by Paula Cox
“I don’t have any. Never been married or engaged, if that’s also what you want to ask. These are my nephews, my sister’s kids. They live in Chicago.”
“Never been married or engaged? What? Do you have something against men? Just asking so that I am more prepared for our time up ahead.”
She gave him a long stare out of her sensuous eyes. Man! He could drown in their depths. He sure could take all the time in the world to just look at her and admire the many hues and colors that were reflected in them. “I just haven’t found a man who can hold my interest for that long.”
He snapped his fingers. “Well, I love challenges, so let me see if we can change that.”
The smile that flitted over her lips was spontaneous. He could see a brief swirl of admiration as she gazed at him. “You do have a very high opinion of yourself, don’t you?”
“And I assure from the bottom of my heart that it’s a well deserved opinion.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “We’ll have to see about that. You know, Riley, I’ve met many men, and I have to admit that you do intrigue me on many levels. First of all, you’re arrogant.”
“Only a little bit,” he admitted, “but that’s because I am good at what I do.”
“And you’re also a bit too smart.”
“That’s a plus point, sweetheart. A lesser man wouldn’t have been able to hold your interest for this long.”
She nodded her head as if to concede that point. “You’re most definitely great in bed.”
Amused that she could see it out loud without breaking into a smile, he snapped his finger again. “Thanks. Never got any complaints and I’ve to admit that you’re quite dynamite in bed, too.”
“We all do what we can.” She inspected her fingernails. “But there is one thing that I detest in a man, and that’s his inability to tell the truth. We’ve tabled this warehouse thing for now, but I hope you won’t double cross me over it. Let Xavier decide whom he wants to pick and we will try to outbid each other in the open. There can’t be any funny deals behind my back. That’s going to close this particular chapter that we’ve opened just now.”
Riley felt a faint fission of unease slide up his spine. He didn’t have a clue as to what the board was planning now. If they were secretly negotiating with Xavier and kept him out of the loop, he would look like a fool. But they wouldn’t do it. There was no reason for them to do something like that. He was their point man, and they trusted him. “Sure, sweetheart. That goes without saying.”
She leaned back and put her hands on the desk. “In that case, I will see you sharp at seven. Bye, Riley. I am sure you will be able to find your way back out on your own.”
He lifted a hand in salute and walked out. He looked forward to their date for the night. It was a good beginning. He quite liked Tania, and it would be nice to meet her in a friendly atmosphere and get to know the woman behind the power suit. It was definitely a promising beginning.
Chapter Five
Sharp on the dot, Riley was in front of her office again. She marched out, talking animatedly to some guy who was laughing at something she said. A hot lance of jealousy stabbed through his heart as the guy leaned forward and dropped a kiss on her cheek. Riley didn’t have any claim on her – and he knew that. They barely knew each other. One night of wonderful passion didn’t make a love story. Still, Riley took a deep breath to control his emotions as she strode forward. He was standing next to his bike.
Looking at it, she raised an eyebrow. “Are we going on that?”
He offered her a helmet. “I thought it might be a fun thing to do.”
She inspected the helmet as if it were a foreign object that she never saw before. Taking it from his hand, she held it up. “I am not too sure about this. Maybe you can park your bike here and we can take a cab. You can pick it up later.”
Ah! A novice? Ordinarily, Riley would have acquiesced to her demand, but he could sense that she was a possible convert. She would love it if someone gave her the opportunity to explore this fun side of her that she never got to see. “Why don’t we try this? Wear it. We will take a round and if you don’t like it, we will get a cab.”
She wrinkled her nose, sniffed the helmet, and blanched. “I am really not sure about it.”
Riley couldn’t help the smile that crept over his lips. She was truly dreading this. “Have you ever tried to ride a bike before?”
She shook her head. “The occasion never came up and, frankly, I think it’s for the best. I am not cut out for such adventurous stuff.”
He laughed at that ridiculous statement. “You, sweetheart, are made for adventure. Please, let’s just do this once. If you hate it, I won’t push it. Come on. Be brave.” Knowing that when he made it sound like a challenge, she would rise to the occasion, he took the helmet from her hands and put it on her head. He closed the strap, his fingers gentle. “You can do this; I am sure of it.”
She snorted, stepped towards the bike, and studied it as she would a dangerous thing that might explode at the slightest provocation. “Are you sure this is safe? Maybe you’re trying to kill me so you have a clear path to that deal.”
Putting his hand on the small of her back, he nudged her forward. “If I wanted to kill you, sweetheart, I wouldn’t have to resort to such cheap tactics. Trust me. This is as safe as riding a bicycle.” Although he was slightly amused at her fear, Riley knew that for people who rode a bike for the first time, it was quite a big deal. “Just sit on it and see how it feels.”
