ChapterSeven
AVERY
Butterflies swirled in my stomach the entire way to our room.Our room…oh, boy.I had no idea how I was going to keep Gabe at a distance when we were cohabiting in such a small space for the next few days. There was a smidgen of relief in knowing that these suites had pull-out couches, so at least we wouldn’t have to share a bed.
Then we walked inside and found a recliner rather than a sofa. Crap. An explosion went off inside me and killed all the butterflies, leaving a smoldering heat that was slowly engulfing me. It was concentrated in my core where desire curled around it and fanned it into flames. I jumped when the door to the room clicked shut and I was alone with my boss—my incredibly sexy and nearly irresistible boss.
“Um…” I looked between the bed and the chair, then peeked at Gabe. “I can sleep in the recliner.”
He frowned and swung his hand out toward the bed. “Don’t be ridiculous. There’s plenty of room for us to both sleep in the bed.”
Just the mention of a bed and both of us sent my body into hyper-drive and it took a whole lot of effort not to jump him and beg him to take me.I am so screwed.
I gulped and took a backward step, not that it made much of a difference. As spacious as the room was, Gabe was a big guy and he took up a lot of space, making it feel much smaller.
“I’m going to get ready for dinner,” I practically squeaked, grabbing my carry-on off the bench at the end of the bed, and scurrying into the bathroom. My breathing and pulse were erratic, but they calmed while I stood there, staring in the mirror and giving myself a silent pep talk.I can do this. I can be strong. A one-night stand with my boss is a really, really bad idea.
A couple of deep breaths and I felt more in control, so I hoisted my bag onto the vanity portion of the counter. I undressed down to my underwear and unzipped the suitcase.
Oh, shit,” I muttered when I saw the contents. “What the hell, Brie?” Digging through the colorful lace and silk—how many pairs of underwear did she think I needed for three days?—I found a few sundresses, a skimpy cocktail dress, tiny bikinis, and…good grief…several negligees, but no pajamas. Luckily, she’d included a suit for my business meetings, but it wasn’t something I would consider wearing to anything else. Which left me with the dresses as my options for dinner. I pulled them out and sighed in exasperation. The first one was yellow, strapless, and the ankle-length skirt was completely sheer. To be fair, there was an underskirt, but it ended mid-thigh. The second one was a white, spaghetti-strapped, floor-length dress with a plunging back and a low bodice that bunched around a ring just below my breasts. From the look of it, I had a feeling it was big enough that the undersides of my bosom would be visible.
I withdrew the last one and almost choked when I held up the bright pink, Cleopatra style dress made of a soft, flowy material. The top consisted of two sashes that crisscrossed over my front and hooked around my neck. It would expose most of the valley between my breasts and I seriously doubted it would completely cover my large boobs. The bottom of the sashes went around to the back, where they were sewn together with the one small part of the skirt that was attached to the dress, then they came back around the front to clip at the side. The skirt came around the front like a beach wrap, high on one hip and so low on the other and I was worried it would show the crease of my thigh. It was ruched and clipped together in that spot, leaving the fabric cascading down, away from the leg, so it would be almost completely exposed all the time.
I couldn’t help imagining what Gabe’s reaction would be to this dress or to anything else in my suitcase. As I pictured the look in his eyes when he saw all the skin on display, heat curled in my belly and slowly spread through my limbs. My panties were soaked, and I suddenly understood why Brie had packed so much underwear—if you could even call those scraps of fabric underwear.
My eyes went to my reflection once again. My skin was flushed pink from my cheeks down to the smooth skin that disappeared into my panties. Bright green eyes stared back at me, lips that were pink and swollen from being nibbled every time I was nervous—so, pretty much anytime I was around Gabe. I’d tamed my frizzy hair before our client meeting, but it was still a riot of wild curls giving them a wind-blown look. I had a lithe body from running and swimming, and though I was an average height, I had long legs. My looks had never been a source of under-confidence for me, but at that moment, I felt…sexy.
Maybe one hot, sweaty, incredible night with my boss wasn’t such a bad idea.
A knock on the door startled me and Gabe called out, “Avery, I’m ordering a drink. Would you like anything?”
I almost said no, but hesitated when I thought that perhaps a drink would help calm my nerves and give me the courage to proposition him. “White wine, please.”
“Sure, baby. By the way, I made a reservation for eight. Is that enough time for you to get ready?”
I peeked at my watch and saw that it was quarter after seven. That would be just enough time to shower, dress, and do a little primping without leaving me downtime to talk myself out of my crazy plan. “I’ll be ready,” I told him.
After a quick shower, I found my wine sitting on the bathroom sink and I nearly burst into flames at the thought of Gabe watching me. It was unlikely that he’d done more than drop it off because he was too respectful, but it didn’t stop me from fantasizing. As I debated on what to wear, I sipped my drink. Finally, I drained the rest of the glass and picked up the pink, barely there, sundress.
At five minutes to eight, I told myself to stop being a baby, took a deep breath, and silently opened the bathroom door.
Gabe was standing on the balcony, gazing out at the view. He looked amazing in white linen pants that showed off his very fine ass and a fitted, blue button-down that was open to mid-chest with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
As if he sensed my presence, he turned in my direction and his jaw dropped right before he froze.
I wanted to preen and do a seductive little dance, but I hadn’t had quite enough alcohol for that. By the time we finished dinner, I fully intended to be tipsy enough to blame tonight on the booze in the morning but not drunk enough to forget even a single moment of our time together.
“Do I look alright?” I did a little spin and held back a smile at the low groan he emitted from deep in his chest.
“Unbelievably gorgeous,” he rasped. Then he drained the rest of the amber liquid in the glass tumbler I hadn’t realized he was holding. After setting it on a nearby table, be prowled toward me. “I don’t know what I want more. To make you change so no one else sees what belongs to my eyes only, or to show you off and make everyone jealous that you’re mine.”
“Yours, huh?” I asked sassily.
He stopped when he was toe to toe with me and spanned his large hands on my mostly naked torso, with his thumbs resting just below the curve of my breasts. I’d been correct in my assumption that they would spill out of the sashes, though not so much that it was inappropriate.
Bending his head so that we were nose to nose, he stared hard and growled, “Mine.”