EmberHank’s grip was so strong, it nearly strangled my hand, but I wasn’t one of those girls who shook like a limp fish. One of my female professors back at Harvard had impressed upon us ladies the importance of having every bit as strong a handshake as the men who we would inevitably end up working with.I returned his handshake with more confidence than I felt, curling my lips into a smile. “Mr. Marx, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”“I’ve taken the liberty of ordering up lunch for you. I was hoping you would join me.” He motioned toward the seating area with the waiting salads, looking at me expectantly.Like I was going to say no to an invitation to lunch with the biggest boss I had? “I would love to.”“I’m sure you’re wondering why I called for you,” he said once we were settledI nodded, mentally crossing my fingers that this wasn’t all an act and that he wasn’t going to fire me anyway, despite having gotten me lunch first. “The thought has crossed my mind.”Mr. Marx chuckled good

KadenI shrugged. “In this case, it’s the truth. Ryan wouldn’t ever have figured it out if I hadn’t told him straight out.”“Well, thank you,” she said. “I owe you one.”“You don’t owe me a thing,” I told her. “I was happy to do it. I just hope things get better between the two of you. He wants it too, you know? He just doesn’t necessarily know how to make it happen.”“We’ll figure it out,” she said confidently, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Okay, well, I should probably get going. Thanks for the talk and for talking to Ryan.” Getting up from her chair, she lifted the coffee. “Thanks for this too. You may just have saved my life with this. I’ve been dying for Joe’s.”A chuckle worked its way out of my mouth. “That’s a little dramatic, don’t you think? You wouldn’t actually have died.”Her head bounced from side to side as if she was actually considering it. Then she shrugged. “Luckily, we’ll never have to find out. So, thanks for that too.” “Anything else you’d like to thank

Ember“Disrobing? Really? Who says that?”He laughed. “Me. Kaden Marx. I thought we were messing around yesterday, but do you actually have memory problems? Do I need to remind you who I am?”I rolled my eyes, but the corners of my lips tugged into a smile. “No need. You’re the cocky bastard I work for who used to be the cocky bastard hanging around my house ignoring me all the time.”“I didn’t ignore you,” he protested.I raised an eyebrow. “I don’t think I’m the one who has memory problems.”“Fine.” He shrugged. “I was a teenaged idiot back then. All teenage boys are idiots, haven’t you heard?”“Yup,” I replied cheerfully. “I just wanted to hear you say it out loud. Why were you following me out here anyway?”Scoffing, he shook his head. “I was not following you. I happened to see you standing here disrobing and thought I might come offer a hand.”“Ever the gentleman,” I muttered, fighting another smile. If someone told me the only person in New York who was a sure thing for getting

EMBERBack when I still read women’s magazines, I read a few articles claiming many women enjoyed stripping for their men. Apparently, it gave them some kind of rush.I remembered being horrified when I read it the first time. Stripping was already one thing, but stripping for just one person in such an intimate setting with no lights blinding you and being able to see every reaction on that person’s face was downright terrifying.Unlike most, I respected people who had the necessary self-esteem to strip for strangers. Seriously. I’d heard all the arguments about it being a profession born from desperation, but anyone had to admit it took guts to take off your clothes for the viewing enjoyment of others.My self-esteem wasn’t lacking in any way, but never in a hundred years would I have the confidence to strip for just one man.The shots Kaden and I drank earlier probably had a bit to do with this new-found confidence, but I was by no means drunk. Not anymore, anyway. I had been well

KADENWhen I woke up, I knew from the sunlight streaming in through the windows I’d slept through my alarm. It was way too bright to be my usual time to rise and shine, which meant I would have to miss my workout this morning.The sun was also bright enough to send little elves with sledgehammers into my eyes with its rays. I groaned, suddenly remembering the jet-fuel shots. That explained the elves hammering my brain and eyeballs. Along with that realization came memories of the fucking gorgeous girl I shared said shots with, which was when I started becoming aware of a warmth against my side and on my arm. Turning my head slowly so as not to wake her, I saw Ember’s dark hair spread out across my skin and contrasting sharply with my white sheets.Warmth that had nothing to do with the sunlight spread through me. It had everything to do with waking up with Ember beside me. When I told her before we fell asleep that I didn’t think her coming to New York was coincidence, I hadn’t been