Need You Tonight

FIFTEEN





Tessa sat on the floor of her living room with colored file folders spread around her in piles and her new company-issued MacBook perched on her lap. She picked up a green folder and flipped it open to pull the information she needed to enter into her spreadsheet.

“Didn’t you work all day?” Sam asked from her spot on the couch. “I think it’s time you take a break and tell me about Hot Stalker Guy.”

Tess sent Sam a quelling look. “I’m still getting trained on a bunch of things at the office during the day and then have those night classes twice a week. It hasn’t left me a lot of time to work on stuff for the actual event. I need to organize the list of potential restaurants and donors together so I can start making calls next week. And can you please stop calling Kade stalker guy?”

“Hey, the man tracked you down,” she said with a shrug. “He comes by the nickname honestly. Plus, I’m in desperate need of juicy stories. My Perfect Match dude crashed and burned last night. Distract me from my shattered heart.”

Tessa smirked at Sam, who was happily embroidering hot pink skulls on a pair of knee socks for her friend’s roller derby team. “You look truly heartbroken. What happened?”

“I found out he hates dogs. Hates. Can you believe that? We saw a stray on the road, and I wanted to catch him so I could bring him to the shelter. Cory freaked out. Like God forbid he get dog hair in his new Dodge Durango. When I realized he was serious, I got out of the car and told him he could leave. I can’t be with someone who would leave a stray on the highway. I used to be a stray on the highway.”

Tessa shook her head. “So he just left you there on the road?”

“Yeah, he did. Bastard. But I wouldn’t have gotten back in the car anyway.” She glanced up with a smile. “In other news, I have a dog.”

Tessa laughed. “Oh, no.”

“It’s fine. I could use the company now that you moved out, anyway. But stop trying to distract me. I need to know what’s up with this Kade dude? So you’re like dating?”

“No,” Tessa said, typing a name into her spreadsheet and trying to stay focused. “I told him that’s off limits. We’re just . . .”

“Screwing like mad?” Sam offered, voice hopeful. “F*cking like rock stars?”

Tessa snorted but smiled despite herself. “You’re awful.”

She lifted a brow, indicating the question stood.

“Fine. Yes. He’s on a mission to show me the kinky side of life, and I’m letting him. Let’s call it tackling a subcategory of the list.”

Sam’s eyes went big, and she pulled her knees under her. “Seriously? Like giving you some course in deviant sex?”

“I guess you could say that. He used to be my tutor in high school, so I guess we’re kind of in those roles again.”

“That is so hot,” Sam declared. “I love it. Does he tell you what’s going to happen? Like hey, tonight we’re going to tackle public sex or tomorrow we’re going to have a threesome?”

Her face heated, and she had to choke back the urge to giggle like a teenager. “Sam.”

Tessa was used to Sam saying whatever came into her head, but having her best friend itemize sexual fantasies for consideration had her feeling awkward in a whole new way. She was still getting used to even admitting she had fantasies.

“What? Those two should definitely be on your list,” Sam said with a knowing nod. “Knowing other people could see you can be exciting. And threesomes, oh my God, some of the hottest nights I’ve ever had.”

Tessa shut her laptop with a snap. There was no way she could concentrate on work after that admission. “You’ve been in a threesome?”

Sam had never been a prude, but Tessa knew that despite Sam’s apparent alternativeness, she still had pretty traditional ideas about love and relationships.

Sam set her embroidery in her lap. “Once in college with two guys and a few years ago with a guy and his girlfriend.”

Tessa had to work to keep her lower jaw from falling open. “And you never told me this?”

She frowned. “Don’t be so surprised. I couldn’t tell you a lot of stuff. You were with Doug—a guy who preached every Sunday on TV about hell and damnation with you smiling in the pews. I didn’t know how much of that was an act and how much was really you. And any time I brought up sex stuff, you kind of clammed up. I thought I might be offending you or whatever.”

“Offending me? Seriously?”

Sam gave a little shrug. “Well, you know, not that there’s anything wrong with it, but you’ve always been exceptionally vanilla, chica. I didn’t want to freak you out.”


Tessa stared at her, a little stunned—and slightly offended. Vanilla sounded so . . . bland. Boring. But really, when it came to her sex life, wasn’t that exactly what she’d been before Kade walked back into her life? “And you’re not vanilla?”

Sam’s eyebrow ring twitched, which meant she was trying not to smile. “Let’s just say I’m still exploring what works for me. You’re take cooking and accounting classes. I’m taking bondage and dominance classes. We all have our own lists.”

Tessa set her computer on the floor and climbed into her cushy love seat, work forgotten, totally fascinated now. “You’re taking dominance classes?”

Sam feigned an innocent look. “I may or may not enjoy tying men up and making them beg. This may also be another reason Cory left me on the road. I think I scared him when I suggested rope last night.”

A laugh burst from Tessa. “Oh my God, you are such a sneaky bitch for keeping all this from me. Here I am, thinking I’m a freak for letting Kade boss me around in bed and meanwhile, you’re doing the reverse.”

Her eyes lit. “Ooh, he bosses you around in bed? Is he a dominant?”

“This is not the point,” Tessa said, jabbing a finger in her direction. “You’re not supposed to keep this stuff from your best friend. And I don’t even know what that means. Is that a thing? Being a dominant?”

Sam nodded seriously. “It’s totally a thing.”

Tessa put her hands over her eyes and leaned back against the chair. “God, even more proof I have no freaking idea what I’m doing.”

Sam laughed and plopped down beside her, putting an arm around her. “Aww, don’t worry. If he’s dominant and good at it, all you need to do is learn how to trust him and say yes, and he’ll take care of the rest. You get the easy part.”

