Otherwise Engaged: A Fake Engagement Romance

Between waking up to a good morning text from Bennett and attending a seven AM spin class with Lola, my Friday morning got off to a strong start. Then it promptly crashed and burned when, one hour before the store’s opening, I inadvertently started a war with Quinn in the midst of our weekly inventory replenishment. TGIF, indeed.

“Of course, I knew.” Quinn squared her shoulders and jutted her chin, a mirror image of our mother’s ‘I’ve never been wrong in my life’ stance—her fighting stance. She was fury in a fuchsia shift dress.

I set down a box of satin nightgowns, dusting off my hands. “You knew that our father gave your fiancé five million dollars?”

On the second last night of our trip, I’d confessed to Bennett that I was worried Quinn was pregnant. In turn, he’d informed me that Adam’s big fish investor was none other than my beloved father. This triggered a full-blown panic attack, where I became convinced that I was literally dying, complete with hyperventilation and tunnel vision in the middle of the beach. Bennett spent half an hour patiently talking me down.

Once I was off the ledge, I’d vowed to talk to Quinn about it in a calm, non-threatening manner upon our return home. Or vowed that I would try to, anyway, because Quinn perceived all forms of confrontation as threatening and was terrible at staying calm. Case in point: this entire conversation.

Quinn flounced over to the other side of the room and examined the boxes of new inventory, making a point to avoid my prying gaze. “Daddy didn’t give it to Adam.” She sliced open a box, voice taking on a shrill edge over the ripping sound. “He invested it with him.”

“And you knew but didn’t tell me.”

Her posture deflated slightly, and she paused, mid-cut. “I didn’t know it was a done deal, but I knew they were talking. I was the one who suggested it.”

My stomach lurched, disbelief mingling with a faint sense of anger that I knew wasn’t fully justified but couldn’t seem to quell. At this point, I was confident Adam’s intentions with my sister weren’t good, but it was even more frustrating to see Quinn do his dirty work for him.

“Why?” My tone came out harsher than I’d intended. Unfortunately, when it came to my sister, it was the execution that mattered and not the intent.

She glanced up from the handful of pink and purple Hanky Panky thongs she was sorting, raising a slender eyebrow. “Because I love him? You’d do the same thing for Bennett in a heartbeat.”

Would I? I honestly didn’t know.

“This is a bad idea, Quinn. What if the investment goes south?”

“We’re all adults,” she said. “Daddy knows investments carry risk.”

“But don’t you think there is a chance that Adam’s…” Using you.

Instead of finishing my sentence, I seized the mug of lukewarm coffee on my desk, draining it to stop myself from saying something I’d regret. The only way to get through to her was the indirect route. I had to provide enough evidence for her to see the truth for herself. Difficult when she was determined to squeeze her eyes shut to avoid it.

Quinn’s tone was laced with acid. “What? What is Adam doing?”

“Why haven’t you been drinking?” I asked, spinning around to face her, still clutching the empty mug. “Are you pregnant?”

The question I had been agonizing over for the past week hung in the air. I’d been watching her like a hawk, but I couldn’t tell. She was still drinking copious amounts of coffee, still working out like a maniac, and she’d eaten raw sushi for lunch yesterday.

Quinn stiffened, posture turning ramrod straight. “No. At least, not yet. But I’m trying to be as healthy as possible just in case.”

“Quinn.” I shook my head, half-wishing I could shake some sense into her. “Don’t you think you’re rushing things?”

Not to mention, she was still teetering on being worryingly thin. I was by no means a fertility expert, but I suspected a few extra pounds would probably help. Then again, her getting pregnant wasn’t exactly the best idea in the first place. I was sure Adam was playing the long game with her, and I didn’t want her to be tied to him permanently when things fell apart.

“Not all of us have the luxury of time,” she snapped. “And some of us actually want a family.”

