9. Todd
TODD
Ihad just sat down and started to answer emails when my phone rang.
Cici.
A strange rush of relief hit me before I could stop it.
I shouldn't have been looking for excuses to hear her voice.
I definitely shouldn't have been disappointed when we'd gone to our separate hotel rooms after dinner.
Yet here we were.
I accepted the call.
"Everything okay?"
A pause.
"No."
Every muscle in my body tightened.
I was already on my feet.
"What happened?"
"I have a weird question."
That wasn't what I'd expected.
"What kind of weird question?"
"Have you been in my room?"
I frowned.
"No."
Another pause.
"You're sure?"
"Pretty sure I'd remember breaking into your hotel room."
"I wasn't accusing you."
"You kind of were."
"I wasn't."
I heard her sigh.
Something about the sound made me move toward the door.
"What happened, Cici?"
"I don't know."
That answer bothered me more than if she'd had one.
"My suitcase was moved."
I grabbed my room key.
"What do you mean moved?"
"I left it beside the dresser."
"And now?"
"It's beside the desk."
"Housekeeping?"
"Maybe."
The uncertainty in her voice told me she didn't believe that.
"What else?"
"The zipper was open."
I stepped into the hallway.
"Anything missing?"
"I don't think so."
"Think or know?"
Another silence.
"I don't know."
I hit the elevator button.
"Cici."
"What?"
"Stay where you are."
"Todd—"
"I'm coming up."
"You don't have to."
The elevator doors opened. I stepped inside.
"Too late."
She opened the door before I could knock, and her expression told me everything. She was trying very hard not to look rattled, which meant she was rattled.
I stepped inside.
The room looked normal. The kind of normal that didn't mean much. People who knew what they were doing rarely left obvious signs.
"Show me."
She pointed toward the suitcase. I crouched beside it and examined it carefully.
The zipper wasn't fully closed, and while the contents looked mostly untouched at first glance, something felt off.
Someone had definitely gone through it. Not thoroughly enough to leave a mess, and not carelessly enough to be obvious.
It had been done deliberately, with purpose. I stood and looked back at her.
"What?"
"You weren't imagining it."
Her shoulders stiffened.
"So someone was in here."
"I think so."
"Great."
I glanced around the room. Nothing appeared stolen. No drawers were dumped. No overturned furniture. No obvious mess. Whoever had entered hadn't been looking for valuables.
That bothered me.
A lot.
"Did you tell hotel security?"
"No."
I looked at her.
"Why not?"
"Because I didn't want to sound crazy."
I laughed once.
"Trust me. You're not crazy."
Her expression softened.
Just a little.
Enough to remind me how dangerous being alone with her had become.
"Do you think they were looking for something?"
I met her gaze.
"I don't know."
Which was the truth.
And I hated it.
An hour later we'd finished speaking with hotel security. They promised to review key-card records.
I wasn't optimistic. Neither was Cici.
The moment the door closed behind the last security manager, she folded her arms.
"You're a liar."
I blinked. That was not the direction I'd expected the conversation to take.
"Excuse me?"
"The engagement."
Ah.
That.
I rubbed the back of my neck.
"Still mad about that?"
Her eyes widened.
"Still mad?"
"Okay. Bad wording."
"Bad wording?"
"Definitely bad wording."
She pointed at me.
"You told my boss we're engaged."
"It solved a problem."
"It created a problem."
"It solved a bigger one."
Her mouth dropped open.
I shouldn't have enjoyed that as much as I did.
Unfortunately, I did.
"You should've asked me first."
There it was. The real issue. It wasn't the lie; it was the choice.
I nodded.
"Fair."
"Fair?"
"You want me to argue?"
"I want you to admit it was ridiculous."
"It was ridiculous."
Her expression shifted. Apparently she hadn't expected agreement.
"It was also effective."
And there went the progress.
"You are impossible."
"I know."
I took a step closer.
"We're going to be working together for three months."
"That doesn't mean we're engaged."
"No."
Another step.
"It means people think we're engaged."
"Todd."
"We keep up appearances."
She stared at me. The air between us felt charged and familiar, carrying the same tension that had existed in Aspen.
"It's temporary," I said quietly.
Her gaze dropped to my mouth. Then lifted again.
"Temporary."
"Three months."
"Then what?"
