Page 48 of The Charmer's Gambit
Every part of my body felt alive and more sensitive than usual. When I pulled off my clothes, my nipples hardened to a painful degree and my legs trembled. The water felt like daggers against my burn but massaged other parts of my body in interesting ways. Especially when it dribbled over my belly to the apex between my thighs. Will had awoken something inside of me that did not want to be put to rest, which was likely his intention all along.
Determined, insufferable man.
I soaped myself clean with light, hesitant touches and rinsed my hair. It did nothing to put out the fire brewing deep inside, nor did dressing in my charcoal-gray skirt suit. My pale blueblouse seemed to stick to my clammy skin, and my lacy bra abraded my tender skin. By the time I walked downstairs, I was a hot mess, while Will looked the epitome of sexy casual in his black slacks and white button-down. The sleeves were rolled to his elbows, and his collar was open since he’d forgone the tie. My eyes trailed over every inch of him.Finedidn’t even begin to cover it.
“You look hungry,” he murmured. “Banana?” He held up my usual breakfast of choice, but his innocent tone and gesture were not lost on me.
“Funny,” I grumbled, grabbing the fruit from his hand.
“Someone needs coffee.” He pushed over a fresh mug. “You were two minutes late, by the way.”
“My hair wasn’t cooperating.” A partial truth. The hair dryer had been too hot this morning thanks to my hypersensitized skin. It’d taken an extra five minutes to finagle a solution, which resulted in the partial bun at the back of my head. “Besides, our meeting starts in fifteen minutes.” Plenty of time. I peeled the banana and took a bite while he watched me over his coffee mug.
“I look forward to you doing that to my cock.”
I choked on the fruit in my mouth and had to force myself to swallow.Holy shit. He said that so casually, like he was commenting on the weather or something.
“How are you feeling about the meeting?” he asked in that same tone, completely unfazed by my reaction or the fact that I was openly gaping at him. “Ready?”
I took a fortifying sip of my coffee while he observed in that relaxed way of his. How he managed to maintain nonchalance after saying something like that, I would never know. Because my face was on fire. He said nothing as I continued holding my cup like a lifeline and taking the caffeine into my body. Why I thought drinking a hot liquid would help was beyond me. It only seemed to sizzle my insides.
“So this is you flustered?” He sounded so amused. “It’s cute.”
“Jackass,” I managed.
His dimples flashed. “There’s my favorite lawyer. You know how much I adore our verbal sparring.”
“Verbal sparring?” I repeated, my wit returning. “You mean all those conversations where you failed to understand the wordno?”
He brushed his knuckles over my cheek. “You weren’t sayingnolast night, darlin’. I believe I heard the wordyesroll off those luscious lips more than once.”
And the heat was back. Awesome. Just what I needed five minutes before our conference call. I cleared my throat, forced the banana down my gullet—much to Will’s amusement—and slammed my coffee cup on the table. This meeting could make or break my career, and I wasn’t going to let a little flirtation unsettle years of poised confidence. Even if I did still feel like a furnace.
“You better behave yourself, Mister Mershano. Or what you just witnessed with that banana is never going to happen to your cock.”
Excitement brightened his expression, which was the opposite of my intent. “Duly noted, Miss Dawson. Shall we take the call in my office?”
I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge—I had a feeling I would need it—and nodded. We’d spent a lot of time in his oversized home office this week, both working at his desk and reviewing all the materials Baker Brown put together for the meetings next week.
The purpose of this morning’s call was to go over any residual questions or concerns Will had. It also served as a way to confirm whether or not I was ready for the meetings next week. If they sensed even the slightest bit of hesitation, I knew one or both of them would join us in France. Mershano Vineyards wastoo big a client to disappoint, and we were down to the wire with our flight leaving in less than twelve hours.
I smoothed my hand over my jacket while Will fiddled with his teleconferencing equipment. When Jeff and Janet appeared on his projector screen, I smiled. It was time to knock their socks off.
18
Flying First Class
“So this is how the other half lives, huh?” I’d expected to fly coach to Paris, but Will had other plans.
We were in a first-class suite; a commercial airline feature I didn’t know existed until today. Standard business class, sure, but this was something else entirely. There were only two other people up here, one on each side with their windows, while we sat in the middle in our own little nook that came with curtains for privacy. My seat rivaled an oversized recliner chair, which, according to the video we watched prior to takeoff, would magically transform into a full-length bed after dinner.
I sipped my second glass of champagne and fluttered my stocking-clad feet. My pumps were the first items I’d stowed in our closet, much to Will’s amusement. He’d tried to convince me to wear jeans for the flight, but I’d refused. This was a work trip first and foremost, and I was determined to dress the part. So he’d worn his slacks and a button-down, saying he didn’t want me to be the only formally clad person on the plane. I had smirked when a man in a business suit entered the private nook to my right, and Will had just shaken his head.
“You need to decide what you want for dinner,” he said now as he passed me a five-course menu.
I handed the fancy leather book right back to him. “This is your world, millionaire. Order for me.”
He arched a brow. “Now who’s being bossy?”
