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He had nothing now. He had nothing to offer Tiffany but a decent paying job, and she didn’t need the money. She’d turned her back on it, but from what he understood, her father would give it to her any time she asked. So why would she try to get close to him except out of kindness? Unless she truly wanted him. But he had to face the fact that she was also acting the way she was because they’d been forced together and she was making the best of a situation. “I don’t want to push her if she’s only trying to help out Ian and Sean. If I do, I could make things awkward for both of us. I might ask her about it after all this is over.”
“You think this is all about helping out the Taggarts? Sebastian, we need to talk about manipulative women. Now I know the word manipulation gets a bad rap, but sometimes it’s needed. Sometimes it’s merely a way to get a stubborn person to admit to what they want.”
“I haven’t seen any sign of her manipulating me. She got a little flustered the other night and screwed up some of my plans, but I suppose I can understand that. She’s a sweet girl who happens to be submissive.”
“Sebastian, my house is perfect,” Eric said with a sigh. “My guest room is perfect. And if you think she didn’t stall you and put you in a position where you had to play lovers in front of Milo Jaye, you’re high and don’t deserve this intensely excellent Scotch.”
He stopped. “What?”
Eric’s lips curved up as he took another sip and then put the glass down. “I was told if you asked to explain that our guest room is unavailable due to water damage. At the time we weren’t close friends, but we’re close friends now, right?”
She’d plotted this? She’d planned to put him in a position where they were living together?
She had plotted this.
“Yeah, we’re best friends, Eric.” He needed to make something clear because suddenly it seemed so very right that he do this. That he find his first real friend in years. That he open himself up the tiniest bit. “We are friends. I’m sorry if I don’t always behave that way. Know that from now on I will.”
“You behave better than you think you do,” Eric admitted. “We all consider you a part of our family. And I definitely count you as a friend. You gave me some excellent advice once so I’m going to do the same for you. Push her. Test her. She wants it. I think she intends to pass every test you set. I think she’s the right woman, and the right woman won’t falter or even blink at these needs you talk about. You know Ally never had a problem with Macon’s leg. In fact, she kind of developed a kink around it. Would that bother you?”
“Did Allyson date other men who’d lost a limb?”
“Nope. Neither has Tiff.”
There was kink and then there was kink. He wasn’t sure how he would feel if it was the missing limbs alone that attracted her, but the idea that she could adapt intrigued him. So often with women it was all about love. A woman in love could look past what she would normally find distasteful. A woman in love could find beauty in the oddest places.
He’d never had a woman be in love with him. Not that way. Oh, he’d had a woman manipulate and deceive him, but he hadn’t had one plot and plan how to get him into bed with her. All in all, he greatly found he preferred the latter. “She’s topping me from the bottom.”
“Yes, she is, my brother. What are you going to do about it?”
He took a long drink, not bothering to concentrate on the color of the liquor or to appreciate the oaky flavor. He needed the reinforcement. “I think we should have a nice long chat.”
“I think that might help clarify things.” Eric held up his glass. “Welcome to the club, the led around by some sweet, gorgeous, soft woman club. Consider me your sponsor and understand that while you might get annoyed, this is a club you don’t want to leave.”
He wasn’t sure he belonged in the club, but he was damn straight going to find out. He knew exactly how to start. “Can I use your office?”
Chapter Seven
Tiffany walked into Eric’s office and noted that Deena had done a really lovely job with the small space she’d been given to work with. The Fort Worth version of Top had a slightly larger dining room but the office was about half of what Sean Taggart occupied. It made for an intimate space. Sebastian was standing beside Eric’s desk, a scowl on his handsome face.
Maybe this was too intimate. What had she done to put that look on his face? “Sebastian? Are you all right?”
“I would like for you to tell me something and I think you should give your answer careful consideration.” There was that deep voice that made her knees weak.
“All right.” Something had definitely gone wrong. She scrambled to try to figure out what it could possibly be. Their first week together had been as nice as she’d thought it could be. She’d been on her best behavior. He’d seemed happy. He’d started to pet her hair at night when she put her head on his lap. He’d seemed awkward at first, but now he barely looked down at her, merely moved his hand to her head when she joined him. They’d enjoyed a nice morning together and then she’d been working with Deena doing a mock dinner service with the waitstaff. She hadn’t seen him enough to piss him off today. “What’s your question?”
“How is Deena’s guest bedroom? Did they get the water damage cleaned up?”
Oh, shit. She was going to have such a long talk with Deena about her rat-fink husband. And to think she’d been a damn bridesmaid. She’d celebrated with them and what did Eric do? He turned her in the first chance he got. Damn it.
Sebastian was staring at her like a cop who had found his murder suspect with a gun in her hand and standing over a dead body. There was nowhere to run.
“I lied about the guest room.” Tears started to pool in her eyes as the bitter truth washed over her. She’d made her play and now it was done. He would shove her out.
She’d needed more time. So much more time. He was stubborn and he needed time and proximity to make him relax.
“Why did you lie?” His question came out on a harsh grind as Sebastian’s arms crossed over his chest.
A thousand and one answers leapt to her mind. She could save some face. She could lie through her teeth and then regroup. Or she could put it all on the line and see what he would do.
