Page 11 of Secret Desire
With impeccable timing, the limo pulled up in front of the restaurant as soon as we stepped outside. I slid into one side, and Ashley sat on the bench seat across from me as the limo pulled away from the curb.
“Damn it.”
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing, I just got my skirt kind of twisted when I sat down and now I’m sitting on a clump of fabric.”
That was the problem with these plush seats, they weren’t very good for sliding.
Ashley stood up, straightening her skirt. It pulled up so high on her thigh I caught a glimpse of her panties, but I tried not to notice. She rearranged her skirt, bringing the hem back down to a professional length, but as she turned around to grab her briefcase that had fallen to the floor, the limo lurched to a sudden stop. Ashley flew forward, managing to land on my lap.
“We really need to stop running into each other like this,” I joked, putting my arm around her waist to keep her from sliding off again.
Ashley turned her head, looking up at me with her impossibly big eyes, and the breath whooshed out of me as I realized that her lips were only a few inches from mine. We stared at each other for a long, charged moment, then the limo started moving again, and Ashley braced one hand on my shoulder.
“Are you going to ride on my lap?”
I meant it to be joking, but my voice sounded breathy and rough. This close I could smell the scent of Ashley’s shampoo, something coconut. I felt a trickle of sweat move down my spine.
Instead of answering, Ashley moved her head closer, until only two inches separated our faces. Her eyes bounced between mine, and I could see the question there. I inclined my head in a tiny nod of approval, and then she closed the distance, pressing her lips against mine.
The kiss started off tentative, just a soft connection, but when I didn’t pull away Ashley slid her hand behind my head, fingersthreading into the strands of my hair, and licked her way into my mouth. Content to let her take the lead, I met her questing tongue with my own, as Ashley explored my mouth.
The slow burn of the kiss burst into a blinding heat, and the kiss deepened, turning rougher and sending sparks of excitement through me. I ran my hands down her back, squeezing the generous globes of her ass, pulling her closer so our breasts pressed against each other.
We kissed until we were both breathless, and when Ashley pulled away to take a shaky inhale, I grabbed the back of her head and pulled her back in for another kiss. I needed more.
I’d been with a handful of women – and a couple of men – over the years, although they’d been few and far between. I’d never been one for one night stands like Grace and Ariel, always wanting sex to mean something, even if it didn’t meaneverything. But nothing in my life had prepared me for the riot of sensations flooding my body right now.
Kissing Ashley was like the thing I never knew I needed. It was how I felt when I got my first iPhone, as if a world of previously unknown possibilities was opening up. It was like the first breath of oxygen after coming up from under the water. Cleansing and life affirming. I knew my thoughts were almost ridiculously poetic, but it was how I felt.
When we finally pulled apart again my heart was pounding so hard in my chest I could feel my pulse in my ears. Ashley’s lipswere slightly swollen from our kisses, and I knew mine must be too.
I reached up and traced my pointer finger along her lower lip, and Ashley opened her mouth to suck the tip of my finger inside for just a beat, staring into my eyes the entire time. A rush of moisture flooded my core.
Somewhere outside the limo a horn blared, reminding me that we were in the back of a limo on a busy city street.
“I feel like I should apologize,” I said regretfully.
She cocked her head. “Why? I’m the one who started that. I kissed you first.”
“I’m your boss,” I reminded her. “And Ariel is my best friend.”
She raised her eyebrows in question. “What are you saying?”
“This was a mistake. It can’t happen again.”
I forced the words out against my instincts. The disappointment in her expression was an echo of my own feelings, but I had to be strong. No matter how right this felt, it was still wrong.
“Why?” she asked.
I looked at her in surprise. It seemed pretty obvious to me.
“What do you mean, why?” I asked.
“We’re both adults. We obviously have a mutual attraction here,” she said, wagging her finger between us. “I’ve felt it all month whenever we’re in the same room, and I think you have too. As long as we keep our personal lives separate from work, why can’t we act on this?”
“This?” I asked, stalling.
