All It Takes (Romancing Manhattan 2)

“You were excellent. Why wouldn’t you want to do it again?”

“Like I said, I’m not a thrill seeker. Not an adrenaline junkie. I was scared shitless.”

“But you still drove like a pro and you beat me. That doesn’t happen every day.”

“Yeah, well, I’m a little competitive. And I was really hungry for pizza.”

I stare at her. “All this was for a pizza?”

She giggles. “And bragging rights. I outraced you today, and no one can ever take that away from me. Plus, I drove a Porsche and that’s my dream car.”

Her eyes widen and she stuffs more pizza in her mouth, as if she didn’t mean to say that.

“It is?”

She just shrugs.

“Why didn’t you say something when you were riding in my car?”

She shrugs that shoulder again, chewing. “It’s silly.”

“No, it isn’t.” I make a mental note to let her drive my car. “You’re a good driver.”

“I’m an excellent driver,” she says with a happy smile. “And I’m okay with driving the speed limit and staying safe. Really. I’m the responsible one, remember?”

My phone pings with a text.

“This is London,” I murmur.

Hey! Your tickets are all set for Friday night. I got two for you, so bring a date!

“Who’s in London?” she asks, licking sauce off her finger, and sending my already revved libido into overdrive.

“No one, London is the name of Finn’s soon-to-be fiancée. He’s going to propose next weekend.”

“That’s sweet.”

“You might have heard of her. London Watson?”

“The actress?”

“That’s her.” I nod and tuck my phone away. “She’s backing a new show that opens on Friday night, and she was just letting me know that my seats are saved.”

My eyes narrow, an idea forming.

“Sienna, what are you doing Friday night?”

“Working.” She pops the last of her crust in her mouth and carries her paper plate to the recycle bin, then washes her hands.

“Come with me, to the show.”

She shakes her head. “Why me? Don’t you have a harem of women just waiting for you to call?”

My lips twitch. “No. Besides, you’re the only woman I’ve been spending any significant time with, and I’d like to take you.”

“I can’t keep taking time away from this case,” she begins and walks around the table, away from me. “We went racing today, and that was fun, but you said yourself that these thirty days will go faster than we think, and I need to focus.”

“Taking one evening to go to a Broadway show isn’t going to kill this case,” I counter. “Look at us.”

I sweep my arms out, gesturing at the stacks of boxes and files.

“We’re buried. I can barely see the top of your head half the time. Sienna, by Friday evening, we’ll need some fresh air and a little downtime away from the paper matrix.”

She smirks, and I can tell that she is considering it. Then, the smile is gone and she looks at me with serious blue eyes.

“What are we doing here, Quinn?”

“Arguing,” I reply, making her laugh and shake her head.

“No. We’re supposed to be keeping this professional. We have a job to do, and that’s it. I don’t want to jeopardize this case, it’s too important.”

“That’s not what we’re doing.” I stand and walk around the table to her, take her hands in mine, and rest them against my chest. “The case is moving along, and it’s safe. We both have the best interest of the case in mind. But Sienna, can you honestly say that you don’t feel anything when we’re together?”

Her eyes are on my lips. Her mouth opens, then closes, as if she can’t get the words in her brain to form.

“I feel it,” she whispers finally. “And I’m fighting it.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s not a good idea.” She licks her lips. “Because you’re opposing counsel, and I won’t be the latest woman that you play with. We hadn’t met before, but that doesn’t mean that your reputation didn’t precede you.”

“Rumors aren’t truth.”

“Are you denying that you’re a player?”

I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a liar. “I’ve enjoyed women. I admit that. But—”

“If you say I’m different from the rest, I’ll knee you in the balls.”

“I don’t think I can win in this situation.”

“Tell me this: Would you still ask me to go to the show with you if the chemistry wasn’t here?”

“Of course not, and that’s not because I’m an asshole. Which I can be. I won’t apologize for being attracted to you, Sienna, and I won’t make excuses for why I want to see you. Do I want to get you naked? More than I want to breathe.”

She gasps, but I keep talking.

“More than that, and yes, it’s new for me, I want to be with you. You make me laugh, and you’re damn smart. I’m attracted to that very much. And I’d like your company on Friday night.”

She bites her lip and glances away, and I can’t stand it anymore. I cup her face and lower my lips to hers, needing to taste her.