He grunted some sort of noise in agreement. “Six o’clock tonight, right?”
“Yeah. Photo session will be at six and the dinner will start at seven. You got your speech down?”
He scoffed like he couldn’t believe I’d asked such a question. “Always.”
Tonight was the Masterson Campaign Kick-off dinner that the whole office was going to attend, as well as numerous administrators, general bureaucrats, and other office-holding dignitaries from around the city. The most influential members of this community, basically, and the ones whose votes would be extremely invaluable come November. We had already been campaigning, of course, but the summer was the height of campaign season and this dinner marked the start of it.
I was not at all concentrating on the fact that Claire would be there. And I certainly hadn’t been looking forward to it for weeks, knowing that I’d finally get to be in the same room with her after months of being apart.
After that night in the alley, we’d only seen each other here and there around the office and we hadn’t run into each other through our mutual friends again. I tried to avoid that scene, afraid that I would see her and that it would be awkward, or that I would see her and maul her in an alleyway again. And the couple of times I did cave and go out, she hadn’t been there.
But the dinner tonight wasn’t the only thing that had been occupying my mind.
Starting next month, Claire was going to be my personal assistant. It was going to get a lot busier around here then, and while I was definitely going to need the help, I still wasn’t sure if having Claire around me non-stop was a good idea.
I was almost sure that it wasn’t.
Did that mean that I was going to replace her with someone else?
Hell no.
“Alright,” he said, blowing out another deep breath and standing up from the chair. “Meet me in my office at three and we’ll go over next week’s schedule.”
“You got it.”
He walked out the door and then stuck his head back in to say, “And have another espresso, man. You look like you’re dragging.”
I was dragging but it wasn’t for the reason he probably thought. It wasn’t from fatigue or lack of caffeine.
It was from pining after a damn woman.
One that I’d convinced myself I couldn’t have.
But maybe tonight was the night I would change that.
##
Why did she have to look so damn good?
Of all the colors she could have picked, her dress had to be virginal white. It was strapless and wasn’t revealing necessarily, but it framed her figure in a way that made you imagine what she would look like naked. Not that I hadn’t imagined such a thing before because I had. So many times.
And a thought suddenly struck me, almost knocking me off my feet.
How many other guys here tonight were picturing Claire naked right now?
Probably all of them. A strange sensation began to build within me and it wasn’t one that I recognized. If I had to put a name on it I would call it jealousy, which didn’t make much sense to me. Claire wasn’t mine. I didn’t have any claim on her. She could do whatever she wanted, with whomever she wanted, and I had no right to say a damn word about it.
But then I thought back to the night in the alley. How I’d held her in my arms and how she’d clung onto me, as eager to fuse our bodies together as I had been. And I immediately knew that I didn’t want any other man touching her like that, irrational or not. Chauvinistic or not. It made me want to punch every guy who might ever have the opportunity to see Claire naked.
I wanted to be the only person she gave that right to.
Man, I’m losing it.
We had just finished eating dinner and the live band on the makeshift stage started playing music. Before I gave myself time to think about it, I started walking in Claire’s direction, where she was talking to a couple of people from the office, including Simon.
I had noticed the way he’d been looking at her since she first started. I’d also noticed the way she hadn’t been reciprocating, at least that I saw. As far as I knew, they hadn’t gone out or anything. And even though I didn’t know a lot about Claire, I thought I knew enough to recognize that Simon wasn’t really her type. He seemed too buddy-buddy with her if that made any sense. Like she had relegated him to the friend zone and wasn’t about to take him out of it.
But that’s what women wanted sometimes. A friendship first that would eventually develop into something more.
I would have to fire him if it ever came to that.
Not really. But if I did ever have to see her date a guy from the office, I might have to choke myself with my own tie.
I reached them and put my hand on Claire’s lower back, offering the group a greeting and a smile. I looked down at Claire to see her watching me curiously.
“Would you like to dance?”
Her curiosity transformed into exasperation and she momentarily looked at a loss for words. It was always a delight to render the smart-mouthed, sassy Claire Stevens speechless. She finally gathered her wits and nodded, taking my hand and letting me steer her onto the dance floor. I didn’t miss the frown that Simon threw our way, and I had to admit that the possessive side of me felt a tad smug.
I swung Claire into my arms and we began to sway slowly back and forth, joining the few other couples on the dance floor. She felt even better in my arms than she had the last time. Why, I didn’t know. Maybe it was because it had been so long since the alley. Truthfully, it felt like it had been years since I was this close to her, not months.
“You look beautiful tonight,” I said in her ear.
I felt her body tense slightly and I wasn’t sure if that meant that the compliment had made her happy or uncomfortable. I certainly hoped for the former.
“Thank you,” she eventually said, her voice a little shaky.
I took in the room around us, marveling at the work that had been put into it for tonight’s event. “This place looks fantastic. You did an amazing job, Claire.”
