“Having sex in the club? Yes, probably. Maybe not on the first night, and not out in the open. You don’t have to see anything you don’t want to see.”
I think I’m sweating. No, I’mdefinitelysweating.
I want to ask him, why me? Why does he want to take me when he has his pick of probably any girl in Briar Point? But I don’t. I’ll let myself imagine for a moment that he actuallywantsto take me over any of those other girls. Let myself live in the fantasy for a minute.
“I can’t afford a dress.”
“I’ll buy your dress.”
When I open my mouth to argue more, I stop myself. Why am I trying to talk him out of this invitation? I am getting invited to an ultra-exclusive, members-only sex club with the freakingowner. Why are the first words out of my mouth nothell yes?
“Okay. Fine.”
“That has to be the most flattering response to a date I’ve ever received,” he replies sarcastically.
“I’m sorry, I mean, I’m excited and of course I want to go with you, but it’s just…not really my scene. Come on, Emerson. I work in a skating rink.”
“No, you work for Salacious Players’ Club as my secretary, remember?”
“Yes, but on the weekends, I still fry corn dogs and lead the crowd in the hokey-pokey on roller skates.”
A deliciously handsome grin stretches across his cheeks. “I’d pay to see that.”
“You don’t have to. Every Saturday night at seven-thirty. The black lights come on. We even sell glow sticks, if you’d like to take it up a notch.”
“Oh really? I’m not quite versed in roller skating culture. Do you think I’m ready for glow sticks?”
He’s teasing me, and I don’t even realize until this moment that he’s still holding my hand in his. Or rather, we’re just holding hands since he’s relaxed his grip.
But I don’t let that distract me as I lean in, teasing him as much as he’s teasing me. “How would you know if you don’t try it? I think you could handle glow sticks. It’s the Electric Slide you should probably work your way up to.”
“You’ll do it with me, so I’m not alone, right?”
I smile, biting the corner of my lip. And because it feels right, I lean forward and grin. “Oh, baby, you won’t know what hit you when you Electric Slide with me.”
It’s funny. We’re laughing, and it’s playful and innocent andfine…until it’s not. Until the laughter fades, and we’re left in the dust of whatever flirtatious thing this was. His eyes are on my face, and mine are on his. Our hands are still linked on the desk.
He swallows, and I swallow.
And I want so badly to kiss him. Just toseeif I would even like it or if it would be too strange. And to see if these weird feelings in my body are what I think they are. If I’m really growing attached to Emerson in a sexual way or if it’s just my imagination getting away with itself.
His fingers squeeze my hand, one finger gently stroking my palm, and it’s like ascream. It’s so subtle, naked to the eye, but I feel it, and it’s telling me to lean forward, so I do.
Then he leans forward.
And when I feel his breath on my lips, my body cries for me to kiss him. Close the distance. While my brain has alarms going off, red flags and sirens blaring.No, no, no, no! This is Beau’s dad—his freaking dad, Charlie. What are you doing? You can’t kiss him! Because then what? After you kiss him, what if he wants more? Are you going to let him take your clothes off? Have sex with him?
Okay, that sounds both terrifying and amazing.
But then what? You can’t stay in this job after you’ve fucked him. You’ll get emotionally attached and maybe you’ll sleep together a couple more times, if you like it, and then he’ll move on, and you’ll be devastated.
And my rational mind has a point. This is a terrible idea, but his lips are already brushing mine, and it’s too late to back out now. It’s a soft touch, barely even a kiss, but the moment our lips graze each other, we slide into an intimate space where only we exist, and it’s so delicate that I don’t dare to move.
His hand slides up my arm and he leans in to deepen the kiss, but before he can, the phone rings.
Compared to the silence we’re in, it sounds like a machine gun going off right next to us. I gasp, pulling away in a rush. I don’t stop, jumping up from the chair and walking briskly across the room.
The ringing stops, and I turn to see he’s silenced the call. His eyes are on me, watching me with concern.