Living alone made it so easy to not make actual meals. Scott would be appalled at the austerity of the cupboards. The two of them had often prepared meals together. They would chat about their day and the myriad other topics that came up.
Miss Priss meowed and rubbed her head against Darcy's ankles. She leaned down and scratched the soft, short fur under the cat's chin. Miss Priss purred and headed toward the laundry room with an insistent cry. Darcy followed like a good owner and filled the little bowl with fresh food.
After fulfilling her obligatory petting duties, she sighed and headed back to the kitchen. She opened the junk drawer to consider menus. Instead of the neat stack of folded papers, Theo's face swam in her vision. When she had first discovered him in Victor's office, she had been surprised, and she didn't like surprises. That emotion had melted into suspicion. Why hadn't he told her he planned to meet with Victor? He knew she had a friendly relationship with Victor, yet he hadn't sought her help at all. She could have paved the way for him, talked him up to Victor.
Victor was a bit manipulative, especially when it came to keeping her working for him, but he was a decent guy. He would have hired Theo based on her recommendation alone. Of course, that had been the undercurrent of their entire exchange. She knew Victor well. He had purposely instructed his assistant to send Darcy in during Vic's meeting with Theo. Vic had wanted to see Darcy's reaction. When she didn't deny their relationship, he had proceeded with his plan.
He used the unspoken threat of not hiring Theo to get her to continue working for him. How could she refuse when she knew Theo's fledgling business needed a client like Victor in order to open a lot of doors? She couldn't.
Sometimes she hated how Victor used her soft heart to bind her to him. Scott would have listened to her story and advised her to refuse. But if Scott were around, she wouldn't be in a position to care so much about what happened to Theo.
Before her line of thinking could devolve into something pathetic and self-deprecating, the doorbell chimed. She'd left Theo in Victor's office over two hours ago. They hadn't exchanged many pieces of conversation, and they hadn't said anything of a personal nature. Her heart leaped, hoping to see Theo's sensual lips stretched in that sexy smile of his, but then she remembered she hadn't given him her address.
The only people who showed up at her place unannounced were her mother and her sister, but she disengaged the bolt and opened the door to find Theo standing there. Earlier his shirt had been tucked into his pants, and his tie had been meticulously neat. Now his shirt hung out, the tie was missing, and the first few buttons on his shirt hung open to show a hint of the defined muscles of his olive-complexioned skin underneath. One hand stuck in his pocket, and the other dangled at his side. In it, he held two long-stemmed red roses. His brown eyes studied her with a piercing gaze.
She fidgeted under his scrutiny. “Theo. I didn't expect you. I didn't know you knew where I lived.”
“I have your number,” he said. “Google is wonderful about finding out all sorts of information related to your phone number. Some of it is pretty personal. I can show you how to block it.”
Not knowing what to say next, she let her head bounce in a small nod.
He shifted, somehow managing to avoid appearing ill at ease. “Are you angry with me, Darcy? You didn't look all that happy to see me this afternoon.”
Puzzled, full of questions, and a little hurt, she shook her head. Anger wasn't among her emotions.
“Can I come in and we can talk about it?” He framed it as a question, but his underlying authority made it seem like an order.
Reaching forward, she pushed the latch on the screen door. He caught it with his free hand and pulled it open. Two steps and he stood inches away. The rich scent of his aftershave, faded after a day's worth of wear, worked with the magnetism of his body to flood her senses. Nothing made a woman's every nerve ending stand up and take notice quite like having a Dom in her personal space.
The expected caress of her brow and lip never came. She lifted her chin and her courage and looked up at his face.
Lines of confusion pinched between his brows. “You aren't mad at me, but you are upset. I didn't arrange it so that you would be at that meeting, Darcy. I never meant for you to have to be a part of that.”
And that bothered her. She licked her bottom lip with the tip of her tongue, more to gather her thoughts than to wet her lip. “No, but I should have been involved a little. Why didn't you tell me you were courting Victor? I could have smoothed the way and given you a recommendation.”
“You're upset because I didn't ask you to set up the meeting and put in a good word for me?”
Leave it to a Dom to repeat her words back to her just to confirm their meaning. She liked that his summation contained no judgment. Someone less scrupulous could have made her sound petty.
“Yes. Theo, I could have helped you.”
“Are you angry that Snyder roped you into working for him for longer than you'd planned?”
She sighed, her shoulders sagging a bit. “He always manages to talk me into doing just one more thing. I like working for Vic, but he often treats me as if he's my only client, or like I'm cheating on him for taking on other clients.”
Abruptly he stepped away. The foyer opened to a hall with four possible escapes. To the right, a closed door hid the mess of her office. To the left, a wide opening invited people to a formal living room. Straight ahead, the space divided into stairs leading to the second floor and a hallway leading to the kitchen and dining room in the rear of the house. Theo perused his options, and she admired his broad shoulders and the way his dress pants hugged his tight ass.
“I didn't want you to think last weekend happened because I wanted a contact with Snyder Corp. I got the interview on my own, though I think he used me to manipulate you into staying longer.” He turned back to face her and leaned casually against the bottom post of her banister. “I'm sorry for that. You didn't have to stick your neck out for me.”
