Fall into Her (Fall into Him Book Two) (8 page)

Jennifer intertwined her fingers. “He's been really nice and hasn't
said anything mean to me at all.” An image flashed into her mind of when Brad
had seen Philip and her together at the hotel, but she dismissed it. That had
been a misunderstanding. “And he explained that before, when we were together,
he hadn't really meant to say such horrible things to me, that it was all just
miscommunication.”

Rachel leaned towards Jennifer and took the younger woman's hands in
her own. “Do you truly believe that?” There was no accusation in her voice, but
Jennifer could see the shadow in Rachel's eyes.

“I don't know,” Jennifer admitted. “I want to. I mean, it wasn't all
bad when we were together.” She needed Rachel to understand, to know that Brad
wasn't a monster. “He chose me when he could have had any girl he wanted. He
helped me get out of the little town we both thought we'd be stuck in forever.
We were good together for years.”

“Okay,” Rachel nodded. She paused, considering her next words. “But did
the good really outweigh the bad? Maybe I don't know the specifics, but it
seems to me like he must've gotten pretty awful, especially towards the end of
your relationship.”

“But if he didn't really mean it...” Jennifer held on to that hope. If
Brad hadn't actually meant those things he'd said, if he'd really just been
trying to help her but hadn't said things right, then all of those bad memories
didn't count. Right?

“Are you willing to take that chance?” Rachel's voice was soft. “Think
about it, Jennifer. Think about what it was like just before you guys broke up.
Think about how being with him made you feel.”

Memories rushed forward, one right after the other. Brad's comments
about her weight, about the way she dressed. Suspecting that he'd been with
other women. His constant run-downs about her work. How she wasn't good enough,
pretty enough, smart enough... Jennifer felt the tears burn against her
eyelids, and then, suddenly, Rachel was there, her arms wrapping around
Jennifer and pulling her from the past.

“Shh, hey, it's okay.” Rachel smoothed down Jennifer's rain-tangled
hair. “I just want you to be happy.” She pressed her lips against the top of
Jennifer's head. “Okay? I don't want you to get hurt.”

“I think that's going to be a risk no matter what I choose,” Jennifer
muttered.

“True,” Rachel agreed. “Any time you open up your heart, you risk
getting hurt. But I will say this. If any guy hurts you on purpose or not, I'll
cut off his balls and serve them for dinner.”

Jennifer laughed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. Leave it
to Rachel to come up with a way to bring humor into the situation. At least,
she hoped Rachel was joking. There were some things Jennifer wouldn't put past
her feisty roommate. “Thanks, Rachel.”

“That's what I'm here for, sweetie.” Rachel stood. “Just know that
whatever you decide, I'll support you. And if you need to talk or yell or just
have a shoulder to cry on, I'm always here.” She smiled down at Jennifer.
“Don't ever not call me because I'm doing some sort of family emergency thing.
You're family too.”

Jennifer felt tears of a different kind fill her eyes and Rachel
hurried away before things got weepy. Having been raised in a family of rough
and tough boys, 'chick-flick' moments weren't really her thing. She was great
at advice and listening, but when it came to sharing something heart-felt, with
Rachel, things were straightforward and then over.

Jennifer picked up her mug and drained the last of the now-lukewarm
chocolate. She felt better but still a little cold. A nice long soak in the tub
might be just what she needed to clear her head. Once she could think more
clearly, maybe the answer would present itself.

When she climbed into bed nearly forty minutes later, she was warmer,
but no closer to an answer than she had been when she'd first gotten into the
tub. Part of the problem was that Brad's proposal was only half of her
complicated love equation.

The other half involved her equally as confusing feelings regarding
Philip Haas, her physically attractive and emotionally distant boss. Over the
short time she'd known Philip, they'd engaged in hot, intense sex several
times, and she'd been kicked out of the room on more than one occasion.

All of it had come to a head earlier that day when she'd finally told
him that she wasn't going to take his rude treatment any longer and she'd walked
away from the job she'd always wanted. She was still trying to figure out how
to tell Rachel that she'd quit her job without giving away the details as to
why. While Jennifer knew that her roommate wouldn't judge, she couldn't bear
the thought of how disappointed Rachel would be with her for sleeping with her
boss.

***

Jennifer had just slipped under the cool cotton sheets when her phone
rang. She had a brief moment of déjà vú as she saw Philip's name, but she
seriously doubted that phone sex was on his mind after the way she'd left
things. Then again, she never did know what to expect when it came to the way
his mind worked. She, however, wasn't going to play this time. No matter what
he said, sex was off the table. But, despite her resolve, she couldn't quite
blow him off completely.

“Philip.” She was proud of herself for keeping her voice coolly polite,
though she wondered how long she could keep it up.

She was shocked to hear that Philip's tone wasn't so even. “Jennifer.”

“Is there something you needed?” Her voice sounded much composed than
she felt. There was still something about Philip that got her in knots, no
matter what else had transpired between them.

“Were you serious about quitting?” Philip didn't bother with small talk.

“I think so,” Jennifer said slowly. “I can't keep working with you so
hot and cold. I need to know that you respect me and what I do.” She could
hardly believe what she was saying. Confronting Philip earlier today seemed to
have unlocked something inside her, something that she'd thought her years with
Brad had broken.

“What if...” Philip began. He paused and Jennifer waited for him to
continue. “Look, I screwed up. I know I did. I can't guarantee it won't happen
again, but I can promise that I'll try to do better.”

Jennifer could hear an undercurrent of something in his words and it
twisted her heart in a way she wasn't quite sure she wanted to analyze. “You
want me to come back?”

