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“THIS FEELS LIKE A DOUBLE date,” I hissed through my teeth.
Rose and I were sitting on one side of a booth, waiting for both brothers to show. She’d issued them an official summons—something I don’t think had ever happened to either one of them—and I wasn’t sure how they were going to take it. To be honest, I’d be surprised if Tom showed up at all.
“It isn’t a double date,” she said calmly, glancing through her menu.
I unbuttoned, then re-buttoned my jacket—staring nervously at the door. “Well, it feels like a double date.”
She sighed, snapping her fingers to beckon a waiter from across the room. “Just think of it as an ‘I need to get profiles on these guys or it’s my job at stake’ kind of date.” She turned with a charming smile to the waiter. “Instead of the usual sake, we’re going to need some stiff cocktails.”
The poor guy stammered. “Of course, miss! Right away. And how many drinks are we going to be needing?”
She glanced at me as Tom and Michael walked through the front door and started looking around. “Tom hates vodka, right?”
“Yeah.” I nodded nervously, watching them approach.
“Four vodka tonics, please.”
The waiter disappeared and I pinched her arm. “Would you stop picking on him?!” I demanded. “You’re the one who said this was supposed to be professional—so leave him be!”
She stared back without blinking. “No. This is payback. Food and drinks he despises.”
We both looked up with fixed smiles as the men sank into the chairs across from us. Tom looked thoroughly pissed off to have been ‘summoned,’ but Michael couldn’t have been happier. He took off his jacket and flashed Rose his most winning smile.
“I was so glad to get your call!” He beamed. I noticed he was wearing his coronation shoes. “Tom and I both were.” He nudged his brother sharply under the table, but Tom refused to play ball. When the remark was met with silence, Michael tried to lighten the mood with an awkward joke. “This feels a bit like a double date.”
It was my turn to kick Rose. I told you!
She smiled back calmly. “Well, it isn’t. But thank you both for coming. I appreciate it.”
“Perhaps next time, you could coordinate with my secretary to give me a bit more warning,” Tom said. “Some of us already had fixed schedules. I had to cancel and rearrange stuff.”
Rose smiled sweetly. “Oh Tom, I seem to remember you had no trouble rescheduling everything at the drop of a hat to squeeze in time for Jenna. I was simply hoping the favor would extend to anything remotely resembling professionalism.”
That was the last time Tom spoke for a while.
Our drinks arrived just a few minutes later. Michael and I downed ours in the first minute and motioned for another. Rose sipped hers slowly, watching Tom all the while. Tom simply stared at the vodka in front of him like it had offended him somehow.
“I hope you don’t mind,” she finally said. “I took the liberty of ordering for the table. Didn’t want to waste any time getting down to business.”
“Of course not,” Michael said quickly, flashing her another rather nervous smile. “So what exactly did you want to take about Ro—I mean—Miss Bell?”
“Well you, of course. And your brother,” she said with a sideways glance at Tom. “I was up most of the night going over your respective files, and before we move on to how we’re looking to reshape your image for the merger, I need to be sure that all the skeletons are out there in the open. I don’t want to have any surprises the week of the drop.”
“Alright...” Michael’s eyes actually flickered to me for help, and I almost felt sorry for the guy. He was clearly falling for this cruel queen by the second, and his brother couldn’t have been any less helpful. “Ask anything you’d like to know.”
Rose grinned, a sight that sent chills down my spine.
“Ever gotten a girl pregnant?”
Michael blinked, his smile fading slightly. “Excuse me?”
“You’ve slept with half the city. And most of the modern world’s capitals. Have any of those entanglements ever resulted in a child?”
Okay, I felt very sorry for him now. I shot Rose a chiding glance out of the corner of my eye, and Tom actually leaned forward protectively, his big brother instincts kicking in.
“Listen, Miss Bell, I don’t know what kind of a lunch you were expecting, but if you actually think we’re going to—”
“No, that’s okay.” Michael clapped Tom gently on the arm and sat up a little straighter, looking Rose directly in the eye. “I’ve never gotten anyone pregnant.”
“That you know of.”
Their gazes locked.
“Not ever.”
