The Love Coupon (Stubborn Hearts 2)

Love. The twisty nervous fluttering, the sharp quick shafts of pleasure, the taste of languid, lush enticement. His hands and lips, the smell of his skin, the expression of concentration she’d first taken as performance anxiety and now knew was his way of devouring her.

She let him eat her whole and turn her into mush. And he was in the same state, both of them well flushed with all the good hormones and all the magical sex-soothed feels. They lay entangled, close to sleep but fighting it.

“What was with the angry music and the dancing on the table?”

Shit, what was she thinking doing that? “If I damaged it...”

“You didn’t. It was horrifically expensive and bought to last forever.”

“I didn’t know when you were coming home.” Oh, she had to stop saying things that made her sound like this thing with Tom was more important than it really was.

“You were worried?”

“No.” She passed a hand down his body and flirted with taking hold of his dick, making him flinch. “You’re a big boy. You can take care of yourself. I...” She nearly repeated missed you. “Had an argument with my sister about more stuff I’m supposed to buy. She pisses me off.”

“Ah.”

“And I’m having trouble finding a place to rent. It looks like I’ll have to start off in an extended-stay apartment. I was hoping to avoid that expense.”

“Have you had the nightmare?”

Embarrassed to admit it, she nodded into his bicep. “It’s just a dream. How was your conference?”

His groan had a stabbed and dying quality to it. “I wasn’t trying to get you into bed by telling you I thought about you all weekend. I made a mess of a panel because I was thinking about you. Harry Hardiman was in the room. He’s still dodging me and then he witnessed me acting like a space cadet in front of five hundred people.” He groaned again and palmed his face. “It wasn’t good.”

The grinning was inappropriate given Tom had confessed to a screwup that was inadvertently her fault, but she couldn’t force her face into a more acceptable expression. He’d missed her too. They were something else other than roommates now and it would be smart to enjoy it.

The grin got her kissed. “Is there any doubt you’re going to get

this promotion?”

“If you were a Rendel person, I’d say none at all. I’ve been next in line for a while, informally anointed for the position, but I don’t like the way Harry has been acting. He’s definitely avoiding me. We were at the same conference for three days and he never sought me out. That’s not nothing. I just don’t know what it is.”

“And you want this job. It’s important to you.”

“It’s my equivalent to your Washington move. I’ve been working for this for years. Josh got his shot. It’s my turn.”

Flick knew Harry and most of the senior partners of Rendel. Tom was the obvious new Chicago office leader, and after he’d done his time there, he could name his price at a larger global firm. “I’m sure it will work out.”

“We need to talk about that.” Tom propped himself up on his elbow and his expression made Flick shiver. He played with a curl of her hair. “You are an obvious distraction.”

“Me?” She wasn’t the only one with kiss-swollen lips.

“Us.” He gestured to the wrecked bed. “This.”

Uh-oh.

“I need to be focused. And you’re passing through.”

“What are you saying? We’re having fun. At least I thought you were having fun.”

“I was. I am.” He leaned down and kissed her temple. “I am. But our timing is off.”

There was that.

“I didn’t handle this well before. I tried to shut you out and you were right to be angry with me. I’m trying to say I need to cool it. I need all my energy focused on work. I can’t let this job slip through my fingers because I’m thinking with my dick.”

“I make you think with your dick? I think your dick likes it.” You dick.