Page 103 of Playing Pretend

“Soon.” Just a few more minutes. I want to lie beside him as long as I can.

He places a chaste kiss to my lips…my cheek…my jaw. “We should take the week off. I won’t be able to focus on business until I learn every inch of this sweet body of yours.”

“In a perfect world, that would be fun. But this sweet body of mine has to go to work.”

“Says who?” He kisses the sensitive spot below my ear…my collarbone…my chin…

“My boss.” I suck in a breath at the tingles Rome inspires. “My employment contract.”

“You’ve got a new boss, remember?” He pulls back to meet my gaze. “You work for me now.”

My pulse falters. “Rome—”

“You’ve earned the position. It’s got nothing to do with what’s happened tonight.”

“I understand that.” I honestly do. He wouldn’t insult me by conceding due to sex. “But I’d prefer to take this one step at a time. I want to get to know us first. To enjoy learning what we have before I have to learn the ins and outs of a new job.”

He scrutinizes me. “Is that what you really want?”

I nod. “I want to finally take advantage of you being my main focus for a while.”

He stares at me. Stares with such intensity my entire body throbs. “Goddamn, you make me happy.”

I grin, the same emotion blistering in my chest. “You kinda might make me feel the same.”

“Kinda might?” He gives a wicked smirk. “If you’re not sure, I’ll have to convince you.” He rolls onto me, pinning me on my back. “But I warn you, I’m going to feel guilty.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m about to have a meal and you haven’t even had a snack.” He flings back the covers and slides down my body, creeping toward my sex.

“No. Wait.”

He pauses an inch from my pussy. “Wait for what?”

I swallow, frantically trying to come up with a reason for my best friend not to do what he’s about to do. But I can’t think of one. Not a single reason to stop him from making us both happy.

“Wait for what?” he repeats with a hungered growl.

“Nothing,” I whisper, my face flaming. “Go right ahead.”

Epilogue

PIPER

One year later

“For future reference—”Rome leans close as he takes the seat next to me at the boardroom table five minutes before our Monday morning meeting, “—your dress is far from appropriate for work.”

I meet his gaze, a sex-fueled smile tilting my lips as I take in the obvious trouble he’s having with my outfit. Then, glancing down at my red dress, I say, “I thought you’d appreciate it.”

He grimaces. “I appreciate it, Piper. I just don’t want any other fucker to do the same.”

My dress is actually highly appropriate for the office. I never wear anything that isn’t. It turns out, though, that Rome has a thing for my shoulders. Well, he has a thing for every part of me, but my bare shoulders drive him wild. He also has this really cute possessive streak I can’t seem to get enough of. Other men ogling me isn’t something he appreciates.

I angle my body closer to him and murmur, “You’ll be the one taking it off me tonight.”

“Fuck,” he curses under his breath. “Some days, I’m convinced I made a mistake thinking that working with you would be easy.”

---