Love Me (4 page)

He took her hand, steadying it, then tugged her skirt down and handed her her shirt. She shrugged it on, hugging it closed across her breasts. What should she do now? Thank him for the good lay? Shake his hand and run?

What had she gotten herself into?

She couldn’t think about this. She threw her shoulders back and forced words past the knot in her throat. “If you’ll excuse me.”

He stared at her, his dark eyes flinty. “Brianna, I—”

“Don’t.” She couldn’t look him in the eye right now, so she turned away. Bending down she picked up her bra and slid it on. With her back to him, she let the shirt fall and dressed herself. The whole time, she felt ridiculously exposed. Even more ridiculous, considering what they’d just done.

“You don’t have to run away,” he said, his voice guttural. “Stay for dinner.”

She wanted to look at him so badly. To see if he looked as upset as he sounded. But she didn’t turn around even after her shirt was firmly back in place. “No, thank you, Mr. Jones.”

“Brianna, don’t do this.”

“I already did. You can have a courier send the contract to my office tomorrow.” She put her shirt back on and buttoned it up. “There’s no need for us to communicate in person again.”

“Damn it.” He made an angry sound. “Tonight wasn’t about contracts or work, and you know it.”

She gritted her teeth. “Good night.”

And without giving him a chance to speak, she turned and walked from the room with her head held high as quickly as she could without running.

And her feet bare.

Chapter Five

Thomas sat in the plush upholstered easy chair in his suite and stared at the shoes on the table without really seeing them. The sun was just rising outside the window, light bursting in a brilliant panorama over the city. The beauty was wholly lost on him. It was just another filthy Vegas morning in which dozens of people would be going home with regrets and empty wallets.

Regrets. He knew quite a bit about that.

She’d run away from him.
Run away.
Maybe she’d strutted out with that elegant ice queen walk of hers, but he knew running when he saw it. He’d almost chased after her but pride and disbelief had rooted him to the spot. He’d been dazed, too. He’d never had sex like that. Sex where he completely forgot himself and lost control—and she’d been right there to meet him, like no woman ever had. And then she’d walked away, like she hadn’t felt it, too.

And it was irritating the hell out of him.

He picked up one slender shoe and traced a finger along the velvety toe. He vaguely remembered her kicking them off when he’d hoisted her against the wall, the dainty Dior heels flying. She’d been in such a hurry to get away from him that she’d left them, like a real-life Cinderella. First she’d accused him of faking his interest in her, like she was some kind of leper, only to run away from him like
he
was the one diseased.

So why, damn him, was he still thinking about her?

She’d gotten what she wanted from him. He’d gotten what he wanted from her. It wasn’t much different from his relationship with Nicole. With the rare fling or girlfriend afterward, either.

But it
wasn’t
all he wanted from her and that irritated him even more. He was curious. Curious about what she was hiding. Curious why she hid so much energy and passion and wildness under that thin sheen of frost. Curious about
her
, when damn it, the last thing he wanted was another thing tying him to Las Vegas.

He should wash his hands of this. Secure the contract, leave this godforsaken town, and never look back. Beg for a new position in a different city or hand in his resignation. Drive away until he found that quiet place of white sand and blue water. Drive until he found some place to just
be
, where he was acceptable with or without business casual suits and natty cufflinks.

Maybe he’d do just that.

But first, he’d track Brianna down and find out why she’d run out on him like the hotel was on fire. He needed to know.

He showered and changed first. He looked like hell, dark circles under his eyes, jaw stubbled, and he doubted his jeans and undershirt were appropriate attire for a business meeting. He slid his wallet into his pocket and smiled at his reflection in the mirror. It was a tight, tense smile. One he didn’t like.

But it didn’t matter, because he and Brianna Faulk had some unfinished business.

He pulled into the parking lot of the Golden Hand and hopped out of his truck far too eagerly. As soon as he crossed the barrier between casino and corporate offices, a security guard stepped in his path. Thank God he had the proposal packet from MotoTek in his truck. And thank God he could fast-talk his way past the glowering, pot-bellied old man—who fingered his Taser with way too much enthusiasm—and into the casino with only a minimal nod to the fact that he looked more like a failed white wannabe rapper than George Clooney right now.

Second floor. Fourth door on the left, the guard had told him grudgingly. The upstairs offices were clustered along a narrow hallway lined with potted ficus trees and floored in Oriental carpet so old it had probably been woven at the height of the Chinese opium trade.

