While he finished dressing, I stared at my own shoes, slightly proud that I’d opted for the new loafers I’d bought online last week. For the past few months, I’d been making an effort to enhance my wardrobe. Considering how much time I spent with Trent, it was important for me to look the part of his well-paid assistant.
For whatever reason, the media had taken a liking to me. Ever since I’d come to work for Trent, it seemed they made an effort to catch the two of us together. I wasn’t sure what the fascination was, but I’d found my own picture on the cover of plenty of tabloid magazines over the years.
Speaking of tabloids…
“Boss, I’m not sure if you saw it, but you were on TMZ a few days ago.”
He peered up at me as he began buttoning his shirt. “Doesn’t surprise me.”
“You were with a woman,” I blurted. “They said her name was Clarissa Tinsley.”
This time his eyes widened as he slowly pivoted to look at me.
“I’m not trying to pry,” I assured him. “I simply wanted you to know. I’m not sure who she is but—”
“Where was the picture taken?”
“It was a video. And you were standing outside a restaurant.”
He looked worried, but he quickly masked his expression and turned toward the mirror.
“I want you to move into the house,” Trent said casually, situating his tie under his collar as he glanced into the mirror over the dresser. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a guest house on this property, or I’d give you a little privacy. Since it’s not an option, you’ll have to move in here.”
“You…I…What?” Shit. I hadn’t meant to yell, but this was an abrupt turn of events. One second, we’re talking about him and this mystery woman, the next he’s telling me he wants me to move in.
The man smirked as he knotted the tie with the precision of a man who was familiar with it. “Exactly what I said. You move into one of the rooms in the east wing. If you need to, put your stuff in storage until we can get you something more permanent. Consider it part of your compensation.”
“But… No, Trent. No. That’s… It’s a kind gesture, but seriously. I can’t. You already pay me nicely.” It was true. Trent Ramsey was ridiculously generous when it came to compensation. He paid me, as well as his horde of other employees, a more-than-substantial salary along with a multitude of benefits.
“You can’t, or you won’t?”
His gaze was locked on my face, and that same I dare you to argue with me look I’d seen so many times made it hard to breathe, much less speak.
“Then it’s settled. How long do you think it’ll take you to get moved in?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. A couple of days.”
“No. Sorry. That won’t work. It needs to be a couple of hours.”
He didn’t sound sorry at all. In fact, he sounded far too serious.
Holy shit. He was serious.
My eyes widened. Sure, Trent was the type of man who wanted things when he snapped his fingers, and he usually got his way. But two hours to move? No way.
“Hire some people,” he insisted.
I shook my head. “I can’t afford to hire some people who’d be willing to drop everything to move me.”
He disappeared into the closet one more time, returning with a suit jacket. “Fine. I’ll hire them. I need you moved by the time I get home this afternoon.”
Oh, my … fuck. Was he delusional? “Trent, it’s not that easy.”
“Why?” He leveled those startling blue eyes on me. “You have a sentimental attachment to your apartment?”
“God no.”
“Then what’s the issue?”
“My car bit the dust again this morning, and I won’t be able to find movers on such short notice.” I was sure there were a dozen other reasons, but I couldn’t think of them because the man looming before me had that make it happen look he was quite fond of.
“Do you know what one of the benefits is of being the highest-paid actor in Hollywood?”
There were plenty, but I was curious as to which one he would choose this time.
“It allows you to get shit done faster. Call around, find someone who’s willing to do what needs to be done, and pay whatever it is they want. You can take the Challenger so you can be there to oversee it. In fact, the Hellcat’s now yours. I’ll sign the title over tonight. Sell that piece-of-shit car of yours and buy some more clothes.” He nodded toward the door. “I have a meeting and then I’m having lunch with Clarissa. When I get back, I expect you to be moved in and ready to work.”
I nodded, because what else was I going to do?
Trent smiled. “Good answer.”
And that smirk he gave me said he knew he’d won this round.
SIX
Clarissa
ALTHOUGH I CONSIDERED BACKING OUT at least a dozen times, I managed to make it to the restaurant on time. And that was after I’d changed my outfit at least three times before I left the house. At one point, I’d put on pants simply to defy Trent’s direct order. However, I had ended up changing before I stepped out the front door, opting for a black A-line skirt and a sleeveless red blouse.
When I walked through the door after leaving my car with the valet, Philipe greeted me with a smile and a pleasant, “Good afternoon. It’s lovely to see you again, Miss Tinsley.”
I nodded and smiled, unable to find my voice. It wasn’t the maître d’ who had me tongue-tied but rather the famous Dom who was waiting for me across the room. Although his back was to me, I would’ve recognized him anywhere. There was something about the way Trent carried himself that set him apart from everyone else.
I’d expected to arrive before him. Or perhaps hoped was a better word. Apparently, I wouldn’t be getting any additional time to prepare myself to be in his presence so I took advantage of the few seconds required to walk across the room.
Trent’s back was still to me, so I was able to take a deep, soothing breath before I stepped around to his side.
