Take Me

“I want you,” he murmured. “Right now.” He restrained her fingers as she tried to pull away. “You’ve been holding me off far longer than I’ve ever waited for a woman.”

The soft candlelight flickered on her face, bathing it in an apricot glow that made her dark eyes brilliant and drew his gaze to the sheen of wine on her mouth. She ran the tip of her tongue across her bottom lip and Joshua suppressed a groan. She leaned forward, her elbows on the table. The movement made the neckline of her jacket gape just enough to reveal the soft upper curve of her breasts. He dragged his eyes upward with reluctance and she made a small, low sound deep in her throat.

“I think you must put that stuff in my food when I’m with you.” Her voice was so low he could barely hear her. “I’ve never felt like this in my life.”

Joshua cleared his throat. “What stuff?”

Jessie’s eyes were liquidly slumberous, and she blushed a velvety pink. “Spanish fly.”

Joshua thought he would explode. “Spanish fly is actually cantharides made from the skeletons of beetles.”

She grimaced.

Joshua held a laugh. “It causes itching all right, but not necessarily for sex.” If possible, her blush got deeper, and she gave a small embarrassed groan. His body vibrated with need. “What we both have is an overdose of good old-fashioned lust.” Then he lifted his glass. “To new beginnings.”

“To new beginnings.” Jessie clinked her glass against his, her smile brilliant before she blithely finished her shrimp.

Half her hair had escaped the pins, tangling with the heavy diamond drop earrings. Reaching out, he freed the silky filaments. His fingers lingered on her neck. “You know we’re going to be lovers, Jessie. God knows, I’ve been patient and waited long enough. I won’t wait any longer. I’m not a man who waits very long for anything. I need an answer.”

Jessie laid her hand on her purse, something she did often, almost as if it were a talisman. “You haven’t asked me a question.” She pushed the last bite of lemon meringue pie around her plate.

“I’m asking now.”

“I’m not sure what the question is.”

He pulled a folded document from his breast pocket, sliding it across the table. “I want you as my mistress, Jessie.” Joshua’s voice dropped another octave, his eyes kindling as he watched her mouth. He nudged the papers closer to her coffee cup.

Jessie eased her dry throat with a gulp of ice water. “What’s this?”

“A contract. A legal, binding agreement.” The sharp focus of his eyes reminded her of a bird of prey. “Read it.”

“I’d rather you gave me a brief summary.” Her hands balled into fists under the tablecloth. A contract! The bastard. And she’d been feeling guilty at how cold-bloodedly she was going about this.

“From now until the end of the year as my mistress,” he said baldly, “I pay your rent. Buy your clothes. In exchange, you give me exclusive rights for the duration.” Cut and dried. No mention of his fidelity.

She remembered Frankie, the fifteen-year-old who’d lived next door to them when she was thirteen. She’d had a huge crush on him. When she’d tried to steal a kiss, he’d called her a whore, like her mother. It had taken three other kids to pull her off him. She’d broken his nose and given him a black eye. She wondered how many people would be needed to pull her off Falcon.

“I’ll think about your offer.” She coolly pushed away her plate and reached for the leftover bread sticks. She filled her doggie bag then snapped two folds in the top to close it.

“You want me just as much as I want you.”

Yes. And if I’d slept with you months ago this wouldn’t hurt. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am about that.”

“Don’t apologize for wanting me, Jessie. You’re a sophisticated woman. You know the score. You want me and I, God knows, want you. You won’t be sorry. I can be a generous lover.” He tapped an earring with his finger. It grazed her neck and she felt the chill travel across her skin. “You won’t want for anything in my care.”

She took a calming breath. “You want me to sign a contract.” It wasn’t a question.

“What did you expect?” he asked, his face impassive. “A handshake and a gentleman’s agreement?”

Jessie’s laugh sounded brittle, even to her ears. “I can see why that wouldn’t work. Neither one of us is a gentleman.” She paused. “What happens after my time is up?” Her voice sounded oddly flat. “Do I just disappear, no questions asked, to that great graveyard for all your old mistresses?”

Joshua merely watched her. Suddenly angry—he was too damn cool!—Jessie shoved the papers back across the table. “I hate to be the one to disillusion you, Joshua, but not every woman finds you irresistible. I thought I could do this but, no, thank you.”

This was too impersonal, too calculating. She’d thought she could handle this part of it, but she’d been wrong. Dangerously wrong. A little late in the day, Jessie, she taunted herself.

“I want more than this. I deserve more than this.”

“Ten thousand a month.”

“W-what!”

“Ten thousand a month, tax free. An apartment and your clothes. And a car.”

Jessie gritted her teeth. “I wasn’t talking about mon—”

“Twelve thousand. And that’s my final offer.”

Black dots blurred Jessie’s vision. “You can take those papers and shove them—”

Grabbing her purse and paper bag, she stood. Joshua gripped her wrist tightly as she tried to sweep past him. With his other hand, he picked up the contract. “Take this. Read it. I’ll give you two weeks to decide.”

Jessie stared down at him, her breathing erratic. “One of my best qualities,” she said frigidly as she tugged her hand away, “is that I make up my mind quickly. You’re a self-righteous bastard, and I’m immeasurably grateful that I didn’t fall into bed with you. You’re a cold, arrogant—” her breath came out in a rush, her heart pounding so fast she thought she might faint “—jerk,” she finished.

She had to get out of here. Now. Her cold hands took the papers from him, folding and then refolding them. Then she twisted them into a tight tube. “Here.” She shoved them against his chest. “Try this for size!”

The contract slowly unfurled and dropped to his lap. His fingers tightened painfully on her wrist. “Jessie…”

She shook off his hand, removed the earrings, laid them carefully next to his coffee cup, then walked swiftly out of the restaurant.

BLAST THE MAN. Couldn’t he do anything right! On each of her fertile days in January he’d been out of town. In February, he’d been gone at the wrong time again. In a couple more weeks all systems would’ve been go. With any luck, they would’ve been in the same place at the same time.

Instead he had to go and irritate her so darn much she’d almost punched his arrogant nose. Jessie wanted to throw up her hands in disgust.

She turned into her driveway. This was a case of “be careful what you ask for.” And, God, had she asked for this. An icy wind rattled the car. Jessie laid her arms across the top of the steering wheel and stared sightlessly at her cottage. The ache in her chest made her lay her forehead down and squeeze her eyes shut.

She had been so close. So damn close. Tears of frustration and disappointment seeped between her eyelids. She slammed her fist down on the steering wheel. “I want my baby.” Her voice broke and she pounded the wheel again. “You promised me my heart’s desire. You owe me my baby, damn you.”

She lifted her head and stared at the dark, swaying treetops beside her cottage. Joshua Falcon approached a personal relationship exactly as he did a business merger. Why had she been surprised? For him, they were one and the same.