like this, he barely accomplished anything. Instead of getting a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed head start, these sleep-deprived days were dismal, underachieving, pathetic excuses for productivity.
And this morning in particular, all he could think about was the unclaimed kisses he’d left on Jackie’s lips the night before.
Still, Daniel did his best to sink into a work groove and get something done, since sleep was off the table. By the time Jackie was groaning from the bedroom, it was just after eight thirty. He’d been awake for over four hours, and he felt ready for a nap.
Jackie gasped when she saw him in the lounge area on his laptop. “Oh. I didn’t expect you to be here.”
“Where would I have been?” He grinned, looking her up and down. Her short hair was a complete bedhead disaster in the cutest possible way. Her tank top was askew just enough to give him a tantalizing glimpse of the top of her nipple. She must have followed his gaze because she hurried to adjust herself and ran a hand through her hair.
“I don’t know. I thought you and Grayson and Blake might be heading somewhere to play golf or something.”
“Grayson and Blake might be. I can’t afford to take off an entire week.”
She yawned, scratching at the sliver of skin visible between her tank top and shorts. “Why? Bills got ya down?”
He smirked. His bills were the least of his worries, but he understood that she came from a very different place in the world. One that he didn’t understand entirely…but he was increasingly eager to learn.
“Not that. I have a high-pressure job. Lots of deals on the line, and I come from what you might call a high-performance family.”
“Tell them to butt out.”
“My father is my boss.”
She grimaced. “Oh. Well, in that case…”
Daniel appreciated her attempts to be supportive, but he needed to get back to work. Jackie eventually wandered off, and he returned his sandy-eyed focus to his emails.
But each time he made a mistake, or started an email to the wrong client, the frustration built inside him. He was too tired to keep going, but he had too much to do to go back to bed now. Besides, the anxiety wouldn’t let him sleep anyway.
Jackie poked her head into the lounge area a moment later, confusion creasing her face. “Is everything okay?”
He blinked, dragging his gaze over to her. “Yeah, why?”
“You just screamed ‘fuck.’”
That was news to him. “I meant to say it in my head.”
She smirked. “Okay, pal. You need a break.”
“I’m fine.”
“What time were you up this morning?”
He couldn’t lie. “Four.”
Her eyes widened like that was the most ridiculous thing in the world. “That’s absurd. How do you even wake up that early?”
“It just happens sometimes—”
“Okay, listen. I have an idea. Just give me a minute.” She disappeared into the bedroom for a moment, and when she returned, she had her phone in her hand. “I was thinking about this yesterday but really, I think the time is now.”
“What?”
“I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise. I just need you to agree to go on a little adventure with me.”
He heaved a sigh, turning his gaze back to his laptop. His eyes immediately began burning—like his body was saying enough already.
“Yeah, sure. But just until the early afternoon. I have a conference call I can’t miss.”
“Fine. I promise, we’ll be back by then.”
Daniel shut his laptop, not failing to see the satisfied smile that stretched across her face. She disappeared into the bedroom, picking out clothes from her suitcase. Daniel opted for a quick rinse-off in the shower to maybe wake himself up more. When he came out in just a towel, he couldn’t help but notice her stiffen.
Maybe she was still thinking about last night as much as he was.
He wasn’t sure if it was the sleep deprivation or the residual sexual repression, but mischief streaked through him, fast and lurid. Once he was in front of his walk-in closet, he let his towel crumple around his feet.
His skin prickled like she was watching, but he wouldn’t turn around to prove himself right or wrong. He just wanted to cast the first stone. To see if he could get the water choppy again—maybe even riled up enough to lead to something wild.
Daniel pulled on a pair of briefs, followed by jeans and a casual black tee. He didn’t often get to dress down. When he came out of the closet, Jackie’s gaze was stuck on him.
“Wow. It’s weird to see