Arrogant Playboy(25)
“Oh, here.” Odessa perks up, typing into her tablet. “We have the preliminaries for the test site if you want to go over it now?”
She whips the screen around, only I can’t see it from where I’m seated. Dane’s eyes adjust and his bottom lip juts out as he scrutinizes.
“Is this something we can discuss tomorrow?” I glance at my watch, my stomach damn near echoing. I haven’t eaten in several hours. “I’m going to grab a bite to eat.”
And call some old friends because I’ll be damned if I sit around Golden Oak tasting Scotch and smoking hand-rolled cigars by the fountain that depicts torch-carrying Goddess Demeter.
That was Dane’s idea of a guy’s night last time I was in town…
“Remember we’re having dinner with Uncle Leo,” Dane says.
“I wasn’t aware that was tonight,” I say.
“We’re meeting at six.” Dane checks his wristwatch. “Sam, you’re welcomed to join. It’s a casual dinner at an old diner outside of town. I’ve given my kitchen staff the night off. You’ve been traveling all day. You deserve a decent meal.”
“I don’t want to impose,” she says.
“Uncle Leo would love to meet you.” Dane offers a warm smile. “Please. I insist.”
Odessa’s eyes search mine then return to Dane’s.
“Yes. Please.” I stand, swinging my jacket off the back of my chair. “You can sit by me.”
She ignores me, gathering her things. “Sure. I’ll join if you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.” Dane retrieves her pen. “And Sam, if you’d like to put your things in office thirty-four, it should be unlocked. Key’s in the door. It’s all yours while you’re here.”
“Perfect. Thank you.” She heads toward the door.
“Meet us at the elevator in a half hour,” Dane calls after her. He steps closer to me the second she’s out of earshot. “What the hell was that?”
“Beg your pardon?” I was about to ask him the same thing.
“You fucked her, didn’t you?” Dane’s hands hook on his hips. “Can’t leave you alone with anyone for five minutes.”
“In my defense, it was before I knew she was Sam the PR consultant. I picked her up at a bar.” I hate how seedy that sounds out loud. “She said her name was Odessa. It was only supposed to be one night.”
“You can’t fuck half of Manhattan and expect to never run into any of them again.”
“Half of Manhattan? Thanks.”
His hand flies up. “I’m sorry. That was a little harsh. But you don’t get a playboy reputation staying home on Friday nights.”
“Gotta get laid somehow,” I declare. “Not the relationship type, and I’m sure as hell not going to find what I need in some kinky sex club.”
Dane fires a daunting glare my way. I don’t know much about the Crystal Swan, I simply appreciate that his urges are distinctly different than mine. Sex for Dane has to be as mentally stimulating as it is physical, at least that’s what he told me once. I prefer not to have to think when I’m balls deep in a gorgeous woman. I don’t want her restrained, quiet, or subservient. I want her riding me, screaming my name, and digging her nails into my back.
Deliciously uninhibited.
“Are we done here?” I slice through our silence. “Because I’m fucking starving.”
My brother cracks a rare smile. I catch a glimpse of it before it fades. “Don’t fuck her again. Not while she’s working for us.”
“Same to you.” Not that I think he’d do it.
“She’s not my type, Beckham. You know that.”
“So you weren’t eye-fucking her right in front of me for the last two hours?”
“You’re delusional. And it’s called being hospitable. She’s a company guest. I was treating her as such.” Dane grabs his silver pen and tucks it into his left breast pocket, a sign that he’s done with this conversation. He takes a step past me, then another, before stopping and turning back. “You like her, don’t you?”
“Fuck, no.” I scrunch my face.
“Right.” Dane rakes his hand along his jaw, seeing right through me.
“Some girls are worth the chase.” My words are about as accurate as that God-forsaken oil portrait hanging down the hall. “Believe me, she’s not. There’s nothing special about her–”
“Ahem.”
Our attention jerks toward the doorway, where Odessa stands with folded arms and averted eyes.
“Maureen said the car’s downstairs.”