“Yes, you are,” she said firmly.
“Hmm. It’s kind of erotic coming from your lips, Elena.”
Dammit! It didn’t seem that she could say anything at the moment without his answering with some sort of sexual innuendo. Hell, that didn’t even count as innuendo. Too blatant.
“Really, we should get down to business, Mr. Knight. I don’t want to waste your time or your money, as I bill by the hour.”
“Get down to business? Nice idea. In any case, I’m not in a hurry,” he told her. “And I have plenty of money.”
Pig. She was most certainly in a hurry to get away from him. She almost said so. But discretion won out. “Why don’t you tell me exactly what you’re going to be needing me for?”
The waiter brought in their wine and some appetizers which briefly interrupted their conversation. When the fellow left, Tyler spoke.
“There’s plenty of time for you to figure that out. I will say, though, that our work together will last for several months — at least until I don’t find a use for you any longer.”
Elena was dead silent for several heartbeats. He was letting her know in no uncertain terms that they were playing by his rules now.
“As always, the gentleman,” she told him. “I’m sure you can easily find a lawyer far more qualified than I am.” She couldn’t put on a performance for months. No freaking way.
“You are the woman I want.”
Elena felt trapped. She wasn’t normally subject to claustrophobia, and the room, though private, was hardly small, but it seemed to be closing in on her. This couldn’t possibly work.
“Until you get your payback, right, Tyler?” She was so flustered that she’d used his first name.
He sat back, his head tilted slightly to one side as he gazed at her with something in his eyes that she couldn’t read. Maybe he just enjoyed throwing her off kilter. Maybe, just maybe, if she didn’t react, he’d stop. Maybe.
“Payback? Maybe. Punishment? — that would be a nice idea … if I were into bondage. Hmm …” He paused as if to consider it, then shook his head and continued. “No, I don’t need special kinks to get me off.” Tyler lifted his wineglass as if to offer a toast, and then he took a drink. “I’m enjoying this relationship, I must say.”
“We aren’t in a relationship,” she almost growled.
“I disagree. I think we’ve been in a relationship since that little episode on my kitchen island,” he said, reaching across the table and taking her hand before she could move it out of the way.
Her words became stuck in her throat as he lifted her hand to his lips and began kissing her palm, then each of her fingers, acting like a lover. Damn if what he was doing didn’t feel incredible.
Could a person both loathe and desire a man so desperately at the same time? It seemed a definite possibility. Hell — more than a possibility.
“So you’re bent on destroying me,” Elena said.
Tyler stopped kissing her hand but didn’t release it. She dug her fingernails into his palm, but at first that had no effect. When he finally let go, all he did was rise from his chair and move to the seat next to her. And he quickly took her hand again, though she tried to move it out of his way. A shudder passed through her when he rested their joined fingers high up on his thigh.
“I don’t know where this game will end for us, Elena,” he practically purred. “But I will tell you that my main goal is pleasure — pleasure you owe me. We will finish what we started. And I suspect that it will be a hell of a ride.” He leaned closer, and his lips were now only half an inch from hers. “Kiss me now.”
She nearly did exactly that, but she stopped herself a millimeter before their lips touched.
“I’m not doing this.”
“You will, and you’ll enjoy it.”
“You might think that I should be flattered that you find me worth your interest, but I’m not flattered at all. I want no part of this game of yours.”
“Yes, you do, Elena. I know how much you love to play games,” he said. “And I also know how much you want me. You’re doing a lousy job at hiding it.”
“Look, Tyler. I’m sorry, okay? I should have known that I couldn’t possibly win. My game was foolish, and I regret it.”
“The game has only begun, Elena. You started it, and I will finish it. There’s nothing you can do at this point that will cause me to lose interest.”
“I was putting on a show, Tyler. I’m not that girl you met at the bar last month.” She let her hand go limp in his. “That girl doesn’t exist.”
“I can find her again,” he said with a wolfish smile.
Elena started casting about in her brain for any way to make this guy run off in terror. She had to. Ah! She just had to bore him to death. That shouldn’t be too hard. She wasn’t as fascinating as he seemed to think. She worked, spent time with her best friend, then worked some more. She devoted most of her weekends to working or volunteering. Piece of cake. Just being herself would drive this man away.
“Did you know that the government poisoned alcohol during the prohibition killing tens of thousands of people?”
Tyler looked at her with confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“And did you know that a hundred acres of pizza are served in the US daily?”
Tyler laughed before he pushed his chair a bit closer to hers, brushing his leg against her.
“It won’t work, Elena,” he whispered.