They had the merger appointment set for next week and the truth would come out. Would he feel angry? Would he feel betrayed? Concealing who she was seemed so ridiculous. She should just tell him. But for some reason she held back, liking the fact that work wasn’t between them in this moment.
A moment later the door opened and he stood there, his hair damp from an obvious shower. He wore a pair of sweats and a white T-shirt, one that stretched across his broad shoulders and defined abdomen. She could see the muscles under the thin material and it had heat rising in her.
Even wearing lounge clothes, he was attractive.
He moved to the side and pulled the door open even more, as if he wanted her to come inside. Sugar walked over the threshold, Boscoe trailing beside her. Once inside, Colton shut the door behind them and she unhooked the leash from Boscoe’s collar. He instantly went over to the couch and jumped on, doing a couple circles before he finally lay down.
“Do you want something to drink?” Colton asked and Sugar turned around to face him.
She should’ve said no, that she had to get back home. But instead she found herself nodding. He smiled, just a lift at the corner of his mouth. She watched as he turned and headed into the kitchen, and she took that time to look around at his opulent apartment.
White marble, gold accents, black leather furniture.
It was also swanky and upscale. But then again, he was a CEO so she didn’t expect anything else. Sugar made a nice, comfortable living, but she certainly didn’t have the salary that Colton did, judging by his penthouse apartment.
A moment later Colton was standing beside her, his hand outstretched as he gave her a square-cut glass. She took it, looking down at the clear liquid with cubes of ice floating around.
“Gin and tonic,” he said, answering her unspoken question.
“Hitting me up with a grandma drink, huh?” She smiled, teasing. She wasn’t much of a drinker, but strangely enough, she did have an affinity for gin and tonic.
He chuckled deeply and gestured over to the living room. “You want to sit down or do you prefer standing while you toss one back?” He grinned again. She liked this side of him, this teasing, easy-going one.
“Yeah, thanks.” She followed him into the living room, taking the two steps down and making her way toward one of the large couches. The living room was set on a lower level than the rest of the apartment, with two stairs circling the perimeter, and a glass and gold-framed coffee table sitting in the center. A large flat-screen tv was positioned cattycorner to her, and floor to ceiling windows were to her right.
She glanced out the windows, seeing the cityscape outside, the twinkly lights of the skyscrapers surrounding them, the flash of yellow and red lights from the traffic below. It was gorgeous up here, with a view to die for.
Sugar didn’t realize Colton was sitting right beside her until she felt his body heat seep into her. Shifting on the couch and looking at him, she held in her gasp at the fact he was so close. He was leaning back against the cushions, one arm braced on the back of the couch, the other one resting in his lap as he held his drink. He watched her intently, his expression not giving anything away.
“I want to thank you for walking Boscoe. I’ve noticed a huge improvement in his overall demeanor since you came into our lives.”
Our lives?
She licked her lips and offered a smile but it felt strained. “It’s my pleasure. He really is a great dog. He just needs attention.”
He nodded, seeming disappointed.
“Yeah, I work so much it’s hard to make extra time. I hate that I can’t give him what he needs because he’s such a great dog, but I also can’t find it in myself to rehome him.” He looked over at Boscoe then. The dog was snoring and Sugar smiled. “I love him even though he’s infuriating,” Colton said in a deep, sad voice. He looked over at her then, smiling, that light reaching his eyes.
Before she knew what was happening he reached out and touched her cheek. His skin was warm but she got chills. He moved his finger toward her mouth, touched her lips, and had her gasping. And then he was leaning in and kissing her, his lips firm and strong, his warm breath and sweet smelling from his drink. She found herself opening her mouth just as he slipped his tongue past the seam and deep inside.
“So good,” he murmured after a few seconds.
Sugar wanted to just give herself over to Colton. But she couldn’t.
“Wait,” she said and placed her hands on his chest, pushing him back. “I have to go,” she said quickly and stood. The truth was Sugar was aroused, so incredibly wet for Colton. But in the back of her mind she thought about how he really didn’t know who she was. He’d find out next week and that going forward with this right here, right now, could and probably would be disastrous.