“It’s my job,” she responded. “So, do you have a good relationship with your brothers?” she asked as the waiter placed their food on the table. They picked up their chopsticks and started plucking pieces of sushi. The waiter, obeying Clive’s orders, brought them two more frothy beers.
“We get along very well,” he said. “The younger two work for me. Well, Matthew works for me. I employ James but he’s a lazy son of a bitch sometimes. I don’t think I push him enough. Matt’s part of my public relations team. He was at the first interview, but he’s quiet. He does more of the public statements and less of the canceling interviews.”
Angela laughed. “But you’re one of your brother’s business rivals. How can you possibly be friendly all the time?”
“We’re competitive and have arguments just like any family, but there’s more to life than work. My father worked hard, but he always had time for us. I want my life to be the same way.”
“You want a family?” she asked, dipping a dumpling into a tiny bowl of soy sauce.
“Of course. Don’t you?”
Angela chewed for a minute and washed her bite down with a few draws of beer before answering. “You know, I don’t really think about that kind of stuff.”
“Oh, come on,” he pried. “Everybody does at one point or another.”
“I’m only twenty-five,” she sputtered. “I’m just trying to get some work so I can have enough money to survive. I really don’t have the time to worry about dating. Plus, kids are completely out of the question in my current place in life. If I can hardly feed myself, how would I take care of another human?”
Clive frowned. “I guess you make a good point.” He drained his beer, to which the waiter responded with two more.
Angela and Clive ate in silence for a moment, enjoying the good food in their private corner of the restaurant. She could feel a strange tension between them. This was different than a standard interview with a subject, or even a work dinner. They were breaching the border of where business became friendship. She wasn’t sure how to feel about it.
“Can I get a bottle of sake and two glasses, please?” Clive asked the waiter.
“Why are you ordering more drinks?” Angela giggled. She was just starting to feel a little tipsy. She was starting to feel relaxed and comfortable around Clive.
“We’re going to play a little game,” he said when the bottle arrived. “I know how you like to ask questions, so we’re going to play truth or dare. But, instead of dare, you have to have a drink of sake every time you want to avoid a question.”
“I’m game,” Angela laughed.
“My PR team would be furious if they knew about this. I’m still expecting you to use some discretion with my answers. If you think it’s too crazy to print, you should really run it through me first.”
“Deal,” she said. “I’ll go first. “How well do you know your lower level employees?”
He cringed. “Honestly, not very well. I don’t spend a lot of time with many of my employees.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“Wait a second,” he grinned. “You get one question. Now it’s my turn. Are you dating anyone?”
“No,” she said confidently. “My turn. When you donate money to those hospitals, do you visit with the sick kids?”
He poured himself a small glass and poured the contents into his mouth. Angela laughed. She was breaking him.
“When was the last time you spent the night with a guy?” he asked.
She thought for a moment, her face turning pink. She wordlessly reached for a glass and poured herself a drink. The strong wine burned her throat, but she felt warm and cozy. The truth was, she hadn’t been with anyone for a couple of years. She longed for the companionship and excitement, but it just wasn’t happening. She wasn’t about to admit that to a man who could get any girl he wanted.
“Are all of your questions going to be about how single I am?” she whined.
“Probably,” he said cheerily. “You just wasted a question. My turn again.”
She playfully kicked his leg under the table. His leg grazed hers back. Angela’s heart started to beat a little faster.
“Do you find me attractive?” he asked, a devilish grin on his face?”
“What?” she asked, her cheeks burning.
“Do you find me attractive?” he repeated, slightly slower.
She opened her mouth to answer, then promptly shut it again. Instead, she poured herself a drink.
“Do you find me attractive?” she asked, hoping to get some payback.
“Absolutely,” he said. “But I’ll go ahead and have a drink anyway. I don’t want you to have to finish the bottle on your own.”
He slowly took a drink before resuming his game. “I’m going to try to make this easier on you. Do you like me?”
She tilted her head to the side and tried to come up with an answer. If she said yes, then he had leverage on her. If she said no, she’d be lying.
“Do you like me?” she fired back.
“Not your turn, but yes, I do like you. Very much, in fact.”
“Really?” she asked.
“So many questions from you,” he said, reaching across the table to stop her from pouring another drink. Clive held onto her hand and she looked into his eyes. She could tell this wasn’t a joke.
“I understand that this isn’t professional of me. I never meant to develop feelings for the reporter writing this series, but here we are. I really want to hang out with you more—and not when the tape recorder is running.”
“But how could we make it work?” she asked, allowing herself to enter the fantasy. “Not only do I have the responsibility to write good, balanced articles about you, but we’re at two completely different places in our lives. We couldn’t be more different.”
The check was dropped off at the table. Angela and Clive sat in silence for a moment, trying to decide if their wants could outweigh their social needs.
“What if,” he said slowly, “we aren’t officially together or anything? We can still spend time together. I’ll give you whatever you need to get your stories over and done with. Then, when we have no obligations to see each other, we can go from there. How does that sound?”
