Perfect for You (13 page)

"What did you have in mind?" he asked mildly.

She shrugged, her heart beating so hard she was sure he could hear it. "I don't know. Whatever you think. Things to inspire me. The design is supposed to be sexy soÉ"

"You need to feel sexy." Nodding again, he studied her silently. She imagined it was the same way he watched a witness on the stand, until the person couldn't help but squirm under the intense scrutiny.

Finally she couldn't take any more. "Aren't you going to say anything more?"

"The answer is still yes, of course, but I have to be honest with you."

"Uh-oh." She grimaced. "Should I be scared?"

"No, but you should be warned." He took her chin in his hand. "I understand you just want an affair, but that's not what I want. I have my own agenda, and I'm going to continue working toward it."

She struggled to pay attention, but it was hard with the way his thumb rubbed the sensitive spot under her jaw. "What do you want?"

"I want you to be the last thing I see when I go to sleep and the first thing I see when I wake up. I want to sit with you in the sun, on the floor, and anywhere else, just to be close to you. I want it all."

She swallowed a couple times but her heart refused to dislodge from her throat.

He grinned deprecatingly. "Don't worry. I know you're not ready for all that, and I know you have serious misgivings about my profession, but I'm going to beat down all those walls, Freya."

He stood up and held a hand out to her. After a brief hesitation, she took it.

Holding her hand, he lifted her and tipped her head up with his other hand. Gently, slowly, he nipped her bottom lip before soothing it with a kiss. "I had the best time today. Thank you."

"I—" She shook her head, then she nodded. Then she frowned. "I did too."

He grinned and kissed her again. "I'll let myself out."

She waited till she heard the front door click shut before she collapsed on her couch. "Oh my God," she murmured, tracing her lips with her fingers. What just happened?

Her lips still throbbed with the feel of his, and that throbbing echoed between her legs. Her panties were uncomfortably moist, and her nipples grazed excruciatingly against her bra with every breath.

She shook her head. "Well, that was unexpected."

Unexpected and absolutely mind-blowing.

He wanted more.

That wasn't going to happen, but he wouldn't be able to say she didn't warn him. This was just going to be a temporary fling, ending once she was sure she'd done her job. More than that wasn't in the cards.

She touched fingers to her lips, wondering what their next move was. Whatever it was, it was going to be good.

Her office door opened, and a strange squeaking invaded her concentration. She looked up from her computer, brows knitted in annoyance. Charles was out of the office, and she'd told the team specifically that she didn't want to be disturbed this afternoon.

In the doorway there was a forest of mylar palm tree balloons.

What the hell? She blinked. At least that explained the squeaking noise.

A hand pushed the balloons aside, and Greg poked his head in. "Busy?"

"Yes." She smiled for the first time all day. "But come in any way."

Walking in, he closed the door behind him. He looked like a
GQ
wet dream, dressed impeccably in a dark suit with a muted gray shirt and silk abstract tie in shades of blue that deepened the azure of his eyes. "I figured you'd be working, but I thought you could use a little tropical picnic."

She smiled slowly as she stood. "I've never gone on a tropical picnic."

"I figured." He shook his head with mock regret. "No wonder your muse went packing. But don't worry." He let go of the balloons and he brandished a small picnic basket in front of him. "I should be able to lure her back."

"So confident, are you?" she said, going to stand in front of him.

"Yes." He pulled her closer. "Hello, Freya."

His voice slid over her and she was hard pressed to repress the shiver that zipped up her arms and down her spine. She sighed as his lips brushed hers softly.

She melted against him, some of her frustration slipping away. "I needed that," she murmured.

"Me too." Greg kissed her once more before turning his attention to the picnic basket.

Leaning against her desk, she watched him take out a blanket, a bottle of champagne, glasses, and some pretty boxes that looked like treats. "What is all this?"

"Work." He grinned boyishly at her as he popped the champagne bottle. "I've been charged with bringing your muse back, and I take my oaths seriously. This seemed like a good place to start."

