regulated her breathing, and thought about how the evening had ended between her and Chase. She knew she never should have kissed him last night, but the man was not only überhot and deliciously irresistible, but he also gave good orgasm. Oh, yeah, that had been quite a shocking yet pleasant surprise, especially considering it always took a good amount of foreplay with a guy before she climaxed.
Undoubtedly, Chase’s flirtatious nature, his come-hither smile, and the way his provocative musings had a way of invading her thoughts when he was touching her gave him a distinct advantage over her better judgment when it came to him and the always-present sexual tension swirling between them. And that’s what concerned her the most.
She didn’t normally take risks or make impulsive decisions, yet she’d abandoned all those principles and done both with him. The last time she’d fallen for a man’s charming ways, the end result had been disastrous, and she wasn’t about to repeat past mistakes with someone who drew her like a magnet and had way too strong a hold over her. Even if it was just physically.
And that meant shoring up her defenses when it came to Chase and the way he affected her. No more deliberately arousing touches. No spontaneous kissing. And absolutely no more mind sex. The two of them had a business arrangement, and for her peace of mind she needed to keep things professional between them.
Whether or not he’d cooperate was another matter altogether. The man was used to getting his way and had even shamelessly admitted as much. And it didn’t help matters that he’d ended the evening last night with the teasing let the fun begin remark, and she knew he wasn’t referring to the adventure they were about to embark upon. No, the rogue had pure seduction in mind.
Valerie finished the third mile of her run and headed back toward home, feeling much more in control of herself and the situation. By the time she arrived at the apartment, she’d managed to shake that morning’s arousing dream and had a plan in place to handle Chase. She’d lay down a few ground rules, and as long as he agreed to her working requirements, they’d get along just fine.
Hot and sweaty from her jog, Valerie took a long, cool shower. She washed and dried her hair, and dressed in a lightweight peasant skirt and blouse that would be comfortable for traveling later. Stomach growling, she made her way to the kitchen, started a pot of coffee, and made herself a fruit, yogurt, and granola parfait.
Just as she sat down at the small dining table to eat her breakfast, her roommate shuffled into the kitchen wearing an oversized nightshirt that reached midthigh and read LITTLE MISS FUCKING SUNSHINE , and fuzzy pink slippers on her feet. Skye’s blond hair was sleep tousled, her eyes heavy lidded, and she walked toward the coffeemaker like a zombie who needed a jolt of caffeine to wake up.
The words on Skye’s shirt fit her roommate’s morning mood. When she and Skye had first moved in together to split the expense of a place, it didn’t take Valerie long to realize that her good friend wasn’t a morning person and required at least one strong cup of black coffee in her system before Valerie could hold a civil conversation with her.
So, she quietly ate her parfait and waited patiently for Skye to go through her morning ritual—sips of her coffee that gradually increased to gulps until she was on her second cup. Only then did Skye sit across from her at the table, able to enjoy round two at a more leisurely pace.
“Morning,” Skye said as she pushed her disheveled hair out of her face.
Valerie grinned as she scooped up a few strawberries with her yogurt. “Late night?” She’d gone to bed at midnight, and at that time Skye still hadn’t been home from working her shift at the Onyx.
“Yeah, another insane Saturday night,” she said grumpily. “The casino was packed, and I swear the full moon brought out all the jerks in
Undoubtedly, Chase’s flirtatious nature, his come-hither smile, and the way his provocative musings had a way of invading her thoughts when he was touching her gave him a distinct advantage over her better judgment when it came to him and the always-present sexual tension swirling between them. And that’s what concerned her the most.
She didn’t normally take risks or make impulsive decisions, yet she’d abandoned all those principles and done both with him. The last time she’d fallen for a man’s charming ways, the end result had been disastrous, and she wasn’t about to repeat past mistakes with someone who drew her like a magnet and had way too strong a hold over her. Even if it was just physically.
And that meant shoring up her defenses when it came to Chase and the way he affected her. No more deliberately arousing touches. No spontaneous kissing. And absolutely no more mind sex. The two of them had a business arrangement, and for her peace of mind she needed to keep things professional between them.
Whether or not he’d cooperate was another matter altogether. The man was used to getting his way and had even shamelessly admitted as much. And it didn’t help matters that he’d ended the evening last night with the teasing let the fun begin remark, and she knew he wasn’t referring to the adventure they were about to embark upon. No, the rogue had pure seduction in mind.
Valerie finished the third mile of her run and headed back toward home, feeling much more in control of herself and the situation. By the time she arrived at the apartment, she’d managed to shake that morning’s arousing dream and had a plan in place to handle Chase. She’d lay down a few ground rules, and as long as he agreed to her working requirements, they’d get along just fine.
Hot and sweaty from her jog, Valerie took a long, cool shower. She washed and dried her hair, and dressed in a lightweight peasant skirt and blouse that would be comfortable for traveling later. Stomach growling, she made her way to the kitchen, started a pot of coffee, and made herself a fruit, yogurt, and granola parfait.
Just as she sat down at the small dining table to eat her breakfast, her roommate shuffled into the kitchen wearing an oversized nightshirt that reached midthigh and read LITTLE MISS FUCKING SUNSHINE , and fuzzy pink slippers on her feet. Skye’s blond hair was sleep tousled, her eyes heavy lidded, and she walked toward the coffeemaker like a zombie who needed a jolt of caffeine to wake up.
The words on Skye’s shirt fit her roommate’s morning mood. When she and Skye had first moved in together to split the expense of a place, it didn’t take Valerie long to realize that her good friend wasn’t a morning person and required at least one strong cup of black coffee in her system before Valerie could hold a civil conversation with her.
So, she quietly ate her parfait and waited patiently for Skye to go through her morning ritual—sips of her coffee that gradually increased to gulps until she was on her second cup. Only then did Skye sit across from her at the table, able to enjoy round two at a more leisurely pace.
“Morning,” Skye said as she pushed her disheveled hair out of her face.
Valerie grinned as she scooped up a few strawberries with her yogurt. “Late night?” She’d gone to bed at midnight, and at that time Skye still hadn’t been home from working her shift at the Onyx.
“Yeah, another insane Saturday night,” she said grumpily. “The casino was packed, and I swear the full moon brought out all the jerks in
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