Mid Life Love (Mid Life Love #1)(46)

“No thank you...Is your driver always at your beck and call?”

“Several people are always at my beck and call.” He smiled. “I would’ve come with him to pick you up, but I promised we wouldn’t have sex, so I thought staying here was the better decision.”

“You honestly think I would’ve had sex with you while your driver was in the car with us?”

He didn’t answer. He just looked at me and smirked.

“Come with me. I’m doing my work in here.” He motioned for me to follow him through three different doors, into an elegant living room that looked like it belonged in a mansion—not a corporate office.

“This is a well-designed room...”

“A rare compliment. I’ll have to type that up and get it framed.” He looked over my clothes. “Is that what you normally wear to sleep?”

“Why does it matter? I’m not here to spend the night. I’m just here to—”

“Wait here.” He disappeared into a side room and came back minutes later. “You can wear these.” He handed me a pair of red flannel pants and a black muscle shirt.

“You keep a stash of clothes for all your sleepovers with female employees?”

“Claire, Claire, Claire...” He sighed. “Number one, they’re my pajamas and I’ve never shared them with anyone before. Number two, you are my first sleepover guest at corporate. Period. And number three, I told you that we weren’t going to have sex tonight, but if you keep up your sarcasm, you’ll be bent over my desk in a matter of seconds.”

I bit my lip to prevent myself from smiling. “Where’s your bathroom?”

“Down the hall and to the right.”

I walked away and locked myself into the most opulent bathroom I’d ever seen. It was huge: There was a marbled Jacuzzi in the corner, a glass shower that took up half the room, and double sinks with shiny golden fixtures that reflected against the wall length mirrors.

When I stepped back into the living room, the couch had been transformed into a bed and Jonathan was tossing pillows onto it.

“Do you stay late often?” I asked.

“I try not to. I prefer to be at home, but days like this force me to every now and then.”

“Interesting...Can your driver take me back home in an hour?”

He rolled his eyes. “Get in the bed, Claire.”

“Not until you answer me.” I mocked his voice. “Or are you the only one who doesn’t have to answer questions?”

He walked over and scooped me into his arms. “Exactly,” he said as he tossed me onto the bed. “The remote is on the coffee table to your left. I’m going to read the rest of this document and then I’ll join you.”

I wasn’t sure why my heart started dancing at his last words—‘I’ll join you’—but I didn’t try to stop it this time. I watched him walk over to his desk and pick up a folder; he was soon lost in whatever he was reading.

I flipped through the channels and settled on a home renovation show. The hosts were gutting a fifties’ style galley kitchen and transforming it into a more modern one—complete with an island, a breakfast bar, and granite countertops.

While I admired their effort, I hated that they were taking so much of the home’s original character away; they could’ve at least saved the cabinets and refurbished them.

“This is the best show you could find?” Jonathan slid into bed facing me.

“I love these shows. Those designers are living my dream.”

“So why are you working here? Why not quit and pursue what you really want to do?”

“Do you know what the word ‘debt’ means?”

He pulled me close. “I wasn’t always rich...I’m just wondering why you’ve been in marketing so long if it isn’t what you really want to do.”

“My dreams had to be put on hold once I had kids...It wasn’t about me anymore. I had to do what was best for them. And I—”

Do not do this...Do not open up...This is not what you want...

“I just had to do what was best for them.” I sighed. “Do you have any children? Siblings?”

“I think you would know if I had kids by now...” He sounded confused. “I do have a little sister though.”

“Oh...I had a sister once. Does your sister work here with you?”

“No, she’s in grad school in Memphis.” He pulled me even closer so that I was nuzzled against his chest. “Were you sleeping when I called you earlier?”

“What do you mean, ‘was I sleeping’?”

“Were you sleeping or were you thinking about something?”

“Yes. I was thinking about sleeping.”

He laughed. “What time do you have to get up in the morning?”

“Eight...Are we really about to go to sleep together? You’re not going to try to do anything?”

He stared at me for several seconds, looking like he wanted to say something, something witty. Instead he planted a soft kiss on my lips and turned off the lights.

He rolled me over so my back was against his chest, and then he held me in his arms.

I woke up entwined in Jonathan’s arms and noticed that he was watching me.

“Morning.” He smiled.