Page 36 of Vesper Martinis

“You don’t want to…”

“No. That was for you. Plus, you’ve been gone for a while and I don’t think either one of us are ready to make whatever this thing between us public” He nods at the clock.

“Okay,” I say, agreeing. But it makes me wonder what this is and what if it will ever be public.

I reach for the door handle to leave but then turn to ask one last question.

“Hey, your offer to spend the weekend with you… did you mean that?”

His face doesn’t change, so I’m not sure what’s happening in his head, but he says, “Yes. I did mean it. I’ll get you the address and the time. I expect you to be on time.”

He smirks, and I feel some tension releasing from my shoulders. I go back to work with a smile on my face.

Chapter 14

Pierce

I readjust the blanket over the back of the couch, not knowing what to do. I did all my usual stuff. I had breakfast, exercised, did paperwork, and answered emails. By the time I was done, it was only 11 a.m., and Wesley wouldn’t be here until 2 p.m. So I decided to clean up the place. I vacuumed and washed all the dishes, including the three dishes from my breakfast, and then I did the laundry. Now that I’m done, I try sitting down and reading a book to calm my nerves.

Fuck, why am I nervous?

The obvious answer would be that I seem to have jumped into a secret relationship with my employee, but more than that, it’s because I’ve jumped, period. I invited him to my home. My sanctuary. No one comes here. Not even my friends.

But still, my nerves are on high alert.

Wesley is cool. I like him, even though I shouldn’t. He knows the risk of us getting fired. I never thought he’d rat me out or anything, so why can’t I calm down?

You know.

A voice in my head pops up, making me rub my temples.

You want him to have the best experience with you. You want him to never want to leave. You want him to like you.

And that’s the kicker. As much as I want to think I’m anti-relationship, Wesley is putting a massive asterisk on that. I thought about it after my talk with Brenda, and she’s right.

I’m falling for him.

For once, the thought doesn’t scare me. Sure, it makes me nervous, but I don’t have the urge to run for the hills. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have invited Wesley over.

Being rejected by that woman in college was hard to come back from, and I think those fears still linger, making butterflies take off in my belly. But there’s something about Wesley that makes me want to dive in.

I get up from my chair and start pacing in my living room. The battle within me starts to calm down when I think about Wesley. The way he laughs as he’s making drinks. The way he feels under me. The way I feel when I’m around him. Secure and safe. I grin to myself, thinking about how I only freak out when he leaves the room but never when he’s around. The answer has been under my nose the whole time.

There is a knock on the door, and I flinch at the sudden noise.

Showtime.

I take a deep breath and exhale slowly before opening the door. Wesley stands on the other side in a grey T-shirt and jeans. His hair is tousled, and a few strands hang over his forehead.

Fuck, he’s sexy.

“Hey,” he says, smiling and lifting a bottle of wine. “Wasn’t sure if I was supposed to bring anything.”

“That’s fine,” I chuckle, taking the wine from him and letting him in. I inhale the subtle trace of his cologne, and my mouth waters.

Breathe, man. Take it easy. Give him a minute to settle in before you pounce.

I shut the door and watch him look over my apartment as I set the wine on the kitchen counter. It’s an open-concept space, so I can see through the living room and the kitchen through to the balcony from the front door.

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