She shrugs, making her breasts jiggle enticingly. “Why wait? The cat’s out of the bag. No sense in going back to my baggy old clothes.” She leans forward conspiratorially.
I now get a waft of her perfume mixed with the smell of skin.
“I hated them with all my heart,” she admits.
“I’m sure you did,” I answer automatically. I’m too overwhelmed by the sucker punch delivered by her scent for my brain to work.
She looks at me from under her lashes and smiles slowly.
I shake my head in disbelief. “Who the hell are you, Jade Emerson?”
“Maybe it’s time for you to find out.”
“Maybe,” I say softly.
She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth.
At this action my cock twitches with interest. “Come on,” I urge impatiently. “We don’t want to be late.”
“Good idea,” she agrees and starts walking in front of me.
My eyes rove over her body and ass freely, now that she can’t see me looking. Her hips sway enticingly below her trim waist, hypnotizing me, keeping my eyes glued to it.
Heat flares inside me. Jade had been sexy in just a towel, but now she blows me away with how hot she looks. It’s like the woman who disappeared into her hotel room never came back out. This is someone else. Someone irresistible.
Even in her previous life, I guess I’ve always secretly found her attractive. She was always more than her baggy sweaters and her thick glasses. There’d always been a spark there. A hint of some sexual magnetism, but I’d always been able to ignore those stirrings. I’m not sure I can ignore them anymore.
We step into the elevator and I hit the button marked L.
Jade stands beside me, looking straight ahead, and saying nothing.
Since I don’t want to ogle her directly, I stare at her reflection on the mirrored walls of the elevator.
Her full, ripe breasts swell against the bodice of her dress. She’s not showing a lot of cleavage, but somehow, it’s one of the sexiest damn dresses I’ve ever seen. It’s like the towel. It shows off everything while revealing nothing.
My cock throbs in my pants. I shift my suit jacket to hide my growing erection. I close my eyes to shut the image of her out of my head. Control yourself, dammit. Stop gawking at her like a hormonal teenager.
Even with my eyes shut, I still see her. In my imagination, I’m there, too. I’m pressed up against her from behind. My hands slide up her dress, up her smooth, flawless skin. All the way up. Until my fingers encounter wet folds.
I open my eyes before things go too far. Jade is my assistant. I can’t have these thoughts about her. She’s been strong enough to keep things between us professional. I’d be smart to do the same.
I swore I’d never be so crass as to seduce my assistant. It’s cheap and tawdry. Not because she’s beneath me or anything like that. It’s because I don’t want to be that guy. I refuse to be the cliché businessman who takes advantage of his secretary. I’m not that. I won’t be that.
Deep down, this is the real reason I had my rule. Not to protect me from them, but to protect them from me. And in a way, to protect me from myself.
I enjoy sex. I’m not ashamed of that fact. The problem is, once I see a woman I really, really want, I have to have her. It’s a compulsion, a burning need that won’t go away until it’s satisfied.
Now, I want Jade.
We sit beside each other in the limo on the way to the restaurant. Night has fallen over Bangkok and the world outside our windows is lit by glowing storefronts and neon signs. The lights paint her face in shifting colors, giving her an ethereal quality. Almost like she’s not real.
Nothing feels real now, not since she emerged from her room as this vision of beauty. She’s thrown my world off-balance. I can’t concentrate. I can’t get my thoughts in order. I can’t even pry my eyes away from her.
I have no idea how I’m going to get through this meeting with the clients. I’m too distracted. Jade is the only thing I can think about right now. The rest of my world has faded. She’s the only thing in focus.
If these potential clients weren’t so important, I’d cancel the whole thing. I need time to get my head straight. Time away from her. Instead, she will be sitting beside me tonight, a beautiful thorn in my side that’s impossible to ignore.
I should have left her at the hotel. But that wasn’t an option. I need her at my side. I’m the big picture guy. I sell clients on the broad strokes of my plans. Jade knows the numbers. The details. If a client has a specific question, she’s usually the one to talk to. Her presence is invaluable. She seems cool and collected now, unlike me. My great hope is that she can keep the meeting on track.