Resentment coated her words, the implication clear. On some level, I understood where she was coming from. It wasn’t fair; health impacts aside, the loss of fertility wouldn’t cut me nearly as deeply as it did her. At best, I was on the fence about having children, leaning heavily toward not.

“I just want to make sure you don’t get hurt,” I said.

“I’m perfectly fine.”

“But—” the syllables formed a traffic jam in my throat.

“I’m fine,” Quinn repeated. She made a show of turning to look at the clock on the wall. “It’s almost ten. I have to go refresh the displays up front before customers start to arrive.” Box in hand, she barreled by me and let the office door slam behind her, leaving me holding the words I should have said.

TWO HOURS LATER, Quinn and I had reached a frosty truce, forced to interact for the sake of maintaining a functional company. Hostility lurked beneath our civil words, and I remained tucked away in the back office, occupying myself with sales and expense reports in order to avoid further interaction.

Beside the keyboard, my phone lit up.

Lola: Are we still on for brunch tomorrow?

Thayer: Always. Can’t wait.

Lola: And you’re going to give me the scoop about your trip, right?

Lola: RIGHT?

Thayer: Of course.

Lola knew me well enough to know something was definitely up. I hadn’t gotten into details with her over text, because frankly, it felt weird to. Spilling about what happened with Bennett would be hard enough in person. I wasn’t the type to dish about what I did in the bedroom. Or the shower. Or the kitchenette.

Over the security intercom, the entry chime sounded, and a muffled male voice greeted Quinn. It was impossible to discern his identity through the solid wood office door, but I had a strong hunch it was Adam. My grip on the wireless mouse tightened, and I returned my attention to the spreadsheet in front of me, adjusting the budget for our grand opening to reflect the catering quote. Six hours to go before I could leave this problem with Quinn behind—throwing myself headfirst into another.

Lola: Just give me a little teaser. On a scale of 1 to Sex God, how was it?

Thayer: We’re going to need some mimosas for this conversation.

Lola: Sex God it is. I knew it. Love this for you.

I bit my inner cheek, stuffing down the sordid flashbacks that had started to swirl inside my brain. Before I could compose a reply, the office door swung open, revealing none other than Mr. Sex God himself.

My phone slipped out of my fingers, landing on the floor with a clatter.

“Bennett,” I said, a little too brightly. “Hi.”

He sauntered into the room holding a red holiday-themed Starbucks cup in one hand and closed the door behind him with the air of someone who owned the place. Leaning forward, I kept my gaze fixed to him while I fished around for my phone underneath the desk. For someone who’d reportedly had a rough week according to our frequent texts, he didn’t look like it. His navy suit was immaculate, dark hair freshly trimmed, and his presence was as disarming as ever.

Our eyes locked, and I almost dropped my phone again.

“Did I interrupt something?” Bennett nodded at my hand.

“No, I—” Glancing down, I locked my screen to conceal Lola’s text thread. The last thing I needed was Bennett seeing that sex god confirmation, though it’s not like he didn’t know already. It was obvious from the way my body reacted to his touch. And his tongue. And, well, his other body parts.

I pushed my rolling desk chair back and stood up, smoothing my charcoal grey shift dress. Had I known he was coming, I would have at least retouched my makeup. Why did I feel so self-conscious? He’d already seen me naked in more ways than one.

“Is everything okay?” I asked.

“Everything’s fine. Can’t I bring you a coffee?” His mouth tugged in a way that told me his impromptu visit had zero to do with the hot beverage in his hand.

My heart strummed in my chest. “Is that why you’re here?”

“Fuck no.” Bennett abandoned the cardboard cup on the corner of my desk, stepping around it to stand in front of me. His large hands wrapped around mine, thumbs stroking the backs of my hands. “I missed you.”

“Careful, or I might start to think you like me.”

His expression sobered, and he released my hands, pulling me closer. “I more than like you.”

My brain didn’t know how to react to that. It didn’t have much time to try, because his lips claimed mine, and my ability to think completely vanished. He drew in a breath, pushing deeper into my mouth, and my fingers sank into his hair, tugging and mussing the perfect waves. His mint-tinted tongue brushed against mine again, and the kiss turned all-consuming.

