Dayton’s hand slid across my thigh. “Since about ten minutes ago when something much more important came up.”
Electricity sizzled through my veins. I needed to figure out my next move. I didn’t want Dayton assuming that because we’d kissed—once—I was ready to jump into his bed. That would not be happening, no matter how much my traitorous body begged me to comply.
He gestured to the waiter. I could barely manage to place my order with Dayton’s hand resting on my knee, his thumb brushing my skin in delicious circles. I knew I sounded breathless as I ordered the chicken pasta. I wasn’t even very fond of pasta, but it was the first thing my eyes locked on to, and Dayton’s soft, rhythmic caress had scattered my thoughts, rendering me incapable of, well, anything.
As Dayton and Marin began discussing business, a joint venture of some kind, I tried to engage Lina in conversation. A fruitless task as it turned out. Lina seemed much more interested in hanging on to every word Dayton spoke, her eyes mooning at him. I should have been irritated. After all, Lina didn’t know Dayton was paying me to be there. From her perspective I was his date, possibly even his girlfriend, and yet she found it perfectly acceptable to bat her eyes at him the whole time. Instead, I felt sorry for her. Marin paid her no attention whatsoever, affirming the very thing I hated most about rich, powerful men—the women on their arms were little more than accouterments, something pretty to be seen but never heard.
When Lina’s monosyllabic responses fizzled out, I turned my attention to Dayton’s discussions with Marin. Dayton’s negotiating style drew me in. He came across as cool and very much in control. He knew the minutest of details and was able to recall them with perfect clarity. Marin, on the other hand, was a lot more excitable, the volume with which he spoke increasing as our dinner wore on. From my point of view, Dayton’s concessions were few and far between, whereas Marin had to bend much more. He didn’t like it, but Dayton had him so tied up in knots, he had no choice if he wanted the deal.
“Well, if we’re done here, Marin,” Dayton said after Marin had begrudgingly agreed to the terms Dayton stipulated, “I have things to do.” He dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin and dropped it on top of his clean plate, then stood. “Please, stay for dessert. The meal is on my account.” He curved his hand around the back of my neck, sending goose bumps scattering across my skin. “Ready, Christa?”
I nodded, scrambling to my feet. We said goodbye to Marin and Lina, then Dayton wrapped his arm around my waist, his grip gentle yet firm, and guided me to the exit. The car was already waiting outside, even though we were in a no park zone. I had no idea how Paul managed to be wherever Dayton needed him, but his psychic abilities were clearly why he was on the payroll.
The second the car pulled away, Dayton let out a heavy sigh while loosening his tie.
“Thank you for coming with me tonight. You made a difficult situation so much easier.” He captured my hand. Ever since we’d kissed, he’d become more tactile, as though he’d read the fact we’d locked lips as a form of permission.
I still wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
“I felt sorry for poor Lina. Marin paid her no attention whatsoever.” I refrained from also mentioning that she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off Dayton.
“He’s always like that with her,” Dayton replied.
I pressed my lips into a flat line. “Then she should dump him.”
Dayton chuckled. “A bit difficult considering she’s his daughter.”
Daughter? Ahh, all the mooning over Dayton made sense now.
“Oh.”
“That’s why I wanted you there with me. Marin has this crazy idea about me and Lina.” He snorted. “Never gonna happen. There’s only one woman I’m interested in.”
He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles, then sucked my index finger into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the tip. I groaned. God, that felt good. I forced myself to focus. I couldn’t lose my mind now. If I did, I’d wake up in the morning with a head full of regrets.
“Dayton… we need to talk.”
“No, Christa, we need to fuck.”
