Torrid Little Affair (Forbidden Desires #3)

Corinne shook her head. “I need this job. The pay is great and the health benefits are amazing. And so far, well, I really enjoyed it.”

So far-as in, before I’d gotten into town.

“That’s good. I just want to make sure you’ll be comfortable working with me.”

She nodded. “I’m not going to break from one pickup line. I’m actually pretty embarrassed at how I reacted.”

That was interesting. It was the last thing I expected her to say. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

She gave me a shy smile. “Thanks.” Then she let out a shaky breath, and her gaze drifted from mine. “Should we get to work, or . . .”

“First-and tell me to fuck off if I’m out of line here-but I’d like to know why when I came on to you, you looked scared. But you also looked curious.”

She mumbled something I couldn’t hear, and her gaze drifted to the floor.

“I saw it, Corinne, and I’m just curious. Care to tell me why?”

Her lips parted in surprise, but she didn’t respond. Several tense moments ticked past.

“Tell me to fuck off, Corinne. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” Any more uncomfortable than I already have, anyway.

She raised one hand, holding her palm toward me. “No. It’s just, I’m . . . it’s a fair question.”

Reading the situation as one that may call for a little more privacy, I rose and crossed the room, closing the door most of the way, but not completely. “Please enlighten me then.” I returned to the seat beside her.

“You have to know the effect you have on women.” She waved a hand in my direction. “You’re . . .”

“I’m what?” I couldn’t help the smile playing on the edges of my lips. This felt a lot like flirting, and as out of practice as I was, she had all my attention.

She straightened her shoulders. “Attractive. And I guess I was the tiniest bit flattered by your offer. I haven’t . . . haven’t been with a man in that way in a very long time. Haven’t felt desired.”

“I see.” Her words made my pulse spike, and my desire to claim her raged even brighter. “Why haven’t you been with a man? Because, excuse me for being so blunt, but you’re fucking stunning. Surely, you don’t lack for offers.”

Her cheeks flushed and she looked down at her hands briefly before meeting my eyes again. “I have some hang-ups when it comes to sex. God, I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”

“Don’t be embarrassed. I just had my heart forced through a shredder, and I admitted that to you within the first few minutes of us talking.”

She picked at the polished edge of her thumbnail. “I’m not sure what it is about you-talking to you-that makes me feel like I can open up.”

“You can,” I assured her. It was crazy, but I knew just what she meant. We weren’t shy or timid around each other like two people who’d just met ought to be. Instead, our eye contact was direct, and our words were honest and bare. It was exhilarating.

I decided to press her. Leaning closer, I asked, “What kind of hang-ups, Corinne?”

She swallowed, her delicate throat working. “Just nerves more than anything. Not only am I out of practice, but the experiences I had early on weren’t . . . healthy.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” She shook her head, obviously not wanting my pity. I knew that feeling.

I rose to my feet, offering her my hand to draw her up with me. “I’m sorry that you were ever treated as anything other than a goddess. And I’m very sorry that you haven’t found someone special to make you feel good, to bring you pleasure, to erase those sour memories.”

She nodded, her gaze locked on mine. And, Christ, if I didn’t know better, I would have thought she wanted me to kiss her. Her lips parted and her tongue darted out to wet her full bottom lip.

Clearly, my ability to read a woman’s signals were off. Like, way fucking off. I shoved my hands in my pockets and forced myself to take a step back.

This was insane. Totally fucking insane. But the longer that Corinne stood here, watching me with those sad eyes, and knowing that she’d been treated poorly, hearing her admit she hadn’t been properly taken care of-it did something to me.

Since I’d already managed to make an ass of myself once this morning, the logical side of me knew the last thing I should do was latch onto this moment and push for more. I knew that deep in my soul. But I also knew that I was a Kingsley, a man of action, not words. I could help Corinne, and in turn, she could help me.

“Cooper?” she asked, still standing in the center of my office, watching me closely.

“What if I could help you?”

Corinne’s eyes widened.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“Don’t freak out. Just listen.”

I placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her back to her seat. It was probably better that she was sitting down for this conversation, because I was pretty sure I’d lost my mind.

“I’m a fucking mess. Obviously.” I flashed her a smile. “Despite your first impression of me, I promise I know how to make sure a woman is comfortable, how to bring her pleasure. I know how to read a woman’s signals, which positions are the most enjoyable, how to make her come, when to press her for more, when to ease up. I might not have a fancy business degree, but that shit I know. Better than any man out there, I’d wager. And despite reading the situation wrong before, that’s a promise.”

She swallowed again, her throat bobbing and her eyes not daring to stray from mine. I had her complete attention.

“Just hear me out.” I wandered from my spot near her chair toward the windows that looked out on the bustling city below. The hum of traffic, the hustle as people and cars and buses all jockeyed for position, all the chaos below seemed to illustrate my situation even more.

It was crazy, but it made a mad sort of sense for us both to explore the simple pleasures life had to offer, to take a step back from it all and just give in. It was a long shot, but something about Corinne-her brokenness that I recognized all too well, her vague interest in me-made me certain I should offer her this. I had to. I couldn’t live with myself if I let her walk away, so sad and lonely and curious.

“This could be good for both of us,” I said, turning to face her again.

“What are you proposing?” Her arched brows rose even more in wonder.

“I’ll make you feel good. No strings. No messy entanglements. Just sex.”

God, I sounded so cliché. If this moment had a theme song, it would be “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye.

“But you’re my boss,” she blurted after several long seconds.

“During the workday, yes. But outside of work hours-nights, weekends-I’m just a man and you’re just a woman.”

Her pulse thumped steadily in her throat, but she shook her head. “I can’t . . . That’s . . .”

“I can see how timid you are, little dove. Just promise me you’ll think it through.”

Corinne’s eyes strayed from mine, leaving me to wonder what in the actual fuck I’d just done.