"Don't you have lawyerly things to do?" She glanced at the time. "It's midday."

"Fortunately, I'm the boss. There are advantages to being in charge." He held out a glass to her. "Are you willing to indulge?"

By his tone, she could tell he was offering more than champagne. Smiling, she accepted—the drink and everything else.

"Sit. I have a few surprises for you."

"More surprises," she said, tucking her skirt under her as she sat on the blanket. She gestured at the balloons with her glass. "I'm not sure how you can beat midget palm trees."

"Yeah, those were inspired. Are you hungry?"

She smiled widely. "I'm starving."

"Good." He set out butter crackers, olives, strawberries, and Brie, but it was the last package that caught her curiosity. If she wasn't mistaken, the box looked like...

"Teuscher!" she exclaimed, ripping off the ribbon and plunging in. "Chocolate covered ginger! How did you know?"

He flushed a little. "Lucky guess."

"Really lucky." Smiling, she peeled the chocolate off and nibbled on the ginger. With the champagne it was heaven.

He watched her savor it, an indulgently amused look on his face. Then he took a broken piece of chocolate from her fingers and popped it in his mouth. "Tell me about your day."

She wrinkled her nose. "Not the best, but at least my boss is out of town today, so I have that going for me."

"The design still not going well?"

"I have a few mockups, and I have a couple more weeks to come up with some more ideas." She worried the edge of her skirt. "I've just had a hard time this year. Not being able to work isn't really like me."

"We'll fix it."

He said it with such unshakable faith she had to believe him. She nodded. "Okay."

Leaning toward her, he kissed her again, softly at first, but then it ignited.

With a moan, Freya leaned in, putting her hand on his leg for support. He tasted like wine and sugar and wicked promises. Delicious, and just what she craved.

Snaking his hand into her hair, he tilted her head back to bite his way down her neck. She arched into it, and he followed her back until he sprawled on top of her on the floor, kissing down into the V of her top.

"Lips," she said, and she tugged at his hair to bring his mouth to hers. His face scratched her skin in a luscious way.

"Freya, I have—Oh crap."

She and Greg broke apart, panting heavily.

Eve stood in the doorway, watching them with shocked eyes. Then she grinned despite her red cheeks. "I didn't realize you were in a meeting. Carry on."

The door closed, and Freya and Greg both exhaled in relief.

The door reopened and Eve poked her head back in, a naughty smile lighting her eyes. "If this is the new intern, send him by my office when you're done."

Freya picked up her shoe, which had come off at some point and aimed at the door. Eve quickly closed it, but they could hear her laughter all the way down the hall.

Even laying flat on her bed, it was a beautiful sight. The dress was white and, in the fading light of the afternoon, it shimmered only like fine silk did. Long and diaphanous, its halter-top plunged low in the front, leaving everything in back bare down to the hips.

Freya remembered how it looked on her when she'd tried it on at the store. It'd been expensive, but it was so worth it.

Grinning, she set the silver strappy heels she was going to wear on the floor, ready. She checked the time. An hour until he was supposed to pick her up.

Needless to say, she was excited about tonight. She felt like a four year old on her first trip to Disneyland. She hadn't been able to think of anything else since he'd asked her out, the evening after he'd brought the picnic to her office.

And it wasn't the usual, casual dinner either. He made absolutely certain she understood that this was a real date, so she needed to start anticipating.

She shook her head. She would have never guessed that she'd be anticipating locking lips with him, that she'd think of him constantly and want him in the most carnal way. That she would have ended up on the floor of her office in a forest of helium-filled palm trees making out with him.

That picnic the loveliest thing anyone had ever done for her.

He was so attentive to her. He brought her Teuscher ginger, and she couldn't even remember when she'd told him about her affinity for it. Like the champagne, it went straight to her head.

Sunday evening, something had shifted in their relationship. Of course it was going to, when she'd asked him to help her recover her muse, but this was more. A whole other level, one where the stakes were higher. She didn't know what to expect, and she was afraid to analyze it.

