Page 26 of Erik

She waggles her long tail, chases it a couple of times, and stands on her rear legs to paw my thigh. Penny reads me like a book, doing her best to cheer me up. And one of my favorite things she does is this patting with her right paw.

I shake her paw as I’d do when greeting a person. “Who’s a good girl?”

She barks.

“Don’t give me that, you know you aren’t.” I burst out laughing and stretch back up. I open the double-door fridge. “Let’s cook something yummy for our guest?” I turn to Penny at my feet, and grump, “That’s going to be fun.”

With her tongue lolling out, she pricks her ears, waving at me once with her fluffy tail.

“Happy, huh? That makes one of us.”

“Dad!” Liam shouts through the stairwell, two stories above me. “Are you coming with us this time? Disneyland is awesome!”

I shout back, “Gotta work, munchkin. Maybe next time.”

My heart stutters. How many times have I repeated those words to him? It guts me that I never fulfill that promise. Even though, it’s for his own protection.

11

Christine

On my way out, I check the grandfather clock against the wall of the entrance hall. I’ll never make it to Carmel in time if I drive there. I’d better take the Harley. Glancing at my reflection in the full-body mirror opposite the clock, I scratch my head, and groan. Riding a motorcycle isn’t an ideal choice when wearing a silk skirt. If I go upstairs for the fiftieth time to change outfits, I might as well call Erik and cancel the whole thing.

With a huff, I shrug, lock the front door, and dash through the house toward the kitchen. I swing the garage door open, and sprint to the silver motorcycle parked beside the convertible. In the saddlebag, I store a bottle of Bordeaux I picked from the cellar earlier. I straddle the bike, smooth open a note Erik left for me in the dressing room, and log his address into the navigation app.

During the hour-long ride down the coast, I take a deep dive into the reasons I’m complying with Erik’s summons to dinner. For starters - the way it all went down. He announced we’d have dinner, and I didn’t react. I should have confronted him. Now, I’ve got to prove I’m not just another wide-eyed groupie, despite recent make-out session in soundstage five.

Taking a sharp bend of the road to the right, I lean the bike as close to the ground as possible without scraping my knee. As adrenaline rushes through my veins, I rejoice not having followed Hadley’s advice to buy a cruiser. My racing heart reminds me of the undeniable attraction that exists between Erik and me. It pulls me to him like a phantom cord. If I allow this feeling to control me, I’ll lose sight of who I am. I can’t let that happen. It’s taken me years in therapy to find my voice. I won’t let anyone silence me again, not even a god’s gift to women such as Erik Crawford.

Tonight is about regaining control of my libido, and asserting where I stand in this fluid relationship. We both must deal with secrets and demons from our pasts. I can’t lose sight of my accomplishments, or the triggers will overwhelm me.

Facts to keep in mind to survive this dinner: Erik has offered to tutor me. We’ve discovered we’ve got explosive chemistry. If I decide to sleep with him, it’s got to be on my own terms.

“My terms, not his”, I mutter under my breath, fogging the visor.

As my bike gobbles up the road, I repeat those words out loud as if they were a protective mantra. I wish they’d give me the balance I crave to get to the end of this night with my mental health intact. Still, the butterflies multiply inside my stomach with each milepost that flies by me.

At ten past seven, the app informs me, through the helmet intercom system, that I’ve reached my destination. I stop at a double iron gate coated in matte black paint; and press a round button on a pole beside it. With a loud whirring, the gates clank open. Although my expertise lies in cybersecurity, I take personal safety seriously. I frown at the thought nobody would check before buzzing me in. A tiny red flash among the leaves of a bush by the gate catches my eyes. I relax the taut muscles on my shoulders. I squint to confirm Erik’s security team has chosen state-of-the-art technology to guard his front gate.

As I ride up the mile-long driveway, I gawk at the massive structure hugging a cliff over the Pacific. Sunset rays reflect on the limestone, coating the building with a breathtaking orange glow.

“Of course!” I cackle as I take off the helmet. “He lives in a freaking castle!” I square my shoulders. “You’ve got this.”

The effects of the self-administered pep talk turn to smoke when Erik swings the front-door open and holds my stare hostage. Damn the man for being so jaw-dropping gorgeous.

He’s ditched the ever-present leather suit for a fitted charcoal shirt over tailored black slacks that hug bulging thighs.

I blink a couple of times, but my brain refuses to jumpstart. I mumble, “Hello.”

With a grin, he sidesteps, and slashes the air with a hand, gesturing for me to enter.

Eyes still locked on his, I step into the hallway, and hand him the wine. “Thanks for having me.”

He deposits the wrapped bottle on an accent table, trapping my hand between his. Thumbing it, he murmurs, “Pleasure is all mine.”

My heart drums inside my chest, when the familiar sexual energy charges the space around us, raising the hair on my nape. That ghost bond pulls at my midsection connecting us. It grows stronger as he massages the soft pad between my thumb and index finger.

Damn the consequences. I crush his solid torso, wrapping my arms around his waist, hooking my hands around his shoulders. He grabs my butt, pulling me against his erection, searing my lips in a hungry kiss. His tongue flicks mine as I moan. He pushes me against a wall, my legs wobble. He hoists my knee to his hip, grinding his cock against me. I wrap my leg around his waist. We grunt when he covers my breast with a large hand, tweaking the hard nipple over the lace of the bra. Heady pleasure makes my mind swirl as I suck in air when he traces a hot line down my neck. I should stop him. Making out up against the entrance wall is wrong on so many levels. Why does it feel so damn good? I moan when he nips my shoulder.

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