Panic flares. I can’t let him go. Not like this. “Wait a minute! Don’t I, um . . . owe you dinner?”
He remains quiet, but I can hear him breathing. “You don’t owe me anything, Marina.”
I love the way he says my name, his deep voice seeming to caress every letter. Holy crap, do I have it bad for a man I don’t like. “It’s the least I can do,” I murmur, throwing his words back at him. Maybe . . . maybe we can see each other again. One more time. It wouldn’t hurt, right? And I need to make it up to him, how awful I was. How I basically forced him to leave.
We had amazing sex, and then we were almost angry over it. Like we resented each other or something. So weird.
I’m tired of feeling resentful. Can’t we just . . . enjoy this connection?
“You’re serious.” He sounds incredulous. I’m not surprised.
“A deal’s a deal, right?” Reaching for my mouse, I bring the security site back up, pleased to see I didn’t exit completely out of it after all. The screen is right where I left it, me being held captive by Gage against the wall. I speed it up a bit, to the part where I can see we’re completely naked. My legs are wound around his waist, my heels digging into his perfect, flexing ass as he pushes deep inside me.
I’m transfixed. Watching us having sex, having him on the phone, it’s like Gage overload.
“You don’t owe me this. I don’t want you throwing this dinner back in my face like you’re prone to do,” he says grumpily. “Considering how you believe I always have ulterior motives.”
I let the insult fly, too enamored with the sound of his voice while watching him hammer inside of me on the computer screen. I squirm in my seat, feeling like a complete pervert at, what, just after eight in the morning? “I won’t throw it back in your face,” I swear to him, not sure if I can really keep that promise. “I guess it all depends if you say something stupid to me. Like you’re prone to do.”
Ha. We sound like little kids fighting on the playground.
Thankfully, he ignores my dig as well. “I’m leaving for San Francisco tomorrow, so how about tonight?”
“Tonight?” I hit pause again on the screen and turn it off, turning away from my computer so I won’t be distracted. “That’s kind of last minute.” Like I have any plans.
“I know. It’s either that or we wait until early next week, when I get back.”
I can’t wait that long. I want to see him, which I sort of hate. I absolutely shouldn’t want to do this. But my humming body more than wants to see him. “Fine. Tonight,” I say curtly, wincing when I hear my tone so I try and soften it. “That sounds . . . fun.”
He laughs. The jackass. “Yeah, you sound thrilled. Look I’m going to try and get Archer to accompany us. He can bring his fiancé.”
“Wait, what? You want Archer to go to dinner with us?” Okay, I hadn’t bargained on that. I’m going to have to be on my A-game if that happens. I might even have to present my proposition to him, and I’m not quite ready to discuss it yet. I still need to handle a few details.
“Yeah, Archer and his fiancé. Trust me, you’ll love her. And Archer, too. This isn’t some business dinner, Marina. Just pleasure.”
Just pleasure. Oh, now those are two words that take on different meaning when used in reference to Gage and me.
“Okay.” I swallow hard. “Let’s go out to dinner with Archer and his fiancé.” I close my eyes and push my desk chair into a circle. This is probably a really bad idea.
But I can’t back out of it now, right?
Chapter Seven
Gage
“YOU WANT TO go on a double date with your sister and me?” Archer chuckles, the sound irritating as it rumbles in my ear, and I pull the phone away, wishing I could tell him never mind and hang up.
I can’t though. Promised a certain someone it would happen, and now I have to come through on that promise. Plus, I want to see her again. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll get her naked, in a bed, where I can take my time and map her entire body with my lips.
Yeah. I can’t get the thought of her out of my mind. The way she clung to me, the taste of her lips, the sounds she makes when she comes . . .
I tried calling her father first thing this morning. No dice. The man hates my guts or flat-out doesn’t give a shit. So I need to get in his daughter’s good graces and maybe eventually she’ll introduce the two of us. It could be a win-win for everyone.
Because just as much as I’m attracted to Marina, I’m also attracted to the fact that she’s a Molina. Scott Knight’s freaking daughter. I am so close to getting an in with him, I can almost taste it. Does this make me an ass**le, wanting to get closer to her so I can get to her father?
Yes.
Damn it. That’s what I thought. And I hate that I feel this way, like I’m using her. Getting to know her, kissing her, having sex with her . . . it’s changed everything. The power has shifted between us.
Not that I ever really believed I held the power when it came to Marina and me. She’s been tough on me since the first moment we met.
And I like it.
“I definitely want to go out with you and Ivy tonight,” I finally agree, keeping it simple, waiting for the inevitable questions.
“Who’s the girl making you want a double date?”
There’s question one. “Don’t laugh at me,” I start, but he answers for me, his tone smug.