The weight of the question hit me.
I ignored that.
"We go back to our lives."
Something flashed across her face.
Gone before I could identify it.
"Right."
Right.
That should have felt reassuring.
Instead, it felt wrong.
Neither of us moved.
I could see it in her eyes. There was a flicker of awareness she couldn't quite hide, a hesitation that lingered between us for a heartbeat too long.
"Cici."
"Todd."
She was close enough now that I could feel the warmth radiating off her skin. The thin material of her sweater did nothing to hide the hardening peaks of her nipples beneath. My body was responding to her proximity whether I wanted it to or not. My blood rushed south, and my pulse picked up.
"We really shouldn't do this... " she said. Her hand came up, fingers hovering near my chest without quite touching. "We have to work together."
"We do."
Her fingers finally made contact. Just the tips, pressing lightly against my sternum through my shirt. I felt the touch like a current running through my entire body.
Her palm flattened against my chest, feeling the rapid beat of my heart beneath. "This is a terrible idea."
"The worst."
"Neither of us can afford?—"
"No."
"—the distraction."
"Definitely not."
Her other hand came up, finding the top button of my shirt. She didn't undo it. Just held it, her fingers trembling slightly against the fabric.
My hands found her waist, pulling her the last few inches until her body pressed against mine.
She made a sound, half sigh, half moan, and then her mouth was on mine. It wasn't a gentle kiss.
No.
She kissed me like she was starving for it, her tongue sliding past my lips to tangle with mine. I tasted the remnants of her toothpaste, and underneath that, something sweeter. Something uniquely Cici.
I walked her backward until her shoulders hit the wall beside the window.
The impact made her gasp into my mouth, and I used the moment to deepen the kiss, angling her head back so I could take more of her.
My hands slid from her waist to her hips, fingers digging into the firm muscle I found there.
"Fuck," she breathed against my lips. "Todd?—"
"Tell me to stop." I pressed my forehead to hers, both of us panting. "Tell me this is a mistake and I'll walk out that door."
Her hands found my collar, yanking me closer. "Don't you dare."
The last thread of restraint snapped. I kissed her again, harder this time, my teeth catching her lower lip before I trailed my mouth down her throat.
She arched into me, her head falling back against the wall, exposing the long line of her neck.
I bit down gently on the spot where her pulse hammered, and she whimpered.
"Sensitive," I murmured against her skin.
"Shut up." Her fingers worked at my shirt buttons, fumbling in her haste. "I've been thinking about your hands for a week. Don't make me wait."
I grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head, not bothering with the remaining buttons. Her eyes raked over my chest, her pupils blown wide with desire. Then her palms were on me, tracing the lines of muscle and tattoos, her short nails scraping lightly across my skin.
"You're still wearing too many clothes," I told her.
Her smile was wicked. She reached for the hem of her sweater and pulled it off in one fluid motion.
I reached around her and unfastened her bra.
It fell to the floor. Her breasts were begging for attention.
I didn't make her wait. I cupped one in my hand, rolling the tight bud between my thumb and forefinger while I lowered my mouth to the other.
She cried out, her fingers tangling in my hair to hold me against her. I sucked and bit and licked until she was writhing against me, her hips grinding against my thigh.
"Bed," I said against her skin. "Now."
She shook her head, her eyes dark with challenge. "Here. I don't want to wait."
I spun her around to face the wall. She braced her hands against it, her blonde ponytail swaying across her bare back.
I kissed the curve of her shoulder blade and her wings tattoo, while my hands worked at the zipper of her pants, pushing them down over her hips.
She had on the same kind of simple, black underwear she wore that first night.
I knelt behind her, pressing open-mouthed kisses to the small of her back while I slid the underwear down her thighs.
She stepped out of them, kicking them aside, and I ran my hands up the backs of her legs.
The muscles were taut, defined from years of pressing rudder pedals and working out.
I bit the curve of her ass and she yelped.
"Spread your legs," I said.
She complied, shifting her stance wider. I could see her pussy now, wet and swollen, glistening in the low light. I leaned in and dragged my tongue through her folds, savoring her.
She moaned, her head dropping forward. "God, Todd?—"
I did it again, slower this time, circling her clit with the tip of my tongue before sucking it into my mouth. Her thighs trembled. I gripped her hips to steady her and continued my assault, alternating between broad strokes and targeted flicks until she was pushing back against my face.
