Page 36 of Salvatore

“You didn’t mean any disrespect?” she repeats. If I didn’t think she could stiffen anymore, I was wrong. “And there’s nothing wrong with how I am?” she asks, spinning her chair slowly to face me. “Really?”

“That’s right.”

She glares at me with enough hate to kill. “And, how am I?” she asks.

She’s pissed. I’m not used to anyone?especially a woman calling me out. I should walk on outta here before I bury myself deeper than I am.

But I don’t.

“Sweet,” I tell her, my deep voice dropping. “It’s why I like you.”

Her jaw pops open, but she recovers fast. “That’s not how you made me feel,” she says. “You made me feel?” She steals a glance at the window and sighs before turning back to me. “You made me feel dirty.”

“What?”

She waits, as if debating whether to continue. For as mad as she is, it’s the hurt I pick up on when she finally speaks. “The way you pulled away from me was so abrupt, it was as if I was something loathsome to touch.”

“That’s not how I meant it,” I grind out. Shit. I messed up and my actions crushed her.

“Whether you meant it or not, that’s how I felt.” She brushes her hair away, even though it’s not in her face. “You believe in a promiscuous lifestyle, which is why you barely blink knowing your brothers are sexually active. I don’t share your perspective. I never have. But I don’t judge you or think less of you for your beliefs. Because of it, I expect the same respect back.”

I lean forward, placing my forearms on my knees. “I respect you. I respect you more than anyone I know. But I’m not going to lie. When you told me what you were, you knocked me on my ass?given what we were doing and how hard you were making me?it’s the last thing I expected you to say.”

Her eyes widen in time with her flushing face. “My, you just put it all out there, don’t you?”

I hold her gaze. “Yeah. I do.” I give her a moment to collect herself before I ask what I’ve wanted to know. “Why didn’t you tell me to stop or to slow down?”

She lowers her chin and rubs her hands, surprising me by returning her gaze to mine when she answers. “I liked what we were doing and I became carried away.”

My focus drifts to the floor, the lust in her tone and the heat in her deep blue irises making me instantly hard.

“I didn’t mean to tease you,” she adds, luring my attention back to her face. “And I apologize if that’s what it seemed like. It wasn’t my intention.” Again, she strokes her hair, giving away her nervousness, showing me how bad it’s killing her to say what she says. “But like I said, I was carried away with how you were touching me.”

“Have dinner with me,” I say before I can stop myself.

She stills. “What?”

I rise slowly and stalk toward her. “I said have dinner with me. Tomorrow at six or later if you want.”

She stands and starts to gather her things, giving me her back. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. It didn’t work out well last time.”

I edge closer, curling my body so that it hovers above hers. “Last time I screwed up,” I whisper. “It won’t happen again.”

Her shoulders rise and fall with her deep intakes of air. I don’t notice I’m doing the same until she pivots to face me. “I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she repeats, her voice shaking.

She’s right. It’s not. But that doesn’t stop me from cupping her face and meeting her lips with mine.

My hold on her is gentle despite the aggression of my tongue. It moves deep into her mouth, seeking her out, claiming her as mine.

My lips are fastened to hers, but my fingers barely brush her skin. If she wants to step away, she can. But she doesn’t, giving me everything I give her, her moans inciting a deep growl in my throat.

She breaks our kiss, backing away and slamming her ass against her desk. “I think you should go,” she says.

“Why?” I ask, unable to keep the heavy rumble from my voice.

“I’m not going to sleep with you.”

“I wasn’t asking you to.”

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