“You have nothing to worry about.”
“I better not. Now, I’m leaving for the day and everyone else is gone. If you don’t mind, make sure she gets out of here safely?”
“Absolutely.”
“Take that hallway and her office is the third on the left.”
I nodded my understanding and made my way down the corridor.
Jada was standing at a work table beneath a window, her back to the door. I leaned against the doorframe and watched her.
She was so beautiful, so natural looking. I figured she woke up looking like that, but with her refusal to see me outside of work, I wasn’t sure. Yet.
Lucky for us, I’m not easily deterred by her antics.
Her skin was flawless and smooth. Her brown hair was pulled up into a messy pile on the top of her head, pieces falling out and it was sexy as hell. I wanted to wrap it around my hand and pull her head back, watching her face as she came all over me.
Easy, Alexander.
A pair of heels was tossed on the floor beside the table and she was standing barefoot. I hadn’t realized how petite she was. I’d bet she was probably a foot shorter than me. But what she lacked in height, she made up for in curves. The orange dress she wore hugged her body, flaunting her shape. I craved the freedom to let my hands roam her, explore her curves, commit them to memory.
I crammed my hands in my pockets to discourage myself from reaching out and doing just that.
I remembered the softness of her lips, the way her body molded against mine the day before. She tasted like heaven, but the last twenty-four hours had been hell. I couldn’t get her out of my mind, couldn’t stop thinking about what it would feel like for her to be beneath me, what it would feel like to explore more than her mouth.
For fuck’s sake! Get in control. I can’t go in there acting like a damn caveman. That’s not going to work with this one.
I knew from the start that Jada was different. She didn’t fawn all over me or make overtly sexual suggestions or offers. Not that I minded those, but she wasn’t that kind of girl. Her eyes didn’t light up at my flashy watch or the wad of cash I pulled from my wallet. Hell, I wasn’t even sure she noticed.
Her standoffish attitude only made her more appealing, more of an enigma to conquer. She honestly didn’t seem to want to spend time with me and, while I didn’t understand that, I found it amusing. I didn’t want to spend time with her, either—just a few hours here and there. It was the only way to go about things, but she even fought me on that.
Life was too short to get involved. Things always ended and they never ended well. I had learned that lesson the hard way.
I shifted my weight and Jada noticed the movement. She turned around. Spotting me, she narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.
Let her make the first move.
A tickling feeling began in my stomach and my heartbeat increased. Feeling nervous was an odd sensation, something I had little experience with.
“I have no words for you, Cane Alexander,” she said finally, trying to hide a smile.
“Words are overrated, anyway,” I replied, not bothering to hide mine. “I’m a man of action, but I’m not going to press my luck with you just yet.”
I was pretty sure I wasn’t as fucked as I had originally thought. Jada rolled her eyes and my grin grew wider.
“Are you going to invite me in?”
“I may as well.” She threw her hands in the air. “You seem to have a way of doing what you want anyway.”
“I’m glad we’ve established the givens right off.”
Her shoulders eased, her posture softening, as I strode into the room. She turned her back to me again and finished organizing the table.
It took every ounce of self-control I could muster not to bend her over the table, pull up that orange dress, and fuck her right there.
I deserve some sort of award for this shit. Who knew I had this much self-control? You learn something new every day.
“I think you thought of everything. I’m slightly impressed.”
“I was going to give credit to Lucy, but if you are impressed, just keep on thinking this was all me.”
“I said slightly. Since you are here anyway, we may as well go ahead and have dinner.” She winced like she was in pain.
“You think I did this for me? You said you wouldn’t get dinner tonight. I was being a gentleman!”
“Uh-huh.” She rolled her eyes. “You are such a gentleman.”
“I’m taking that at face value,” I said, taking the plate she offered me. I put some pizza on my mine and poured wine in two red disposable cups, shaking my head as I handed her one.
“What’s so funny?” Jada led me to her desk, which she had already cleared, and we sat down to eat.