Desire's Edge (11 page)
She found herself frowning.
She didn’t want him to be relieved.
Impossible
.
.
Nothing more was going to happen between herself and Dante. It was for the best. It would have ended sooner or later, anyway.
But she sure as hell was going to miss the sex. The smokinghot sex that was the fulfillment of every dark fantasy she’d ever had. With the guy she’d fantasized about since high school. And who had turned out to be even better than she’d ever dared to imagine.
She bit her lip and hit send.
six
Dante sat in his new office, staring at the computer screen.
Had she really just said no?
It had taken him by surprise, finding Kara in the office, discovering his new job was at the firm where she worked. But for him, it had been a nice surprise. The only problem had been trying not to let it show that his head was immediately filled with fantasies of her bent over his desk . . .
Okay, working with a woman he was sleeping with could get complicated. But so far she’d struck him as the logical type. Not the kind who got overly involved. Emotional. That didn’t mean she was cold. Not at all. But he sensed in her an independence that matched his own. He was certain she could handle keeping things casual between them. He still thought she could.
They’d had sex all weekend long. In the bed, in the shower, on the living room rug . . . He’d spanked her, pinched her, fucked her so hard his pelvis felt bruised. And she had loved it all. She’d never been needy, never asked him for anything more. He’d been the one to suggest they stay in touch, see each other that week. So what was up with her now?
It must be the work situation. But as long as they were both fine with nothing more than a little friendly sex—okay, more than a little—there didn’t have to be a problem. They could be discreet. It might even serve to keep things interesting.
Very
interesting . . .
interesting . . .
He could almost wish she was his secretary, rather than another attorney in the firm. Another little role-playing fantasy of his he’d played out before. But he had to admit there was something attractive, too, about the power of her position. He’d always preferred a woman with a good mind. Someone he felt was his equal in every way. Taking her down into submission in the bedroom was even more satisfying with that kind of woman. Overcoming her strength. That was where the real power play happened for him.
Kara was strong. He’d seen that in her.
Now he wanted to see her in his office, naked, lying across his lap . . .
He smiled to himself as he tapped at the keyboard:
Not acceptable. Nijo Sushi at one. Looking forward to it.—D
He hit send and sat back, pleased with himself.
Kara may be strong, but he’d also seen her submissive side. And he knew how she’d respond to this, even if she didn’t want to. Now all he had to do was wait until lunchtime, when he could see her. Talk to her.
It was a little ridiculous that he was making such great effort with this woman. But that kind of sex didn’t come along every day. Hot and primal and . . . something
easy
between them.
easy
between them.
Don’t complicate it, buddy.
He ran a hand over his jaw.
It didn’t have to be complicated. So they worked together. So what?
What happens when it’s over and you have to see each other every day?
But he didn’t want to think about that. He couldn’t. All he could think of was seeing Kara, kissing away the stubborn set of her mouth. Maybe right there in the restaurant, over sushi and tea.
He’d deal with the rest as it happened. For now, everything was fine. He had a great new job, new employers who seemed to like him, Kara Crawford only a few doors away. And the scent of her was still all over him, despite his morning shower.
Nice.
Oh yes, he was going to like it here. And Kara was going to like him being there. He’d make damn sure of it.
Dante arrived at Nijo Sushi a few minutes before one. It was just far enough from the office that he was fairly certain they wouldn’t be spotted together—too close to the touristy waterfront area for most businesspeople. He’d met his best friend, Alec, there for dinner a few weeks earlier and he’d liked the food and the sleek urban décor.
The hostess seated him at a table in the back of the room and he ordered a pot of green tea from the waiter. He wanted a sake, but it was a workday. He didn’t usually drink while he was working. He wasn’t sure why the idea even crossed his mind now. Except he had a vague feeling that he needed to calm down.
She’s just a woman, like any other.
That was bullshit. She wasn’t like anyone he’d ever known. Except for the Kara he’d known in high school. Sweet and smart and beautiful. That part of her hadn’t changed. Now she was all woman. Stronger. More worldly. More beautiful than ever.
And he was being an idiot. What the hell was wrong with him?
When the waiter came back with the tea, he ordered the damn sake.
He glanced at his watch. It was five after one. Too soon to tell if she’d show.
He tapped his fingers on the tabletop, his gaze wandering around the room, taking in the exposed brick walls, the dim lighting, the other people dining, talking. There was a good lunch crowd, yet there was something quiet, intimate, about the place, which was one reason he’d chosen it.
When the sake arrived, he ignored the tea, instead pouring the cold sake from the white china decanter into the small cup, took a sip. He looked at his watch once more. Ten after.
Had she outplayed him after all? And if so, what was the next logical step? This was definitely new ground for him. He was used to being the one in control. Of everything. He preferred it that way. Liked—needed, maybe—to be in control of things. Everything worked better that way. No more sad stories like the one with Erin in college. No giving that a chance to happen. As long as he was in control, he could take responsibility for everything. Wasn’t that what being a man was all about? Just as his father had taught him. Drummed into his head, really. But despite the guilt trips his father had used on Dante and his brother, Lorenzo, Dad had been right. Responsibility equaled control. It was all one idea, a way to live his life. A way he’d practiced without fail since Erin had died.
