Chapter 5 Sign On The Dotted Line

Her heart pounded in her chest. Just one kiss was enough to tell her something had been wrong with her relationship. Dan had been the problem all along. She didn't even love Roman, found him too arrogant, too intense. But what she felt from one kiss was more than she'd ever felt with Dan, even on their best days. Blair pulled back to stare at him.

Her boss raised an eyebrow. His expression... Blair searched for the word.

"Blair, is everything alright?"

His voice was calm, but there was something else flickering in his eyes, something that made her stomach twist. Amusement? Heat? She wasn't sure. And right now, she didn't care. Her emotions were everywhere at once. She could feel warmth pooling low in her stomach, her whole body buzzing from that brief kiss.

She wasn't sure if she should be ashamed. She had been with Dan and only Dan, and now she was unraveling from a single kiss with her boss.

She leaned closer again. She still held his tie, gripping it like an anchor.

"I... I... need to know," she whispered, voice trembling. "If... if this is normal."

His lips quirked into a half-smile as he studied her with those piercing gray eyes.

"Normal for what?" he asked softly, his tone almost teasing. He reached up and brushed his fingers along her cheek, watching the movement like he was memorizing it.

Blair bit her lip, her thoughts a tangled mess. How could she explain this? She couldn't just blurt out that she'd never felt this kind of intensity before. Seeing Dan with her cousin had hurt - but it had also shown her something she hadn't acknowledged: the lack of connection in their relationship.

She couldn't say that out loud. She didn't want to sound naïve. She needed to know she wasn't broken.

"I... I don't know how to describe it," she murmured. "But I need you to show me."

His eyes deepened, the warmth in them unmistakable. He gently unwound her fingers from his tie, but instead of letting go, he wrapped his hand around hers, holding it securely.

"Show you what, Blair?" he asked, voice low and smooth. It sent goosebumps rippling across her arms.

She swallowed hard, pulse racing.

"Everything," she breathed. "I need to know if I'm... normal. If I can feel the way I should."

He studied her for a long moment, his thumb brushing across the back of her hand.

"Blair... I'm not sure this is a good idea. You've been drinking. Tomorrow you could regret this, and with how much you've had, it might seem like I took advantage of you."

But Blair knew what she wanted. Roman was a skilled lover; everyone knew that. And she needed answers.

She got up from the lounge, heart pounding in rhythm with the chaos in her chest. She went to his desk, grabbed his gold pen and notepad, and scribbled down a few lines before signing it. Then she returned to him, standing between his knees, and handed him the paper.

He took it slowly, never breaking eye contact. He flipped it around, reading her words aloud: "I, Blair Warner, of sound mind, give permission for Roman Kingston to be with me in any way we both choose. Signed, Blair Warner."

He lowered the notepad, eyes lifting to hers again.

"In any way we both choose, Blair. That's a dangerous promise," he murmured.

He leaned back, his hands braced on his knees. His fingers tightened, knuckles white, like he was stopping himself from reaching for her. The sight - the tension, the restraint - sent a shiver down her spine.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. "Once we start, there's no going back."

For a heartbeat, doubt flickered in her.

What was she doing?

This was her boss.

This was madness.

But the way he made her feel, even in the middle of her heartbreak, was something she hadn't felt in her entire life.

"I'm sure," she said, her voice somehow steady.

His expression darkened with a quiet, dangerous intensity before he lifted a hand and brushed his fingers against her jaw.

"Kneel in front of me," he said softly.

Before she even processed the command, he guided her gently downward.

He leaned forward and slid his hands behind her head, pulling out the pins and elastic from her hair. Her long blonde waves fell freely, all the way down her back.

"God... I knew you had long hair, but..." He exhaled. "It's something else."

He let the strands spill through his fingers over her shoulders.

"Take your jacket off."

Blair hesitated. Underneath, she only wore a camisole with a built-in shelf. She wasn't wearing a bra.

"Blair," he reminded her quietly, "you said however we choose. Trust me."

She undid the two buttons and shrugged off the jacket. It fell behind her without a sound.

His breath caught when he saw the thin fabric of her top, the outline of her body clear beneath it. He reached out and lightly traced his fingertips across the fabric, his touch barely there, but enough to make her inhale sharply.

"Pretty," he murmured. "Do you normally come to work like this?"

Blair shook her head. "No. Only when we fly. It's... more comfortable."

Roman's thumb brushed across her skin, and Blair's eyes fluttered shut. The feeling was overwhelming, too much and not enough all at once.

"Tell me what you're feeling," he said, voice low and commanding. "Be honest."

Blair opened her eyes, meeting his gaze.

"It's... warm," she whispered. "Like my whole body is... awake. Everything feels tight. And hot."

He smiled faintly. "Good."

His thumb stroked upward again.

"Now tell me you're going to listen to everything I say."

The question stole her breath. Did she want that?

Yes.

God, yes. She needed more. Needed to feel wanted. Needed this moment to drown everything else out.

"I... I-yes," she managed.

Roman nodded, and without another word, leaned in and kissed her.

Soft at first, then deeper. Warmer. Fiercer.

Blair clung to his shoulders, melting into him, her breath hitching as the kiss stole the ground from beneath her. If she hadn't been kneeling, she would have ended up on the floor anyway.

"Beautiful," he murmured against her lips.

His hands slid along her waist, her ribcage, her sides; every touch set her nerves alight.

Blair gasped, her head falling back as heat rushed through her.

"More," she whispered. "Please."

He pulled back, studying her.

Roman leaned back again, sliding down slightly, spreading his legs in a way that enclosed her even more.

He held her gaze.

"Now," he said quietly, "be a good girl..."