Corinne

“I’m so sorry. I know I’ve been shadowing you for a week, but could you show me again how you did that?” I asked, leaning over Alyssa’s shoulder to watch her computer screen more closely.

I had to be so annoying. Any second now, I was sure she would let out a heavy sigh or roll her eyes, but she surprised me, smiling patiently for the fiftieth time and clicking the Undo button.

“Corinne, you seriously need to stop apologizing.” Alyssa turned to give me a sympathetic grin. “I remember what my first week was like. There’s a lot to take in, especially with this scheduling software. Just be patient with yourself. The Kingsley brothers run their business unlike anyone else I’ve ever worked for.”

You got that right.

It was Monday, and I hadn’t said more than “good morning” to Cooper since he told me to take my time making my decision. He had been true to his word, giving me the time and space I needed to think the whole situation through. I appreciated that fact, and I had taken my sweet time deliberating over all the pros and cons of the situation. I knew I wouldn’t be able to feel secure in my decision unless I thoroughly weighed my options.

“Hey, by the way, clear your schedule for tonight,” Alyssa said, flashing me a playful grin. “We’re taking you to happy hour after work to celebrate the end of your first full week at Forbidden Desires.”

I smiled, chuckling at the idea that I, of all people, would have a busy social calendar I’d need to clear. “Who’s we?” I asked. I was ready to tell Cooper about the decision I’d reached, but I also needed to mentally prepare myself if he would be at happy hour too.

“The whole office,” Alyssa said. “It’s tradition. Like I said, the first week here is always crazy. I’m sure you could use a drink—or five.”

I snorted and quickly threw my hand over my mouth. I wasn’t exactly a lightweight, but it had been so long since I had more than one drink in a night, I could only imagine what five drinks would do to me.

But then again, I was looking to expand my horizons.

“What the heck,” I said. “Sure, I’m in.”

Alyssa smiled widely at me, and I smiled back. I was so grateful for how welcome she and all the other women who worked here made me feel.

“Perfect. Now that that’s settled, let’s get back to making you comfortable with our online scheduler.”

By the time I finished shadowing Alyssa later that day, I had half an hour before leaving for happy hour. I sat at my desk, grateful for some time to myself before going out to socialize again. I organized the desktop on my computer, and soon my thoughts wandered back to my mental pros-and-cons list about my possible arrangement with Cooper.

Pros: I might actually have good sex. I’ll have the opportunity to go as slow as I want. Cooper seems confident that he knows what to do. Did I mention good sex?

Cons: Cooper is my boss. If things go south, it’ll be hard to get away from him. And if things go well, there’s no way I could ever have a future with him. Once again, boss—with a capital B.

I sighed, my mind whirling from one item on the list to the next. I’d been thinking about this decision all weekend, and I was quickly becoming exhausted from trying to piece together the best course of action. Glancing at the clock on my computer, I realized it was almost time to leave. I grabbed my purse and walked to the bathroom to freshen up before heading out for drinks.

Standing in front of the mirror, I reapplied my light pink lipstick and ran my fingers through the hair around my face. I stared at myself for a moment, taking in my rounded features. Men had told me I was pretty before, but it always felt like they were only saying it to get something out of it for themselves. Cooper made me feel that way when I first met him, but that had quickly faded when he realized how uncomfortable I was.

Our first interaction alone showed me that Cooper was more complicated than I realized. For as gruff and forward as he’d been when we first met, it was clear that there was a soft side underneath all that armor.

And it was that soft side that helped me make my final decision.

I took a deep breath and straightened the hem of my blouse. This job would be a new beginning for me in more ways than one. The thought of being in a relationship centered around my own pleasure made my stomach churn, but I knew that it was time for me to do more things that initially made me uncomfortable. The all-consuming pleasure I’d get in return was too enticing to pass up any longer. Cooper was sexy as hell, and I was more than ready to start having a normal, healthy sex life.

I was ready to say yes to Cooper’s offer.

And I was ready to experience the mind-boggling pleasure I’d been denying myself for years.

Still, I knew in the back of my mind that this relationship could never go any further than sex. For as much as the physical side of things made me nervous, my life was way too complicated to even consider venturing into the emotional. The arrangement I wanted with Cooper would have nothing to do with love or affection or emotional needs. All I wanted from him was an introduction to pleasure, a chance to feel good for the first time in a very long time.

A knock on the the bathroom door snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Hey, Corinne, are you in there? It’s time to go,” Alyssa called out.

“Coming,” I said, taking one last look at myself in the mirror. I looked good. And it was about time I started acting like it.

The second I stepped out of the bathroom, Alyssa turned to excitedly lead me to the parking lot. We climbed into the back of a company car, and I braced myself for my upcoming encounter with Cooper. To my surprise, Alyssa closed the door behind her and told the driver we were ready to go.

“The guys will join us in a bit,” she said, rifling through her purse. “Apparently, they had some last-minute business to attend to.”

I nodded and looked out the window, unsure of what to say.

