The Gift, Book 3 (The Billionaire's Love Story) (8 page)

She mustered a half-smile and did as asked, then backed the chair away slightly.

“Did you want me to fix your document? From last time?” He shook his head, trying hard not to stare too obviously at her face and at her hair. She’d done something, lightened it a little, maybe had it cut and styled. She looked good, and she was working late.

Was she staying late to meet someone?

“The document can wait,” he told her, and noted the way her eyebrows pulled together, and the way she quickly dropped her gaze to the table. “Why are you working late tonight?”

“I lost an hour during lunch.” She replied, lifting her head.

He nodded, remembering their brief encounter in the lobby. “You were in a rush earlier.”

“I was,” she replied, and didn’t elaborate, but he could tell from her voice and the way she avoided looking at him, that she wasn’t comfortable talking about it. “You wanted to see me?”

His body stiffened. How could he say it without making it too big of a deal? Was it a big deal? Or was he using it as an excuse to try to figure something out—between her and him, something which he wasn’t sure was real enough. And here she was in a cream dress which had ridden up slightly as she sat with her legs crossed, wearing shiny sheer tights, and making his breath hitch when she stared at him with her bright eyes. For a second he imagined trailing his fingers down the length of her legs and sliding them back up again, slowly. He folded his arms and coughed lightly.

“I’ve been trying to speak to you since New Year’s Eve. It’s nothing serious,” he said quickly, seeing her eyes widen. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior the day before, when you asked about my wife.”

She sat forward, uncrossing her legs and looked at him in surprise. “You don’t have to, Tobias. Really, it’s not necessary.”

“But it
is
necessary. It was wrong of me. It was downright rude and insensitive. I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.”

“I’m a tough cookie, Tobias, it takes more than words to hurt me.”

He inclined his head, wanting to know more, but she remained silent. “I hurt you physically and I’m sorry.” His gaze dropped to her wrists and once again his mind drifted as his lips brushed feather kisses along the insides of her wrists…he quickly dragged his gaze away.

“Apology accepted,” she said, her hands on her armrests as though she was eager to leave.

“Are you going somewhere?” he asked, surprised that she hadn’t asked him any further questions. “You look as if you’re in a rush.” He’d been expecting her to say something else, to ask more about Naomi, or Ivy, or that day.

Was it Matthias she was meeting?
She was all dressed up and obviously eager to leave. Matthias had rushed off too. “I have some things I need to finish before I leave,” she answered.

“Surely you can relax?” he replied, laughing a little and leaned forward as he balanced on the edge of the desk. “It’s Friday.” He was going to have to coax the information out of her. The idea of her and Matthias was not easy to swallow, especially since he’d noticed that she always had time to talk to Matthias. It grated on him. He couldn’t stop thinking about this woman, and she didn’t seem to give a shit.

She pushed off the chair and stood up, her gaze almost level with his. She stood closer to him now and he felt it; the way his heart sprang into life beneath his rib cage. He was close enough now that he saw for the first time the specks of amber in her hazel eyes; eyes he wanted to look at when he woke up in the morning. His gaze lowered to her lips and he tried to block the image of what she might look like under her dress. He blinked, tried hard not to think about her lips, or the thought of his tongue over them, not to think about her breasts, or his fingers stroking them…

What was the matter with him?

“Some of us have things to do, Tobias,” she attempted a smile as she folded her arms and mirrored his pose.

“As your boss, I’m ordering you to take it easy and to slow down. Briony says you’re finishing everything she’s giving you. Surely, you can’t have much work to catch up on? I imagine Jacob’s waiting for you.” He smiled at her, attempting to inject a dose of humor into his words but he still wondered.
Where was the boy’s father?

“As my boss?” She asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Your boss’s boss,” he said, with a shrug and stood up slowly. “Briony reports to me.” She gazed back at him silently, her face flushed, and her eyes bright.

“So, we’re okay about that day? No more questions?” he asked, giving her one last chance. She shook her head slowly. “You made it quite clear that your past and personal questions were off limits. But now that we’re on the subject, I want you to know that I only asked because…” she seemed to brace herself. “The gift box was there, on your desk, and I had seen Naomi in the elevator. You and I kept running into one another that week, and so when I asked you, I was only making conversation. I would never think to ask such personal questions otherwise. You’d made our Christmas special with your generous gifts and I was curious to ask you about yours. That’s all it was, Tobias.” She lifted her shoulders as if to say:
I wouldn’t have really bothered, otherwise.

“How is Jacob?”

“He’s well and back into his routine now that school’s started.”

“That must keep the little fella busy.”

“It does. He liked seeing you that day at the park.”

“I liked seeing him.”
And you.
“Maybe we should do it again, sometime?” The breath stilled in his chest and his lungs suddenly stopped functioning. It was an innocent, harmless question but he knew what was at stake here. The prickly sensation trickling along his spine was as uncomfortable as seeing the look of complete surprise on her face. He was leaving himself open—to her laughter, to rejection, to a '
No
' or
‘whatever for?
’ To getting shot down. The almighty Tobias Stone being brought to his knees. But it had come to this, and he was tossing it out there because keeping it inside him was getting so goddamn hard.

Her head jerked sharply towards him. “Jacob said he would like to…” Her words surprised him, because he hadn’t expected that. “I guess it’s because…” She stared back at him, biting her lip.

“Because?”

“Because he had a good time.”

“Then maybe we should?” His insides quivered as he waited for her answer.

“I don’t know,” she said, holding back once again and prompting his next question. “I guess Jacob’s father might not like that idea.” He tried to get his breathing under control, while it felt as if his life hung in the balance.

