Fat Cat Liar

“You work in IT in a medical lab.” Jonas rolls his eyes.

“There’s still a huge difference.”

“No, there’s not,” he argues.

Lawson clears his throat, pulling the attention to him. “Greer told me a lot about all of you and your accomplishments. Quite a crew. I now have a new perspective on why Dr. Jenny has an obsession with condoms.”

There’s a loud groan around the booth from everyone but Jenny. Instead, she perks up, a smile spreading across her face. I know this look; we all know this look.

“Now you’ve done it. Here we go,” Enrique mutters, finishing his beer in one gulp.

I motion to the waitress for another bucket while Jenny launches into her research, filling Lawson in on the basics. When she gets to the part about testing the durability of used condoms, he clutches me tighter.

“The picture is much clearer now why your friends and you know so much about semen,” he says quietly.

I giggle, nodding.

For the next hour, the conversation bounces between all of their research projects as they explain to Lawson more about their lives. I settle into him, drinking and happily listening to my friends. A weight I didn’t know I was carrying around is lifted now that he is completely in the fold. No more clipped conversations or awkward silences. I realize how unnecessary it was to withhold details of my life, my education, and my friends’ successes. Protecting myself was a flimsy excuse as I listen to him now. He fits in perfectly and hasn’t showed any signs of discomfort.

Lawson openly shows affection without restraint, sweeping my hair off my shoulders, kissing my cheek, and whispering in my ear.

Each touch, caress, and soft murmur sends sparks of electricity throughout my bloodstream. He places a hand on my thigh, where his fingertips swirl in a circle, each swipe moving further up. Through the thick fabric of my jeans, I can still feel the trail of heat on my skin. He’s teasing me, working me into a frenzy without a single word. I clench my thighs together, and he chuckles, his movements never halting.

A blush crawls up my neck and cheeks, and I try my best to focus back on the conversation and not the sensations coiling from inside.

Bessie breaks the mood when she moves the conversation to me. “Greer, what did you need to ask us?”

The scorching euphoria of Lawson’s sweet seduction turns to ice,

and I stiffen. It seems rude to discuss the dinner in front of Lawson.

“Kevin wants us at a ritzy business dinner next week. Says it’s a posh soirée highlighting Palmer Enterprises,” Enrique throws in before I can answer.

“How did you know?” I narrow my eyes at him, afraid of what’s coming next.

“He called me.”

Yep, I should have known Dad was going to pry and involve at least one of my friends. He’s a man on a mission, and that mission is meeting Lawson ASAP.

“I told him I’d take care of it.”

“He knows, but he tried to get Lawson’s number. He wanted to call and invite him, make the first move.”

Now, my face heats for an entirely different reason. Lawson tenses, his hand moving to cage me to him. “What’s going on?”

There’s an unsettling confusion in his tone, and the last thing I want is for him to think I’m keeping something else from him. I launch into the conversation with my dad. When I cover the part about my dad thinking this could be a good networking event for Lawson, his eyes flare with something I’ve never seen before, and I instantly go on alert that I’ve insulted him.

“I didn’t want to throw you into a situation where you’d be uncomfortable,” I try to explain, hoping he’s not upset.

His face softens, the light coming back to his eyes. He kisses my forehead and smiles down at me. “If you want me there, I’ll be there. But, otherwise, I’ll wait for a less formal event to meet the famous Kevin Palmer.”

“You’re not mad, are you?”

“Never, and it would be bad manners to steal his beautiful date for the night.”

My heart flips in my chest, and I hear the swoony sighs from my girlfriends. Lawson breaks our stare and looks back at Enrique.

“Sounds like you’re tight with Kevin.”