Game on, Miss McQueen.
* * *
Alisha
Unbelievable.I thought he was kidding me when he handed me the envelope, but he wasn't, and to my astonishment, I got aroused when I read it.But I'm not telling him that.I pull my finger from his body and cross my arms."Okay, what's the deal with the line where it says I need to pretend to be dating you?"
His lips turn into a stripe."That term is not negotiable."
He takes a deep inhale, and as he exhales, he massages his clenching jaw line with his fingertips.Oh...something about this clearly bothers him, but I don't like how he played it.
"I'm not a puppet, Cole.If you want my help with an issue with your mom, you explain it and ask me nicely.Otherwise, the deal is off."
He mutters something under his breath before speaking."My mother considers my bachelor status at thirty-three a problem.Every goddamn chance she gets, she tries to set me up with women she thinks suit me.I'm sick of it."
I swallow hard when his gaze bores into mine, his blue eyes darkening with intensity.
"Alisha, would you be willing to help me get my mother off my back by pretending to be my girlfriend when I go there or when she comes here to visit?"
I can't help but smirk, hearing him ask me politely.Alisha - one.Cole - zero.
"See, that wasn't hard, was it?"A shiver of pure anticipation rushes through me when he pushes himself from the desk and stands up straight.Our bodies are inches apart, and the tension crackles between us.For reasons I don't understand, his closeness never scares me.Instead, it thrills me and causes every cell in my body to buzz pleasantly.
"If I sign this ridiculous contract of yours, I don't want our friends to know about it.This is between you and me."
He nods."I'll tell Samantha that we will pretend to be a couple when my mother comes over.She'll understand when I explain why."He cocks his brow."Is that all?"
"Oh, hell no!Now we're coming to the part of the contract that pisses me off most."I press my index finger back against the fabric that hugs his muscles."It states this agreement has a duration of six months and that I can't have sex with other men during this time.But it doesn't say you can't.If you think—"
I stop talking when he draws his palm over my forearm to my finger.My agitation and lust boost when seeing the slight grin he's trying to hide.
"Easy.No need to get worked up.In the line before, it states both parties can't have intercourse with others during the agreement's duration.So relax...it applies to you and me."
"How can I relax when you say I only can have sex with you for the next six months?"I let my hand trail down to the midway of his cement-like abs while holding his gaze."What if I don't like it, or you don't satisfy my needs?Ever thought of that problem, Grumpy?"
He takes a firm hold of my chin and traces the outline of my lips with his thumb."That won't happen, because if you sign this contract, I'll make it my mission to satisfy both our needs.But if you, Alisha Alexandra McQueen, believe at any point I'm slacking in the performance department, you will tell me, straight to my face.Is that clear?"
Jesus, hearing him say my full name with that dominance is turning me on like crazy.I suck his thumb into my mouth, and when he lets out a loud, throaty growl, I take it a step further by circling my tongue around his finger.Both our chests rise and fall at an increased pace with the smog-like sexual tension lingering between us.
"Are you going to sign the goddamn contract or not?"
I free his thumb and smile at hearing the layer of desperation in his voice.
"Tell me, Mr.Walker.How bad do you want me to sign it?"
His irises burn brighter than the sun on a cloudless summer day, and a heatwave of flaming lust bursts through me like wildfire when his hands grab my waist.I let out a yelp when my feet leave the floor, and another nano-second later, my butt meets the surface of his desk.
"What the hell do you think you're doing, Bulldozer?"
"Sign it," he says, holding up the contract and a pen.I seize the papers out of his hand and flip to the last page, where I point to the bottom.His eyes shift, and before I can blink, he rips the document from my fingers in one swift motion and throws it at another part of the desk.
"Why all the goddamn fuss if you already signed it?"
I grin."I wanted an honest answer to my questions before giving it back to you."
He places his hands on my knees—pulls them apart—and steps in between them.His manly scent fills my nostrils, and electricity dances across my skin when he whispers, "Tell me.What do you need?"
My skin tingles with anticipation.God, what is this man doing to me?Ever since the attack, I've been like a closed-up flower.Afraid of being touched.Until this man.It's as if he's the freaking sun with the natural power of opening me up.Around him, I feel safe.
