Chapter Eight
Micahstartedthemorning with the best intentions. After speaking with his brother, he assembled a plan that fell apart the second he walked by her office. She always caught his eye when he walked in to start his day, but today the pull to go to her and make sure she was okay was almost too much to ignore. Then she walked into his office in that nearly see-through blouse and a scarf covering his marks, and it took everything in his power to not bend her over his desk and remind her of who she was to him. Thinking he could keep his hands and dick to himself was futile. He needed a new arrangement, one that would be mutually beneficial to the both of them.
“Hey, I’m about ready to get out of here. Are you going to be much longer?”
“If you give me about ten minutes, I’ll be ready to leave when you are. Do you want to pick up dinner on the way home or should we cook?”
Isabel let out a small laugh. “This is still so weird, isn’t it?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Alright then, umm, how about I call and order paella? It will probably be delivered by the time we get home.”
“That works.”
That they had been friends for years was something that worked for their benefit. Things like ordering out their favorite foods was a comfort he didn’t take lightly.
About an hour later, they were back at the penthouse, eating dinner. He had done everything in his power to keep his hands to himself throughout the day. Even though they worked together on most clients, some days their responsibilities took them in different directions. Luckily, today was one of those days. Other than a couple of meetings, he handled his business while she handled hers. Now that he was alone with her and in the comfort of his own home, it was getting more difficult than ever to temper the desire coursing through him.
“I think we should discuss a few things.”
Isabel’s entire body tensed as her hand stopped moving toward her wine that she was reaching for.
“Relax Iz, it’s nothing bad. At least I don’t think it is.”
“Okay, what’s up?”
He stood and picked up their plates. “Take your wine into the living room. I’ll be there as soon as I clean this all up.”
“I can help.”
“No, I’ve got it. Actually, I’ll bring your wine, why don’t you go change? Get into something more comfortable.”
“Umm... okay.”
As she stood, he could tell she was uneasy with him wanting to talk. He put the dishes down in the sink and went to her before she left the room. He reached for her hand and pulled her into his arms, placing a soft kiss on her lips. “Don’t overthink things. I just want to make some changes to our… relationship agreement. Changes I think you will like, okay?”
She nodded her head and stepped back. Micah stood where he was and watched her bend down to pick up her high heels. She had slipped them off under the table while they ate. Even with his reassurance, he could feel her nervousness as she made her way down the hallway to the bedrooms. As much as they had gotten to know each other over the years, there were still gaping holes in the information he had about Isabel. He had never seen her with another man, and yet it never seemed as if that was something she desired. But now, after one night with her, he could tell the need for reinforcement from him was strong. He could see how pleased she was when he rewarded her with words and attention. Her actions made him wonder if it was him, or if it was something she had always been missing, something she needed from a partner that she hadn’t received.
Micah cleaned up the kitchen and made his way to the oversized black leather couch. He placed her wine and his whiskey on the table next to him and was flipping through emails on his phone when she entered the room. She stood before him in a pair of black sleep shorts that barely covered her ass and a tank top so tight he could see her nipples begging to be teased.
“Fuck, Iz. How are we supposed to talk with you dressed like that?”
“It’s what you asked me to wear.”
He nodded his head and motioned for her to come to him. “Sit with me.”
She approached wearily, but when he patted his lap, she did as she was told and crawled into his arms and he began stroking her hair. “Good girl.”
Isabel relaxed in his arms and laid her head on his chest. She let out a soft sigh, and he hoped beyond hope she would agree to what he was about to propose.
Isabel’s day had been emotionally draining. After her and Micah’s run-in earlier in the morning, she did her best to get on with her day. Mostly, she succeeded, even though she was severely sleep-deprived, and it was as if her mind wanted to replay every hot and dirty thing the two of them had done the night before. It was impossible to concentrate with him by her side, so she hid away in her office most of the day. Anytime she surfaced he would find her, and since the office now knew about their relationship, it was clear he wasn’t concerned with people seeing him place his hand on her back, or lean in and whisper something to her. She had met with Nadia in Human Resources to sign documents disclosing their relationship and met with Micah’s attorney to have NDA’s drawn up. He had no idea she had taken steps to protect the both of them today, but that wasn’t too different from things she had done for him over the years. The only difference was this time, the woman was her.
“You wanted to talk?” she asked once she had settled comfortably into his lap.
“I did. What happened between us last night isn’t something I will give up... not yet anyway, so I wanted to talk about our arrangement and see if you would be interested in making some changes.”
She was expecting him to tell her it would never happen again, not that he wanted more from her.