Page 85 of Perfume Girl
“You’re asking me…like this?”
He smiled seductively. “I like having a captive audience.”
I tried to wriggle my wrists out of his grip but he was too strong, too insistent. His erection buried deeper…impaling me.
“I was embarrassed to tell you,” I bit out.
“What did they steal?”
“Everything.”
He pulled out of me. I rolled onto my side and went to get out but he grabbed me from behind and pulled me back, hugging me against his chest.
“I’m sorry,” he said softly.
Even now in the heat of this battle I was turned on, and I wanted to hate him for it, wanted to scream that he had no right to make me feel this confused, this needy, longing for his touch even now.
I turned my head to look back at him. “They stole my handwritten files.”
His grip tightened around my waist. “Did you make copies?”
“No. Why?”
“It’s a logical question.” He let out a frustrated huff. “What else?”
“The perfume I was working on.” I turned completely and stared at him. “The one I tried to sell to save my store, but it never made it to its destination.”
“What destination?”
“Dazzle and Bazaar.”
He mulled that over. “What happened?”
I broke his gaze. “My meeting was sabotaged.”
“How?”
I shrugged, letting him know I was done discussing the subject.
His hand smoothed my hair. “Tell me.”
“Are you sure, Astor?”
He pressed his erection into my back. “What do you think?”
I leaned back against him. “You’re sending mixed signals.”
“This level of compassion is unusual for me.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“I don’t do cuddling in the morning.”
“Then I’m honored.”
He kissed the back of my neck. “Why didn’t the meeting at Dazzle and Bazaar work out?”
I let out a sigh. “When I arrived at their office my perfume was missing from my handbag. The one I was going to license to them.” I squeezed my eyes shut, reliving the humiliation.
