Page 76 of Not the Plan

“No,” she said, scooting farther down his thighs.

“Why not?”

She got up from the couch and headed for the bedroom, snagging her bag off the dining table. “Because it gets me wet,” she said over her shoulder.

He grunted, proud, smiling at her as she walked away.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Isadora

The dull grate of cement on her bumper stopped Isadora short. In the three years she’d been assigned the spot, she’d never overshot her parking space. Exhaling the adrenaline spike, she put the car in reverse and eased back. It wasn’t until she’d shut the car off and checked for damage that the giggles began—replaying her weekend with Karim had her so out of it that she had zero idea how she’d driven to the office. The scratches on her bumper, plus her achy muscles, made her blush and bite her lip.

Get it together. Can’t start your week all sex-hungover.Giggling again alone in the elevator, she took a deep breath to get her game face on as she reached her floor. She was in full work mode as she turned the corner, until she bumped into RJ.

“Morning, sunshine,” he said.

“Hey, you got a minute?”

“Sure, lemme lock up and I’ll be right over.”

—

Daniel had planned a meeting the following week with all the members of the majority. It was her primary focus that morning; bouncing ideas off RJ would help. Dishing about her weekend might help too. But she didn’t want to get herself all wound up. Giggling inside yet again, she slipped out of her suit jacket as RJ started the coffee. It wouldn’t be a problem to start her day in a camisole with him.

He offered her a full cup and froze. “Isa! What the hell is that?”

“What?”

“That!” he said, pointing to her shoulder. “What did you do to yourself? It doesn’t hurt?” He stepped close, squinting at a spot between her shoulder and collarbone. “How did you do that?”

“How did I do what? You’re freaking me out.” She pushed past him to check in the mirror in her office. There was a bruise in the triangle between her neck, shoulder, and collarbone. Her eyes went wide as RJ gasped.

“Isadora!” He was next to her in a flash. “It’s a hickey. It’s a hickey, isn’t it?” His eyes went bright as if he’d gotten one. She pressed her hands to her cheeks as they caught fire.

Oh my God! I have a hickey like I’m fourteen years old!

RJ ran to lock the outer office door.

“Talk.” He perched himself on the arm of the couch.

Her neck muscles burned as she strained to see the mark.

“Talk,Isadora.” RJ spoke through clenched teeth, smacking a hand on his thigh.

“I…” She didn’t know what to say first.How did I miss this? Was I that out of it this morning?

“It was Karim, wasn’t it?” RJ asked. She opened her mouth and then closed it. Shocked she had a mark that visible, she couldn’t even answer. RJ tipped his head down, like a ram getting ready to head-butt her. “It hadbetterhave been Karim. You haven’t said a word about anyone else.”

“Yes.”Did I just squeak?

RJ clapped his hands, laughing. “Oh, thank God. This session is going to be so much better!”

She raised an eyebrow.

“I wasn’t kidding the other day. You aremucheasier to liveand workwith when you’re getting laid.”

She swatted at him. He caught her wrist and pulled her closer.

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