Brett moved closer to her. “Maybe Vegas missed you, too,” he said, looking out at the horizon. “There’s nowhere else in the world like this. Las Vegans can’t expect to just settle anywhere else. There’s something about the desert, the energy, just trying to survive in such a harsh landscape...” He trailed off and she turned her head and looked at him. They were again quiet in the moment they’d created. They were again, for a short time, just kids in their twenties, with their lives ahead of them, constantly at odds with each other but managing to somehow find some moments of levity that bookended hot sex, before they went back to hating each other. Before starting the cycle over again. Rebecca always gave as good as she got and, standing next to her now, Brett realized that no matter what had happened between them or how crazy they made each other, he’d missed that about her.
Rebecca shook her head, breaking them from the moment. “So, what do you want to talk about?” she asked, not looking at him but still facing the darkened horizon, her arms folded in front of her on the stone partition that separated the rest of the mayor’s garden.
“I lied. I don’t really want to talk,” he told her, shifting closer to her, and their arms touched. Through his suit jacket, he could feel her heat.
Her laugh was humorless. “Just perfect.” She shook her head. “I should have known. I didn’t come out here for a quick hookup, you know.”
“Well, if you don’t want to hook up, what is it you want to talk about?”
“I don’t think I’m quite done talking about business.”
Surprise drew Brett’s head back. “Oh, really?”
She faced him full on—not many people stared him down like she was doing. “Yeah, you and I have had some dealings recently.”
“Yeah. Just a bit of fun back and forth.”
“Well, it’s over. Starting right now.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, I’m running DI now, and I can tell you that I have a lot on my plate now and zero time for all the dick-measuring power struggles that have been going on between our two companies. I’ve got more important things to concentrate on than you. Let’s just agree to end this now. Let me run my company, and you can run yours.”
If Brett hadn’t been so stunned, he would have thrown back his head in laughter. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had spoken to him like that. No, he could. It was definitely more than five years ago, in his last interactions with Rebecca. She might think they were done. But he wasn’t done with her. Not by a long shot.
Even though he had plans for her businesswise, that would come tomorrow. He still had to contend with the rush of desire that tore through him, ratcheting up his heartbeat and hardening his cock. “That’s probably enough about business,” he said, his voice lowered, as he turned to face her. “Are you here alone tonight?” He looked back to the door that led inside. They were still the only people on the terrace. Nobody through that open door paid them any mind as the gentle notes of music were carried outside on the air.
“It’s a little late for that question, isn’t it?”
Brett grinned. It really didn’t matter to him if she’d attended the party with another man or even if she was seeing anyone. He could tell that he had her. He inched closer and felt a surge of triumph when she didn’t move away. It would be so easy to pull her into his embrace, to hold her, kiss her, just like old times. He wanted to feel her skin against his lips, under his fingers. He wanted no more than to be buried deeply inside her, fucking her until she clawed his back and screamed out his name... Shit, he needed to pull it together. He had more to consider here than just sex. Even if he did seduce her tonight, he had to keep a clear head or risk losing everything. And Brett didn’t lose. Ever.
“Well, I just want to know that your attention is focused solely on me and not anyone else,” he murmured, leaning even closer.
“And you’re wondering if I have a boyfriend?”
He shook his head. “If you did have a boyfriend, I know you wouldn’t be out here with me.” He grinned again. “And even if you did, you wouldn’t remember him after tonight anyway.”