Page 60 of Making It While Faking It
Achilles clears his throat and asks, “Are you still friends with Skylark—assuming that you were friends?”
I nod softly and whisper, “She forgave me.” But then I chuckle as I see Skylark and I standing in front of Orion’s villa, hashing it out, figuring out who the bad guy is. “We both made a pact to never have anything to do with Orion ever again.”
“Ah,” he says as if he finally understands why I insisted on not marrying his brother and he approves.
Then we’re lost in each other’s gazes again. The longer I look into his eyes, the wider my smile becomes. His balmy palm intensifies its squeezing of my flesh. “You’re so damn soft,” he whispers as if he’s touching more the first time.
“I want you,” I whisper. “I want you inside me now.”
I don’t have to say it again. Achilles rolls on top of me as my thighs separate to let him in. I hold on to him as our tongues brush, lips quickly joining in. And then, as if it’s the most natural thing, I gasp when he slips into my blissful sea.
Date Night
TREASURE GROVE
Achilles and I move to his larger bed. Oh my, I love his room ten times more than mine. First of all, his scent paints the air, and I want to roll around in it and coat myself in it. The decor is so royal and masculine. The prevailing colors are red and gold. I feel so safe with him in this space. And this is where we make love as the night transitions to day. We stopped to eat dinner, though. We ordered sushi from room service. There’s not much more erotic than sex and sushi. After we ate, we made out feverishly until he slid himself inside me again. Our lovemaking has so much depth. When he’s inside me, against me, touching me and I’m touching him, my heart feels on the verge of explosion from such exotic emotions. In my head, I say,I can’t love you, but there’s a voice behind that voice that whispers,It’s too late. I’ll ignore those silent words for now.
But after we both climax and are dampened and exhausted from such physical and emotional output, Achilles sets an alarm because neither of us can forsake work for another day, and I fall asleep in his arms.
There isthis sort of ethereal feel to our morning sex that makes my head think it’s floating to Mars. Achilles tells me it’s okay if I continue to sleep in his bed while he dresses for the office. But I let him know he’s not the only workaholic in the house.
“I will take a long hot bath before leaving, though,” I say, stretching my aching muscles. The exercise of our sex has made me sore all over.
He tugs me into his arms so that our naked bodies are pressed against each other. His skin on my skin, eyes on my eyes, and then lips on my lips reminds me that I am not dreaming, that this is all real.
Gently, softly, our lips part so that we can steady our breaths, and with eyes still hooded, he asks, “How about we have a date night tonight?”
“Yeah,” I whisper, still dazed from that kiss. “That’ll be great.”
All day at the restaurant,everybody tells me how good I look. My skin glows. I’m more smiley. I look well rested.
“You look like you’re deeply in love,” Lolly says as we sit in our late afternoon meeting to discuss the fallout from canceling all the reservations.
“It’s true,” Ingrid says, examining me as if I’m a brand-new museum exhibit. “It’s hot as hell outside today. The humidity has everybody dragging just to get through, and you’re as light as a feather and as fresh as a cream puff.”
My laugh is summery. “Food analogies—I like it.”
Ingrid and Lolly are mildly amused by my humor, which makes me wonder if I’m too influenced by this new stage I’ve entered with Achilles. Just as this meeting is about business, Achilles should also be nothing but business mixed with a little—no, a lot—of fun.
“Anyway,” I say, scowling at the pages spread out on the table in front of me. “One thing I know, and that’s people. We say we’re sorry and wish them the best of luck and stay on target to close the event hall next Monday.” That was better—that was all business.
I didn’t knowuntil the last minute that Achilles had made a reservation at Treasures for the both of us at six thirty. I was in the kitchen with Nya. We had made and were then tasting her new roasted radicchio with bacon, capers, and a walnut cream drizzle. I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when Lauren, tonight’s chief hostess, came into the kitchen to tell me that Mr. Lord was waiting for me out front.
“Achilles?” I asked.
“Yes. You have a dinner reservation.”
And now I walk into the front and there he is, all panty-melting handsome and wearing his suit better than any other man in the world could.
We smile at each other. I had been waiting all day to see his face to do what I’m doing now, and that’s kiss his lips.
“Dinner, here?” I ask.
Achilles’s hands are spread against my lower back, and my arms lie across his shoulders as I pet the back of his neck. “I heard this restaurant has the best food and the sexiest owner in the city.” His eyes sparkle a sultry gleam.
Our lips are like magnets resisting the urge to connect. Especially when we both turn simultaneously to see three girls who appear to be in their early twenties walk past us with their camera phones aimed at us.
Achilles looks at them with his famous grimace, but even facing the bull doesn’t deter them. It’s as if we’re not real people to them at all. It’s very disturbing.
