Raina and Michael had more fun than even she could have imagined as they enjoyed Vancouver together. They explored the fun shops, sea themed restaurants, pretty sailboats, and the enormous public market on Granville Island. They went through Chinatown and found excellent dim sum, biked through Stanley Park and along the sea wall there, and went out for cocktails in Yaletown and Gastown.
She did the business that she needed to take care of, and while she was in her meetings, he explored some of the city on his own, meeting up with her for a sushi dinner Thursday night and a seafood dinner on Friday night. On Saturday, she took him out on a whale watching cruise and they spent the day touring the San Juan Islands and watching orca and humpback whales, as well as Steller sea lions, harbor seals, Dall’s porpoises, and bald eagles. There was no end of wildlife and rugged breathtaking coastline for them to explore and enjoy.
On Sunday morning, they walked through the serenely beautiful Nitobi Japanese Garden and then they walked through the treetops of the forest at the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Sunday evening, they went to the airport tired and blissful, holding hands and grinning at each other, having shared an incredible five days together.
Every night had found them impassioned, and they embraced one another, fulfilling so many of their desires and finding enormous release and pleasure with each other. Every day they discovered more about one another that intrigued them, and at every moment, Raina did not regret taking the leap to have Michael in her life.
He was far from regret, too, and when they got back to San Francisco, they said goodbye at the airport with a lingering embrace and a long sweet kiss. When she got home, she showered and went to bed, exhausted but blissfully happy, and just before she turned her phone off for the night, she saw that he had texted her.
‘Missing you already…’ he wrote, and she grinned and texted him back.
‘Missing you too. Sweet dreams.’ She sent it, and turned her phone off, ready for sweet dreams of her own.
* * *
Willow was practically sitting at Raina’s desk the next morning when Raina arrived, pleased to find that Willow had come bearing gifts. There was a hot coffee waiting for Raina from their favorite café just around the corner. Willow grinned at her.
“I brought steaming bribery. Now talk. How did the weekend go?” She looked giddy, and Raina couldn’t help but laugh gently at her.
“Okay! Okay. I should have known when I told you that Michael was going with me that I wasn’t going to get very far on my return without you insisting on details.”
She took a seat behind her desk and reached for the coffee, which had cooled to drinking temperature.
She closed her eyes and savored the flavor of her delicious brew before setting the cup down and smiling at her assistant, who was fairly perched at the edge of her seat.
“I met him at the airport and he was ready to go. My god… you should have seen him. He looked like Indiana Jones, standing there in his hat and jacket. I half expected him to have a lasso in his backpack.” She chuckled at the memory.
“Anyway, we had a great time. We did a lot of fun things; I showed him the city and the Capilano rainforest, and we went on a whale watching cruise down to the San Juan Islands.” She lowered her eyes to the coffee in front of her and slowly lifted the cup to her lips as she tried to hide the smile that spread over her face.
Willow looked positively frustrated. “Well? And? What did you two get up to when you weren’t out being tourists?” She placed her fingertips at the edge of Raina’s desk, staring at her boss with wide expectant eyes.
Raina laughed softly. “We consummated the relationship. A lot. He was incredible. I’ve never been kissed so much by one person in my life. I wish I could have had more of him, but it just didn’t happen as much as I would have liked it to. That’s alright, we’ve got lots of time ahead of us. It’ll happen a lot more… I hope. He seemed to enjoy it.”
Willow grinned and sighed happily, leaning back in her chair. “That’s all I need to know. I’m so glad that you got away and that you had a long weekend like that. Wow. That’s so good.” She stood up with a dreamy smile on her face and walked out of the office, closing the door behind her.
Warmth flooded Raina’s cheeks and she shook her head as she took another sip of her coffee and went to work.
A few hours into her day, she heard her phone buzz, and she looked down at it and saw that she had gotten a text from Michael.
‘Thinking of you…’ it read.
She grinned and bit her lower lip as she felt happiness expand in her chest. She swiped her finger over the keyboard on her screen and texted him back.
‘Thinking of you too.’ She added a smiley face and sent it off.
A few minutes later, there was another text from him. ‘What are you thinking?’ he asked.
She hesitated only a moment before deciding not to hold much back from him. He was her lover, after all. ‘My mind is on things that could melt this phone,’ she answered, and sent it off with a soft giggle.
Turning to face her computer, she managed to type just a few sentences into an email before she heard her phone buzz again, and she grinned and giggled again, knowing that it was another message from him. She wondered if she had been too forward, and her heart skipped a beat as she picked her phone up and looked at it.
