Iris

This man...

Garrett shifted the slant of his mouth and swiped his tongue along the seam of my lips. It was a gentle request that I complied with at once, and the moment I felt him slip inside my mouth, my brain short-circuited. This kiss was nothing compared to the moment we shared in the hotel room, but there was something in the tender way we explored one another that felt more intimate—more connecting.

I gripped his coat and rose on my tiptoes, desperate to bring him closer. He complied by sliding his hands under my sweater and resting them on the curve of my waist. His fingers dug into the flesh there to anchor me in place as a fierceness stole into the kiss. Every brush of his tongue, press of his lips, and breath between were more urgent now.

A throat cleared behind us. "As much as I dig public displays of affection, there are children here."

"Ignore him. The children can look away."

Garrett chuckled, the laugh vibrating between our lips as he pulled back, but he didn't release me. Arm around my waist, he tucked me against his chest and faced Lexi and—oh shit—Parker Jones, Garrett's business partner. The Jones in James, Jones, and Associates.

Lexi practically trembled with excitement as she shifted the half dozen bags in her hands down her arms and clapped like a giddy schoolgirl. "I didn't know you had it in you, Garrett."

"Okay, enough already," Garrett muttered.

Parker smiled at me and shifted closer to Garrett. He lowered his voice, but not enough for me to miss what he whispered to his friend and partner. "Being a bit public about the whole thing, huh?"

My stomach dropped, and I attempted to move out of his embrace. The result was a faint growl of displeasure and an increase in pressure, pressing me even closer to his body as he glared down at Parker.

"I never said it was something I was going to hide."

My cheeks pinked. They had talked about this. About Garrett and I crossing those professional boundaries. It should thrill me to hear Garrett was taking what was between us seriously. If he was considering all the angles, then I was more than a convenient fuck. But I wasn't Ivy.

"You know what?" Lexi said, looking at her smart watch with a nervous laugh. "It's getting late, and us girls need a lot more time to get ready for the gala tonight."

"Oh. Oh!" I looked at the time. It wasn't just a convenient excuse to escape the two grumpy males. We only had about two and a half hours before the party. "She's right. I need to go."

"You can get ready in my room."

Garrett frowned, finally lifting his arm so I could move. "That's unnecessary. There's plenty of space in our room."

Lexi snorted. "That's probably not true, and even if it was, I would put good money on neither of you making it to the party on time."

"What do you mean?" I protested. "I'm very prompt."

The others smirked. Garrett bent to whisper, "I don't say Lexi is right often, but she is about this. There's no way I can be twenty feet from you, knowing you're naked, and not do something about it."

"Oh..." A vivid image of us in the shower together burst forth. Garrett on his knees on the tile, his mouth between my legs, and my hands gripping the dark strands of his hair as I came harder than I believed was possible.

"Fuck," Garrett said, reading my expression accurately. "Being on time is overrated."

"Sorry. You're just going to have to suffer until after the party," Lexi said, pushing me down the path and away from him.

"Wait. No. Why?" I asked as the men faded from view.

"Because your first time together is not going to be a quickie before a party. I'm not the world's biggest romantic, but you deserve more than that. We're going to make you look so fucking hot tonight, though, that I can't be held responsible for how fast things go after the party."

"Um, Lexi," I said as we walked back into the hotel. It was really hitting me now that after tonight, I might not be a virgin anymore.

"Yep." She pressed the button to my floor.

"It's more than just our first time together."

The elevator dinged. Her eyes narrowed, and she smirked. "You told me this morning you haven't had sex with him yet, and you've been with me since then. "

"Right. I mean...it's...it's my first time. Ever."

"Oh, shit," she breathed, throwing her hand up to stop the door from closing. "Shit."

"Oh god." I covered my face with my hands. "This was a bad idea."

"No, no. Iris, listen." She pushed me into the hotel room and closed the door. Taking my hands in hers, she continued, "You and Garrett are attracted to each other. You know he wants you, right?"

I nodded. "I think so."

"Honey, there is no think. That man is down bad, and he has enough experience for the both of you." She laughed at my grimace. "I'm not saying he's a man whore, but he knows what's he's doing. I've heard from more than one of his partners that he is an extremely attentive lover. He's going to make sure you enjoy yourself, okay? And everything else, well, it's instinct."

A bit of calm settled over me. "Okay. Thank you."

"Of course. Now, where's your dress?"

"Hanging in the closet. There are two. I hadn't decided which one to wear."

Lexi disappeared. Five seconds later, she came out holding up the coral silk. "Like there was ever any question. This one. Absolutely this one."

"It's not too...much?"

"It's perfect, and it seals the deal. This is a dress that will get you fucked every single time. You're definitely losing your v-card tonight."