"Inside," she gasped. "I need you inside me."
I slid one finger into her, then two, curling them to find that spot I remembered from Aspen. Her walls clenched around me, hot and tight. I fucked her with my fingers while my tongue worked her clit, feeling her body wind tighter and tighter.
"Close," she panted. "I'm so close?—"
I increased my pace, adding a third finger, and that pushed her over. She came with a sharp cry, her pussy spasming around my fingers, her whole body shaking. I worked her through it, gentling my touch as the aftershocks faded.
When I stood, she turned to face me. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes heavy-lidded. She reached for my belt, her movements clumsy but determined.
"My turn," she said.
She pushed my jeans and boxers down in one motion, freeing my cock. It sprang out, already leaking at the tip, and she wrapped her hand around the shaft. I hissed at the contact. She stroked me slowly, her grip firm, her thumb circling the head to spread the moisture.
"I've been thinking about this cock," she said, her voice low and rough. "About how you felt inside me. How you made me come so hard I forgot my own name."
"Cici—"
She dropped to her knees. The sight of her, powerful, confident Cici, on her knees before me, nearly undid me right there. She looked up at me through her lashes, a hint of that familiar mischief in her expression, and then she took me into her mouth.
She was good at this. Too good. Her tongue worked the underside of me while her hand pumped what she couldn't take. She hollowed her cheeks and sucked, setting a rhythm that had me gripping the wall behind her.
"Fuck," I groaned. "You need to stop or I'm going to come."
She hummed in response, the vibration shooting straight through me. Then she took me even deeper into her mouth, my brain short-circuited.
I groaned, my hips twitching forward involuntarily.
"Cici," I gasped, "I'm serious."
Her hands wrapped around my ass, her fingers flexing into my cheeks. She held me in place. I moved one hand to the back of her head, while the other one supported my weight on the wall.
She set a rhythm, her head bobbing, while her other hand slid between my legs, cupping my balls, rolling them gently in her palm. My thighs tensed, and my fingers tightened in her hair.
The wet sounds of her mouth filled the room, mixing with my ragged breaths.
"Cici—" My voice cracked. "I'm close?—"
She pulled off me, looking up at me with hooded eyes. "Then let go."
I stared down at her, my chest heaving. "I want to be inside you."
Her smile turned wicked. "Later." She sucked me back down, and this time she didn't stop.
She held me firm, her nails digging into my skin, and she moaned around me. The vibration pushed me over the edge.
My orgasm hit me like a shockwave. I came with a guttural groan, spilling into her mouth in hot pulses. She swallowed around everything I gave her.
My legs were trembling, barely holding me upright. She pulled back slowly, letting me slip from her lips. Her eyes never left mine.
"Holy fuck, Cici." I reached down and lifted her up to her feet. "That mouth of yours is extremely talented."
"Just my mouth?" Her brow arched and the corner of her mouth lifted.
I pulled her close and hugged her, kissing the top of her head.
"No, not just your mouth." I pressed another kiss to her forehead. "You are one..." A kiss brushed her cheek. "Very sexy..." Another lingered at the corner of her mouth. "Incredibly talented woman."
"You're not bad yourself," she chuckled.
She kissed me back softly at first, tentative and sweet, her lips lingering against mine as if she were savoring the moment.
Then the kiss deepened, the hesitation melting away.
She pressed closer, her body fitting naturally against mine, and the warmth between us flared to life again.
By the time we finally pulled back for air, the look in her eyes told me neither of us was ready for the night to end.
We lay there afterward, our breathing slowly returning to normal. The city lights still glowed through the window. The world outside this room still existed, security concerns and professional complications and three months of shared flights ahead of us. But for this moment, none of it mattered.
She turned her head to look at me. "So. Professional boundaries."
"Clearly established."
"Crystal clear." A smile tugged at her lips. "We're terrible at this."
"The worst." I reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before pulling her close.
She pressed a kiss to my collarbone.
I should have gone back to my own room.
I should have put some distance between us.
Instead, I stayed exactly where I was.
Staring at the ceiling.
Listening to her breathe.
The engagement was temporary.
The contract was temporary.
Chicago was temporary.
The woman sleeping beside me was supposed to be temporary too.
That last one was becoming harder to believe.