New Beginnings
Page 37
“How well do you know him?”
“We roomed together in college and we were best buddies, still are. He’s one of the good guys. Your boyfriends, they were sexual partners, yes?”
She nodded and wasn’t that shocked by the swift change in his questioning again as that seemed to be his way of doing things.
“Shame. I would have liked to have been your first. To have broken you in.”
Tasha, despite the fact that only a few seconds ago might have thought him being her first would have been beyond memorable was more than offended and certainly buoyed by the wine. “I was never a horse that needed breaking in. You really are blunt to the point of rudeness and the fact that you want to sleep with me doesn’t give you the right to say those things, James.”
He stared at her intently. “Jim, please.” His tone was flat, polite and courteous as if the issue in this conversation was her calling him James rather than Jim, then he waited until she conceded in a single word response.
“Jim.”
With a small curl of his lips and a nod he spoke again. “Sleep with you? Is that what you think I want to do?”
He was egging her on, maybe even daring her. She couldn’t deny she was aroused by him and she didn’t know why, beyond the obvious physical attraction, of course. He was clever, articulate and funny, but he was also a tormentor and seemed to be slightly sexist, possibly even misogynistic, yet she knew she would not be leaving this room until she had slept with him. That much was obvious, even to her. She thought of her time with Jake and then Gerry, her beloved Gerry, who she still really missed. Then she remembered that he wasn’t hers to miss, not anymore. He was Kara’s. They had missed their chance and she had to move on. She was ready to move on. Even for just the weekend and possibly at the expense of some professional integrity because right now she had no thoughts beyond her desire and libido.
“No. I don’t believe you want to sleep with me. I believe you want to ‘screw’ me.” She emphasised the word screw through almost gritted teeth.
“Oh dear. I did warn you, Natasha. Put your shoes on.”
He escorted her to her shoes where on wobbly feet she obliged then he took her elbow and in the same way he’d escorted her in, he led her towards the door.
Shit! She’d read this all wrong. He was throwing her out for saying screw, or because she’d disobeyed him or was it because she’d declined his offer to make her a star. She didn’t want to leave. She wanted him. Wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anyone. How was that possible? She’d only known him for a few hours and wasn’t entirely sure she actually liked the man he was.