I rub my hand over my forehead. “There’s a chance that we’re going to be working together. My company is my life. I feel like I’m on the cusp of finally getting what I want and I can’t risk that.”
His eyes narrow. “You don’t think we can get to know each other on a personal level at the same time we enter a business partnership?”
“I don’t have any experience in that,” I say honestly. “Do you?”
The way his jaw tightens answers my question for me. He’s fucked other women that he’s partnered with.
It makes sense. He’s a handsome man with a body that makes me weak in the knees. His other female business partners must feel the same attraction to him that I do.
Rhoda just rose on my sliding scale from a D to an A-plus.
I won’t be stung with a needle of jealousy whenever I hear her talk about who else she is partnering with.
I’m not naïve enough to think that sex with Rocco would lead to a relationship, but intimacy without at least some familiarity attached to it doesn’t work for me.
I’m not looking for a promise of exclusivity before I go down on a man, but I like to know something about him beyond what excites him in bed.
My phone buzzes. I reach down and fish in my purse for it. I scan the screen before I silence it.
Rising to my feet, I scrub my hand over my forehead. “I need to get back to work.”
He’s out of his chair. “I’ll go with you. We’ll continue our discussion on the way.”
I shoulder my bag and round his desk. “You don’t need to do that.”
He steps in front of me. It’s not a move meant to intimidate me. I can see that in the tenderness in his eyes. He’s concerned or maybe curious. There’s something unspoken lingering in his expression.
“I can’t ignore what’s happening between us.” His voice is deep. “I’m very attracted to you. I want to get to know you better.”
I want the same thing, but it’s not as cut and dry as he seems to think it is.
“I have an important decision to make about who I want to partner with.” I sigh. “This is a big deal to me and I don’t want to fuck it up by letting my attraction to you cloud my judgment.”
His mouth curves into a smile. “You admit that you’re attracted to me?”
I hold his gaze, my lips parting. “I need to get back to work.”
His hand jumps to my face, his thumb grazing a path over the corner of my mouth.
For the briefest moment I think he’s going to kiss me, and I know that I won’t stop him, but that’s not what happens.
He brings his thumb to his mouth and flicks his tongue over the pad of it. “Lemon sauce and you. Delicious.”
Arousal perks deep inside me.
I take a deep breath and move back one full step. “Thank you for lunch.”
“It was my pleasure. I’ll be in touch.”
“See you soon,” I say before I realize the weight of those words.
“Indeed,” he shoots back as I walk past him on my way out the door.
Chapter 25
Dexie
“If I weren’t a very happily married woman, I’d be baking some muffins to take over to your neighbor’s apartment right about now.”