Page 20 of Savage Game
Stony-faced, Mr. Nolan replied, “Two or three dates hardly counts as a relationship, so I don’t understand why you would say something like that.” The flexing of his grip on her hip told Charlotte he wasn’t as calm and collected as he appeared.
Kimberly’s beautiful face contorted into an unappealing disgruntled and spoiled expression, red splotches forming on her cheeks. Her angry countenance reminded Charlotte so much of Liam before he struck out, she braced for a blow.
Alerted by her stiff posture, her companion shifted and firmly pulled her even closer against him. “Looks like the line has moved along and it’s our turn. Enjoy your evening, Kimberly.” Without giving the woman any more attention, he turned them around and guided Charlotte into the restaurant.
Charlotte glanced over her shoulder and shuddered at the daggers Kimberly was shooting from her eyes at both her and the back of Byron’s head.
8
Day Eight
A headache formed behind his temples, and a crippling stiffness in between his shoulder blades crept toward his jaw. Cricking his neck, Byron forced himself to lower his shoulders and unclench his teeth.
He studied Charlotte over the rim of his coffee mug. Taking her out to dinner had been a mistake. She hadn’t been ready to face the outside world. After their encounter with Kimberly, Charlotte acted withdrawn and preoccupied, so he cut her some slack. But giving her space hadn’t worked before and neither did it now. She needed his dominance as much as he craved her submission.
“Come here, Kittycat.” He turned sideways on his seat.
She bit her lip and hesitated.
He waited. Byron didn’t have a shred of doubt in his mind whether or not she would obey or not. He knew the power of silent domination.
When she stepped forward after long seconds, her open and vulnerable expression pleased him almost as much as her willingness to accept his hand.
Using her arm as a leash, he pulled her between his spread thighs and curled his fingers around her hips in a light hold. “I want to apologize for last night.”
Her head snapped up. “W—what?”
“I should have considered the possibility of running into acquaintances, and how doing so would make you uncomfortable.”
Her mouth formed a perfect “O” and he called himself an asshole and a bastard when her parted lips conjured all kinds of X-rated imagines in his mind. This was not the time to add sex in the mix—not if he wanted her trust.
“I’m not saying I won’t take you out again, but let’s stay in the penthouse and get to know each other a little better before we venture out in the future, okay?”
When she didn’t reply, he squeezed her sides in a silent reprimand, and she jumped and squirmed. “Y—yes, Sir.”
He circled her hipbones, and she wiggled some more. “Ticklish?” The corners of his mouth tipped up.
Her eyes widened, and she shook her head like a dog shaking off water.
“Oh”—amusement sparked to life inside him and lightened his heart—“I think you are.”
Anchoring her with his hands on her hips, he filed the information away. He would put the knowledge to use later. “Let me feed you, so we can begin our workday. I like having you in my office, little kitten.”
“You do?” Opening her eyes even further, she didn’t resist when he pulled her onto his lap.
He hummed and scooped some fruit salad and yogurt on a spoon. “Very much so. I enjoy you working with me.” He fed her the bite, used his thumb to wipe a dollop of yogurt from the corner of her mouth and licked the digit, liking the taste of her and the yogurt. “You did a fine job with the contracts, and when you sit at my feet so I can touch you and stroke your hair, it relaxes me and helps me concentrate.”
After she chewed and swallowed another bite, she gave him a real smile. “Thank you. That means a lot to me. You know, um, being useful and valuable.”
He dropped the spoon and pulled her against his chest. She let out a happy sigh and snuggled her face in the crook of his neck, rubbing her head against him like the cat he called her.
Byron leaned back in his chair. His chest filled with warmth and contentment. He rested his cheek on top of her hair and breathed in the delicious scent of the shampoo he bought for her. Call him a caveman but he liked to imprint himself on her.
Awareness flickered at the edge of his mind.
If I feel this profoundly about her in a week, how must I feel after a month?
Second-guessing however wasn’t in his nature, nor was self-doubt or holding back when he saw something he desired. When being honest—and he prided himself on always being straightforward—he was a ruthless bastard when he wanted something. When Byron aspired something, he pursued it until he acquired what he coveted, and he wanted her more than his next breath.
