Friendship on Fire (8 page)

RILEY AWOKE TO the sound of her cell phone vibrating on the bedside table. She reached for it without opening her eyes, and then she remembered the night before—and the missing piece.
Did we say goodbye?
She shot up in bed, pulling the covers against her chest. Her eyes scanned the bedroom. Josh’s clothes were gone, his wallet, too.
Thank God
.
Oh no. Did he sneak out? Like a one-night stand?

Her phone vibrated against her cheek, and she clicked the Talk button. “Hello?”

“You were supposed to call me last night.”

“Jade, thank God,” Riley whispered frantically into the phone as she climbed from the bed. She didn’t know if Josh was outside the bedroom door, still in the apartment.

“What’s wrong?” Jade asked.

“Nothing. Everything. Hold on.” She set the phone on the nightstand and pulled on a T-shirt and underwear, then picked it back up. “It was a definite date.”

“Why are we whispering?” Jade whispered.

“Because I can’t remember saying goodbye to Josh after…you know.”

“You and Josh?” Jade screamed into the phone. “Really? This is wonderful!”

“No, it’s not. I mean, it’s wonderful, yes, but it’s also scary as shit.” She tiptoed into the living room and, seeing that she was alone, breathed a sigh of relief.

“Why is it scary?”

“Because. Now I’m sleeping with my boss, and you know Cruella will eat that up and spit me out for all to walk on.” Riley noticed a note on the counter in the kitchen. “Hold on,” she said as she retrieved and read the note.

Good morning, beautiful. Back soon. J.

“Oh my God.”

“Riley, clue me in here,” Jade urged.

“It’s a note from Josh. He’s coming back. What time is it?” The sun was just beginning to rise over the crest of the trees.

“Six your time,” Jade said.

“Isn’t it like four in the morning there? Jeez you get up early to take care of those animals. Why would he leave and then come back before six in the morning?” Riley went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. There was a freshly used towel hanging neatly on the towel rack. “He showered,” she said.

“And you what? Slept through him getting ready and leaving after you had sex?” Jade’s voice carried an entertained tone.

“Ugh. I must have. I don’t even know what time we fell asleep.”

“That’s some good sex,” Jade said. “Really, think about it. When’s the last time you had sex and didn’t want to push the guy out the door afterward? You’re not exactly the sleepover type.”

“Shut up. It’s not like I’m a slut,” Riley spat.

“No, but you are picky as shit, which tells me one thing loud and clear. Josh Braden is good in bed.”

Riley turned off the water of the shower and sat on the toilet lid, thinking about the evening before. Josh had touched her with such care and attention, like he was savoring every moment as much as she’d been. “He was, but it was more than that. When you and Rex finally got together for good, did you feel like everything he did felt right?”

“What do you mean? He’s a man, and no man does everything right.” Jade laughed.

“No, I mean like every touch felt right. With most guys, when they touch you, they’re rushing ahead and ready for the next step. You know, kiss, boob, coochie, boom. It wasn’t like that with him.”
Open your eyes
. A chill ran up her spine with the memory.

“Sometimes that’s nice, the rush, rush of hot sex, but yeah, I know what you mean. So, what now? How will you handle Cruella?”

Riley blew out a breath. “That’s the worst part. I told him I’d rather sneak around than let her know.”

“No, you did not.”

“Yes, I did. Oh, Jade. I’m such an idiot. He was ready to talk to her and tell her that we were seeing each other, and I kinda freaked out about being seen as the woman who slept her way to the top.”

“Well,” Jade said, “if you’re gonna sleep your way to the top, you skipped all the in-between steps.”

“Shut up. You know what I mean. I want to be taken seriously. Yes, I’m sleeping with Josh, but I’m not doing it to advance my career.” Riley wondered if she’d made a mistake following her heart instead of her head. “I should end it, shouldn’t I? Before we get any closer?” Even the thought of ending things with Josh brought a lump to her throat.

“Look, if Rex and I can overcome a family feud that had gone on for longer than we’d been alive, then you and Josh can survive rumors. Tell me this. What do you really feel for him?”

Riley shook her head. “I don’t know. I like him. A lot. Maybe more than a lot, but maybe that’s just because it’s new and exciting. You know how that works. Sometimes, after a month or so, that initial glow wears off. What if it does and then I’ve ruined my career for good?”

