An Inconvenient Dare, Page 3

  Her pussy clenched his cock as she came, spurring his own orgasm, and he groaned against her lips as feeling of utter pleasure and contentment enveloped him.

  They were still kissing when he stilled, and he wondered at the emotions she seemed to stir in him.

  Enrique would have gladly spent the day buried in her, kissing and fucking until they could no longer move, but he knew they both needed to get back to work. So he pulled out and eased her skirt down enough to cover her, then he kissed her gently one last time.

  “Call me soon, Mi Cielo,” he whispered, gazing into her confused eyes one last time before leaving her to go to the restroom and clean up. He just hoped she didn’t give herself too much grief over what they’d just done.

  Six

  Vanessa righted her clothing and watched as Enrique walked out, shutting the door behind him to give her some privacy.

  What the hell got into me? she wondered. It was like she was a bee and Enrique was her honey. She seemed to lose all common sense when he was near; all she wanted was to wrap herself around him and never let go.

  Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she walked around her desk and picked up her phone.

  Lunch? I need you. It’s a 911 situation.

  Vanessa shot off the text to Ella and pressed her finger on the mouse to wake her computer back up. She hadn’t even opened the first email when her phone dinged, letting her know that Ella had already responded.

  Mel’s at noon.

  Feeling better just knowing that she’d be able to get her best friend’s advice on her situation with Enrique, Vanessa cleared her mind of anything but work, and got down to it.

  By the time she opened the door to the dimly lit bistro where she was meeting Ella, Vanessa was back in full panic mode. She surveyed the restaurant, and saw that her friend was already seated at one of the dark mahogany tables in the middle of the room.

  “Please tell me this emergency meeting has to do with Dimples from the party,” Ella begged before she had a chance to take her seat.

  Vanessa normally would have rolled her eyes at Ella’ flippant statement, but since she was spot on, Vanessa leaned forward and said, “Yes! I took him home that night and we had incredible, mind-blowing sex. He let me be in charge the entire time and I freakin’ tied him up. Then, he left me his number to call him, but I didn’t … Instead, I ran into him at work this morning because he’s the new intern. The. New. Intern. But did I tell him that I couldn’t see him again because we work together? Nope. I had sex with him in my office instead.”

  Ella’s eyes had gotten bigger and rounder with every sentence Vanessa spat out. When her friend finished laying it all out, she sat unmoving in her seat, her mouth wide open.

  “You tied him up?” Ella managed when she found her voice.

  “That’s all you got from what I said?” Vanessa asked, exasperated. “What about the part where he’s interning at Fine PR?”

  “Oh, you mean what happened before you had sex with him in your office?” Ella’s surprise was replaced with glee. She clapped her hands together like an excited child and gushed, “I knew I liked this guy. Tell me everything. Don’t be afraid to be graphic!”

  This time Vanessa did roll her eyes, but she did so while laughing.

  “Stop! I don’t know what to do. I need your help.”

  “I really don’t see what the problem is,” Ella said with a shrug. “You’re both adults. You obviously enjoy being together, and, Van, you haven’t been like this about a guy in … oh, I’d say … Ever. You deserve to have fun and be happy.”

  “But … work…”

  “Can you please, just this one time, put yourself before the job? Give it a few weeks. See what happens. Maybe the chemistry will fizzle out and it won’t be an issue. Or, maybe you’ll find out that he’s a man who’s worth the time and effort. Don’t you want to at least find out?”

  Everything Ella said made sense, although Vanessa couldn’t imagine the chemistry she shared with Enrique fizzling out anytime soon. Could she allow herself the opportunity to see where things would lead?

  “You haven’t told me his name,” Ella said, butting into her thoughts. “Or about your new and exciting ‘dominatrixness,’ or however you’d say it.”

  “His name is Enrique Diaz, his cousin worked at the PR firm before I started. She’s the one who recommended him for the internship.”

  “And…”

  We had to pause to put in our order, but as soon as the waitress stepped away, Ella was back in interrogation mode.

  “And…”

  “He used to work PR in the military. He got out last year and has been looking for a job, but it doesn’t necessarily translate or something, so he hasn’t had any luck. That’s why he’s taken the internship.”

  “I didn’t ask for his resume, Van, I want to know the good stuff.”

  Vanessa flushed, uncomfortable that she’d said as much as she did.

  “I can’t tell you anything more than I already did,” she said, chuckling when Ella “booed” her. “I’ll just reiterate that I’ve never felt an attraction like this before, the sex is amazing, and he brings out a side of me that I’ve never seen before.”

  “Spoilsport,” Ella said, then sighed dreamily. “He sounds perfect.”

  “Thanks for meeting me,” Vanessa said sincerely. “I was kind of freaking out, and it really helped to say it all out loud.”

  “Anytime, girl, you know that. I’ve always got your back,” the pretty blonde said, then her smile turned wicked and she added, “And don’t forget, I’m available anytime. Morning, noon, or night … and if you want to send pictures, I’ll gladly look them over.”

  They were laughing as the waitress brought their food, and Vanessa felt a million times better about her and Enrique. She was going to give him a shot.

