Sasha kissed Kallie on the forehead and then on the lips. He pressed his body into hers as she wrapped her arms around his neck. They were kissing like it was going somewhere before he gently pushed off her. “I can’t stay, baby,” he said. “I have to be somewhere.” He kissed her again.

She bit back asking him why. She wasn’t about to ask for an explanation. It was her fault for quickly jumping into this with both feet, with the guy who was practically her boss.

“Tomorrow’s Saturday,” he said as he sat on the end of the bed, his hand on her hip. “Are you doing anything?”

“I’m working,” she whispered, protecting herself.

“You don’t have to.”

“It’s my job, Sasha. I need...I’m working,” she finished, a little more firmly.

He stared at her for a long moment before letting his thumb caress her hip bone. “But you will think about what I said? Being with me, not working? And while you’re thinking about it, I want you to think about beaches, bathing suits, and amazing restaurants. All the places you’d like to go.” He raised his eyebrows suggestively.

“You’re making it hard not to be stupid.” She laughed.

He grinned. “Then be smart. Take a vacation. You’ve never had one.”

Kallie’s head rose. How would he know she’d never had a holiday? “I haven’t, huh?” she fished.

“You didn’t let me finish. You’ve never had a vacation—with me.” His head tilted to the side as he looked at her. “You’ve never had a vacation? Ever?”

“I was saving up for a rainy day.” She kind of liked the romantic visions flashing through her mind as she imagined the two of them indulging in what Sasha described.

“Well, it’s raining, baby. Time to cash in on that rainy day. And I want to spoil you.” He stood. “So, if you think about it and decide to take me up on it, you don’t have to come in—”

She jumped up and cut him off as she pushed his wall of a chest with her two fingers. “If I decide to leave Sal’s, I’d give him two weeks’ notice.”

“Okay.” He kissed her on the forehead again. “We’ll work it out.” He gave her that stunning smile of his before he turned and left.

She stood in the middle of the room, naked and unsure. He wanted her to be a kept woman? Like in the olden days? Or like some trophy prize to show off? She wasn’t sure what he wanted from her; the way things were happening so fast, it felt surreal. Maybe it was too good to be true.

Things usually are.

She found a roll of masking tape in a cupboard when she went to grab a glass for water. An idea formed in her head and she quickly got to work. She successfully covered up all the cameras in her room and bathroom upstairs. She wasn’t taking any chances. Pleased with her quick thinking, she took a long hot bath to wash the work grime off. Still wired from her shift and the events that followed, she used the warm, relaxing water to calm her down.

It also gave her time to think.

Sasha was manipulative...in a different way than most men. He wasn’t hidden about it but it was there nonetheless. He was starting to remind her of Jeremy. Although, Jeremy was a better at it because she never saw it coming. Or maybe she spotted it in Sasha’s every move because of Jeremy; she didn’t know. However it was, it didn’t matter. She no longer found it charming.

But, damn, she did find him to be sexy and irresistible.

Never in her life had she felt like this. Like a drug she’d become addicted to. Hooked on Sasha. Yes, it was a condition and it had possibly made her stupid with lust. An image of him popped into her head again and she stepped out of the tub and dried off. She headed back into the bedroom and stopped to smell a pillow still holding his scent. Yes, addicted, strung out, and hopelessly lost.

She climbed onto the cloud of a mattress and pulled the covers up over her to sleep in total safety. Damn, what was she going to do? Head into work tomorrow and pretend the conversation tonight had never happened? Go on vacation? Let Sasha take care of her? She didn’t want that. At least, she was pretty sure she didn’t. But it was tempting to have someone take care of you. Allow you the opportunity to not worry about bills or work or hiding. She sighed. Okay, so she wasn’t totally firm on rejecting Sasha’s wicked proposal.

She rolled over and touched the empty spot beside her. Sasha should have stayed. What kinds of things did he have to do at nearly three in the morning?

She knew Sasha meant to come and go, simply be a friend with benefits to her...he already was. But this only meant that, with his other properties, bars, and businesses, he was potentially a friend with benefits to many.

She felt asleep eventually, too exhausted to figure things out any more. She dreamed of Sasha entering the house and coming to her room. She slept, but sensed his presence. She turned to him and felt the promise of hot, sensuous sex pull at her, narrowing the distance between them. This overwhelming attraction she couldn’t seem to fight, and all the common sense and inner warnings faded away again the minute he touched her.

She cried out in her sleep as an orgasm ripped through her. She dropped her head back onto the pillow, lost in more erotic dreaming, trembling, and begging for more.