Romance Warfare: a Tigress' Guide to NOT Secure a Mate(10)
He’s jealous. Eva couldn’t believe it. Adam was jealous of the German businessman. She smiled to herself. Good for him. Let him have a little taste of how it feels. I should go out with the man, just to show Adam.
“While I’m sure Eva would be thrilled to have you take her out, Herr Schmidt, I’m afraid I can’t allow it, conflict of interest, you know. We must keep business considerations in mind, after all.” Adam gave the man a cold smile, his lips stretched into a thin line.
“Ah, yes, I see. It’s too bad for business. We could have fun.” Herr Schmidt gave Eva a bright smile and ran his foot up the inside of her leg.
She jumped up so fast her chair almost toppled over. “Excuse me…uh, for the…ladies.”
Eva made her way to the ladies’ room, taking a deep breath to clear her head once she was inside. The tension at the table was so thick, she couldn’t sit there anymore with Herr Schmidt trying to paw her and Adam glowering at everyone. He was going to ruin the contract renewal if he didn’t watch it. She wet a napkin and dabbed at her temples. Not even sure I should care, not my problem if he messes up his own company.
She did care, though, that was the thing. She was figuring out that she cared more than she wanted to admit to herself. And she would never admit to Adam that she still cared about him. She thought she hated him. She was beginning to realize that maybe she never stopped caring about him, no matter how mad she was at him. Eight years hadn’t dampened her feelings for him as much as she’d thought.
She sighed and braced her hands on the sink, studying her face in the mirror. Things were getting way more complicated than she anticipated. She was beginning to think she should have never taken this job, no matter how badly she needed it, no matter how well it paid.
When she realized she’d been gone from the table far too long she crinkled her damp napkin and tossed it into the bin before straightening her dress and checking her lipstick. Satisfied she at least looked good, she headed out the door. And ran into Adam standing in the corridor outside the ladies’ room.
“Everything all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” Eva replied “just…you know, female things.” She gestured to the door behind her.
“Eva…I think we need to talk.”
“About the contracts, yes. Everything’s in the file, ready to go when you are.”
“We need to talk about us.”
“There is no ‘us,’ Adam. Not anymore.”
Adam took a step toward her, backing her down the corridor. She put her hands forward, pushing on his chest as he continued closing their distance. They were only stopping when they’d reached a secluded corner. He was so close to her, she could feel the heat building between them, could feel his heart thudding under her palms.
“You need to watch yourself, Eva Carey. I won’t have you flirting with other men around me. Clients. Or Dean.” His eyes flashed dangerously at her.
“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?” she snarled at him. “You don’t own me, Adam Frost. I told you, you lost the right to tell me what to do years ago.”
“I mean what I say, Eva.”
“Fuck you, Adam.” Eva felt her tigress’ anger rush through her body, making her skin hot and her breathing come faster. She couldn’t believe he was accusing of her flirting. Not that it was any of his business if she stripped naked and f*cked somebody on the table in the middle of the restaurant. She told him as much.
And was shocked to her core when Adam slammed her against the wall and trapped her arms above her head in one of his hands before capturing her mouth with his, grinding her teeth against her lips before forcing them apart with his searching tongue.
His kiss was punishing and claiming, and hot as flames licking through her body as he pressed into her, his knee pushed between her thighs as his tongue plunged deeply into her mouth, sweeping across the delicate skin, tasting her deeply, leaving her panting and her lips bruised and tingling.
He broke the kiss, biting at her lips before dropping her arms. She was staring up at him, her head spinning with the suddenness of his assault and the reaction of her body. Her traitorous body, pounding now with the need he’d ignited in her.
Without a word, he pivoted and strode back down the hallway, never once stopping to look back.
***
Eva collapsed against the bathroom sink, her legs shaking from her encounter with Adam. After all his talk of professionalism and ignoring her for the past week, that was what he did? She didn’t know what to think anymore. The only thing she knew was how much she liked Adam’s kiss.
She missed it with every fiber of her being.
She felt like her body had betrayed her, running over any rational thought and shutting down her brain.
Still, Eva couldn’t believe she let him kiss her like that. She couldn’t believe she enjoyed it so much.
Eva shook her head, trying to clear the image of Adam from her mind. She splashed cold water over her face. Staring in the mirror, she realized she looked like a woman who’d been thoroughly kissed. Her cheeks and neck flushed pink, her lips swollen and red. She ran her tongue over her bottom lip, imagining she could still taste the searing effect of his kiss. Nothing to do for that but splashing more cold water on her face.
Eva sighed, leaning against the sink. The best thing she could do was pretend like it never happened. And that meant catching her breath, straightening her hair, and walking back out there like Adam didn’t matter. Which he didn’t.