She nodded as he came over and took the coat out of her hands. She automatically eased down on the sofa, a little surprised she was still wearing clothes. She had really expected him to strip her naked the moment she had stepped over the threshold. It seemed he was going to take things slow. Slow was good. But if he started showing signs of wasting too much time, she knew how to take things into her own hands, literally. She inwardly smiled, thinking how she’d done that several times before.
“Here, you probably could use this to get your blood warm.”
He handed her a glass filled with wine. When had he poured it? She took a sip, liking the sparkling taste, but then she’d always enjoyed his wine selections. She licked her lips and glanced across the room knowing he was watching her. That was good. Let him look. It would make things easier later when she threw her new idea out to him.
She cleared her throat. “Whatever you’re cooking smells good, Xavier.”
He chuckled. “Thanks, but I didn’t cook it. Ms. Blackburn did it all.”
She lifted a brow. “Ms. Blackburn?”
“Yes. My housekeeper, cook, gardener. You name it, she does it.”
She lifted a brow again. “Umm, does she now?”
He laughed. “Except for that. For crying out loud, Farrah, she’s old enough to be my mother. But I would admit to coming close to asking her to marry me one day after eating a slice of her apple pie.”
“It was that delicious?”
“Honey, delicious doesn’t come close.”
She swallowed. No one could say the word delicious quite the way he could, and no one could do things deliciously quite like him. She’d bet no one could even come close.
“So, will you be meeting with those women again tomorrow since no closure came about today?”
She glanced over at him. He had moved to sit on a bar stool. His taut thighs strained tightly against the denim of his jeans, and his abs were outlined in his form-fitting sweater. Not an inch of flab anywhere. She knew in reality he much preferred beer to wine, but unlike some men, he didn’t have a belly to show it.
And speaking of his belly…she thought he had a nice looking one, especially when it wasn’t covered with clothes. She remembered quite well how a sprinkling of dark hair adorned it. And then there was that trail of hair that tapered off to his groin area. She felt her mouth watering again, and it wasn’t for anything his housekeeper had left cooking on the stove.
She took a sip of her wine before saying, “Yes, I’ll be meeting with them, but if everything continues in the same way as today, I’m hoping we’ll wrap up by tomorrow. But that depends on—”
“One of the women’s husband’s involvement,” he finished for her.
She nodded and smiled. “You remembered.”
“Yes.”
“And here I thought you were listening just to humor me and weren’t really paying attention.”
He met her gaze and held it. “I’m sure since we’ve met that you’ve made a number of assumptions about me that aren’t true, Farrah.”
She blinked, surprised he would say that. “Like what?”
“You’ll find out soon enough.”
She wondered what he meant by that. But then she would admit that maybe she had made a few assumptions. Being here in his home challenged one of them. She had always assumed his home, his domain, was off-limits to any woman. He’d never said that, but given the way he’d meticulously made his booty calls, she’d certainly thought so.
Xavier stood and placed his wine glass on the counter. She couldn’t help the way her gaze followed his movement, especially the muscles in his thighs when they stretched. He was definitely a man who could wear a pair of jeans. But then he looked damn good in a business suit as well. And Lordy, she didn’t want to think about how good he looked naked.
She blinked again, noticing his lips move. He was saying something. “Excuse me?”
He smiled, and she felt a tingle that seemed to take life in her stomach. Why did he have to have such a luscious mouth? And why did she have to remember all the things that mouth could do?
“I asked if you were ready for dinner.”
She was ready for whatever he had in mind. Holding back that thought, she cleared her throat and said instead, “Yes, just lead the way.”
She followed him, appreciating another chance to check out his broad shoulders and the best backside a man could possess.
Xavier glanced across the table at Farrah and decided he was going to enjoy every single plan he put into action to win her over. They were almost finished with dinner, and just in case she planned to leave any time soon, he would suggest that she stick around to help with kitchen cleanup. He glanced back down at his plate thinking she didn’t have to know Ms. Blackburn had instructed him to leave everything for her to take care of in the morning.
“You should have warned me, Xavier.”
He glanced back up and met her gaze. The eyes staring back at him were a serious brown. He wondered if she’d figured out his action plan for tonight. “Warned you about what?”
“That I would be so full after this meal that you’d probably have to roll me out the door.”
A relieved smile touched his lips. “I did warn you. I told you how I felt after eating her apple pie.”
“I thought you were exaggerating. Now I see that you weren’t. I’ve never eaten pork chops that all but melt in your mouth. They are so tender.”
He had to agree, Ms. Blackburn had done a great job with dinner. And Farrah, he thought, had done a great job with dressing. She looked good tonight. When she’d taken off her coat, his tongue had almost wrapped around his head. That was one sexy purple dress she was wearing. It was short, which showed off her legs that were encased in tights and another pair of black leather knee-high boots. He had invited her over for dinner, not to give him heart failure.
“You look nice tonight, by the way.”