The only thing to do was to enjoy it. To use it to get her muse on her side again, and to have some fun in the process.

Greg was going to be a lot of fun.

She shivered.

Her cell phone beeped with a text. She winced when she saw it was Connor.

Back from New York. Dinner soon?

She shot back a reply:
Maybe Friday?

His response came back just as quickly.
Lovely. Pick you up at 8.

Guilt stabbed at her, but she couldn't decide who she felt guilty about: Greg or Connor.

No thinking about that tonight. She had a bath to take. Stroking the slippery fabric of her dress one last time, she went to fill her tub with hot water.

Forty-five minutes later, when she was applying her makeup, she heard someone bang on her front door. Before she could slip on her robe and go investigate she heard the door open followed by muffled footsteps skipping up the stairs.

Anna, of course.

If she needed more proof, two seconds later she heard, "Freya! Are you up there?"

"In the bedroom." She tied the sash of her robe and was about to go out to greet her sister when she appeared in the doorway.

Anna whistled, long and loud, going straight to the dress. "Nice."

"Don't get your grubby fingerprints on it."

She stuck her tongue out.

"What are you, five?" Shaking her head, Freya went into the bathroom and finished with her mascara. When she walked back into the bedroom, her sister was trying on the shoes.

Anna hobbled around on the heels, holding her hands out for balance. "If only your feet weren't so big."

Sometimes it was best to just ignore your sibling.

"I take it you have a hot date. A super hot date, based on this fabulous dress." Anna sighed and touched a layer of chiffon with longing. "This is a princess dress. It must have cost a fortune."

"You're going to have to live in your car the rest of the semester."

"Ha ha." Anna made a face and plopped on the bed, careful not to wrinkle the dress. "So who's the dress for?"

"Greg."

"
Greg
, as in the ogre upstairs?"

"Shut up," Freya said mildly, opening her underwear drawer.

"I'll shut up, but I'm smirking on the inside. You seriously aren't going to wear underwear with that dress, are you?"

She frowned at her little sister. "I don't think I want to have this sort of conversation with you, especially since you're going to be a virgin till you're thirty-five."

Anna grinned. "I won't tell you about Hans and Boris during spring break then."

"You hung out on my couch during spring break."

"So did Hans and Boris."

Rolling her eyes, she picked up her dress and went into the bathroom. As she fastened the hook of the halter-top around her neck she tried not to envision Greg undoing it. Neither was she imagining it slithering off of her and ending up in a pool at her feet. Nor was she thinking about Greg's hands following its descent down her body.

When she went back out, Anna whistled again. "Shrek—um, Greg is going to swallow his tongue when he sees you. If only I were taller."

"Then you'd borrow the dress to wear to art history?" Freya asked with a smile, slipping her earrings on.

Anna shrugged, glancing away.

"Anna," Freya said, stopping to look closer at her sister. "Is there a new boy?"

"No."

She said it so definitively that Freya didn't doubt that there wasn't. Still, she knew her sister, and there was something going on there. "I'll find out, you know."

"You always do." Anna frowned at her. "You should put your hair up.

She turned to the mirror and twisted her long mass of curls into a pile on her head. "You're right," she said as she secured it.

"So what are the plans for tonight?"

"Dinner. I don't know where, he just told me to get dressed up."

"That's so romantic." Anna sighed longingly, a faraway look in her eyes. "So when you guys come home, will you go to his place or yours?"

"
Anna
."

"Come on. A woman doesn't wear a dress like that except to get lucky. That dress is saying ÔHere's your present, big boy—untie my bow at your will.'"

"I am not telling him to untie my bow. And don't make me wash your mouth out with soap."

"Freya, there's nothing wrong with having your bow untied."

"Of course there isn't," she agreed, slipping on her new shoes. "But you and I aren't going to discuss my bow."

Anna flopped back on the bed. "You're so old fashioned sometimes."

"Did you come here for a reason, or was torturing me your main goal?"