“Gee, how generous of you.”
“If I told him how I really felt about you, he’d be taken from the building on a stretcher.”
Warmth spreads through my body. I smile at my computer screen. “So he didn’t notice anything.”
“You mean how incredible you look after you come? All flushed and glowing? No, he didn’t notice. Nice save on the lipstick, by the way.”
I groan and cover my face with my hand. “I thought I’d die.”
His voice drops. “I thought I’d die when you came for me. Your pussy was so wet, baby. I can’t get enough of it. I can’t get enough of you.”
Blushing furiously, I glance out my office windows at the cubicle field. No one is looking in my direction, but I feel so conspicuous, I might as well have a scarlet letter A embroidered on my chest.
“Me too,” I whisper. “This being discreet thing might be harder than we anticipated.”
“Well figure it out. What time should I pick you up tonight?”
“Pick me up?”
“You’re spending the weekend at my place.”
“I don’t recall being invited.”
“Don’t play coy with me. You want to wake up next to me just as much as I want to wake up next to you.”
Smiling from ear to ear, I shake my head. “You’re a handful, Mr. McCord.”
“See you at seven, Ms. Sanders.”
He disconnects, leaving me incandescent with happiness.
He’s early again, ringing the bell just as I’m rushing to finish packing. When I open the door, he looks me up and down, then steps inside and hugs me, lifting me right off the ground.
I hug him back and laugh. “Oh hi.”
“Oh hi yourself.”
“You’re very tall. My feet are dangling.”
“Maybe you’re just short.”
“I’m not short. You smell incredible. Is that something new you’re wearing?”
He sets me down, kisses me softly, and smiles. “Nope. Just love pheromones. You ready to go?”
A thrill runs through me at his mention of the word “love,” but I don’t make a big deal of it. “Almost. I have to finish packing.”
“You say that like you’re going on a two week vacation to Europe.”
“Oh, that’s right. You don’t know I’m an over packer. Well, better you find out now what you’re in for.”
I lead him into my bedroom. On the bed are the two suitcases I’ve already packed, along with the open weekend bag on the floor by the dresser that I’m still working on filling.
He looks at them and lifts his brows.
“I know. It’s a problem. I’ll wear the same yoga pants five days in a row at home, but put a suitcase in front of me, and I’ll pack every piece of formal wear I own, plus a dozen pairs of shoes and twenty handbags.”
“Do you really think the ballgown is necessary?”
“That’s not a ballgown. That’s a bathrobe.”
He eyes the puffy pink silk robe spilling out of one of the cases. “It’s voluminous.”
“It’s pretty!”
“You won’t need it. If you packed any panties, bras, or nightgowns, you can take those out too.”
“Ugh. Fine.”
As I pull the robe from the case, he slaps me playfully on the bottom. Then we’re grinning at each other.
“Why do I feel like I’m nine years old, headed to Disneyland for the first time?”
“Because you’re adorable. But watch out. At my Disneyland, Mickey Mouse fucks Minnie on the jungle cruise.”
He kisses me again, I finish packing, and then we’re off, headed to his mansion in the hills with the radio blaring, holding hands and singing along to our favorite songs.
We’re still holding hands when I glance out the driver’s side window and see a cargo truck barreling through the intersection against the red light.
I don’t even have time to scream Cole’s name before it crashes into us at full speed.
Cole
It’s a funny thing, karma.
Just when you think life is going your way, karma shows up to remind you that there’s a price to be paid for everything.
The bigger your sins, the bigger the price.
And the longer you’ll pay for them.
Shay
It’s the beeping that gets me. The incessant beeping, like one of those annoying back-up sensor alarms on a car. Except it never stops, not even for a second.
Irritated by the noise, I open my eyes. My lids weigh a thousand pounds, so they slam shut almost immediately. But it’s enough for me to catch a glimpse of an unfamiliar room, bright with florescent light.