She lifted her head. “This feels far from easy.”

“That’s because you’re still fighting with that old version of yourself. Let her go. There’s no one around to judge you now. No one to decide if you’re doing the nice girl thing or not. No caseworkers, no foster parents, and no dickhead ex-husband to make you feel like shit. Embrace the freedom of being a woman who can do whatever or whoever the f*ck she wants. Because it’s fun. Because it feels good. Because you answer to no one but you.”

She leaned into Sam and smiled. “Next you’re going to tell me to take off my bra and light a match.”

Sam snorted. “Too much? I can get a little out of control with my girl power speeches, especially after a few glasses of wine.”

“Nah, it was perfect,” Tessa said, feeling lighter than she had all week.

“So when’s your next date, or should I say, lesson?”

“Tomorrow night.”

Sam shifted on the love seat to face her. “Do you know what y’all are doing?”

Tessa bit her lip and shook her head. “Nope. But whatever it is, I guess I’ll be saying yes.”

And for the first time in her life, she didn’t feel at all guilty about what kind of girl that made her. Because right now, that was exactly the kind of woman she wanted to be.

“Good,” Sam said, then wagged a finger at her. “Now get back to work, slacker. You’ve got high-level important shit to do.”

“That is my official job description,” she said solemnly.

“And I expect full kinktastic details this weekend.”

“You’ll have to get me drunk.”

“Done!”

Tessa smiled, warmth moving through her. She had a best friend to count on. A sexy man to spend time with. And a job that meant something. Who was this girl? And whose life was she living?

Maybe her list was working after all.





Tessa leaned over and scanned the endless numbers on the documents she’d printed out and spread across her desk. One of the big-deal potential donors she’d called today had wanted to know more detailed information about her charity and their financial situation before he made a commitment. She’d flubbed her explanation, stumbled on her words, and exposed how little hard financial data she knew. She’d come off looking like an idiot. And predictably, the man had made up an excuse and said he wasn’t able to donate this year. Thousands of dollars down the tube.

The failure had been like a fat fist punching right through the confidence she’d been feeling the night before. In that moment, still hearing the disgust in the man’s voice at her lack of expertise ringing in her ear, she’d wanted to quit, to find someone who could do this job without screwing it up completely. The charity was going to go under because she was an uneducated dingbat pretending she was smart enough to have a big important job. She was kidding no one.

But right when she was on the verge of full breakdown, she’d pictured Doug’s smiling face, the I-told-you-so in his eyes. That had been enough to staunch the tears that had wanted to come. And instead of having her pity party, she’d left for an early lunch break and had headed over to Bluebonnet Place to have sandwiches with the staff. They’d welcomed her with enthusiasm and had ended up brainstorming with her to help come up with ideas of how to get the kids involved in the Dine and Donate event. They’d decided that artwork and crafts would be fun. Each child could put together something to display at the event and possibly sell.

It’d been a productive visit and one that had made her feel like a real part of that team for the first time ever. That was all she’d needed to reinvigorate her. She’d left with a stack of financial documents, determined to learn everything she could about the business she’d started. But now her head was hurting and her eyes were blurring. She’d taken accounting classes over the past year and knew the basics of a P and L statement, but there were things that didn’t add up in these. And for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what she was doing wrong. Gibson had suggested she talk to someone in accounting if she wanted any help, and it looked like she may have to do that because the numbers were not making sense. Based on the donations, Bluebonnet shouldn’t be struggling so much to stay afloat. But clearly, she was missing something or reading it wrong.

Tessa’s office phone rang, startling her from the notes she was making. She grabbed the phone and pressed the wrong button at first.

“Tess?” Kade’s voice boomed through her small office.

“Hold on, you’re on speaker.” Her fingers hovered above the keypad, as she tried to figure out what to press. These phones had so many buttons, she was afraid she might launch a missile or something if she pressed the wrong one.

“It’s the blue one,” Kade offered.

“Right.” She hit the button and put the receiver to her ear. “Sorry. I’m still figuring out things here.”

“No worries, you’ll get the hang of it,” Kade said, his good nature so vastly different from the bosses she’d worked with lately. “Did you get my package?”

She glanced down at the manila envelope that had arrived an hour ago. The words Confidential, Hold for Mr. Vandergriff scrawled across it. “Yes.”

“Did you open it?”

“No, I’ve been really buried this afternoon. Plus, it said Confidential.”

“Good girl.” She could hear the pleased smile in his voice. “I like that you follow instructions. It’s going to serve you well with what we’re doing.”

She wet her lips and glanced toward her open door, knowing anyone could be listening. “Yes, sir.”

“I’m taking you out tonight. I have a friend who’s performing at a little bar in Fort Worth and a few people I know are going. I’m not usually into country music, but he’s pretty good. Should be fun.”

A little flutter of panic went through her, and she lowered her voice. “We had agreed to keep things private.”

“I need you to trust that I’m not going to break that promise. These are close friends of mine who will have no trouble being discreet. They’re a safe group for us to be around. And the bar is off the beaten path.”

She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, but I thought this was all about fantasy. This sounds like a date.”

“Appearances can be deceiving. When you can, lock your door and open the envelope. I want you to wear what’s in there for me tonight. Understand?”

Her eyes moved back to the ominous package. “Okay.”

“I’ll pick you up at your place. Be ready.”

Ha. Ready. As if she could ever truly be ready for Kade. But after the day she’d had, he could be the perfect remedy. Fantasy. Sex. And Kade. She was starting to get addicted to the combination. A dangerous cocktail, that. One she should probably put aside for something less potent. But like any good drink, she always wanted one more sip.

“I’ll be there.”