I gripped the bottle of Merlot between fingers I refused to acknowledge were sweaty. I’d been with so many gorgeous women I couldn’t count, why was Paige getting under my skin?
Because she’s the first woman to see through your bullshit and the first one to ever go after what she wants with the same tenacity as you do on the ice.
Fuck, that was the truth. I’d never been with a woman like Paige, and for good reason. She was smarter than me, stronger than me, and had her whole life mapped out whereas I was simply trying to maintain some semblance of order in mine.
I wrapped my knuckles against her door, swallowing down the nerves that only flared in her presence. Gage would be furious the second he found out we were together—or whatever version of a story she wanted to tell people—but that shit I could handle. It was everything else I was worried about. What would being with a woman like Paige would do to me, even if it were only a few months? What happened if I couldn’t hack it with her?
Or worse...if I fell for her?
The large mahogany door swung open, Paige leaning against the knob in a smooth black dress that rested modestly below her knees but was tight enough to show off her impeccable body. My fingers itched to touch her smooth skin again and my mouth watered with the memory of her taste. She was fucking exquisite.
“I was beginning to think you’d bolt.”
I stepped past her, handing her the bottle of wine. “What?”
She motioned to my driver who reversed onto the street. “You were out there for nearly ten minutes. You afraid I’d bite?”
I tilted my head. “How’d you—”
She closed the door and pointed to the corner of the ceiling behind me. A single camera pointed toward us, covering the entryway of the home.
“Ah,” I said, turning back to her. “I see.” My eyes trailed to her breasts, which peeked through the small V of her dress as she hugged the bottle of wine to her. I cleared my throat. “How many more of those do you have?”
She tapped her fingers against the glass bottle. “The whole house and exterior are covered.” Her heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she moved through the entryway and I followed her into a dining room bigger than the one in my loft.
“Trouble with stalkers?” I joked as she set the bottle on the large wooden table that was set with two places. Candles illuminated the family style feast she had prepared—pasta and salad and fresh garlic bread.
She laughed as she darted into the kitchen that sat just off the dining room and returned with a wine opener. “I only have one stalker that I’m aware of,” she said, eyeing me as she reached for the bottle.
“Let me.” I stopped her, taking both items from her hands and opening the wine. “Do you have a cook?” I asked, more because I wanted to know if we were alone in the huge house or if I had to watch my words around staff.
She shook her head, her soft red waves falling across her shoulders. “Of course not. Do you?”
I poured wine into the available glasses on the table and sat across from her. “No, I just didn’t peg you for a woman who cooks.”
“Ah,” she said, wrapping her fingers around her glass and taking a slow sip. “Because I can’t possibly run a company and be domestic?”
I pursed my lips, hissing. “Hit a nerve, did I?”
She licked her lips and set the glass down. “Maybe.”
I raised my hands in defense. “Not intentional, Red.” Her cheeks flushed the color of the wine, and I smirked. Every time I called her that she blushed. I made a mental note to do it as often as fucking possible.
“Moving on.” She grabbed the wooden serving spoons and made me a plate. “I hope you like Italian.” She handed it to me.
“I assumed as my biggest fan you would know it’s my favorite.” I cocked an eyebrow at her, wondering if we’d already started playing a game.
She laughed again, and my chest filled so much I couldn’t breathe. I rubbed at the spot, squinting as I wondered about the source of the sensation.
“You all right?” she asked, setting her filled plate before her.
“Fine,” I said and dropped my hand.
“Bailey told me.”
“What?”
“Told me this was your favorite.”
I grinned. “I’ve never been on this end of a seduction before.” I took a quick bite, and my eyes rolled back in my head. Damn. I might fucking marry her just to eat like this on the reg. I held up my finger. “Note, just because you made me dinner doesn’t mean I’ll put out.”
Her fork clanked loudly against her plate as she swallowed her bite a little too hard, and my chest puffed out a fraction. I couldn’t help it. I loved it when my mouth surprised her—in more ways than one.
“Well,” she said, dabbing at her red lips with a napkin. “If I would’ve known that I probably wouldn’t have put in all the effort.”
“Ouch,” I teased, taking another bite.
Her stunning green eyes stared at the wine in the glass before her lips a little too long.
“What is it?” I asked, the jokes suddenly drying up in my mouth.
She blinked a few times before taking a gulp. “Are we crazy?”
“You are. Without a doubt.” I smirked. “Anyone who thinks they can put up with me for three entire months has to be.”
She breathed out a sigh. “I think I can handle you.”
“We’ll see.” I took another bite. “Where is your head at?”
“I…” she shook her head and reached for something in the seat next to her. “Here, it’s easier to simply show you.”
I took the folder from her hand, my fingers brushing hers and lighting up like an electric current buzzed between us. Fuck, I might as well be a little girl in a fairytale. The chemistry was unlike any I’d experienced before, and I couldn’t fucking wait to see what would happen once I sank my dick inside her.
After months of fantasizing about it, and last week’s delicious sample, I was having a hard time keeping it in my pants. Especially since she was the one who wanted it so bad. But that was why I had to lock it up. She was used to getting her way. Used to being in control. And I wanted to offer her something she didn’t have any experience in—being at the mercy of the man who wanted to worship her. That meant I called the shots on when I finally pushed her over the edge, and while I was beyond ready to take her there, it would be ten times better if I teased the hell out of her for a few weeks first.