Page 15 of Shattered

“Today?” she asked, a small amount of trepidation in her voice.Nothing like surprising the hell out of her.Way to go, Devera.

“Yeah.I’m all finished up at work, and I’m starving.”There was silence for a brief moment.“Please don’t make me eat alone.People will talk.”My voice was light, a chuckle escaping to show her I was trying my best to be casual and airy.Fuck, this is hard.All I wanted to do was swing by and steal her for the afternoon.Not ask permission.Just whisk her away before she could refuse.I might have gotten away with it before, but our situation was different.I had to follow the rules, whatever the hell those were, and tread carefully.

One wrong move and she’d run away for good.

“Please,” I pleaded again.I needed to get her alone, have her close to me.Knowing I still had a profound effect on her, I needed to remind her of our chemistry.If I had nothing but the physical to go on right then, I’d take it and exploit the shit out of it.

“Okay, yes.Let me talk to Matt quickly and make sure he can close up for me.”My jaw twitched hearing his name.“Let me call you right back.”

“Sounds good.Talk soon,” I said as I ended the call.Pacing my office was a new occurrence for me.People waited on me, not the other way around.But if the person I was waiting for was Sara, then I would suck it up and give her the time she needed.

During our brief time together, I knew she realized I was a bit of a control freak.I liked things done a certain way, and when I asked someone to do something, I’d like them to comply and not give me an argument.Normally, people didn’t ignore or refuse me, but Sara was completely different.In no way, shape or form did I want to dictate her every move or control her life.But Ididwant her to listen to me when I asked her to do something if I believed she was entering a situation which wasn’t safe or wise.

But all in due time.I couldn’t completely change the man I was, but I would try my hardest to rein in my demands a bit, do my best to be reasonable.Damnit, I hate that word.'Reasonable.'

Sara called me back not ten minutes later.Twenty minutes after that, we were headed toward our destination.

~~~~

“Do you own this place, Alek?” she asked as I ushered her through the front door, steering her toward a booth near the back of the restaurant.I brought her there because I knew she’d love the old-world architectural charm.Plus, the lighting was dim, giving way to the perfect setting for something quaint and intimate.

“Actually, yes.Do you like it?”I waited for her to answer as I pulled out her chair.Only once she was nice and cozy did I take my own seat.While sitting directly across from her gave me the best view, I longed to be closer.Clasping my hands together, I rested them on the table and smiled, waiting for her to say something.Anything.

The pure lilt to her voice did strange things to me.It was light and feminine but also strong yet extremely sexy.

“I do.It’s really quite beautiful.”I couldn’t help but become lost in her, probably staring a bit too intently across the table.“What?Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, nervously shifting in her seat.

Is it wrong I love the fact I can make her uneasy?If she didn’t care anything about me at all, she would be truly nonchalant, letting me know exactly what her feelings were for me.But no, she was nervous and it was a good sign.

“Are you sure you want the answer?”I licked my lips in habit but when her eyes flew to my mouth, fixating on it, I smiled and licked them again.The second time on purpose.I would use anything in my arsenal toremindher she wanted to constantly be near me.

“No, I don’t.Because whatever you’re thinking won’t be happening anytime soon, especially not out in the open like this.Even if youarethe owner.”She cocked her brow, a smirk playing nicely on her lovely lips.

Sass.I love it.

“Do I hear a challenge, Ms. Hawthorne?”I couldn’t help myself.

She looked stunned for a brief moment but it was washed away when I winked, calming her immediately.I would love nothing than to ravage her, other patrons be damned, but I knew enough not to push too much too quickly.

She did her best to remain stoic.“I think we should focus on lunch.”She hid behind her menu, but I saw it.The smile which overtook her beautiful face was too big for me not to notice.

I wondered what she was thinking.Was she picturing herself beneath me?Was she remembering what I tasted like when I ravaged her mouth?Was she remembering what my cock felt like buried deep inside her?

“Alek,” she called out, tearing me from my wayward thoughts.

“Oh, sorry.Did you ask me something?”

Her face looked so cute all scrunched up.“Yes, I did.Where were you just now?What were you thinking about?”

I’m picturing fucking you.

“You.”I’d told the truth, leaving out a few minor details.

“Well, I’m right here,” she said, reaching across the table and brushing her fingers over the top of my hand.But she pulled away quickly, not lingering for too long.

“What did you ask me?”

The waitress interrupted us before she could answer, standing a little too close to me to be appropriate.I ignored her, all of my focus on the gorgeous woman across from me.

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