Over the Edge (Bridge #3)(6)
She swallowed and set her glass down hard. “You’re a pig.”
I smiled. On to the next round.
“I do enjoy the filthy arts. I think you might, too. What do you say, Olivia? We can enjoy a little rendezvous here and there, and in return, I’ll let you spend my cash like Monopoly money on the renovation. Keep your brothers happy. Keep me happy. And then I’ll keep you happy.”
She lifted her chin. “You can’t buy me.”
“I’m well aware of that. But this isn’t about the money. It’s about you getting what you want. And me getting what I want.”
She crossed her arms tightly but didn’t say anything more. Poor little rich girl betraying her sensibilities. If the attraction was real, she could seduce herself with the prospect, her sensibilities be damned.
I leaned in and gazed intently at her. “Let me be clear, Olivia. I’m not a guy you date, and I’m nowhere near husband material. I’m the one you mess around with until the right guy comes along—one your parents will approve of. But I’m rich and well connected enough for you to be seen with, and you’ll find out soon that when it comes to delivering orgasms, I’m rather dedicated to my craft. Once you say yes to me, you’ll be too busy coming to worry about your pride.”
Her cheeks flushed a deeper pink, setting off the dazzling blue of her eyes. “You’re cocky, too. You forgot that.”
I smirked, and the waiter took that opportune moment to bring our meals. She lifted her knife and fork and speared them into her steak without a word. I dismantled my sea bass with a little less vigor, occasionally glancing up at her, trying to read her. I wanted to ask her more about herself, but I also enjoyed the way my proposition and her consideration of it hung between us. A little awkward, but heavy and sexual too.
I took my last bite and dropped my napkin on the table. The food was delicious and the company was fine, but I wasn’t nearly satisfied. I wanted Olivia Bridge naked, under me.
“You’re considering my offer. Tell me what’s holding you back. What are you thinking?”
Her cool gaze flickered to mine. “Are you asking for an answer or a confession? My thoughts are none of your business.”
I shrugged slightly. “I’m curious.”
“So am I.”
OLIVIA
“I’d love nothing more than to indulge that curiosity, Olivia.” Will’s words were low, confident, and laced with dark promises.
I would have paid to disintegrate into the floor without another word. I was being reckless. Brazen. Inappropriate. No more inappropriate than Will, but now I was inching my way to his level. I was letting him get into my head.
My negotiation skills might have been lacking, but I wasn’t na?ve. When a man invited a woman to dinner—a confident, gorgeous, and decidedly single man like Will Donovan—chances were high that he factored in the possibility of sex. He knew it, and I knew it. And now I’d basically shown him all my cards.
Going into this dinner, I’d had no intentions of sleeping with Will. That didn’t keep the delicious fantasy from poking its way into my thoughts, however. I was curious. Physically, I was attracted to him, but I was also drawn to his confidence and that edge that made him different from other prospects. I wanted to peel him back the way he was intent on peeling me back. But I had a feeling he was a lot better at it and that I was woefully out of my depth.
The waiter cleared our plates and brought dessert menus. I tried to ignore Will and the silent push and pull that seemed to exist between us even when no words were being spoken. I studied the menu, attempting to buy myself time to get my head together.
The truth was I hadn’t been with anyone since I’d left my father’s private investment firm nearly a year ago, and that experience had been less than pleasant. After enough wine to dull my reservations, I’d let my father’s newly appointed vice president at the firm take me to bed. The sex had been quick and passionless, but he was moving up fast in the company, so he was the one my parents were relentlessly pushing me toward. I wasn’t sure, ultimately, if I’d given in for him or for them.
The next day, I’d called Cameron and made the decision to leave my job there and move to the city.
Now I was sitting across from a man who sizzled with sex appeal and was all but guaranteeing physical pleasure. Plus, no strings beyond the added bonus of getting to have a voice in the renovation of my family’s next investment? He was challenging my sense of propriety, but he was also painting a picture that ran in stark contrast to anything I’d experienced.
After a few minutes, I finally looked up to meet Will’s imploring gaze. “Are we getting dessert?”
“We can. Unless you’ve decided to come home with me.”
“I’ll have the cheesecake,” I said quickly, dropping the menu between us.
He licked his bottom lip with a cocky smile. “Sounds delicious.”
Dessert came and went, but I was too preoccupied with Will’s dangerous energy and his proposal to savor much of anything. We left the restaurant, and the car that had collected me earlier idled by the curb. Will’s hand rested lightly on my lower back. That small touch held the promise of so many more, heightening the physical ache that had been creeping up on me since we’d met. The ache made me want to give Will an answer that seemed unthinkable.