His head turned and his eyes slowly inched up until they stopped on my face. The smile he shot me had my insides warming instantly.
This man was dangerous. Very, very dangerous.
Trent rose to his feet before taking my hands in his. He seemed even bigger than the last time I saw him, more formidable. I was suddenly having doubts about this lunch. What had I been thinking agreeing to this? I couldn’t handle a man like Trent.
“Thank you for joining me,” he said softly.
A smile preceded the quick kiss Trent placed on my cheek and then he was pulling out my chair and assisting me into it. I was impressed my lungs were continuing to function properly.
I watched as he gave the room a quick glance before he eased into his chair with a masculine grace that not many men had.
“I hope you haven’t been waiting long,” I said simply to make conversation.
“All my life,” he replied in that deep, seductive tone of his.
My heart did an erratic jump-kick as I caught what he meant.
His smirk was wicked, sending a delicious shiver dancing down my spine. I felt the heat travel up my chest, my neck, then into my cheeks. And yes, now I was blushing like a virgin.
Something was seriously wrong with me. I didn’t respond like this. Not to anyone. Usually.
While we were at a table that held four people, Trent had me sit to his right rather than across from him. He was close enough I could smell the spicy musk of his cologne. It was intoxicating, almost to the point of distraction. I wasn’t sure I’d ever met a man who smelled so good.
“Did you have a good weekend?” he prompted when the waiter began filling two empty water glasses.
“I did,” I said, wondering why I was blushing so much.
“Shall I bring the wine, Mr. Ramsey?”
“Yes,” Trent said firmly.
I wasn’t sure wine was a good idea. I was already a little light-headed and that was merely from being in Trent’s presence. A
lthough I’d been in this exact same spot less than a week ago, it was significantly different. I didn’t have Xander and Mercedes to keep Trent occupied.
“Did you have a good weekend?” I asked.
Trent smiled, then shifted his chair a little closer. “Are you nervous, pet?”
The deep rumble of his voice had my nerve endings dancing. I’d never reacted to anyone quite the way I did to Trent. There was something about him. Every move he made, every word he spoke made an impact on my nervous system. It was as though I was trying to anticipate his every move.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Why is that?”
Of course the man would ask the hard questions.
The waiter saved me, returning with our wine, then stepping back but not leaving.
Trent lifted his gaze. “I take it we should order,” he said to me. “Do you know what you want or would you like a few minutes to review the menu?”
“I’m ready if you are.”
A few minutes later, we had both rattled off our entree selection before we were finally left alone once more with a promise that the waiter would deliver our salads momentarily.
Desperate for something to talk about, I popped out the first thing that came to mind. “I’ve been thinking about the clients you mentioned last week.”
Trent’s lips curled in a smile. “Have you?”
The man had really nice lips. And amazing eyes. And… I shook off the thought because I couldn’t afford to be thinking dirty thoughts about Trent. Not while he was sitting so close.
“Yes.” I cleared my throat. “And I was thinking it would probably be wise to at least meet with them.”
“That can certainly be arranged. Would Wednesday work for you?”
Wow. I hadn’t expected it to be so sudden. However, I didn’t have anything else on my calendar, so I quickly nodded. “My calendar’s relatively free all week.”
“Not anymore,” he said, his voice lowering.
I couldn’t help smiling as I took a sip of my wine. “And why do you say it like that?”
Trent’s hand slipped beneath the table, coming to rest on my thigh. The warmth had me inhaling sharply, my eyes locked on his face.
“Because I fully intend to see you this week. Every day, in fact.”
“Every day?” My voice came out scratchy and uncertain.
“Yes.”
That big, warm hand remained on my thigh. He didn’t shift it higher, although somewhere in the back of my mind, I willed him to. Sure, that would’ve been rushing things, but my body didn’t seem to be utilizing the same clock as my brain. I’d known Trent for so long it seemed as though I’d waited a lifetime for him to simply touch me.
“Don’t you have to work?” I asked, forcing my mind out of the gutter.
“I do. However, there’s plenty of time in a day.”
I wasn’t so sure about that.
“Would you be open to that, pet?”
Christ. When he called me that, it spoke to a part of me that had been repressed for so long. The greedy, almost eager part that wanted nothing more than to give in to this man in every way possible.
“Answer me, Clarissa,” he said firmly.
“Yes.” I swallowed hard. “I would.”
Now was probably the time I figured out how to tell him that this wasn’t going to work. That I thought this would be about business. Except that would’ve been a lie and I hated the idea of lying to Trent. I’d done it before. Last week, in fact. And I had vowed to go into this with an open mind. The least I could do was see it through.
“I have no intention of playing games with you,” he said, his voice soft, his eyes intense. “I figure the best way to handle this is to be up front about my intentions. I’ve spent years waiting for you, Clarissa. I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.”
“Why did it take you so long?” I blurted.
Trent grinned. “Honestly, I wasn’t in the right head space to give you what you need.”
Hmm. That had a million questions coming to mind. “And what do I need?”
