Page 14 of Seduce

“Thanks. You’re the best boss. Don’t forget book club Wednesday night. I’ve got the new selection below the counter.” The line went dead.

Book club. Tessa would be there. A plan started to form in his mind. Once he reached his home, instead of heading inside, Damon went into his workshop, his mind filled with ideas of what he wanted to do. Wouldn’t Tessa be surprised on Wednesday when she saw him? Both of them had kept secrets, and some of them were about to come out in the open.

* * * *

Tessa sighed as she locked the library doors on Wednesday. The last three days, her emotions had been all over the place. She’d talked to Max on Monday and found out about the classes she needed to attend. He’d emailed the background check for her to fill out and get back to him. That was something new, and she was impressed.

She’d already done that. The classes shouldn’t be an issue either. Damon was an issue. The man hadn’t contacted her since he walked out on Sunday, yet he haunted her dreams, whispering naughty things to her. Where the hell was he?

Damn, she’d been without a man for a while. It wasn’t like she hadn’t dated; she had. But none of the men tickled her fancy the way Damon did.

She tried to pinpoint when Damon slipped beneath her defenses. It all came back to the night he drove her home from the book club meeting—that had been last month. After they’d argued before the book club started, his offer to drive her home had been a surprise.

So had his demeanor on the ride to her apartment. He’d surprised her again by walking her to her door and checking out the apartment before leaving. And Sunday, he’d left without pressuring her. He’d been a perfect gentleman.

The problem was she didn’t want a perfect gentleman. Jack had been a perfect gentleman, and look what he did to her. She wanted the bad boy wrapped in a layer of devil-may-care attitude. Tessa shook her head in dismay. Why did she want a man who would tie her up in knots?

Maybe that was the point. She wanted to be tied up. A honking horn brought her out of her musings. Crystal and Sierra waited for her at the curb in Crystal’s small SUV. Tessa had walked to work this morning, knowing they’d pick her up for book club.

“Hey you two,” she said, climbing into the back seat and putting on her seatbelt.

“Did you finish the book?” Sierra asked as Crystal pulled out into traffic.

“Yes, actually finished it last week. It was a quick read for me.” It had been. The book was a little light on the erotic side, though it was still a fun read. “Are Max and Jordan coming to the meeting tonight?”

“Yep, they’re meeting us there,” Crystal said.

“You didn’t mention Damon,” Sierra piped up.

She hadn’t. She’d given both women an update on what happened with Damon after they left on Sunday. They’d both been surprised he hadn’t pushed more. “I figured he’d be there.” Her nipples tightened when she thought about seeing him again.

Crystal parked in the lot, and they got out and walked to the front of the shop. Max and Jordan were waiting outside.

“Evening, Tessa, Crystal,” Max said before dropping a kiss on Sierra’s lips.

“Tessa.” Jordan snagged Crystal around the waist and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Tessa looked away. A wave of jealousy flowed over her. She was happy her friends had found men they could love and trust. That was what she wanted: a man she could trust and feel safe with. Was Damon that man?

It was too early to start thinking that way. Hell, they hadn’t even gone out on a date.

“Tessa, I have a class starting tomorrow night. Can you make it?” Max asked.

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Tessa said.

“I can’t believe we’re all members of the same club,” Sierra said.

“Have you given any thought to who you want your Dom to be during the classes?” Jordan asked as they walked into the store.

“That will be me.” Damon stood there with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Oh?” Tessa’s eyebrows rose. “I don’t remember asking you.”

“There’s that snappy woman I’m used to.” Damon smiled, and Tess wanted to frown but couldn’t.

“That’s our cue,” Max said, escorting Sierra away, Crystal and Jordan following.

Tessa watched her friends walk to where the book club met. “Cowards,” she muttered.

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