Alyssa smiled. “That’s typical for the Kingsley brothers, though. Always working. They’re private too. I understand that what we do requires a certain level of discretion, but these guys take secrets to a whole new level,” she said, checking her reflection in a small compact mirror. “It’s like, what do these guys really have to hide, you know?”

I do know, I thought, but I simply chuckled and shook my head.

I might have been ready to tell Cooper about my decision, but I didn’t think it was something he’d want the whole office to know. Besides, for as kind and welcoming as Alyssa had been so far, we were nowhere near gal pals, and I didn’t like the idea of a work acquaintance knowing anything about my sex life.

• • •

When we arrived at the bar, Alyssa and I sat on neighboring bar stools, and she began chatting up the bartender. She wasn’t kidding when she said this was tradition—the bartender knew exactly who she was and happily gave each of us a shot of tequila on the house. Alyssa and I each took a shot glass in our hands, and she raised hers into the air.

“To surviving your first week,” she said, smiling broadly at me.

“To my first week,” I said back, and we clinked our glasses together before we each downed our shots. I tried not to cough as the liquid burned down my throat, then quickly bit into one of the lime wedges the bartender had provided for us.

Alyssa screwed up her face and let out a low hiss. I was glad I wasn’t the only one who had a hard time with shots.

“All right, what do you ladies want to drink now?” the bartender asked, leaning forward onto his elbows and giving us a mischievous grin.

It was then that I noticed his killer biceps and the way his dark brown stubble perfectly accentuated his jawline. My decision to accept Cooper’s offer had me feeling bold, so I placed my own elbows on the bar and leaned in toward the bartender, aware of how the position gave him a perfect view of my ample cleavage.

“Remind me again what the happy-hour specials are,” I said in as sultry a voice as I could muster.

“What?” the bartender said loudly. “Sorry, I couldn’t hear you over the music.”

I giggled and leaned even closer. “I wanted to know what the specials are,” I said, still trying to sound sexy, though a little more forcefully.

The bartender shook his head and placed his hand behind his ear.

“The specials!” I yelled in a voice so shrill, the bartender winced and took a step back. I could sense Alyssa’s amusement to my right, and a hot pink blush spread across my chest and up into my cheeks.

“Oh, uh, it’s half-off margaritas,” the bartender said. From the way he winked at Alyssa, I could tell my attempt at giving off a sensual energy had failed. Miserably.

“We’ll have two margaritas,” Alyssa said coolly. The bartender smiled and walked away to make our drinks.

She turned to give me a playful grin. “Corinne, I had no idea you had that in you.”

I let out a low groan and hid my face in my hands. I was more than embarrassed—I was mortified. Not only because that had just happened, but because Alyssa was there to witness it. I could feel the shame spreading to my limbs, and all I wanted was for our drinks to be ready so I could numb that feeling, even just a little bit.

“Oh, come on, it wasn’t that bad,” she said, giving me a brisk pat on the shoulder. When I groaned again and shook my head, she said, “There are plenty of other guys in this bar. Listen, once he comes back with our drinks, we’ll start looking for your next target.”

Just as she stopped talking, the bartender returned with our margaritas, and Alyssa slipped him a shiny black credit card. “Leave the tab open,” she said to him before turning to give me a wink. “These are on the company.”

I took a long sip of my drink, relishing the cool, sour sweetness of the liquid. I could tell already that this drink would be dangerous. Even though I watched the bartender pour a good amount of tequila into the glass, all I could taste was the perfect blend of lime juice and syrup.

Alyssa turned around on her stool to survey the tables behind us, and I turned to join her, still feeling a bit wounded after my failed seduction attempt. I took a few more sips of my drink to numb the embarrassment as I let my gaze roam lazily from face to face in the bar. Apparently, this place was every business’s favorite happy hour, because almost every man I saw was dressed in a crisp, well-tailored suit. Many of them looked equal parts handsome and terrifying, the kind of men who walked into a room and demanded the respect and attention of everyone in it. Alyssa started giving me some tips on how to let a guy know I was interested, pointing out particularly attractive men and explaining the strategy she would use.

It didn’t take long until my head was spinning from both the tequila and Alyssa’s advice. Suddenly I was grateful for the arrangement I had with Cooper. If I had to seduce a man on my own, I didn’t think I’d ever be getting off ever again. Unless you counted using my own fingers.

Just as the thought of Cooper crossed my mind, he showed up at the bar like we were in a movie or something. He walked through the door, followed by his two brothers.

The three of them together was quite a sight. They were all tall and toned, but each had a special aura that differentiated him from the others. Gavin was dark and broody, while Quinn was somehow aloof and fatherly at the same time.

And then there was Cooper. I couldn’t quite figure him out yet. At times, he seemed just as broody and aloof as his brothers, but there was something in his soft green eyes that made me think he might be sweeter than he first appeared. Not to mention he had the kind of body that made me weak in the knees.

I quickly realized that I was staring, and I looked away before Cooper or his brothers could catch me. Downing the rest of my drink, I did my best to make it seem like I was listening to Alyssa, but all I could think about was meeting those green eyes across the room.

