My negotiation skills might have been lacking, but I wasn’t na?ve. When a man invited a woman to dinner—a confident, gorgeous, and decidedly single man like Will Donovan—chances were high that he factored in the possibility of sex. He knew it, and I knew it. And now I’d basically shown him all my cards.
Going into this dinner, I’d had no intentions of sleeping with Will. That didn’t keep the delicious fantasy from poking its way into my thoughts, however. I was curious. Physically, I was attracted to him, but I was also drawn to his confidence and that edge that made him different from other prospects. I wanted to peel him back the way he was intent on peeling me back. But I had a feeling he was a lot better at it and that I was woefully out of my depth.
The waiter cleared our plates and brought dessert menus. I tried to ignore Will and the silent push and pull that seemed to exist between us even when no words were being spoken. I studied the menu, attempting to buy myself time to get my head together.
The truth was I hadn’t been with anyone since I’d left my father’s private investment firm nearly a year ago, and that experience had been less than pleasant. After enough wine to dull my reservations, I’d let my father’s newly appointed vice president at the firm take me to bed. The sex had been quick and passionless, but he was moving up fast in the company, so he was the one my parents were relentlessly pushing me toward. I wasn’t sure, ultimately, if I’d given in for him or for them.
The next day, I’d called Cameron and made the decision to leave my job there and move to the city.
Now I was sitting across from a man who sizzled with sex appeal and was all but guaranteeing physical pleasure. Plus, no strings beyond the added bonus of getting to have a voice in the renovation of my family’s next investment? He was challenging my sense of propriety, but he was also painting a picture that ran in stark contrast to anything I’d experienced.
After a few minutes, I finally looked up to meet Will’s imploring gaze. “Are we getting dessert?”
“We can. Unless you’ve decided to come home with me.”
“I’ll have the cheesecake,” I said quickly, dropping the menu between us.
He licked his bottom lip with a cocky smile. “Sounds delicious.”
Dessert came and went, but I was too preoccupied with Will’s dangerous energy and his proposal to savor much of anything. We left the restaurant, and the car that had collected me earlier idled by the curb. Will’s hand rested lightly on my lower back. That small touch held the promise of so many more, heightening the physical ache that had been creeping up on me since we’d met. The ache made me want to give Will an answer that seemed unthinkable.
I moved quickly toward the car, needing to create space between us. But before I could slip away, he caught my wrist and spun me to face him. With a soft push against the car, Will had our bodies nearly touching.
“Will—” I gasped.
His heated gaze lowered to my lips. “If you won’t give me an answer tonight, how about a kiss?”
“No.” My voice was soft and uncertain.
“Dare I ask why?” He leaned in but didn’t make contact. His breath puffed softly against my cheek. His cool and woodsy scent drifted over me, making an indelible imprint on my senses.
The manageable measure of desire that had burned through my veins over dinner was spiking. A potent heat licked over my skin and settled between my legs. I swallowed hard, trying to find my strength. “Because if I kiss you, I may as well give you my answer now.”
“I fail to see the problem,” he murmured.
I placed a firm hand on his chest. “I think before I act, and you aren’t giving me time to think.”
He moved back slowly. Tension lined his shoulders and crept up to his jaw, as if he were restraining himself. “Then think. But I want an answer by tomorrow.”
“You’ll have an answer when I give you one.”
He tapped his watch twice. “Clock is ticking. Need to close up that wall for the next inspection.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could throw any more sass at him, he guided me into the car and tapped the roof to signal the driver to go.
As Will’s driver put the vehicle into motion, I relaxed against the cool leather and closed my eyes. I should have felt relief, but instead I was unsettled, stirred up with more emotions than I knew what to do with. All this and he’d barely touched me.
The prospect of letting him get any closer was frightening, and all too tempting.
“So where’d you go last night?”
“Huh?” I knit my brows together and glanced up from the haphazard sketches in front of me.
Maya, my very pregnant sister-in-law, joined me in her living room with a bowl of oatmeal in hand. “I saw you take off in a car last night. Hot date?”
She wiggled her eyebrows, and I tried not to laugh. Cameron emerged from the kitchen, the scowl noticeable on his face.
My smile faded. “More of a business meeting.”
“With?” Maya sank into the couch adjacent to me, rested the bowl on her belly, and took a spoonful to her mouth.
“Will Donovan. I met him at the new location yesterday. He wanted to discuss…some design direction with me.”