Page 106 of Maneater

But he doesn’t leave me hanging for long; instead, he stands and takes two steps toward me before his hands move under my arms, tugging me in close. My hands go to his chest to catch myself before sliding up and around his neck.

“Let me get one thing exceedingly clear: you look gorgeous no matter what. A bikini or sweats or nothing, though I can’t lie, when it’s just the two of us, I highly prefer nothing.” I can’t help but smile, and any unease I felt washes away. “I don’t care what your hair looks like, as long as you like it. You could wear a three-inch-thick layer of makeup or none at all, and the mere thought of you would get my dick hard.” A shiver runs through me, and he smiles when he feels it. “You do whatever you have to do to make yourself feel pretty, but you’d better be doing it for you, not me. Surely not for any of those assholes. I don’t care what you’re wearing or how your hair looks, so long as you’re happy and you’re mine. Got it?”

He looks so firm in his words, so insistent that I not only hear them but also understand, that I have no other choice but to smile.

“I think so,” I whisper. Then he smiles wide and dips his head, his mouth moving over mine, and I know I could so fall for Rowan Fisher.

And the craziest part is that it doesn’t scare me at all.

FORTY-ONE

JOSIE

Dinner is painfully long, partly because it’s an upscale, multi-course dinner, and partly because, despite his insistence that he couldn’t have dinner with me, Daniel never leaves the table, sharing each dish with me off one plate—myplate. I fight a cringe each time he reaches across the table to take a bite of my food, smiling wide at me like this is normal.

I was right.

To Daniel, thisisa date.

Still, it’s my job, so I tough it out, knowing the more time Rory has in there, the better, ensuring she won’t be interrupted. Finally, though, things start to get interesting when a familiar redhead comes over, a tight smile on her face. She doesn’t even look in my direction, just stands beside Daniel with a tight grimace before tipping her head to the door.

“Daniel,” she says. “I need to talk to you.”

He sits up a bit straighter, and his face goes a bit pale. “Tanya, I’m with a guest.”

Her jaw goes tight, and she gives him a forced smile. “It will just take a minute,” she says, again not looking in my direction.

Daniel looks from Tanya to me, and I smile and nod.

“No worries,” I say. “Work comes first.”

He gives me a grateful smile before he reluctantly stands and follows Tanya, who doesn’t even look back at him.

“Daniel is leaving with Tanya,” I say low as I lift my glass, pretending to take a sip. “He is leaving the restaurant through the main entrance.”

“Tracking it,” Rowan’s voice says in my earpiece. He’s probably in his office watching the feeds. “They’re going…” There’s a pause before he speaks. “Into a supply closet.”

“Ooh, interesting. One we bugged?”

“Yes,” he says. I put my glass down and look around the room, putting a hand to my mouth and pretending to rest there.

“Rory, how are you doing?”

“Almost done with the office,” she says. “Going as fast as I can.”

“Please. I’m dying of boredom.”

“He doesn’t seem to have much personality,” Rowan agrees, and I smile behind my hand.

“Unlike you?”

“I think you know damn well how much personality I have,” Rowan says low. Heat runs through me in response.

“Ugh, gross, you two,” Rory says. “I’m on the line.”

“If you finish faster, she could leave and—” Rowan starts, and I have to roll my lips between my teeth to hide my laugh.

“Rowan, I could absolutely ruin you if I wanted. Don’t push me,” Rory threatens, and Rowan laughs. Helaughs. It warms me through, just the sound of it.