His voice was soft but firm, and she seemed to accept this to be the end of the discussion. She turned to Tom instead.
“What about you, Tom? Ever hook up with a girl, then leave her in the lurch?”
Tom’s eyes flashed, but before he could say anything, I knocked my drink deliberately over the table. Everyone leapt to their feet to avoid getting drenched, and a second later, we were standing amidst a sea of buzzing waiters cleaning it up.
I used the commotion to grab Rose tightly by the arm. “Quit it, now!”
She met my look of anger head on. “I’m a publicist, Jenna. If you think it isn’t my job to ask a notorious whore if he has a secret love child, then you’re crazy.”
“But you didn’t have to ask it like that,” I countered furiously. “And you didn’t have to ask Tom.”
“Yes, I did, actually.” She flashed me a strange look. “Sure, I’m being a little rough because they messed with you, but the point is, it’s my job. And they both deserve what they get. Why in the world are you feeling protective?”
The waiters finished cleaning, and I was spared having to answer as we all returned to our seats. A moment later, fresh drinks appeared and I gulped mine down, ignoring Tom’s look of amusement and Rose’s look of disapproval as I did so.
The questions kept coming, but Rose did respect my wishes and tuned down the venom a bit. That being said, it was still a politely-worded bloodbath.
“Is it true you once ran naked onto the field during a national rugby match?”
“...that was a dare. I was seventeen.”
“Is it true that you once seduced the Prime Minister’s wife?”
“...again, I was seventeen.” Rose glanced up incredulously, and Michael looked away, muttering, “It was a busy year.”
With Tom, the questions were much more specific, mostly revolving around his blatant lack of social life. He went to all the right functions, shook hands with all the right people, but he came off about as friendly as a rock. There wasn’t a shred of relatability in anything he did. In fact, according to Rose, the only reason people were at all interested in him was because of his talent, his money, and his impractical good looks.
“And those are bad things?” he asked dryly.
“It’s bad when you have that trifecta, but polling data still suggests that the Mars Rover has more of a personality.”
It was at this point, that the waiter returned with three plates of sashimi, and one plate of what looked like a recently killed (or maybe not quite killed) baby squid. He set this plate down in front of Tom and vanished, leaving the rest of us to stare in stunned silence.
“In my defense,” Rose whispered in my ear, “I did that before you asked me to be nicer.”
What felt like years later, the painful experience had finally come to an end. The three of us, even Michael, bolted to our feet the second the check arrived, while Rose took her time, slowly gathering up her notes and slipping them back into her purse.
“Well, I think we made some good headway today,” she said brightly. “We’ll have to do this again really soon.”
Tom shot her a death look. Michael looked torn, and by this point, I was just ready to go home.
“Sorry to have spent so much time on your inter-office exploits,” she said good-naturedly to Michael as we headed out into the cold. “But they will come up in interviews, and I need to know every dirty little secret if I’m going to get ahead of them and protect you in the press.”
He nodded weakly, looking a bit as though he might be sick.
“Just goes to show,” she turned to Tom with a smug smile, “you should only date outside the office...like Jenna’s doing.”
That certainly got his attention. He perked up immediately and turned to me with an inquisitive smile. “Oh? What’s this?”
I died a million deaths, but Rose plowed right ahead, ‘protecting’ me.
“Jenna has a new boyfriend,” she said triumphantly.
As outrageous and controversial as the lunch conversation had been, I would have given anything I had for Rose not to have said that final word. For while Tom flashed me a shocked look. I shot him a pleading look not to pay any attention.
“Are you seeing somebody?” he asked.
“Yes, she is,” Rose said. “And she told me he’s hot.”
“Rose!” I said.
“Well, it’s what you said.”
Tom took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. The thought of him dating somebody else cut deeply. I could see it in his face.
His lips pressed into grim lines. “Who are you dating?”
I blinked. “It’s best not to discuss it right now. Things could slip.”
“Yeah. She might say things to you she might regret. Why do you care?” Rose asked nicely. “Just be happy for her.”
“I have every right to know if you’re dating somebody else,” he said to me.
He seemed really bothered by it. And I wanted to explain, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to arouse suspicion. I gave him a shut up look. But with all the drinks he had, he wasn’t getting it.
