pleasure.
He clenched his teeth together as his orgasm slammed into him hard and fast. He couldn’t open his eyes, didn’t want the mental picture of Kim to be wiped away as pleasure roared through him. The way she’d look down at him, so beautiful, perfect. He wanted to touch her, caress her breasts, kiss her, fuck her again—no, that wasn’t an option.
As the last ripples of his release subsided, Blake let his body relax back against the door and did his best to get his breathing under control. Shit, what the hell had he done? He’d jerked off in the bathroom to the thought of his friend and employee.
Kim didn’t deserve to be treated like some sort of cheap sex object. She was an intelligent, funny woman who helped others on a daily basis. She didn’t deserve to be reduced to nothing more than a masturbation fantasy for him. And as much as he would love the idea of the two of them getting together, he couldn’t do that to her. He knew from their conversations that she wasn’t ready for family and commitment yet, and he wasn’t into the party scene anymore. A relationship between them wouldn’t work, and he wasn’t prepared to offer her anything less.
Moving to the sink, he flicked on the water and cleaned himself up. With a quick look around to make sure there wasn’t any evidence remaining of his moment of weakness, he dried his hands, zipped up and opened the door.
To come face to face with Kim.
“Hey.” Her smile made her eyes sparkle. It always did. “You okay? You were in there a long time.”
His heart renewed the too-quick beating in his chest. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“You know, Mrs. McKenzie was checking you out. She tried for five minutes after you left to convince me to put you on the stripper list. I’m telling you, you could totally make a killing if you come over to this side of the business.”
Blake wanted to wrap her up in his arms and kiss her senseless. Christ, what was the matter with him? “A man needs to be able to dance first. It’s best for all involved if I stay away from the stripping. I might kill someone.”
Before he was able to walk past her, Kim reached out and brushed her fingers against his forearm. That simple touch was enough to stop him in his tracks and look into her eyes.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” She swayed closer, but pulled back before they came into contact. “You seem off.”
“It’s this time of year.” Still, when she opened her mouth to say something, something inside him broke. Memories of their night together. The softness in her voice when she’d teased him, kissed him. If she’d been planning to speak, the words evaporated as he lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.
An honest-to-God proper kiss.
The feeling was electric, although brief, as she parted her lips and let him in. His cock twitched, threatening to come back to life, a stark reminder of what he’d just done. Guilt gnawed at his belly and he broke the kiss, pulling away quickly. Kim still had her eyes closed, but she didn’t look the least bit upset by what he’d done. Still, he’d crossed a line he shouldn’t have.
“I’m sorry.” His voice was ragged and his hands shook. “I’m heading out.”
“What?” Kim blinked rapidly and gave her head a small shake. “You just kissed me and now you’re leaving?”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Without another look back, Blake bolted for the door. What a colossal fuckup he was. He’d kissed Kim. At work. A woman who not only was his junior but his employee. He snatched his coat from the office, thankful that Kim didn’t follow him out, and stepped outside. The cold December air blasted against his face, a thankful punishment for his actions. Without bothering to do up his coat, he turned and started walking, hoping it would knock some sense into him.
Chapter Four
It was strange for Kim to be attending a party where one of her Naughty Nicks was giving a performance, but she wasn’t about
Kristina Ludwig
Charlie Brooker
Alys Arden
J.C. Burke
Laura Buzo
Claude Lalumiere
Chris Bradford
A. J. Jacobs
Capri Montgomery
John Pearson