In a flash, he shrugged out of his suit jacket, abandoning it on the desk chair beside us. His fingers slid past my hips and landed on my bare thighs, slowly inching my dress higher. I began to fall under his spell, until the possibility of imminent nudity in the middle of my office brought me back to reality.

“There’s a security camera in here.” I pointed behind him to the glossy dome embedded in the ceiling.

Bennett didn’t even turn to look. “So?” His gaze stayed pinned to me, heated and predatory, eliciting a throb of desire between my thighs.

“You might be into exhibitionism, but I don’t want to give the monitoring center at United Security an eyeful.”

He surveyed the office methodically, and his eyes landed on the open door to the powder room. Roguishness dawned across his face. “There’s no camera in there.”

“True, but—” Before I could finish saying, ‘Quinn is right in the other room,’ Bennett was already steering me through the doorway. He flipped on the lights on his way past and locked the handle, securing us in the sky-blue painted powder room under soft white fluorescent lighting. I was sure I’d think back on this encounter every time I came in here, which was probably one of his goals.

“What about my coffee?” I teased.

He reached down and rolled his shirt sleeves up, exposing his forearms. “Looks like you’ll be drinking it cold.”

Bennett nudged my thighs apart with his knee, hiking up my dress. My teeth sank into my bottom lip, cheeks heating. His expression darkened and his muscular thigh pressed between my legs, pinning me against the sink. When he dug in again, my pelvis swayed in response to the blissful sensation it created, greedily seeking more.

He cradled the back of my head, and our mouths came together again, but this time his lips moved gently against mine, questioning. I kissed him back, and he gripped me tighter, the possessiveness of his hold on me demolishing the last of my objections. Doing this was utterly insane, but I didn’t care.

His hands smoothed up my back, tugging the zipper to my dress down. It split open and pooled around my feet, leaving me in nothing but a lace-trimmed burgundy bra, matching thong underwear, and my black pumps. A chill settled across my skin and anticipation grew between my thighs.

Bennett spun me around and planted my hands on the edge of the porcelain sink, meeting my gaze in the mirror with a wicked grin.

“Look at you,” he said. “You’re fucking flawless.”

I watched in the reflection as his broad hand slid up my ribcage, cupping my breast and squeezing. His other hand trailed down my stomach, past the waistband of my underwear, dipping between my legs where I was already heated and aching for him. My hips swiveled against his hand, and I sucked in a breath. Bennett let out a low groan, hard length pressing into me from behind.

“You’re so wet.” His lips clamped onto the junction between my shoulder and my neck, sucking hard enough that I was certain he’d leave behind a mark. He released the skin, bringing his lips to the shell of my ear. “Can I fuck you in here?”

“Y-yes.” Pleasure rippled through my core again.

A deep chuckle reverberated in his chest. “Knew you had a naughty side.”

My breath hitched as Bennett hooked his thumbs around the waistband of my lace thong, tugging it all the way down. He kneeled to help me step out of it, carefully lifting my feet one at a time so I didn’t trip in my heels. The tenderness to his actions was a sharp contrast to his dirty talk just moments ago.

He smoothed his hands up my body and his teeth gently sank into the curve of my behind. I startled and he laughed softly, standing back up. His lips landed on my bare shoulder to claim the same spot as before, and heat unfurled between my legs. I leaned against him, wrapping my hand around his neck to pull him closer.

He removed his hands from my body, leaving my skin cold in their wake, and my heart skittered in anticipation. I couldn’t see what he was doing in the mirror, but I could hear his belt clanging, followed by the rip of the foil wrapper. He grabbed my hips and yanked me closer, nudging up against my entrance, and we both let out a breathy moan as he plunged inside of me.

