Mitch moved closer, more turned on by herassertiveness than he’d like to admit to himself. He leaned in, looking down at her, and those scary eyes clashed with her own confused ones. “Don’t you?” he asked softly.
Adriana felt like she should understand thatquestion, like she should have grasped what was going on but she was honestly clueless and confused. No man had ever made her feel so bewildered. She shook her head. “No. I know there are unspoken issues here. I just don’t understandthem. You’re a very confusing man.”
He moved even closer. So close that she could once again feel the heat of his body through her clothes. “It’s very simple, Adriana. I want you. And I’m getting the impression that you feel the same way about me.”
She was already shaking her head, not wanting toacknowledge that in any way. At least not to him. Good grief, not really even to herself! “I don’t. I don’t even really like you.”
He laughed softly. “What have I done to make you dislike me?” he asked, his hand came up, his finger running a trail of fire down her cheek and along her neck. Shivers raced all over, her body shaking from reaction. She gasped as she felt that heat all the way down to her toes.
“You’re rude,” she said but gasped when he pressed her back further. “And you demand things instead of requesting.”
“That’s the same thing as rude.” His fingers were moving lower, his arms wrapping around her waist.
She thought about pushing him away, of demanding that he not touch her in this way. Unfortunately, she couldn’t seem to form the words. The demand was lodged in her throat. The fear was there, definitely. But there was something more. Something strange and deeper. Something she didn’t really want to acknowledge.
“You’re too big.”
“Not really. You’re just too small.”
She didn’t like that at all. “I’m not too small!” she gasped, her head snapping up so he could see her glare.
“Okay, so you’re perfect.”
The flutters in her stomach started flipping over with those words as well as his husky tone.
“There’s also…”
“Adriana,” he said slowly, his hand moving ever so slightly but she was just so sensitized to him at that moment, she felt it.
She blinked, recognizing that his head was coming closer. Her eyes looked at those firm lips, wondering once again if they would be soft and persuasive or firm and demanding. “What?” she whispered back to him.
“Shut up,” he told her and a fraction of a second later, his mouth covered hers, enforcing his words.
Wow!
Her breath rushed out of her with a whoosh and her mind couldn’t define his kissing style. Her mind couldn’t even work. It was fully occupied with this kiss, the way his tongue invaded her mouth and his hands deftly unbuttoned her elegant suit jacket so that his skilful hands could slide around her waist, glide against the delicate silk of her blouse.
Adriana felt her hands lift higher, her fingers touching his shoulders lightly as if she were afraid of too much stimulation. She wanted to melt into him, but she was frozen, all of her mind occupied with enjoying this kiss. She was just about to….
“Mr. Powell!” a man called out, startling Adriana so much that she jumped out of Mitch’s arms. She looked around, trying to figure out who might have seen the two of them kissing. How could she have let the man kiss her? And so close to the office! What was she thinking?!
Thankfully, they were out of the line of people moving to their lunch destinations, hidden by the tall, granite columns.
“Mr. Powell!” the voice came again. Mitch looked around and saw the man with the dirty leather jacket frantically waving to him.
Mitch pulled back but kept his arm around Adriana’s waist, not letting her shift far away from him. “Jimmy! How are you doing?” Mitch asked, shaking the man’s hand.
Adriana watched with fascination as the older manapproached. He had chipped teeth, a few of which were even black, a hat that should have been burned about three decades ago as well as pants that were held up only by the grace of God and a precarious knot tied at the man’s waist. If he had shaved at all, Adriana would have guessed it hadn’t been in the past three days. Everything about this man was dirty but Mitch shook his hand as if the man were another member of his board of directors.
He was a gregarious fellow and his engaging grin pulled one’s attention away from the desperate appearance of his clothing. There was also a twinkle in his eye, as if he were excited about whatever the day was going to offer him.
The man named Jimmy laughed and nodded his head. “Great! We’re all doing great! When are you coming down to the chess park again? Tim and I think we can trounce you next time.”
Mitch laughed at that. “I doubt it, but you’re welcome to try.”
“Next Saturday?” he asked eagerly.
Mitch thought for a moment, then nodded his head. “Next Saturday. Coffee is on me.”
Jimmy chuckled, a sound that was almost more of a cough than laughter. Mitch looked sternly down at the man, putting a hand onto his shoulder. “Go over to Doc’s office and get that chest x-rayed again, Jimmy,” Mitch commanded with a stern look. “It doesn’t sound good.”
Jimmy waved Mitch’s concern away, his hand pounding firmly on the middle of his chest. “Hell, it don’t bother me anymore. That’s just the lungs enjoying the night air.”
Mitch smacked the guy’s arm lightly. “Get it checked anyway okay? You won’t be able to focus on playing chess if you’re hacking up a lung. And if I know you, you’ll blame your defeat on not having enough focus.” Jimmy chuckled but he nodded his head. Mitch put his arm back around Adriana’s waist. “I need to get this woman some food. She eats less than you do. Can I get you something?”
Jimmy licked his lips, paused, then shook his head,the light in his eyes dimming ever so slightly. “Nah. You just run on and flirt with the pretty lady.”
Mitch shook Jimmy’s hand again and Jimmy headed on down the street. Mitch steered Adriana into the restaurant, one of the posh establishments that catered to the wealthy and elite that poured out of the tall buildings during lunch and after work.
The hushed atmosphere was a stark contrast to the bustling noise out on the sidewalk. “Good afternoon, Mr. Powell,” the hostess said as soon as Mitch stepped through the doors. “Your usual table?” she asked, already gathering menus.