Her office door was closed but the blinds over the glass-windowed door were open. She sat bowed over a broad mahogany desk, taking handwritten notes in a ledger. Banks of security monitors lined the wall behind her desk. Even on a Saturday she was in a neat, well-fitted suit, the skirt and jacket in a misty silver that offset her dark blouse. Her hair was twisted up in a messy bun, and she had those naughty librarian glasses on again.

He pushed the door open without knocking. “Good morning, Cinderella.”

Her head snapped up. For a moment she stared at him, naked shock flashing through her eyes, her color high. Then she set her pen down and reclined in her high-backed chair, glacial calm falling over her like a cloak. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You left your shoes in my room.”

“I noticed halfway down the hallway.” Her gaze flicked to his empty hands. “I see you didn’t bring them back.”

“I didn’t. They didn’t match my jeans.”

She laced her fingers together on the desk, her mouth twitching as if she bit back a smile. “What do you want this time, Thomas?”

Thomas didn’t answer until he’d closed the door behind him. He leaned against the wall next to it and folded his arms over his chest. She might want to act as if she wasn’t interested in him, but he knew differently. And there was no way in hell he was falling for the act.

“I want an honest answer,” he said.

She sighed. “To what?”

“Why you ran out on me last night.”

Another sigh. “Let’s not delude ourselves, Mr. Jones.” She picked up her pen and began writing in the ledger again. When she spoke, it was a dismissive murmur, distracted. “I know exactly why you brought me to your room.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. I’m not sure if it’s MotoTek’s policy to include seduction as part of the contract perks, but if it is, I’m sure you’ve just earned your annual bonus.” A disdainful little shrug tightened the shoulders of her jacket. “It was a nice bonus for me, if nothing else.”

The world bottomed out beneath him. His stomach twisted and his face heated. Tension was a noose locking his arms to his body, rigid. “Is that what you think? That they pimp me out to clients?”

“Is there any reason to think otherwise?”

His tension snapped. He shoved away from the wall and stepped closer to her desk. “Is that why you slept with me?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yes,” he snarled.

She blinked and glanced up at him over the rim of her glasses. “Why?”

“Because I don’t win contracts with my dick. I win contracts by being smarter than the competition. By being good at it.”

“I never said you weren’t good at your job,” she said quietly. “Just that you had a motive for bringing me back to your place.”

Thomas frowned and studied her. There was a subtle tremor to her hands, a whiteness to her lips. She was more upset than she let on. Much more upset. “Why can’t it be simple? Why can’t it be something as simple as a man finding a woman attractive and wanting to spend the night with her?”

Her eyes narrowed. “If it were that simple, you wouldn’t have manipulated me into it.”

“Manipulated—” He couldn’t even finish the sentence. He stared at her. At the tight set of her jaw, the defiant tilt of her chin, the hard sheen of her eyes. “I gave you a chance to leave. You didn’t take it. If you were unwilling—”

He stopped when she averted her eyes from him sharply and muttered, “I wasn’t unwilling.”

“Then why am I the villain because we had a mutually enjoyable one-night stand?”

“If it was a one-night stand, why are you here?” she flared. She stood, palms pressed flat to the desk, leaning on her hands and meeting his eyes with a cold, accusatory frankness that snapped at the edges with simmering anger. “You know what I think? I think you’re afraid you fucked up. You came back to make sure I’d keep our night together quiet. Or maybe you think you made me so angry I won’t sign the contract and you’re here to make sure you earn your commission.”

He said nothing. She glared at him. He let her. Let her be as angry as she wanted because he was starting to understand why. She doubted his motivation behind last night and was striking out at him before he could hurt her.

In the silence between them, he stepped closer to the desk and braced his hands against it, facing her eye to eye. Somewhat. She carried herself with such presence that until she had been writhing, small and voluptuous beneath him, it was hard to remember how much shorter than him she was. So short she was forced to tip her head back if she wanted to keep glaring at him.

She did.

“Did you ever stop to think I’m here for you?” he asked. His gaze dropped to her mouth. It was still plump, lush, ripe—red from what he’d done to her lips last night. Desire nipped at him with persistent little teeth. “I want to do it again.”

Her eyes widened. She faltered and leaned back, straightening. “What?”

“If I want you to be honest, I suppose I have to give, too.” Thomas shifted to prop his hip on the desk, half sitting on the edge. “Look, I don’t know what I was thinking yesterday. But I do know that I don’t want to only have you once. I don’t want a one-night stand with you. I want more.” It felt oddly freeing to say that. Liberating. Especially since he hadn’t wanted
more
from another woman since Nicole. “I want you, Brianna. All of you.”

