Page 60 of Executive Benefits

My feelings didn’t just go away, but I also wasn’t going to blow everything up business-wise because my romance didn’t work out. I’d proven my point and stood my ground.

Nick reached out and placed his hand on my free one. The warmth and heat from his hand traced up my skin and invited goosebumps to ripple over my arm and up my skin. I pulled it away from him, not wanting to be reminded of all the things I liked about Nick.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his low voice rumbling down my spine. I placed my free hand on the back of my neck and massaged it while dropping my gaze to the now tablecloth-free table.

I didn't know what to say. Nothing he'd done was alright.

But I’d made some stupid mistakes too. I took another drink of the wine and placed it onto the table. When I looked into his eyes, I swallowed and said, “I’m sorry too. Maybe we can be friends after everything is cinched up.”

I hated the way that sounded, but...

Nick moved closer to me. “I don’t want to be friends, Julia. I was a huge ass. Mia, then David, then Mia again gave me a long talk about how to communicate better and the mess I pulled you into because I was still playing by a different set of rules.”

He took my hand again.

I didn’t want to like it. I wanted to pull away and tell him he blew it.

I didn’t want to fall into any more games.

“I saw you on New Year's Eve. There was a guy at your house.”

My nose wrinkled. “That was Jared.”

“I know… Now. Because I talked to Mia, and instead of coming to you and asking like an adult, I just hid away and pouted, which is something I apparently do a lot of, if I remember what you said.”

My cheeks warmed at remembering everything I shouted at him. None of it was wrong. “I wish I didn’t yell like that.”

He moved his chair closer to me, and when I didn’t pull away, he slid into the booth side of the table. “You had every right to yell.” His breath was warm on my neck. “I was being a fucking moron.” His sapphire eyes bounced over mine, and things began to soak and saturate.

“You’re wearing heels and a dress with a pretty full skirt,” he said.

“I’m not sure you should get rewarded by pointing out the obvious,” I stated, inhaling his food-and-spice scent. I broke our eye contact, looking around Gray’s. “Is everyone gone?” I whispered, noticing there were no sounds of clinking dishes or people’s conversations.

“Yes.” His lips hovered above mine. The heat of his breath played over my lips. His fingers walked up my knee, and I didn’t push his hand away as it skated up my thigh.

“Nick,” I whispered, my eyes locking on his.

“If you say my name like that, I might just have to do something about it,” he said, a smile teasing the corner of his mouth. “What do you think? Do you want to try to be with an old man?”

“See, you go and break the moment when you say stuff like that.” I gasped as his fingers slid into my panties.

“Does that help?” he asked. His callused finger toyed with my entrance and my hips chased it, trying to get him to work into me.

“Yes,” I whispered, closing my eyes as he slipped his finger between my wet and swollen walls. I dropped my head back, tipping my chin up to the ceiling, and he moved his finger oh-so-slowly into and out of me.

I hummed.

“What do you think? Do you want to give me—give us—a chance?”

“You’re going to ask me that while under the skirt, things are happening and expect me to give you an honest answer?” I whispered as his finger hit the right spot and he curled it just right. I slapped the tabletop with my hand and cried out.

It wasn’t a fair situation as he thrust his finger in and out of me, and my hips ground down on it, there was no other answer I could give but, “Yes.”

And I meant it.

29

NICK

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