Page 52 of Power

“I’ll stand.” I moved forward, my heels silent as I stepped onto the plush carpet of what was probably a ridiculously expensive rug.

Those green eyes—the same ones that had darkened, watching me come apart beneath him—danced with something that looked dangerously close to amusement. His full lips, the ones that had mapped every inch of my skin, curved into the ghost of a smile.

“Suit yourself.” Jace’s gaze flicked past me to the door, presumably confirming it was shut, before settling back onme with an intensity that made my skin come alive with unwanted desire.

Don’t fidget. Don’t wring your hands. Don’t show weakness.

But standing here, watching him watch me, I realized there was something far more dangerous than showing weakness: remembering exactly how powerful that body could be when it wasn’t wrapped in designer suits.

Interesting.I thought I’d despise him, but apparently, my body hadn’t gotten the memo. My vagina was staging a full rebellion, getting all hot and bothered, watching him lean against that desk, those long fingers drumming against the underside, ankles crossed with casual dominance. And that suit? That suit should be illegal in at least forty-eight states.

I did not like powerful men. So, why the hell was this turning me on?

Because beneath that suit is a labyrinth of tattoos and the man who worked your body like he had a PhD in pleasure. And whether you want to admit it or not, you can’t just choose to make these unwanted feelings disappear.

Shut up, rational brain.

“I wasn’t aware you worked for this company when I met you,” he said, voice careful.

“Ditto.” I matched his tone. Professional. Distant. Like I couldn’t still feel the ghost of his hands on my skin.

He pushed off the desk and took two steps closer. I resisted the instinct to step back, to make myself smaller. Instead, I held my ground, but my traitorous gaze betrayed me by noticing how his shoulder muscles strained against that jacket as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

“I’m afraid this company has strict policies against us dating,” Jace said.

“Good thing we’re not dating then.” I kept my voice light but firm. Not too assertive, but confident enough to make it clear that I wouldn’t beintimidated.

“I’ll have my lawyer draft an NDA. You’ll sign it by the end of the day.”

Anger shot through me, followed by what felt close to betrayal. Which was unfair. Why would I have expected anything other than him trying to cover his ass? We’d had sex. Great sex. Mind-blowing sex. But nothing more. Right?

Still, it didn’t just hurt; it was insulting. He already held all the cards. Owned the whole damn deck really. He didn’t need a legally binding agreement on top of it. One he commanded I sign rather than ask me if I would be willing to.

“Will I?”

“You will.” There was a finality to his tone, so strong that it almost came off like a threat. It was jarring, the change to his personality. The guy from this weekend had smiled and let me take control. Held me, slept next to me.

“This is who you really are,” I said carefully, keeping the anger out of my tone. “Controlling. Domineering.”

“I own a multibillion-dollar company. I didn’t get there by asking pretty please, Scarlett.”

Heart, stand down. You have no right to be hurt.

“And the guy from this weekend. Who was he?”

Jace took several more steps toward me, until our faces were only separated by three feet. His eyes roamed over the planes of my skin, down my jaw as he tilted his head with that casual confidence that did something to my knees. Being in his presence, I realized, was going to be far more complicated than I wanted. Because my body was still not getting the message that this guy was now forbidden. That, if anything, he was my enemy. Someone that represented a threat to my career. And everything I’d fought against my whole life.

“The man from this weekend was a side of me I’ve never shown to anyone else.”

What the … I had no idea how to react to that, but a plethora of options started firing off votes. My heart had turned into a junior-high-school cheerleader, drawing hearts in my notebook and squealing. My soul was reaching for him, saying,See? Those feelings that you’re sensing? They are real!My body was casting a unanimous YES while blushing furiously. And the way he was looking at me suggested he didn’t want this to end either. But, thank God, my professional side muscled through the chaos and took the reins.

“I see. Well, I’ll read over the NDA and ensure it protects both parties,” I said.

Those beautiful lips curled on one side. “Both parties?”

“I don’t sign any legally binding agreement without reading it first. This weekend poses as much of a problem for me, if not more, than it does for you. So, yes, ensure your lawyer has drafted a proper NDA that protects me as well.”

He stepped closer still.