Talking Dirty With the Boss(52)

“Sex is never only sex, Mar,” Christie said sagely. “Believe me. I know.”

“It is when your feelings aren’t involved. And neither of ours are.”

But her friend’s brow furrowed. “So that’s it? You’re going to keep sleeping with him until you’re over it?”

Marisa leaned back in her chair and folded her arms. “That’s the plan. Never had any problems with it before.”

“Hate to point it out to you, but that was before you were pregnant. Or sleeping with the father of your child.”

Damn her friend. Damn reality. She didn’t want to think about the implications or her stupid feelings. Or about what would happen when the baby came and she and Luke had to start being parents. It was all too much. Too hard.

She swallowed. “So what’s your point, St. John?”

Christie chewed on her lip again. “I don’t know, to be honest. I don’t want either of you getting hurt.”

“We won’t, I promise you.” Marisa plastered on a smile. “Now can I get on with my stupid meeting notes?”

Ten minutes later she was still sitting there, staring at the screen with not another word of her meeting notes typed, unease sitting in her gut.

It was just sex. That’s all it was. Exciting, bone-shaking sex, but just sex all the same. She wouldn’t allow it to be anything more. Getting emotionally involved with a man like Luke was the last thing she wanted. He may not use or deceive the women he slept with, but the fact that he’d said he didn’t want a relationship was warning enough to steer clear. She couldn’t face another broken heart, not after Alistair. And soon there’d be a baby, and that was enough to have to deal with all on its own.

Besides, she was supposed to be seizing the day. And she couldn’t seize the day with Luke around.

Braced by the thought, Marisa tried to concentrate on her notes but was interrupted by the chime of a new e-mail. Always ready for distraction, she checked who it was from.

Luke.

Her heart gave a strange little leap as she opened it.

Marisa,

I’m free for lunch. Would you like to join me?

Luke.

For a second she stared at the adorably formal line of text on her screen. Lunch? With him? What was that about? He’d never asked her before.

But you want to go.

Marisa put her finger in her mouth, realized what she was doing, and dropped it again. Well, what if she did want to go? It was only lunch.

Sure, honey.

Then she thought about it and added,

As long as you can answer one question: what underwear am I wearing today?

The reply came back almost immediately.

The black lace thong with the silver embroidery. But you’re not wearing the matching bra. You’re wearing the white cotton one you like to wear a lot. Probably because it’s comfortable.

Marisa blushed like an idiot. That morning she’d dressed in his bedroom while he’d been busy shaving in the en suite bathroom. She’d put on the matching bra but didn’t like the way the lace scratched so had put on a white cotton one instead. Her comfortable go-to bra. She hadn’t thought he’d noticed.

Oh God, you noticed that? Well, there goes my sexy image.

After a second, she got his response.

You’re more than sexy lingerie, Marisa. I’ll come by at one.

A warm feeling went through her. A dangerously warm feeling.

Marisa gave it a mental kick as she decisively closed the program and tried to get on with her work.

Warm feelings about Luke McNamara were not allowed. Yes, he was the father of her child and yes, she was sleeping with him.

She’d take the hot sex, but that’s all it had to stay.

She’d fallen once before and fallen hard. But she wouldn’t be falling again.

…

Luke glanced at his watch again. He couldn’t remember how many times he’d done it already during the meeting, but it was a lot. Probably because the HR manager, who was always a talker, kept going off topic and relating completely uninteresting anecdotes instead of sticking to the point.

Dammit, he wanted to be finished by one so he could meet Marisa for lunch. He’d told her he would and so he would.

“George,” Luke snapped, unable to help himself as the HR manager launched into yet another tedious story, “do you have anything more to add about filling the taxation consultant position or are we done?”

George, knowing his boss well, quickly finished up his presentation and left with a minute to spare, much to Luke’s relief.

Because he could use that minute. Mainly to calm the hell down and try to figure out what was bloody wrong with him. He felt restless, unable to sit still—like Joseph, come to think of it. And it was connected somehow with Marisa, to seeing her.