Page 7 of Decker

“Fine, have it your way.”

Savannah let out a long breath when he left and closed the door behind her, leaning on it slightly as her legs gave out a little. She was a strong, independent woman who’d excelled in her career beyond her hopes and dreams, but she’d never liked confrontations and still didn’t, and that was the second time in three days she’d had to deal with an arrogant male.

Granted she didn’t know Mark Decker well and shouldn’t have been as wounded by his behaviour as she’d been. He’d made it clear he didn’t like her, and she’d pushed it because she liked him. No, she didn’t know him well enough to like him, but she was intrigued and definitely attracted to him.

He had a dark knight vibe going on, was surly and sexy with a past that screamed of pain. Yet he was protective of those he cared about and laughed freely with his friends. Then he’d gone and kissed her, and it had been the kind of kiss that changed lives or made the heavens open and angels rain down. She laughed at her own whimsy, but it had been the best kiss of her life and he’d gone and been a dick.

As she’d told Andy, she was sweet, but she was no longer a puppy to be kicked because some cruel kid got off on it and she wouldn’t be that for him or the sexy as sin Mark Decker. She’d been right to forgive him, especially when he’d helped her clean her door like he had but she wouldn’t lower her guard again. Once bitten twice shy was her new motto.

A knock on the door behind her had her sighing and turning to open it, ready to give Andy hell for being a pain in her ass. “What now?”

Her mouth dropped into a surprised O at the sight of Mark Decker looking devastatingly handsome in his three-piece suit, his dark hair styled perfectly and a look of surprise in his raised eyebrows.

“Is now a bad time?”

Feeling flustered, Savannah waved him inside her office and took the few seconds to close the door and walk to her seat to calm her shock at seeing him there. “Is Addie okay?” Her first thought was that her friend was in trouble or had somehow relapsed from her injuries of last year.

Decker held up a hand to stop her panic. “No, she’s fine, but I wanted to bring the details of the new security system over for you to look at.”

Savannah sat back in her chair trying to remain calmer than she felt. “Why? Lopez emailed me everything yesterday.”

“Oh, I didn’t realise that.”

He was lying, she knew there was nothing that went on at Eidolon that this man didn’t know about. He was too controlled not to have his finger on the pulse of every single thing. Interesting, but she didn’t call him on it.

“Yes, he said he’d have Liam install it this week for me.”

“I can get it done today if you like?”

They were taking this way more seriously than was needed but she’d go along with it for Adeline’s sake. Her friend worried and she cared too much to put her through any more stress, plus an alarm wasn’t a bad idea. “Sure, if you want but don’t put yourself to any trouble.”

“It’s no trouble.”

“Why are you really here, Mark?”

She thought she saw his shoulders stiffen but couldn’t be sure before he locked his expression down and looked away to the window that overlooked the gardens of the private clinic. “I don’t know.”

She was surprised by his answer. Admitting he didn’t know something wouldn’t be easy for a man like him who kept everything so buttoned up. Yet, the more she saw him the more attractive she found him. He had a sense of purpose and stillness that seemed to pulse with energy. A danger that made her insides quake but not in fear, rather with hot, damning lust. No man had ever affected her this way, making her hot and needy with just a kiss or the memory of one and yet she didn’t really like him all that much. He’d done more to make her wary of him than the opposite.

She felt bold in the face of his uncertainty. Leaning back on her chair she crossed her legs, thanking God she’d changed from her beloved crocs into black court shoes that made her legs look good. It was vain but she didn’t care, she needed the confidence boost.

“Do you want to know what I think?” She waited until his unwavering gaze turned to her, his head cocked to the side and his eyes dancing devilishly.

“Oh, what do you think, Dr Sankey?” His lips twitched at the corner almost in a challenge for her to continue.

“I think you like me. Not like as in you want to be friends, but more that you want me in your bed.”

His fingers steepled across his chest and she could see she’d surprised him, and the thought made her brazen. “Is that so?”

“Tell me I’m wrong.”

He waited a beat, which felt like a year, and she wondered what had possessed her to play this game with him.

“You’re not wrong and therein lies the problem. I don’t want to want you. I don’t want to wake up imagining your hands and mouth on my cock. I don’t want to think about how your hot wet pussy might feel around my dick and yet I do.”

Jesus Christ on a cracker? His words were like tiny explosives detonating a flood of desire in her body. Dirty talk had never done it for her before but it sure as hell did it now. She was all set to rip his damn clothes off and go at it on the desk, but she couldn’t find her voice.

“Stuck for words suddenly, doc?” He stood and walked slowly around the desk until he was standing in front of her and bent his head until it was so close, she could smell the mint on his breath. Her heart began to hammer so hard she worried she might have a heart attack; butterflies of need and nerves flew around her belly. His lips against her ear were feather-light and she closed her eyes.

“Not going to happen, no matter how much I want you. You, Dr Sankey, are trouble with a capital T.”

With that, he pulled away and she rocked forward. A deep chuckle moved through him as he backed toward the door. He had angled away but not enough that she couldn’t see how much she affected him and damn, but it saved her from the humiliation of showing him her hand.

“May I remind you, Mr Decker, that you sought me out not the other way around. Perhaps you should try convincing yourself it won’t happen because I’m sure I can stay away. Are you?”

His brow raised at her blatant challenge, and he took it like she’d known he would. “I never lose, Dr Sankey.”

“Me neither.”

He seemed to thrive on the competition, and she wondered if this game would come to anything as they never really had to see each other so keeping their hands to themselves should be easy enough.

“I’ll collect your keys later and fit the alarm tomorrow.”

Perhaps he was more up for this game than she thought. “Okay.”

He winked and she fought her reaction to it as he closed the door. Her day had become infinitely better and stayed that way for the rest of the day.