he murmured. “You can’t deny that.”
She licked her suddenly dry lips. Rhi. Not the first time he’d used her nickname, but it slid over her ears like silk in his deep, dark voice. His palm was so heavy, the calluses of his thumb rasping over her skin as he rubbed in the tiniest gesture. She wanted to flip her hand over and hold it. “We might.”
“Might?”
His shoulders seemed to grow bigger. What was he, a peacock? If so, she was an animal too, because her heartbeat was responding to whatever mating dance body language he had going on. “I don’t think there’s any question about it.” He straightened away from her, unboxing her body. For the first time since he’d walked into the room, his face grew grave and vulnerable. “Look. Let me address the elephant in the room. I clearly like you and am attracted to you, so if something were to develop between us, physically or whatever, it would be fine with me. I’m not going to badger you about it, though, or make you justify your choices if that choice is no. You have my number. You can come to me.”
She tried to summon her voice, to explain the problem to him: she didn’t fuck with the same man twice, especially one who had hurt her before. It was far too risky. She’d been decimated before, and by someone whom she’d thought was on her side. Samson was technically a competitor, and she needed to be careful.
Never again.
She couldn’t force the words out, though.
When she sat silent, he lifted a shoulder. “Don’t stress, Rhi. I have to go meet a friend right now.” He named a downtown bar she was somewhat familiar with. “Someone recommended that place to me. I’ll be there tonight, around eight. Since you like to track me down so much, if you make a decision, come there and let me know if you’re ready to roll.”
She rose to her feet when he did, the words that finally emerged from her mouth blessedly strong and assertive. “Or I’ll call you.”
His look was filled with kind humor, like he knew she’d come find him over calling him. “Whatever you’d like. I’ll be there no matter what.”
She pursed her lips, trying to figure out if there was some double meaning behind his words. Was he trying to impress upon her that he was man of his word? Well, too bad. Nothing would help her learn to trust him again except his behavior.
She followed him to the door, and opened it for him. He nodded to her as he left. “I look forward to hearing from you, Rhi.” The intimate use of her nickname made her toes curl. How could such polite words sound like a sexy veiled threat?
She watched him walk away, trying not to stare too hard at his butt, but what else was one supposed to look at when a hot man was walking away from you?
Aw, shit. The truth hit her like a tidal wave.
She was going to sleep with him again.
Yeah, yeah, she didn’t sleep with the same dude twice, she didn’t fuck with zombies. Her dating rules were going to go out the window with this guy. She could feel it. Gawd, maybe soon he’d send her a dick pic and she’d find it charming, thus cancelling every rule she’d ever made for herself.
She shuddered. Let’s not go that far.
Fine. She might sleep with him again. But she’d do it on her terms. It would be within her control.
He disappeared from view as he descended the stairs that took him down to the exit, taking his bubble butt with him. That was when she realized a good dozen curious eyes were staring at her, the office chatter definitely at a lower volume than what it usually was. She frowned, and that was enough for everyone to get back to work. Or pretend to get back to work.
Everyone except Lakshmi, of course, who came clipping up to her in stilettos. “Were the layers a good idea?”
“Yeah,” Rhiannon said. The lipstick hadn’t been bulletproof, so if she did see Samson tonight, she’d add a couple extra layers first. At the very least, she’d wear a pair of pants with buttons, and not these threadbare sweats. “Get Suzie and the rest of marketing into the conference room in five. We have an interesting opportunity in front of us.”
Chapter Eleven
SHOULD HAVE given her a more specific time frame.
Samson sipped his second soda and tried not