His mouth closed over mine, drowning me in the expertise of his kiss. He knew exactly what he was doing, and I didn’t have the experience to match him. He traced his fingers up the outside of my thighs, then burrowed beneath the dress, the roughness of his skin contrasting with the softness of mine. My body yielded to his, melting until I was nothing more than a puddle of desire. He palmed my breast and brushed a thumb over my nipple, then lifted me to sit astride him. My dress bunched up to my hips, leaving little to the imagination. My core throbbed, and instinct took over. I rocked my hips against his thick erection. Oh yeah, just like that. Right there. I felt myself building to climax, and then Dayton’s fingers were on me, in me, delving, exploring, our breaths mingling until I didn’t know where I ended and he began.
With his free hand, he reached around my back and eased down my zipper. The dress slipped off my shoulders, freeing my breasts. His mouth latched on to a pebbled nipple, and he sucked, hard.
Sanity returned with a bang, crashing into me so hard it pushed all the air from my lungs. I couldn’t get naked with Dayton. I couldn’t get naked with anyone. Sutton had seen to that.
“No!”
I scrambled off his lap and pulled up my dress. I retreated into the far corner of the car and hugged my knees to my chest, my eyes wide with horror at what I’d done. I’d almost let someone see. And then I’d have to explain, to relive it all with someone I barely knew. Oh God, oh God, oh God.
“Christa.”
Fog clouded my brain. I couldn’t conjure a single rational thought. A spasm hit my stomach, and I heaved. I clamped a hand over my mouth, holding back the nausea that threatened. I couldn’t breathe properly. My heart pounded, going too fast. What if I had a heart attack? Who would take care of Max?
Get a grip, Christa.
Dayton’s voice came to me, slowly cutting through the trance I’d disappeared into. My vision cleared, and my gaze fell on him, his expression a mixture of confusion and worry. He reached out a hand. I recoiled.
“Don’t touch me,” I whispered. “Please, just take me home.”
He drew back. “Christa, what happened? Talk to me, please.”
I shook my head, gnawing on my bottom lip. I needed to hold my son and forget that tonight ever happened. “I want to go home.”
“That’s where we’re going, angel,” Dayton said, the calmness and absence of sexual frustration in his voice causing tears to spring to my eyes. I tried to stop them, but they trickled down my cheeks anyway.
“I’m so sorry,” I said through my tears.
With all the care of someone approaching an injured animal, Dayton gently tucked my hair behind my ear, then magically produced a tissue. He dried off the dampness from my cheeks.
“What happened to you, angel?”
A tightness wrapped around my chest at the gentle way he spoke. I blinked rapidly, then hiccupped. I couldn’t tell him. I just couldn’t. I had to give him something, though. A snippet, a tiny piece of information that meant nothing on its own. “I shouldn’t have led you on. I can’t be… intimate, you see. With anyone.”
His bewilderment was obvious, but he didn’t press me for any more details. He did, however, reach for my hand. This time I let him and immersed myself in his warmth. After my performance tonight, at least I had one answer to a question I’d been tussling with: Dayton and Sutton were poles apart. I dreaded to think what Sutton would have done in the same situation.
The car stopped directly outside my building, even though Paul had to double park. Horns blared, drivers showing their annoyance, but the car remained where it was. I reached for the door latch.
“I’ll see you up.”
I shook my head furiously. “No, please. I need to be alone.”
Dayton softly sighed. “Will you be okay?”
I nodded, even though I wasn’t sure I would be. I
pulled my coat on and stumbled inside. Once there, I peered through the glass doors of my building, my heart breaking at the sight of Dayton’s car smoothly driving away.
13
Christa
“Merry Christmas!”
I lifted my head from where I’d been struggling with some software code and burst out laughing. Greg had turned up on the last day of work before the Christmas break dressed as Santa Claus, complete with a huge sack filled with presents. He stopped by my desk and left a gift, tied with a bow no less.
“Marcie wrapped this then,” I teased, referring to his wife.
Greg shot me an offended look. “And what makes you think it wasn’t me?”
I snorted a laugh. “If you wrapped these then the drinks are on me later.”
Greg stuck out his tongue.
“Aha!” I said. “I love it when I’m right.”
“Like most women,” he muttered. He moved on to the next desk.