Angela wrung her hands together in her lap, suddenly feeling a little more sober. “But what if anyone finds out? I could lose my job.”
“No one has to know unless we want them to know. Besides, there’s a good chance that this will all blow up in our faces before we ever get to that point,” he smiled.
“I just don’t know,” she said. “I had a really good time tonight but I don’t know if I’m ready for any type of commitment right now. I can hardly take care of myself.”
He nodded. “How about this—we don’t have to be exclusive, nor do we have to spend any time outside of our scheduled interviews together. I’m just going to let you know that I don’t plan on seeing any other women if I’m feeling this way for you. Deal?”
“Okay,” she smiled. “I think I can handle that.”
“Shall we go?” he asked, pulling out his wallet. “I know you’re going to want to pay for your half, but I’m going to insist that I pay for it all. Whatever your paper is paying you to write about me, I guarantee it’s not enough.”
She saw him drop a few bills on the table as they walked out. Angela was surprised to see how dark it was outside but even more surprised when she checked the time. They had been in the restaurant for almost two hours, just talking and enjoying each other’s company.
“I had a really great time tonight,” Clive said, taking Angela’s hand into his.
“Me too,” she replied softly. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to date him, but it felt so good to have someone who wanted her.
She went in for a hug, but suddenly, their lips were pressed against each other. A friendly kiss turned into something much more passionate as their tongues became entwined.
Angela’s heart began to beat fast again, just
as it had when their legs brushed together at the restaurant. She loved the way Clive’s arms felt around her body and she didn’t want the feeling to go away.
“Can I walk you home?” he asked when they finally pulled apart.
She nodded, and they made their way down the street, her hand in his.
Chapter 7
What was meant to be a tender kiss goodnight on Angela’s stoop turned into another make out session. They wrapped their arms tightly around each other, their hips pressed into each other.
Angela was confused as to what was going on between her and Clive, but she tried not to over think things. In the moment, her body took over control of her mind. She wanted someone to be close to her and Clive was available. Plus, as much as she tried to deny it, she couldn’t ignore his good looks. She ran a hand through his short, smooth brown hair, pulling herself closer to him. She had the urge to mess up his neatly styled hair and to strip his designer jeans right off him.
“Are we just going to stand out here, or do you want to invite me in?” he murmured into her ear.
“My apartment is really small and not very clean,” Angela said, feeling panicked at the thought of having a billionaire in her rundown studio apartment. She wasn’t even sure if she had picked up her dirty clothes from the night before. Now that she thought of it, she had no idea what she had laying out for him to examine.
“I don’t mind,” he said, nuzzling her neck.
She looked toward her building, as his mouth kissed a trail down to her collarbone. If she let him inside, he might call everything off right then and there. Angela was used to living in near-poverty, but Clive hadn’t ever been exposed to such living conditions.
On the other hand, if she didn’t invite him up, he’d go home and she’d go to bed lonely. She couldn’t let that happen either. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone.
Angela grabbed her keys from her purse. “Okay,” she said, leaning in for one more kiss, “let’s go.”
Once inside, Angela was grateful that she took a few minutes to tidy up the place before she went out. Old notebooks and t-shirts sat in neat, little piles around the floor, but at least she threw away the empty instant noodle packages. If she didn’t turn on too many lights, it would be okay.
“So, what do you think?” she asked when they entered the room.
“I think I want to get under this skirt,” he said, running his hand up her thigh. He pulled her tights down below her pelvis, pushed aside her panties, and slipped his fingers inside. She swayed on the spot before climbing onto her mattress.
Angela tore at his clothes, trying to get him naked as quickly as possible. She had spent the better part of their dinner imagining him without clothes and now was her chance.
As she pulled his shirt off, she thought about how unfair it was that Clive was rich and good looking. Besides his penchant for tormenting people and his corporate greed, the man didn’t have a single flaw. Clive had the slight all-over tan of someone who could afford to sunbathe on a private boat.
Next, Angela started to remove his pants. She pushed him on his back and straddled his body so she could unbutton his jeans.
“You love to be in control, don’t you?” he asked, grabbing her hands before she could yank his bottoms off. “You’re a tough girl that gets what she wants.”
“If I want something,” she said, tracing a line down Clive’s abs, “I’ll work for it.”
Clive quickly flipped her around so her back was on the bed and he was above her. “How about you relinquish control for one night, and I give you what you want?”
A shiver went down her spine. She liked a guy that could stand up to her. In the past, she had always had to oversee her own pleasure. She welcomed the challenge to lie back and let someone give it to her.
Clive leaned in to kiss her again and pulled her shirt over her head. When Angela reached back to undo her bra, Clive stopped her again. He lifted her hands above her head and pinned them down. He continued to kiss her from the top of her chest, down to the top of her skirt.
“Let me take off my skirt,” Angela said, eager to feel him touch her.
“Leave that to me,” he said. He slowly pulled down her stockings, then tied them around Angela’s wrists. She couldn’t help but smile. Her prior sexual encounters had all been rather vanilla in nature. This was something new and exciting.
