“Suit yourself.”
“I’ve had sex on the first date before, and it’s generally kind of stressful because you don’t know what to expect from the other person. Last night wasn’t like that. I was completely relaxed. Maybe because I knew you weren’t expecting anything,” he shared.
“I was expecting one thing.” She laughed and licked foam from her upper lip. He wanted to do it for her. “You delivered, which is impressive because, like you, I’m usually not able to relax enough to get to point B.”
“Nice,” he said as she stopped walking at the same time he did. They were standing in front of his building.
“This is me,” she said.
“Seriously?” he choked.
“Yeah.”
“This is me too. Hasher Borne, twenty-ninth floor.”
“Hasher Borne, twenty-third,” she said, eyes wide.
“Oh, shit. Do you believe in fate?”
“No way,” she said firmly.
“Okay, good, because this could easily be misconstrued as fate interceding.”
She laughed.
“What department do you work in?” he asked.
“I’m an account rep, but I’ve been trying to move up for years.” She sounded irritated, but stopped herself from continuing what he was sure was going to be a rant. “What department do you work in?”
“Senior accountant.”
“Oh.” Her eyes flared and she looked away.
“What is it?”
“Nothing. Have a great day.” She moved toward the front doors, but he stepped in front of her to keep her from getting away.
“There’s obviously something. Even if you don’t want to be friends, we are coworkers, and apparently, we both work for the number-crunching side of the business. What’s wrong?”
“Have you ever had any family members work here?”
“No. None.”
She seemed relieved, and explained.
“I’ve been passed over for a promotion to account manager three times because people up in your office have brought in their unqualified family members.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. I’m doing many of the account manager functions, but I’m not getting paid for it. And I don’t have the fancy office up on twenty-nine.”
“I think I might know who’s responsible for that.” Randy Taber had also filled their department with people from his large family. “It wasn’t me. My family is in Connecticut.”
“Why are you telling me about your family? You’re sharing personal information.” Yes, he was breaking the rules from the evening before. But in his defense, the rules should be null and void at this point.
“Are we really going back to the original plan now? We work together.”
“No more so than we did before and never saw each other.”
That might be true, but he’d be looking for her now. If for no other reason than to get a look at her in a pencil skirt. Wait. Should he be ogling someone who worked with him? She wasn’t his boss or anything. Surely it should be okay. In fact, this might be the in he needed.
“Can I get your phone number?” he pushed.
“Why?”
“Because I had a good time. We might like to do it again sometime.” Lots of times.
“I don’t think so.” She shook her head.
“Why not?”
“You don’t seem to understand the concept of a one-night stand.” This was true. The last time he attempted to have a casual fling, he ended up in a relationship. They’d been together for seven months when she told him it wasn’t working. Despite his desire to figure out why, she simply moved on. He was hoping to move on as well, thus the reason he’d taken Doug up on his offer to go out on a Wednesday for ladies’ night.
“I understand the concept, but if I meet someone I like sleeping with, why can’t I have another one-night stand with the same person?”
“Because that would be a two-night stand.” She laughed.
“Not if they’re not consecutive,” he reasoned.
This did make a little sense, but Liss shook her head. He followed her into the building and waited with her for the elevator.
“I think it’s best if you stay on your floor and I stay on mine. We can nod if we see each other, and leave it at that.”
He didn’t want to leave it at that, but he agreed for now.
“If that’s how you want to play it.”
“Yes. I think it’s for the best.” They stepped in the crowded elevator and a few seconds later, they arrived on twenty-third floor. She stepped off, leaving him smashed between a woman with too much perfume and a guy with a coffee stain on his tie.
“Have a nice day, Grayson.” She said his name in the same tone she’d used the night before. The tone that made his cock twitch. The door shut and she was gone.
“Damn it,” he muttered, causing the people on the elevator to look at him.
It was fine. He knew where she worked, where she went for coffee, what club she frequented, and where she lived.
Fate was on his side. Not that he believed in such a thing.
* * * *
Alyssa couldn’t help but smile as she walked to her cubicle.
“What’s all this?” Frederick asked while making a wide circle in the air in front of Alyssa’s body. “You look much too happy for a Thursday morning.”
“Last night was ladies’ night.” Her smile grew wider.
“And did the lady get everything she desired on her night?”
“Oh yes.” And more. Three orgasms were more than she expected from a one-night stand.
“I swear if I could give you my penis, we’d both be happier,” he said, making her laugh. “You’re such a guy when it comes to sex.”
Freddie had no idea how right he was. She didn’t want any of the emotions that women normally linked to sex. It was her experience that even if a man talked about marriage, family, and love, what it really came down to was sex. It had been a painful lesson indeed.
Now, her encounters were constant reminders that the only connection she was capable of having with a man was physical.
“I made it in before you?” Mia walked up, her brows crunched together.
“She got laid,” Freddie said, while pointing to Alyssa with his thumb.
“I could still be getting laid if she hadn’t forced me to come in this morning,” Mia said with a fake snarl before flipping her straight black hair out of her eyes and walking off.
“Glad you could be here. Have a great day!” Alyssa called after her with a laugh. She could still hear Mia grumbling the whole way to her cubicle. She was in too good of a mood to care.
“This guy must have rocked your world.” Freddie rolled his eyes and headed to his desk across the aisle from Alyssa.
Alyssa had to admit, the sex had been amazing. Gray had taken his time to make sure it was good for her. But how long could that last? She couldn’t give in to his two-night