I grinned. I’d only worked here a few weeks, but in that time, I’d made some great friends. We didn’t socialize much outside of work, but that was my fault. My coworkers regularly offered, but I had Max to think about, which made it difficult to have a social life… apart from the events I attended with Dayton. Not that those I worked with knew about my arrangement, thank goodness. That was the very last thing I needed.
Since my freak-out in his car after dinner with Marin, I’d accompanied him to two more functions. On each occasion, he’d been polite but distant, and hadn’t made a move to kiss me. Nor had he probed into exactly why I’d lost it. His silence was worse than if he just came out and asked me straight up what the hell was wrong with me. He didn’t strike me as the kind of man who’d simply let something like that slide. He’d want answers—eventually. Question was, when he did demand answers, how exactly would I respond?
Today wasn’t the day to be sad, though. In a few hours Isla would be here, and I couldn’t wait. Almost four months without her support had been tough, but thanks to Dayton’s over-generous rates of pay, I’d been able to send her money for the flight, as well as buy her a gift. In the New Year, I’d vowed to move to a better place with more room, but even though my apartment was cramped enough with two, let alone three, I was determined to make this year the best Christmas ever.
By three that afternoon, the festive spirit was in full swing. Greg finally relented and gave us permission to head to the bar across the road. The childcare center was staying open until five, meaning I could at least have one or two drinks. I closed down my computer, popped the present from Greg in my bag, and headed out with the rest of my colleagues.
An elevator eventually stopped at our floor, but as I was about to walk inside, my phone rang. I fished around in my purse. Isla.
“You guys go ahead. I’ll be two minutes.” The elevator doors closed. I jogged back into my office to avoid the noisy hallway as everyone left to start their Christmas break. “Please tell me you’re still coming,” I said as I answered the call.
Isla chuckled. “Of course I am, but I’m going to be a little late. We had to divert to Chicago after someone was taken ill on the flight. We’re taking off again in a few minutes.”
Relief washed over me. I’d have been devastated if she couldn’t come. “Text me when you get to JFK. I’ll make sure the wine is chilling.”
“Will do. Can’t wait to see you and Max. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Be safe.”
By the time the call ended, the entire floor was eerily quiet. I shivered, conscious I was completely alone. I slipped my phone into my bag and strode toward the elevators, struggling to refrain from running. My heart pounded, and sweat prickled at the nape of my neck. Get a grip, woman, I chastised myself. You’re fine. I turned the corner… and slammed straight into someone.
I screamed. A hand grasped my arm. “Christa! It’s me.”
Adrenaline coursed through me, my knees shaking, my spine prickling. “God, Dayton. You scared me.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “You scared me, screaming like that.”
As my heartbeat slowed, and I realized the ridiculousness of the situation, I started to laugh. And once I started, I couldn’t stop.
“I’m so sorry,” I said through my giggles. “I returned to the office to answer my phone and spooked myself. This place looks so different when it’s empty.”
“But you’re okay?”
I nodded. Now I’d stopped imagining boogeymen around every corner, I was able to focus properly. Christ, Dayton looked good. His hair was unusually ruffled, as though he’d been teasing it with his fingers, his suit jacket was open, and he’d removed his tie and unfastened the top button on his shirt. My pulse increased—for a different reason this time. Could he be here to see me? I dared to hope yet castigated myself at the same time. I’d fought valiantly, determined not to repeat the mistakes of my past, dead set on keeping my distance, but it was time to admit, at least to myself, that I wanted him.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I’m here to see you. Come with me.”
He threaded his fingers through mine and strode to the elevator. He rested his hand on the small of my back and eased me inside—then pressed the button for the top floor.
“Where are we going? I’m supposed to be meeting my coworkers in the bar across the street.”
“I won’t keep you long,” he said. “I have something for you.”
“What?” I asked, hating the breathy tone in my voice. It revealed more than I wanted. I willed my heart to slow down.
