Then Josh’s hands were on her breasts, his fingers squeezing her nipples. The slightest touch radiated through her. She felt his body against her, his teeth on her neck, and she was powerless to refrain from moaning his name into the steamy air. He turned her slowly and lifted her hands above her head, holding them there as he lowered his mouth to hers and probed her in a greedy, hungry kiss.
“Condom?” Josh asked.
That one word pulled her from her reverie. She stared at him, searching his eyes for answers to a question she didn’t want to ask.
He kissed her again. “I’ve always used them. Twice in college I didn’t, but I’ve been tested twice since.” He spoke with intense urgency.
She trusted him, and that trust infused her with confidence and nurtured her need. “Take me,” she said with heated breath.
With one hand holding her hands above her head, he drove into her with a guttural moan. “You’re so wet. God, you feel good.”
Riley sucked in a breath, feeling her body cling to his length as he moved in and out in a feverish pace. She groaned against his lips, her body arching and thrusting to meet his intensity. He felt so good, and she was so ready, that it took only a few minutes of his luscious rhythm for her to climb up, up, up and over the edge of a hard and fast, toe-curling orgasm. Her head fell back against the tile as she groaned aloud, fisting her hands, straining beneath his grip. Josh sucked on her neck, sending renewed fervor through her veins. She couldn’t take the sensations. It was all too much—the scintillating flashes of light behind her closed lids, the heady need in her loins, the electricity from his hot tongue on her skin. She called out his name, loud and hard, just as he mounted his own intense release. His body trembling above hers, his breath came fast and hot against her neck, and Riley knew at that moment that she didn’t want to hide what she felt. Not for her career, not to escape the wrath of Claudia. Not for anything.
Chapter Eighteen
JOSH WAS STANDING in Mia’s office when the call from Peter came in.
Mia arched a brow. “Peter Stafford is asking for Riley Banks.”
The call didn’t come as a surprise. Peter had asked if he could see Riley’s portfolio, but it still sent a wave of discomfort through Josh’s gut. He contemplated bringing up his issues with Claudia to Peter, but then he realized that if he did so on the heels of Peter’s conversation with Riley, he might look more like a jealous boyfriend than an employer dealing with a problematic employee.
“Put him through to her,” he said with what he hoped was a nonchalant shrug.
“I swear, between you walking around with that contented look on your face all the time, Claudia running hot and cold, and now this? I feel like I’m suddenly working in the Twilight Zone,” Mia sad.
“What contented look?” Josh asked.
Mia rolled her eyes.
On his way back to his office, he swung by the design studio, where Claudia was busy hovering over a design table. He leaned over her shoulder and was surprised by the impressive design she was sketching.
“That’s really interesting, the way you mixed the empire waist with the shoulder cutouts.” He remembered the dress Riley wore out to dinner, and the similarities were striking. “How did you come up with this?”
Claudia leaned back and flashed a smile. “You told me to come up with fresh ideas, things that aren’t redesigns of old trends. It took some soul-searching, but this is what came to mind.” She touched his hand and he pulled it away.
“Claudia,” he said in a stern voice. “I told you no more of those games, and I meant it.”
“My apologies,” she said, turning back to her drawings. “Old habits die hard.”
“Hard or soft, as long as they die. Immediately.”
He heard Riley on the phone and headed in her direction, feeling the heat of Claudia’s eyes on his back.
“Yes, sir,” Riley said into the phone.
The curiosity was killing him. Peter ran a modeling agency. He wasn’t in the design business, which made Josh wonder if Peter had something more intimate in mind after all. He overheard Riley wrapping up the call. She spoke professionally to Peter. Josh thought of the deep, sensual tone she used with him in the privacy of each other’s arms.
“Yes, I’ll send them over, but again, I’m not looking to leave JBD. I’m quite happy here. Oh yes, I see. Thank you. That’s very kind of you. Yes, sir. Goodbye.” Riley pushed a stack of drawings into a pile and placed them on the corner of her desk before backing out her chair. When she turned and saw Josh, relief swept through her eyes. “I was just coming to see you,” she said, reaching for him, then pulling her hand back and shooting a glance at the other employees.
