“This smolder nonsense you have going on.”
His lips twitched. “Smolder?”
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those guys who’s too good for Disney movies,” I said and shoved another bite into my mouth. “Tangled is the best of the bunch.”
“That’s the crazy talking,” he countered. “Clearly The Emperor’s New Groove is better.”
I gasped. “Them’s fighting words, Pierce Daniels.” But my lips twitched. “Pull the lever?” I asked innocently, quoting one of my favorite lines from the film.
Heat flickered in his eyes and head leaned forward. “Wrong lever?”
I laughed. “Okay, so maybe you do have some Disney street cred.”
“Actually,” he said, leaning back slightly to allow the waiter to set the plate in front of him. “I think those two things are actually mutually exclusive.” A beat. “But thanks for appreciating it. Even if that’s the only thing you appreciate about me.”
“That is true,” I teased, shoving a bite of pasta into my mouth and barely able to hold back my moan of pleasure.
Pierce gave me an affronted look, but then he picked up a forkful of food and stuck it in his mouth.
I waited.
His eyes widened in surprise.
I knew the feeling because I’d experienced it just over a year ago, when I’d first tasted the chef’s food. Hence, my being a silent partner in a risky investment. Still, good food was half the battle and I’d eaten here enough to know that the other important part—service—was also exceptional.
But Pierce didn’t know that.
“This is delicious,” he said around the bite, which meant it sounded a lot like “Shish sish shulishush.”
“Is this where I say chew with your mouth closed before surrendering to the smolder?”
He wiped his mouth with a napkin, set down the fork. “This is where I say I don’t give two shits about anything besides the amazing food on my plate.” He dropped the napkin back into his lap. “How did you find this place?”
I shrugged. “A lady doesn’t give away her secrets.”
Stormy gray-blue eyes went hot. “I bet I can convince you.”
My pussy clenched. Straight up, right then. With a single look. Uh-oh. “I don’t date children.”
He laughed. “I’m twenty-two. That’s hardly a child.”
“Pierce. I’m thirty-seven.”
“So?”
He meant it, too, I could tell.
“So, I don’t date people who work with me.”
His laughter burned a hole straight down to my middle. “I think we’ve quite established the fact that we’re not going to be working together.”
He had a point. And the stink knew it, given the way those hot eyes traced me up and down.
“Eat your pasta,” he ordered huskily. Normally orders from men pissed me off, especially men who were many years younger than me, who deigned to think they had a right to give me orders, but there was something about Pierce’s gaze, heavy with approval and desire, that made it less annoying and more . . . promising.
I lifted a brow. “And if I don’t?”
“I’ll just have to—” He broke off and waggled his brows, making like he was going to grab my plate.
I lifted my fork threateningly.
He laughed, went back to his own entrée. “Thanks for lunch.”
My carefully constructed bite of pasta fell onto my plate. “I thought we’d established you were paying,” I said and when he did nothing more but chuckle and then smolder at me again, before continuing to devour his lunch, I knew I was in trouble.
Then deep shit when he snagged the waiter and handed him his card.
And then falling down into a crevice of even deeper shit when he gently tugged my ponytail out from underneath the collar of my jacket when I slipped it on.
Between the table and front door, I considered my options.
At the front door, I made a decision.
I took his hand and pulled him over to my car.
Two
Pierce
Artemis was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen.
Hands down. No comparison.
Eyes the color of the Pacific, hair the color of honey. A body that was more incredible than I could have ever dreamed of—hips and ass and breasts and—
Her fingers went to her shirt, slowly tugging at the length of silk that was wrapped around her throat. The pale pink made a quiet swooshing sound as the silk slid free, and my cock twitched. I’d been dreaming about doing that the entire lunch, pulling the fabric to the side, exposing the skin underneath. I’d bet she would taste like sunshine. Or maybe sweet like honey. Or spicy like the fire she’d dished out over pasta.
When her fingers went to the top button on her blouse, I stepped close and halted her movements, taking her hands into mine. I didn’t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I also wasn’t the kind of guy to take advantage.
Gently, I brought her hands to my chest, opened my mouth—
She slipped free of my grip, rose on tiptoe, and laid a finger across my lips. “Save the noble speech for some other girl,” she said. “I wouldn’t have brought you back to my house if I wasn’t sure. But I should ask you if you’re sure you want to do this.” She tapped my lips lightly. “It doesn’t matter how many orgasms you give me, I’m still not going to help you make that movie.”
I smiled. I liked this woman. We’d known each other for all of an hour, and I already felt as though I’d known her my whole life.
Especially when she added, “I wouldn’t want to use my very powerful position and—”
I nipped her fingers, and she jerked her hand back. “That was a very naughty thing to do young Pierce—”
One movement and I’d tugged her against me. “Is that what this is?”
“What is?” she asked, burying her nose in my throat.
“You have some cougar fantasy?” I teased. “Not that I’m opposed. For an old chick, you’re hot—”
She gasped, outrage invading her expression.
Which gave me the perfect opportunity to drop my mouth to hers, to slip my tongue past her lips, and tease—
She bit me.
“Fuck,” I grunted, pulling back.
“I’m hot for an old chick?”
My smile escaped, even though I tried to keep it in. “Yup. That exactly.”
Her palm slid down my chest, nails digging in, moving lower. I’d appreciated the bright red nails over lunch, watching the flash of crimson appear as she ate, but I didn’t think I was going to enjoy those cherry tips repeating the action beneath my pants, so I caught her hands, pinned them in one of mine. “You know I’m teasing.”
“Old chick?” she asked again.
“I’m. Teasing.”
“Out.” She pointed to the front door.
Oh shit. I’d seriously fucked up. My heart sank as I scrambled to come up with a way to salvage this situation. If I didn’t, I might end up with permanent blue balls. “Artemis—”
Her eyes narrowed. “Artie.”
“Artie,” I repeated hurriedly. “I didn’t mean—” I froze, head cocking to the side. Had her lips just twitched? Fucking hell, they had. The little stink. Deciding to give it just as good as she was, I reached up and tied the strip of silk back around her neck. “I’ll just go then,” I said, hanging my head.