Page 16 of Dare to Love

“Add Alex and Jason too,” Ian said, escaping out the door before Olivia could stop him.

“Argh! Brothers!” Olivia grumbled, lowering herself back into her seat. “They are such a pain in the ass.”

Riley laughed. “I wouldn’t know. Only child here.”

“Well, my oldest brother is bossy, but maybe you know that already?”

“He’s... persuasive,” Riley said.

“And you’re diplomatic. Anyway...” Olivia gestured to the chair across from her desk. “Have a seat. Relax. And we’ll get you set up here.”

A few hours later, Riley had been to HR, filled out paperwork, and found herself officially employed by the Miami Thunder organization. She was given a desk in a small side office, a computer and a password into the system, and her own instant message name within the company.

All the things a working girl could ask for. Best of all, she didn’t feel like she was being given special treatment, which had worried her.

She was just about to sign out for the day when her message box blinked on her computer.

Ian:Hungry?

She laughed and typed back:Always.

Ian:I’ll come by and take you for dinner.

She wrinkled her nose at his bossiness.

Riley:That’s not asking me if I want to go.

Ian:That’s because I’m not asking. You’re hungry, I’m hungry. We’ll go get something together.

And there it was, the presumptuous side coming out. She swallowed hard, not liking the idea of being pushed.

Riley:It’s been a long day. I planned to grab something at home.

Without warning, he stepped into her office. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing an enticing expanse of tanned chest, his tie hanging loosely around his neck, and he’d slung his jacket over one arm, clearly finished for the day.

“Ready?” he said, looking more attractive than any man had a right to.

“I didn’t say yes. I’m going home.”

He frowned. “You have to eat, yes?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“Then let’s go.”

She meant to argue but somehow found herself being led to the parking lot, his possessive hand on her back. They stopped at the first spot, his name on the reserved sign. The lot had emptied out, and not many cars remained. A black Porsche waited for him there.

“Umm, my car is over there.” She pointed in the direction of her vehicle.

He frowned, as if he hadn’t thought of that. “Leave it here. We’ll figure it out later.”

“But—”

He hit his remote, the car beeped, and the doors unlocked. Before she could argue further, he nudged her toward the passenger side, and soon she was inside and buckled in. He was brilliant at getting his way, though she had to admit she hadn’t fought all that hard. She wanted to be with him even if she didn’t want him overriding her express wishes.

Enclosed in the small confines of the sports car, his cologne permeated every one of her senses. He took her to one of his favorite restaurants, an Italian place where the owner knew him by name and hovered to make sure he was satisfied with the meal and the service. To her surprise, time passed quickly with interesting chitchat and fun banter. Ian was good company, interested in everything she had to say. He asked a lot of questions about her life. Simple questions. He didn’t dig deep, but she suspected he was merely biding his time. She was doing the same, satisfied to learn about him in small increments.

The pattern continued throughout the week. He’d show up to take her to dinner, not take no for an answer, and she’d invariably stopped arguing. His persistence endeared him to her even more. He didn’t hide his interest, and she couldn’t help but respond. Although he took their get-to-know-you dance slowly, he didn’t mask his ultimate intent to wine, dine, and seduce her.

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