“I understand that, and we need to know what options are available to us to do this.”
He laughed then, a heavy, deep chuckle that brightened his features. It was a real laugh this time, and she hadn’t seen him in the throes of true humor in so long she could only stare. The carved lines of his face softened and stirred something in her chest. Feelings she’d long ago discarded because they threatened her objectivity.
He put his hand to his stomach. “I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time.” He came around the desk with a slow gait. “There’s only one option available for us to ‘do this.’”
Her mind shied away from the direction she suspected he was going in. “There are several options,” she insisted. “There’s IVF, GIFT…” She trailed off when he shook his head, dismissing her suggestions.
“We’re not having fertility problems.”
“That doesn’t mean we can’t use those options.”
“Actually, it does. Because I have absolutely no intention of getting doctors, tubes, or petri dishes involved.” He stopped in front of her, no further away than an outstretched arm could reach. “We’re going to have sex.”
That word—sex—conjured images of naked flesh and sweat slick bodies. She felt cornered, even though plenty of room existed in the large office.
Suddenly tongue-tied, Daniella fumbled for the right words. She’d had no idea of the extent of his expectations. “We don’t have to…have sex…there are options…” Her voice faltered.
“The only options are the ones I’m about to give you,” he said. “You’re going to move back into our home and wear your rings.” He came closer and whispered the next words. “And you’re going to spend every night in our bed.”
Chapter Nine
He was staring at her mouth, and Daniella felt the beginning pulse of a dangerous heat on the inside of her thighs. She shook her head forcefully at the dizzying effect of their conversation. She was having a lot of trouble with three letter words today. First sex, now bed. His warm tone and the images it conjured made her body throb in a very particular, suddenly damp spot—as if he’d licked her there.
“You’re out of your mind,” she said. “That is not going to happen. Isn’t it enough I agreed to your ridiculous request? Now you want to…”
“There’s chemistry between us. Always has been from the beginning. That hasn’t changed.”
“Maybe on your end.”
He captured her gaze, eyeing her with skepticism. “Are you saying you’re no longer attracted to me? That I can no longer make your toes curl?”
Inside her patent leather heels, her toes contracted. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
A slow smile spread across his full lips. The type of smile a fox had right before it raided the hen house. “Prove it.”
Her breathing arrested for a nanosecond, but she quickly recovered. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“Kiss me.”
“We kissed at The Savory Date.”
“That was a peck on the lips. I want you to give me a real kiss, and if you don’t feel anything, then we do it your way.”
“No.” She backed up a couple of feet. It was a trap, one that would ensnare her for sure. “I don’t have to prove anything to you.”
“Scared?” The softly spoken word was filled with mocking challenge.
“I told you before I’m not afraid of you.” She lifted her chin with a boldness she was far from feeling.
“Then give me a kiss.” He ate the distance between them with one long stride. “One little kiss, and if you prove me wrong, we do this your way.”
She lowered her lids against the seductive quality of his voice and stared down at the rich burgundy carpet. Her breathing had already grown fractured at the mere thought of kissing him.