“Just no?”
Clara was on her knees in front of the coffee table. She turned off the movie, then twisted around to face him, settling between his legs. “I never would have considered what Lindsey did. Not in a million years. I would have kept working as many hours as I could, but I’d never sell myself for money.”
“But you did.”
“Because I’ve wanted you from the beginning. I guess I was just hoping you did too and that this whole deal was more than sex.”
He still felt defensive, not wanting to admit his feelings in case she stomped on them at some point. Old habits died hard.
“You’re forgetting about a very important component in all this.”
“What?” she asked.
“April. Are you ready to tell her how you feel about me? You think she’ll clap for us?”
Clara sighed, a hand still on each of his thighs. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re making excuses. You don’t have to prove anything or try to politely push me away. I’ve already agreed to your offer, and I know that didn’t include falling in love with me.”
But he did love her, didn’t he?
He cupped her face and leaned down so his forehead touched hers. “I wish things weren’t so complicated.”
“But they are,” she said. “It’s okay.”
She pulled away and started to eat again. The silence in the house was deafening.
Grayson tried to envision what life with Clara would be like. What would his colleagues think? Would people stare when he took her to corporate events? Think she was his daughter? Would April disown him and never speak to him again?
To be perfectly honest, he didn’t give a fuck what anyone thought about his choices.
Then he imagined how he’d feel if things were cut off clean between them. That yearning would never go away. He’d regret not taking the chance for the rest of his life. Fuck, he was already on the road to a long, lonely existence. Add heartache to the mix and his life would be a complete clusterfuck. He felt like a volcano ready to erupt.
Grayson bolted to his feet, surprising Clara. “Forget what I said. The night is still on.”
“Huh? What? But I’ve changed. I’ve started eating.”
He yanked her up to her feet, her fork falling to the ground. Grayson backed her up to the nearest wall, then hoisted her up by her thick thighs. Could she feel his cock rubbing against her virgin pussy?
Clara wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Friday.”
“Friday?”
“That’s when I’m closing this deal. This little pussy will belong to me.”
They stared at each other, so many unspoken words passing between them. He wanted to kiss her but held back. With his emotions high, he’d end up saying or doing something he’d regret.
“And what about today?” she asked.
He loved the weight of her in his arms. “We’ll spend some time in the kitchen.”
“But we already have food.”
“I plan to eat something else,” he said. “You’re going to lay on the island and open these legs nice and wide. I promise you won’t be so quiet when I’m done with you.”
Chapter Six
Friday came around a little too soon for Clara. Work dominated a lot of her waking moments. Even though Grayson offered to pay for everything, she couldn’t bring herself to not work the extra shifts for her mother. She wanted her mother to find happiness, to help ease her troubled thoughts.