Chapter 1
Lia
His tongue shifted and my back arched off the bed, then my morning alarm blared. A frustrated groan scratched up my throat; I’d been having my favorite recurring dream, and it was just getting juicy.
Damn.
I picked up my phone and silenced the cruel, shrill reminder of 6am. No time for lying in, yearning to hit snooze half a dozen times. The big meeting was in three hours, and even if it wasn’t my meeting, I still needed to be prepared.
Blood rushed in my ears as I stretched my arms overhead and pointed my toes. I sat up, defeated by pragmatism and urgency. My sleep-mussed bun flopped down into my face, taunting me. Dragging myself out of the warm blanket cocoon for a shower was the first hurdle, but definitely not the last.
“Hey, Shell, I’m getting in the bathroom. You’ve got thirty minutes to get moving!” I called, poking my head into my roommate’s doorway.
She mumbled something into the pillow pressed against her face and rolled over, hiding from my wake-up call. She was, as usual, out late the night before, but needed to get her life together, too, so we could catch the 8:15 train into Shoreview for work.
Shell and I worked at the same design firm, Design Everything since graduating college. They covered everything from interior projects to graphics and ads. Where she landed her dream position right away in interior, I was stuck in the trenches as a graphic designer where my mundane duties included uninvolved fluff stuff and waiting to get noticed by someone who mattered.
My life wasn’t exciting or glamorous, but I still pushed like I was going to get there. I aspired to so much more than fluff. Someday, someone was going to take notice of my talent, and I’d get bigger projects working directly with clients instead of sifting through low-budget logo designs for websites that wouldn’t exist in six months. I could handle the serious ones, and I would prove it even if it was the last thing I did.
But how deep was patience? Some days I felt like I was already standing on the bottom of a dried-up well. I had more creativity than Derrick wanted to give me credit for, but I was stuck in a rut, getting the fat, arrogant, ignorant SOB his coffee every morning. And my reward? The same boring projects on repeat ad nauseam.
I turned on the water for the shower to heat up while I undressed. Once freed, my long golden locks spilled down to my waist and I combed them out, letting them cover my chest. Looking at myself in the mirror, I felt like a mermaid. My hair was my pride and joy; it gave me confidence and security.
Once the bathroom was significantly steamy, I stepped into the spray. Goosebumps erupted across my flesh. I tilted my head back and let my eyes drift closed. The pulsating drops were so soothing, I couldn’t resist letting my mind float back to last night”s dream.
It had been a while since I had a visit with Mystery Guy. He would help me get through my treacherous work day better than anyone else could. Real-life relationships were too messy. Going out to bars and parties was fine for people like Shell, but I preferred to keep my distance. Dream boyfriends never cancelled or made other plans. They also knew exactly what I liked, and gave it to me whenever I wanted.
No one I’d ever encountered could hold a candle to Mystery Guy, the guy I met when I was young enough to have an innocent heart and sheltered mind. Back when my brother was still alive. Mystery Guy discovered my hiding place and tore the world open. At the time, I didn’t know how badly I needed to be found. It changed me.
From that day forward, I imagined what I would do or say if I came across him again. My brother told me if I liked someone, I should tell them they’re special. That falling in love for the first time was something I would never forget, and he had been right.
As I got older, my docile, innocent romantic ideals about my first kiss matured into an in depth fantasy with a man who tended to my mind, body, and soul. Mystery Guy knew what to do to drive me crazy.
He’d stare into my soul with his fascinating, heterochromatic eyes. His hands would sweep down my arms, around my waist, cup my ass…
I shuddered, thinking of him in the shower with me; kissing me, teasing my nipples into tight nubs, making me squirm with his expert touch. Imagining his hands and mouth all over my flesh set me awash in a new wave of heat. I never could resist him, and gave in.
I swirled my finger around my swollen clit, just as Mystery Guy would do with his tongue. Heat curled in my belly as the fantasy unraveled. Mystery Guy would stare into my eyes as he drove his fingers inside my seam, forging a hypnotic rhythm. Pleasure bubbled over and I came apart, the image of Mystery Guy as strong as ever behind my eyes.
I cleaned myself in record time and climbed out of the shower, wrapping a towel around my dripping body. He still clung to the edges of my mind as I dried off.
Fantasies were a comfort, but they wouldn’t help me with Experience, the new client coming into Design Everything later this morning.
“You up yet?” I called from the hall as I passed Shell’s doorway.
Over my shoulder, I saw Shell schlepping out of her into and into the pre-warmed bathroom. At least she was dressed. Her lack of morning enthusiasm made us late out the door more times than I could count. Often, we were lucky to catch the train. I didn’t want that kind of stress the morning, and wouldn’t hesitate to leave without her if it came to that.
I walked into my room, determined to concentrate on the day. I donned a silky cream-colored cowl neck sweater that hugged me in all the right places. What I lacked in size, I made up for with proportion. I added a maroon pencil skirt, black tights, and black patent pumps. It was one of my nicer outfits. Even if I didn’t have contact with the clients, I still wanted to dress the part of a professional. Just in case.
I smoothed my hands down my skirt and turned to the side, examining myself with scrutiny. No weird lumps, surprise stains, or wrinkles. All set to go. When I walked into the kitchen, Shell was already there with freshly brewed coffee and a muffin set out for each of us.
“You almost ready?” Shell asked.
I giggled. Coffee made that girl into a different person.
“Yeah. Let me get some coffee in me. We still have a few minutes until we have to head out.”
I poured coffee and a splash of cream into my favorite travel mug and sat down next to Shell at the breakfast bar to enjoy my morning muffin.
“You know that new client is coming into Design Everything today? He’s supposed to be this big-shot club owner from up in New York. I heard he’s super rich and crazy good-looking.”
Shell turns to face me with light in her eyes and the last bite of her muffin in her mouth. Her brows wiggled with suggestion.
“Yeah, I know. Derrick is going to be on a rampage this morning, eating heads.”
I crammed the last of my breakfast in my mouth and headed for the door to put on my peacoat.
“Huh. That explains it.” Shell grinned and snickered.
My brows pinched. “Explains what?”
Shell puffed out her cheeks, pushed her chin down, and puffed out her chest, impersonating Derrick. He happened to be a pompous, angry, and rotund man.
Our peals of laughter carried us out the door.