“You know you’re only kidding yourself, right?” Jade asked. “You’ve liked him since grade school. This isn’t new. It’s just now
revealed
. How can you deceive your own mind like that?”

Riley sighed. “I’m not. Okay, maybe I am. It’s like all those years of watching him from afar—”

“Fantasizing about him late at night,” Jade said.

“Maybe.”

“I did about Rex, so I know you did about Josh.”

“Fine, okay. I fantasized about him since the day my hormones kicked in, and the fantasies only grew stronger every time I saw him. It was easier when I was away at school. Then I could sort of put those thoughts away for a bit,” Riley admitted.

“I know the feeling, but, Ri, this is real. This is happening, and you know you don’t want to end it,” Jade said. 

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.

“Someone’s at the door. That has to be him. I gotta go. Talk later?” Riley asked.

“Yes, and, Ri?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s nothing wrong with following your heart. Let yourself be happy.”

Riley set the phone down and answered the door.

“Hi.” Josh kissed her on the cheek and handed her a warm Starbucks cup. He breezed past her like he’d been handing her coffee every morning. He wore a pair of jogging shorts and a sweaty T-shirt and carried a garment bag and a gym bag over his shoulder.

“Hi.” Riley closed the door and leaned against it, holding the warm cup between her hands.
Let me be happy
. The warmth of the cup didn’t compare to the warmth in her heart as she watched Josh in all his incredible handsomeness swing the bags onto the couch and come toward her with open arms. When he wrapped her in his strong arms, his skin was icy cold and slick with sweat, and still, when he kissed her, she nearly melted, and when he whispered, “I missed you,” into her ear, she was a goner. There was no way she’d end things with Josh to save herself from gossip.  She froze against him. What was she supposed to do now? Go to work and act like nothing happened between them, like she’d basically asked him to do? How could she do that when what she really wanted to do was fall into his arms again and kiss him like there was no tomorrow.

“You okay?” he asked. “Is the coffee all right?”

“Yeah, perfect,” she said.

“What is it? What’s wrong?” His brow furrowed, and the concern in his eyes was genuine.

How could she tell him what was racing through her mind?

“Riley? Am I missing something? Should I have not come back?” he asked.

“No, no. It’s not that. It’s just…”
I like this too much. I want to wake up to you. I want you to bring me coffee. I just don’t want to be known as the woman who made her career by sleeping with you
.

“Babe? What is it?”

Oh God, babe? I love that
.

Riley turned away so he couldn’t read her expression. She knew her eyes revealed her emotions. Jade had told her that hundreds of times.

She felt his arms around her. He rested his cheek against hers.

“Whatever it is, we can figure it out,” he assured her.

Riley sighed. “Do you really want to do this?”
Why do I sound so scared? God, I hate that
.

“This? You mean”—he pressed his body against hers and kissed her cheek—“or
this
as in you and me in general?”

“This as in you and me in general.”
Please tell me you do. No, please tell me you don’t. Ugh!

He pulled back and narrowed his eyes. “Forget what I want, Riley. What do you want? What will make you happiest? I don’t ever want to thrust myself upon you. If you don’t want to explore what’s between us, I’ll understand, and your job will be safe.”

“No.” She reached for his arm and felt his muscles tense beneath her fingers. “Josh, there’s no doubt in my mind that I want you, and I don’t want to hide and scheme. But I don’t know if I can survive a gossip storm before I even have a chance to prove myself.”

He pulled her close once again, holding the back of her head so her cheek rested against his chest, safe and warm.

“Oh, babe. This is not an easy thing to figure out.” He pulled back and smiled, then cupped her cheek and kissed her. “But I want to figure it out. Let’s talk about it.” He took her hand and led her to the couch.

“Where’d you go this morning?” she asked.

“Running; then I swung by my place and grabbed clothes and toiletries.”

“You ran with your bags?” she asked.

“No. Jay brought them over. I didn’t want you to think I was taking off after last night, but I’m kind of neurotic about my daily run. Was it okay that I came back?”

“Yes, definitely. But why did you—instead of getting ready at your place, I mean?”