‘Please tell me…’ he coaxed.
Drawing in a long slow breath to steady herself, she texted him back. ‘Thinking of our first night when it snowed on the beach and the fireplace was going.’ She closed her eyes as ripples of pleasure and desire swept through her just at the thought of him being inside of her, holding her, and kissing her.
She sent the text and told herself that she was going to focus on work and not spend the morning sending naughty texts back and forth with him.
Determined though she was, he texted her back and she couldn’t wait to read it. ‘I’m getting hard for you just thinking about it…’ he wrote. ‘You’re such a pleasant distraction.’
A small gasp escaped her and she tried to steel herself. She had work to do. So much work to do. She couldn’t spend all morning going back and forth with him, and she knew it. She told herself that she couldn’t.
She set her phone down and tried to focus on her work. She told herself she would answer him after she got through part of what she was working on. He didn’t want to wait. He sent another text a few minutes later.
‘Wishing you were here kissing me right now. I can almost feel you…’ He was shameless.
With a quiet groan, she chewed on her lip again and decided to text him back. ‘I wish we were back at the house in Vancouver… I’d love to spend the morning sleeping in with you, wide awake.’
She sent the message off, meaning it, and then she found herself thinking about their time at the house by the sea, and wishing that they were there that morning, losing themselves in each other. Work had definitely lost its luster, compared to what he wouldn’t quit talking with her about.
He sent another text, and she began to feel her body stirring. She answered him back. So it went, all throughout the day, though there were times where the texting slowed to every twenty minutes or half hour as each of them reached points when they couldn’t send messages.
She was completely distracted with him the entire day, and that evening when she asked him if they could see each other, he told her that he wasn’t able to get away, but that he would be thinking of her all that night. He sent her a photo of him bare-chested, just out of the shower, standing in front of a steamy mirror that had been wiped clear in just a few places, while the parts below his waist were masked by steam. He told her he hoped that his photo would tide her over until he was able to see her again. She promised him that it would, though she would much rather have had him in her bed that night.
Raina turned her phone off finally, much later that night than she usually kept it on, wondering if she was going to hear from him. Wondering what he was doing. Thinking breathlessly of the memories they had made, and all the sensual suggestions and fantasies he had sent to her that day and night. She finally fell asleep, though not without some difficulty. She longed for him in a way that was totally unfamiliar to her; wishing that she could feel him against her, inside her, needing him viscerally, and having nothing but a cold pillow to cling to as she made herself fall asleep.
When she woke the next morning, there was a text waiting for her from him. He told her that he was thinking about her, just as he had said the day before, and it made her heart swell and her body sigh. She woke up thinking of him, too.
Raina showered and tried to think logically about what was going on, telling herself that it was all moving much too fast and that they had no business getting so involved so quickly. It was just supposed to be an affair. It wasn’t anything more than that, and neither one of them wanted it to be anything more than that. She promised herself that she was going to work that day and not focus on him at all.
Then she stepped out of the shower and saw her body in the reflection of the steamy mirror, and the image he had sent to her the night before came back to her, and her body was flooded with a warm ache for him, wishing that he was there, and that they could get lost in each other’s arms.
She dressed and tried to tell herself to cool it, to act like a carefree woman who was just enjoying a younger lover. She did her best to ignore the phone and concentrate on driving to work and sitting at her desk facing her computer.
She lasted two hours, and he texted her again, telling her that he couldn’t stop thinking of the way her skin felt on his. She was sunk. She couldn’t help texting him back, and even as she did it, she knew that she had to be careful about getting in too far over her head. He was beautiful and sexy, irresistible and slightly addicting, and she was going to have to try her best to keep a level head about him. She told herself that she could do it, and still have a good time at the same time. She was in control, and she was going to remain that way, all while letting herself enjoy the naughtiness and pure hot sweet sexuality that was a force of nature between them.
Raina called Aaron and asked him if he would meet her for dinner and he was glad to. They settled on a Thai place that they both loved. She was waiting for him when he arrived and she grinned with pure happiness when she saw him, hugging him tight before they sat down and ordered their drinks.
“You look lovely, as always,” he said, nodding to the buttercream colored dress she was wearing.
She smiled at him.
“Thank you! You look good, too. I was just going to tell you that,” she replied, glancing over his button up shirt and pants.
He did look good, and she didn’t want to say that she was surprised, but she was expecting him to look a little more downtrodden as he had looked when the divorce was brand new.
