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“The monogamy part.”
“Rylan.” He said my name with the first hint of impatience I’d heard in his voice all night. “When I fuck you, I will fuck only you.” He side-eyed me, one eyebrow raised. “Monogamy.”
I stared out the window as the streets began looking more familiar, chewing on my bottom lip. He didn’t want to date me, but he did want to sleep with me.
Was I okay with this?
Pshhh.
“Can I date other people?” I asked. Not that I wanted to, but–
“I really don’t care what you do in your free time, but I will expect you to give me the same respect as I give you.”
“Meaning…”
“Meaning, sexually speaking, you are mine. And only mine.”
“So you’ll break up with Stella.”
His nostrils flared, but he nodded. “If that is how you need to phrase it in order to understand, then yes.”
Hmm.
We remained quiet for some time, but as the houses we passed grew larger, I finally broke the silence again. “I’m up here on the right. Number four-oh-seven. There should be a space in front.”
Greer’s grandfather had a parking space even though he’d stopped driving years ago and neither Greer nor I had a car.
Reed pulled the Pumpkin King to the curb and leaned over the center console to look up at the home through the passenger side window. I froze, holding my breath. He was so close I could touch him. Lick his temple if I wanted to. If he turned his head, there’d be an inch, maybe two, separating our mouths.
Then he settled back into his seat and I pulled in an audible breath.
“You’re killing me,” I whispered.
“This is where you live?”
I nodded.
“Isn’t this the home of Professor Clements?”
My eyes widened. “Yes…?”
Reed’s brow furrowed. “How do you…? Why…”
I raised my eyebrows. Spit it out, Reed. When his brows stayed bunched above his eyes for way longer than necessary, and he watched me like he was trying to figure me out, I finally sighed and said, “His granddaughter, Greer Clements, is my best friend. We both live here.”
After a long moment, Reed nodded. “You didn’t use Professor Clements as a reference on your internship application.”
“Is there a question in there?”
Reed cocked one eyebrow, that amused smirk playing at his lips again. “Why didn’t you use a man like Professor Clements as a personal reference?” He paused, eyes narrowing. “In fact, I don’t recall any personal references on your application at all.”
I sat up straighter, holding my head high. “I wanted to get the internship on my own.”
Reed held my gaze for a long few moments, then he smiled, slow and sexy… and real.
Good God, that smile melted my insides.
“You certainly succeeded at that. I was very impressed with your application.”
My eyes bulged. “You… what?” I was at once shocked and completely flattered. “You read my application?”
“I read every internship application, Ms. Blake.”
Whoa. “I would have never thought that. I mean, you’re the CEO; you can’t possibly have the time–”
“Even before I was acting CEO, I have hand-selected every intern we’ve ever accepted at Reed Publishing. You’ll find that I take a very hands on approach.”
The undertone of that statement wasn’t lost on me.
I rolled my lips together to keep the nervous giggle at bay.
“Remember when I asked if you could keep your personal life separate from your professional life?”
“Yes.”
“I meant that. I expect much out of you. I expect much out of your future career in publishing.”
I nodded, chewing on my bottom lip again.
I desperately didn’t want to let him down.
He opened his door and climbed out, leaving me to breathe deeply for a moment before he reached my side and opened the door.
I climbed out, careful not to touch him. Doing so might lead to things that should never happen on the sidewalk below Greer’s grandfather’s bedroom. I glanced up at the darkened brownstone, grateful that it was late enough that the professor would be asleep and Greer would still be at work, then I looked back at Reed. “Well, thank you for the ride home, Mr. Reed.”
“You’re very welcome, Ms. Blake.”
A long moment of silence stretched out between us. His gaze dropped to my mouth and I sucked in a soft gasp. He stepped forward, closing the distance between us, then he reached up and I froze. He slid his hand behind my neck and a shiver shook my body.
His lips pulled into more than a smirk but not quite a smile.
“You have a lot to think about this weekend.”
I nodded.
“I’ll be thinking about it too.” His eyes searched mine as he said, “I’ll look forward to your decision in my office on Monday. Nine-thirty.” And then he leaned forward and brushed a feather-soft kiss against my lips, and everything he just said was gone because nothing in my world remained but the feeling of those soft, full lips on mine.
So when he released me way too soon, I growled with frustration.
Ignoring me, he strode to the opposite side of the car, opened the door, then paused to look up at me before getting inside. “I’d like to see you safely inside before I leave.”
“Oh.” His words shook me from my stupor. “This is Park Slope, I’m safe–”
“Now.”
Oooh, yes, there it is.
His tone ignited a fire beneath my feet and I scurried up the steps, unlocked the door and hurried inside. When the lock was set, I leaned my forehead against the cool wood.
Yes, I definitely had a lot of things to think about this weekend.
But my decision wasn’t one of them.
My decision had been made long before tonight.
I’d follow that man anywhere.
Especially down into the Rabbit Hole.
