Nemesis(19)

“Yeah, I want to,” he almost growls, eyes darkening. “There’s so many things I want to do to you, Jacinta. With you. Fuck, you have no idea how sexy you are.”

He speaks in a low tone so only I can hear.

I swallow hard and decide to change the subject, seeing that we’re in a public place and can’t exactly do anything right now. “Thanks for the Chinese, by the way. I ate some for breakfast too.”

Cohen laughs, eyes dancing with amusement. “You’re welcome. Do you want me to bring something tonight too?”

“Like what?”

“Anything you want,” he says, letting go of my hand and picking up his bottle of water, cracking it open.

I think about how badly I want him, and I don’t really want to sit there eating with him beforehand. Besides, isn’t that more for people who are dating? Then again, I can always save the food for after the hot sex.

“Just you,” I decide, staring at his mouth.

“Okay,” he whispers, shifting in his seat. “Maybe I’ll just follow you home after work.”

“Maybe I’ll like that,” I fire back, then look down at the slice of cake on my plate. My hunger for food is now redirected to something else, something I shouldn’t be indulging in, but am unable to say no to.

Cohen Lake is my new vice.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” he says, leaning back in his chair. “You can ask me anything.”

“Why did you suddenly want me?” I inquire, then rush to explain. “I mean, I’ve been working here for a little while now, and you never really showed any interest, so why did you start wanting to hang out?”

He looks down at the table, then back up at me. “I don’t know. I always thought you were beautiful, ever since I laid my eyes on you on your first day. I remember you were wearing this blue top, like your eyes but darker, and a skirt. You looked f*cking beautiful. I guess I just couldn’t stay away from you any longer, or didn’t want to.”

He’s a man used to getting what he wants, I realise. He’s powerful, dominant and always in control—of course women can’t say no to him. That, paired with his looks and charm, makes the man practically unstoppable.

I take a giant bite of cake, chewing slowly, keeping my gaze on him. I’m stuck between wishing he never approached me and being glad that he did. My head is just filled with all things Cohen, and I need to take a step back and get myself under control.

He’s not mine.

He never will be.

I need to understand that and not secretly hope that he’ll change his mind, that I’ll change his mind. You can’t change a man. I know this. I also don’t want to play games because that really isn’t me. Then again, I’ve never had casual sex either. I’ve had four sexual partners, and they were all my boyfriends. This is new ground for me, and I have a feeling I’m only agreeing to it because I like Cohen already, which actually isn’t a good thing. If any other man asked this arrangement from me… Well, I’d have cut him out of my life right now. I’m good at that, deleting messages, blocking numbers and moving on. I do it when I know I need to protect myself from that person. If I do it, you’ve definitely upset me enough for the need to go cold turkey on your ass.

“We should get back to work,” I say, pulling my money out before he can object. “And I’m paying. You haven’t let me pay for anything yet.”

“That’s because the man should always pay,” he responds, scowling. “Don’t be stubborn, Jacinta.”

“I’m not the one being stubborn,” I retort, placing the money on the table to cover both meals. “This isn’t a date, Cohen. You don’t have to pay.”

I enjoy watching the muscle tick in his jaw. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a date or not. I’m still f*cking paying.”

I simply smirk, leaving the money on the table and heading towards the exit. I hear his curse behind me, but walk outside then wait for him at the door. When he joins me, he’s not happy, but I don’t really care. We walk back to work in silence, my mood pretty chirpy, not letting his grumpiness bring me down. He waits until I get into the elevator first, then steps in. He always presses the buttons. Every single time. So I reach forward and quickly press level four before he can. He turns to me with a death stare.

“What?” I ask innocently, making my eyes wide and batting my eyelashes. I stand back and look straight ahead. When the doors open again, I walk out, without even a backwards glance at him. Placing my bag on the desk, I sit in my chair, ready to finish my to-do list. Cohen stops at my desk, an odd look on his face, like he thinks I’m up to something, or maybe like he doesn’t know what to do with me.

“Don’t you have work to do?” I ask, opening my laptop.

Green eyes narrow to slits. “In a few hours, you’ll be all mine, Jacinta. Remember that.”

He storms into his office.

Was that a reminder not to push him?

I shrug.

Then I squeeze my thighs together.

The end of the day can’t come soon enough.





Chapter Ten


I grab onto the headboard, moaning as he licks my clit. I look down at his face and wonder why the f*ck I’ve never done this before. I’ve never sat on a man’s face in my life, but I’m glad to be experiencing it with Cohen. I feel powerful, for some reason. I’m literally straddling his face, and he’s up close with my *, which should make me feel awkward, but with him, I don’t. I feel beautiful. Sexy. And f*cking turned on. I wonder if men know that if they make a woman feel beautiful and confident, she’ll become comfortable with her sexuality.