“So what’s going on with you this last week?” he asked, thanking the waiter for his beer as the waiter handed it to him and walked away.
She couldn’t stop the grin that grew wide on her face. Giggling and looking down at her hands before she could raise her eyes to meet his again, she leaned in closer to answer him.
“Well, you know you said you wanted me to find a guy to have an affair with…”
He watched her quietly and nodded. “Yes, and I meant that. You said you were with that guy Michael, right? How’s that going?”
She bit her lower lip slightly as she answered him. “It’s going really well. Actually, probably too good. He came with me to Vancouver for five days and we really hit it off. I loved it. We… took our relationship to the next level, and it’s just been getting hotter ever since. You were right. This was exactly what I needed. Thank you so much.”
He grinned back at her and even his two-day beard couldn’t hide the soft shade of pink that colored his cheeks. He looked down into his beer and chuckled softly. “That’s good. I’m glad to hear that it’s going well.”
Then he looked back up at her and reached for her hand. “I just don’t want you to be alone. I love you, and I want to see you happy. You’re my best friend. You’re family to me. You need to be taken care of, in all the ways, and at least this is taking care of you in some of the ways.”
Her smile faded just a little and she tilted her head and blinked at him. “What do you mean some of the ways?”
He shrugged. “Well, it’s sex, it’s not love, right? I mean, ideally I’d love to see you happy with all the bells and whistles, but at least you have some of your bases covered right now, right? So that’s good. That’s something. It’s not everything, but it’s definitely something, and I’m glad for you about that.”
She nodded in agreement, and raised her eyebrows slightly. “Yeah, you’re right about that. It isn’t everything, and by god it’s not going to be. He’s six years younger than me, and we’re just at the beginning here, so you’re absolutely right about it just being sex, but for right now, that’s all I have time for, and all that I want. So, he’s perfect for right now. Thank you for suggesting it in the first place. I never would have done this if it hadn’t been for you. I wouldn’t have even thought of it or considered it.”
He smiled and nodded, patting her hand. “As long as you’re taken care of. Just please be very careful, and use protection, and don’t get hurt.”
Raina smiled back at him reassuringly. “I am being careful, I’m definitely using protection, and I won’t get hurt by him. He may be as smooth as thirty-year-old scotch, but I don’t love him, and I’m not going to fall in love with him. This is all recreational fun, so there’s no chance that I’ll get hurt.”
“Good. I’m glad to hear it,” Aaron told her as he turned his attention toward the menu. “I’m starving. Let’s order dinner and then I can bleed my sorrows to you about the divorce and everything that Cathy is putting me through right now. I need a shoulder to cry on.”
She almost laughed, a little, as she understood that he was masking his sorrow and anguish with humor, but she liked that he had tried to make light of a dark and difficult time, and she wanted to go along with him any way that they could, as long as it could be easier on him.
They talked together for a couple of hours over dinner, both of them discussing the ups and downs of the end of his marriage and the beginning of his new life, and the subject of her affair with Michael did not come back up again. They laughed and reminisced over memories of their college days and the fun times they had shared throughout their friendship, and they ran out of time before they ran out of things to talk about.
She went home feeling completely grateful for him, knowing that there is nothing in the world as precious and good as a best friend; one who you keep in your heart, always. She knew that he felt that way too, and that they were always going to have each other to rely on, no matter what.
When she got home, there were more hot texts from Michael, and though she answered them with sweet texts in return, she went to sleep feeling peaceful and happy, rather than longing for a man who was not sharing her bed with her, and her dreams were indeed sweet.
***
Raina and Michael could not find a time for most of that week to get together, and by Wednesday, she was missing him quite a bit. She determined that perhaps the easiest way to handle it would be to go out of town with him again.
The texting between them had kept up its nearly constant pace, most of it very hot and filled with innuendos or blatant desire and wishful thinking. It felt as though they were having an ongoing conversation, and part of it was actual conversation. She texted him about the idea of going to Las Vegas together for a long weekend, from Friday morning to Sunday evening, and she was beyond thrilled when he said he would go with her.
She made the arrangements, and just as they had done when they went to Vancouver together, they met at the airport. She teased him slightly about going without the Indiana Jones hat for the second trip they were going away together on, because he showed up in a worn black leather jacket, button up shirt, jeans, and dark boots. He looked every inch a bad boy, rather than an adventurer, and she was more than glad to see him either way.
They embraced closely for a long moment, and she took his hand in hers as they sat down together.
“How have you been?” she asked, her smile wide and her dark eyes bright.
