Those eyes are so damn mesmerizing. I can’t look away, even though I feel my body tensing with nerves. Thankfully, he has to look at the road again soon, and I take a moment to catch my breath. “I . . .” I shake my head, force myself out of the trance. “I just want to get this over with. It’s business, right? You pay me, I give you what you want. End of story.”
“What if I don’t want this to be over yet?” he counters, and I blink in surprise. “I told you, Bonnie. I want to savor this meal.” He reaches across the gear shift and runs his palm along my thigh. Every muscle in my body tenses, every nerve ending starts to fire on high. “I want you to enjoy this as much as I do,” he says, his voice a low, throaty growl, and I can scarcely think straight for the ache in my groin.
I want him. Bad. But fuck if I’m going to let on. He’s about a million miles too cocky as it is. “We had an agreement,” I say, my voice forced, businesslike. “You pay me, you fuck me, and we part ways. That’s what we agreed.”
Shit. What if he’s been playing me all along? What if he doesn’t intend to pay me at all, or what if he wants to drag this out for ages, make me beg for it, make me suck him and fuck him over and over without giving me a cent? My palms tingle with sweat and I clench them to try and distract myself.
I need that money. It’s the whole reason I got into this mess in the first place. He might think I’m some naive idiot because I’m virginal, but hell if I’m going to let him get away with using me for free. Especially after that blowjob.
Fucking hell, Bonnie, I scold myself. I gave him that for free. No wonder he wants to walk away now. He thinks I’ll let him do the same with everything. Give him an inch and he wants to take a mile.
Granted, I enjoyed the fuck out of it, but that’s not the point.
I cross my arms over my chest, protective. “How do I know you’re even sincere about this? You could be anyone. That waiter could’ve been a friend in on this gig.”
I jolt against the seat belt as the car suddenly veers off the main drag. He pulls us onto the nearest side-street and whips into a parallel parking spot so fast I barely have time to catch my breath.
Shit. I’ve done it now. Pissed off this crazy guy I don’t even know, all while I’m trapped in his car. I dig my hands into the seat belt, ready to throw it off and make a break for it if I need to.
He turns to face me, and his eyes blaze with heat, though the rest of his expression remains calm. Is he angry, or just annoyed that a business deal is going sour? I can’t read him yet.
“When did I ever give you reason to doubt me, Bonnie?” he asks, his voice calm and even. “Our agreement never stipulated a timeline.”
Even though there aren’t any cars passing by, and the streetlights on this side-street are dimmer than usual, there’s enough light from the illuminated sign above a closed corner store for me to make out his flashing eyes. It lights the side of his face, highlighting the sharp curve of his cheekbone as he faces me.
I remind myself that I have just as much of a right to be worried as he does. “No, we didn’t,” I agree, “But our agreement never stipulated that I’d give you a free blowjob in public, either.” My face flames as I say that out loud, but to judge by the faint curve of his mouth, he enjoys hearing me say it.
“You seemed to be enjoying yourself.” He leans in closer. “I hated to put a damper on the mood just to bring up contractual obligations.”
I set my jaw firmly. “Well, I should’ve . . . I mean . . . How do I know you’re for real about this? That you aren’t just . . .”
“Taking what I want for free?” he asks, and his breath ghosts across my lips. He’s closed the gap between us. Or maybe I did. I think I’m leaning toward him. I tighten my muscles, force myself to grip the seat belt, the edges digging into my palms to keep me thinking straight.
“Exactly. It’s nothing personal, Pierce. It’s business.”
“Oh, I agree.” His fingertips skim my cheek, and the feeling of his rough skin against mine makes me jolt in surprise. I hadn’t seen him reach for me until I felt his hot skin against my cheek. He traces the edge of my jawline, and every fiber in my body urges me to lean closer to him, to fall into those soft, sharply curved lips. His smile looks deadly, but I want him to devour me anyway. “But that’s something you should learn about me, Bonnie.”