Page 18 of Toy Shop

Not me, not now. The petty annoyance for having to sit through this for nothing demolishes my enthusiasm, reaching out of my chest unbidden.

I angle my chin high, pinch my lips into a tight line, narrowing my eyes into slits. “I’ll have to decline. Thank you very much for the opportunity.”

I’m not here for this, will never be able to work with him. I know without a shadow of a doubt, I won’t survive being a mere employee for Alistair. I’ll always want more.

“You came, though.”

His sly smile and comment throw me off and dent my resolve to walk away. I let out an exhale, rethinking the situation and him. “Well, you kind of demanded it.”

He chuckles, velvety and devious. It weakens my knees.

Stop it, knees!

“I made the right call, and Jessica and David see my point.” His smirk doesn’t falter when he disappoints me yet again by talking about work. “Tell me what can I do to get you to ignore what we shared and work here.”

The words I’m listening to are wrong. I’m not looking to be his goddamn employee. I want…I want… Whatever it is I want, it’s not this. I suck my lips in, shoving down his massive letdown.

Oh, hell, I’ll just spit it out. “I don’t want to be your employee.”

“Let me get this straight. You’re perfect for this job you applied for, so I assume this place is perfect for you as well.” His jaw tics, confusion and indignance simmer in his tone. Feisty. That’s the Alistair I remember, the one I like. “And you’re going to keep working in Toy Shop?”

My palms ball into fists, my fingernails cutting into my flesh to wake me the fuck up. Alistair’s dominance hypnotizes, but not to the point of being a pushover. “No. And yes.”

“Talk to me. Why?” I’m recognizing the bossy Chad from the bar in this businessman daring me to defy him while caring for my emotions.

“No, because, for the time being, I’m searching for a job in my field of expertise.”

I leave out the part I loathe my boss and the plethora of justifications for why I’d make for a better sex-shop owner. I’m not hiding it, it would simply ruin the dark, hungry look Alistair’s searing me with.

“And yes,” I continue. “I’ll hold on to my position there. I’ll repeat what I said, because I feel like hearing no isn’t in your repertoire, but I’m not interested in being your employee.”

“What does pique the interest of Nola Vickers, then? You came here for something, haven’t you?” His tongue slips out, wetting his bottom lip, and it’s all I can do not to groan.

Alistair isn’t any help, seducing me with his words on top of his sexy aura. “The first class together has you looking to take an entire course with me?”

“Maybe.” I shrug, looking sideways, shrugging. “Yeah.”

My composure says: You don’t affect me, you hot beast you, which isn’t remotely close to the truth. On the inside, I’m crumpling into a million tiny coals, waiting for him to blow his lips on them to set me ablaze.

Alistair Cromwell, billionaire, owner of SunInUS and SunsOut—for the life of me, I can’t figure out how I haven’t connected the dots earlier—and advanced erotica professor, stares at me.

None of these titles unnerves me. My fierce pull to him does.

“All right. It’s your choice. Any other employer with half a brain will hire you in a heartbeat.”

That’s it? Work again and goodbye? Really?

I clutch my purse, preparing to fake-thank him and dart out of here.

“There were other items in my order for you.”

The gray matter in my head, also known as my brain, is a bit jumbled. He’s not talking about this job, so what is he… Oh! These items.

“There were, yes. In your order. I’ll send them over to you.”

“No, I don’t want them for me. They’re yours.” He cocks a playful eyebrow. “Have you been practicing? Done your homework?”

We said it’d be a one-time class, but I’m finding I like this teacher-student talk way too much. It plays into a swarm of dirty fantasies my conscience has never considered. I removed the concept of a sex life for myself long ago, buried it in deep, obscured alcoves I had no intention of revisiting.

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