Dawn Atkins - At Her Beck and Call

Mike whistled. “You’re a natural, lady.”

“That felt good.” She laughed with pleasure. “Now you go.”

He set up and swung, the ball flying higher than hers, but disappearing at the same point in the darkness. “You’re right. That does feel good.”

He set up her second ball, which she hit higher and harder than the first one. She whooped with delight.

Mike’s second ball flew straight out and way high.

Her third ball went even farther.

“You hit pretty hard there,” Mike said, whacking his third ball the farthest of all.

“Not as hard as you.”

“We can see how close we came tomorrow. Maybe after work?”

“Great.” She stared out to where the balls had gone. That had been fun and satisfying and it did make her feel less frustrated. She turned to say so to Mike and—

His mouth was right there, his hand at her cheek, and he kissed her. It was great—urgent and gentle, lips and tongue at once, teasing and hungry at the same time. She wanted it to go on and on. She was sinking into him and flying away at the same time, lighter than air, riding one of Jasmine’s pink clouds.

Then, Mike broke it off.

“Why did you do that?” she gasped.

“I got carried away.”

“No. I mean why did you stop?”

“I’m your boss, Autumn,” he said.

“Not until tomorrow, you’re not.”

She leaned in, but he backed up. “It was inappropriate. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Nothing’s wrong with you. Or me, either. We have an intense attraction.”

“Like my brother and your friend. Yeah.”

And they certainly didn’t want to go there. That was his message and she agreed with all her heart.

Her pink cloud evaporated instantly and Autumn hit the ground hard. She’d been ready to have sex on a dead and dusty golf green. Way too weird.

“I really apologize,” Mike said, looking so guilty.

“We kissed, okay? Don’t go painting a scarlet A on your forehead, Mike.”

“Still. I was way out of line.”

“What? Mayors are superhuman now?”

“Got the cape and tights in the trunk.” He smiled, but he clearly still felt awful.

“Leave them there. You’re fine. I’m fine. It’s okay.” But she was aware that her heart was still pounding from the kiss. “We should head back. I need sleep to impress my new boss tomorrow.”

“Ouch.” He grimaced.

She put a hand on his arm. “Don’t do that. I wanted you to kiss me.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yeah.” But he was right to stop. She had an internship to focus on. She needed her feet planted firmly on the shore, not flailing around in the deep end of an unpredictable sea.

They were quiet for the short drive. Through the sunroof Autumn watched the moon follow them home. Now and then she turned to smile reassuringly at Mike. No harm done.

Back in town, Mike parked beside her car in the high school parking lot and helped her out, hanging on to her hand for a few extra seconds. “I’ll see you in the morning?” His eyes held regret. He’d wanted more. Good. It was no fun wishing for more all alone.

“Bright and early. You bet.”

“Not early. You’ll upset Evelyn. She’ll think you’re trying to show her up.”

“Okay. On time then.” She looked around the quiet streets. There were no cars moving and barely any lights—just a few security bulbs inside business and the tall lights in the school lot where they stood. “I guess it’s good no one’s around,” she said. “Being out alone so late together…talk about starting gossip.”

“Yeah.” He smiled ruefully, then looked past her and his smile fell away. “Speaking of which…that’s my brother’s car.”

She turned and saw something move across the rear window of the Acura sedan—an arm, then a head. A familiar head. Jasmine and Mark were making out in the backseat. “Wow.”

“Yeah. Wow,” he said grimly.

They’d been so crazed they couldn’t make it to a house. What would that be like? Thrilling and scary, like the deep end of the pool she’d nearly slipped into with Mike.

I want that. She felt it so fiercely she had to brace herself against her bumper.

“So do we leave them here?” Mike asked.

“If someone else sees, they’d be mortified.”

“Yeah.” Mike sighed. “I’ll send them home. Unless you think you can sleep through that?” He nodded at the rocking car.

“If I have to, I could.”

“I know what you mean.” His eyes held heat. He didn’t want to have to listen to Mark and Jasmine doing what they wanted to be doing any more than she did.

“Got a coin?” she asked him.

“Huh?” He fished out a quarter.

“You flip and I’ll call.”

He smiled, braced it on his thumb and tossed it upward.

“Heads,” she said, and they held each other’s gaze while the quarter flew and spun up, then down.

Mike caught it without looking and slapped it onto the back of his hand. Tails shone up at them. “Looks like I’m the lucky one.”

“Sorry.”

“Get some sleep.” He touched her cheek, looking bewildered. “I don’t know what came over me.”

“Oh, I do.” It was lust, pure and simple, stoked by the hours together, how comfortable they’d been, everything they’d shared. They’d slipped easily into a teasing flirtation and just gone too far. “Blame it on the desert, the night, the stars. Hell, blame it on golf.”

“If you say so.” He backed away, still watching her, then raised a hand in farewell before turning to lope to the car to tell the couple where they would be banging the headboard.

She stood for a second, trying to shake off the spell. Out there at the resort, she’d forgotten who she was, what she wanted, everything but the warm man whose lips were on hers.

She realized she wasn’t scared to go to work now.

Which caused a cold thought to trickle through her brain. What if the flirtation had been about the job? What if she’d worked the physical attraction because the mental challenge scared her? After all, if her boss was attracted to her, he’d have to keep her on. Had that been her unconscious trick? It was second nature to use sex appeal to get what she wanted.

But that was unacceptable. The new Autumn was better than that. Smarter, too. And tomorrow she’d prove it.

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