The Engagement Gift An After Dark Standalone Romance - Lauren Blakely Page 0,7

the techno beat, the low lights, the way the bodies grinding together unlocked secret desires.

On the dance floor, I’d unleashed my after-hours imagination. I want to pretend. I want to go home, or go out, or go to the car, and I want to enact all sorts of sexy scenarios, I’d said, the mojito lubricating my lips, freeing my dirty thoughts.

I’d detailed them all.

His answer?

I’ll be your cop. I’ll lock you up till you beg for release.

I’ll be your teacher and spank your luscious ass on my desk.

We’ll play doctor, and I’ll devour you till you come all over my exam table.

Kate lifted the mug to her lips and took a drink, her eyes twinkling. “And did you enjoy the benefits of him giving you all your dreams come true?”

I laughed at the way it sounded like a fairy tale.

In some ways, my life had become one. After the dark beginning of my twenties and the rocky path I’d traveled, I’d reached the other side and found mad love, along with filthy, fabulous sex.

I didn’t need to rock the boat.

“I have nothing to complain about,” I mused.

Kate inched closer. “Maybe, just maybe, you could let him know that you might like to bring in some company.” She crossed her legs, took a sip, and issued the most knowing of knowing looks.

I shuddered at the prospect of two guys taking care of me. I didn’t need them to touch each other. I didn’t want them to touch each other. But I longed to be touched by two gorgeous men at once. As I pictured company in bed, my skin tingled and my pulse spiked. I tried to shake off the endorphin rush, even though my libido was a dirty devil, whispering in my ear for more.

Still, my love for my man was the angel telling me to be good, and the angel won out. “I hear you, but some things are better left unsaid.”

We shifted gears, discussing when we wanted to visit bakeries to sample wedding cake, then debating favorite flowers for bouquets.

Yes, that’s what I needed to concentrate on. Building our life together.

Not adding kindling to the fire of after dark fantasies.

As I returned to the office, I reminded myself of all the reasons to keep my dirtier thoughts to myself.

It’s just a fantasy. That’s all. I’ll live if I don’t have it. Besides, I need to focus on this story for work, as well as finding the perfect wedding invitations, something on recycled paper, preferably. See? That’s where my energy should go. Sports agents, and trade deadlines, and rumors of new signings. That was my afternoon, and my evening would include checking out stationery options.

Done.

There was no time to entertain the idea of threesomes.

I answered a text from my friend Nina asking for advice on which new pair of glasses to buy. The images she sent me made me smile—goofy selfies of her trying on horn-rimmed glasses then red cat-eye ones.

Lily: You look HAWT in the cat-eye ones. Like the sexy boudoir photographer you are.

Nina: Hey! I want to look like a badass photographer.

Lily: Wear leather then and get a few tats.

Nina: And should I get a nose ring too?

Lily: Something to consider, but I’d have to vote no. Only because it wouldn’t match the glasses.

Nina: Ha. I have no plans for a nose ring or ink. But thanks for the specs compliments. BTW, I am shooting a couple today who met when he hit her car! I’m going to do my best to make zero jokes about being rear-ended.

Lily: LOL! Will that be hard for you, Nina?

Nina: Um what do you think? It’s a punny way to meet.

Lily: Especially if he tested out her new engine.

Nina: I bet he got it to rev.

Lily: And he probably took it for a joy ride.

Nina: With his stick shift.

Lily: OK, I must know. Where did you learn all the car innuendos?

Nina: Where did you, lady?

Lily: I pride myself on innuendo.

Nina: Ditto. See you this weekend. Until then, don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.

Funny, I couldn’t toss out a comeback like that doesn’t leave me with much. Nina was innocent, though I suspected not in her head. I definitely wasn’t innocent there either. My thoughts remained a wild swirl, though I tried to focus the rest of the afternoon. That’s what I needed to do. My job.

After all, my focus had to remain on work, my wedding, my marriage.

Right now, I was nose to the grindstone on work, since I loved my