18. Sean
After scarfing down the churros with chocolate sauce, the drive home definitely intensifies the suspense when she places her feet on the console and my fingers onto her clit and begs me to let her come.
Teasing her, I slowly rub her clit up and down then circle it with my thumb.
Being the gentleman that I am, I don’t edge her too much.
When I open her car door, the air is alive with the warmth of the evening and the exhilaration of a hot car drive.
Once the elevator doors close, she turns to face me, her eyes shining.
“I had a great time tonight,” she says as we ride up.
“So did I.”
She inches closer, and the air crackles. I can taste the desire, feel it in every nerve.
A charged silence hangs between us, thick with unspoken desire. She’s close, so close, and I can feel the pull between us intensifying. I tug her to me until her tits graze my chest, and her hands settle against my arms. It takes everything in me to keep the beast in check. I stop myself from grabbing her hips, turning her around and bending her over, asking her to hoick that skirt up, and making her scream my name.
Sure, sex in the elevator sounds like a hot idea, but it’s not what I have in mind for tonight.
Tonight’s going to be on a whole other level of heat.
The elevator dings at our floor and we step out.
“Oh, there you are, Mr. Blackwood,” my assistant greets me with a warm smile. “I just dropped by to finalize the documents. Wrapping things up with Mrs. Sanborne took longer than expected.”
I sense it before it happens.
I can feel Jess’s immediate retreat. She removes her hand from my arm.
The moment is broken.
Shit.
“No worries, Jasmine.” I nod, understanding the intricacies involved in the aftermath of a high-profile auction. “I appreciate your dedication.” She likely called, but my phone stayed on silent after the auction—I’ve been too distracted to turn it back on.
“I’m off next week, as you know,” she continues, a hint of exhaustion in her eyes. “But I wanted to make sure everything was in order before I left. Hi again, Ms. Summers.”
“Hi Jasmine, how are you?” The women hug like two long lost friends and exchange warm words.
“Oh, well, it seems time has slipped away on us,” Jess says with a charming smile, but I detect a touch of awkwardness in her tone. “I suppose I’ll be on my way. Good night, everybody.”
She discreetly retreats into her apartment.
I immerse myself in the paperwork, signing the necessary documents to initiate the transfer of funds.
As soon as Jasmine is gone, I knock on Jess’s door.
It takes a while.
When she opens, there’s a flicker of hesitation—only a flicker. But it’s enough to give me pause. She has changed her mind. This isn’t the time to push her past her wishes, past that rule she set for herself. I sense what she’s thinking: there are many more things standing between us.
“Sean, I…” she whispers, then trails off.
“I know,” I stop her, stroking her chin. She doesn’t need to lay her cards on the table. The night took a turn she wasn’t ready for. “We won’t do anything until you’re sure about us,” I rasp against her ear, my voice low, tinged with a raw honesty. “Not until you’re sure about me.”
Her eyes widen.
She studies me, her eyes searching mine for answers. The fake engagement, the shared intimacy, and the connection we’ve been building in the past few days hang in the air.
“I don’t want this to be just a moment,” I rumble, trailing my thumb down her chin. “I want it to be everything, but only if you’re ready for everything.”
“I appreciate you saying that,” she whispers, her body visibly relaxing. “I can’t deny that tonight was exhilarating, an all-time high. But you’re my boss…a CEO…well, and the emotions, they’re not quite there for me in the way they should be, and I suppose I’m not ready to peel back those layers again. I’m sorry, and I promise I’ll be more careful next time.” She leans in for a short hug, and as she pulls back, she says, “It was a glitch, a momentary lapse after the adrenaline rush of a successful evening.”
I nod, and my dick weeps.
I release her gently, allowing her the space she needs.
Every logical part of my mind screams that this is impossible, that emotions don’t just glitch into existence, but there’s no sense in pushing her.
Time is a small price to pay for something real, something worth waiting for. I reach up, brushing a strand of hair from her face, my fingers lingering against her cheek.
“I understand,” I say. “I’ll wait. As long as it takes.” I wink at her, “You and I both know you can’t help but fall in love with me.”
Shaking her head with a smile, she replies, “As tempting as that sounds, I don’t make exceptions. So, everything back to normal?”
I nod. “Sure.”
“Good. See you tomorrow, boss.”
“Wait.” I pull her back.
She gasps when I hand her back her thong, then enter my apartment.
Iwake up bright and early as usual, with one slight change. Ever since our kiss in the Presidential Suite followed by our date after the charity, my dreams have been plagued by images of my neighbor, and my dick is already at attention. Apparently, my imagination has decided to run wild with all the things I can’t do to Jess. According to her, we are a glitch. According to her, it was a solo act on the feelings front.
It takes an hour on the treadmill and a cold shower to calm myself down.
She’s right, of course. The more distance between us, the better. I am her boss, and she is my employee. Nothing can happen between us.
Fuck.
No woman has ever had this power over me, and there’s way too much on the line to rewrite the script.
The next few days, conversation is focused on work and work alone.
But physically? That’s a whole other ball game. Jess is no longer avoiding me, no longer hurrying out of the room with one excuse or another. In fact, it’s almost the opposite. When we’re talking or looking at paperwork together, she’s close and a bit more in my personal space, letting her perfume hang around me.
I’d be lying if I said it isn’t working.
Being that close and feeling her body heat draws my focus every time.
Each time I accidentally (or not) touch her, I hear her inhale sharply before slowly exhaling like she’s trying to calm herself down. I have an excellent poker face—unlike Jess, especially with the paleness of her skin. The flush easily spreads across her freckled cheeks, giving her away every time. It’s cute.
After a couple of days, it starts to feel natural. I don’t even notice the switch at first. Mostly, I want to keep touching her and being close to her because I know we both enjoy it.
Despite her denial before, I’ve caught her leaning into my touch on more than one occasion. A hand on my arm. Her body pressing into my side. Once, she even leans back against my chest when I glance over her shoulder to look at a document we’re reviewing.
My resolve almost slips—almost.
Nothing can and will happen until she’s ready.