“A Dom you can trust, one you can open up to.”
Well, that wasn’t too far off. I did need those things. I’d always needed those things. Unfortunately, I had never met that man. But I suspected Trent could be the closest thing I ever got to it.
“Well, I doubt that was hard to figure out,” I countered. “You’ve seen me at the clubs. You know my friends.”
“I have and I do.” His thumb grazed my thigh. “But I also feel it.”
The man had to have gone to school to learn how to seduce a woman, because, damn he was good at it.
“And I think you do, too.”
I nodded despite my skepticism. The last thing I needed was to inflate this man’s ego even more than it already was.
“Good. Then for the rest of this meal, I want you to trust me, Clarissa.”
I stared back at him, trying to read between the lines. Trust was a tricky thing. I wasn’t sure I knew him well enough to trust him yet.
He smiled as though he could read my mind. “We’re in a public place, pet, so you can rest assured I won’t push you too far.”
Was it wrong that I wanted him to push me? Because I did.
“Can you do that? Trust me for the remainder of this meal? We’ll consider it a trial run, if you will.”
His hand slipped from my thigh and I instantly felt the loss. I didn’t want him to stop touching me. In fact, I needed far more than I suspected he was willing to give.
“Yes,” I said firmly. “I can trust you.”
The gleam in his eyes said I was probably going to regret that decision.
Trent
I WOULD BE LYING IF I said I wasn’t surprised Clarissa had opted to trust me. She seemed far too hesitant to trust me this early on.
Then again, we’d known each other for years and while we hadn’t spent any time together aside from one lunch meeting in the past, I felt as though I knew her. Perhaps she felt the same about me.
If not, she was about to, because I was curious to see how far the eager little submissive was willing to go.
“Remove your panties,” I instructed, not missing a beat.
While she probably thought she was hiding her reactions, I could read this woman loud and clear. I knew what she needed and I damn sure wasn’t going to shy away from giving it to her. I’d spent far too many years thinking about her, coming up with a million different ways to push her boundaries, to get her to open up, to submit on every level.
After all, that was what this woman needed.
Like a good submissive, Clarissa didn’t say anything, but I could see the indecision in her beautiful brown eyes. She was considering it.
Keeping my tone firm, I laid it out for her. “Like I said, pet, we’re in public. You said you could trust me, therefore, I expect you to. Now, remove your panties.” I casually lifted my wineglass toward my mouth. “I won’t say it again.”
“May I go to the restroom?”
“No. I want you to remove them right here.”
When she was about to look around, I reached for her face, gripping her chin gently but firmly.
“Keep your eyes on me, pet.” I lowered my voice. “Trust me to take care of you. I promise to keep you safe.”
That seemed to break through the fog clouding her eyes. She set her glass down on the table and both hands slipped beneath the tablecloth.
I released her chin and locked my eyes with hers. “Don’t look away from me.”
She nodded as she shifted. The move was almost discreet. I wasn’t sure anyone would realize what she was doing if they happened to glance her way.
It took a solid minute, but she finally sat up straight.
“I removed them,” she said, her hands still hidden beneath the table.
I slipped my hand under the tablecloth and placed it on her thigh. “Put them in my hand.”
As she did, a beautiful blush infused her cheeks.
>
“Thank you, pet.” I slipped the silk into my pocket as the waiter appeared with our salads.
I waited until he’d set everything down before I captured his attention. “Please bring our entrees as soon as they’re ready. After that, I’ll require privacy for the remainder of our meal.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll be right back with your main course and more wine.” He turned and rushed toward the kitchen.
It was the lunch rush on a Monday, so the restaurant was relatively crowded. Being in the far corner offered a small amount of privacy, especially since I’d requested no one be seated at the tables around mine. I was purposely keeping my back to the room in an effort to hide my identity. Having an overzealous fan come over was not part of my plan.
Then again, the bodyguard I had discreetly placed within the restaurant would assure no one got close to me. Granted, I wasn’t worried about myself, but I did have an obligation to this woman. As soon as Troy mentioned they had captured us on video, I knew I had to take the threat seriously. It wouldn’t be long before they would be inundating Clarissa with questions, invading her privacy and her life. I fully intended to keep her safe in the interim.
Clarissa’s eyes remained on my face and I could tell she was waiting to see what I would do next.
“Is there a problem with your salad?” I asked.
“No. No problem.” A small smile tugged at her mouth.
“You may eat,” I said, nodding toward her plate. “However, I want you to lift your skirt up to your hips. If I choose to touch you, I do not want it in my way.”
Her breath caught, but she nodded. Her hands disappeared once more. I was surprised by how quickly she followed that instruction. I had expected her to give some push back.
I picked up my fork and waited until she did the same. Once she turned her attention to her salad, I took a few bites of mine, still watching her closely.
“Do you have a safe word, pet?”
She seemed slightly dazed when she looked up at me. “Yes. Red.”
Their Famous Dominant (Office Intrigue, 4) Page 9