Page 19 of A Good Girl's Guide to Dominance
“Can you believe that?” I ask before letting out a breath.
Jeremiah’s eyes somehow grow wider. “Can I believe how unbelievably intense, unnerving, andhotthat was? Uhh, no I cannot.”
“Hot? What are you talking about?”I inquire, but I already knowexactlywhat he's talking about.
“Don't play with me, Nia,” he says. “We both know what I’m getting at. I know you saw that. Shit, I know youfeltit, because I wasn't even involved in the convo andIfelt it.”
“Feltwhat?”
“That not only areyouintohim, completely and easily excited by the way he talks to you and carries himself,” he says. “But, from where I was sitting during that little exchange, he’s into you, too.”
“Oh lord,” I force myself to say with another eye roll. “I don't have time for this. I have work to do, and so do you. We need to research Nix Malone, his restaurant called The VP, and every detail we can find about Golden Diamond, so that we can put together a pitch. I’m going to focus on that andnothing else.”
Jeremiah nods slowly, his lips pursed before saying, “Whatever you say.”
I force a smile as I turn around and walk into my office, but when I sit down at my desk, I don't even touch my computer. I sink into my chair and stare into space as my mind struggles to think about anything other than Rome and the way he just spoke to me. He made me say that he’s in charge, he had me repeat it, and he called me a fucking good girl. Suddenly I’m not thinking about the meeting at all because he has put something entirely different on my mind.
I don't know how or why, but my new boss is giving off some very powerful Dom vibes, but I know I must be looking too farinto it. Surely I’m just projecting my ideas of the perfect Dom onto him because he’s so attractive and in a position of power. That’s clearly the case, because the chances of him being an actual Dominant are slim to none. There’s no way he is into the lifestyle.
No way.
Eleven
I’ve spent the last two days scrounging up every bit of information I can find on Nix Malone and his dealings. To my surprise, he has his hands in a few things I never knew about, including a foundation he set up for needy children in Strawberry Mansion. At first, I thought it was a front—something he used to launder his money to make it even harder to track. I figured a man like him would have no problem lying on kids to further his own agenda. However, after doing a little digging, it turns out that the foundation is real and it helps thousands of kids in Nix’s hometown eat lunch at school every day. It doesn't make up for the fact that he is rumored to have robbed multiple banks and made a few of his enemies vanish into thin air, but not everything about him is all bad … I guess.
I’ve also gone the last two days without saying a word to Rome. As we prepare our pitches to present to him, everybody is busy with work. There have been no meetings or accidental run-ins in the breakroom between him and I. Nothing significant has happened since he called me a good girl, which truly annoys me. I guess he’s not as into me as Jeremiah thought he was.
The only thing of significance that has happened in my life is Marcus. He and I have texted back and forth the past two evenings after work, and I remain pleasantly surprised by how well it’s going. He’s such a sweet guy and I can tell we’re getting a little closer. We’re developing a few inside jokes and are becoming more comfortable trading sexual innuendos. It’s obvious that he likes me, which is why I smile when I look at his face as he sits next to me at Empire Tavern.
The bar is unusually crowded for a weekday. Country music blares from the speakers while people fill the room with the sound of conversation and good times. A dance floor in an adjacent room is filled to the brim with people doing whatever jig accompanies this song, and the smell of beer and vape smoke fills the air as Jeremiah finishes off his first beer of the night. He sets the glass down with a thud and signals for a refill to the bartender, who is busy with customers on the far side.
“I wish he would hurry,” Marcus says.
“He’s just busy,” I reply. “You looking to catch a decent buzz after a bad day at the office? Or should I say gym?”
Marcus grins. “Nah, I don't really have bad days at the office, Kitten. I think I love my job too much to have a bad day. I just like to play hard after I work hard. How about you? You’ve barely touched that Long Island iced tea.”
My fingers tighten around the cold glass of my drink. “I see. But isn't drinking counterproductive to working out?”
He nods with a playful shrug. “It is, but don't let this fool you. I don't drink often. In fact, the last time I had a drink was when you and I went on our first date. Coming out with you is an occasion worth drinking for. It’s like a celebration.”
I want to smile, but it evades me.
“Thanks,” I say. “As far as my day is concerned, it was just more of the same. I’m filling my time with research into theinfamous Nix Malone. I have to prepare a pitch to try to land him as a client.”
“Nix Malone.TheNix Malone?”
I nod. “Yeah. The one and only.”
“Damn. Your boss is hardcore for trying to reel him in.”
“My boss is definitely … something.”
Marcus chuckles. “Not a fan?”
“I don't know. It’s honestly too early to tell since he just took over a few days ago. We’ll see how the pitches go. If we don't bring in the client, that will tell us all we need to know about him and his temperament. So, time will tell.”
“True. In the meantime, how about you sip some more of that drink.”
