Kaitlin
I hurry to the desk and sit down, trying to look busy. The sound of the door closing is followed by that of his footsteps on the hardwood floor. I look up and almost catch my breath at the sight of Raul. He looks weary, but his smile lights up his face, making him look more handsome than I've ever seen him before. "Hi," I say, my voice breathless.
"Hello," he says. When he reaches me, for a second I think he's about to lean down to give me a kiss. To my disappointment, he just rests one hand on the back of my chair and the other on the desk. Peering at my computer, he says, "I see you've been busy."
"Oh, it's nothing." I feel my face flush a little. "I've been looking for charities I could work with." I smile. "You know, since I don't have a job anymore."
"Hmmm. Did you find any you like?"
"A few. I'll go over them with you before I make my final decision."
"I'm sure you'll be better at picking them than I am. I'll be on board with anything you decide."
"Okay."
He straightens and looks around the suite. "Have you had dinner?"
"Yes. What about..." I falter when he starts loosening his tie. God, how does he manage to make such a simple gesture look so sexy? I stop myself before I started to picture him stripping off his jacket, then slowly unbuttoning his shirt. "Er, what about you?"
He nods. "I'm going to take a shower, okay?"
I swallow. Now all I can think about is how very naked he will be in the shower. Stop it, Kate. "Okay."
"Don't go anywhere." He winks before turning around to head to his bedroom.
I stare at his retreating back, slack-jawed. Where does he think I'm going to go at ten in the evening? Shaking my head as though the movement could get rid of the imagery of Raul's — my husband's — lean, hard, naked body under a spray of hot water, I return my attention to the website on my computer screen. Right. I'm looking at charitable causes. This one was a non-profit that does river cleanups. Definitely one we can consider.
Raul and the company already support a few charities. But for some reason, I want him and I to do something on our own as a couple. We might even have to offer to host a few fundraisers. Good thing I've already helped organize a few during my stint as Raul's assistant.
I write down my notes in a spiral notebook. While I worked for Raul, I did all my planning and notes on digital files. But that was only because that made it easier for me to share files with the two other assistants under me, and sometimes with Raul. Still, I prefer using paper notebooks, specifically the ones I bought from Japanese stationery shops. They have such lovely paper. And since I will be the only one working on this — at least for the time being — I can be as analog as I want to be.
The sound of luggage being rolled over the floors makes me look up. "What are you doing?" I say, frowning at the sight of Raul moving my things. I get to my feet and follow him to the master bedroom.
"I don't know why you just assumed I would take this room," Raul says, not breaking his stride. "If you insist on having separate rooms, you'll take this one and I'll sleep in the other." His hair is damp from the shower and he's dressed in a plain white shirt and grey sweatpants.
I try to ignore the way the shirt clings lovingly over his toned arms and chest. "Seriously, Raul, this isn't necessary," I say, sighing. I haven't unpacked, so most of my things were still in my bags. Maybe if I did, he would have just accepted the room assignments because it would be too much bother to swap the contents of our closets. I follow him to the dressing room where he sets my luggage down.
"Of course it is." He opens one of my suitcases. "What kind of man would I be if I gave my wife the second-best room in the suite?"
"This isn't ..." I hesitate. "This isn't a real marriage. You know that."
Unperturbed, he just starts arranging my clothes in the closet. "As far as the hotel staff is concerned, it is."
"Oh." It didn't occur to me but he's right. While it was just the two of us staying here, if our clothes were in separate rooms, the housekeeping staff will know we slept separately. "Here, let me do that."
"You know, I'm entirely capable of unpacking by myself." He grinned as he dropped my folded slacks on a shelf, as though he expected an award. I smiled back at him.
Between the two of us, we got everything in my bags neatly put away fairly quickly. "You sleep here," he says. "I'll take the other room. No arguments," he adds as I'm about to object again.
"Fine," I say. I turn to leave but he snags my hand with his.
"Nightcap?"
His fingers are warm and I try to hide the delicious shiver that shot up my spine at his touch. "O-okay."
There's a lot of champagne in the fridge but I opt for whisky. The enormous balcony has a glorious view of the harbor; unfortunately, it's still too cold to sit out there. So instead we draw the curtains open and he turns two chairs around so they're facing the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, giving us a nice view of the water.
He asks me about my day, and I had to admit I stayed in. My mother announced the wedding on her social network and I had to reply to quite a few congratulatory emails and texts. When I ask him about work, he gives me a pointed look.
"You don't work for me anymore, Kate," he says. "You can relax now."
"I know." I raise a placating hand. "I'm not meddling, just thought I'd ask."
He sighs. "I forgot my meds today."
I nod. Usually, when he forgets his first dose of Focalin, he forgets to take his second one too. "I'll remind you tomorrow. Sorry I slept in today."