She put a hand on her stomach. “I feel queasy.”
“You’re fine,” he insisted. Once she was sitting on the bike, he paused to admire her leg that showed since her dress rode up a little. “If they took you in as a model for these bikes, these babies would practically fly out of the stores.”
She stuck her tongue out as him. “Stop talking. Let’s get this over with. I don’t think I can go to the restaurant like this. One round, you said.”
He took his position. “I am a man of my words. We will decide after the first round if you want to continue. Now, may I suggest that you hold my waist?”
“Why?” Suspicion lurked in her voice. “Why do I need to do that?”
“For one thing, I would quite enjoy it and, for another, it would keep you more balanced on the bike.”
“I hate this right now,” she muttered.
Once he was sure she was seated properly, he revved the engine. A squeal came out of her lips. Ignoring it, he started the bike. It felt so right: her sitting behind him and both of them enjoying the breeze as they rode through the streets. Her arms were as tight as bands around his waist as they began to take a round through the lanes. He kept the speed at a level that would allow her to enjoy the ride, not too slow and not too fast. Within minutes, her grip relaxed. He could sense she was enjoying it a little bit. Or at least, he hoped so.
Riding a bike was important to him and he couldn’t imagine being with a woman who didn’t love it with the same passion, but, of course, he couldn’t expect that from her. She was on her first ride. Even if she enjoyed it, she wasn’t going to delve right into it so soon. He came to a stop outside her office once more.
Getting off, he took a look at her. There was a dazed, strange expression on her face. He couldn’t quite understand what it meant. Riley cleared his throat. “So, what do you think?”
She glanced at him as if seeing him for the first time. “I love it.”
If she’d punched him, he wouldn’t have been more shocked. “You do?”
“Oh yes, this is the most exhilarating thing that I experienced in a long time.”
“Hey! We made love not too long ago and I think that was the most exhilarating thing in your life.”
“Don’t put words in my mouth,” she said in a prim voice.
He tapped his foot on the pavement. He was a little piqued, to be honest. She was rating it above her time with him. “So do you want to ride this to the restaurant or should I call for a
cab?”
She eyed the bike with lust in her eyes. He could practically see the wheels turn in her mind. “Can I drive it?”
“Do pigs fly?”
“Come on. Just for five minutes. I think I can do it. It doesn’t look that difficult.”
He laughed, patted her on the shoulder, and got back on the bike. “Listen sweetheart, I would be willing to give you lesson on this someday, but not now. Let’s get this show on the road.”
“Spoilsport,” she muttered. Gripping his waist, she leaned closer. He could feel her breasts pressing into his hard back. “I am ready.”
Oh, how he longed to take her back to his apartment and make love to her. A woman like her was made for his hands. He could imagine the way her body would buckle and jerk under his fingers. Images flashed across his mind: her body under his, his lips on her creamy skin, their limbs entwined together. But he’d promised her a meal, and that’s exactly what she would get.
He drove the bike into the street and headed for Mayhem, the restaurant where he’d reserved a table. It would be nice to sit across her and share a meal. Everything he did with her was exciting.
When they reached the restaurant, he put the helmet on the bike and helped her take off hers.
Her hair, glorious and long, spilled out. He desired to run his fingers through their soft, silky locks and crush his lips on hers, but he made an effort to step away. He was acutely aware that the desire curled in his eyes was visible to her, but she didn’t make a comment. Instead, she held his arm and walked with him to the restaurant.
After they were seated and placed their order, he leaned back and surveyed her. Her cheeks were flushed and her pupils were a little dilated. He longed to believe that it was because of his close presence, but he was wise enough to know that she was still experiencing a high from her first bike ride. It wasn’t often that women fell in love with speed and bikes, but when one did, it was sexy as hell to see.
“So what’s your favorite color?”
“What?”
“Hey, we’ve got to start the conversation somewhere.”
She raised an eyebrow as if he spouted horns. “And that’s the best you could come up with?”
“Why don’t you start with something, then?” he challenged.
She folded her arms on the table. “All right, then. Let me begin with a more intelligent and relevant question; where did you grow up?”
“In a farm on Minnesota. My parents owned it, and still do, and I was one of five boys.”
“Five boys? Your mother must be a saint to raise five kids and survive.”
He winked at her. “She didn’t just survive; she thrived. But actually, she wanted a daughter and, finally, after baby number five, my father put his foot down.”
She shook her head. The waiter came forward to serve their appetizers. Riley picked up a Polenta square that was topped with pine nuts .
“I can’t even imagine the chaos that must have been your house. I was an only child.”
“Ah! That explains a lot.” When she raised her eyebrows, he smirked. “I didn’t miss the matching towels, the perfectly aligned picture frames, and the ruthless organization of your bathroom when I was there, sweetheart.”
