Prima - Alta Hensley Page 0,46
she needed to know the committee from New York had some concerns. While Yuri and I hadn’t yet made the announcement to the company, yesterday we’d learned of their favorable decision to offer our company the coveted spot on their schedule. Despite the fact the committee members might have had a change of heart, it was likely they, and others, could be assholes to Clara. I didn’t want her to go in blind. As a dancer, she didn’t need to be bothered with all the business aspects, but I also didn’t want to keep her in the dark.
“Look” —I pulled her in a little closer to me— “I have some stuff I need to talk to you about. But I’d rather not do it right now.” I decided the talk about New York and what the committee members had said would be better left for when Clara didn’t seem so upset. “Can we meet up later on to discuss it?”
She nodded slowly, as if something was plaguing her mind and she didn’t like that idea. I suddenly had the thought that perhaps she thought I was asking her out on a date, and that wasn’t what she wanted at all. How fucking embarrassing! Baker had also told me there were stories of how she’d literally screwed around… a lot, though those stories had faded away a couple of years ago. I wasn’t some asshole who held a double standard between men and women and their sex lives. As long as they weren’t in a committed relationship, I really didn’t give a shit how many people a person partnered with. Maybe Clara had only desired a good fuck and then wanted to move on.
“It’s work stuff,” I said quickly, wondering why it seemed I was just making it worse. “What I mean is you don’t have to worry. It’s nothing personal.”
“Oh no, it isn’t that,” Clara reassured me rapidly. “Though… well, it’s… it’s your brother.” My heart sank at those words. “He warned me against dating you.”
I managed to keep the anger that instantly began to boil inside me contained, but I couldn’t stop the change in my tone when I said, “My brother has no fucking say over my personal life. And though what I wanted to talk to you about doesn’t really have anything to do with us as a couple, if you’re going to listen to him, then I would rather know now.” I was dangerously close to admitting how deeply I cared for her. But right now, in the heat of the moment, I didn’t care. I was being honest with her, telling her what I needed.
“No. I have no intention of listening to him,” she replied quickly. “I just wanted you to know. But I really don’t think it’s because of anything having to do with you. I think he wanted to protect you from me.”
I gave her a smile. “I’m a grown man, Clara. I don’t need protection. So, unless you’d rather keep our relationship strictly platonic—”
“No!” she said, so quickly I had to grin. I decided not to correct myself. I’d meant to say “strictly business,” but I wasn’t going to backtrack now that she’d turned down that chance.
She gave my chest a poke with her finger. “I only meant I’m a grown woman and not going to let your brother… or anyone else tell me what to do or try to scare me away from what I want. Not again.”
“That’s good. So, it’s a date?” I said, not about to let the opportunity slip away.
Clara finally gave me a small smile, a bit of the tension seeming to have drained away. “Yes, it’s a date.” She slid off my lap. “I’m sure you have a lot of work to do, and I should get in a workout before Yuri throws a hissy fit.”
I nodded, grinning at the image of my stern brother stomping his foot or pulling his hair like some toddler throwing a tantrum. The very fact Clara wasn’t intimidated by the man had my respect for her going up another notch or two. “Yeah, I do have work. But I’ll pick you up at seven for dinner?”
Clara nodded as she walked toward the door, the sway of her hips locking my eyes on an ass I remembered in vivid detail. She then looked over her shoulder with a grin that instantly made my dick lengthen. The woman oozed sexy charm and didn’t even seem aware of it. “Don’t forget to bring