Page 46 of Where We Fall

"I might just have to insist on needing an IT guru with me for my next business trip there."

"Oh, gosh," she laughs. "Like anybody would buy that."

I shrug. "Who cares what anybody else thinks?"

I mean it. If I want to take her with me on a trip, I will. She's a part of our company; she deserves to experience our other areas of business at least once.

After we finish our dinner, we head outside to sit on the patio furniture with our wine. It's a nice night. There's a little chill in the air, but that's expected when you're approaching October. But it gives me an excellent excuse to scoot close and put my arm around her.

She rests her head on my chest while we sit in silence. It feels so easy like we've done this a hundred times before.

"I never did ask you how your visit with your mom went on Sunday morning. I was a little distracted on the plane. You see, a coworker of mine had come into my hotel room the night before and sucked my dicked so good I couldn't work my brain for a solid twenty-four hours."

She starts to laugh into my chest. "She sounds like quite the catch."

"Oh, she is the ultimate catch." I lift my shoulder to give her a nudge. "How'd it go?"

She sighs. "It was better. I made a point not to wear makeup and put my hair up in a ponytail. That seemed to help. I also packed a baggy sweatshirt, so I put that on."

"Can I ask you a question?" I ask hesitantly.

"Why is she like that?" she asks for me.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean any disrespect. I know you're struggling with her illness."

"It's fine." She takes a deep breath. I pull her in tighter to me, an odd sense of wanting to protect her from any negative emotion. "My dad left us when I was five. It was for a younger woman. She took it really hard. Never got over it, actually. She began to look at young, beautiful women as the enemy. From that moment on, she drilled it into my head that I should never dress to impress. She thought it attracted the wrong kind of guy."

It all makes so much sense now. Why she dressed like that. Why she always tried to blend in with the background. I hate that she ever thought she shouldn't be who she wants to be.

"Another question. Be honest," I tell her. "Are you actually happy with your new clothes and everything, or do you feel like you have to do it now?"

I tense up as I wait for her answer, worrying that it'll make me feel like the biggest dick in the world.

"Calm down," she smiles and looks up at me. She gives me a quick kiss on the lips. "I love my new look. I know I had a hard time that night with everything that happened with my mom. There are still a lot of wounds to unpack there, and I don't know if I'll ever be able to show her the new me, but I don't regret it. I secretly wanted it to happen for years. I just never had the guts to go through with it. You helped me."

I relax slightly, relieved that I didn't force her into something that made her feel bad about herself.

"You know, I think the new you isn't this huge difference in appearance so much as more confidence. None of the changes were drastic. But it may have brought out a part of you that you were afraid to show. An assertive and sexy woman that was just waiting to break free."

She gazes up at me. "You think I'm sexy?"

"If you don't know that by now, I've done a shitty job at showing it."

I lean down and press my lips to hers. The kiss starts slow but builds quickly. I slip my tongue inside her mouth, and she meets it with delicate strokes. My body starts to get heated, making the kiss more urgent.

My hand reaches for her neck and slowly grazes down until it reaches her breast. I give it a light squeeze, which grants me a small moan from her mouth.

I pull away from her, completely drunk off her kiss…and needy with desire.

"Do you…want to…" I start slowly, hoping she gets the hint.

Her eager nod is enough for me to push off the couch and pull her up. Instead of dragging her to my bedroom, I decide I can't wait another second. My dick is straining in my pants, and I've suddenly lost all patience.

I bend my knees and wrap an arm just under her ass, then hoisted her up onto my shoulder. She screams until I've got her settled on my shoulder, then she laughs.

"What are you doing?" she says through her laughter as I begin to take long, quick steps.

"I'm not wasting any time. It's been a long week without getting to touch you, babe. And you don't make it easy with your sexy new work outfits either."

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