The Hookup Handbook(11)
This is an essay—no, a beautifully written essay on sexual exploration and finding fulfillment. It’s very she comes first and female-friendly.
I love it. I love how sex-positive it is, and how wryly and candidly it’s written. He’s held nothing back, not even his own poor sexual performance with his first few partners. I can tell those experiences shaped him, made him eager to please his partners in the bedroom. There’s something sweet about it.
Wait. Did I just think of Case as sweet? The cocky manwhore playboy sitting across from me with a grumpy expression on his face?
I realize he’s waiting for me to say something—he’s just bared his soul and he wants me to react to his words. But at the moment? I’m a little too stunned to speak.
“Well?” he asks, his voice sharp.
I don’t even get a chance to respond before he starts talking again.
“Fuck, it’s shit, isn’t it?”
He stands and tries to grab the laptop from my lap, but my hand on his thick forearm stops him.
“Wait.”
His sharp blue gaze probes mine.
I swallow, composing myself. “It’s really good. There’s a paragraph at the end of chapter three that could use some more polishing, but honestly, this is really well written, Case.”
His mouth twitches with the beginning of a smile. “I guess it’s a topic that comes naturally to me.”
“I guess it is.”
Chapter Five
Case
The nice thing about working from home is that no matter what’s going on in your life, it’s always a short walk to the office. The shitty thing? The office is always there waiting for you, staring you down, even if you’re sick as a dog with a 101-degree fever.
When I woke up feeling like I’d been run over by a dump truck, I tried to push through it, even though my throat was sore and my head was fucking throbbing. I can’t afford to take a sick day, not with this damn deadline breathing down my neck. So I chugged half a bottle of DayQuil before sitting my ass down in front of my computer, determined to power through and make it work.
But by the time Sienna comes strolling into my office in a cream-colored blouse and a plaid pencil skirt that does all kinds of things to my lower half, I’m ready to concede and admit my weaknesses. While the upper half of my body feels like death, the lower half comes up with a half dozen ways we could kick this cold—all of them involving getting Sienna naked. Clearly, I must be hallucinating.
“Morning, Ca— Oh my God, are you okay?”
She stops dead in her tracks the moment she lays eyes on me, the look on her face a mix of alarm and unabashed concern.
How the hell does she manage to make even her freaked-out expressions look sexy?
“I’m fine. Just a little under the weather.” My voice is gravelly and congested.
She doesn’t respond, but instead crosses her arms and raises a critical brow at me. I clear my throat, loudly sniffing to clear my nose.
She clucks her tongue as she sets her things on her desk and suddenly appears at my side. Without a word, she places a cool hand on my forehead, assessing me.
I’m out of it from the DayQuil, and having her so close to me causes a slight twitch in my pants. Jesus, even when I’m drugged up, my dick is dead set on this chick. The stupid fucker.
“Under the weather, my ass. You’re burning up. If you don’t start drinking a ton of water and orange juice now, you’re going to be dehydrated until next Tuesday.”
“Remind me again when you became a doctor?”
Her eyes narrow. “It doesn’t take a medical degree to tell when someone has the flu. Or when he’s too stubborn to admit that he needs a little extra help running things today.” She takes a step back and plants her hands on her hips.
I’m about to fire back a reply, but my throat catches, setting off a coughing fit. Once the coughing subsides, Sienna gives me a knowing look.
I sigh, pushing my chair back and standing up, but the sudden movement makes me feel light-headed, and I steady myself on the edge of my desk. Damn it, I hate when she’s right.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down there, tiger. Let me help you get wherever you’re going,” she says, slipping her hand around my elbow.
Her touch is electric, and if I weren’t so damn sick, I might have actually enjoyed it.
I let her lead me to my bedroom, pointing out which direction to go, embarrassed that I need her help to stay upright and steady. Not exactly how I like to take a woman to bed for the first time.
As I lie down in my king-size bed, Sienna fluffs my pillows, and I notice her sneaking nervous glances around my room. “I don’t take clients back to my place, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
“No, it’s not that, trust me. It’s just, uh, I’ve never been in my boss’s bedroom before.”
I smile. I can’t help where that comment makes my mind go. She’s not playing fair anymore. “If I were formally inviting you into my bedroom, you’d know.”
She blushes, shaking her head and tossing her golden locks over her shoulder. “How much DayQuil have you had today?”
“Not enough.”
“Right. Well, you can have more meds in four to six hours. In the meantime, I’ll bring you some hot tea. Then you should try to go back to sleep. I’ll handle all the paperwork and make sure the guys get to their appointments on time.”