The CEO & I

I sigh and reach for the soap.

But Luke is more than that. He’s complicated. A mystery. The more time I spend with him, the more I realize how much I don’t know about him. His past. His family. What he wants for the future.

I know I shouldn’t but I want to feel his hands run over my skin the way the water from the shower does. It’s a dream that can only bring heartache. I’ll become like all those other secretaries who made the pathetic mistake of falling in love with someone like Luke Remington, but I can’t stop myself from wanting his eyes to lock with mine like they did just before he went back to his room. Wanting to see the bulge growing between his legs and know it’s because of me.

Thoughts of Luke have my core aching with desire. A desperate, overwhelming need claws at me, urging me to do something about it. I consider taking matters into my own hands. It will be a long, frustrating night with Luke if I don’t relieve the pressure building up inside me.

But I don’t have time.

I have to start getting dressed soon. The last thing I want is to be late. I finish cleaning up and get out of the shower. I dry myself off and walk over to the closet where I’ve hung my clothes. I need to pick an outfit for tonight’s meeting. Of course, I brought a lot of clothes with me. I like being prepared for anything. If it rains. If it’s suddenly cold. If I need to sit on my own by a swimming pool. If I go trekking. If I have some free time to go dancing with some of the other conference attendees.

I browse through my collection of grey and brown pant suits. They helped me land this job by hiding my body, but now that my secret is out, the idea of wearing one of them seems silly. Luke knows what I look like now. Do I really have to hide myself any longer?

I slide my suits aside and look at the one thing I’ve never worn around Luke. A dress. This is my if ‘Luke is not around and I slip out into the balmy night looking for adventure’ dress. Yeah, right, but in my head I am full of fun and adventurous. Emerald green and sophisticated.

It isn’t particularly sexy, but it fits right, accentuating my curvy assets. It’s emerald green and it really makes my eyes pop. I wonder if Luke will like it. It’s a classy dress. Neither too slutty or showy. It’s the kind of thing I’d wear to dinner with business clients if I was in a different job, one that didn’t require me to hide my figure.

Indecision tears at me. Will Luke be mad if I dress differently tonight? Will it make things stranger than they already are?

Screw it.

I don’t want to hide anymore. Luke knows what I look like now. No sense in pretending I’m that same old frumpy girl with a bun. I’m ditching my bun and wearing my dress.

I look forward to literally and figuratively letting my hair down for one evening. I deserve to have a little fun. I’m in a foreign country, I don’t have to hide the way I look, and I get to spend an evening with Luke. I may as well do it right.

I blow dry my hair and leave it in shining waves down my back. I put on some makeup, more than I’ve ever worn around Luke, actually accentuating my features instead of toning them down. I leave my glasses sitting on the nightstand by the bed and dab perfume at my pulse points. Then I slip into my daring open-toed shoes.

When Luke knocks on my door, I open the door and his jaw almost hits the floor.

Chapter 4

Luke

“Holy shit,” I mutter.

Jade smiles at me. “Is that good or bad?”

“Good. Damn good.” I look her up and down, mesmerized. “It’s just a surprise. That’s all.”

She lifts an eyebrow at me. “A bigger surprise than seeing me in a towel?”

“Actually, yes,” I reply. It’s not just the clingy dress that snags my interest, although it certainly did. But her face looks so different, too. She’s done something different with her makeup. It’s not like she painted on a new face. No, the differences are subtle, but powerful. “No glasses tonight?” I ask.

“No. Actually, I have a confession to make.”

“Let me guess.”

“Yup. I don’t actually need glasses,” she says, her lips curving up in a wicked grin. “I took your advice.”

“My advice?”

She nods. “You told me to try new outfits and to change my hair. So I did.”

“Yes, you did,” I say slowly, still unable to tear my eyes from her luscious curves. “I just didn’t expect the change to happen so soon.”