Rose gazed at him. “With all due respect, sir. She’s doesn’t have to. You’re already crossing the line. Her personal life shouldn’t matter to you. She’s your employee and that’s it. Everything between you two should be strictly platonic, just like the rule books states.”
“And does the same thing apply for you and Michael as well?” Tom asked, turning the tables back on her.
“Of course.”
He finished his beer and slammed it on the table. “You know my brother has a habit of getting beautiful girls with bright minds fired.”
“I know the workplace isn’t an appropriate dating pool,” Rose said.
Michael elbowed him.
I bit my lip and looked at Tom.
Rose rubbed her temples. “Let’s not have this conversation. It’s too daunting, too serious, and way too heavy.”
“Exactly,” Michael said. “My brother loves to bring in all the dark clouds. He’s like a big storm.”
“I need to talk to you alone,” Tom said to me.
“You’re really screwing this up,” I said.
“Screwing what up?” Rose asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” Michael cut in. “Don’t let my brother suck you into his darkness. I’ve got the best joke to tell you.”
“What’s your boyfriend’s name?” Tom asked in a jealous tone.
Us all drinking together was not the wisest idea.
I gazed into his gorgeous eyes, pointed at him with a big smile, and slurred, “It’s you, baby.”
Shoot! How did I let that slip?
Rose laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s Camden.”
Tom shot me a secret smile, then relaxed when he figured it out. It was like a huge burden lifted from his shoulders. The name also rang home for Michael—who glanced suddenly between us with a spark of life I thought had permanently died when Rose started quizzing him about his boarding school equestrian teacher.
“I have to tinkle,” Rose said, getting up.
When she lost her balance, Michael went to help her. They disappeared into the crowd. I seized the moment and jumped into Tom’s lap. He leaned in a little closer to me and I braced myself, fluttering with excitement as I waited for him to kiss me. He was trying to behave in a public place where we could be spotted. Me, on the other hand, didn’t care at this point. I’m guessing that was probably the liquor talking. He took too long to kiss me, so I helped him out. His lips were so soft and yet electric. A rush pulsed through me and I tingled inside and out. I gasped against his mouth. His shoulders shook with soft laughter.
“Poor baby,” he murmured. “I think you need more of that.”
“Ahem,” I said. “More desperately. Right here, right now.”
He pulled away. “We’re in a public place...and Michael could see us...or Rose.”
“They’re gone. And I don’t think anyone here knows us.”
“You know I want my hands all over you, but not here.”
“Right. You can’t be seen with me in public.”
“You know why. We can’t give anyone any ammunition to spread gossip.”
“I hate being kept a big, dirty, naughty secret.”
“Don’t ever say that. I’m not ashamed of you. I want to shout it out to the world that I’m crazy about you. But then...you’d lose your job. And nothing I will say will get it back for you.”
“Can’t have that now, can we?” I pushed a lock of hair from his eyes. “See? You’re my protector and my handsome knight in shining armor.”
“You know I’ll always protect you. That’s why we can’t let Michael find out about us. He’d use against us at every opportunity.”
“You were so jealous,” I said. “You should’ve seen your face.”
“The thought of you with someone else about killed me,” he said.
I laughed. “You were jealous of yourself.”
He gazed at me seductively. “So am I hot?”
“Yes.” Just as I went to kiss him, he pushed me away. “They’re coming back!”
“Let’s ditch them,” I said.
“We can’t. It’ll look suspicious.”
“I’m glad you’re the sensible one. I’ll sneak over later.”
“What if Rose catches you sneaking out of the house?”
“She’s not my mother. I’ll just tell her I’m going to see my secret boyfriend.”
Michael slipped back into his seat. “Miss me?”
I smiled. “Always.”
Tom squeezed my leg and I tried to remain calm as shivers shot up my spine.
“I’m wasted,” I said. “I really need to go to bed and sleep this off.”
“I’ve got to get up early tomorrow anyway,” Tom said.
Michael looked at Rose. “You ready to go home?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, then. I’ll call for the car. Good thing none of us are driving.”
Rose chuckled as she got her purse.
My phone dinged. I got a text from Tom. It read. See u soon, babe.
