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More than ever, she felt as if she were at a disadvantage. The man overwhelmed her.
“I think you should let me buy you dinner.”
To hide her shock, she said, “I’m sorry?”
“Today has been…unusual. I want to be sure we get off to a good start.”
“It’s a little late for that, Mr. Donovan.”
“Which is even more reason to let me buy you dinner.”
She gave him a false smile. “Really, it’s not necessary.”
“I insist, Ms. Lane.”
“I’m hardly dressed to go out,” she told him, especially with him looking so fresh and in charge. Though damn it, her traitorous pulse thundered at the idea.
She wanted to dislike him, and she certainly did on some level. But she also couldn’t deny how much he physically appealed to her.
Her resolve was complicated by the sudden, wickedly hot images tumbling through her mind…of being in his arms, of him looking at her purposefully before lowering his mouth toward hers, of him skimming his fingers up her spine.
She shook her head. Thinking of her boss in that way would be a rabbit hole leading to pure, pure madness.
Damn pheromones.
“We don’t have to go anywhere fancy,” he persisted.
“Perhaps another time.”
“You need to eat,” he countered. “If I’m correct, you skipped lunch, like I did.”
“Are you accustomed to always getting your way?” She tilted her head back.
“Yes.”
He let the word hang between them long enough that she squirmed and looked away. How the hell did he manage to do this to her?
“And I always get it when I’m determined to have it.” He paused. “When it’s important.”
Was he saying that she was important to him?
“We’re going to be working together, Kelsey. Presumably for a very long time.”
Somehow, he’d managed to read her mind. And that frightened her more than anything. “That’s exactly why it’s best to keep it professional,” she said, though she wanted nothing more than to accept.
“I’m not implying anything otherwise.”
What the hell was going on here? Of course he hadn’t implied otherwise. Just because she was having reckless thoughts about him being a Dom and spanking her didn’t mean it was mutual. Embarrassment clawed at her, heating her from the inside out.
“There’s a sandwich and coffee shop a few doors down.”
“Marvin’s,” she said quickly, too quickly, eager to move on from her revealing mistake.
“They have espresso drinks.”
“And the best chocolate cake on the planet.” And it was okay to pop in wearing workout clothes or a suit. “How do you know about it?” She frowned at him. Though Marvin’s had a good reputation, it was more of a neighborhood place, or somewhere people knew about if they worked nearby.
“I’ve needed coffee and food over the past few weekends. The building attendant recommended it.”
Which meant he had been spending time in this area.
“I’ll even buy your dinner,” he said.
“I’m pretty expensive,” she warned. That ought to slow his miserly ass down.
“Some things are worth the price,” he told her, a smile flirting with the corner of his mouth.
Her breath caught. Anything but that. Anything but him being charming.
“It’s only a meal,” he said with a light shrug. “What harm can there be?”
Intuitively she knew the question wasn’t as harmless as it sounded, not to her, anyway. With his searing eyes and inviting words, the man demolished her resistance.
“What do you say?” he asked. “We could have a truce for the time being.”
Damn him. He’d worn her down. Truth was, she wanted to spend time with him more than she wanted to avoid him. “Half an hour,” she relented.
He reached for her duffel bag.
“Thanks, but I can manage,” she protested.
“I’m sure you can.” Without further argument, he took it from her.
Though she’d never admit it, she appreciated him carrying the extra weight.
He led the way to the elevator and pressed the lobby button as the door closed to seal them inside.
She moved to the far side, away from him, overly conscious of her post-workout attire and the way his presence overwhelmed her. They were inside the elevator less than three seconds before she realized that agreeing to spend more time with him was a mistake.
Once they glided to a stop and the doors whooshed open, he stepped aside like a gentleman and allowed her to exit first.
“Evening, Mr. Donovan. Ms. Lane,” the on-duty security guard said.
More and more, she was discovering how well known her new boss was. Even though she’d never met him until today, it was obvious he had taken the opportunity to interact with people.
