Afternoon Delight - By Mia Zachary Page 0,41
anxiously holding his breath.
“There’s something I need to tell you.” Reaching for Rei’s hand, he rubbed his thumb over the back of it. “The sex has been incredible, you know. It’s never been as good with anyone else as it is with you.” He paused, holding her gaze as firmly as her fingers. “But I want more.”
“You want more sex?”
She laughed but he felt her hand tense beneath his.
“Chris, I don’t think that will be a problem. I’ve made no secret about how much you turn me on.”
“You have other secrets, though. We both do.”
She looked away, taking a long sip of her iced tea. “It’s more interesting that way, don’t you think?”
“It’s easier to control, you mean. I know you didn’t want any complications, but I think the rules need to change.”
Chris paused while the waitress placed the foie gras and anchovies in front of Rei. As he watched, her expression became anxious. She lifted one of the thin fish, sniffed it then took a small bite. After a wince and a long sip of tea, she scooped up a forkful of the pâté.
“You’re trying new things, right? Are you willing to be something more than lovers and strangers?”
“We’re not exactly strangers.” Rei stalled for time by shoving the foie gras into her mouth. He wasn’t sure if the face she made was in response to the topic or the food.
“No, we aren’t.” He drew another deep breath and braced himself for her reaction. “You wouldn’t know this, but I’m named after my father and grandfather. David Christopher London III.”
She stared at him, a frozen expression on her face. Her eyes were turbulent, though, when she jerked her hand away. He could see the wheels turning, saw her making the connections, and suddenly he wondered if he’d just made a huge mistake. But, no, he didn’t stand a chance in hell if he didn’t come clean with her about who he was and what he wanted.
“You’re DCL3. You son of a bitch.”
“I’m sorry. But I had to tell you before we go any further. I had to be honest—”
“Honest?” She glanced around the restaurant then lowered her voice. “You’ve been playing me from the very start. All that nonsense about remaining anonymous while being open and honest. When I think about the things I e-mailed you…”
“Things you wouldn’t have told me in person, things you didn’t trust me enough to share.”
Rei scowled at him. “Well, obviously I was right not to trust you.”
The waitress chose that moment to deliver the rest of their food. The burger smelled delicious but Chris’s stomach was too twisted in knots to even think about eating it. He was a risk taker in sports and in business but not in his personal life. He’d never met a woman he considered worth it before.
Rei waited until they were alone again before she leaned forward, pointing her index finger at him. “You agreed to the terms that first night at the hotel and then went and violated my privacy.”
He stepped around that landmine and chose to address what he thought was the more important issue. “Yeah, I agreed at first, but I also told you last night I’d changed my mind. When you gave me your number, I figured you had, too.”
This time she was the one avoiding a trap. “How did you even get my Lunch Meetings e-mail?”
He forced himself to meet her gaze. “I own the service.”
She fell back against her seat. “Damn it, I don’t believe you. Is this how you operate? You steal information and manipulate the results?”
“Hey, I know you’re angry but believe one thing. I’ve never done this before. I wouldn’t jeopardize the reputation of my company or expose my clients. But you—I don’t know—you blew me away.” Chris leaned forward, willing her to see his sincerity. “I wasn’t looking to meet anybody and there you were. Then you were gone. When fate brought you into Lunch Meetings, I saw an opportunity and I took it.”
“Why should I believe anything you say? Don’t you see how you’ve betrayed my trust? I thought I was talking to a friend.”
“I’ll apologize again, because I know I misled you, but I didn’t feel like I had a choice, Rei. You wouldn’t let me in any other way. Every time we’ve been together, you’ve shut me out. This still doesn’t have to be complicated, Rei. We’ll see each other in and out of bed, and you’ll have to learn to say the things you