Chapter 27

Darkness descended on the city turning the busy skyscraper vista into a festival of lights. My stomach twists and growls viciously. Small sandwich for lunch and a piece of pastry at breakfast doesn’t satisfy it. I notice the fruit Adam remembered to pack and grab a banana. Mmmmmm - never have I ever had a better banana. I gobble it in few greedy bites. I need to thank Adam…. One more time…

Sound of unlocking doors jerks me away from the hypnotizing view of the city. What the fuc..... Half scared, and a whole lot angry I foolishly charge towards the danger only to find myself eye to eye with HIM. I exhale almost crouching resting my arms on my knees. “Normal people knock!”

“Why would I knock coming into my apartment?” he responds deposing a bunch of keys on the hallway side table.

“You just let yourself in like this even if your business partners are staying here?”

Shadow crosses his face, a moment of recognition. Good he must have realized how stupid this was. His face changes from confused to smoldering in a next moment. Eyes almost black, reflecting the darkness of the apartment.

“Why are you in the dark? There is electricity here.” He asks.

Good, somebody spoke. He said he will come after work and I forgot about it. I notice he is not wearing the same clothes he had this morning. The sharp business suit is exchanged with a simple dark T-shirt that was tight in the arms emphasizing his hard, silky biceps. His jeans hug his hips as though they were painted on him. Usually unruly, tousled hair is slicked back, reflecting the little light that comes from the outside, like it is wet. In this outfit he looks like a male model rather than a sharp businessman. This guy looks younger, more dangerous. Especially now when he is stepping towards me.

“Stop right there!” I put out my hand to make a barrier between us. I know where this is going. He cocks his eyebrow, his signature reflex showing he is not satisfied.

“We agreed to talk this evening.” Talk and not fuck. Although the last item is so what I want to do now, much rather than talking.

“Ok, let’s talk,” he heads to the sofa.

“Let’s go out.” I step in his path, blocking him. Big mistake. Not only is he so close that I can feel body heat radiating from him, but his intoxicating – just out of the shower – smell permeates right to my brain. Which in consequence loses all rational thought.

Touch him… kiss him… get closer…

Materializes in my brain like translucent pockets of smoke. Appearing quickly to dissipate lingering, leaving its trace.

“Do we need to go out? We can have a conversation here. I’m not a freak you know.” His words say one thing, even his voice is calm rational, however his eyes tell me a different story.

“It’s not you hot cakes. It’s me. I don’t trust myself not to jump your bones the minute your but hits that sofa.”

He grins the widest and cutest smile possible. I pat his chest in a good boy manner, because why not. I just admitted that I can’t keep my hands of him.

“Where are you taking me?” He asks and I usher us out of the apartment.

“16th street… there are bunch of restaurants and bars there.”

He does not look thrilled but follows, taking out his phone as we enter the elevator.

“If you are planning to ask Adam to drive us, don’t. It is literally a 5-minute walk.” I exclaim.

He looks up biting his lip to hide a smile. “I’m alone. I’ll just send him a message where we are going so that he isn’t alarmed when my phone is not at the location it was supposed to be.”

“Am I putting you in danger?”

“Well,” he pauses thinking. “I guess no.”

“OMG Liam, when was the last time you went into the public like a normal person?”

“I go to restaurants and events all the time,” he answers.

“Yes, but you drive there, or Adam takes you. Those are all pre-approved places.”

“I go hiking!” He takes a defensive stance.

We reach the ground floor and exit the building. Outside, the night is warm and inviting. Taking his hand into mine I drag him towards out destination and he lets me.

Once we are walking in the right direction, I drape myself over his hand. “I’m not judging you,” I try to soothe the damage my words made. I have no right to tell him how to live his life. Clinging to his forearm feels so good. “You just made me realize that I’m doing the same by choosing to live in my isolated sanctuary.”

He kisses the top of my head. “It is a habit I cultivated when I first started building my company. Razor sharp focus on it, not giving in to distractions.”