If she hadn't agreed to stay with Vic for a little longer, he would have used that ammunition to say he didn't need Theo's services. Even though he'd been looking for a tech whiz to overhaul his systems, he would have turned Theo away.
“Vic just wants me close to him. He's not interested in me except platonically.” She shook her head. “I can't figure out why he wants me there, but he's always offering me different kinds of jobs. Public relations, marketing, things like that. If he wasn't able to use you to keep me, he would have found another way. He always does.”
He cocked his head to the side. “You don't sound upset about it.”
She shrugged. “Being upset doesn't get me anywhere. Besides, now I get to work with you.”
“And you're happy about that?” For the first time, he didn't look so sure of himself.
She grinned, happy to have the upper hand even though it wouldn't last. “Yeah. I am. For some reason, I seem to like you.”
“For some reason?” Picking up on her flirty tone, he took one step closer.
“I haven't figured out the reason yet.”
His gaze flickered from her eyes to her lips. “I think I can help you with that.” Closing the distance, he wrapped his free arm around her waist and planted a light, feathery kiss on her lips.
She liked the way his chest felt barely pressed against hers. It teased and promised, and she drew strength and comfort from his sheer solidity. His lips lingered for a moment, still and silent, a barely there caress. Then his mouth opened, almost as if he couldn't help himself, and he stole her breath with his unrestrained passion. Heat rushed to all points, and she didn't want him to stop.
But he did.
Darcy rested her head on his shoulder, her face buried in the warmth and certainty of his neck, and rested her hands on the front of his shirt. His kiss warmed her from the inside, and his body heat warmed her from the outside. He ran his fingers in little circles across the small of her back.
“Why didn't you tell
me you were coming today?”
The fingers on her back paused. When they started up again, the circular pattern extended up and down her back. “Because you would have got out of me why I was coming and where I was going. Even though I wouldn't have asked you to talk to Snyder, you and your big, generous heart would have done it anyway, and then I wouldn't get to spank you tonight.”
His almost baritone rumbled through his chest and tickled the palm of her hand. She lifted her head to meet his gaze.
“You're right. I would have. But I also would have gone grocery shopping, and I would have shown you what an awesome cook I am. Perhaps I would have earned my way back to a spanking?”
Knowing him, even only for a few days, she didn't think she could have earned back that kind of reward. Theo wasn't a pushover. Darcy had known Scott's weak points, and she had shamelessly exploited them on occasion. While he hadn't been a pushover either, he hadn't possessed the rigid rules Theo seemed to have. She only knew a handful of Theo's rules, but she knew there were many more she would learn as she got to know him better.
Laughing, he lifted the roses and offered them to her. “I brought two because I was hoping they'd be in honor of our second date. I'd like to take you out to dinner tonight. If you're so inclined and if you're free, you can cook for me on Saturday.”
“I'm both free and inclined.” She closed her hand around the smooth, thornless stems and tilted the half-open buds toward her nose. The sweet fragrance had just begun to seep from the flowers. In a few days, they would open fully to release their heady scent. “But you should know I don't like to cook alone. What kind of kitchen skills do you have?”
He released her and followed her into the kitchen. Under the sink, way in the back, she found a skinny vase that needed a good rinsing because it had been so long since anyone had brought her flowers. Scott had observed her birthday with a mixed bouquet every year, but she had been responsible for their appearance at any other time. It had been a long time since she felt like having flowers around.
Theo leaned against the counter next to the sink while she rinsed and filled the vase. “I have the basic man skills. I'm really good with anything that needs to be grilled. I cook a mean steak, and I can wrap potatoes in foil and throw them in the oven, though I do prefer to use a grill. Charcoal. I'll use gas if nothing else is available.”
She gestured toward the hallway that led to the garage. “I have a grill, and I hate using it. You're more than welcome to take control.”
Using dull kitchen scissors, she trimmed the stems and set the vase in the window above the sink. Light filtered through the window for most of the morning, so they should reach full bloom soon. She studied them in the weak glow of the early sunset. The lack of light left the petals with a dark red hue that appeared almost black in places. They were beautiful.
Theo took her in his arms again. “I prefer to think of it as assuming authority.”
Darcy liked the sound of that. Control was often a hostile thing, a violation of self, a thing taken or stolen that left a powerless victim. Authority was given, an invested trust that empowered a person and lifted the spirit.
Since she faced him, she placed her hands on his arms in the way he'd instructed her on their date. The position just seemed right. “You're very authoritative. Where did you plan to take me for dinner?”
A brilliant smile accompanied his glance at her hands. He approved of her automatic submission. “If I were authoritarian, I would choose where we eat. Because I'm authoritative, you get to choose. I'd like to experience your favorite restaurant.”
Immediately the sheer enjoyment and satisfaction she'd derived from eating that meatball sub popped into her mind. She shook it away. Eating at that place once in a day was sin enough. She considered healthier options.
“Have you been to Seva's?”
It wasn't until he sat across from her at the intimate table for two that she realized she'd chosen a vegetarian restaurant right after he used the term “man skills” to describe the preparation of steak and burgers.
