Page 81 of Between Love and Loathing

“Great. I’ll be here.” He looked a little confused, but I didn’t wait to explain.

I pulled her through the lobby and down a hall to the elevators. When I saw Paloma waving to us from afar, I stabbed the elevator button and swiped my fob before she could get any closer. I wasn’t sharing an elevator with anyone else.

The doors closed, and I turned my gaze on her. “That imbecile has no taste.”

“You know that’s not true, Dominic.”

“Why is he really here?” She sighed and didn’t meet my eyes. Fine. My hand immediately went to her neck so I could bring her gaze up to mine as my thumb tipped her chin. “I want your eyes locked on mine when you try to lie this time, little fighter. Make sure you understand what the consequences of lying to your boyfriend will be before you answer.”

She bit her lip and then worked it in her mouth. Rock hard was the permanent state of my cock around her but watching that motion had me throbbing, wanting her mouth around me. “I’m sick of your assistant, so I got one too.”

“Really?” I lifted a brow.

“Really.”

“Liar,” I whispered, and then I kissed her hard, rough, and with teeth. I kissed her how I’d wanted to the last few nights I’d been avoiding her. “You lie to me, and I’m going to kiss the lies from your mouth, Clara.”

“Is that the only reason you’re kissing me?” She frowned and touched her lips.

I took her hand from them so I could taste her again, softer this time, slower, so I could relearn how she tasted. “That and I missed this mouth too much not to kiss it. You taste as sweet as your cupcakes, cupcake.”

“I’ve been literally living with you for—”

“You’ve been avoiding.”

“You’ve been doing that also,” she pointed out, and I couldn’t deny it.

When the elevator doors opened, we were greeted by a curved desk that would seat an administrative manager. The lobby was just a waiting area with luxurious leather seating and tables set up. I pulled Clara past it all as she asked, “Is this more office space?”

“Essentially yes. When we have shareholder meetings or meetings with managers, we’ll probably meet here most of the time in the future. The welcome to you all on the beach and in the lobby was purely that, a welcome.”

“It was fun.” She glanced around as we continued walking. “This is not fun.”

“Jesus, woman. Do you enjoy sharing your opinion of my resort?”

She scoffed. “You share your opinion of my bakery. And honestly, you know I never used to share it. You should be happy I do with you.”

“Mind sharing why you really wanted Valentino here today?” I wanted the truth. Clara hid what she thought people didn’t want to hear. I might have been fake dating her, but I still wanted the real, raw version of her, the one no one else got.

“Maybe we should go back to avoiding each other.” She worried her hands in front of me, and I caught one in mine, imploring her to stop. “You stress me out when you pry, Dominic.”

“I pry because you don’t offer information willingly when you should.”

“As opposed to you offering your every thought even if it’s negative to everyone around you?”

“I don’t offerevery thought, Clara,” I ground out. I kept a lot to myself, probably too much.

She stopped in the hallway, staring at me for a minute before she said, “Give me one example.”

“Well, my brothers and sisters think we’re actually an item and—”

“You don’t tell your brothers and sisters everything like they think you do, do you?”

“I’m the eldest. I’ll always have secrets.”

Her emerald eyes narrowed. “Can I have one of your secrets?”

“If I can have one of yours,” I said softly, leaning against the wall of the hallway, hoping she’d give in.