with me.”

It’s impossible not to indulge her so I abandon Daanesh immediately. Her skin is flushed but she can’t stop smiling. She throws her arms over her head and circles her hips against me. I spent half the day wondering how things would change between us after last night, if she’d write it off as a mistake, but this doesn’t feel like it.

Especially when she lays her arms over my shoulders, pulling me against her.

I think Liv asks me a question, but I can’t make out the words with the volume in here.

“What?”

This time she slides closer until our bodies are flush, and she whispers in my ear.

“Thanks for bringing me to Mexico.” She brushes her nose against my cheek, and I get a satisfying hit of déjà vu from last night.

She pivots until our bodies do a one-eighty and I find Ian staring from the bar. Did she see him? Is that why she’s doing this?

“Ian’s watching us,” I murmur, curious to see her reaction. She doesn’t move an inch.

“I don’t care.” She’s practically nuzzling me, her hips still swishing enough to give me a semi. My mind and body are at war right now with how to react to her.

“Are you trying to make him jealous?” I hate that I ask, but I have to. Ian’s dumb little smirk won’t get out of my head. I dare to look up and find him still staring, still seething. If he wants to throw down, I’m more than ready. Just have to make sure he gets in the first hit.

Liv pulls back from me, but I keep my arms around her waist, not letting her go anywhere. I might even let my hands drop a bit. This dress, that ass. I can’t help it.

“It’s okay. You can tell me,” I continue. Because I’m not sure I would stop either way.

“I don’t miss him,” she says, those gray-blue eyes making solid contact. “I don’t care what he thinks about me, not anymore.” I’m afraid to break this little spell we’re under, so I don’t ask what I’m really thinking, but she seems to figure it out anyway. “I like the way you make me feel, Scottie.”

She presses her face against my cheek, and I squeeze my arms around her, pulling her close again. I kiss her nose and she leans into me a little more. I’m aware there are people all around us and I’m sure Ian is still watching, but in this moment no one else exists.

“How do I make you feel?”

She pulls back an inch or two, just enough for our eyes to meet. I drag my fingers through her hair, pulling it behind her shoulder, greedy for more bare skin.

“Beautiful.” She swallows. “Capable. Powerful.” I can’t tell if she’s finished. Maybe I don’t want her to be. There are a million things I could add to that list. A million ways I want to make her feel. My knuckles graze her bare shoulder and I can just barely hear her breath catch. “Sexy,” she whispers against me.

“You are all those things, Sparkles. With or without me.” We both lean into each other, our lips close enough to share breath.

“I lied last night,” she continues. I feel the words brush against my jaw.

“What did you lie about?”

“I didn’t want to stop.”

I swallow thickly. “Then why did you?”

“I was scared of ruining it.” I wait for her to explain but she doesn’t speak, just blinks a few times, tickling me with her eyelashes. “I might kiss you again.”

“I dare you.”

“Not now,” she whispers. “I want you to know it’s not for anyone but us.”

“Then why are we still here?”

We sprintalong the beach as a shortcut back to our villa.

“You’re sure about this?” I ask as soon as we’re inside.

“Very.” We’re both a little winded from our jog but the way she pants just reminds me of her breathing last night. Her cheeks are flushed to the perfect shade of pink. Against her creamy skin and fiery hair, she looks like a goddamn sunset.

“Kiss me, Scottie.”

I obey and press her against the door for leverage. As soon as our lips meet, I know last night wasn’t a fluke. There’s something otherworldly between us, something that feels like fate.

She isn’t hesitant tonight. As soon as our lips collide, she throws her hands over my shoulders and digs her nails into my back. It’s just short of painful but so fucking hot.

“Sparkles.” I actually groan into her mouth. I kiss my way across her jaw until I can gently bite down on her ear. “I love the dress. Can I please take it off?”

She nods and makes some cute little sounds in agreement. My mouth moves down to her collarbones as I slide each strap off her shoulders, one side at a time. I lay kisses down each arm following the path of her straps as I go lower. Then I reach behind her and pull down the zipper.

She shivers when my fingers graze the dip in her lower back, and she gasps when I yank the dress down all the way.

I get to my knees and help her step out of it. To my delight, she wasn’t wearing a bra. All that’s between us now is a lacy black thong and her heels.

She bends down and reaches for one of the buckles. “Here, let me help.”

“Can you leave them on?” I ask, kissing her ankle. I drag my lips up her calf, then her thigh, and do it again on the other side.

“I can barely stand up, Scottie,” she pants.

“Not a problem.” I pick her up at the waist, urging her legs to wrap around me until I hear her heels click when they knock together.

“How’s this?” I ask. I press her harder against the door and grip her thighs. She digs her nails into my back again and then moves her hands up until they’re scraping through my hair.

“Better.” She grins right before she bites my bottom lip. Her legs tighten around me until we’re pressed together as much as this position will allow. It might be time to leave the doorway.

“Don’t let go of me,” I whisper in her ear and start walking us into the other room.

I lay her down on the bed, kick off my own shoes and yank off the shirt she’s already started to unbutton. But when I lay down and reach for her, she’s shaking. “Are you cold? What’s wrong?”

“I just need to warn you, I’m bad at this.” Her words come out so fast, it takes me a second to put them together.

“Bad at…?”

“Sex.”

I almost laugh. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

“It is,” she argues. “It’s kind of why Ian…you know. So, I just want to umm…temper your expectations. I guess.”

She throws an arm over her eyes. She might be embarrassed but all I feel is rage.

“He said that to you? That you were bad in bed?”

“Basically. He said it was boring, that I…lacked enthusiasm.” She cringes.

“Sounds like he didn’t give you much to be enthusiastic about.” I pin her arms above her head so she’s forced to look at me. Kiss the tip of her nose because I can. “And Sparkles?” She blinks, her teeth digging into her lower lip. “That’s the last time I want to hear that asshole’s name tonight.”

I refuse to let Ian kill the mood, so I go right back to kissing her neck. I say a silent thank you to the dress that didn’t require a bra and move lower. And lower. Until I can circle her nipple with my tongue.

“Oh,” she whimpers, her hand reaching for my shoulder. I circle again and drag my teeth against her pebbled skin.

I draw a hand up her thigh until I feel the lace of her thong and pull on it, letting it snap. Based on the sounds she’s making, I think she likes being teased. I dip a finger under the lace, dragging it up slowly until she throws her head back and gasps. She’s soaked.

“I really don’t think enthusiasm’s going to be a problem here.”

She laughs and I hope I’ve gotten her out of her head a little.

“God, that feels good,” she moans, her hips starting to writhe.

“Yeah? I only want to make you feel good, Liv,” I say, touching her again the same way. “Just tell me what you like.” Because it sounds like she hasn’t been taken care of in the past. And there is nothing more I want to do right now.

“I like you,” she replies, still breathless.

I rip off the thong.