“You definitely are.”

“It has nothing to do with lazy morning anything.”

“Oh no? What does it have to do with, then?”

I check to make sure I have privacy before I drop my voice to a whisper. “That very talented tongue you have.”

“Oh, really? Should I assume you’re not referencing my stellar conversation skills?”

“You assume correctly, although I do appreciate your ability to keep me entertained, mind and body.” My cheeks grow hot at the thought of having his head between my thighs again.

“Did you like it when I made you come with my mouth?”

I throw his words back at him. “You’re good at reading people, aren’t you? What do you think?”

“I think you liked it a lot. I might even go so far as to say you love my mouth on you.”

“Is that right, Mr. Hughes?”

“It is. I enjoyed the taste of you very much, Miss Flowers, and I’m very much looking forward to repeating that experience multiple times.”

“We should probably schedule that in, just to be sure you have enough time between panels to make that happen.”

He laughs. “I’ll get on that right away. Well, now that I’m highly uncomfortable and can’t leave my desk without embarrassing myself, I should probably get back to work.”

It’s my turn to chuckle. “I hope you have a productive day, and it’s not too hard.”

“Interested in a quick lunch date?”

“Enticing, but I have meetings all day.”

“That’s unfortunate.” Dax is silent for a moment, and his voice drops low. “Kailyn?”

“Yes, Dax.”

“Pack all your fun panties for me, please.”

I laugh. “Of course.”

“Have a nice day, Miss Flowers.”

“You, too, Mr. Hughes.”

I end the call and exhale a long breath, considering all the ways in which I plan to enjoy this uninterrupted two-day span. But first I need to run it by Beverly as it means missing part of Friday. Something I should’ve done before I said yes to Dax, but I can’t see her saying no.

I collect myself and review how I’m going to pitch this in my head on my way to Beverly’s office. She’s poring over documents when I knock.

“Kailyn, come on in.” She motions to the chair across from her desk.

I take a seat. “I have a request I need to run by you.”

“Oh?” She folds her hands in front of her. “Is everything okay?”

“Oh yes, fine. There’s an alumni conference this Friday and Saturday. As you know, Daxton and I were in the same class, and he’s attending as one of the speakers. I thought it might be a good idea for me to go as well. It could give me an opportunity to revisit the possibility of switching firms in a less formal environment.” I’m laying the bullshit on thick, but the payoff will feel oh so good.

Beverly smiles. “That’s a fantastic idea. How are things with his sister? What’s happening with the aunt?”

“His sister is great, no more issues at school, so that’s good news. The aunt is still pushing her angle.” Linda has emailed me several times regarding the folder of information she passed over at the school all those weeks ago. I looked through it right away, but there was nothing that couldn’t be found in a simple Google search. Most of the documents were gossip site articles about some of Daxton’s unfortunate choices during his progression from teen heartthrob to top lawyer. There isn’t anything particularly condemning in the past couple of years, but I see the picture she’s trying to paint.

“That’s perfect. Will Daxton be at the conference on Friday, or is he just attending Saturday?”

“He’ll be there both days.”

“Then I want you there, too.”

“Great. I’ll make sure to take care of everything before the end of the day on Thursday.”

“Excellent. I look forward to hearing about the progress you make over the weekend. Do you think he’ll want a gym membership? He’s definitely in good shape. Maybe see what other perks might help pull him our way.”

“Of course.” I rise as Beverly turns her attention back to the papers on her desk.

“Kailyn?”

I pause halfway to the door. “Yes?”

“I can’t wait to be able to make you a partner.”

“Me, too.” The excitement fades as I make my way back down the hall to my office. Dax coming over to Whitman would be so much better for him and obviously it means good things for my career, but the ramifications sit heavy with me. It feels like my gains no longer outweigh the potential losses.

Making partner isn’t what I’m thinking about on Friday morning when I double-check my overnight bag for all my fun panties packed, and of course a selection of sexy ones.

Dax picks me up at ten. The drive to the hotel doesn’t take long since it’s during the day and traffic isn’t terrible, but he’s secured early check-in and a room on the penthouse floor, away from the conference goers so we have privacy.

As soon as we get to the room, we’re a flurry of groping hands and busy mouths. It’s nothing like the last time we had sex. After five days of messages back and forth discussing all the things we can’t wait to do to each other, Dax is hell-bent on making every single one of those things happen in the first hour.

I’m a limp noodle by the time he finally comes—dear lord that man has incredible stamina. He rolls onto his back and arranges me so I’m lying on top of him, my chin resting on his chest. He sweeps my hair away from my face. “Do you know what’s sexy?”

I reach across the bed and pick up the pair of hot-pink cheekies with YOLO written on the butt in huge block letters. “These?”

“They are pretty awesome, but no.”

“Just wait until you see the other ones.”

“I’m very excited to see what else you advertise on your ass this weekend.” He grins and folds an arm behind his head, bicep flexing enticingly. “But seriously, do you know what I find incredibly sexy about you, apart from your excellent taste in underwear?”

I prop my chin on my fist. “Do tell.”

“The way you come.” He drags his tongue across his bottom lip.

I can’t hold eye contact, it’s just too intense. “What do you mean?”

“You’re so fierce most of the time, but when you come, God, you’re so sweet. It’s fascinating to see you like that, just vulnerable and unguarded but still so . . . poised. Maybe that’s not the right word. Whatever it is, it’s my new addiction.”

I duck my head and bury my face against his chest. “Now I’m going to be self-conscious.”

“I don’t want to make you self-conscious. You’re phenomenal, Kailyn. Everything about you is incredible.” He runs a finger from my temple to my jaw. “I love that I get to see this soft side of you. Whenever I think about how messed up everything is, I remember that out of all this bad came two good things. I have a very special relationship with my sister and now I have you. So as hard as all of this change has been, you make the difficult days easier.”

The sweetness of the declaration is tainted by the things I’m keeping from him. Guilt tugs at my conscience and I consider for a moment telling him about the deal with Beverly. But I don’t want to ruin this moment, and there’s no guarantee he’ll come over to Whitman, so instead I kiss his fingertips, my heart aching and swelling at the same time. “I’m glad I can do that for you, for both of you.”

I stretch up to kiss him, and it quickly escalates until I’m underneath him again. He’s sweet and slow this time, his eyes on mine as he brings me to the edge of bliss and tips me over into the heavenly abyss.

I’m in far too deep to get out unscathed. But I like this place we’re in; it feels protected and safe for now, even though I know it isn’t.

chapter seventeen

LITTLE LIES

Kailyn

Saturday does not include lazy morning sex because Dax is speaking at a panel. Instead we have a morning quickie, and an even faster shower before we head down for the continental breakfast. Dax is bombarded by people who want to offer condolences and talk shop. The women are something else, though. They simper and fawn. It’s embarrassing and infuriating.

What I love about Dax is the way he’s able to shift a conversation away from himself to include everyone around him. I don’t have a problem holding my own, but people gravitate to him and he knows how to work a room.

I see firsthand how very different he is with me than he is with anyone else. When we’re alone he lets his guard down, but around all of these people he puts on the actor mask, smiling, making conversation, and being generally charismatic.

He constantly pulls me into conversations with random fangirls, possibly to save him. He introduces me as a close friend from law school. Then he proceeds to tell whoever is currently in his orbit how incredible I am. He surprises me when he speaks at length about my willingness to take on pro bono cases and how we need more lawyers who exhibit such altruistic tendencies.

And of course no one wants to be rude, so they nod politely, voicing their agreement while he rambles on about how brilliant I was in law school. How I’m the only reason he pushed as hard as he did and ended up where he is. It’s equal parts entertaining and humbling.