Page 16 of The Don's Prisoner

“Anything,” she said breathily. I grinned.

“Do you know where Victoria’s favorite place to eat is? I tried to get her to tell me, but she’s being stubborn about it,” I said truthfully.

Caroline thought for a moment. I could almost see the wheels moving in her head.

“Well, she really likes sushi. And Italian. There are a few places down the street she likes to order from, but I don’t know if that’s because they are close and offer takeout, or if they really are her favorite restaurants,” she offered.

“Thank you very much, Caroline. You’ve been a huge help,” I said and walked away in the direction she had pointed. I could feel her gaze on the back of my neck, and I turned my head to discover I was right. She had been staring.

I was unaware that a woman’s cheeks could turn that shade of fuchsia, but there you had it.

When I finally laid eyes on Victoria’s office, I could see her sitting at a metal desk. The center portion was propped up at a slant, and she looked like she was drawing on it. To her side was a laptop on a mechanical piece that appeared to swivel. She moved it slightly, and I could see that it was actually on an arm that she could control, so she could do whatever it was she was doing and look at the screen at the same time.

Her hair was up in a messy bun that had me thinking she had come to work with it down but had to throw it up quickly at some point—because Victoria did not strike me as someone who was ever intentionally messy. There were smudges on the sides of her hands and on her face which were of the same shade as the drawing pencil in her hand. Her legs were crossed in her seat which made the black dress fit her like a glove. If the fabric had been any other color than black, I was sure I would be able to make out the lines of the muscles in her legs. It was that tight.

I licked my lips and walked through the door even though it had been shut. She didn’t even spare me a glance.

“What is it, Caroline? Did the Carsons call and reschedule, or are they happy with the dress? I know Emily left with some concerns,” she said, not looking up from her drawing. Her hand moved furiously across the tabletop on what I assumed was paper, though I couldn’t see for sure.

It was fascinating watching her in her element. She was totally locked into the act, seeing nothing else, and it was truly inspiring. Her eyes were glued to her drawing, and her brows were knitted together, creating a “V” on her forehead. She bit her lower lip slightly, which was the best part about the whole thing. I wanted to bite that lower lip for her, but I was sure that would wipe the concentrated look from her face.

I wondered if I looked like that when I was killing someone.

I stood there, not answering, and when she looked up to see who it was, there was a look of shock on her face that chased away everything else.

“Hello, darling,” I said, standing with my hands in my pockets, trying to look non-threatening. “Are you ready to go?”

“Go? I’m not going anywhere with you,” she spat and put her pencil to her project again. “I’ve got work to do.”

“I understand that, but as we discussed, or rather, as I told you yesterday, you need to take better care of yourself. Which means going to lunch. Also, I have a few things I need to discuss with you, and I find that eating helps calm anger. I feel as if less shouting will occur if you are chewing on a sushi roll. In fact, it’s pretty much damn near impossible to be unhappy when there’s sushi in front of you. Am I right?” I smirked and she glared at me.

“No, you are not right. If you need to talk to me, you can do it through text. You’ve proven that you are really good at that,” she said and turned back to her work.

So as to not be overtrumped by a sketch, I walked over to her behind the desk and placed my hands on the back of her seat. I could feel her tense up as I leaned forward above her right shoulder and looked down at what she was doing.

On the page was a sketch of a very poofy cupcake-looking dress on the left. It was long, ruffly, and huge at the bottom, and the top had a heart-shaped outline. The one on the right had the same top, but the rest was very sleek and form-fitting. She had written the word “satin” underneath it.

“I like that one better,” I told her, pointing at the one on the right. I leaned in a little closer and could smell her sweet, flowery perfume. I breathed in deeply, enjoying it. I had no idea anyone could smell so good.

“They’re the same dress,” she said, but there was only a hint of annoyance in her voice. Instead of her usual biting tone, she was now giving me soft and… almost breathy. Did she like me being this close to her?

To test it, I leaned even closer and put my lips close to her ear, so they brushed her skin while I spoke.

“If you don’t want to go to lunch, I could always eat you right here in your office. I’m dying to know what you taste like,” I whispered, and I could see her body tremble like a cold breeze had just rolled down her back.

“I’m… not interested,” she said, though there was no conviction in her words. She wanted me, and I grinned knowing I would win her over eventually. Not that I had ever had any doubt.

“No?” I asked and, even though I was probably pushing my luck, I reached forward and brushed a stray lock of blonde hair off of her neck. “You don’t like the idea of my hands parting your thighs? Of my hands spreading your lips so my tongue can…”

She stood up abruptly, and it nearly pained me to restrain my laughter.

“If you want to go to lunch, then let’s go to lunch,” she snapped. “I’m very busy.”

“I can see that,” I agreed and followed her out of the office.

On the way out of the building, I gave a thumbs up to Caroline, who returned it, clearly happy to do so. She was going to be very useful to me in the future.

When outside, Victoria started heading over to a lavender-colored SUV, which I assumed was hers. I cleared my throat and stopped walking. Realizing that I was no longer just behind her, she turned back to look at me.

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