Dayton ignored my question. We traveled up to his office in silence, me staring at the floor, fiddling with the strap on my purse while Dayton casually leaned against the wall, legs crossed at the ankles.
“Go home, Angie,” Dayton snapped at his PA as we approached his office.
Angie scrambled to her feet, shut the lid on her laptop, and stuffed it into a drawer. “Thank you, sir. Merry Christmas.”
Dayton didn’t return the happy greeting. Instead, he opened his office door and gestured for me to go in first. I hadn’t been inside his office since that first day when Jake had brought me up here for an interview. Dayton walked over to the conference table and indicated for me to sit. I perched on the edge of the chair and fixed my attention on him as he sat beside me.
“That was rude.”
Dayton frowned in confusion. “What was rude?”
“You didn’t even wish Angie Merry Christmas.”
Dayton’s eyes cut to the door, then back to me. “Why would I do that?”
I let out an irritated sigh. “Because it’s the polite thing to do. And because I’d imagine working directly for you is highly stressful. The least you could do is spread a little Christmas cheer.”
He rolled his eyes. “I paid her a bonus, like every year. She’s used to me. Anyway, forget my goddamn PA. I didn’t bring you up here to discuss her.”
“Just because she’s used to you doesn’t make it right,” I said, refusing to let him brush his insolence under the carpet.
He crossed an ankle over the opposing knee and stroked his beard, then a grin inched across his face. “You’re good for me, you know that?” Before I had a chance to respond, he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and removed a blue box tied with a white bow. “Merry Christmas, Christa.”
I held my breath as I read the inscription on top of the box. Tiffany & Co. Jesus, whatever was inside must have cost a fortune. My hands shook as I accepted it from him. I untied the bow and removed the lid. Lying on top of some folded dark-blue satin was a silver T-bar bracelet that exuded sophistication. I lifted my head and met his gaze, those stunning arctic irises sucking me in. I tore my attention away in case I caved and threw myself at him, rested my head on his broad chest, sank into those strong arms, and begged him to give me another chance.
I stared down at the gift. “It’s beautiful, Dayton, but it’s too much.”
“Nonsense.”
He plu
cked the gift out of the box and slipped it onto my wrist. It felt heavy and unfamiliar, but I had to admit, it was the most gorgeous piece of jewelry I’d ever seen. And it suited me, the chunkiness of the bracelet set against the slenderness of my wrist.
“I can’t accept this.”
“Take it as an apology.”
I snapped my gaze to his. Surely the apologies should be coming from me? “For what?”
“How cold I’ve been toward you these last couple of weeks. I didn’t mean to put so much distance between us. My intention was to give you space, especially after what happened.”
My heart softened. This man… I clutched his hand.
“You have nothing to apologize for, Dayton. The fault is all mine. You’ve been so patient and understanding, and I…” My voice trailed off, for how could I explain how broken I was, how much I struggled to trust men in positions of power?
He brushed the rough pad of his thumb over my knuckles. “I don’t know what happened in your past, Christa, and I refuse to pry. But when you’re ready—if you’re ever ready—I’m here to listen. In the meantime, I have a new proposal for you.”
The hair at the nape of my neck lifted, and goose bumps erupted on my arms. Oh God, he was reneging on the deal. I’d counted on the two and a half thousand-dollar paycheck for each function I attended as his companion to help me move apartments, as well as put aside some money for Max’s future. The dates he’d sent me a few weeks ago had several more events listed for next year. If he no longer wanted me to attend, all my plans were ruined.
“A new proposal?” I parroted.
He nodded, his eyes cast downward as he watched his thumb skirt across the back of my hand.
“I don’t want you to accompany me to any more functions as my consort.”
I knew it. I swallowed past a lump in my throat, and hot tears burned the backs of my eyes. I nibbled on my bottom lip, blinking like crazy to stop myself from crying. I needed to stay strong, professional, and above all else, calm.
“I understand,” I finally managed to utter.
Tempting Christa: An Irresistibly Mine Duet - Book 1 Page 10