She glanced out the front window, noted all the other good restaurants in walking distance, and leaned forward. “We can go someplace else if there's nothing appealing here.”
With a quick glance up and a fleeting wink, he said, “Oh, there's something here that appeals to me quite a bit.”
Heat crept up her neck, and she didn't know why. “I meant to eat.”
Now he nailed her with the direct and licentious stare. “So did I.”
She'd walked right into that one. He had warned her about his dry sense of humor. Still, she couldn't help but laugh.
He flashed a crooked smile that didn't hide the sudden tenderness in his eyes. “I like hearing you laugh. You have a very inviting, sexy kind of laugh.”
The blush spread farther, enveloping her body in a delicious warmth. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand, the simple gesture communicating a wealth of feeling. A look passed between them, and deep feelings slammed Darcy hard in the gut.
Theo went back to perusing the menu. “Seriously, though, can they get away with calling something a burger if it's made with portobello mushrooms? And what the hell is an organic bun?”
“I think that means they didn't use pesticides when they baked it.”
He blinked at her for a moment before a slow smile stretched his sensuous lips. “I like your wit, Markovich. Have I told you how sexy I find your brains?”
“Well, since you avoided looking at my breasts, I'm glad you find some part of my anatomy sexy.” She followed up with a cheeky grin. Something about Theo made her feel uninhibited, despite her blushes, and she liked that he saw her as a person, not as an easy target.
He laughed again. “Be a good girl and one day soon I'll show you exactly how sexy I find your anatomy.” He frowned down at the menu. “Wait. That sounded better in my head. It was suave and sophisticated, even a little witty.”
It sounded okay out loud, but she wasn't about to feed his ego. Doms could easily acquire an inflated sense of themselves. Men as alluring as Theo had the same problem. Together, this combination put him at risk. She wasn't going to chance tipping the scales.
She sipped her water, waiting for him to restate his thought.
He didn't. “I think I'll have the pasta alla bosca. Seeing the word ‘sausage’ in quotation marks makes me a little leery, but I'm willing to try new things. What are you going to order?”
The subject change took her a little by surprise. She liked flirting. As she thought about it, she decided she liked how he didn't push it too far too fast. It was best to pull back a little right now. “The grilled pesto pizza sandwich. Anytime pizza and sandwiches are combined, I have to get them.”
“You take me to a vegetarian restaurant and order the least healthy thing on the menu.” He folded the menu and set it on the edge of the table. “Nice irony.”
Darcy fidgeted a bit. “A lot of the appetizers, like the yams, are fried. That's less healthy.”
“Fried yams?” His brows lifted as he considered them. Their server approached the table. “Sounds yammy.” Without waiting for her reaction, he grinned at the young man waiting to take their order. “Let's begin with the fried yam appetizer. The lady would like your grilled pesto pizza sandwich, and I'll have the pasta alla bosca.”
She sat quietly and let Theo handle things. He consulted her on what dressing she preferred and which soft drink she wanted, but he clearly expected her to tell him what she wanted because he repeated everything to the server.
When the server left, Theo flashed another one of those smiles that melted her spine. “I hope you don't mind that I ordered for you. I'm not sure if I'm old-fashioned or if it's because I'm a Dom, but I like to do those kinds of things.” His hand closed around hers on the tabletop. “There are a lot of things I prefer to do for you.”
His warning washed through her system like soothing music. Scott hadn't been this dominant, and she hadn't minded one way or the ot
her. She liked Theo's declaration. Even though he hadn't asked permission, and he likely would never ask, she didn't feel he did it for control. Authority. That's what he had. His confident authority greatly appealed to a soft vulnerability she didn't let very many people see.
She returned his smile. “I don't mind.”
They went back to her house after dinner. She thought he would want to call it a night because he had a long drive home, but when he walked her to the door, she invited him to stay anyway. “Do you want to come in and have some coffee?”
He had turned her down at the hotel, and she liked his reasons why. Part of her wanted to know if he meant what he said, and part of her saw it as a challenge to her femininity. The paradox of her intentions couldn't help but confuse him.
“I can stay for a little while. I have a surprise funeral in the morning, so I have to get back home tonight.” He took the keys from her hand and unlocked her front door. Pushing it open, he indicated she should enter first.
“A surprise funeral?” That was a new term.
“Yeah.” He slipped his arms around her and brushed a kiss over her lips. “My dad called this morning to tell me that my uncle, my mom's brother, died. Heart attack or stroke. He wasn't sure which.”
Theo sounded remarkably unaffected by the passing of his uncle. She needed to be diplomatic about how she asked about his relationship with the man. “Were you close?”
Theo shook his head and released his hold on her waist. He followed her through the hallway to the kitchen. “No. I haven't seen him in twenty years. Even before then, I barely knew him. I'm going to support my mom. Her only brother is gone. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and I'd feel bad if I skipped it.”
Theo's phrasing made her laugh. “I'm sorry. I've never heard anyone point out that death was a once-in-a-lifetime event. It's so obvious, but it sounds funny to say it that way.”
Re/Bound Page 9