He gave a slight shrug. “I’m good. I’ve just been really busy. I’m looking forward to this time with you, though,” he said, turning the conversation back to her.
She realized that he had deflected the question, and she decided to try another tack with him. “What have you been up to that’s kept you so busy?”
Michael smiled lightly. “Oh, I had things to take care of with my family and some meetings to go to; things like that. What about you? What’s kept you busy this week?” he asked, his expression softening as he gazed into her eyes. “I missed you.”
She considered his answer. “Well, I had work, of course, and I had a few meetings as well. I guess we were hit and miss this week. What family do you have here in the city?” she asked, prying a little deeper into his ever protected personal life. She told herself that it was fair game if he brought it up, and he had brought it up himself.
With a shake of his head, he took her hands in his and lifted them to his mouth, kissing her fingers as he gazed steadily at her. “Do we really need to talk about this right now? I have been looking forward so much to seeing you and being with you, and to the two of us just getting away to be alone with each other. I don’t want small talk, I don’t want personal talk about our lives, not right now. Right now I just want to be close to you and kiss you, and think about everything we’re going to get to do when we get to Vegas.”
His words untangled all the questions and concerns and thoughts that had been knotted up inside of her, and she sighed in resignation. Leaning toward him, she lowered her voice and spoke honestly. “You know, you’re right. I’ve been looking forward to it, too. I can’t stop thinking about you, and all the things that we text about. I’ve never done anything like that with anyone before, and even though it’s new, it’s definitely becoming addicting! I love all the messages that you send me.” She gave him a sly grin and a wink, and he closed his palms around her face and lifted her mouth to meet his.
They kissed long and slow, and when he finally let her go, her mind and her heart were all steamed up, and nothing was clear any longer.
“That’s my girl… nothing but fun for us, right? Leave everything else behind? That’s the plan. Let’s just go have a good time.” He kissed her again once more and leaned back a little.
“You know, I forgot to ask you, have you ever been to Las Vegas before?” she asked, realizing that this trip might also be a first for him.
He chuckled and nodded. “Oh yeah, I’ve been there several times. I love Vegas. It’s one of my favorite cities. I had my birthday there last year and a bunch of my friends went with me. It was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it.”
She was surprised that he had volunteered more personal information about himself, but she knew that it was more about him telling her about the times that he had been to Las Vegas, rather than him revealing more of himself to her.
“I’ve been there before, too, but since you’re so familiar with the city, then I’m going to let you show me around this time.” She smiled at him with a teasing tone and he took her up on her suggestion.
“I’d be glad to! We’re going to have a lot of fun,” he promised her, kissing her fingers. She had no doubt whatsoever about that.
They were called to board the plane, and again she had purchased first class seats for them. He seemed to act as though sitting in first class was something he was swiftly becoming accustomed to, and he was glad to be there. His childlike enthusiasm that had charmed her on the first trip, had been replaced by a suave coolness that gave off an air that he was exactly where he was meant to be, right at home in the best place on the plane.
She didn’t mind it. She was still learning about him, and she knew that it was easy to be taken in by luxury, and to want to become accustomed to it. She didn’t allow herself too much in her own life, as she tried to keep most of her own life as simple as it could be, rather than living too extravagantly, though she did go a little off the deep end once in a while when entertaining friends and hosting social functions. She enjoyed making things special for other people.
They landed in Las Vegas and went to their suite at the Venetian. Their view of the city was spectacular from their lofty position near the top of the hotel. He admitted that it was the nicest hotel room that he had ever stayed in, and he marveled like an excited child at the amenities that were provided in the room for them. She was pleased to see him so thrilled about being in a place that he loved so much.
Once they had gotten settled and unpacked, Michael took her throughout the hotel, showing her the Italian themed shops and the indoor Venetian canal where they were able to ride a gondola together.
They spent a little while taking it all in at their hotel, and then he took her out on the strip, and they walked along through crowds of people and show hawkers, gazing at the sights. They stopped at the Bellagio and he ducked into the little gelato store there and they each got an ice cream cone before going back out to watch the fountains and see the carefully choreographed sprays of water dancing and shooting around to the music that played out over the area.
After they had stayed for a few songs, they strolled down the street until they got to the mini Arc de Triomphe and the mini Eiffel tower. He stopped walking when they came upon it, and looked at her with a smile.
“You know, I’ve always walked right past this and I’ve never gone up the tower. Would you like to go up with me?” he raised one eyebrow curiously.
“Absolutely!” she told him, as she looked up at it and giggled softly.
