Barbara Dunlop - Seduced by the CEO

The awareness increased, warming the surface of her skin while paradoxically raising goose bumps.

Without a word, he brushed a stray lock of hair back from her temple.

His callused fingertips seemed to hum against her skin. His touch felt good. It felt sexy.

“You’re incredibly beautiful,” he whispered, easing slightly closer.

The statement took her by surprise. “I’m mostly dusty.”

He smiled. “I can’t see any dust. But I can see your gorgeous eyes, and I can see your beautiful lips.”

His smile disappeared, and he ran the pad of his thumb across her lower lip.

“Soft,” he whispered, leaning in.

She drew in a breath and held it.

His palm slipped up, cradling her cheek, his fingertips easing into her hair. He bent his head.

She stilled, waiting.

The kiss started soft, but soon heated between them. Her fingers curled into her palms, and she stretched up. Her lips parted, and he firmed his own, bracing his free hand across the small of her back.

She opened wider, and his tongue flicked in. She met him with her own, angling her head. She raised her palms to his chest, sweeping them upward, marveling at the definition of his pecs, then the breadth and strength of his shoulders. Her arms wound themselves around his neck.

He pressed their bodies together, her breasts against his chest, his thighs hard against hers. The kiss was sexy and deep, oddly familiar. She wanted more from him, even as she acknowledged this was happening at lightning speed.

He seemed to sense her hesitation.

He broke the kiss, drawing back.

“Wow,” she managed.

“Wow,” he echoed, gazing into her eyes.

The sun was completely gone now, and soft darkness surrounded them, a shaft of yellow light coming from a small window in his house.

He kept his arm around her, still holding her close. “You should come out with me.”

She hesitated, unsettled by the sudden shift between them. “I don’t usually...”

“Kiss like that?”

“Date customers.” Though she had to admit, she couldn’t remember a kiss like that.

“You’ve only been in business a year,” he said. “It can’t have come up that often.”

“I suppose,” she was forced to agree.

“Has it ever come up?” he asked.

“Not really.”

“So you don’t have a rule against it.”

“I don’t have a rule for it either.”

“Where do you want to go?” he asked.

She cocked her head. “I haven’t said yes.”

“I figure I’ll increase my odds of a yes if you like where we’re going.”

The logic made her smile. “Take a stab.”

He smoothed her hair again. “No help from the lady?”

She struggled not to react to the intimate touch. “No help.”

“Navy Pier. Ferris wheel and a pretzel dog.”

She was surprised, but also intrigued. “You’re inviting me out for a pretzel dog ?”

“I’ll throw in some ice cream.”

She put a note of astonishment in her voice. “You expect me to say yes to that?”

He didn’t look worried. “You don’t strike me as a symphony and Le Petit Soleil kind of girl.”

She wrinkled her nose and gave a little sniff. “That’s only because you’ve never seen me clean. It’s an unfair bias if you ask me, and not worthy of you, Riley.”

Uncertainty finally appeared in his eyes. “You’d prefer the symphony?”

She’d liked teasing him. “Your first instinct was right. Add the fireworks, and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

He gave her a squeeze. “You’re messin’ with me.”

“I am.”

“I shouldn’t like it so much.”

“Probably not.”

“Can I kiss you again?”

The amusement went out of her, replaced instantly by desire.

“Just once.” It was a warning to herself more than to him.

“Just once,” he agreed.

“Because...”

He dipped his head toward her, voice dropping to a whisper. “Because this is too fast.”

“It’s too fast,” she whispered back.

“It’s too hot.”

“It’s too hot.”

His lips brushed hers. “It’s too everything.”

“Oh, yes.”

He kissed her long and deep.

* * *

“It’s not really a date,” Kalissa said to Megan as they moved through the racks at Annabelle’s Discount Boutique. They’d found a couple of hours to spare this morning, and it had been ages since Kalissa had bought any news clothes.

“Boy, girl, dinner, entertainment,” said Megan. “What part of that is not a date?”

“I mean it’s not a buy a new dress and get my hair and nails done kind of date.” Kalissa held up a pair of dark blue, skinny jeans. “What do you think?”

“Cute. What’s the price?”

“Thirty-nine ninety-nine, with fifty percent off.”

“You can add my thirty percent off coupon.”

“So, that’s about fifteen bucks. I can afford fifteen bucks.”

“They’ll go with this,” said Megan, holding up a white and silver tank top.

“I sure couldn’t show up at work in that,” said Kalissa.

A camera flash went off in her peripheral vision, and she turned to see two young women giggle as they looked at their phone screen then back at her.

“You like the top?” she asked them, holding it out. It was cute, but she’d give it up if they’d fallen in love with it.

They didn’t answer, just gave her a thumb’s up and backed away.

“What the heck?”

“It’s the Darci thing,” said Megan.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, those two think they just saw the wife of a billionaire shopping at a discount store.”

Kalissa glanced at the two retreating women. Suddenly self-conscious, she glanced around the store to see if anyone else was paying attention to her. They weren’t, thank goodness.

“I wonder how they’d react to me using a coupon,” she speculated.

“I think a lot of celebrities buy things on the cheap.”

“Darci’s not a celebrity.”

But Kalissa now felt ridiculously conspicuous, and she glanced around the store again. Who else was out there covertly watching her? Who else might mistake her for Darci and think Darci was doing something inappropriate.

“Oh, crap.” She tightened her grasp on the jeans.

“What?” Megan looked from side to side.

“Riley. The date. Me and him together at the Navy Pier.”

“Those jeans will look great,” said Megan. “And try on the top. I bet it works.”

“What if somebody sees us? What if they think I’m Darci? What if they think she’s cheating on Shane?” Kalissa had absolutely no desire to mess up anybody’s life.

“It could happen,” said Megan, looking thoughtful.

Kalissa put the jeans back. “Maybe I should cancel.”

“You can’t cancel. He seems like a great guy. And what are you going to do? Never go on a date again?”

“Maybe we could do something a little less public.”

“There’s always the symphony. It’s dark in there.”

“I have no interest in the symphony.”

“Yeah.” Megan nodded. “Besides, at a snooty event like that, everyone really would think you were Darci.”

“This is a problem.”

Megan lifted the jeans and handed them, along with the top to Kalissa. “It’s not your problem.”

“It’s Darci’s problem.” Kalissa tried to work her way through the ethics of the situation. “I at least owe her something for being my sister. Don’t I?”

“So, tell her.”

“That I’m going on a date?”

“That you exist . Give her a heads up. That’ll keep the reporters from blindsiding her with it.”

“I could call her,” said Kalissa. “Or drop her an e-mail.” An e-mail sounded a lot less intimidating.