Sinful Desire

Oh shoot. There was that little matter. Now she had to deliver Ryan in the flesh to back up her thanks, but no thanks. To prove she was an honest woman.

“You will definitely meet him then,” she said, her businesslike bravado hiding her worry that she’d been too bold to think Ryan would be her arm candy.

She was going to need to ask Ryan to be her date. The possibility thrilled her, but he seemed to be playing it day by day. Would he even want to plan that far ahead?

As she drove to her next meeting, she ran through the best ways to invite Ryan to the event. What was happening between them was new and tender, and she didn’t want to ruin it by asking for too much. Would this type of date imply they were more than merely lovers? Was she ready to state that so boldly?

She shut off the questions momentarily when she arrived at the community center, parking behind a brown Buick. She rushed inside for a quick visit with Elle, who ran the center, updating her on the status of the fundraising.

“So glad it’s going well. We are lucky to have you behind this,” Elle said, gesturing broadly to the broken-down building and the basketball court with its cracked concrete surface, badly in need of the repair and revamp that they hoped would soon be possible.

“It thrills me to help,” Sophie said, as the dark-haired and insanely gorgeous Elle walked her back to her car, passing the basketball courts on the way, where teenage boys played hoops. A few of them stopped to stare at Sophie, and one even catcalled.

“Sweet blonde ass,” the guy said with a whistle. She couldn’t tell if it was the guy with ink all over his arms or someone else, and it didn’t bother her terribly.

But it bothered Elle.

Elle called the guy’s name then admonished him. “Watch it. Show a little respect, like we’ve talked about,” she said in a strong voice, and he muttered a low “Sorry.”

Elle turned to Sophie. “They’re works in progress.”

Sophie smiled. “Aren’t we all works in progress?”

Elle laughed lightly. “That we are. Lord knows I certainly am.” Then she turned more serious. “Thank you again for everything. I know we can do so much more for these kids when this comes together.”

“We have great donors behind this. It’ll happen.”

As she said goodbye, backing away from the Buick then heading in the direction of the Strip, her damn brain went haywire again, trying to figure out what was happening with Ryan. She muttered a curse as she turned onto the highway, dropping her shades over her eyes to shield them from the sun. She gripped the wheel tighter, trying to focus solely on driving. But still her mind whirred and raced as she played out scenarios and cycled through relationship permutations, just as she had with computers.

The questions rattled her brain and drove the tension in her body sky-high.

When she returned to her building, she felt like a radio station tuned in badly—all warped, fuzzy, and off-kilter. She’d been frazzled by what she needed to do next—push Ryan into something that might feel more serious, when he hardly seemed the type.

But then she shoved all those feelings aside once the front desk attendant told her there was a delivery for her. He handed her a silvery gift bag with slim handles, and instantly she was sure it was from the man she had a third date with. Desperate to open it, she clutched it tightly as the elevator shot her up to her floor.

The second she opened her door, she tore in and found a small white box, tied with a white bow, resting inside the red tissue paper. She pulled off the bow and removed the lid.

Wow. She lifted the satiny fabric. The panties were dark pink with sheer lace in front. But it was the back that knocked the breath out of her. The rear was comprised solely of crisscross satin pieces of fabric that would leave most of her bottom exposed. A cage-open panel, it was called, according to the tag.

She called it a prelude to multiple orgasms.

Sophie owned many pairs of pretty panties, but this was by far the most alluring. This took sexy to new heights. Moments later, her phone pinged with the notification that a message had arrived.

from: [email protected]

to: [email protected]

date: July 16, 3:48 PM

subject: Delivery

I hope you’ll forgive me that they aren’t pale pink.

from: [email protected]

to: [email protected]

date: July 16, 3:54 PM

subject: Forgiveness granted

I do forgive you. I forgive you so much I promise to be wearing these next time I see you.

from: [email protected]

to: [email protected]

date: July 16, 3:57 PM

subject: Don’t test me like that

See you in five minutes then.

from: [email protected]

to: [email protected]

date: July 16, 4:04 PM

subject: Don’t tease me like that

Good things come to those who wait…

from: [email protected]

to: [email protected]

date: July 16, 4:07 PM

subject: Not teasing…

How’s 7:00 tonight? If that’s presumptuous, I can wait ’til 7:30. But no later.

from: [email protected]

to: [email protected]

date: July 16, 4:12 PM