day.
“Although,” she recalled, “it didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped.”
“God, I remember that.” Cheryl chuckled. “You ended up in some dingy bar, didn’t you?”
“The place was a dive. I spent the whole time worrying my camera would get stolen.”
“What were you doing with that guy?” Cheryl asked. “He was so not you.”
Trisha took a sip of her wine. “I fell for his body and forgot there was a personality inside.”
“He was hot,” Cheryl agreed. “Tell me, is it true what they say about the size of a man’s hands? That guy had some big hands.”
“I’m not hearing this,” their father proclaimed.
Cheryl rolled her eyes. “Come on, Dad, we’re grown women. How do you think you ended up with two grandchildren?”
Phillip gasped and jokingly turned to his wife. “You told me that was divine intervention!”
“It was, honey.” Monica winked. “Cheryl’s just pulling your leg.”
“Can we get back to gift ideas?” Mark asked, that baby-brother whine still evident in his voice at the age of twenty-five.
“I told you,” Cheryl said. “Women are easy. Buy her a necklace. Grace will love it. Men are the hard ones to buy for. I never know what to get Steve.” She looked at their father. “Dad, what was the best Valentine’s present Mom ever gave you?”
“That’s easy. I got a lovely handmade card telling me we were going to have a baby. And eight months later, you were born.”
“Seven,” Monica said. “Remember? All my babies were early.”
Phillip chuckled. “You almost delivered Trisha in the middle of a business meeting. I remember the nurses saying you were the best-dressed screaming woman they’d ever seen.”
Monica groaned. “That was awful. My water broke right in the middle of a roomful of bankers.”
“If you ask me,” Mark chimed in, “I think Trisha just wanted to join the meeting.”
“I’m so sure,” Trisha scoffed.
“Get real. You were born in a business suit and your career is your red-hot lover. You’ve always been that way.”
Had she? Admittedly, she’d always aspired to be like her mother, showing up at dance recitals in those sharp business suits and her hair twisted in a perfect French roll. Trisha had been so proud to show her off, and at a very young age, had aspired to be just like her.
But was that the path she was on? Looking around the room, she realized she was the only one in the family who hadn’t found a serious relationship. Even her little brother had stumbled across that someone special, while Trisha had put her career before everything.
Is that what she really wanted?
Watching her parents together, the answer was a resounding no. Their careers were only a part of their lives, not the sum of it, and Trisha wondered if she’d been too focused on first things first. Admittedly, a woman didn’t make vice president at her age without making her job a priority. But that wasn’t what she’d wanted and the whole issue had her rethinking her priorities.
Her mother hadn’t become an executive until all the children were grown. For most of their lives, she’d just been a branch manager, a job that required little travel and half the responsibility she shouldered now. And as if to make it worse, Trisha had chosen advertising, a career with sharp deadlines and plenty of extra hours. Maybe the VP prospect wasn’t the greatest idea. Not only would it up the ante on the pressures at work, but the Tyndale account would have her on the road for weeks on end.
No wonder Logan had been so concerned about her home life. Maybe he’d seen what she hadn’t—that she’d set aside everything for a fast path to the top, and the thought that it concerned him left an ache in her heart. It was just another reason she needed a man like him, someone who could cut through the fog and remind her that life was about more than work and business.
And if she wanted that life, maybe she would need to set the VP job aside and look for work at another agency. Staying focused on what she wanted was hard enough without pining over a man she couldn’t have. Between her tendency to put her career first and this unending lust for her boss, she was blending a cocktail of misery that she might later regret.
“Mark, don’t be so hard on your sister,” their mother said.
“No, Mom,” Trisha replied. “I think that’s exactly what I needed to hear.”
3
Daily Love Horoscope for Pisces
Your usual intuitive nature is more analytical than normal today making this an ideal time to assess your romantic prospects. Consider all your options, take the ones that work for you and don’t be afraid to toss the ones that don’t.
“TAKE ME somewhere tropical.”
The words on the screen left Logan intrigued. Scorpio63 always preferred office fantasies, which was fine by him. When it came to Scorpio, he’d follow her anywhere she wanted to go. But the idea of a clear blue ocean, sparkling white sand and a warm salty breeze sounded darn good, too, just proving that Scorpio63 was an endless well of surprises.
“Mmm, I’m picturing you topless in a sapphire-blue thong,” he typed, and clicked Send.
“I’ve just come from the beach. My hair is wet. Droplets of water trickle down my back. As I step through the hotel suite, I toss away my bikini top. It was wet and the water cools on my skin as I cross the air-conditioned room. My breasts are tight and firm, dotted with goose bumps and the cold air hardens my nipples.
“It’s chilly in the room. I want to warm up, so I step onto the terrace and lean against the railing of the balcony, letting the warm breeze melt away the chill.”
This was good, he thought as a layer of warmth spread throughout his body.
“You didn’t see me enter the room,” he typed. “You thought I was still in town on business, but the meeting ended early. I’ve just come from a swim in the pool and I’m naked except for the towel draped around my waist.”
“I can sense you behind me, standing in the doorway to the balcony. A soft wind blows, I can smell the chlorine in your hair. It smells sharp, but fresh.”
“The sight of your ass makes me hard. It’s bare except for the band of blue fabric separating those silky cheeks. Water trickles down your back and trails into the crease. I want to be there, too.”
And, oh, did he ever. He closed his eyes and played the scene over in his mind, causing a wave of heat to spill through his veins and harden his loin. He raised his hands to the keyboard about to add more when Scorpio’s words rolled onto the screen.
“I’m leaning against the railing. The warm air feels good against my skin, but the feel of your hands gently covering my breasts feels better. Your lips begin to suckle the nape of my neck and I shiver from your touch.”
The image raised a tent in his sweats as he sank back into his leather den chair and let Scorpio take control.
“Your fingers pinch my nipples and the sensation snatches my breath. I hear your towel whoosh to the floor as it pools around our feet. While your hands continue to tease me, I feel your hard shaft against my back. It’s so big, so ready. I step my feet apart, so you can stroke your length between my thighs.”
Man, why hadn’t they left the office before?
As the pressure stiffened his cock, he joined in. “I release my hands from your breasts and smooth them down your waist until my thumbs tug against your thong. I latch on and pull the fabric down your legs. You kick it off your feet, and while I’m bent, I see your fleshy ass in my face and