She smiled at his compliment. “Thanks. You look good yourself.”
He pushed his empty plate aside to lean back in his chair. “Glad you think so.”
“I do. Always.”
She was flirting with him, and as a man, he could only appreciate it. “Would you like some dessert now?” He watched her lick her lips, and he couldn’t help but shift in the chair to ease the pressure behind his zipper.
“Sounds tempting but I’ll wait for a while. I’d like to talk to you about something.”
He wondered what she wanted to talk about. “Sure. Let’s go in the family room and sit in front of the fireplace.”
“But what about the dinner dishes?”
He smiled. “We can leave them for now and you can help me clean up the kitchen later.”
“All right. That’s the least I can do after such a wonderful meal.”
No, that wasn’t the least she could do, but he would keep that little tidbit to himself.
He rounded the table to pull the chair back for her. One thing he’d liked about Farrah from the first was that she never got offended when he did gentlemanly things for her. No matter how raw and raunchy they got in the bedroom, he totally enjoyed treating her like the lady he knew she was.
And she was a downright sexy lady at that, he thought as his gaze swept over her, up and down her body. Just looking at her almost derailed any thoughts about what was the best way to handle her. He wanted to get out of her the one thing he deemed most important. For her to return his love.
He knew that was a tall order, one that would take measured, strategic planning. His goal was to convince her that he was a viable candidate for her affections, and that he was more husband material than her ex ever was.
When she walked off swaying her hips, it took all of his control not to reach out and pull her into his arms and begin removing every stitch of clothing she had on her body before tearing off his. Then it would be on, all over the place. His erection throbbed just thinking about it.
He momentarily closed his eyes while telling himself
to hold tight and keep a handle on his control. It would all be worth it in the end, even though not making love to her tonight was going to drive him insane, especially when she was intentionally trying to bait him.
Xavier reopened his eyes the moment she glanced over her shoulder at him with a teasing smile on her face. “Are you coming, Xavier?”
He gave her a warning frown. He would definitely be coming if she kept it up, but he intended to resist her temptation, even if it killed him. And he had a feeling that if it did kill him, he would die an excruciating, slow death. “I’m right behind you.”
And he was. As she led the way back to his family room, he was what he considered a safe distance be hind her, which had its advantages if you were into ass-watching. He was, especially when that part of the anatomy was hers.
She slid down on his sofa in a movement so fluid, so damn enticing, he didn’t even blink as he watched her. He waited until she was settled in her seat before crossing the room and taking the recliner across from her. He’d known resisting her wouldn’t be easy, but he hadn’t counted on it being such torture. The woman was almost too hot for his own good.
He cleared his throat. “So, what do you want to talk about?”
“Us.”
Us? She’d never referred to them as an us, so in a way things sounded pretty good already. “I’m listening.”
She began nibbling on her lower lips. He knew that sign. Whatever topic she wanted to broach wasn’t easy for her. “I, um, I was thinking about what you said last night.”
He’d said a lot of things. He’d done a lot of things, too. “And?”
“And you wanted us to continue the affair past New York.”
Had she come around without much prodding from him? “Yes, I recall having said that.”
She began nibbling on her lips again, and then she said, “I’d like to offer a proposal to you.”
He lifted a brow. “A proposal?”
“Yes.”
He leaned back in the chair as he rubbed his jaw. This had better be good, he thought. It’d better be what he wanted. “I’m listening.”
“I don’t have any plans for the holidays and I thought…”
She paused, but he was determined that she finish what she was saying. “You thought what, Farrah?’
She met his gaze while nibbling those luscious lips again. “That since you wanted to continue things between us for a while, that we could extend our affair at least through New Year’s.”
He didn’t say anything. He had to make sure he fully understood what she was offering. “Are you saying that once you leave here it’s okay for us to hook up in Charlotte again, with things being like they used to be with us?”
She nodded. “Yes, but only through the holidays.”
He ignored the ache in his body that tried convincing him that something was better than nothing, and that he should take her up on her offer. But he wasn’t in the market for just being involved in a holiday affair. He wanted the whole shebang. That meant he had no intention of letting her place limitations on their relationship.
“So, what do you think?”
He shrugged his shoulders and wondered if she was prepared for what he was about to say. “I think I’ll pass.”
Voices in his head were calling him all kinds of fool for not accepting her offer. One voice in particular was all but giving his brain a hard kick, screaming that if he thought he could convince her to consider a real relationship with him, he was crazy and wasting his time. Her ex had done too much of a number on her for that to happen. How many times had she told him that she would never, ever, become involved in a serious relationship again? How many times had she reiterated that fact for his benefit?
“You’ll pass?” she asked, with a mixture of shock and confusion outlining what he thought were gorgeous features. “But why?”
He held her gaze. “Because I told you what I wanted.”
“For us to pick up where we left off?”
“Yes, and continue from there without any limitations, Farrah.”
