My smile dropped instantly.
“Tay, I’ve got to go. I’ve got so much stuff to do today, it makes me wish I had the money for an assistant.” She hung up then walked back into the room, holding a steaming mug. She didn’t notice me right away. When she reached her desk, she nearly jumped out of her heels and spilled her beverage all over her body. “Oh god…how long have you been sitting there?”
I grinned in response.
She set her mug down and sighed in humiliation. “Will I ever not embarrass myself in your presence?”
“I hope not.” I rose from the chair and came around her desk, entering her personal space quicker than I normally would. After hearing that conversation, I knew she was seriously into me. That gave me some leverage.
Her cheeks started to flush rose pink in embarrassment. She ran her fingers through her hair anxiously, her green eyes no longer possessing their usual fire.
“I’ll even the score. After I dropped you off, I went home and beat off twice—thinking about you.” That was personal and true, and to most people, probably a little embarrassing. I should have walked out before I invaded her personal conversation, and now I actually felt a little guilty about it. “Does that help?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat and her cheeks tinted a darker shade. Instead of just being embarrassed, she was aroused. At least the latter was better than the former. “Yeah…I guess.”
“And after we met in the bar, I did the same.” I put more of my cards on the table, wanting her to know the exact hand I possessed. Her charming personality and her flushed cheeks made me even more fond of her. Unlike most women, she was real. She was upfront and honest, and she wasn’t too proud to admit when she was vulnerable. Only a truly confident woman could be that way.
“Getting better.”
“And I haven’t felt this way about a woman in…forever.” That wasn’t some lie to get her to open her legs. That was the truth, and I didn’t even understand it yet. I saw her in that bar, fell hard, and when she slapped me, I fell even harder. My fascination wasn’t just with her appearance and her boldness. It ran deeper than that, but I still couldn’t explain it. I wanted her to be my submissive, but since she was nothing like a submissive, I couldn’t figure out why I wanted her so much. Maybe because she was a challenge—the biggest one I’d ever faced.
Her eyes softened and her cheeks finally returned to their naturally fair color. The freckle in the corner of her mouth contrasted against the pale skin, and her bright eyes reminded me of stars. “We’re even.”
I took her to lunch at a Mediterranean place just down the street. To my annoyance, she ordered a side salad instead of anything on the entrée menu. Maybe she had a big breakfast and she wasn’t that hungry, so I didn’t give her shit about it. She was extremely thin but curvy, and I hoped she didn’t starve herself to look that way.
Natural light filtered through the window and cast her in a good view. Her eyes reflected the winter sunlight, and her brown hair looked almost red under the bright light. Like an angel with a halo, she glowed.
“What’s the next project you’re working on?”
She was asking me about work, the biggest thing we had in common. “With the holidays around the corner, we’re organizing a gift drive. We’re raising money for Christmas gifts for ten thousand working families in Manhattan.”
With passion, her eyes lit up. “That’s so wonderful. Are you mostly collecting toys?”
“We’re collecting gifts for adults too. That way the whole family has something to open on Christmas morning. It comes with a tree, ornaments and lights, and a dinner.”
Her eyes glowed even further. “That’s such a great idea. That will make their day so wonderful.”
“You’re more than welcome to participate.” I knew her organization had their own projects, but it didn’t hurt to team up together. After all, we were all working toward the same cause.
“I would love to.”
I knew she would agree, and I was hoping she would for selfish reasons. “What are you working on?”
“Food kitchens for the homeless. They usually receive canned goods from the Salvation Army, but we’re trying to get more nutritious foods all year round. Around the holidays, volunteers put the effort in to help, but after January, the homeless are abandoned all over again. I really want to change that.” She took a few bites of her tiny salad then sipped her iced tea.
“That sounds great.”
“I’ve got a good team to help me out. I can’t be everywhere at once, so they’re my eyes, ears, and hands.”