The Billionaire's Masquerade Page 0,51
wanted to get to know that woman without the reputation muddying up the introductions. Maybe I wanted said beautiful woman to look at me as a man, not as the person who could be her next boss.”
She couldn’t argue with that statement so she picked up her beer and took a sip. The fact that she was actually starting to enjoy beer only irritated her further and she came up with another argument against him.
“So are you saying that…”
Their food arrived at that point and she halted her statement until the fussy woman moved away. There was already vinegar and ketchup on the table so there wasn’t any reason for the pretty blonde, who didn’t look like she was even over twenty years old, to come back to the table.
Emerson squeezed the ketchup bottle while she grabbed the vinegar, marinating the French fries with vinegar. “What were you about to say?” he prompted.
“You’re saying that the man underneath the reputation wouldn’t have come out? Are you saying you’re so weak without the reputation that I wouldn’t have gotten to know the ‘Jack’ side of you if you’d been honest with me up front?”
He made a rude noise and looked at her patiently. “What part of me would you classify as weak?” he demanded of her, taking one of her vinegar saturated fries and dipping it in his ketchup.
She blushed with his question and had to acknowledge that there really wasn’t a weak bone in his body. Or even mentally. He was fair and tough, hard on those who were mentally lazy and generous with those who had what it took to make it in the business. She couldn’t fault his work ethic. She just faulted the way he’d treated her.
And physically? No, there wasn’t anything weak about him physically. He had muscles everywhere. And she knew that for a fact, thinking about all the times she’d explored all those delicious muscles.
“You’re twisting the issue,” she accused and stabbed a fried calamari ring with her fork, dipping it into the marinara sauce. When she’d finished chewing the delicious bite, she used her fork to point at him. “And don’t even try to bring sex back into this argument.”
She couldn’t see it, but she knew that he was rolling his eyes behind those dark glasses. “God forbid we bring sex back into the relationship.”
“Exactly.”
He snorted and took a bite of fried flounder. “But it will be,” he told her firmly.
She stiffened, instantly worried. “No. We’re done with that.”
He didn’t respond immediately, but watched her nibble on a fry. “Think so?” he asked ominously.
She held her breath for a long moment, then shook her head. The man terrified her in that area. She knew how many nights she’d longed for him to just come to her room and take her into his arm to make love to her. She’d missed that so much. But she didn’t want the Emerson. She shouldn’t want the Jack side of him either. But she did.
If only…
No, there was no reason to come up with a list of “if only” thoughts. It was an unproductive exercise.
“Look, we tried, it didn’t work out. Let’s just…” she couldn’t finish that statement because it hurt to even say the words.
“We’re not over,” he told her firmly and stabbed a shrimp. “You just need to see the other side.”
She stole her own shrimp, chewing while contemplating his words. “What’s the other side you keep referring to?” she asked with irritation.
He slowly shook his head and took the last piece of calamari. “You’re going to have to learn it. I can’t explain it. Just like everything else I’ve taught you over the past month, experience is the best teacher.” He stabbed the last calamari, earning another glare from across the table.
“So you’re a calamari thief and uninformative.” She shrugged her shoulder. “Are there any redeeming qualities in you?”
He chuckled again. “I think I can figure out how to remind you of a few of my redeeming qualities.” He took another fry. “As for a calamari thief, I won’t accept that label. If you’re too slow to grab what you want, then I’m not going to sit back and wait. That should have been something you learned early on in this whole endeavor.”
Her lips compressed because he was right. He’d taught her to grab what she wanted, to know what it was and reach for it before anyone else might steal it away from her. He’d also taught her the skills to research things