“Riley, I wanted to exercise, not be away from you. I want to spend time with you, and if you’re most comfortable that we do that in secret, then I’ll steal every secret second that I can get. Besides, what kind of heel doesn’t bring coffee the morning after a night like that?” He ran a hand through his hair. “I probably should have asked you first. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think that I might get in the way or throw off your mojo. Women have rituals in the mornings.” He laughed. “I’m a big boy. I can get ready at my place, no sweat.” He stood.

Riley pulled him back down. “Josh, that’s not what I meant at all. I’ve never met anyone like you. Most guys would be out the door and thrilled with it. You surprised me, that’s all. Stay. Please stay.”

He caressed her cheek. “I’m not most guys.”

“Yeah, I know that. Most guys wouldn’t offer to talk through a concern, either.”

He raised his eyebrows. “It is a tough one. There aren’t many choices. We can go to work and act like nothing is going on and see where our relationship goes, or we can go to work and face the music and endure the rumor mill.  There is no middle ground. I’m up for whatever you think is best.”

“You really are too good to be true. Aren’t you worried at all about dating an employee? A brand-new assistant? You’re not just my boss, Josh; you’re a fashion icon. You run JBD. Hell, you
are
JBD. Doesn’t it worry you to date someone from work, or…”

“Or what?”

Riley looked him in the eye and asked what had been nagging at her all morning. “Or have you dated people at work before? Are they used to it? You know, models come and go from JBD all the time.”

Before she could blink, Josh was on top of her, holding her hands above her head and kissing her neck. Riley shrieked in surprise and delight.

“Really? Is that what you think I do? Find lonely assistants and models to bang?” He lifted her T-shirt and kissed her belly. “Because let me tell you something, missy, not only have I not dated anyone from work, but I’ve never dated anyone like you before.” He tickled her ribs until she was screeching with laughter.

“Okay. Okay,” she said through broken laughs.

He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her again.
I could get used to this
. She arched toward him, and he pulled her onto his lap. Her hair hid their kiss like a curtain. Josh pulled her shirt over her head and took her breast in his mouth. She groaned, calculating if she had time to fool around before work.
The hell with it
. She’d make the time. He tugged at her shorts as she pulled his down.

“Condom,” he said, reaching for his bag.

She groaned. “Hurry.” She lay on the couch naked, watching him cover his enormous erection with the protective latex. She hadn’t realized the night before how well endowed he was, and now she could barely take her eyes off of him.

He flashed a devious smile as he climbed on top of her. “It’s a Braden curse.”

“That’s a hell of a curse,” she said.

“Someone’s got to bear it.”

“Oh, baby, let me be the one,” she teased. This time, without the blur of the wine and the haze of the lust leading up to the sex, when he penetrated her, she felt every blessed inch of him, every stroke, the fullness of his head, the length of his shaft. His girth sent a shock of mind-numbing sensations right through her. She’d dreamed about him for so long, and now, with the sun filling the room and his dark, provocative eyes staring into hers, she’d never felt so at peace and sex had never felt so right.

He took her head between his hands and planted soft kisses across her lips, her cheeks, her forehead. “You really are beautiful,” he said.

“You say that to all the models,” she teased. “We’re on your sister’s couch. I don’t think she’d appreciate that very much.”

“Right.” He climbed from the couch, and she clawed at him to come back.

He pulled her to her feet on the couch, then lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and took him inside of her.

“Now we’re off the couch,” he said.

She knew his muscles must be straining beneath her, but if they were, he didn’t show it. He backed her up against the wall, holding her under her thighs, lifting her with each of his thrusts. She kissed his neck, then sucked the skin at the curve of his shoulder until he groaned.

“You’re gonna make me come,” he said.

“Isn’t that the point?” she teased.

He groaned again and carried her into the bedroom, then lowered her onto the bed. As he began to climb on top of her, she shook her head.

“My turn,” she said, and pushed him playfully against the wall. “Take it off,” she said, eyeing the condom.

“Off?”

“Off. If there’s a chance I’m going to be called all sorts of things, I might as well live up to the expectations.” She watched him remove the condom. “I’m on the pill anyway,” she said, then took his nipple in her mouth and sucked until it pebbled against her tongue. He grabbed her arms with a groan.