Overwhelming pleasure of him filling me mingled with intense relief, like three days apart had been three years. His sculpted forearm wrapped around my stomach, protecting me from the square edge of the sink while he rubbed my clit with each thrust. Ecstasy echoed through my body, every thrust perfectly timed with the movement of his skilled fingers.

The front door chimed, alerting us to someone entering the store. I stiffened and the spell broke, taking my looming orgasm with it. While Quinn was up front to handle any customers or deliveries, that didn’t change the fact that I was locked in the bathroom, getting railed at ten o’clock in the morning.

Super professional.

Bennett slowed his rhythm, sensing my unease. He pushed my hair aside and pressed a gentle kiss below my ear. “Don’t worry, Thay. We can be quiet.”

His fingertips circled my swollen bud of nerves, flooding my core with another wave of bliss. Some of my misgivings faded into the background and I leaned against him, beginning to relax. He tilted his hips, resuming a faster pace that rendered me dizzy with pleasure. A breathy moan escaped my lips, echoing off the walls, and I tensed again.

“I can’t”—I gasped as he slammed into me, bringing me dangerously close to the edge—“be quiet.”

He clamped his warm, rough palm over my mouth, and my eyes widened, surprise flickering through me. With anyone else, I would have balked, but with Bennett, it was unexpectedly reassuring. His grip was gentle yet secure, dominant in a way that made me feel safe giving up control.

His warm breath grazed my cheek. “Tap my hand twice if you want me to stop, okay?”

I nodded, making a smothered sound of agreement. He slowly pulled back and sank inside me, deeper than before. My eyes rolled back, and I let out a desperate whimper, thankful for the sound barrier.

With each wave of movement, he hit places I hadn’t even known existed, bringing me to new heights of pleasure I hadn’t thought possible. As I approached the point of no return, an overwhelming wave of emotion and sensation hit me all at once, and my eyes clenched shut.

“Eyes on me, beautiful.” Bennett nipped at my neck, his teeth sinking in just hard enough to sting.

Our gazes met in the mirror while he continued to claim my body mercilessly. He held me in place, watching me arch against him. I’d never let someone else have so much power over me before, sexually or otherwise, but something about it was incredibly arousing.

He slammed into me again, earning a muffled cry against his palm as I teetered right on the edge.

“You’re close, aren’t you?” His voice husky, rich like coffee and twice as addictive.

I silently pleaded with his reflection for release. “Mmhmm.”

He removed his hand from my mouth and bracketed my jaw, turning my face to his and clamping his lips over mine. With his next thrust, his rough kiss captured my needy sounds, and he let out a rumble of appreciation. I surrendered to the sensation building in my core, letting him take me over the brink. Reality vanished, and with a desperate cry, I fell into him, trembling as swells of pleasure wracked my entire body.

I was just starting to float back to reality when, with a few more thrusts, Bennett’s body tensed, and he stiffened, letting out a low groan. He stilled, and his arms slid around my waist, wrapping me in a reverse bear hug. I nestled against him, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest. Even with the mind-melting orgasm he’d just given me, the way he was holding me was ten times more euphoric.

“Fuck.” The word was a satisfied sigh across his lips. He rested his cheek against mine. “Thay…”

Unsure how to respond, I waited for him to finish, but he didn’t. Silence enveloped us while his heartbeat drummed against my back like it was tapping out a message in Morse code. I closed my eyes, wondering what his heart was saying; wondering if it matched mine.

With a heavy exhale, his breaths turned more regular, and his heartbeat slowed, but his hold on me didn’t falter. He nuzzled my neck, planting a soft kiss on my collarbone. “We should have coffee breaks together more often.”

My eyes fluttered back open to find him looking at me in the mirror with a mixture of affection and playfulness.

“Maybe I should come to you next time,” I said. “Create a scene at your workplace for a change.”

“Please do.” A low growl rumbled in the base of his throat. “I’ll park your ass on my desk, spread your legs, and call it a business lunch.”

