Crash Into Me(99)

I stood to leave, but he caught me around the waist and pulled me to him. He looked down at me with a look in his dark eyes so intense I shuddered. There would be no putting him off.

"But the answer needs to happen before we eat."

"Okay." I sat back down in his chair and opened up my laptop. "Might as well get Miami out of the way, right?"

I was stalling for time and he knew it. "As you wish."

Steadying my shaky hands, I presented my choices for the Miami suite, which Tristan easily approved and congratulated me on. I doubted he had even paid much attention to my ideas this time, but there was no point in belaboring the issue.

He closed my laptop and folded his arms across his chest. "I'm glad that's finished."

Unsure what to say, I stared at the desk and meekly smiled. "Me too."

Tristan caressed my cheek with his thumb and then cupped my chin, turning my face to look up at him. "So I believe the question stands, Nina. What do you want from me after your contract is over?"

My mouth became as dry as the Sahara desert. I wouldn't have been surprised if when I tried to speak that sand flew out from between my lips. If ever I needed a drink, it was at that moment. I tried to moisten my lips, but it was no use.

Clearing my throat, I croaked out, "I don't want this to end."

"Are you referring to your job with Stone Worldwide or your relationship with me?" he asked sharply, stroking the pad of his thumb against my jaw.

"Both."

"I can assure you that you have a job with Stone Worldwide as long as you'd like."

"This job?"

He dropped his hand to his side and pursed his lips. "Well, at some point I'm going to run out of suites for you to work with, but I can promise that you'll have a job that will take advantage of your artistic talents."

I swallowed hard, knowing that we'd gone as far as we could concerning the job. Now he was going to want my answer to what I wanted with him.

"But you haven't answered my question, Nina. What do you want from me?"

I closed my eyes and took the biggest chance of my life. Inhaling a deep breath, I said, "I want you. All of you."

There was complete silence as the last word left my mouth, and I feared opening my eyes to see his reaction. I couldn't even hear him breathe as he stood next to me. My heart sank as he continued to stay quiet. What was he thinking? Had I jumped the gun? Didn't he want me to want him?

"Open your eyes, Nina," he ordered gently.

I looked up to see him smiling down at me. My emotions were a jumble, making it impossible to figure out what to do next. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to cry. I wanted to run. I didn't know what to do.

When he continued with his silence, I blurted out, "You know, I hate this thing you do. It makes me uncomfortable. It's rude to stare at someone and not say anything. I know you're trying..."

He cut me off in mid-sentence and took me in his arms, kissing me deeply. As his tongue teased mine, his lips pressed tenderly against my mouth, telling me everything I needed to know.

Tristan was happy.

After the longest kiss I'd ever had, he pulled away and took my face in his hands. "I just hope I don't disappoint now that you'll get everything I am."

Shaking my head, I said, "No way you could disappoint me. Thank you for not freaking out when I said I wanted all of you. A lot of guys might have wanted to."

He leaned in to kiss me gently and whispered against my cheek, "I know I've asked you before, but what kind of men have you been dating?"