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“We danced, and then…yeah, that was it,” I muttered.
“Please,” she demanded, “describe him in vivid, painfully detailed fashion. I need to live vicariously through you.”
That part was easy. His image was seared into my brain.
“Well, he’s tall with broad shoulders, muscles that scream manual labor. He’s got brown hair, that tapered mullet thing guys are doing these days…and get this—streaks of gray.”
Thinking about him again was making my skin prickle and my libido spike. Great, just what I needed while trying to get ready. Now I was the one fanning myself as I rifled through my suitcase, pulling out my favorite pair of red heels.
“Nellie!” Laney squealed over the phone, her excitement bubbling through. “He sounds like something out of a movie. I’m closing my eyes and dreaming about it right now.”
I rolled my eyes, balancing on one foot to slip on the first heel. “I know, trust me. But now that I know he’s the man I’m here to work for? It’s…complicated.”
“And if he wasn’t?” Laney pressed, her voice practically dripping with curiosity. “Would you have gone back for seconds?”
“Oh, absolutely,” I admitted without hesitation. “I was already plotting ways to find him again. And then last night…” My mind replayed the elevator incident, heat rising to my cheeks. “He made another move when I asked him to walk me to my room.”
“Okay…” Laney’s tone shifted, curiosity laced with a hint of apprehension. “You’re going to have to explain.”
Taking a steadying breath, I launched into the full story because she was my best friend, and the concept of TMI didn’t exist between us. I described the way Colton had looked at me, his intense gaze pinning me in place. How his body had betrayed him, hardening at my sharp words, the tension between us thick enough to choke on.
Needing some fresh air, I made my way to the balcony to use the serene view to help calm my nerves.
By the time I finished, Laney let out a low whistle. “Nellie…that is dangerously hot.”
“It’s also dangerously stupid,” I countered, flopping into the chair on the balcony. “This isn’t some harmless fling. He’s my client, Laney. My CEO client.”
Her laugh on the other end of the line was anything but apologetic. “Maybe so, but it sounds like he’s also the most exciting thing that’s happened to you in a while.”
I groaned, leaning my head back against the chair. “That’s not the point.”
“No, the point is you’re overthinking this. You had fun, you clearly want more, and it’s not like he’s against the idea. So why are you making it so complicated?”
Because it was complicated. But explaining that to Laney, who thrived on the kind of messy romances I tried to avoid, felt impossible.
“Because how could I not? Sleeping with a client isn’t exactly ethical.”
“According to whom? You both are top of the chain in your companies. Who is there to tell you no?”
I sighed.
“Me. I’m telling myself no.”
Laney let out a satisfied hum, like she was sipping tea. I thought for a beat about the fact I was in charge and so was he. She had a point…
The mountains stretched out before me, endless and serene—something I definitely wasn’t feeling inside nor something I was used to.
“So, you don’t think it’s a bad idea?” I asked, cringing as the words left my mouth. I threw my head against the back of the rocking chair, the cool air doing little to soothe me. “I mean, he hired me to do a job, not…use him for great sex.”
The line went quiet for a moment, and I could practically hear Laney mulling over her response. She always chose her words carefully when she knew I was teetering on the edge of shutting down.
Finally, she exhaled, her voice soft but firm. “Okay, I’m saying this because I love you and I want you to be happy, so don’t bite my head off. You care way too much about what people think of you. Who cares? Seriously, who’s even going to know? It’s not like you’re going to post a big announcement online—‘Hey everyone, check out the devastatingly hot cowboy I’m sleeping with!’”
That earned her a short laugh while I shook my head at her ridiculousness.
Colton said the same thing to me last night about caring too much. How could that be used against me? I was careful, cautious.
Laney continued, undeterred. “My advice? Go for it. Have a little fun for once. You’re out of the city, you’re not looking for anything long-term. Just…mess around, blow off some steam, and call it a day.”