Bennett squeezed me and kissed my cheek before pulling out and disposing of the condom, leaving me alone. Another glance in the mirror confirmed I was still pink-cheeked and clearly post-coital. I got dressed and tried to perform damage control on my hair and makeup, with little success.

I reopened the bathroom door to find him tugging down his shirt sleeves, refastening the cuffs. He glanced up at me, dark hair tumbling over his forehead.

“You’re still coming over later, right?” He ran a hand through his messy locks, effortlessly smoothing them back into place. Unlike him, I was still sporting undeniable sex hair. Without a curling iron or brush, I could only do so much.

“You want me to?” Suddenly feeling uncertain, I stepped closer and came to stand in front of him.

“Of course.” His fingers circled my wrist, and he tugged gently, pulling me into him. He wrapped his arms around me, tracing his nose along my cheek. A tiny thrill ran down my spine. “And you’re staying over, right?”

“Right,” I said, still breathless. We hadn’t discussed that part when we’d made plans. But while I was basking in the post-orgasm glow, riding an oxytocin high, it sounded perfect.

“Good.” Bennett leaned his forehead against mine for a beat before pulling back, brushing his lips along my temple. Then he nodded to my desk, where a stray MBA program brochure lay on the counter. More evidence I wasn’t thinking clearly when he stopped by, or else I would have hidden it when I saw him. “Are you thinking of going back to school, Thay?”

I gave a small shrug. “Maybe.”

With Adam’s recent reappearance in my life, it was harder than ever to ignore the fact that I’d graduated college nearly five years ago and still hadn’t executed the biggest item on my five-year-plan. Not to mention, I was concerned about the future of Lace & Grace. If Quinn bailed on me to become a stay-at-home-mother, I didn’t think I could manage the business alone.

Yet for some reason, I felt guilty at the prospect of deserting her—even though that had been our plan all along.

“If you want to do it, you should go for it,” he said softly. His dark blue eyes searched mt face, gleaming with tenderness. “Don’t let Quinn stop you.”

“Still thinking about it.” Working up the courage, more like.

He nodded like he knew not to push and gave me another quick kiss on the lips before releasing me. “See you tonight.”

Bennett strolled out looking the same way he did when he walked in. Calm, composed, and completely put together. Not a single hair out of place.

I looked…well, like I’d just been bent over a sink.

FOR THE REST of the morning, I caught myself zoning out and thinking about Bennett when I should have been focusing on work. It was becoming a serious issue. I’d never made so many errors in Excel in my entire life. This infatuation I was harboring was legitimately like being on drugs. Or at least, what I assumed doing drugs would be like, having zero firsthand experience.

“Earth to Thayer.” My sister tapped the desk with a petal-pink fingernail, but her tone was gentle. Her mood swings were unpredictable lately, and things had seemingly thawed between us compared to earlier.

“Sorry, what was that?” I glanced up and spun my chair to face her.

“As I was saying, we had a bridal party come in while you were, um…on your break. They dropped over a grand.”

“Sounds like you did a great job selling them.” To her credit, Quinn was fantastic with people, which translated into being a great salesperson. She was the main reason our revenues had increased steadily year after year, even when the retail sector wasn’t growing at the same rate.

“I sure did.” Quinn eyed me, her hot pink lips quirking with amusement. “And don’t worry, I turned up the music in the floor area.”

Oh, God.

I swiveled my chair, turning back to face the monitors. “I’m going to finish working on these numbers.”

“Okay. I’m running out for a coffee. I’d bring you one, but I think Bennett already did.” Quinn headed for the door, beige Jimmy Choos clicking on the hardwood. She paused with one hand on the doorknob and turned back to face me. “I’m not judging you, Thay. I think it’s sweet.”

“Sweet?” That was a generous way to describe a mid-morning quickie in the office.

“You know…” She gestured to me with a knowing smile. “Seeing you in love. I don’t think I ever have.”

My stomach fluttered. “We’re never talking about this again.”

I wasn’t in love with Bennett.

Was I?