For a long moment there was no answer, and then three little dots appeared, letting me know someone had seen my message and was responding to it. I glanced at her from the corner of my eye, studying as she typed and deleted and then typed and deleted again before finally sending:
P Daniels: Good morning.
J Dane: Are these meetings always so boring?
P Daniels: Wouldn’t you have to be paying attention to know they were boring?
I smirked.
J Dane: Good point
P Daniels: What are you doing here?
J Dane: It was on my calendar. You ought to check yours, by the by.
P Daniels: I saw it.
I blinked at my screen and then glanced over to see her adjusting her screen nervously. The girl from finance sat down, and when Judy began to speak again, I dived back into my mission.
J Dane: And what do you think?
P Daniels: People can see my computer, you know.
J Dane: And seeing what I have to say to you would be the most exciting thing that’s happened to any of them all week.
P Daniels: Are you always so cocky?
J Dane: Yes. Are you always going to avoid my questions?
I glanced over and caught sight of a pretty pink blush spreading over her cheeks.
P Daniels: This isn’t the time or place.
J Dane: I like that blush. It reminds me of the way you look after I’ve finished fucking you.
I shot a surreptitious glance her way and nearly grinned as she fumbled frantically at her keyboard.
P Daniels signed off.
I cleared my throat to choke back my chuckle, and Judy looked over at me, startled.
“Mr. Dane?” she asked.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if I might borrow my assistant? Something very important has just come up.”
“Always.” Judy nodded, and I gave Piper a significant look as I rose from my seat.
“You’re sure this can’t wait?” Piper asked pointedly, but I gave her a single shake of the head. “I hate to waste everyone’s time.”
“It can’t.”
Without so much as another glance in her direction, I stepped from the room and led the way to my office, holding my door open and motioning for her to step inside.
When she followed, I clicked the door closed behind us and drew the blinds to ensure nobody would be able to see what happened next—and I had a few ideas of how I was hoping it might go.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.
“I think I’ve made myself clear,” I shot back, already feeling better just being close to her than I had all weekend. “You had the weekend to decide, and now I want an answer.”
“So you decided to crash my meeting?” She shook her head. “You’re incredible.”
“But you like it. So tell me, what’s it going to be?”
“I should say no.” She crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes.
“You should, which means you don’t want to.”
She was silent for a long moment, her gaze trained on the floor, but then she met my eyes again. “Look, I’m not going to deny there’s something here. Some…chemistry or something.”
“Good start.” I shrugged.
“And I enjoy being with you in a physical way.” Her pink cheeks burned brightly, but rather than commenting, I smiled at her, encouraging her to continue.
“So, I’m interested in continuing our…arrangement. On one condition.”
“And what’s that?” I asked, a fresh wave of triumph sweeping over me.
“I want to be monogamous.”
“You what?” I blinked.
In all the affairs I’d had, of course women had asked me this before, but I had always out-and-out refused. For a man like me—with so many business trips and so little time for enjoyment—I’d never liked the idea of limiting my options.
“You heard me. While we’re in our arrangement, I don’t want you sleeping with other women.” Her chest heaved, and her lively eyes were snapping fire.
“Look, if this is about safety, I always wear a condom. I don’t see what the problem here is. We had a good time, and—”
“I don’t want to be screwing you and sending flowers to other women. It’s awkward and weird,” she shot back.
“I thought we agreed on this being casual,” I cautioned.
“We did.” She nodded. “But I want to only be with each other. The same would go for me, of course.”
“And if I say no?” I challenged.
“Then the deal is off. I’ll see other people. You’ll see other people.”
I considered this. The idea of watching her come and go in front of my desk, some random man picking her up and taking her out. Some other man inside her…
“What if you were monogamous and—”
She cut me off with a laugh. “Ha! Nope. Both of us or nothing.”
I clenched my fist but gave her a solemn single nod.
“Fine, then. We have a deal. But if you check your calendar, I think you’ll also find we both have an appointment to keep, and I don’t like to be kept waiting.”
It was out of character. Totally nuts, whatever this thing we were doing was.
But fuck, I couldn’t wait to start.
Chapter Eleven
Piper
“You don’t think someone will notice us leaving together?” I asked hesitantly.
Of course, I knew by now that not only had this thought never occurred to him, but even if it had, it wouldn’t have made the slightest difference in his plans. Around here, he had rule of the roost, and if he wanted to sleep with his assistant, there was nothing anyone or anything could do to stop him.
I, on the other hand, didn’t exactly feel like walking past the herds of whispering secretaries every day on my lunch break, and I certainly didn’t need anyone thinking I kept my job because I was sleeping with the boss.
Maybe he was the ruler of everything around here, but when it came to this arrangement?
He was going to play by my rules.
As I stared at his Greek God face, I found myself wavering.
Okay, so I was going to try to get him to play by my rules.
“And if they do?” he asked, his eyebrows raised.
“Look, you said we weren’t going to do this on business time.”
“We’re not. Your lunch hour is yours to do with as you please. Unless, of course, you’d rather not.” His luscious mouth tipped up in a mocking grin.
He knew my answer as well as I did. I wanted to go. Wanted him. Even if it was the worst idea in the world.
And now, with his mahogany desk between us serving as a vivid reminder of all the ways he could work my body into throes of ecstasy…
“Fine,” I found myself saying, despite my reservations. “I’ll leave for my lunch break,” I said, lowering my voice. “In ten minutes, you can leave too and then meet me in the bar at the hotel.”
“Are you always going to be so clandestine about this?” he teased. “Should I call you by another name when I see you?”
Ignoring that, I said, “See you there.”
Then, turning on my heel, I made for his door, but not before he added, “When I see you there, you’d better not be wearing panties under that skirt.”
An ache of need rose between my thighs and I gave him a brief nod before striding past my desk and practically sprinting into the elevator.
Suddenly I felt like a runner racing toward the finish line, and as people shuffled in and out of the elevator car with me, I barely noticed them. All I could think was how I was going to find the nearest bathroom to slide off my tiny black thong…and what he was going to do when he found out I’d followed his instructions.
In a flash of memory, I thought of the way he’d used my skirt as an anchor, pulling himself deeper and deeper into me. Maybe he’d do that again?
But no. Jackson didn’t seem like the sort of man who followed a routine. So far, he’d blown my mind on so many levels, my head was spinning.