  Seven

  Work had been so hectic that Vanessa hadn’t had time to stress over whatever it was that she and Enrique were doing. In fact, he must have been working on a project, because she’d barely seen him.

  He did let her know that she was in her thoughts, by sending her random texts throughout the day. It was actually really sweet.

  That was why, when she was sitting down with her team to discuss a new client, she was surprised to see him walk in and sit down at the conference table.

  “Derek said that he wanted me to join your team for this one,” Enrique said with a surprisingly nervous look on his face.

  Vanessa studied him for a minute, wondering what had made him that way. From the little that she knew of him, it seemed uncharacteristic. Maybe he felt awkward that Derek sent him in, rather than telling her that he was adding Enrique to the campaign. Although it did strike her as odd, she had no problem having another body to put to work, so she took it in stride and continued.

  “Slater is one of the newest members of the Thunder, and their hottest bachelor. He recently got a DUI, and has been getting negative publicity … That’s where we come in. Sally, I want you to put a press release together. Slater’s mother died recently, so spin the drinking as a coping mechanism to that. He doesn’t normally go out and get drunk, but he’s trying to deal with the pain … You know what to do. David, Slater does a lot of work with the Boys and Girls Club in Miami, set up a day with The Herald to interview him at the Club and get some shots of him hanging out with the kids. Carl, this is the latest young actress to come out of Nickelodeon,” Vanessa said, sliding a photograph of a pretty, blonde, girl-next-door type, to her subordinate. “I’m setting up a fundraiser for him to attend at that new club opening downtown. Set it up so they go together, and make sure he has a bottle of water in his hand all night. Let everyone see that he can be in a club without drinking alcohol, and that he’s hanging out with this sweet, clean-cut starlet. I’ll want everyone there that night, blending in to the crowd, to ensure everything goes smoothly. There will be plenty of press. We just need to use them to our advantage. Any questions?”

  She looked around the
table, and when she saw Enrique, she added, “Enrique, you can help David.”

  Enrique indicated he understood and turned to confer with David.

  Satisfied that everyone knew their role in saving Slater’s image, Vanessa gathered her things and bid everyone a good afternoon.

  She was almost to her door when a hand on her arm stopped her.

  “Dinner tonight?” Enrique asked when she turned her head to see who’d stopped her progress.

  “Seven,” Vanessa responded.

  “I’ll pick you up.”

  She discretely watched him walk away, anticipation coiling in her belly.

  A few hours later, Vanessa was anxiously touching up her makeup as she waited for seven o’clock to come.

  She should have asked him where they were going, so she’d know how to dress. Instead she’d tried on four different outfits before settling on a pair of dark jeans and a tunic-style blouse. It would have made more sense to just text him, but for some reason she felt silly doing so. If for some reason he showed up wearing a suit, she’d just take a minute to change.

  “No big deal,” she mouthed to herself in the mirror before applying her shimmering gloss.

  The doorbell rang, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. She looked down at her phone and saw it was exactly seven.

  She could appreciate a man who was punctual. In fact, there hadn’t been anything about Enrique so far that she couldn’t appreciate.

  Vanessa opened the door, unable to keep the giddy grin off of her face at seeing him again.

  Enrique returned her grin and said, “You look beautiful, as always.” Then leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. “Ready?”

  Noticing that he was wearing jeans and a button-up shirt, she nodded and said, “Yes, I’m starved.”

  “Perfect,” he replied, then offered his hand to her. She took it, her stomach fluttering sweetly at the innocent embrace, and walked with him out of her building.

  Enrique parallel parked on a busy street and took Vanessa’s hand. They strolled together down the sidewalk, the breeze that swept around them balmy, but not uncomfortable. When they came to a stop, she looked up, surprised to see they were standing in front of a food truck.

  “I hope this is okay,” Enrique said with a sheepish grin. “They have the best Cuban sandwiches in the city.”

  “I’ve never eaten at a food truck before,” Vanessa admitted, hoping she didn’t sound like a snob. It wasn’t that she’d never wanted to, she’d just never really thought about it, or made the effort to do so.

  “Well, you’re in for a treat, I promise,” he assured her, squeezing her hand softly. “If you don’t like it, you can take me anywhere you want next time.”

  Vanessa smiled. She liked the fact that he was already talking about there being a next time.

  “Will you order for me?” she asked.

  Enrique grinned, causing her tummy to warm. She liked pleasing him.

  They chatted as they waited for their order to be ready, and Vanessa looked over the menu. Everything sounded good, maybe next time she’d order for them both. Maybe this could be their thing, their special spot.

  Vanessa flushed at the direction of her thoughts. Suddenly, she was thinking of him as more than just a “hook up.”

  When their number was called, Enrique led her to a bench. He unwrapped her sandwich halfway and handed it to her.

  “Mmmm,” she moaned when the rich flavors hit her tongue. “This is delicious!” she exclaimed, then covered her mouth in surprise. She never talked with her mouth full.

  Enrique just chuckled at her exuberance and took a healthy bite of his sandwich.