I knew that she had the biggest hand in getting us this venue when our first one fell through. She had been the primary one in charge of hammering out all of the details, the vendors, the invitations, and even the decorations. I had always known she was smart and talented and clearly ambitious, but even I was impressed with the job she had done. Everything—from the caterers, even down to the napkins—was top quality and had actually come in under budget. I would know because I saw the bill.
And I was proud of her.
She was doing what she loved and was damn good at it.
“Thank you,” she repeated and then leaned back slightly to meet my eyes, questions burning in hers. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
The question took me aback.
Was I?
I hadn’t even noticed that I hadn’t once tried to instigate an argument or tried to poke at her in any way. It honestly made me feel ashamed that she even had to ask me such a question.
And even more so that she had a reason to.
“I just thought I should tell you that you’re doing a good job. But if you want me to be an asshole again, I can.”
“So, you admit that you were an asshole,” she retorted, grinning with self-satisfaction.
I shrugged, for some reason not wanting to admit how sorry I really was for behaving the way I had toward her. “I admit that I may have been a little unfair with my initial assumptions of you.”
I spun her around, making her release a giggle that she tried to stifle. The sound made warmth spread in my chest. I wanted to hear more of her laugh.
“And what assumptions were those?”
“That you were a mouthy little stuck-up brat,” I replied as I dipped her, making her smile spread. Thankfully, she wasn’t insulted by my remark but instead, seemed more amused with our banter.
“Well, I thought you were a pompous smartass. So I guess we’re even.”
I couldn’t con
tain my laughter. I appreciated her honesty and found it refreshing more than anything. Especially in my line of work where it seemed that everyone had a secret agenda.
“In all honesty though,” she continued as we fell back into the rhythm of the song, “I like this side of you.”
My heart stuttered at hearing that, like a lovesick teenager. In that moment, I was ready to give her whatever side of me she wanted.
Which was why I had no concept of where my next words came from.
“Can I have you?” I just blurted it out, my filter having left me completely.
Her feet stopped moving but I pulled her along with me, not wanting to make a scene.
“What?” she asked, sounding uncertain. But her voice had a hint of excitement in it that she couldn’t hide.
I laughed at myself and the way this woman was able to tie me up. “I’ll admit I’m not exactly the romantic type so I’ll just come out and say it.” I couldn’t remove my eyes from her face, the anticipation I saw there fueling my own. “I want to take you back to my place. I told you that I meant what I said that night, Claire. I do want you and I’m sick of pretending that I don’t.”
She looked as if she were struggling for air. I worried for a minute that I had overstepped my boundaries, that I should have just left well enough alone.
That was until she lifted her chin and said, “Okay. But I have one condition.”
Did I hear her right?
I couldn’t believe after how much of a prick I had been to her that she was still willing to give me a chance. Hope bloomed in my chest at the possibilities of her actually agreeing.
I smiled. “Okay. Shoot.”
“One night. Just one night of being together so we can get whatever this is between us out of our systems before May. Then we move on. No feelings, no promises, no commitments. One night of sex. Can you agree to that?”
So not what I was expecting.
I guess I hadn’t made myself clear enough because I had been proposing more than just sex with her. More than just one night of passionate connection. I wanted to actually give us a chance and see where it could lead. Because I had a very distinct feeling that there was more potential here than just being temporary bed partners.
I didn’t want to agree. Despite the fact that an entire night of sex with Claire sounded incredibly enticing, I knew that I was going to want more than that. You couldn’t be with a woman like Claire and not want more. But I could also sense that she wasn’t ready for that yet. Our relationship was still on shaky ground and it was obvious that I needed to mend it. Show her that I could be reliable, trustworthy, nice.
I could be what she needed if she would just give me a chance to show her.
And maybe one night of sex was my way in.
A chance to lay a new foundation for us, to make her reconsider her opinion of me and form a new one. An opportunity to prove to her that we had more going for us than just physical intimacy. If one night was all she was willing to give me right now, I would take it and I sure as hell wouldn’t waste it.
Knowing it was the only opening I would get, I reluctantly nodded. “Agreed.”
##
Chapter Six
Claire
Did I just say that?
Did David just agree to it?
I wasn’t sure where it had even come from. I’d been thinking about continuing our little rendezvous in the alley—but obviously in a bed this time—ever since I walked away from him that night. Despite the things he had said about how we couldn’t be anything to each other. I remembered those words and I agreed with them. But maybe we could have sex without any pressure of being more. People hooked up all the time without it evolving into a relationship, so why not us?
Because you don’t want that with him and you know it.
No, I didn’t know that. He irritated me more than any human on the planet so there was no way I could actually date the man. We would kill each other in the first ten minutes. But it was clear that he wanted at least one night to experience each other just as fiercely as I did.
The evidence of that was currently rubbing up against my leg.
