“I was upset,” she admitted. “But as I stood on the sidelines today, it occurred to me that I don’t want to spoil this time with you. Working for you has been an incredible opportunity and I will miss it... I have to confess I will miss working with you, as well. Seeing you.”
“Tell me what else you’ll miss.” He pulled her bare foot into his lap and massaged the arch.
“That feels amazing.” She settled deeper into the red leather cushion on her high-backed wooden chair. Popping a raspberry into her mouth, she told herself she could have one more chocolate treat if she ate two plain berries.
Those were actually delicious as well, the juicy fruit almost tart after the sweetness of the chocolate.
“Turn your chair and I can do both feet.” He nodded toward the side that needed shifting. And sure enough, pivoting toward him made it more comfortable to give him her other foot, too.
His thumbs stroked up the centers, over and over.
“What else will I miss?” She repeated the question to remind herself what he’d asked her before she slipped into a foot-massage-induced trance. “Always having a seat for the big games. The scent of barbecue in the parking lot from the tailgaters before home games. Seeing the young players at training camp and watching them horseplay because they’re overgrown kids.”
He was quiet for so long she wondered what he was thinking.
But hadn’t she promised herself to simply enjoy this time with him? To make the most of every day of these next few weeks?
“I’ll bet chocolate sauce would taste good on you,” she observed lightly, dragging the warm pot closer.
That captured Dempsey’s attention completely. He slowed the foot massage.
“The catering staff is still here,” he reminded her, peering over his shoulder toward the kitchen.
They hadn’t seen anyone since dessert was brought out, but two servers waited behind the scenes to clear their dishes and put away the leftovers.
“I’ll bet they won’t mind billing you for a fondue pot if I bring it upstairs with me.”
Releasing her feet, he pushed back from the table in a hurry. He took the sauce from her, securing it under one arm, and then pulled out her chair to give her more room to stand.
A gentleman.
“No.” He put a hand on her back and guided her away from the staircase. “Your room this time. You’ve got that big tub for afterward, and I think we’re going to need it.”
A thrill shot through her. Something about this new pact she’d made with herself—to live in the moment and store up these memories—made her bolder. More willing to take chances with him and see what happened.
He was already prepared to walk away from their engagement in three more weeks, so why not at least ask for the things she wanted in a way she never had before? Chocolate sauce all over Dempsey... It was the stuff of fantasies.
Except once they closed the door to her bedroom, he set her decadent treat on the glass top of a double dresser, and then spun her in his arms. A whirlwind of raw masculinity, he hauled her up in his arms and carried her toward the large bathroom, his eyes blazing with undeniable heat.
“Dessert?” she asked, walking her fingers up his chest, her breathing unsteady at the feel of his arms around her.
“It’s going to have to wait,” he growled. “If you wanted slow and sweet, you shouldn’t have looked at me like that over the dinner table.”
A laugh burst free, but it turned into a moan as he settled her on the vanity countertop and stepped between her legs.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” she teased, her mouth going dry as he bunched up the fabric of her skirt and snapped the band on her panties with a quick tug.
Fire roared over her skin.
“The look you gave me?” He passed her a condom a second before he dropped his pants. “It said you wanted me right here.” He slid a finger inside her.
The condom fell from her fingers. She wound her arms around his neck, needing more of him. All of him. Her heartbeat pounded so fiercely she felt light-headed. She pressed her breasts to his chest, doing her best to shrug out of the bodice. He must have retrieved the condom because she could feel the graze of his knuckles against her while he rolled it into place.
And then he was deep inside her.
His thrusts were hard, fast, and she loved every second of being with him. She held on tight, meeting his movements with her own as she caught glimpses of them moving together reflected in the mirrors all around. His powerful shoulders all but hid her from view from the back. But from the side, she saw her head thrown back, her spine arched to lift her breasts high. He ravished them thoroughly, one hand palming the back of her scalp while the other guided her hip to his.