A small, sharp twinge in his chest, thinking of Erin. He took another sip of the sake. That would go away eventually, he figured. Why was he even thinking of all this now? His father’s sternness, his college girlfriend, old guilt.
He just had to get a handle on things—on Kara—and he’d be fine. Just fine.
He looked at his watch. Fifteen after.
Damn it.
He emptied his cup of sake and poured another. Looked up to signal the waiter to order. And found her standing on the other side of the small table.
She was a little windblown, her silky brown hair mussed. Her cheeks flushed pink—from the cold, probably. Looking like she had in his bed. Naked and flushed with orgasm.
He went hard, just like that. Simply seeing Kara standing there, her eyes glittering with stark annoyance. Her lush mouth set.
Oh, she was pissed. Which gave him more satisfaction than it should.
What the hell. She’d played right into his hands after all.
Buck up, buddy
.
.
He stood, came around the table and held her chair.
“Won’t you have a seat, Kara?”
She glared at him, pulled off her trench coat and handed it to him, sat down hard in the chair. He pushed it in for her, took her coat to his own chair and slung it over the back, sat down.
“I ordered some tea for you. Unless you’d prefer sake?”
“I don’t usually drink during work hours,” she said, her jaw still tight.
He’d never seen her angry before. There was something about it he found enticing.
“Neither do I. Usually.”
“But?” she challenged him.
“But . . .” He shrugged. “I’m celebrating. The first day at my new job. I thought you might want to celebrate with me.”
She let out a long sigh. “Jesus, Dante, why would I want to do that? We were perfectly fine until you waltzed into my firm this morning, the new junior partner. And now we have to just . . . stop. And I’m fine with that, I really am. But I can’t have you . . . asking me to lunch.”
She crossed her arms over her chest.
He leaned forward and poured tea into the small glazed cup, slid it across the table toward her. “Have some tea, Kara. You need to calm down.”
“I’m perfectly calm. I’m simply asking you to respect the fact that as coworkers, we can’t be carrying on . . . an affair.”
“Why not? You seemed pretty happy about it this morning.”
Her cheeks blazed, and he loved seeing her light up like that, whether with anger or passion. Maybe a mixture of both. Either way, she was one gorgeous woman.
“Dante, you truly don’t see the problem here? We’re going to see each other five days a week. Which is one reason why people who work together should not sleep together. When things are over, it’ll make the work environment uncomfortable for us both.”
“More uncomfortable than it’ll be now, ending on this note?”
Kara sat back in her chair, blew out a long breath, some of the anger dissipating.
Was he right?
He looked so damn good, sitting there in his perfectly tailored suit, his pose casual and relaxed. The man had a tendency to drape himself over furniture as if he owned it. He had a tendency to behave as if he owned everything. And got away with it.
And it made him even more attractive.
Kara bit her lip, trying to make sense out of it all.
“Dante, dating a coworker is never a good idea,” she tried to protest, but it sounded like a lame excuse, even to her.
He leaned in, took her hand in his, his thumb stroking her wrist. His voice was so low she had to lean in to hear him. “So we won’t date. We’ll just have the most incredible, hot, kinky sex imaginable. At my place. In my bed. On the Persian rug in my living room. The kitchen counter. Or maybe at the club, which I’d love to take you to. And if you’re very good, my beautiful girl, on the desk in my office.”
“Dante!” She yanked her hand back, her skin burning. She couldn’t lie to herself that the heat was anything other than pure desire.
He grinned, just a small, cocky lift at one corner of his mouth. “Ah, I can see you like that idea. Don’t go all prim and proper on me now, Kara.”
She shook her head. “You’re incorrigible.”
The grin spread, making his dimples flash. “But you like that about me.”
God, she liked everything about him. But she wasn’t going to tell him that. Or that her entire body was melting after seeing those dimples, hearing the low, sexy tone of his voice. And, most of all, the fact that he would not take no for an answer.
She wanted to hate him for that. For making her love his command, even now. For making her
need
it. But it was impossible.
need
it. But it was impossible.
She picked up her teacup and sipped, trying to buy time, to calm her racing pulse. The anger had melted along with her body, fusing into a stark, liquid heat she couldn’t deny and wasn’t sure how to handle.
Dante leaned in, put his hand on her wrist once more. The move seemed incredibly intimate to her. He said quietly, “I can see it, you know. I can feel it in your pulse. Right here, beneath my fingertips.” He pressed at her wrist gently. His tone went even lower. “You’re pretty worked up, aren’t you, Kara? And you can pretend it’s all anger. But it’s false bravado, isn’t it? You don’t have to say it for me to know how this will turn out. There may be some more aggressive banter between us. Or perhaps not, at this point. And then we will pick up right where we left off this morning. Can you believe it was only this morning that you were naked in my bed? Crying out with pleasure? Calling my name? Begging me, Kara.”
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