“Fuck,” he growls when I pick up my pace, essentially dry fucking him. “I’m sorry I got you fired. I’m sorry I overstepped and didn’t just come and talk to you. I don’t know why I did itother than I thought maybe you wouldn’t say yes to me if you had other options.”
“So you decided to make me destitute so I’d have no choice but to accept your offer?”
His eyes pinch shut, and a shaky breath exhales from his lungs. “It was wrong. I mean it. I know it was wrong, and I’m truly, truly sorry. I’ll never do anything like that again. I just want to help you.”
“Why? What’s in it for you?”
He chuckles and then groans when I swirl my thong-covered pussy right over his hard cock. “Not this.”
“No? This isn’t what you want? What you came here for? You’re not trying to fuck the slutty stripper the way every other man does?”
Sweat breaks out across his forehead, and he stiffens, his body rigid. “No. I’m not. I don’t think you’re a slut or a whore or whatever nasty term you’ve used. I never thought that. I swear. I don’t care that you’re a dancer. I mean, I don’t like it, but that’s just the man in me who doesn’t want anyone else calling you angel or having you dance for them.”
“What?”
“Dammit! Stop moving on me. You’re messing up my brain, and I’m saying shit. I didn’t come here to fuck you or have you dance for me. I came to apologize and offer you the job. That’s it!”
I stop moving, and his eyes snap open, bleeding sincerity into mine. And now that I’ve stopped and am sitting here on his thighs in silence, he takes advantage.
“I’m sorry. I saw you and pieced things together and made assumptions about your life, and I… I took over as I always do. I’m used to helping but doing it my way. I’m used to taking what I want and acting without having to ask permission or even worrying about the repercussions because there rarely are any for me. I never meant to hurt you. I was honestly trying to help, and I went about it in my very wrong, fucked-up way. Please, please forgive me.”
I stare at him, my heart thundering, matching the fast beat of the new song that came on.
“The offer is genuine and comes with no strings other than you’ll have to see me every day at work. But we’ll be professional.”
“You mean grinding on your dick dressed like a devil dominatrix isn’t part of the description?”
A crooked grin curls up his lips. “Definitely not.”
“That’s a shame. I like this outfit.” I look into his eyes. “Why are you doing this? That’s what I can’t wrap my head around. We knew each other a lifetime ago. Is this really about Cassian?”
He shrugs. “Partially. But you’re someone I cared a lot about too, and I hurt you.”
I cock anare you for realeyebrow. “Vander, I was sixteen. We were kids, and despite what you and I said back then, I think we both knew it wasn’t going to be forever.”
“Do you need the job, Liora?”
I hesitate. He knows I need the job, and I don’t have to answer his rhetorical question. It’s more a matter of if I trust him, and right now, I don’t. Hell, I don’t even like him, and the thought of seeing him every day isn’t smart or appealing. Yes, he came here to apologize and not have me strip or dance for him. Yes, he was protective with the actor the other night and the woman in the café that morning. But he got me fired to try to coerce me into working for him, and that’s a scary thing.
I don’t like him having that sort of power over me or my life.
As if reading my thoughts, he says, “I’ll only be your boss. Like you said, we knew each other a lifetime ago, so it’s not about that. You’re smart, you’re a hard worker, you clearly don’t take my shit, and I tend to deal out a lot of it. I think you’d be anamazing assistant, and I’d really like to bring you on. You can quit at any time.”
“There’s really a daycare in your building?”
He nods. “Yes. And because I acted so poorly and did so many things wrong with you to start this, I’m increasing your pay to two hundred K.”
I practically throw up on him. Instead, I laugh. “I’m not going to fuck you, and I’m not going to date you. Despite my current outfit choice, I no longer like the color red.”
He tilts his head, questioning. “Huh?”
“Never mind. Just know that’s not how it’ll be with us.”
“Who said I wanted to fuck you?”
“Your hard dick.”
He gives me a look that is nothing short of sexy and deviously hot. “You’re grinding on it and shoving your perfect cleavage in my face. I’m still a guy, and you’re a beautiful woman. But no, we won’t be fucking, and we certainly won’t be dating.”