Page 30 of Edge of Secrets

I lifted myself up. Her face was turned away. She couldn’t meet my eyes.

A strange feeling of shyness hit me, too. I felt humbled, uncertain. I didn’t know if she’d felt what I’d felt—and the post-coital crash of doubt chilled me.

I pulled out of the tight clutch of her body.

The condom was a problem. No way in hell was I leaving it in the trash can in the conference room. I rummaged on the table for the drugstore bag the box had been in, peeled the condom off, sealed it up. Tongue-tied as a thirteen-year-old boy who’d just had his first lay. I hastened to shove my still-hard dick back into my pants and fasten them, with some discomfort, before I dared to even look at her.

She’d straightened her own clothing in the meantime. Her panties were back on. Her stockings were up, her skirt tugged down. She was fastening her garters.

And she was waiting for me to speak first. For fuck’s sake. Women were always the talkative ones. This was the first time in my life I’d ever actually wanted one of those long, awkward silences to break.

“Are you, uh, okay?” I ventured.

She nodded.

So much for that brilliant attempt. “That was incredible,” I offered.

“Yes,” she agreed.

I felt a spark of hope. “I didn’t mean for things to happen so fast,” I offered.

She stifled a soft, whispery giggle. “Me neither,” she murmured.

So far, so good. Thank God, she wasn’t getting all emotional on me. Maybe she was actually reasonable. “Well, there’s no going back now,” I said.

She crossed her arms. “Meaning?”

“Meaning, I think we’re on to something here. It’ll be complicated, but it’s worth it to me. Let’s get some dinner, and we can hammer out the details.”

“Details?” she repeated, her voice slow and deliberate. “What details?”

“The details of our mutually beneficial arrangement,” I explained. “It’ll need to be secret, for obvious reasons, but I’m sure we can make it work. I’ll take you to my condo. We’ll order some dinner in, and I’ll show you just how beneficial it can be.”

The second she flipped the light switch on, I blinked. The sheer, blazing fury on her face rocked me back on my heels. The fuck?

She started shoving things into her purse. “I don’t fucking think so,” she said.

I frowned. “Nell?—”

“That’s Ms. D’Onofrio to you.” She stuffed the last of her things into her bag. “You can take your mutually beneficial arrangement and shove it right up your ass.”

She slung her purse over her shoulder and stalked out, black curls bouncing with each furious step.

I lunged after her, grabbing her shoulder to spin her around. “Nell! Wait! At least tell me what I?—”

“Don’t touch me.” She flinched away. She vibrated with rage.

“You didn’t complain about me touching you ten minutes ago,” I pointed out. “Are you fucking with me? Because we both know that was mutual.”

“No, I am not fucking with you.” She spat each word out. “It looks like we were fucking with each other, but we’re done with that. Definitively.”

I still was not getting it. “What the fuck? Just tell me if I need to call my lawyer.”

She let out an explosive breath. “No, Burke. I’m not setting you up for a lawsuit. I’m not an extortionist or a con woman. If you want me to sign and notarize a piece of paper saying I came six times, I’ll?—”

“Eight,” I corrected.

“Do not push me,” she said, biting the words out. “The sex was great. You’re amazing in bed. Actually, that’s a misnomer. I’m sure you’re amazing on the floor, in the shower, up against the wall. But the minute you zip up your pants and open your mouth, you’re a rude, crass, insensitive asshole. So get out of my way.”

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