His grin is practically wolfish and I avert my gaze to my drink.
"I can't exactly complain, seeing as it was my fault."
"Oh shut up." I can't help it, I laugh. When I look up, there's a serious expression on his face.
Shit.
"You could have told me, you know." He gives me a gentle smile.
"I guess I should have but—"
"No, Kate, it was none of my business." He shakes his head. "I'm just saying it would have been fine if you did tell me."
"Okay."
There's a long silence. Long enough to tell him I don't want to talk about it.
"Sorry about the trip to DC," he says. "I completely forgot about it."
"I didn't. And it's fine. There was no point in canceling it, it took us months to schedule that meeting. And it's not like we're on a real honeymoon."
He sighs. "It's not going to look good to the board. Leaving my bride only two days after my wedding."
"It's a work thing. They'll understand. It's not like you're going to DC to have an orgy." I frown. "You're not, are you?"
I say the last line just as he's taking a sip of whisky. The drink goes down the wrong way, setting him off on a coughing fit.
"Are you okay?" I set my glass down and get out of my chair, but he waves me off.
"Sorry." I grimace, sitting back down.
He's chuckling now. "You could always just come with me."
"I have lunch with your Tia Carmen on Friday, remember?"
"Oh, right."
Even he knows there's no way I can cancel that appointment with his aunt. The woman is a force of nature, and nobody wants to displease her. Thankfully, she and I always got along just fine. But that was before I married her nephew.
"Well, I'll try to wrap everything up as soon as I can and be back by Saturday night," he says.
"I hope Olivia is working out?" At his exasperated look, I add, "I know, I know, not my job anymore. But I'd like to know I didn't leave you with a less-than-competent assistant."
"Olivia is working out fine. Nowhere as good as you, of course, but she's extremely competent. You trained her, after all."
Except she didn't make sure you took your meds.
I don't say the words out loud. It isn't fair for me to expect the woman to be the perfect assistant in her first week. Besides, I could take care of reminding Raul to take the meds myself, living in the same house as him. As he says, I trained her myself.
***
Raul
"Do I have to tie you up in that bed?" I say, giving her a stern look.
Kate's eyes widen. I step forward and she takes a step backward into the master bedroom. "The other room is fine, Raul, honestly—" she starts to say.
"I'm not brooking any arguments, Kate. You're taking this room. I'll sleep in the other one."
"But ... all your clothes are here."
I put my hand on her shoulders and gently turn her around. "Then I'll get dressed here. I'll be very quiet, I'm not going to wake you."
"Okay, okay." She raises her hands in surrender.
I squeeze her shoulders. "Good night."
When I get to my bed, I try to read a little before sleeping. Instead, I find myself straining my ears to hear any movement from the adjoining room where Kate is sleeping. I had no intention of sleeping alone tonight, but I thought I'd wait a bit before trying to sweet-talk my way into my wife's bed. It was nice just relaxing with her over drinks, chatting about our day without bringing up work matters.
A glance at the clock on the bedside table tells me it's past eleven. I set my book down and get up.
Kate is awake the moment I slip under the duvet beside her.
"What are you doing?" she says, almost shrieking with surprise. She sits up staring down at me.
I raise an arm and tuck it under my head. It doesn't escape my notice that her gaze goes down to my bare chest before she catches herself. I, on the other hand, allow my own gaze to rake over her with no shame. "I like your nightie."
She gasps and pulls the duvet over her chest. A shame, because I do like what she has on — a long, pale peach silk slip dress. The thin, tiny straps and low neckline expose a lot of her lovely skin. In the moonlight, she looks vulnerable and sexy. To be honest, I expected her to be wearing something more sensible, like pajamas. I was never so happy for my expectations to be thwarted.
"You came here to critique my nightgown?" This time she no longer sounds panicked. More annoyed, actually.
"Yes." I flash her a lazy grin. "But I'll need a better look." I move my free hand slowly up her back, gratified to feel her shiver at my touch.
"Raul..."
She doesn't move, not even when I run my hand down her back to her waist. "Come here." It takes only a slight tug and she tumbles on top of me.
Her lips are eager, and she kisses me with a hunger that matches mine. I let my hands roam over her curves as I explore her mouth with my tongue. She moans softly when I squeeze her backside, making my cock grow even harder than it already was. Seized with lust, I roll us over until I'm on top of her. The voice in the back of my head reminds me to be gentle the haze of lust has taken control of me. Kate responds to the almost brutal way I'm kissing her by tightening her arms around my neck. Dios mio.
She gasps for air when I break off the kiss to lower my lips to her throat. I slide the straps of her nightie over her shoulder, peeling it off her as I kiss my way down her body.
"Oh God," she whimpers when I drag her panties down her legs.
"Is this okay?" I say.
"Yes!"
Well, that did it. I toss her panties away.
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