15
Josie
"You have pretty amazing friends," Florence tells me as I pull into her driveway. Renna single-handedly raised ten thousand dollars for the Cultural Center in less than an hour.
"She's a pretty big deal in some circles." I put the car in park. "Two hours, and voilà. Your social reputation has been upheld."
She turns to me. "Are you coming in?" She bites her lip.
"I can." She clearly wants me to. I pull the keys out of the ignition. "We should probably talk about earlier."
"Talk. And eat, too. I didn't have time to eat before we left, and I'm famished."
"I thought you ate before I picked you up." I follow her up the steps. "Why didn't you say something? We could have stopped to get something to eat."
Marin opens the door before Florence has a chance to get her keys out. "I made you grilled cheese and some butternut squash soup with apples. There's enough for both of you." She ushers us in. "I figured you might stay for a late dinner," she tells me.
If she's teasing Florence about this afternoon, I don't detect it.
"Thank you, Marin. You know how much I appreciate you, right?" Florence says, suddenly looking exhausted.
She raises an eyebrow. "It largely goes unsaid, but you know I'm here to serve, ma'am." She puts a hand on Florence's back and guides her to the table. "Sit." She turns to me. "You, too. Is there anything else I can get for you right now?"
"No, thanks." I move toward the kitchen to get some water, but she gently grabs my arm.
"Let me get it."
I shake her hand off my arm. "Do you remember what I told you on the phone Wednesday? If I'm doing this thing with Florence, that's between me and her. You don't work for me. I won't let you wait on me like that."
"Suit yourself, Doctor." She follows me into the kitchen, expertly moving around me. When I start opening cabinets to look for the water glasses, she opens the one behind me and quietly sets two glasses down.
We eat in silence for a few minutes. "Marin," Florence says, "you can go for the night. We'll clean up.".
"No, you won't, Florence." She's firm, but gentle. "You're exhausted. You haven't been sleeping well for the past two weeks, and you need a long hot soak in the tub."
Florence shakes her head. "We took care of all of that tonight. HR is taking care of Woodhouse. I'll have to prioritize his replacement, but I have people who can work on that."
"Good. One problem down, one more to go." Marin looks directly at me.
Florence sighs loudly. "Don't, Marin. It's none of your business. I told you to go. I'll see you tomorrow."
The woman nods. "Of course. Call me if you need me."
Then she's gone.
I wait until Florence is finished with her soup. "Do you want to talk about it?" I ask quietly, leaning back against my seat.
"Talk about what, Josie?" She lets out a long breath, shaking her head. "The fact that I wanted to fuck you this afternoon? That I almost lost control of myself?"
I suppress a grin. "If I'm going to fuck you, damn straight you're going to lose control of yourself." I wink, trying to lighten her sour mood. "Although maybe we should talk about it first. You're stuck with me for the next year—you might as well get some satisfaction out of the deal."
She leans back, studying me.
When she doesn't say anything, I frown. "Talk to me. What's going through your head?"
"This is too stressful. I don't know if I can do this."
I don't follow. "You mean the social media thing? Trust me. Renna's idea was brilliant. All of Delmont knows you're with me. Between this and the charity event next week, we won't need to make any other public appearances for a while."
She shakes her head. "You. And me." Her words are so disjointed. "This afternoon. That wasn't like me."
"Which part? I'm still not following." When she doesn't answer, I push. "Is it me?" Marin certainly seems to think so.
Her eyes drop to her empty bowl. "It's… no."
I stand up. Right. "I'll clean up and get out of your hair." I grab her dishes and head into the kitchen.
When I come back to wipe the table down, she's still sitting there.
"Why does Marin think I'm a problem?" I ask.
"She's wrong." Florence takes a long breath. "I'm the problem—or rather, my feelings are. You're only a 'problem' because of my feelings—in her mind, I mean."
"Go on. I'm listening." I sit down.
"I don't do feelings." She swallows hard. "I don't get attached. I never have, not even with Katie. I swore I never would. I've worked too hard to get where I'm at to let emotions get in the way."
"Except you have feelings for me."
"Since the night I met you. You have to admit there's chemistry between us."
My gaze drops to her neckline, then slides down her body, heat pooling in my belly. "Yes, there was. You're a gorgeous woman, Florence. I wasn't opposed to the idea of going home with you for a few hours." Not to mention she was the object of many a fantasy over the years. I can't help the smile that tugs at my mouth. "You seemed pretty open to it, too."
"Except I was focused on finding something else." Her voice drops. "A business transaction. Until my heart betrayed me."
"So you actually like me. How exactly is that a bad thing?"
"I don't want to put you in a compromising position." She stares at her hands.
My cheek twitches. "I thought we left sex out of the agreement for that exact reason. So you could put me in a compromising position if you wanted to." I raise an eyebrow suggestively.
She laughs. "Hettie said that our contract isn't against the law as long as no money is exchanged for sex."
"Then we're fine. Wait." I tilt my head, studying her for a long moment. "Are you a virgin?"
Her sudden laugh catches me off guard. "Would that matter?" She raises an eyebrow in challenge.
I bite my lip, considering. "Maybe. We'd have to talk about it. Your reasons, I mean." I rub a hand across my face. "God, I'm glad Marin interrupted us, then. You should be properly worshiped your first time."
"Do you make a habit of deflowering middle-aged women?" Her eyes sparkle with humor.
"Don't say it like that." I reach for her hand. "You wanted me this afternoon."
"I've wanted you since the moment I met you."
I suck in a breath. "But you need an emotional connection." The words slip out before I can stop them.
"Not necessarily." She shrugs. "It hasn't stopped me before."
"So… not a virgin.".
She shakes her head, laughing. "No. You looked so disturbed by the notion—I just wondered what you would say."
"I would have hated myself if fucking you against your closet wall was your first time."
"I started it," she reminds me.
"Still. Everyone deserves their first time to be special." I stand up. "I'm going to head out. I've got to work in the morning, and Marin's right—you need some rest."
"Thanks for taking care of the dishes. I could have taken care of them, you know."
"I know." I grin. "Do you want me to draw you a bath before I go?"
"Josie, I can handle it." She laughs. "Marin's helpful, but I can take care of myself."
"Then what do you need me for?" I tease, grabbing my purse. She follows me to the door.
"That's not what I meant." Her cheeks flush. "I didn't hire a personal assistant at home until I could pay her well."
"I'll see you Tuesday? Call me after work."
"Of course." She steps closer, making my pulse race. "Can I kiss you goodnight?"
"For practice?" I arch a brow, amused.
She shakes her head. "Because I want to."
The vulnerability in her voice makes me smile. I cup her cheek, brushing my thumb along her skin. "Then kiss me already."
She does, slowly this time. I part my lips, her breath mingling with mine. My fingers slide to the back of her neck, pulling her closer.
Her soft moan nearly undoes me. It takes all my willpower to pull away.
When I do, my voice is rough. "Next time you want to kiss me like that, do it before I"m walking out the door."