She shook her head. “That’s not going to work, Xavier. That’s why I thought it was best if we ended things six months ago.”
“Whatever hang-ups there were, Farrah, were yours, not mine. The only reason I gave into it at the time was because I convinced myself that perhaps you were right. After last night I decided you’re dead wrong.”
The flaring of fire in her eyes let him know she hadn’t appreciated what he’d just said. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to know he’d pushed the wrong button, but at the moment he really didn’t give a damn. It was time they had it out. He refused to go through another long spell without her.
She leaned forward in her seat. “This new attitude of yours is all because of last night? One good blow job got you all up in arms? Got you refusing a holiday fling with me because you want more than that?”
He slid out the chair to stand on his feet. “It’s more than that, Farrah, and you know it. It’s about the chemistry we stir whenever we’re together. I see nothing wrong with wanting more. But after almost a year, you decided we should end things. Why? Because you had begun feeling something a lot deeper and more solid than mere orgasms.”
“That’s not true!” she said adamantly.
“Isn’t it?”
“It was just sex, Xavier. You could have gotten the same from any woman.”
“Hardly, which is why I haven’t slept with another woman since you. And probably why you haven’t, by your admission, been intimate with anyone since me.”
He thought he’d hit a nerve, and she proved him right when she began pacing angrily. He decided to sit back in the chair and let her blow off steam, come to terms with being called out. Except he was getting more turned on by the second watching her, seeing how the hair was flying around her face with every livid step she took in boots that were definitely made for more than walking.
Her hips were not just swaying now, they were being brandished about under the sting of rejection. Something she evidently didn’t care much for. Not for the first time, he noticed just how small her waist was, and how her hips flared out in an almost perfect womanly shape. And her breasts—heaven help him, they were the most luscious pair on any woman—were straining against the bodice of her dress.
While his gaze roamed all over her, she finally came to a stop mere inches from where he sat. She placed her hands on her hips. “So, what exactly is it that you want?”
He smiled and leaned forward in his chair and met her gaze without wavering. He fought the urge to tell her that what he wanted was marriage, until death do them part. Considering everything, he figured now was not a good time to share that with her.
“What I want is for us to resume our affair without limitations. That means we go for as long as we’re mutually satisfied.”
She rolled her eyes. “People only do long-term affairs when they want to get serious eventually. People who want more out of a relationship. People who might even contemplate marriage.”
“Not necessarily. I think we know each other’s position on marriage, so we don’t have to worry about us wanting anything that serious. However, I’m at a point in my life where I prefer long-term exclusiveness. Not only do I want a satisfying bed partner, I also want to be with someone I can take out to dinner on occasion, to a movie, to those business functions that I’m oftentimes invited to attend. I don’t like women coming on to me anymore. I want to emit an air that I’m taken…even if I’m truly not.”
He paused, wanting her to digest what he’d just said. Then he continued. “You enjoy my company and I enjoy yours. I see no reason why we can’t continue what we had unless…”
She tilted her head and looked at him, lifting a brow. “Unless what?”
“Unless you’re afraid of falling in love with me.”
He eased up from his seat, ignoring the burst of longing and love he felt for the woman standing in front of him. The woman he was determined to make fall in
love with him to the same degree that he was with her.
He knew now that she wasn’t as opposed to restarting their affair as she put on. But she was scared of letting her heart get broken again. So he knew he had to tread lightly but at the same time push harder…if that made sense.
“Are you afraid, Farrah? If you are, then I understand and totally agree that we should not pick up where we left off.”
He immediately saw the effect his words had on her. After her jaw dropped to the floor, she went still. He was convinced she was barely breathing. And her gaze intensified, focused on him. Her eyes zeroed in on him like he was the only thing in their laser beam’s target. From the distance separating them, he felt her anger, but he also felt her fear. He actually saw it in her eyes, and he knew at that moment what he’d assumed was right. She was falling in love with him, but was fighting it tooth and nail. She would never, ever admit such a thing.
So he stood there watching her, waiting to see how she planned on getting out of the neat little box he’d just placed her in.
Chapter 11
Think, Farrah!
She nibbled on her bottom lip as she tried unscrambling her brain, refusing to admit Xavier had hit a nerve, which automatically put her on the defensive. “Me? Not being able to control my emotions and fall in love? Please. That is the last thing you, or any man, have to worry about, trust me.”
He shrugged. “If you say so.”
She didn’t like the sound of that. Did he honestly think she’d fall in love with him? Okay, she would admit—although never to him—that she had ended things between them because she’d had feelings for him and had been uncomfortable with those newfound emotions. But she would never let any man suspect she was afraid of losing her heart.
She threw her head back, sending her hair flying over her shoulders. “I’m going to only say this once and I hope you’re listening, Xavier. The last thing you have to worry about, and the one thing I am not afraid of, is falling in love with you or any man. I’ve been there, done that and you can believe I’ll never go that way again.”
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