Page 56 of The Ice Queen in the Corner Office

She gave me a light shove. “You know that already.”

“Really? Metal is what you listen to in your spare time? I thought that was just the one concert.”

“Nope,” she said. “Surprised?”

“You,” I said, hoping I didn’t ruin the moment, but needing her to know what was going on before I got any deeper into this with her. “You’re not what I expected.”

She frowned, and her guard slipped back into place. “What were you expecting?”

“I was expecting it to take a lot longer to get to see the real you, and I wasn’t expecting you to be so…” I wasn’t a master of words. I was a master of snark and smug arrogance. “To be so easy to talk to, so…Just, you.”

Her frown deepened. “I’m sitting here, completely naked, and that’s what you come up with?”

My instinct was to smirk and feed her some line, but she was being so real with me, that I had to be the same with her. “After that kiss in the bar, I thought getting you naked was what this was all about, that sex was all I wanted from you. But, seeing the way you work, how driven you are, the way you could kick my ass if you wanted to, how tough and strong you are, I wanted more. I wanted to get to know you, to date you, to have a friends with benefits kind of relationship, something that wouldn’t interfere with work. Now, with you sitting naked with me, so open and free and happy…I want more.”

Her face went a bit slack-jawed for a moment, before she pulled in a deep breath. “There can’t be more. We agreed to one week.”

She was right. We’d agreed and I didn’t back out of my agreements. “If that’s what you want.”

“It is what I want,” she said. “We’re having fun now, Alex, and you’re caught up in the moment, but when we get back to the real world, if not sooner, you’ll figure out this isn’t what you want and you’ll be asking Agatha to break up with me for you.”

My blood heated as I felt my temper rise. “Still judging me?”

“I’m not judging you. I’m telling you what I’ve seen happen between you and other women.”

“And you?” I asked. “How long has your longest relationship lasted?”

She opened her mouth to argue, bit her bottom lip, and her cheeks pinked as she dropped her eyes to the bed. “You’re right. My track record is worse than yours. And it’s just one more reason we won’t work long term.”

“You aren’t even willing to try.”

“I’m willing to give you this week,” she said. “We both agreed. You’re the one changing the rules.”

She was right. I was sabotaging the little bit of time she’d agreed to give me, which was stupid.

I had a naked, gorgeous woman in my bed and I was pressuring her for more? I smiled, feeling my mask slip back into place. I could do one week, but only if I didn’t give her more of myself.

“One week,” I said. I grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward me. Food spilled, and she laughed.

“You’re making a mess.”

“I’ll clean it up,” I said. “I promise.”

---