And the cool, confident woman of a few seconds ago was now replaced by a nervous, babbling idiot who had suddenly realized that this was really going to happen with David. Tonight.
He seemed to sense my mood shift and tightened his grip around my waist. “Look,” he said, “if you’re not sure—”
“No, I am,” I replied, shaking my head. “I want to.” It probably wasn’t very convincing but it was all I could get out.
He studied me for a beat and then nodded his head. “Okay. Wait five minutes before you follow me out the door. We don’t need anyone getting suspicious.”
He acted as if he were dealing with any ordinary, everyday occurrence as he spoke of us sneaking around, leaving to go have sex.
At least someone was calm and collected.
“Don’t you have to stay until the end?”
He shook his head. “The night is basically over. Clay gave his speech and the interviews and photo shoot took place before the dinner. All that’s left to do now is mingle and schmooze, which I’ve done my fair share of this evening. The rest falls on Clay.”
Satisfied with that, I nodded my head and he led me off the dance floor. Before he walked off, he leaned down and whispered, “I’ll be parked around the corner. Wait five and then come out.”
For some reason I didn’t like the idea of riding in David’s car over to his place, but I didn’t have much of a choice since I didn’t have my own. I could always just call a cab if I wanted to leave at any point during the night. That would be my escape plan if I needed one.
He walked away and I suddenly had this overwhelming feeling of being lost without him standing right next to me. Where the hell had that come from? And the butterflies in my stomach were starting to take flight. I never get butterflies!
Going over to his place would probably be the worst idea ever concocted by two of the most stubborn people alive who couldn’t even admit whether something was good or bad for them. Especially if there was risk of damaging their pride.
I had presented a challenge to David tonight and he had accepted.
We would both take what we needed from each other and that was that. Tomorrow, we would go back to hating one another.
I was able to sneak out of the building without any suspicious glances thrown my way—or none that I noticed, anyway. I thanked my lucky stars that I had a clean-up crew to handle everything after the dinner was over. My libido would have taken a serious hit if I had to stay another two hours.
No words were spoken as he weaved his car through the streets of D.C. I wasn’t sure if I was expecting conversation, but I was a little surprised that the man who couldn’t shut up suddenly had nothing to say. The fact that he was being so serious made the entire situation feel heavier. My apprehension mounted the longer we drove and continued to remain silent. Questions of whether or not I had made the right decision were stewing in my mind. I tried to distract myself with the city itself as I stared out the window.
I had always loved D.C., despite the frigid temperatures in winter, though that was anywhere in the north. This city just had a certain vibe to it that you couldn’t help but appreciate. The history, the culture, the architecture. Living here just made you feel like you were a part of something special, like we all shared a secret that nobody else in the country knew.
I was broken out of my thoughts when David turned into the parking lot of an apartment building. Huh. Not what I was expecting. Knowing David and seeing how he dressed, I guess I was picturing something a little more upscale, a little swankier. Not that this place was dilapidated or anything, but it was obvious that the building could definitely use some repairs.
David took the key out of the ignition and looked over at me. He was being abnormally calm, his poker face not offering anything that would allow me to gauge his mood, his feelings.
“
You still with me?” he asked, his eyes searching my expression for the words I wasn’t saying.
Despite my reservations regarding this drastic shift in our relationship, I didn’t have to second guess my answer.
“Yes.”
His response wasn’t a sweet smile or reassuring words. No, his face darkened and the muscles in his jaw ticked. He looked like he wanted to devour me right there in his front seat. And if we were anywhere else and not so close to his bed, I might have let him. He didn’t say another word as he led me toward the building and inside to the elevator. He pressed the number to his floor and we waited.
And let me just say that if you’re in an elevator with someone you know you’re about to hook up with and you’re not attacking each other and basically starting the party early against the walls of that elevator, the air gets extremely tense in that little box. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation and electrified with restrained passion. It was so quiet that the only sounds filling the small space were our heavy breaths.
But oddly enough, it wasn’t awkward.
I mean, the air between us was becoming somewhat suffocating because we were barely controlling our growing desires. But it wasn’t uncomfortable, standing there with him.
I wasn’t about to dwell on what that could mean.
Then, we were inside his apartment.
Completely alone.
For the first time ever.
I quickly took in my surroundings and found a small but neat one-bedroom space. There was minimal furniture throughout the rooms, and it looked like there was barely room for two people in the kitchen. But the floors were clean, there weren’t dirty clothes or beer cans littering every surface, and it didn’t smell like a men’s locker room.
I could roll with this.
“Not what you were expecting?” I heard David ask from behind me as he placed his keys on the kitchen counter by the door.
I decided to be honest. “Not exactly, but it’s nice to see that you’re not a slob.”
He stood there looking at me with his hands in his pockets, his tie loosened, and his five o’clock shadow prominent on his cheeks. Damn, he looked good.
Stubborn Hearts (Timid Souls #1) Page 6