Page 47 of Dirty Intentions

As I lay in my bed later that night waiting for the knock which never came, I realized I needed to heed my own words. It was time to be done with whatever I’d had with Shane. Although I’d told myself it was only sex, my wounded feelings were calling me a liar.

***

Shane

If we’d been in a relationship, which we weren’t, I would have chased after her. Knocked on her door and fucked her into understanding I didn’t want her around the sometimes rowdy crowd that attended New Year’s Eve. But we weren’t, which is why I was nursing my whiskey, hard and alone, in my condo a couple blocks away. I looked out the windows over the city and tried not to wonder what Daniella would think of the view. Then I cursed myself for the thought. I realized the best thing for both of us would be for her to finish the job and move on.

The next morning I was at the club at the crack of dawn. I loved this hour because there weren’t a lot of people about. The chef, a couple security guys, but no patrons since we didn’t open the doors until three o’clock. Even then, it never got busy before nine.

After I climbed the stairs to my office, I was shocked to see Daniella already at my desk, poring over receipts and typing into her spreadsheet. I took a moment, drinking her in, hating that after one night without her, I’d missed her.

“Good morning.”

She looked up but didn’t smile. “’Morning.”

“You’re here early.”

“I was hoping a fresh start would help fill in the holes in the information Heather provided me. It hasn’t.”

I sighed, thinking Heather would go ballistic if Daniella questioned her. “What’s missing?”

She frowned. “I don’t know.”

I walked towards her and looked over her shoulder at a spreadsheet that would make my eyes cross. “If you don’t know, then how can you accuse—?”

“Whoa, I’m not accusing. I’m simply stating that something doesn’t add up. Considering she wasn’t exactly forthcoming with all of the requested information, it could be a matter of that, or it could be my lack of understanding. Maybe I need a tutorial on the inventory.”

“Aside from Heather, Max is the most familiar with the bar area. I’m sure when he comes in, he can give you one.”

I wasn’t trying to blow her off. It was just fact. Max loved to man the bar from time to time as his roots were in bartending. My expertise was more on the financials and security. But Daniella’s face betrayed she wasn’t buying it.

“Okay, I’ll speak to Max, then.”

“Look, it isn’t personal. He really does know the bar better than I do.”

She took off her glasses and leveled me with her gaze. “Some of the girls mentioned you normally perform on New Year’s Eve. If you want out of our agreement for that, then I’d understand.”

Would she, now? The thought instantly pissed me off. “Oh, yeah? You’re okay with the thought of me fucking another woman?”

She flinched, and I knew I’d gone too far. “Maybe I wouldn’t care.”

My brows went high. If it weren’t for her blush or the fact she couldn’t meet my gaze, I might’ve believed her. I pulled her up for her chair, and framed her face with my hands. “You wouldn’t care, huh?”

She lifted her chin while defiance showed in her eyes.

“You wouldn’t care if it’s not your mouth on me, not your pussy or your ass that I’m fucking?” I was pushing her, recognizing the last thing I wanted was for her not to care. Because the very thought of her with another man made me feel like I was going to lose my shit. Which is one of the reasons I didn’t want her down on the floor. It was also why I was trying, unsuccessfully, to wean myself off of her.

“I wouldn’t want to,” she finally relented, maybe not expecting the same feelings I was warring with.

“Me, either. Come on.” I led her into the bedroom next door and quickly lost my jacket and tie.

“What are you doing?”

“What I should’ve been doing last night. Fucking you senseless.”

“The wedding and morning after freaked you out, didn’t it?”

Clearly, she needed an explanation before anything would happen. Not exactly the order I would’ve preferred, but I got it. “Yes. I didn’t know what to do. That isn’t my world, and this isn’t yours. And this thing between us is more than I expected.” There, I’d manned up and said it.

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