“That’s not because I was an only child.” She shrugged. “It’s a basic requirement of any efficient, well-organized person.”
“Hey, I am efficient and organized, but my pillows are never aligned in a straight line.”
She drank a little bit wine as she surveyed him over the rim. “I hope you don’t really expect me to apologize for it.”
“Not at all, sweetheart. It turned me on, that’s all.”
“You really are a piece of work, aren’t you? So tell me what you all did on the farm when you were growing up? Chores? Milking the cows, minding the horses that sort of thing?” She waved a hand. “I’ve never been to an actual farm.”
“I will take you one day,” he promised.
What the hell was he saying? Did he imagine that they would last long enough for him to take her to meet his parents? It was such a ridiculous thought and such an unplanned declaration that he was stunned by his own words. It was obvious that she was as astonished by his statement. For a moment, silence reigned on the table.
“You didn’t answer my question.”
What was her question? With an effort, he pulled his mind back into a coherent whole. “Oh yes, chores. Of course, we had to do them. It wasn’t only milking the cows and walking the horses, but also shearing the sheep and collecting eggs from the hens. That was the first task that each child got. The youngest was supposed to collect the eggs in the morning. Then we were graduated to other tasks.”
“It shouldn't have been that difficult. All you have to do is pick up the eggs.”
Riley swallowed a laugh. He could almost read her thoughts. “I am sure you’re imagining walking into a coop on your designer heels, but trust me, sweetheart... the reality is a far cry from that. Instead of that image, imagine walking into a smelly, shit-ridden coop, wearing your oldest boots, trying to either roost the hens to check for eggs or else looking in nooks and corners to hide the ones that they didn’t bother to lay in their nests. And, of course, some of the cranky ones don’t mind giving you a peck or two while you are rummaging underneath them to find eggs.”
She winkled her nose. “That doesn’t sound delightful at all.”
“It isn’t.” He thought back to his time at the farm. “But, of course, I loved every minute of it. My parents are kind of bohemian. They let us do a lot of things, run wild, as long as we did our chores and homework. There was great freedom and, yet, we were kept on a short leash.”
“I can see that you have fond memories.”
“Oh yes.”
He could actually imagine taking her to see his parents. Sure, she wouldn’t be comfortable at first because she was a city girl at heart, but he sensed that once she got over her initial shock, she would enjoy it. Already he could feel that she was an adaptable and friendly girl once someone managed to pierce through the hard shell that she donned when she was at work.
He would love to be the one who got to see the soft side of her. It would be a true delight. As they talked and shared a meal, Riley discovered that she liked to talk. Her wit was sharp and sardonic, and she could crack a joke as well as him. It was actually quite interesting to allow her to take over the conversation. Her interests were varied and strong. If they actually ended up going out for a long time, he was certainly never to get bored.
The thought froze in his mind. Was he already contemplating a future with her? It was so long since he found a woman as interesting as her and, now that he was with her, he didn’t want to let her go. Crazy it was. But at the same time, it was heady and exhilarating to feel like this. Only time would tell as to where this led, but for now, he was enjoying the way it all worked out. It was fun. It was mad. It was exciting. There was nothing else that he wanted. For now, this was enough.
Chapter Six
Tania was amazed that she could lower her guard so much with a man. It wasn’t work anymore. Now, this was personal, and she didn’t quite know what to make of it. He was a great guy. If she set aside their war over the warehouse, it was easy to see that they were a good fit together. Their interests matched. They liked each other on a primal level. And their sexual chemistry was mind-blowing. What else could she want from a relationship?
Relationship? What the hell was she thinking about? This was only their second date. It was too soon to think about the future, but, yet, her heart beat with desire. It wasn’t enough to sleep with him. She wanted more. Dare she take the plunge?
As he dropped her home on the bike, she was still pondering over their next move. When he parked the car inside her gate, she took off her helmet and set foot on the ground. Handing over the helmet, she viewed him. “Would you like to come inside?” Until she said the words, she didn’t know that she meant to say them.
The gleam that coiled in his e
yes told her his answer long before he got off the bike. He set the two helmets down. “Sure.”
Digging into her purse, she took out the keys. What had she done? This was madness. It was crazy to think that she could have a normal relationship with a man like him. Sure, they had many things in common, but, at the same time, he was the enemy. He was fighting to acquire the same thing she wanted. They were battling with each other. She couldn’t think, couldn’t plan.
As soon as the door closed behind them, he drew her in his arms. When his head bent and his lips brushed against her, she stopped thinking. This was what she wanted. It was glorious to feel his arms tighten around her. The kiss was soft, slow, and delicious. When his tongue brushed over her lips, she opened her mouth and allowed him to deepen the kiss. He explored each nook and cranny of her mouth, plundering and looting at will.
