“Um, Damien is downstairs...” “We told him to wait in the living room.”

My eyes widened and I gasped. I reached for a blanket to pull over my body and looked down at Jonathan—only he wasn’t there.

It was only a dream.

It was only a dream?!

My chest tightened and tears formed at the corner of my eyes. I rolled off my bed and onto the floor, staring straight ahead.

“Do you want us to tell him you’re not here?” “We should tell him that anyway...” “Why? I thought we agreed that we liked him.” “We do, but I don’t think she does...He is pretty hot though.” “You think he’s as hot as Jonathan?” “Ha! No! But if she ever asks, we should say yes to make her feel better.” “Hmmm. Okay.” “Well, I don’t think I’m allowed out of my room for more than five minutes so you should probably go tell him that she’s not—”

“No, it’s okay...” I stood up. “Thank you.”

Chapter 31

Claire

I rearranged my clothes in the hotel suite’s closet for the umpteenth time and shut the doors. Bored, I walked into the living room and sat across from Damien.

“Is that five or six shipments?” He gave me an apologetic smile as he continued to talk on the phone. “Can you get that verified by receiving please? Yeah...No, I’m at the Juniper conference...Seven days, so that gives you plenty of time to figure out what’s going on...Alright. Keep me posted.” He set his phone down and sighed. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

“It’s okay. It’s a working vacation. I completely understand.”

“Come here.” He locked his eyes on mine and I walked over, prepared to sit in the other chair, but he pulled me into his lap. “Are you okay? You didn’t say much on the way over...”

I stilled. I didn’t think he’d noticed that since his music had been so loud. I’d kept my head turned towards the window for the entire two hour drive, wondering why I’d agreed to come here when I was still so wrapped up in someone else.

“I’m just a little stressed,” I said. “I guess I just need to relax.”

“Hmmm.” He pressed his head against the back of my shoulder. “Do you want to do something to relax together then?”

“Depends on what it is...”

He ran his hands up and down my hips and kissed the back of my neck, making my body yearn for more. “Lay down with me?”

I nodded and eased out of his lap.

He clasped my hand and led me into the bedroom, pulling the covers back and using the remote to dim the lights. He disappeared for a moment and I decided to get more comfortable.

I took off my earrings, slid out of my shoes, and suddenly felt him unbuttoning my pants from behind. I felt my nerves running wild, but not out of desire or anticipation; it was out of anxiety.

Why do I feel like this is “cheating”?

He spun me around and unfastened my shirt and my bra, sliding them off my shoulders as he looked into my eyes. Then he smiled and pulled me onto the bed.

Motioning for me to get in first, he started to undress himself, leaving nothing but his briefs on.

I climbed into the bed and sighed as he climbed in behind me, as he started to press kisses along my bare back. I rolled around to face him. “I don’t know if I can—”

He cut my words short with a deep and inviting kiss, making me forget whatever I was about to say.

I tried to hold back, tried to resist, but I couldn’t help it; I kissed him back—letting my tongue dip deeper into his mouth, running my hands against his hard chest.

He tore his mouth away from mine and began kissing down my neck, my collarbone, my breasts. He sucked one of my nipples into his mouth and softly bit it, making me cry out in pleasure.

Ohhh....Jonathan...

He gripped my other breast and kneaded it with his palm, using his fingertips to pinch the most sensitive part. Before I knew it, he’d started moving his kisses down my stomach—past my belly button, and another memory of Jonathan crossed my mind:

Jonathan pulled his mouth away from mine. “I love kissing your lips, Claire...”

“Which set?”

“Both.” He ran his hands against my bare thighs.

“Well...” I stifled a moan as he started to move his lips lower and lower. “Which one is better?”

“I believe it’s a tie, but I’ll do a comparison right now to make sure...”

I felt Damien attempting to pull my pants down as he placed another kiss against my navel.

“Wait.” I sat up and folded my arms across my chest. “We can’t...”

“What?” He kissed my stomach again and looked up at me. “Why not?”

“I’m...” I needed one hell of an excuse. As much as I wanted to deny it, my body was on fire and I knew he could feel it. “I’m on my period this week... I’m sorry that I didn’t—”

“Is that why you’ve been so tense today?” He raised his eyebrow. “You think the only reason I invited you was to have sex? Or that if we didn’t have sex this week I wouldn’t be interested in you anymore?”

Um yeah. “Um...”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Claire. I’m not usually this forward and I don’t want to rush things with you at all. It’s just...Being around you sometimes, it’s hard to control myself.” He smiled as he re-buttoned my pants. “You wouldn’t believe the effect you have on me...”

He moved so he was lying next to me and kissed my cheek. “Will your period prevent you from letting me hold you?”

I laughed. “No...I would like that very much.”

He wrapped his arms around me and I leaned back against him, not feeling comforted at all; his embrace wasn’t the one I needed.

I emerged from the bathroom in a long purple dress, one of Jonathan’s purchases from months ago. I figured I might as well put all the dresses he bought me to use; they were all too elegant to wear to anything else.

“Wow...” Damien stood up once I walked into the living room. “I’m not so sure about going to this ball now...”

“Why is that?”

“Because someone might try to steal you away from me...You look too good to be true.” He looked me up and down. “I think the highlight of the week will be getting to see you in a different dress every night.” He kissed my lips and led me out into the hallway, onto the elevator.

We were heading to the seventy fifth floor’s “sky room,” to attend the conference’s welcoming ball. He’d told me that all the power players needed to make an appearance and that it was pretty much an opportunity for the CEOs to show off their dates and size up the competition.

If it were up to me, I would be back in our suite scarfing down the cartons of mint chocolate chip ice cream I’d ordered, not rubbing noses with the elite. Nonetheless, I’d already talked him out of making me go to the “Ladies Only Meet and Greet” and I didn’t want to push my luck.

He held the door to the ballroom open, and as soon as we stepped inside, I had to hold back a gasp.

The sky room was colossal—it looked like it was large enough to hold an entire football field; its ceiling and walls were made of plated black glass and I counted at least twenty silver chandeliers hanging several feet above our heads. There was even a massive stage at the far end that stretched across the room’s imposing walls.

Damien held me against his side as we walked around the room, as he introduced me to each of his friends and colleagues as his “girlfriend.”

“Wow...” “Where’d you find someone like this to put up with you?” “She’s too pretty for you.” “If you ever get tired of him, I’d be happy to take you out, Miss Gracen.” “She’s a vision, Damien...”

I smiled at all his friend’s compliments, and once he and his CFO started discussing acquisitions, I excused myself to the beverage bar that lined the side of the room.

As I was pouring myself a glass, the lights above flickered and everyone started clapping.