He took her hand and they walked toward it. “What’s funny?” he asked, eyeing her with a sidelong glance.
She bit her lower lip gently and then shrugged, looking down as she laughed. “Nothing really, it’s just… it’s cute.”
He stopped and looked at her fully. “Cute?”
Raina gave another half shrug. “Yeah, it’s cute. It’s so little. It’s about four times smaller than the real one.”
His mouth twisted thoughtfully then. “Oh, and I suppose you’re going to tell me that you’ve seen the real one?”
Her voice was soft as she looked up at him through her lashes. “Yes, I’ve seen the real one,” she answered sweetly.
“And you went up to the top of the real one?” he asked with one eyebrow cocked.
“Yes, I’ve been up to the top of the real one,” she answered coyly.
He pursed his lips a moment, watching her. “Well, you haven’t been up to the top of either of them with me yet, so let’s go!” He gave her a wink and a grin, and took off with her as if he was on a mission.
Half an hour later, they were standing at the top of the mini Eiffel tower, just in time to see the sun setting. The sun was a blazing ball of orange and pink, and red. The sky was clear pastel blue above them, but the low lying smog in the city had created a filter that enabled them to look at the sun as it set, while the sky burned in brilliant warm hues.
She stood at the edge of the platform, and he stood behind her, at first only near her, but then as they watched the sun begin to sink slowly, he wrapped his arms around her waist and nestled his nose and mouth against her neck. His warm breath tickled her skin in a delicious way, and she closed her eyes for a moment and smiled, covering his hands with her own as she enjoyed the tender moment they were sharing.
When the sun had gone, and only fiery embers of color remained, he turned her in his arms and kissed her softly and slowly, tasting her and savoring her as if he had never tasted anything so fine in his life.
She felt as if her center of gravity was going again, almost as if she could rise up off of the ground, she was so light, and she tried to steady herself from the swoon. He was as beautiful and charming as he could be, and it was so easy to get lost in it. She told herself that she needed to be more careful with him; he was a steamy affair and a fun new friend, and that it should not become more than that.
As the sky around them darkened, and his kisses deepened, she began to feel much more than lightness. The embers of fire in the sky were echoed in a rising heat low in her belly as her body began to yearn for his. She knew it was the same for him as he pressed his hardening erection against her and pulled his mouth from hers, moving it to her neck and ear.
“I need you…” he whispered quietly, with a hoarse whisper. “I need you so much, right now…” he trailed off, his lips moving over her neck, his hands moving subtly over her body.
She felt his thumb gently graze her hardening nipple and a quiet gasp escaped her.
She knew they had to leave, and she turned, taking his hand in hers and going back down through the casino. They walked swiftly through it, and she was surprised when he began to pull her in a different direction than the one they were walking in.
“What are you doing? Where are we going?” she asked in confusion, looking around them and then up at him.
“Come with me,” he said quietly.
He led them to a darkened corner near a restaurant that wasn’t open. She couldn’t believe it, but there was a hidden corner just behind a wall where some thick plants were placed.
He looked around and, seeing no one near them, pulled her into the corner and pressed her back up against the wall, closing his mouth over hers, kissing her hungrily. Raina gasped as her heart began to race. There was no question in her mind about what he was intent on doing, and she was sure that it wasn’t a good idea.
“Michael! What are you doing? We’ll be caught!” she whispered as quietly as she could in between his kisses. He took only a quick moment as he looked at her and grinned wickedly.
“We won’t get caught if we’re fast and quiet…” he answered, “besides, the danger of getting caught makes it all the hotter, don’t you think?” he asked, sliding his hand up her thigh and under her dress until his fingers moved over her panties.
In what seemed like an instant, he sheathed himself in a condom.
She held tight to him, feeling panic and passion and fire tangled in a torrent inside of her, and all she could think was that she was going to let it go, and lose herself in him. He slid her panties from her and in moments he’d wrapped her leg around his waist. She knew there was no going back. She closed her eyes and gasped as she felt him enter her, sliding his erection into her fully, making everything in her burn more for him.
He began to move inside her and she wrapped her arms around his neck tight and pressed her face to his neck, willing herself not to cry out from the pleasure that blazed through her. She couldn’t let herself think of the possibility that they might be caught or that they were very likely on some camera somewhere. Instead, she let herself burn with sensual release as his hips moved faster against hers, taking her breath away.
Michael closed his hands over her breasts, squeezing them as he kissed her hard, and both of them came in a furious, breathless storm. They shuddered together, holding one another with a solid grip, as they caught their breath and stared at one another. Without a word, he closed his pants and she pulled her panties back up, straightened her dress and they walked out of the corner quickly and silently.
