I couldn’t hide my smile. “You’re trouble. Big fat fucking trouble.” I shoved at his chest and proceeded to remove myself from his lap. Straightening my clothes, I glanced down at his disheveled attire. “And you look ridiculous. Like some woman was in here mauling you with red lipstick.” My crimson lips were branded across his face and neck.
It was absurd, but mostly just fuck-hot.
He stood, flashing that sexy smirk of his while I removed my lipstick smudges with my fingers. I adjusted his tie and patted him on the chest. “Don’t work too hard, Mr. Brooks.”
As I turned for the door, he spanked my ass, earning a small squeal of approval from my traitorous lips.
“Don’t worry, I’ll save up my energy for later, Ms. Cummings.”
Outrageously sexy bastard. I was certain he’d be the death of me.
“Wait.” He grabbed me before I could take another step, pulling me toward him, my back against his chest. His breath was warm on my neck. “I’m not letting you out of this office until you agree to another date. A weekend date.”
“Like a whole weekend?”
“In the Hamptons, with me.”
“You have a place in the Hamptons?” I asked, then realized what a stupid question that was. Kline wasn’t a flashy kind of man, but he had made more money from one business deal than most people make in a lifetime. Hell, he could quit working today and would be set for the rest of his life.
“Yeah, baby.” He kissed my neck, teasing the sensitive skin with his lips. “So, you’ll go?”
I turned in his arms, gazing up at him. He was business Kline laced with a little messy wildness from our earlier tryst behind his desk. The adorable grin cresting his mouth had me smiling in return. “What do I get out of it?” I teased.
His grin grew wider. “You want terms and conditions for a weekend getaway I’m asking you to join me on?”
I nodded. “Sounds about right.”
“You’re like a little shark when it comes to business.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead, chuckling against my skin. “I’ll make sure you have a good time. So good you’ll be doing a reenactment of my bedroom…and the pool. Who knows, maybe it’ll be like both combined.”
“Draft the contract, Brooks, but remember, I’m holding you to these terms.”
“Wonderful doing business with you, Cummings.”
When the GPS told me I was two blocks away from Georgia’s apartment on Friday night, I pulled over and put the car in park. My phone had just buzzed in the cupholder with a message, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to answer it once I picked her up. Ignoring the blinding red light on my mail icon, I swung my thumb directly over it before landing on the TapNext app.
TAPRoseNEXT (7:04PM): HE’S GOING TO BE HERE ANY MINUTE, FOR CHRIST’S SAKE. CALM ME DOWN BEFORE HE TAKES ONE LOOK AT ME AND RUNS IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.
A smile overwhelmed me as my chuckles bounced around the echoey interior of an otherwise empty car. She was so fucking cute, I could hardly stand it.
BAD_Ruck (7:06PM): Calm down, sweetheart. Let’s start slowly by eliminating the shouty capitals.
TAPRoseNEXT (7:07PM): FUCKING FUCK FUCKERS. Okay. FUCK. Okay, I think I’m good now. Move on to step 2 (the coddling).
I bit my lip and shook my head, smiling like a crazy person.
BAD_Ruck (7:08PM): Good job. Also, creative swearing.
TAPRoseNEXT (7:08PM): The calm is wearing off, Ruck.
BAD_Ruck (7:09PM): Okay, okay. Coddling. Got it. This guy is still talking to you after spending all that time with you last weekend and invited you on a weekend away, right? He sounds smart enough to appreciate a little nervous energy. Everything is going to be fine.
Okay, guys. I know. I can feel you judging me. But let’s talk this over.
I knew not telling her that I knew she was Rose, and that I was Ruck, was bad form.
I did, really.
It’d been a few days since I found out, and I should have told her immediately.
But God, as twisted as it was, I was having too much fun. Georgia was different with me online, no pretense or fear of saying something to her boss that he couldn’t unhear, the safety net of anonymity weaving the protective web that it did for a lot of people.
As easy as it was to be someone else online, it was equally easy to be yourself, no expectations or trepidation blinding the true artwork underneath. Knowing Georgia in both places, without her knowing that I knew, was one of the most remarkable experiences of my life. She was the same yet different—honest and open and unafraid of recrimination. She wasn’t afraid to send me messages about freaking the fuck out. She was just her, and I liked getting to be on the receiving end of twice the interaction. She was still scared to wear out her welcome with Kline Brooks. I couldn’t fucking welcome her enough. This gave us the best of both worlds.