Page 25

When he finally came inside me, it was lazy and gentle.
He slipped from the bed afterward but wasn’t gone for more than a few minutes.
My blood felt thick and golden, all too warm and rich for my body as he pulled me back into his arms.
“Join me for breakfast?”
“Hmmm. Okay.” Rubbing my cheek against his chest, I decided maybe taking the risk of going out with him had been worth it.
“I want to see you again, Tina.”
My heart did a funny tap dance in my chest at his softly spoken admission. Keeping my face pressed to his chest, I inhaled deeply. “I might be open to that.”
It was nearly eleven by the time we left his suite.
Tempted to spend the entire day with him, I checked my phone and saw a response from the team at Hattie’s Place. I would not risk reading it in front of him, but I couldn’t afford to put it off, either.
“Can I call you tonight? Or maybe tomorrow?” he asked as the elevator doors slid open.
Using the elevator mirror, I finger-combed my hair and inspected my clothes. They weren’t severely wrinkled, but next to Maximus in his elegant suit, I looked…well, I looked like I’d just spent the night with a guy. I was determined not to worry about it.
“Yes. I would like it if you called me.” This small area behind the frosted glass door was relatively private, so I enjoyed the way he looked at me and let myself enjoy the look of him as I leaned against a wall. “Thanks for arranging a car for me. I appreciate it.”
“It’s no trouble.” He traced the curve of my upper lip, gaze hot. “I’d drive you myself, but you said you needed to work. If I spend too much more time around you, I’ll just end up stripping you naked. Again.”
My cheeks heated in pleasure, and I made myself opt for silence instead of what I wanted to say—which was, I don’t mind.
My phone made a demanding ping, and I patted my pockets for it, only to remember I had dropped it into my purse. “Hold on a second.”
He was quiet as I rooted through my purse, and I sensed his amusement as I dropped the bag on the accent table next to the private elevator. Holding it open with one hand, I dug around with the other, getting more annoyed by the second.
“Stop smirking,” I advised him. “Every other thing in my life is organized to the nth degree. I’m entitled to a slightly messy purse.”
Snagging the phone, I gave him a challenging look.
He smiled back at me, not saying a word.
I saw the message from Dina and smothered a pang of guilt when I realized she’d already texted twice. Pushing the phone into my pocket, I looked back up at Maximus.
He had his phone in hand and tucked it away at my mock scowl. With a look of fake innocence, he lifted both shoulders. “What?”
“No comments about my purse, or I might re-evaluate that calling thing.”
“What purse?” With a charming smile, he dipped his head and rubbed his mouth against mine. “I’ll call soon. I can’t wait to see you again.” He bit my lower lip gently before releasing me. “The car pulled up a few minutes ago. The driver just texted me. His name is Felix. He’ll take you wherever you want to go.”
Before I could pull his head down for more, he pulled back and turned away, leaving me wanting a heck of a lot more than that light brush of his lips with a nip.
Sighing, I reluctantly started for the door that would take me to the lobby while he disappeared through another door, one that would likely go to some maze of offices.
Out front, I squinted into the painfully bright light of a Texas summer morning, letting my eyes adjust before looking for the driver named Felix. A small child came bolting out the revolving door and almost crashed into me before his mom caught him. I sidestepped out of reflex and almost bumped into a beautiful blonde wearing a black sundress dotted with sunflowers, her high-heeled sandals matching the motif.
“Sorry,” I said, grimacing. “Late night, and I haven’t had enough caffeine yet.”
She chuckled. Her expertly made-up eyes skimmed me over before her lips bowed in a knowing smile. “I’ve had those sorts of late nights myself. I hope it was a good one.”
My cheeks heated, but the woman had already moved past me, so I didn’t worry about responding.
“Ms. Siegler?”