He placed his hand at the small of her back and steered her toward the restrooms, telling her he’d meet her in a moment, and they each went in and took care of themselves. When she came back out, he was waiting for her, with a cat-who-ate-the-canary grin on his face.
He laughed as he took her in his arms and kissed her softly. “You are amazing,” he told her in a quiet voice. “No one turns me on as fast or as much as you do.”
She knew that it was a compliment, but as they walked out of the casino, she furrowed her brow wondering just how many other women were turning him on that she should be at the top of some list. Raina only let it bother her for a minute as she reminded herself that he was a paid escort, and that she was probably not his only client. He was not her boyfriend, and neither of them wanted him to be her boyfriend, so she told herself to take the compliment and not look back.
She’d just gotten away with having a super-hot quickie in a dark corner in a casino in Las Vegas with a beautiful man six years younger than her. Things could be worse, she told herself.
They went for cocktails and gambled a little before going out to dinner. Neither of them spoke about what had happened in the casino until they were seated and alone, eating their meals. Then it was quiet and subtle conversation about it, and Michael kissed her cheek and told her that he loved the way that they were with each other.
They spent a long hot night in bed together, and finally fell asleep in each other’s arms. When she woke in the morning, Raina looked at him, sleeping next to her, and wished with everything in her that she could kiss him, but she didn’t want to wake him.
Instead, she carefully pushed herself out of bed and went to take a steamy shower, giving herself time to think about what was happening between them. Whatever it was, it was happening fast, and it was catching fire, like a match to a haystack. Blazing and hot and sexy as hell, just like he was, and she wondered how it was going to go between them.
Simply by being with him, she was learning things about herself that she never knew existed in her; the hot texts, the boundaries that he gently and carefully pushed, opening her up to new ideas so that her inhibitions were pushed away. She was discovering that there was a much wilder side to her than she ever suspected or knew, and though it was a surprise, she was intrigued by it, fascinated with the idea that so much passion and excitement had been in her all along, and it had taken him to bring it out in her.
She trusted him, and she felt as if they were growing closer, and somehow she wasn’t sure how she felt about it, or what it might mean to either of them, or where they may end up. All she was certain of was that he had turned every bit of her attention toward him, drawing her out of her shell and setting her on fire, and she was swiftly becoming addicted to him and to the way that he made her feel. She knew she wanted more, but the question was how much more.
They gambled and played and drank and wore each other out between the sheets for the remainder of their time in Las Vegas, and on Sunday they went home, kissing goodbye at the airport. She left him there at his car, part of her not wanting him to go, part of her wanting some time to herself, some space and room to breathe.
Monday morning found Willow parked at Raina’s desk, ready for an update on the weekend away with the hot new man. Raina knew that it was coming, but she took it stride and chuckled when she saw the cup of her favorite coffee sitting on the desk waiting for her, just as it had been before.
“Well?” Willow asked with some urgency when Raina finally sat down across from her and wrapped her hands around the hot cup.
Raina took a sip and smiled at her assistant. “We had a great time. We played hard and we… enjoyed each other quite a bit. You know what they say, Willow, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.”
Willow laughed and shook her head. “No, what happens in Vegas goes on social media!”
With a shrug, Raina winked at her. “Not this…” she answered with a steady tone.
“So, how are things between you two, really?” Willow asked.
Raina thought about it. She had been thinking of nothing but that, for days. “They’re good. Things are good. We’re definitely growing a good friendship, and I like that. We’re great as far as intimacy goes… and I guess that’s it.” She trailed off and took another long sip of coffee.
Willow frowned slightly. “How are you feeling about him?” she asked, peering carefully at her boss. There wasn’t much that got past Willow.
With a sigh, Raina set her cup of coffee down on the desk before her. “You know… I’m trying to keep a handle on that. There are some strong emotions building, and I never expected that. I was so sure that we could keep things just… intimate and not get into emotion at all, but I can’t seem to stop it, and I’m not even sure what the emotions are. I just… I want to be sure that I keep things simple with him. I absolutely don’t want any complications. This is just for fun and it needs to stay that way.”
Willow nodded and kept her eyes on Raina. “Well then, I hope that’s what happens for you. Just… take your time and be honest with him about what’s going on between you, and be careful. You can have fun without getting into trouble.”
“That’s exactly what I’m hoping for,” Raina answered, thinking to herself just how true that statement really was.