Mine to Lose by T. K. Rapp Page B

have great ideas and you listen to what I want for the evening. That’s why
I insisted to Elle that this be your event. Unless you are uncomfortable for
some reason.”
    When he finishes his mini-speech, I
exhale and the biggest grin creeps on to my face. “I really do appreciate your
confidence in me.”
    “I have no reason to believe otherwise.”
    Sitting in front of him, I feel exposed
and vulnerable. I know nothing about Trey, where he comes from, what motivates
him or what he wants out of life, but he intimidates the hell out of me. The
way he looks at me isn’t lust, but it still feels intimate. That’s a word that
should not ever enter my mind when thinking about a client.   Hell, I
shouldn’t even be thinking about a client at all.
    The food comes out at the perfect moment and
it looks amazing. We are both fiddling with our plates and silverware. I place
my napkin in my lap and pick up my fork, ready to dive in, when I look up to
say, “Thank you, Trey.”
    He looks up at me and his next words cause
my cheeks to flame. “Em? Ryan is a lucky man.” And then disappointment
sets in. “He has nothing to be worried about.”
    Why do his words bother me so much?

CHAPTER 11 ~ 3
Weeks Later
    “Babe,” he whispers, kissing my cheek, as
I lay sleeping. “C’mon, we need to get up.”
    “Five more minutes,” I answer, rolling
over as I pull the comforter over my head.
    When he peels the comforter back, he
brushes my hair away from my face and plants a kiss to the crook of my neck
that sends a shiver through my body, but I keep my eyes closed, just loving his
touch. His hand rests on my hip for a moment before it begins a slow movement
from my waist to my chest. “I can think of other things to do if you’re not
ready to wake up yet,” he says suggestively. The mere suggestion of early
morning extracurriculars leaves me restless, but he doesn’t yield his teasing.
    “We can’t,” I whine, but only halfheartedly.
“Just lie here and hold me.”
    His hand is splayed across my stomach and
he pulls me to lay on my back, and because I’m so tired, I follow his movements
lazily. Before I can register his action, his mouth is meshed with mine and my
hands thread through his hair, holding him to me. The feeling of him beside me
one second and over me the next leaves me aching for more and slowly giving in.
    “Changing your mind?” he asks, as he
grins against my lips.
    “You always change my mind,” I tell him
between kisses.
    Being in these arms and feeling him
pressed against me is where I want to be. Screw work and getting up, my world
is perfect; he is perfect.
    “Trey-” My voice sounds needy, even to
me.
    The moment his name escapes, my arms
flail and I am jolted upright as I look around the room trying to figure out
what’s going on. Something inside finally clicks and I rub my eyes furiously as
they burn with the light creeping through the window. My heart rate is
accelerated and I realize that I’m in my bed. Alone .
    “Not again,” I groan, throwing myself
back onto my pillow. I have woken up from the early stages of a dream. A
bad, bad dream. Guilt and embarrassment wash over me when I realize I was
about to have another sex dream about Trey, Mr. Miller - my client. My client
who is not my fiancé. The same client that has made it clear that he has
no interest in me. I have to chalk these dreams up to spending so much time
with him while planning his party.
    It all started when he made a point to
tell me that he was no threat to Ryan. I never considered him a threat, but
when he put it out there, it seems that’s all I’ve been able to focus on. Of
course he’s not a threat, I love Ryan, and we are in the middle of planning our
wedding. Some of the details which we plan on taking care of this weekend when
he visits.
    The cell phone is charging next to my
side of the bed and it begins buzzing, snapping me out of mentally chastising
myself. At first I think it’s my alarm, but I quickly