She shook her head slowly. “Don’t say that if you don’t mean it, Thomas.”

“I mean every single word. I am legitimately, genuinely attracted to you, and I can’t seem to get that through your little skull.” He ran his hands down his face, scrubbing his gritty eyes. “The question is, do you feel the same, or am I slamming my head against the wall for no reason?”

“I…I don’t know.”

His heart cracked. That’s what he got for putting himself out on the line. Idiot. “I’m willing to give you time to consider it. Or I’ll leave right now, if you’d rather, and never bother you again.”

“Oh.”

That was it.
Oh.
He’d learned years ago that honesty got him nowhere, but he’d tried—and he wasn’t letting her get away that easily.

She settled primly back into her chair, avoiding eye contact. He snatched the pen right from between her pretty little fingers; she gasped, her furious flush blooming down her delicate throat.

“Your turn,” he said.

“Excuse me?”

“I asked you why you ran out.” He shifted on his feet, hating himself for asking this next question but unable to stop. “Was I that bad? Did I hurt you or something?”

She clenched her teeth. “No.”

“Then why? Business ethics? Forgot your hair appointment? House on fi—?”

“I was embarrassed!” she snapped, her voice hitching. She slapped her hand against the desk hard enough to make her pencil cup bounce. “I told you. I don’t normally do that. It was humiliating.”

“There is absolutely no reason to be humiliated by what happened last night.” He captured her hand and turned it over. Her palm was reddened from the force of her slap. Gently, he traced the tip of his thumb across her lifeline; her breath caught, and her fingers curled. Even holding her hand caused a rush of happiness and possessiveness to pump through his blood. He knew then that what he was about to say wasn’t true. It was what she needed to hear, but it was a big fat lie. For the first time since Nicole…he’d opened himself up to a woman. With Brianna, it was more than sex. And the thought both terrified him and exhilarated him at the same time. The conflicting emotions fighting within him made the room spin. “We’re adults, Brianna. Sometimes two adults like each other and decide to have sex. It’s just
sex
.”

“I know that,” she murmured. “But I’m not most people.”

He glanced up from her hand and caught her eye. Even if she was still flustered, still blushing, a hint of a smile played at her lips, barely there.

“ I know.” He shifted his grip on her fingers until his hand fully enfolded hers. “I like that about you.”

She dropped her gaze to their entwined hands and cleared her throat. “It wasn’t just that we— I mean, we were in the parking lot, then the elevator, and up against the door…” She let out a groan and dropped her face into her free hand. “Oh God.”

She shouldn’t do that. Whenever she turned shy, it only made him want to push her more, tease her, make her blush as deeply as she had when her legs were wrapped around his waist and she was tearing at his hair. “And you’re used to strictly missionary, is that it?”

“Something like that…” she mumbled through her fingers.

He leaned forward and carefully pried her fingers away from her face so he could meet her eyes. “Do you ever shut off?”

“Yes. No.” Her gaze darted to the side. “Maybe.”

“That’s a no, then.” He tucked a stray wisp of her hair behind her ear. “Bree.” Her eyes widened, and she stared at him. He teased the lock of hair against her cheek. “I get it. I do. I’ve worked with dozens of successful businesswomen— Ah.” He caught her before her mouth could do more than open, raising a hand to forestall the sardonic anger in her flashing eyes. “Don’t give me that look. I didn’t sleep with a single one of them. But I know how it is. I know how you have to always be on your guard. But after hours, it’s all right to let go and be a woman. Just as I let go to be a man. My suit and tie aren’t all that I am. That marketing asshole smile? I practice it in the mirror. I hate it.”

“I’m not fond of it, either,” she admitted.

“It gets to be a habit.” He looked down at their entwined hands. Hers was so small inside his. “The point is…there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

She pulled her hand free from his. He glanced up and met her eyes, bracing for the tirade. But she leaned in and kissed his cheek; he caught the faint scent of coffee on her breath, and as those velvet lips grazed his skin the oddest feeling tightened in his chest.

“I didn’t know you had a mode other than the successful marketing executive you’ve shown me,” she said softly.

“I’m working on that, too.” If he turned his head just a little more, he could kiss her again. But he restrained himself. Barely. He wasn’t here for just another kiss. It wasn’t until the words were leaving his lips that he really realized what he
was
here for.
Her
. “But I still intend to use your shoes to bribe you into another date with me. A real one. We’ll actually end up somewhere other than my room.”