He’d sensed a change in Riley that morning in the shower, but they’d hardly had time to get ready before leaving for work, and talking had been the furthest thing from his mind.
“That was Mr. Stafford,” she said.
“Yes, I know.” He wished they were somewhere private, where he could put his arm around her and feel her against him while she spoke, for no other reason than to calm that nervous look in her eyes.
“He wants me to send my portfolio over, but I don’t understand why. He knows I’m happy working here. Should I be concerned or flattered?” She crossed and uncrossed her arms.
“Flattered, I think,” Josh said, trying to keep his tone professional. “Would you like me to call him and see what he has on his mind?”
She shook her head. “Good God, no. Thank you, but no.” She took a step closer to him just as Claudia stood and walked toward them.
Josh saw Riley’s shoulders tense.
“How’s the booth design coming along?” Claudia asked.
“Perfect. I’m about as ready as I can be,” Riley answered.
Claudia nodded. “Super,” she said in a friendly tone, and continued walking past them.
Riley let out a breath.
“You know you can ask me anything you need to about the trade show. I do know a little about this stuff,” Josh offered.
“I know. I want to succeed on my own, and I will. I really am ready. I came up with a great design for the build out, too. We’re one of a handful of designers who get to do a real build out, so I’ve designed it like a showroom. Claudia gave me all the materials I’d need the other day, and I am fairly good at putting outfits together.”
He leaned in close and whispered, “And taking them off.” Then he walked away, hoping she’d think of him for the rest of the afternoon.
“RILEY, COME HERE.” Simone waved her over.
K.T. held up two slightly different white wool skirts. “Which of these would you pair with an aqua-blue satin blouse?”
Riley studied the two skirts, noting the higher waist on one skirt and the barely noticeable embroidered edging on the other. “I wouldn’t pair either of them with it. True aqua is too harsh, I think. How about something softer? A tame honeydew, or blue violet, or light cyan maybe? What’s the event?”
“Tame honeydew?” K.T. said. “Isn’t she clever?” He set the skirts down and headed down the hall for the closet.
“What’s going on?” Riley asked.
“We’re having a fashion war.” Simone laughed. “A potential buyer is coming in a few days, and K.T. refuses to let me put the pieces together alone. He swears I’m missing a certain something every time I put something together.”
“Yikes, that sounds uncomfortable.” Competition never ends.
Simone waved her hand, then pushed her round red frames to the bridge of her nose. Riley had learned that Simone chose her eyeglass frames to match her outfits, and today, with her maroon-and-black plaid skirt and bright white top, the red added a nice shock of color.
“He’s just like a little kid. He wants his two cents heard. Even if I don’t use his ideas, he likes knowing he shared them. No discomfort here.” She looked down the hall at Claudia, leaning against a doorframe down the hall. “Except for her, of course. Have you noticed how hot and cold she’s been lately?”
Riley wasn’t going to get caught in that tangled web. “She’s just overloaded,” she said, and headed back to her desk thinking about Josh. After the uncomfortable dinner they’d shared with Peter, she didn’t want Josh to worry over him. We have enough real worries to think about. She pulled out her phone and texted Josh.
Sorry about Peter.
Her phone vibrated a few seconds later. No need to be. I’m a big boy.
She mulled over a response and decided on being a little playful. Yes, I’ve experienced that big boy and wish I could—
“Texting during work hours?”
Claudia. Riley flipped her phone over and turned around, feeling the blush of heat on her cheeks. “Sorry. My best friend back home. I miss her.”
“I’m sure you do. Listen, I’m working on some things for Josh. Could you run over to Phil’s office? He said he had a few things from the shoot to send over.”
Riley shot a look at the clock. Damn. There went her extra five minutes to draw. “But I inventoried them all and everything was returned,” she said.
Claudia shrugged. “Something must have slipped through. It’s only noon. You’ll have plenty of time to finish your work.” She flashed a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you,” she said and walked off.