Shyly, I looked back over to where the Kingsley brothers were standing. My stomach dropped as Cooper’s eyes met mine with a smoldering gaze. It took everything in me to not drop my jaw then and there. We stared at each other for a moment before he broke out in a smile and started walking toward me.

“Look who decided to show up,” Alyssa said loudly, waving the brothers over.

I nodded silently, unable to tear my gaze from the man I’d decided would soon be my lover.

Once Cooper was only a few feet away, I decided I needed to tell him my decision right then and there. Just as I stepped off the stool, I lost my footing, and it felt like the whole room tilted sideways. But before I could fall flat on my face, Cooper reached out and caught me, and suddenly, I was wrapped up in his arms.

A scorching blush spread over my cheeks as I looked up into Cooper’s eyes and smiled shyly. “Thanks,” I said, leaning into his chest for a moment as the room leveled out around me.

“No problem,” he said with a smile.

We stood there for a moment before I became aware of our coworkers around us, and I quickly straightened myself and stepped out of Cooper’s embrace.

“Guess I’m a little tipsier than I thought,” I muttered, looking down at my shoes.

“Glad you’re having fun,” Quinn said politely.

I knew he was being nice, but I was so embarrassed, I couldn’t even meet his gaze to thank him.

Alyssa started up a conversation with the brothers and they began an easy back-and-forth, discussing work, sports, and other things I didn’t have much to say about. The longer we all stood there chatting, the more self-conscious I became, not because anyone was making me feel unwelcome, but because I was uncomfortable with how obvious it was that I was tipsy. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, calculating how much it would cost to hail a cab to drive me home.

Cooper placed a hand on the small of my back, leaning down to speak into my ear. “Are you all right?”

I didn’t respond, instead looking up into his eyes with a worried look on my face. I didn’t know how to tell him that I was grateful to be there, but embarrassed and about ready to make my escape.

He gave me a soft, sympathetic smile before leaning down to my ear again. “Do you want to go home? I can give you a ride.”

I nodded, and within moments, Cooper explained to everyone else that we were ready to call it a night, and he was going to drive me home. Alyssa gave me a quick hug, Gavin and Quinn both nodded and tipped their glasses, and Cooper guided me to the door with his hand on the small of my back.

Once in his car, I could feel my heart racing. If there was ever a good time to let him know I was ready for sex, it was now. He was taking me to my place, and my mind was racing with thoughts of how to get him into my bed. I could invite him in for a drink, or give him the bedroom eyes Alyssa had shown me how to do. My head was swimming with ideas, and I was grateful that Cooper, ever a man of his word, drove in perfect silence, waiting for me to say the first word.

I cleared my throat, and Cooper let his eyes wander from the road for just a moment to let me know he was listening. My heart pounding in my chest, I opened my mouth to speak.

“I, uh . . . I’ve made my decision,” I said, my voice shaking. Cooper nodded, waiting for me to continue. “My answer is yes. I think we should do this.”

As the words left my mouth, we arrived in front of my place, and Cooper placed the car in park. Without saying anything, he got out and walked around the front of the car to open my door for me. When he helped me out of the car, I squeezed his hand in mine, grateful for his steadying presence.

We stood there on the sidewalk in front of my apartment, my hand in his, our faces less than a foot apart. The tension between us was palpable, and just as I was about to turn to walk to the door, Cooper pulled me into him, placing one hand behind my head, and pressed his lips softly against mine.

I tensed up for the briefest of moments, taken aback by the sudden romantic gesture. But after only a few seconds of his mouth on mine, I kissed him back, allowing my lips to part ever so slightly as his tongue touched mine. I raised one of my hands to his chest, not to push him away, but to feel his muscles underneath his shirt.

With his free hand, Cooper pulled my hips into him, and I could feel his thigh settling between my legs. The pace of our kiss quickened, our tongues moving frantically around each other, and my body responded with an instinct I didn’t know it had.

Suddenly, my other hand was running through his hair, and I began grinding on his thigh. I could feel his erection pressing into my stomach, and a low moan escaped from my mouth. His hands moved over my body, brushing over my breasts and around my hips before beginning the motion again. His lips wandered to my neck, making me gasp with pleasure.

The cover of darkness made me bold. I whispered in his ear, “I want more,” running my hand over the bulge in his pants.

Cooper groaned and brought his mouth back to mine, giving my bottom a gentle squeeze. “You have no idea how sexy you are,” he said between kisses before placing both hands on my shoulders and pulling away to look into my eyes. “But we can’t sleep together now. Not after you’ve had so much to drink.”

I frowned and quickly closed the space between us, crushing my mouth against his. Cooper kissed me back for a few minutes before pulling back again.

“I mean it, Corinne. There are so many things I want to do to you, trust me,” he said, eyeing my body up and down. “But it wouldn’t be right to do them now. If this is still what you want tomorrow, let me know. We’ll work out the details.”

And just like that? Cooper placed a firm yet tender kiss on my forehead and climbed back into his car, watching me unlock my front door before he pulled away.

I stumbled through my front door, my heart still racing from the intensity of that kiss. As I stood in the dark hallway, buzzing after what had just happened, there was only one thought running through my mind.

I had definitely made the right decision.