“He doesn’t have much to do with us,” she said, avoiding his gaze. “It’s only me and Jacob.” She glanced out of the window while he breathed again, and hope gurgled through his veins. He had suspected as much, but had needed to hear it from her. One, maybe two, silent seconds passed by as they stood almost facing one another and in that hopeful moment he was overcome by the desire to grab her and kiss her. Yet he knew he could not, even though the blood in his veins drained south, leaving his mind in disarray.

He wanted to know. “Are you going out tonight?” Then, without giving her a chance to reply, “You look as if you are, the way you’re dressed.” His voice was soft as he stared at the amber flecks in her eyes, reminding him of the yellow in the marbles he’d played with as a young boy. His heart pounded when she looked at him; the thump as loud as a cartoon caveman’s wooden club. “This?” she replied, softly, glancing down at her dress.

“Yes, this,” he said, and fought the urge to skim his fingers along her bare arms. He moved his hand back into his pocket and shifted slightly, conscious of her nearness, and her resolve not to reveal any more about herself. But he couldn’t go another sleepless night. He needed
something
, and it had been a long time, decades, since Tobias Stone had had to chase after anyone.

All thought of ethics, her role and his, crashed out of the window. This was new territory for him, unfamiliar, and as exciting as it was scary. He hadn’t thought it through, didn’t know what he expected, had no idea what he wanted, except for the desire to hold her and to have her, body and lips, soft, wet and yielding, against his. His insides inflamed. When she didn’t answer, he had to ask, “Is it Matthias?”

“Matthias?”

“Drinks on a Friday night?”

She yelped in sharp surprise. “No! Why would you think so?”

“Because you always seem to have time for him.” She waved her hand, her mouth twisting as she tried to express her alarm at his suggestion. From her response she was either very good at creating an elaborate denial or there really was nothing between her and Matthias. “What makes you think I would go on a date with him? What makes you think he would ask me in the first place?”

“New Year’s Eve,” replied Tobias. “He asked you then and you went running. It’s an observation,” he said, taking refuge in his words.

“I didn’t go. I went straight home in the end.”

“You did?”

“Yes. But why do you care what I do and whom I date?” Now she had him. Not wanting to answer that question, because he wasn’t so sure of the answer himself, he said, “I don’t care,” he lied. “Like I said, it was an observation. You and Matthias seem awful easy around one another.”

“He’s good with people. Some people have that flair.” She looked daggers at him.

“I know what Matthias is good at.”

She angled her head. “You’re very quick to throw accusations about, Tobias. You seem to think you can ride rough shod over people’s emotions and that you can say and do as you please.”

Her words made him suddenly defensive. “I can say and do as I please. I can do anything I want.”

Her eyes blazed at him and all he wanted to do was to kiss her; the tantalizing way in which her lips moved, soft and supple, the way she was, unknowingly gutsy and sexy, and decent. She knew what mattered, knew what was important, unlike the plastic mannequins who wanted to dig their talons into him. Savannah Page didn’t seem to care, and that made him want her all the more. He craved to touch her, to feel her, to own her.

“You think you can,” her voice turned sharp. “But there are limits and, failing that, there is the law.”

“Anything can be bought, Savannah, and everything has a price.”

“Only in your universe, Tobias.” She turned to go, but he grabbed her wrist again, lightly this time. “Ask me anything you want.” He insisted.

“I don’t have any questions.”

“You did the other day.”

“And you made it very—”

“It doesn’t matter what I said then. Things have changed. Ask me.”

She gave him a pointed stare. “What’s changed?” He clenched his jaw, wondering how it was that she always had him in a corner, he who was so good at brokering deals and getting his opponents at a disadvantage first. “What’s changed?” she asked again, when he said nothing. “Between New Year’s Eve and now?”

You. In my head. The whole time.
But he remained silent. Exasperated, she looked around and threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t even know what I’m doing here. I have to go, Tobias. This feels surreal. ”

“Being here?”

“Having this conversation with you.”

He didn’t want her to go. “I want to see you.”

“You’re looking at me,” she blurted out, lifting her brows.

“I want to see
you
. Have drinks with me, tonight.” It was the closest thing he knew to making an offer, though he wasn’t sure what he was offering, or what she made of it. She stepped back, clasping her hand to her chest. “See you?” she whispered. “As in—go
out
? For a drink?”

She felt something, he could see it as clearly as if she’d told him. He’d had enough women throwing themselves at him to be able to easily recognize true desire, and Savannah Page displayed all the signals, even if she was in denial about it herself. “You're with Naomi.”

“Says who?” He straightened his body, and stood tall, so that she was forced to tilt her head upwards, revealing more of her neck, a direct invitation to his senses. For a moment his gaze lingered along the curve of it, and he imagined sliding his fingers along her soft skin, unzipping her dress…He moved forward, closing the already small gap between them. Her eyes widened like a gazelle’s. “
Aren't
you with Naomi?”

He shook his head. “Do you think she means anything to me?”

“I don’t know. I'm liable to get my head bitten off if I ask too many questions. Remember?”

“I already told you, ask me anything you want and I promise not to…bite your head off.”

“I can ask you anything?” She licked her lips.

“Anything. No holds barred.” He licked his lips, and watched her lips part; he had to bite his tongue to rein back what he wanted to do with her mouth, and what he wanted to do with the rest of her body.

She glanced at the door. “What if someone comes in?” Her voice was seductive as was the spell he found himself caught up on, the one that drew him to her with a desire that was beginning to spiral out of control.

“It’s only a question…” he said, slowly. “Unless…” he had great control of his body, and most situations, but this was new, and soon enough she would see how excited he was. “I can take you to the 30th floor, if you’re worried about privacy…” She shook her head quickly, the color creeping in to her cheeks, painting her face rose colored, making him wonder if she would look like that when he made her come.