I smiled.
The brothers dropped us off and we said goodbye.
As we walked into the apartment, I looked at Rose. “Do you like Michael?”
She chuckled. “He’s nice and sexy. We had fun. But I’m not stupid to get involved with him. Dating your boss is stupid. Only an idiot would even attempt something crazy like that.”
I bit my lip hard. Yeah, only an idiot would sneak off to go meet her boss so she could spend time with him. I’d totally lost my mind.
We said goodnight. Rose fell right to sleep. Tom sent for a car because I was too tipsy to drive. When I finally got to his place, I smiled. I loved how his entire face lit up when he saw me. He pressed his massive, stone-hard chest to mine. I rested my hands on his waist. And I just wanted to run my finger over every inch of his skin.
He looked deeply into my eyes. I swear I was looking straight into his soul. We had this amazing moment, this amazing connection. And it was like nothing else around us mattered. Tom and I had both fought the initial passion and attraction we felt when we first met. But in the end, the pheromones were just too powerful and nature took its course. It wasn’t just raw animal attraction; we’d become each other’s best friend. He told me everything and I shared my life as well. We felt like kindred spirits fated to be together. Whatever problems we faced, it wasn’t a concern. There was just here and now. We shouldn’t be together. We both knew that, but we couldn’t stay apart. I’d fallen for this man and nothing could keep me away from him.
“You mean everything to me,” he said. “I just wanted you to know that.”
“I wouldn’t be risking everything if I didn’t care about you.”
He cradled my head with one hand as fingertips delicately stroked my neck.
“I don’t want to lose you,” he said, voice filled with emotion.
“You won’t.”
“I could, if we’re exposed. If you lose your job, you’ll never talk to me again.”
“That’s never going to happen.”
“It will, if you kiss me in public like you did tonight.”
“I promise to be more careful.”
He kissed me again. “I can’t bear to lose you.”
“I swear you won’t.”
“I’m not like Michael. He secretly dates beautiful women he works with, but I don’t. I keep it strictly professional. But I couldn’t help myself with you. But I swear, I’m different than my brother. I care about you. And I care about your career.”
“I know you’re not Michael. You’ve never dated a woman from the office.”
“I never have.”
My fingertips traced down his muscular chest. “I didn’t mean to make you break your rules.”
He cupped my face. “Are you kidding? It’s the best rule I’ve ever broken.”
When he swept my mouth with his tongue, my knees buckled as his strong arms held me up. Our embrace intensified and our bodies swayed. His lips touched mine in an earthshattering kiss. His hands were busy roaming every curve on my body.
Finally, he wrapped his tangled arms around the small of my waist and whisked me to his couch. Butterflies fluttered as he lowered me. He paused as he hovered over me, gazing into my eyes.
“You’re so beautiful,” he said.
“Yet, you keep me locked up in a castle,” I whispered.
“You know there’s nothing more I’d rather do than show you off.”
“I know, baby. I just hate hiding our love.”
“Me too.”
I knew if Michael found out, he’d broadcast it to the world. He was public enemy number one. Exposing Tom would be the perfect payback for all the times he lectured him on his indiscretions at the office. I didn’t want to think about it. I just wanted to enjoy the time we had together. I’d treasure every single minute we got.
I calculated the risk and determined Tom was worth it.
As the street light spilled into the room, I could really see the brilliant color of his eyes. They were lined with the thickest dark lashes I ever saw on a man. He pressed his mouth to the base of my neck. His loving was still gentle, but he definitely turned up the heat. He kissed me deeply and passionately, his tongue taking whatever he wanted...and he demanded everything. I responded with equal demand. His soul-stirring kiss filled me with an aching as heat spread across me.
He left me completely breathless. Nobody kissed like this man. He kissed with his entire being.
I swept my tongue into his mouth, tangling it with his. The taste of him, his wetness and heat, urged me to grind on him with powerful eagerness. I played with his hair, pushing my fingers through his thick, lush strands. I never got tired of feeling its softness. I trailed the back of his neck with feather light fingertips, knowing it would thrill him. Kisses trailed over the swells of my breasts.
I enjoyed spending secret moments with Tom. He was my world and I refused to give him up.