Please, Laura. That would be great.”
“This way,” she said and smiled professionally. Adriana felt horrible since there were others standing inside the doorway, obviously still waiting on a table and it looked like they had been there for a while.
When they were seated and a bottle of wineordered, Mitch leaned back in his chair and looked at her carefully. “Tell me what you were thinking about in the meeting earlier today.”
Adriana wasn’t about to go into the sexual fantasies she’d been having during the meeting so instead, she focused on what was said and her ideas on how to use those concepts in the reportsshe compiled each month for the company in general and the ones she created for him specifically. She barely looked at him and had trouble keeping her hands still. She had to hide them, allowing her fingers to fiddle with the linen napkin because at least they were under the table and he wouldn’t be able to see how nervous she was.
Mitch thought about challenging her on the issue, but he recognized that he couldn’t push her too far. She was already nervous and wary after that kiss. He would have to move slower than he normally did with a woman. That was going to be hard though because the feelings and need this slender woman generated within him with just one of her brown eyed glances was more powerful than anything he’d ever experienced with another woman before. He wasn’t sure he would have the patience to woo her properly, but he was enjoying the chase. He couldn’t let it linger much longer though. The ache for her was powerful, intense. And consuming.
So during the meal, he allowed her the freedom to direct the conversation to more mundane and safer topics such as work and marketing obstacles. All the while, he watched her face, fascinated with the way her eyes would light up when she had a really good idea or they might narrow if he disagreed with her. He loved to watch her cheeks flame with color when he made even the slightest personal comment.
When the waiter arrived with the dessert menu, she glanced at her watch, stunned to realize that they’d been sitting there arguing for almost two and a half hours! “I really need to get back to work,” she said, exasperated with the man even though she was smiling at the challenge to her ideas he’d just tossed at her.
The waiter appeared at their table as if he’d somehow heard her comment about leaving, and set two boxes next to Mitch. “Have a good afternoon, Mr. Powell,” the waiter said and bowed away.
“What are those?” Adriana asked, looking at the boxes and wondering what might be inside them. She’d eaten almost her entire meal, so it wasn’t her leftover lunch.
“Nothing,” he said and stood up. “Ready?”
He took the boxes and led Adriana out of the building. She was relieved that the crowd has dissipated from the front door. Hopefully, everyone who had been waiting had finally gotten a table and was enjoying the restaurant’s excellent cuisine. She felt much better now that she’d filled her stomach. She really shouldn’t skip so many meals, she thought as she walked back to the building beside Mitch.
“I’ll be right back,” Mitch said, startling Adriana out of her thoughts. They were almost back to the same spot where he’d kissed her and she wasn’t sure what was going on.
Adriana watched with curiosity as Mitch disappeared down an alley. It wasn’t a dark and dangerous alley, nor was it filled with garbage and discarded furniture like she’d seen on several police shows. It was a relatively clean alley. But it was still an alley. Not a place one thinks an obnoxious billionaire like Mitch Powell would frequent.
A few moments later, he came back out of the alley, the two boxes no longer in his hands.
“What did you do?” Adriana asked.
He looked back down the alleyway, then at her and smiled slightly. “We’re late for another meeting,” he said and put a hand to the small of her back.
She hesitated, looking down the alley one more time, more curious than she wanted to be, but he was leading her away and nothing in the alley moved. Surely he hadn’t just tossed those two boxes filled with food into the dumpster behind the alley, had he? She’d eaten there with her parents and she knew that the meals were expensive. It was the type of restaurant that didn’t even put the prices on the menu.
Then his words registered. “What meeting?” she asked, startled that she wouldn’t be getting space from the man. Okay, so lunch hadn’t been so bad. Actually, now that she was thinking about it, she felt strangely invigorated by their conversation. It was the first time she had discussed something with him and she felt…empowered? Was that really the right word? Yes, she supposed it was.
When the elevator doors opened up, he held a door open for her but when she started to turn one way down the hallway, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back, startling her with the heat in his touch and the crazy way her body reacted yet again. “This way,” he said, not answering her question. But instead, he led the way down the long,executive hallway once more. “Get your computer. I’ll need you to look up statistics during this meeting.”
She stared up at him, not fully understanding. “Statistics?” she asked.
“Yes. Listen to the speakers just like in the meeting this morning, but I want you to counter any of the numbers you hear during this meeting. I don’t trust this group of investors. So if you find anything that doesn’t make sense, shoot me a text with the correct information.”
Adriana nodded her head, still not sure what was going on, but she loved that he was trusting her with a task that sounded important. “You’ll be fine,” he assured her, sensing her anxiety.
She hurried to her office and grabbed her computer, unaware of the silly smile she had on her face. When she was back in the conference room, she took a seat behind Mitch this time and he didn’t stop her. But as the group of strangers walked into the conference room and started talking, she listened carefully, refusing to think about the man’s underwear like she had during the morning meeting.
As soon as the investors started talking, she quickly understood why Mitch had asked her to be here. She instantly knew that the numbers being tossed out during their briefing were wrong and her fingers began researching the information. The very first thing they said, she stumbled on a site that contradicted their claims. She immediately shot that information to Mitch. Then listened again. Over and over again, she heard information that she either quickly confirmed or debunked. She was thrilled to be flying through the internet so quickly, her fingers a blur as she typed quickly, sifting through fact and fiction. The more they talked, the more thrilling it was to keep up with them. Repeatedly, she found sites or data from independent sources that contradicted their claims and then shot that information in as succinct a summary as possible.
Comments
Post a Comment