“And now we are going to do the most touristy thing possible, having both of us are actually tourists here.”

We go down the 14th Street and turn left on Glenarm until we reach 16th Street. Increasing murmur of people and music indicates we have reached the heart of the 16th Street Mall. Strong pulsating beats of commercial music intertwine with discord of various live street performers.

“I thought we need to talk,” he teases.

“We do, but I also need something to eat,” I respond.

“Any cravings?” he asks.

“Anything at this point. Frist free table you see. Because we have approximately 10 minutes before I turn into a completely different person. Did you eat?”

“I didn’t. Finished work, did my training, showered, changed got back to you.”

“Excellent.” I notice a free table and pull him with me before anybody takes it. Server is with us immediately and we order our food and drink.

“Happy?” he asks.

“I am,” I answer honestly feeling that. In more ways than one. Piper and I passed through here yesterday but it was different. Today colors are livelier and the music is more vibrant. He looks at me with dedicated concentration, gaze sliding from my eyes to my lips, biting his lip in the process. I go week, unable to look him in the eyes, suddenly I’m interested in everything around us. Just as long as I don’t look at him.

“Look at me Gorgeous.” He squeezes my hand over the table, not letting it go. “You wanted to talk…”

“Yes…” I needed to put on my big girl pants and address the elephant at the table.

“This thing we are starting. And your offer to invest. I don’t feel comfortable doing both.”

“Why?” he asks.

“I don’t feel comfortable mixing money and sex.”

“You know that in this case one has nothing to do with the other,” he replies.

Is that true. I’m not so sure. He lets go of my hand and withdraws, leaning back.

“I don’t pay people for sex,” he tells me coldly.

“Liam. This wasn’t intended to hurt you. I didn’t mean it like that. But if we didn’t spend the night together you wouldn’t be involved in this.” I try to explain hoping the damage is reversible.

“Do I look like a person who would throw away money. I’m not afraid to spend it, but I’m not known for wasting it. I’ve worked too hard for it. I just have instinct for good investments.”

Deep down I know he is right. The preliminary adaptation numbers confirm this. “You are telling me that you are not doing this for me at all but you are in just for the profit.”

“You’re damn right I’m in it for the profit,” his grin is back. “One more thing, after you get off the ground this marketing service of yours, I fully expect that you to productize the Security App as well.”

Now I cock my eyebrow, “I know nothing about the smart house and security segment.”

“But you know marketing and you solved your problem so you are passionate about it.”

The server interrupts our conversation, bringing us the food. I squeal excitedly before digging in my cast iron roasted chicken with hand cut fries and black truffle cream. Moaning audibly after taking the first bite. Soliciting a dark smirk from his side.

“I thought those were just for me,” his deep voice igniting goosebumps.

“I’m not stingy. There is a lot more where that came from.” I tempt, shamefully seeking more of his dark looks. He snorts, not even looking up from his plate. Taking a bite of the strip stake he ordered Liam looks pleasantly surprised by the goodness of the food.

“I like this. What is this place?” he turns around unexpectedly aware of our surrounding.

“You’ll buy it later, now eat.”

I’m still at war with myself on the topic of the investment. His reasoning is solid and I have complete confidence in our solution, none the less I still feel discomfort related with this subject.

“Did we resolve the investment issue?” He asks and when I don’t answer he sets down his fork and knife. “Madison, there is no room for ego in the business. You are not alone in this and must think about people working for you. Your job is to ensure they have a job and they are paid for that. Must think beyond your limitations.”

“I can only humbly admit you are right.” And he is. I don’t have anything solid to support my position.

“Also, you said you’ll give it a try,” he reminds.

“No sexy fuckery in the office.”

“Easier said than done….” he mumbles.

“Liam!”

“Do you think I go about my day planning how I will grab you in my office right before my next meeting? I don’t,” he answers and cheerfully continues to nom on his stake. The fucker knows he is winning and I that I will give in. This being said, I’ve never seen a man who is happier to part with his money than he is.