  They ate in silence, both intent on enjoying their meals, as Vanessa surveyed the area. The truck had maintained a steady line since they’d arrived, and she wondered who did their PR. She watched as the door leading into the back of the truck opened, and a handsome man emerged. She was surprised when he looked their way and his eyes lit up.

  The stranger headed right for them and when he was a couple feet away, Enrique must have sensed the other man’s presence, because his head came up.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming, hermano?” the man asked, pulling Enrique into a quick hug when he stood.

  Vanessa jumped to her feet, curious as to who this guy was to Enrique, when her date turned to her and said, “Carlos, this is Vanessa. Mi Cielo, this is my brother, Carlos.”

  Carlos’s eyebrows rose at his brother’s endearment to her, then his grin broadened and he pulled her in for a quick hug, shocking her.

  “Um, hi,” she stammered when she was comfortably back in her own space. “Your food is delicious.”

  Carlos bowed, just as charming as his brother, and said, “Gracias, we aim to please,” then he turned to his brother and said, “I’ve got to get back, but give me a call so we can hook up. It was nice to meet you, Vanessa.”

  “You too, Carlos.”

  He turned to leave, then gave his brother one last smile and said, “Ella esta que echa humo.”

  “Si,” Enrique responded, then gestured for her to take her seat, before joining her back on the bench.

  “What did he say?” Vanessa asked curiously.

  “He thinks you’re hot,” he replied with a wink, causing Vanessa to blush.

  She picked up her food, smiling to herself as pleasure suffused her. She was happy that Enrique had brought her here to meet his brother. It meant that he wanted to show her off, and that he was proud of his brother’s accomplishment.

  The more time Vanessa spent with Enrique, the more she liked him, and as she moved her hand to cover his on his thigh, she wondered when he’d began to work his way into her heart.

  Eight

  Things were coming together perfectly. It had been a stroke of luck when Vanessa teamed him up with David on the Slater project. David was currently his number one suspect, but he hadn’t been able to get close enough to get the proof he needed. Being able to ride along with him to the Boys and Girls Club gave Enrique the perfect excuse to be in David’s space over the past few days.

  The only thing weighing on him was the fact that he was keeping the truth about his position at Fine PR from Vanessa. Unfortunately, it was included in the contract he’d signed with Derek, that no one other than Fine himself knew the real reason that Enrique was there.

  He and Vanessa were getting closer every day, and he was starting to feel guilty about keeping things from her. He’d always prided himself on honesty in relationships.

  “I really like your car,” Enrique said as he and David pulled into the parking lot. He’d made up some story about his car being in the shop, hoping David would be a good coworker and offer to let him ride in his vehicle out to the site. He had, which gave Enrique the perfect opening. “It’s one of the new models, right? Have you had it long?”

  David didn’t seem suspicious by his questions, and Enrique figured he took his questions as innocent, male interest.

  “Yeah, just got it off the lot last week. I test drove a few different cars, but I loved the speed and sleekness of the Shelby.”

  Enrique knew from experience, crooks were often not the smartest people in the world, but David purchasing a car like this right after all of the money from Fine PR went missing, seemed like a terribly stupid move.

  He planned out his next move as they walked into the building where the photo opportunities were being captured.

  A tall, incredibly muscular man stood in the center of the basketball court, surrounded by happily chattering children of all ages. Enrique had seen the football player on the field, but had never seen him up close. He couldn’t believe how big he was in person. He made Enrique feel like a kid who hadn’t hit puberty yet.

  “That must be Slater,” he said under his breath to David.

  “Yup, that’s him. Young, dumb, and rich enough to buy both of us twenty-foot yachts for Christmas,” was David’s sardonic reply.

  Enrique’s gaze flitted back
over the younger man, then at the children gathered around him. Whatever the guy was in his personal life, he definitely made an impression on these kids, so Enrique hoped that he was cognizant of that fact and was here for the right reasons.

  Not that it was really any of his business, but he’d been one of those kids at one time, and he knew how much a visit like this from a pro athlete would mean to them.

  The photographers got their shots, then packed up and headed out. Enrique told David he had to use the bathroom before they took off, then followed the signs, watching the kids as they dispersed to do various activities. When he rounded the corner, he came up short when he saw Slater standing at the end of the hallway with one of the volunteers pinned against the wall. She was a pretty Hispanic girl, no more than nineteen, and she didn’t look like she wanted to be there, but was unsure of how to get away from the much larger male.

  “Hey, Slater!” he yelled. When the football player turned to him with a scowl, he hooked a thumb over his shoulder and lied, “One of the newspaper people needed you for a quick question.”

  Slater pushed off the wall and stormed past Enrique, who waited until he was gone before asking the young girl, “You okay, mija?”

  When she nodded he added, “Get out of here before he comes back.”

  He watched as she scurried down the hall, then went about his business.

  When he walked outside of the building to catch his ride, Slater was waiting for him.

  “There was no one looking for me,” Slater said, his stance defensive.

  Enrique stopped to stand in front of him and replied, “No, but we’re here trying to improve your image, and finding you harassing a teenager would ruin all the progress the Fine PR team has made so far.”