“Exactly.” I’m glad Kiera is catching on. “Let me help you learn how to have sex without emotion. In exchange, you pretend to be my girlfriend for the wedding.”
“Then…after the wedding it’s back to business as usual?”
I shrug. “That sounds reasonable. If you’re able to pick someone else up at the reception and sleep with him without getting attached, I’ll consider our agreement fulfilled. What do you say?”
I am taking a huge risk and giving Kiera a lot of power. If I piss her off or our deal turns sour, she could retaliate and destroy my reputation, as well as the company’s. I could lose everything I’ve achieved because of one irresponsible decision.
But my gut tells me she won’t, and I haven’t gotten where I’m at by ignoring my instinct.
I’m right in front of her, but her gaze is all over the place. She’s scared. Clearly, she wasn’t prepared for me to say yes, let alone counter with my own proposition. But who would be? Both offers are a little crazy.
“If this is too overwhelming, just say so and I can pretend this email never existed.”
“No. I just need some time to think.”
Not what I wanted to hear, but I get it. “That’s fine. Take the rest of the day to think it over. If you want to proceed, meet me at the Brick at four. It’s a bar around the corner. If you don’t show, I’ll understand and forget this whole thing ever happened.”
Her soft gaze finally lifts to me. “You’d do that?”
“Yes.”
“And you won’t fire me?”
“Of course not. You have the power over what happens next. The last thing I want is to be the reason you don’t work here anymore. We both have something valuable to gain by helping each other. But if you say no, you can consider this conversation and that email forgotten.”
“Okay.” Her voice shakes. “Thank you.”
I nod and back off. The ball is in Kiera’s court now that I’ve said my piece. As on board as I am about our potential agreement, I have to be patient. But everything about her makes me want to break all the rules.
Kiera
“Wait, you did what?” Kami whispers furiously across the table from me at lunch after I explain what happened.
“Believe me, I can’t make this shit up.” I press my fingers to my aching temples.
“Who could? OMG, I still can’t believe you sent that email to him. But I’m fucking shocked he propositioned you back.”
“Right?”
She shakes her head, bewildered. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“Me, either. I thought I was going to have to start job hunting.”
On some level, I hoped he’d say no, and I could go back to life as usual. Sure, I’d feel embarrassed for a few days, but it would’ve been forgotten by next week. But this gorgeous specimen of a man, who’s beyond my wildest dreams, stood before me and offered his help in exchange for mine.
He caught me off guard.
I don’t know how I feel about having a hit-it-and-quit-it tutor now that it might be happening. I’m flustered and a bit sick to my stomach. And hot at the thought of him touching me all over. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I was supposed to send that damn email to Kami, then pretend it didn’t exist for a month or two. But no. Shit had to hit the fan. And I had to hit the wrong button.
“You’ve worked here longer than I have. What do you know about his ex?”
“Almost nothing. They broke up before I started working at Knight. I heard a rumor that she’s rich, bitchy, and blonde, but…” Kami shrugs.
“So you don’t know why they split up?”
She shakes her head. “Sorry. Does it matter if all you’re going to do is boff him?”
“Probably not.” But somehow it feels important. “Ugh, my life is suddenly like something out ofStranger Things, only without the monster.”