Marie Harte - Bending the Rules

“Well… Why?” She was wavering. He could tell.

“It’s not that easy to hang with women who don’t expect anything from me. I like you, Nat. You’re honest and hard working. You don’t take anyone’s nonsense. And it’s nice to go to dinner with someone who’s not my buddy Brian.”

She grinned.

“Why can’t we be friends, at least? I won’t push you for anything you don’t want. I’m a standup guy. Ask around.”

Her shy smile socked him, right in the heart. “You really want to be friends?”

“Did I stutter?”

She paused, and he felt on the verge of losing something important. “You’re going to be a huge pain in my ass, I can tell.” Then she nodded. “Sure, why not? But don’t think I can’t end this anytime you get pushy.”

“I said I won’t.” I so will, but not until you’re ready, my pretty mistress. “So how about another date that isn’t a date?”

“Okay.”

“Please, don’t hold back your enthusiasm.”

She chuckled. “Sorry. I’m still not sold on us being friends, but I have to admit you were fun tonight.”

“Yep. That’s me. Fun Rex Samson. So tomorrow night?”

“Sorry, no. I have plans.”

“Oh?”

“You know, until recently, I never had much of a social life. But it just happens that I have plans for dinner with a friend tomorrow night. Freddy Thompson—my assistant’s girlfriend. Do you know her?”

“I do. She’s a peach.” She was hanging with Freddy? Could he impose on Brian’s sister to hook him up with Nat again? Excitement thrummed through him, and he did his best to appear cool. “You’ll have fun with Freddy. So, Saturday? We could do dinner and a movie, nothing fancy or too date-like for you.” Or whips and chains. Some hot wax…

“Saturday then. As friends . Okay.”

He smiled. Then, before she could dart into her home and disappear, he tugged her into his arms. His mouth found hers before she could protest, and he put his all into the kiss. Not a hardship, considering how badly he wanted inside her.

Jesus, the woman turned him inside out. He kept remembering her bossiness at the club. Saw her wide smile as she danced with him at the gala.

He slid his mouth over hers, tasting the hints of cherry from her wine. But the sweetness that was all Natalie arrowed to the spot between his legs needing ease. He swallowed her moan, gratified he wasn’t the only one affected. Her tongue glided over his, and when she sucked him deeper into her mouth, he tightened his hold on her. Somehow his hands had slid to her hips, and he gripped her, wanting so much more than a quick fuck.

She had to remember him, to want him again when it was all over. And no vanilla one-night stand would do that. If she did sleep with him, she’d end things right away. He was still in the enemy camp. She needed to trust him…with all of her.

“Unfortunately, my past partners have all tended to tell me what do to. It’s frustrating,” she’d said. Definitely not the time to show her that he could do all kinds of talented things in bed. While he enjoyed submitting to a more dominant partner, he was no pushover. He intended to manipulate this particular woman until he had her where he wanted her. And he wouldn’t feel bad about it at all.

He found the strength to pull back, even when her nails gripped his shoulders. “Damn, honey. You are sweet.”

“Rex…”

“That was a one-time kiss. Just because I had to know how you’d taste. Now we’ll forget all about it and be friends .” Like hell. He winked. “I’ll swing by Saturday night to pick you up. Seven all right?” He took a healthy step back, wishing the night could have ended differently.

“Seven is fine.” She cleared her throat. “I meant what I said about keeping things between us platonic.”

“Well, I’ll miss never having a kiss like that again, but you’re worth it.”

She frowned, then smoothed out the expression into a reluctant smile. “Tricky guy. So. Friends .”

“Yep.”

“Then I’ll see you Saturday.”

“Have fun tomorrow night.” He took another step back, then gave her his best grin. “But be thinking of me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Gee, Rex. I’ve had nothing but thoughts of you since we first met.”

“All X-rated, I bet.” He wiggled his brows, glad of her amusement. This softening showed another side to the woman, and knowing she had plenty of depth, knowing there was more than her work persona or the sexy vixen he’d played with at the club, intrigued him to learn more. “See you soon, sugar.”

He had just reached his car before he heard behind him, “The name’s Nat, in case you forgot.”

He chuckled as he drove away, then made a quick call to Freddy. “Need another favor, dear girl. And yes, I’m aware of how much I owe you. But hey, I’m sad and single. Have pity on me.”

He laughed at her response, then tried to figure out the best way to get sexy, domineering Nat to open up. And lose some clothes in the process.

Nat didn’t know what she’d been thinking to agree to meet Freddy at the club again. She’d been sure she’d seen the last of the place. Her job depended on her being morally upright, at least in public. More like morally uptight.

She blamed Rex for her troubles. Besides being so charming, fun and intelligent, he was far sexier than any man had a right to be. Dangerous to her state of mind. That stupid, mind-blowing, panty-melting kiss. Oh, he knew what he was about. But he’d been so much fun. She wanted to see him again. As friends, girl. Just friends.

Yet had he given the slightest inclination to go further last night, she would have taken him inside and ridden him ’til dawn. Even vanilla sex with Rex promised pleasure. Then she could safely never see him again, protecting her heart and her job.

But no, he had to be a gentleman, which made her want him even more. She found his restraint, his confidence, hell, even his shoe-size sexy. Nat had a crush for the first time in years. Despite Rex’s insistence he and the mayor were only casual acquaintances, she could see that they moved in the same circles. Too close for her comfort. She’d learned her lesson the hard way years ago, watching her then boss and mentor get fired for sleeping with a subordinate. So no office romances. Period. Nat’s rules, Nat’s flourishing career.

But that didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends. Friends were safe, and she admitted she’d enjoyed his company more than she’d thought she would. Especially now that she’d be able to satisfy her raging libido with a random hookup tonight, courtesy of Freddy’s many contacts.

“I must be crazy agreeing to this,” she muttered by a door in a private hall upstairs.

Next to her, Freddy laughed. “Trust me. I know crazy, and you aren’t it. Behind this door, now that’s crazy.” She handed Nat a harlequin mask. “Everyone who plays at my club indulges in safe sex. We don’t compromise on physical or emotional safety. So you want secrecy, you got it. The masks will keep all of you anonymous. Plus, the lights are dim. It’s romantic and helps hide you even more.”

“Nice.” Nat’s palms were sweating. For four months she’d been celibate and, if not happy, at least okay with being alone. But since meeting Rex, she’d wanted more.

“So, you like to be in charge, and you like watching men play. It feels good to be honest, doesn’t it?”

“It does,” she admitted.

Nat must have been delirious opening up to Freddy over cocktails. But it felt good to have a friend she didn’t have to lie to. Someone she could be herself with. She’d only just gotten to know Freddy, but already she trusted her. The woman loved Harper, and Nat had never had a better work partner in all her years. Someone she could trust, someone participating in an alternative relationship himself.