“You are right.”

He lifts an eyebrow, “I didn’t hear this. Can you repeat?”

“You – are – right.” I repeat giving him a lopsided smile.

He stops eating grabs his bear and raises his glass to me. “To our business partnership!” I raise my cocktail and our glasses cling. We continue chatting and he suggests going to a bar after we finish with the dinner. It is a place he heard of from guys at work. This is a moment to enjoy; he is relaxed, his face lighting as I laugh. Just like he was on Saturday.

***

The entire evening just changed my best of moments list. Best date of my life, best dinner I had in a long time, best person as my company. Like having a best friend, eye candy and a dark lover, merged all in one. The moment on top of the list for now, the one I’m still laughing about, is when I paid for the dinner. He was texting away on his mobile and I seized the opportunity when the waiter came with our bill. Before he realized what was happening, I settled the bill and the look he gave me – priceless. Mix of confusion, little bit of anger and a whole lot of what the hell did you just do. He went so far as to inform me that I will be punished if I did that again. The look on his face – worth the possible retribution.

We are at our next destination and the moment we enter I’m blown away with the interior. The inside of the bar is a forest. Real trees – wood trunks, bark, moss, leaves and all. Each table a nook for itself, a hideout. Light is strategically placed so that you can see where you are going but low enough so that you have a sensation of forest in the night. A very live forest with loud music and heap of people.

“You choose the next one!” He almost jells over the loud music returning with our drinks in hand.

“Okay… Would you rather… never use social media again or never watch another movie or TV show?”

“That one is easy,” he responds settling into his seat. “I can give up both of them.”

“Really!? Like never again … a movie?”

“Really…” he gently moves hair from my face. “I only watch the news. I don’t binge TV shows, don’t have time for that. And my social accounts are managed by my marketing team.”

“You are a savage Carver, you know?” I take a gulp of the beer he brought me and smack my mouth in delight. “This is tasty!”

“You are welcome,” he acknowledges.

“Your turn,” I prompt him to continue our little game.

“Would you rather… have a head size of a watermelon… oooor… have a head size of a tennis ball?”

I blink at him once, then twice, trying to process the question only to burst in unreserved laugh. He joins me, bursting as much as I am. “What kind of question is that!?”

“One suggested by Pinterest?”

“A – ha, see you are using social media!”

“For research!” he defends. “I don’t use it as a user. Answer your question.”

“I don’t know, watermelon I guess.”

“Bigger is better?” He taunts, eyes becoming darker as he slides off his barstool and stands close to me.

“You Sir are playing a dirty game!” I scold mockingly, while I still have my power of speech because the nearness of him is shutting down my brain and waking up the carnal side of me.

“You, Madam, do not know the first thing about playing dirty.”

“You intend to school me?”

His hands drop on my thighs, turning me toward him and opening my legs while he nestles in the middle. “Mentor is a better choice.” The forest setting provides enough privacy making me bold. Bold enough to lightly kiss him. He escalates it into full blown kiss. Biting my lower lip and taking possession of my mouth with his tongue. I moan not even trying to restrain and he reacts in the same way, pulling me even closer to him. “Let’s go to the apartment…” he rasps out torn between continuing the kiss or not. I wave my head no – as this is the only response, I’m capable of in this moment.

“You don’t want to go to the apartment?” he speaks into my mouth, briefly pausing the kiss.

“I’m going to the apartment but you are not.” This is one of the hardest things I had to say because there is nothing, I want more in this moment rather then to let this man fuck me senseless. Every cell in my body screams at me as I push him away.

“I thought we settled this,” he rasps out annoyed.

“I can’t go from zero to full relationship in less than 24 hours, I need some space Liam.”

He steps away from me clearly agitated, or perhaps just pissed because he didn’t get his way. Running his hand through his hair he orders, “Okay, let’s go.”