Clive hiked up Angela’s skirt around her hips and forcefully scooted her toward him. She wrapped her legs around his torso.
“I would have tied your hands to the bedposts, but you don’t really have those,” Clive joked.
Angela playfully rolled her eyes. “Did you come here to judge my home furnishings or are you going to take care of me?”
He gave her a wicked grin and gave her what she asked for. Angela wanted to touch him, to take control, but she fought the urge to be in charge. In fact, she found it even more pleasurable to try something new for once, to step outside of her comfort zone.
Everything about being with Clive was new. He was older and hotter than any man she’d ever been with. He was a successful businessman and she was a struggling writer. Also, she was sleeping with her interviewee. There was nothing professional about what was happening on her mattress, except the fact that Clive was an extremely skilled lover.
When they finished, they laid back on the bed, Clive’s arm around her shoulders. She allowed herself to rest her head on his chest and listened to his heart rate return to normal.
“How does it feel to rely on someone else to get what you want?” he asked as he stroked her cheek with a finger.
“I guess it wasn’t so bad,” she said, turning to face him.
“You guess,” he laughed. “Your body told a different story. From what I could tell, I rocked your world.”
He was right. She enjoyed every minute of it. Suddenly, things were different. Clive was no longer the annoying subject she had to write about for work. Sleeping with him humanized him in some way. There was something about stripping down and being vulnerable that creates bonds between people. Clive wanted Angela, and she wanted him, too.
“This won’t change anything about our working relationship, will it?” she asked. “I can’t afford to get distracted.”
“Stick with me, and you’ll be able to afford anything you want.”
The thought made Angela’s head spin. It was hard for her to think a week into the future, let alone months and years from now. She couldn’t possibly make future plans with someone she hadn’t spent a lot of time with.
Besides, marrying rich went against everything she believed in. While other girls her age fawned over young doctors and lawyers for a meal ticket, she despised the thought of having wealth that she didn’t work hard to earn. She would never be a housewife—she wanted to be a breadwinner and take care of herself. One of her greatest fears was to become dependent on someone. She had her strong convictions, but she didn’t know if her values would hold up when the good life was so readily available.
Angela pushed the thought out of her head. Now wasn’t the time to think about the future like that. She knew she was being silly for making future decisions based on one night with Clive. He was good in bed and he was into her. That was all Angela really needed now.
“Let’s go again,” Angela said, running her hands along Clive’s bare torso. “But this time, you’re going to take directions from me.”
“I’m game,” he said excitedly. “Tell me what to do.”
“First, you can go ahead and untie my hands,” she said, showing him her bound wrists.
“Right,” he laughed.
“Now,” she continued, “put your hands here and here,” she told him, moving his hands to the exact places she wanted to be touched. From there, she gave him specific instructions on what she liked and how she liked it.
This time around was just as electric for Angela and she was surprised at how compatible they were in bed. Eventually, she even forgot about the game th
ey were playing because he could sense where she wanted him next.
When they were finished, Clive pulled his pants on while Angela looked for his shirt. Instead of getting dressed, she wrapped her comforter around her body, tucking the top corner under her arm.
“You don’t mind if I go home, right?” Clive asked cautiously.
“Oh, not at all,” she said hurriedly. “It’s not like my bed is big enough for both of us to sleep on. I’m not much of a cuddler, either.”
“Good,” he said. “I try to never overstay my welcome, but I’ve been with girls that are particularly clingy after a roll in the sack,” he said bluntly. Angela was glad to see that he still had his forthright demeanor after all they had been through that night. Neither of them needed to worry about being too dependent on the other.
Angela walked Clive the short distance from the bed to the door to wish him a good night.
“When do you want to do our next interview, since this one got away from us?” Angela asked.
“Soon,” he said. “I’ll call you once I get my weekly schedule. I really want to see you again.”
“I really want to get my articles finished,” she joked, giving him a gentle smack on the butt.
“You are really something,” he grinned, giving her a kiss on the lips.
With that, he was gone. Angela sat back on her bed and took a deep breath, trying to compute everything that had happened that night. What had just conspired between the bed sheets felt more like a one-night stand than anything, yet Clive did say that he planned on being exclusive with her. She would eventually have to see him again—would she treat him like a client or a boyfriend?
The thought was too much for her and she collapsed into her bed amongst the messy sheets. The morning would bring some clarity. Until then, Angela just wanted to sleep.
As she rolled over onto her pillow, the musky scent of Clive’s hair lulled her into a deep sleep, where she dreamt of being held in his strong arms.
Chapter 8
By the time Monday morning rolled back around, Angela was ready to get back to the office. She spent her Sunday lounging around, daydreaming about sex with Clive, and writing every memory she could recall from her dinner with him. Some topics she would withhold—both for Clive’s sake, and hers. Others, like his relationship with his brothers, went into the next installment.
One Night With The Tycoon (Billionaire's One Night #1) Page 5
