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If biting her tongue would take the stupid, revealing statement back, then she would do it. What was it about Ferro that brought her inner geek out in full force? Maybe it was just that she wasn’t used to spending so much time with someone who wasn’t a part of her inner circle. She didn’t have to play around with Thad, he knew her, he kept her on track. Her stylist, Sophie, had seen her at her worst in terms of wardrobe and she didn’t seem to care at all.
And her employees, well, most of them were as out of the mainstream as she was. But with Ferro, before this, she’d tried to maintain her image. Because he was one of the enemies, and she never wanted him to see a hole in her armor. Had never wanted him to catch a glimpse of just how human she was.
And that came from the fact that Ferro himself seemed inhuman.
He was a wall of unreadable emotion. Pure granite.
Soft little things like herself were easily squished by something as immobile as rock, and she should remember that. And not think about their kiss. Or the shiver that went over her skin whenever she looked into those dark, fathomless eyes.
But then he surprised her. “Perhaps you should use it as an inspiration for a game setting. For your phone. We could coordinate and make one that runs on my phone’s platform, as well.”
“Oh, that would be fun. Could be one where you build your fantasy world and try to create bigger cities.”
“And you can create armies.”
“Or live peacefully and hunt and gather,” she said, picking her menu up.
“I think it would be a good idea.”
“See? Passion. It helps.”
“Personally I prefer control. Then things aren’t as random. They’re much more predictable. Much more orderly.”
“Oh, but Ferro, you never reach the heights.”
Something in his eyes changed, darkened, his gaze lowering to her lips. She could feel them tingle, just from him looking at them. Well, her lips and parts lower, and she didn’t even want to think about that. About how he’d managed such a feat.
With just a look.
“I’m going to get the salmon,” she said, doing her best to defuse the tension that seemed to only be felt on her end. “Though I feel a little disloyal to my iron friend in the lobby.”
“You have a ruthless streak in you, Julia,” he said, his voice husky. “I’ll have what you’re having.”
He put his menu down and leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes never leaving hers. She felt like she was being hunted. A strange, and oddly exhilarating feeling.
“It goes with the passion. Even when it’s against my better judgment…I make decisions that are led by emotion. Clearly, or I wouldn’t be here. My desire to cut Hamlin out of the picture, to advance my company, my baby, well, that trumps common sense. That’s the catch to passion.”
“Oh, there’s far more than one catch to passion.”
“Is there?”
“Yes, passion is extremely selfish. It’s personal. And when fueled, it only becomes hungrier. It demands satisfaction no matter the cost.”
Her eyes were drawn to his lips now. To the way he spoke the words. The way they moved. She knew how expert they were. How adeptly they could awaken her body.
Passion, just like he was saying, only grew hungrier the more it was fed. Apparently that was true of physical passion, too.
She had limited to no experience with that.
Another thing she kept quiet. Another thing she didn’t advertise because, OMG as if she wasn’t enough of a geek, she was also still a virgin. At twenty-five. Her only experience had been violent, painful. She was so thankful it had stopped before he’d managed to rape her, because she knew that had been his intent. But even so, it had crippled her confidence with the opposite sex, no matter how much she liked to pretend it didn’t.
Maybe that was why she said yes to dates with guys who only wanted her money. Because they were nonthreatening. Because they wouldn’t want her.
Even without having a lot of experience with passion, passion that went beyond sci-fi and fantasy films, she could feel the truth of his words. Oh, boy, could she feel them. The shivery feeling was back with a vengeance.
“Is that…I mean, is that so bad when both parties involved are…passionate about the same thing?” She cleared her throat and stumbled on. “You and…and me for example. With the business stuff, I mean. So, I’m very passionate about the Barrows deal and you’re…well, you want it, and while we both want it for how it benefits us, in the end, my passion will benefit you and vice versa.”
