When Jason left, Ryan hugged me closer to him. My mind was still reeling.

“Did you seriously just invite Jason Kane to my show?” I asked him. “You know this is going to be, like, my fifth live show ever, right?”

I’d already had butterflies in my stomach. Now, I had killer bees in there too. Ryan just smiled in reply.

“It’s my job to promote my clients,” he said eventually. He seemed bemused by my reaction.

“And your girlfriend,” I teased. Part of me wondered if he’d just said it to rope Jason in. I wanted real confirmation that was how he thought of me. Not a hookup. Not the daughter of his boss. Not even a client. His girlfriend.

For once, it was his turn to flush. I grinned, sidling up closer and kissed him. I was unprepared for his reaction.

In a flash, I was pinned flush to the wall of Ryan’s office. His hands grasped my shoulders, immobilizing me while his mouth reclaimed superiority over mine. Sensation overwhelmed me, and I went limp and pliable. It was exactly what he wanted.

His hands abandoned my shoulders to press and squeeze along the curves of my body, settling on the hem of my dress and setting my heart racing. Any nervousness or confusion faded as he lifted the fabric higher and slid his curious fingers up under my skirt—lifting it above my waist. I knew what he wanted. And I wanted it too.

I felt his erection growing long and hard against my thigh, and I reached for him, pulling at his belt to unbuckle it. Was this going to happen? Right here against the wall? I was too overwhelmed to second guess our momentum.

The slam told me someone had just thrown open the door. “Ryan, that girl— whoa!” a voice from the threshold exclaimed. Startled, Ryan and I broke apart, panting and (at least in my case) embarrassed. We stared at the intruder who stared right back at us with huge eyes.

The secretary, Alexandra, looked horrified for about three quarters of a second. She looked us up and down in disbelief. Then a frown descended. She cleared her throat and straightened up to her impressive, full height.

“Oh. I see you’ve found one another,” she said smoothly, pulling the door back closed. “I’ll be going home now. See you tomorrow.”

The clickety-clack of her heels on the wood floors as she fled betrayed her discomfort. Ryan looked conflicted. I giggled.

He levelled a look at me that shut me up again. “We need to talk about my services,” he told me seriously.

I was in no mood for serious. He’d lit something in me and I wasn’t ready to extinguish it yet. Instead, I wanted to burst into flames. I grabbed him by the lapels and we both fell back into the wall. His breath puffed out of him in a little, shocked laugh.

“Your services, hmmm?” I asked him, playing with the soft hair at the nape of his neck. I reached for his tie, loosened it, and pulled it over his neck and onto my own neck. My voice was a low, naughty whisper in his ear. “Why don’t you show me what you want to do for me as my boyfriend?” I nipped his earlobe.

He pulled away just enough to see if I was serious, and then his expression shifted. What I saw on his face made my heart rate leap again. It was banging in my body like the bass at a concert. My sternum vibrated with it.

“If you keep on teasing me like that, you’re going to get what you’re asking for,” he told me.

“Try me,” I told him, feeling bold. I’d just had one helluva day. I’d actually had a conversation with my mother for the first time in months. I’d gotten a gig. I’d fought my way to a new apartment. I’d replaced all of my clothes. I’d met Jason-freakin’-Kane. I couldn’t do any more thinking. I needed an escape from my mind.

Ryan, standing there in his suit with no tie, staring at me like I was the only woman on earth, seemed like a perfect escape to me. I wasn’t sure where this was going, and my life felt quite a bit like a runaway train lately, but at least I could enjoy the ride.