Page 24 of Boss with Benefits

“No. Hell no. My mother didn’t believe in pushing anything on anyone. She always told me if I wanted to try cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, whatever, it was my choice. I just needed to do it with her permission. Same thing with sex. She told me when I found the man I wanted to give my virginity to, she’d make it happen.”

Brady sprang off the couch as if he’d touched a live wire. “Are you serious? Your mom told you she wouldmakeit happen? How did that work?”

“Before I went to college, I decided I wanted to get rid of my virginity so I could go to school as a woman.” She chuckled. “I know. Sounds stupid to me now, too.”

“Was your first time in high school? He settled back down beside her. “Mine was.” He grinned. “The girl was a year olderthan me, a cheerleader, and was about to graduate. We did it in my car in the parking lot when I was supposed to be in math class.”

Jessica tried not to smile at the idea of him skipping school to bang a cheerleader. “How was it?”

He groaned. “Probably as bad as you’d expect. There was a lot of fumbling, a lot of awkward moments, and it was over too soon. We were both embarrassed, I think. I hardly knew her, so we didn’t bother to talk afterwards. A few days later, school ended for the year, and I never saw her again. What about you? Did you have a boyfriend in high school?”

“I did.” She nodded with a tight smile on her face. “But he wasn’t my first. My mother told me teenage boys are... fumblers. Sorry.” Jessica released a nervous laugh. “She advised me to have sex with someone older who knew what they were doing. So when I decided I was ready, she took me to a bar. My mother got me my first fake ID.”

At his shocked expression, she reminded him, “I told you I was a wild child.”

He gestured for her to continue.

“I picked out a guy that wasn’t too much older than me, and my mother spoke to him at length before arrangements were made.”

Brady shook his head as if to clear it. “Are you kidding me? I’ve heard of fathers getting their sons laid, but I have never heard of a mother doing it for her daughter.”

Jessica giggled. “I know it sounds weird, but it was actually kind of cool. My mother was nearby if I needed her. We did it at our house in my bedroom so I would have the home-field advantage. She threatened the guy beforehand and told him not to try anything weird with me. It was a pleasant, positive experience all in all. I’m sure it was better than it would have been if I slept with the boy I was dating.”

“Guess so.”

“Want to know a secret?” She leaned close to him and whispered, “I wanted you to be my first, but I was afraid you’d break my heart.” She shrugged. “Anyway, I was too embarrassed to tell her I wanted you.”

His eyes hardened, and his voice dripped with self-loathing. “You wouldn’t have wanted me to be your first. Trust me.”

“Why not? The models you hook up with seem satisfied.”

His lips compressed. “I wasn’t talking about how good I am in the sack.”

“Then what?”

“I wasn’t a nice guy. Let’s leave it at that.”

She didn’t want to leave it. The way he said ‘nice guy’ sounded like he thought he used to be trash. The concept didn’t make sense to her. He’d been kind, watching out for her when her mother wasn’t around, and he’d taught her about the business, things no one else bothered to tell her.

“Bet you’ve learned a few things over the years.” She straddled his lap, and waves of golden hair fell over her shoulder to caress the side of his face. She heard his breath catch, and the unexpected sound warmed her insides. “Show me what you’ve learned,” she whispered.

His eyebrows went up. “Are you sure? Here? In the office?”

She shrugged. “It’s a fantasy of mine.”

“Seriously?” He placed parted lips on her throat and sucked on her delicate flesh. “Tell me more.”

A shiver sent a tremor through her entire body. “Promise me you won’t laugh.”

“No.”

She rolled her eyes. “A few times Imayhave visualized you coming into my office and knocking everything off the desk so you could take me right there like some sort of Viking warrior.”

Laughter rumbled all the way up his chest, deep and sexy.

She playfully punched him in the gut. “Stop. It’s not funny.”

“It’s funny to me, but only because I fantasized the same thing.”

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