Page 40 of Stick to the Plan
Leaning down, I kiss her head. When Brianna looks back up at me, her lips quirk into a shy smirk. I can’t resist and capture them in a brief kiss. Just a peck, but making it clear I am down with whatever leads to more kissing.
“I would be open to that idea. With boundaries.” Her eyebrows pinch slightly, turning serious.
My heart clenches, then races under her fingers. “Brianna, love, as far as I’m concerned, you set the pace and the boundaries.”
“Number 1: Separation of church and state - what happens here, stays here. When we walk through those doors, it’s purely professional.”
“Sounds fair. What else?”
“Number 2: No strings. When this project is over, you’re going back to Ireland. My life is here. Let’s set clear expectations so no one gets hurt later.”
My chest already hurts at the thought of saying goodbye. Truth is, I can’t imagine a future without this woman. I am a red-blooded Irishman who’s fallen fast and hard. How to word this right? “No long-distance relationships, agreed.”
After a tense beat, Brianna gives a slight nod. “Number 3: Exclusivity. As long as we are sleeping together, there will be no other partners. Cheating is an automatic end to this. No questions, explanations, or discussion. Just done.” Her eyes harden and lips pinch. It’s clear that this is her hard limit, and it is one I absolutely endorse.
“Absolutely.” I look her in the eye with as much sincerity as I can convey and cup the side of her face with my palm. Her smile widens as she leansinto my hand. I capture her lips in a languid kiss. There will never be another Brianna, not for me. I’ll do anything to not fuck this up.
Reluctantly, I pull away. “Come on, unfortunately, we still need to go to work.”
Chapter twenty-nine
Here There be Spies
Brianna
Ifeel amazing today. Nic was right about how badly I needed to get laid. After the months of buildup, I half expected the real thing to be a letdown. Nope, Colin surpasses even my wildest fantasies. Shivers tingle down my spine as I recall last night. My hand tentatively raises to rub my neck, where a high collar hides a rather sizable hickey.
Strong arms pull me against a firm chest as I stand at the kitchen counter. I smirk - the smile of an utterly satisfied woman. His jaw nudges my temple until my neck is exposed. His lips tickle my pulse with the barest of kisses and my core clenches at the sensation.
I feign a serious expression as I try to push down the rising arousal. “Is that your favorite spot? You left quite the mark behind. Are there Irish vampires?”
His laugh rumbles through my back, and he kisses my temple. “Well, there are tales about gingers and the sun.”
I turn and smile up at him. He somehow always finds a way to make me laugh. His smile is tender as he brushes a thumb across my cheek. I tilt myhead back, wordlessly asking for a kiss. The side of Colin’s eyes wrinkle as he leans down to kiss me. What starts as a tender kiss quickly grows passionate.
His tongue glides over mine in an intricate dance. I nip his bottom lip as I pull back. My breath comes fast as I look at him through my lashes. With a growl, Colin cages me against the cabinets. I spear my fingers into his thick hair and arch my hips into his. His hands slide to my ass, each cupping a cheek and massaging the muscle. As his lips slip to my jaw, I moan with need.
The smell of coffee breaks into my concentration just seconds before the alarm on the coffee pot goes off. With a sigh, I pull away from Colin while leaving my hands on his shoulders. “We need to get into the office before the status call with Dublin.”
Colin pouts like an adorable little boy. I chuckle as I wipe my peach lipstick off his lips with my thumb. “Just think how much better it will be tonight after all that tension.” I duck under his arm, leaving him with a shocked look behind me. “Oh, grab the coffees, please. I’ll be in the car.” Tossing a smirk over my shoulder, I walk away.
Hours later, I am still smiling as I walk through the production floor. Stan texted me earlier he’d taken care of the pellets already, but I want to thank him in person and check on a few of my projects. Plus, I brought him some of Anna’s cookies. I am incredibly happy and I want to pay it forward.
As I approach Stan’s office, my smile grows. He is leaning over some blueprints spread across his desk. “Look at you, hard at work.”
When Stan looks up, his eyebrows draw low over his eyes and his lips twist. At his expression, my pulse races, and I regret my extra large coffee this morning. Exhaling in a rush, I enter his office, closing the door behind me. “Stan, I’m in a really good mood. Finally, got one of those lives you’ve been talking about. Please don’t ruin today for me.”
He breathes heavily and rubs the back of his neck with one hand. Cocking his head, he sighs at me. “Well, now I feel terrible about this. How good of a mood are we talking about? Pumpkin spice latte is back happy or just binge watchedBridgertonhappy?”
“Stan…” I plead.
“Nope,” he holds his hands out in front of his chest, “I need to know how long to hide from you after this.” His lips spread into a rueful grin, “Plus, I’m thrilled for you and really want to know.”
I fold my arms, cock my hip, and raise my eyebrow - my best boss bitch expression. “Day at Disney World happy.”
“Whoop! Good on you, girl. Now I’m really…really…sorry to say this, but something really suspicious is going on with your project.”
“Smart screens? You don’t think the pellets were part of some elaborate plot, do you?” I laugh at that ridiculous thought.