“Yes.” The word held no uncertainty. “I want you to come back and work
for me. Work with me.”

All thoughts of Brad's proposal had been pushed to the back of
Jennifer's mind, making room for this new question to answer. The invitation
was two-fold, she knew. If she agreed to go back to work, she'd also be
agreeing to continue this relationship – or whatever it was – with Philip. Was
she really ready to do that? Her eyes darted over to the ring on the table next
to her bed.

Brad had slid it onto her finger even though she'd told him she needed
time. She'd taken it off as soon as she'd left the restaurant and slid it into
her pocket. No matter how pretty it was, the cool metal was heavier than it
should have been and she couldn't quite make herself put it on, not until she
made a decision. Hearing Philip's voice just made it that much harder to
decide, even if she'd told herself that it shouldn't.

As if sensing the reason behind her hesitation, Philip added, “Just
give me a chance to show you that I can do better at work. Nothing else until
I've proven myself, I promise.”

“Okay,” Jennifer gave the answer her heart wanted before her head could
protest. She could hear in Philip's voice how much he meant the words and no
matter how much she was still trying to figure out how she felt about Brad, she
couldn't pass up the chance to find out where things could go with Philip, both
personally and professionally.

“You'll come back?”

Jennifer's heart skipped a beat. For the first time since she'd met
him, she truly felt as if Philip cared about her for something more than sex.
“Yes. I'll be in tomorrow at the usual time.”

“Great!” His tone immediately lightened, but it quickly changed to a
more professional tone when he continued. “I'll see you then,” he added before
hanging up.

As she set her phone back onto her bedside table, she couldn't help but
smile, a pleasant, warm feeling in her stomach.

Philip wanted her.

Maybe he really had to lose her first before being able to admit that
he needed to change the way he was treating her. Still, she cautioned herself.
Just because he said things would be different didn't always mean that they
would. While Philip had never
not
kept his word, she'd had enough past
experiences to know not to count the metaphorical chickens before they hatched.
Despite her self-warning, her mind continued to play through all of the great
ways tomorrow could go until sleep finally claimed her.

***

The bedroom was like something out of a fairy tale. A kinky, X-rated
fairy tale, but a fairy tale nonetheless. The walls were hidden in shadows
despite the large French doors that opened out onto a balcony. Though she
couldn't see from her position on the bed, she knew they were near the ocean
because she could smell the salt on the gentle night breeze and hear the
crashing of the waves. It was the pale moonlight that told her the time as
there was nothing in the room to indicate otherwise.

 In fact, other than the bed and its accessories, the only other
things present were the white, wafting curtains over the open doorway, the
thick white carpet and the deep red rose petals covering the floor as well as
the black silk sheets. The flowers were the same color as the plush pillows
against which she was reclining. The bed itself was magnificent. Four posts of
dark cherry rose up high enough that she couldn't see their tops. It was larger
than a king-sized bed, bigger than any bed she'd ever seen. The light that
shone down out of nowhere barely illuminated a foot around the edges, leaving
the rest of the room hidden.

Then he stepped out of the shadows and she didn't care about the
room or the bed anymore. His dirty blond hair was tousled as if he'd just come
in from the wind, and his green eyes were glowing as they looked at her. She'd
never seen anything so beautiful. He didn't speak though, merely took her hand
and stretched it out. As he tied her wrist to one of the posts, Jennifer became
aware of three things: the pillows were gone and both she and Philip were
naked. When he produced another piece of silk to bind her other wrist, she
wondered where it had come from before deciding that it didn't matter. Two more
strips of black silk magically appeared to allow him to tie her legs and then
he stood at the foot of the bed between her feet.

“Don't cum until I say you can.” His voice was low and firm as he
climbed onto the bed. “Close your eyes.”

Jennifer did as she was told. Something light and feathery ghosted
over her ankle. She shivered as it moved up one leg and then switched to repeat
the procedure on the other. When it passed over her stomach, she squirmed,
earning a chuckle from Philip. The gentle touch continued up her ribcage and
then over her breasts. Her breath caught in her throat as the object passed
over her nipples. They hardened instantly and she arched her back, wanting
more. Philip laughed again, the sound making things low inside her tighten and
burn.

“Aren't you greedy tonight?”

Jennifer didn't respond, too busy tugging at her restraints, though
she wasn't sure if she was trying to get nearer to or further from the almost
too-light touch. As it danced between her breasts and down to her bellybutton,
she made a strangled sound, knowing where it was going next. It passed over her
lower lips and her legs twitched, wanting to close but not able to. When she
felt his fingers, a surge of relief ran through her, but it was short-lived as
he merely held open her lips with one hand and used the other to tease her clit
with those wispy touches.

“Please.” She writhed, desperate for more or for less; she couldn't
decide.

“Open your eyes,” he instructed.

Jennifer forced her eyes open and looked down her body to see the
source of her torment. Even as she watched, Philip used the fluffy white
feather to send another ripple of sensation across her nerves.

“Please,” she began to beg. “Please.”

“Don't cum,” he warned her again.

She wanted to tell him that she couldn't cum like this until he
shoved two fingers into her pussy. The shock of the different sensations jolted
her body, sending her crashing up and over the edge before she'd even realized
she was close. Philip's fingers thrust in and out of her at a rapid pace,
curling up to press against that spot inside her that sent sparks shooting
through every cell, building and growing until everything went white.

The next thing she knew, she was face-down, still tied, and Philip
was kneeling beside her. She turned her face towards him, desperately hoping he
wasn't holding another feather. He wasn't, but the expression on his face said
that he had something else in mind.