Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“How about you guys plan a nice date night instead?” I suggested, aiming to lift her spirits. “Do something fun. Maybe dinner and a show along with one night at a hotel. Christmastime in New York City is beautiful. I’ll watch Gracie.”
Becca gave me a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Maybe. Thanks, Morgan.”
She helped me pick out gifts for Gracie—a Disney princess coloring book, new crayons, and a matching doll—and we left the store. My mind lingered on Parker, wondering what was really going on with him, but Becca didn’t seem to want to discuss it any further.
“So, how are things going with Liam?” she asked as we walked past a kiosk where a man selling expensive sunglasses tried to get our attention. I gave him my best polite but uninterested smile and we continued on.
I’d confided in Becca about Liam, and how we were quietly dating. “Things are mostly good,” I said, feeling my cheeks heat as I thought about our steamy encounter in his office a couple of days ago.
I hadn’t planned to initiate anything sexual when I showed up at his office with dinner, but after I overheard his phone conversation and realized he was worried about screwing things up with me, it had prompted me to act boldly. I had no regrets, though I never imagined doing something like that at work. But I couldn’t deny our secrecy made the whole thing even more thrilling and exhilarating. The need to be quiet, the forbidden nature of what we were doing…
“Mostly good?” Becca pressed, her brow arching with curiosity. “What does that mean?”
I shrugged. “We’ve both been swamped at work lately,” I said, trying to sound casual. “I love that the company shuts down for the holidays to give everyone a chance to enjoy that time off, but this is always a busy time in preparation of that. We just haven’t had much time alone. But we text every day, and he’s…” I paused, searching for the right word. “Sweet.”
That last part was only partially true. Liam could be surprisingly sweet, sure, but our recent messages leaned more toward the explicit, and I flushed just thinking about them. Like this morning’s text where he’d described in vivid detail what he’d been thinking about while in the shower.
My blush intensified, and Becca’s knowing smile told me she’d noticed. The gleam in her eyes confirmed it.
“Uh, huh. I’m sure those texts are sweet and completely innocent.” She suddenly grabbed my arm and steered me toward a lingerie store. “Come on. Let’s stop in here and find something to make his jaw drop.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” But I was already thinking about Liam’s reaction to my simple black lace underwear in his office. What would he do if I wore something even more daring?
“Parker mentioned you and Liam are heading to Vegas in January for CES.” Becca’s grin turned mischievous as she pulled me through the store’s doors. “He suspects nothing, but I’m guessing that it won’t be an entirely business focused trip for you and Liam.”
“We haven’t actually discussed it—”
“Talking is overrated,” Becca said with a laugh, her mood uplifted. “You two will be alone in a hotel in Sin City. Trust me, you’ll want sexy lingerie to make it unforgettable.”
I bit my bottom lip and glanced around at the displays, taking in the array of bras, panties, camisoles, bodysuits, and even silky robes. A thrill of anticipation shot through me. Becca was right. Vegas promised the perfect opportunity to deepen the connection with Liam, especially if I wore something from this store to tempt him.
Our trip to Sin City was definitely going to be one to remember.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Liam
While GalvaTech closed over the holidays, the investment firm didn’t. So, while the employees of GalvaTech, including Morgan, took the week off to spend time with their families, I’d been busy with Simon at our own business, hammering out details of upcoming deals and catching up on end of the year assessments, internal audits, and client updates.
Even with all the extra hours I was putting in, this schedule wasn’t nearly as relentless as my Wall Street days. Back then, work consumed every waking moment. This was just a temporary crunch. A couple of demanding weeks I knew would pass.
Still, frustration gnawed at me. I hadn’t managed any real time alone with Morgan. We talked mostly business at work, traded texts that ranged from sweet to filthy, but we hadn’t been alone together since that evening in my office over two weeks ago.
Christmas came and went, as did New Year’s Eve. Because we hadn’t made the fact that we were dating public yet, we decided to spend the holidays separately. But I knew at some point we’d have to face the truth. What we were building was something real, and I needed to figure out a way to let Parker and her father know that I was fully invested in Morgan and our developing relationship, without rocking the boat professionally.