“Jesus! Are you okay?” Stella slightly shook me, trying to pull my face off the desk in my study. Apparently, I had fallen asleep on it.

My head pounded like mad, throbbing as though it had been jack-hammered or something. After two bottles of brandy, I shouldn’t expect any less. She gently situated my back and body against the leather chair.

“I come home late and you’re a big mess.” Stella brushed the hair off my forehead before kissing it gently. “What am I going to do with you and your drunken self?”

Her scent filled my nostrils and I buried my face in the crook of her neck, wanting to drown in her softness. “Pain killers, a hot shower and some good sleep then I will be good as new tomorrow.”

“All right, let me get you some pain killers.” Stella tried to move, but my hands were wrapped around her waist. “You need to take your hands off me, you know.”

I moaned against her skin, softly kissing it. “Need another minute of you.” I held her tighter. “Your smell calms me down.”

“Let me give you a massage or something…”

A ‘hmm’ came from me as I nuzzled on her before then murmuring against her ear, “I’ll take the ‘or something’, darling.”

God, how was it possible to feel this sense of calmness when she was around?

Stella lightly tapped the back of my head, groaning. “I’m being utterly serious here.”

“So am I, love. I’m so bloody, fucking hard for you.” My hand skimmed over her bottom, all the way to the side of her thigh before circling it in between her hot crevice where my middle finger rubbed against her pussy. Moisture seeped through the thin fabric and coated my finger. “Shower with me.”

She sighed. “I will as long as you promise to take some pain killers for your headache first.”

My bossy nurse, I mused through the throbbing ache in my head. “Okay. Whatever makes you happy.”

“That’s my good boy.” She giggled, playfully patting the top of my head before she stood up and fetched the medication. She was back in a few minutes, taking charge in popping the pills into my mouth. “See; it’s not that hard, is it?”

“You’re adorable, Stella.” I stood up and circled my arms around her waist, pulling her close to me. Looking down on her blissful face, it seemed surreal that she and I had barely started getting to know each other because, right now, she felt like she’d been around for far too long. “Can I keep you?”

Her eyes twinkled and then her left hand reached out to the side of my head, caressing my hair. It was a subtle move—intimate—a lover’s touch. “For as long as you want me, Cal.”

Will I be the one to mar her brightness? For some reason, I didn’t want to be the man to cause her any pain or hurt. I knew our arrangement was all sexual… but it seemed like we’d crossed the line towards emotional intimacy.

I felt torn about Zara’s visit earlier. Should I dare mention it? It was a subject that needed to be addressed.

It was a situation that needed to be handled with care. One thing I vowed, too, that I would have to be honest. This wouldn’t be such a big deal if she didn’t feel anything for me. After all, didn’t she tell me that she wasn’t going to fall for a man like myself? Then, I suppose, I was safe.

We were safe from each other.