Page 87 of Brooklynaire

“So I’m not leaving tonight?” Becca asks as we enter the kitchen. Bingley turns on the lights automatically, so she’s blinking up at me with bigeyes.

“Do you want to?” But I don’t let her answer the question. I cup the back of her head and pull her into a kiss, right there in front of the refrigerator. And her mouth melts under mine. It’s glorious. And it means I haven’t ruinedeverything.

Unfortunately, Bingley doesn’t get the memo. “Hullo, Rebecca!” he says. “It’s good to hear your voice,lass!”

“Mmm,” she says against my smile. “Hello to you,too.”

Laughing, I pull back. “Soda?”

“Sure, why not.” Sheshrugs.

I reach into the fridge and take a couple of drinks out. “Follow me.” I open a door that leads out the back, but also down to thebasement.

“Where are wegoing?”

“You said something about muscle pain? You’ll see.” I flip a switch, and the stairs to the lower level areilluminated.

“Nice basement,” Becca says, following medown.

“It’s not really below ground.” But this level really is swank. To our right is my home gym. But to my left is where I’m bringing Becca—the spa room. One wall is sliding glass doors, but those are locked for the night and covered with heavy curtains. And there are two lounge chairs facing my combination hot tub and lappool.

I have it on the hot tub setting presently, so I can hear the jets bubbling away as hot water is pushed into circulation. I step on a button on the floor, and the cover retractsautomatically.

“Oh, wow,” Becca says. “Fancy.” She toes out of her shoes and walks toward the edge. Then she hesitates. “I still don’t always trust my balance. If I fall in, don’t laugh.” She carefully dips a hand into the water. “Nice.”

I grab a towel off a waiting stack of them and toss it onto the edge. “You can sit and put your feetin.”

She’s wearing a short little knit dress that’s been making me crazy all evening, so it would be easy enough for her to strip off those stockings, sit on the towel, and drop both feetin.

And that’s what she does. She eases one stocking down over a smooth knee and tugs itoff.

I don’t want to stand there staring like a middle-school boy. Okay, I do want to. But I don’t want to make her uncomfortable. So I go over to the sound system instead, and I set my phone on the speaker and cue up a really old playlist. One she’llrecognize.

When I turn around again, she’s seated on the towel, both legs hanging down into the churning water. “Ah. Wow.” She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling. “Nice place you gothere.”

“Isn’t it?” I toe off my shoes and kick them to theside.

The first song comes on, and it’s a Macklemore tune that we used to play far too often in our first office. Rebecca laughs immediately. “You didn’t! I haven’t heard this playlist in forever. But I’ll bet I still know every transition. Lady Gaga isnext.”

“She sureis.”

Rebecca kicks her feet, making a splash. “I have a little confession tomake.”

“What’s that?” I loosen my tie and slide the knotout.

“Well…” She grins up at me. “I used to have a crush on you. Back in the earlydays.”

My hands freeze on the tie silk. “Get out of town. You didnot.”

“No, I really did.” Her cheeks are pink. “That first year especially. But you were taken, and you were my boss. Those two things made it pretty easy to tamp down, when you’re a practical girl likeme.”

I walk over and drop down beside her, my back to the water, though, because I’m still wearing trousers and socks. “So how does that work,exactly?”

“What?” She gives me a sidelong glance, but then looks away again and won’t meet myeyes.

“How do you stop wanting someone? I’m a practical person, but I don’t see how that makes it any easier. Nothing seems to mute the raging attraction I have foryou.”

Her chin turns quickly toward me, and I seize the opportunity to kiss her. And it only takes one kiss—one slide of my lips over hers, and I’m on fireagain.