While we were at a table that held four people, Trent had me sit to his right rather than across from him. He was close enough I could smell the spicy musk of his cologne. It was intoxicating, almost to the point of distraction. I wasn’t sure I’d ever met a man who smelled so good.
“Did you have a good weekend?” he prompted when the waiter began filling two empty water glasses.
“I did,” I said, wondering why I was blushing so much.
“Shall I bring the wine, Mr. Ramsey?”
“Yes,” Trent said firmly.
I wasn’t sure wine was a good idea. I was already a little light-headed and that was merely from being in Trent’s presence. Although I’d been in this exact same spot less than a week ago, it was significantly different. I didn’t have Xander and Mercedes to keep Trent occupied.
“Did you have a good weekend?” I asked.
Trent smiled, then shifted his chair a little closer. “Are you nervous, pet?”
The deep rumble of his voice had my nerve endings dancing. I’d never reacted to anyone quite the way I did to Trent. There was something about him. Every move he made, every word he spoke made an impact on my nervous system. It was as though I was trying to anticipate his every move.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Why is that?”
Of course the man would ask the hard questions.
The waiter saved me, returning with our wine, then stepping back but not leaving.
Trent lifted his gaze. “I take it we should order,” he said to me. “Do you know what you want or would you like a few minutes to review the menu?”
“I’m ready if you are.”
A few minutes later, we had both rattled off our entree selection before we were finally left alone once more with a promise that the waiter would deliver our salads momentarily.
Desperate for something to talk about, I popped out the first thing that came to mind. “I’ve been thinking about the clients you mentioned last week.”
Trent’s lips curled in a smile. “Have you?”
The man had really nice lips. And amazing eyes. And… I shook off the thought because I couldn’t afford to be thinking dirty thoughts about Trent. Not while he was sitting so close.
“Yes.” I cleared my throat. “And I was thinking it would probably be wise to at least meet with them.”
“That can certainly be arranged. Would Wednesday work for you?”
Wow. I hadn’t expected it to be so sudden. However, I didn’t have anything else on my calendar, so I quickly nodded. “My calendar’s relatively free all week.”
“Not anymore,” he said, his voice lowering.
I couldn’t help smiling as I took a sip of my wine. “And why do you say it like that?”
Trent’s hand slipped beneath the table, coming to rest on my thigh. The warmth had me inhaling sharply, my eyes locked on his face.
“Because I fully intend to see you this week. Every day, in fact.”
“Every day?” My voice came out scratchy and uncertain.
“Yes.”
That big, warm hand remained on my thigh. He didn’t shift it higher, although somewhere in the back of my mind, I willed him to. Sure, that would’ve been rushing things, but my body didn’t seem to be utilizing the same clock as my brain. I’d known Trent for so long it seemed as though I’d waited a lifetime for him to simply touch me.
“Don’t you have to work?” I asked, forcing my mind out of the gutter.
“I do. However, there’s plenty of time in a day.”
I wasn’t so sure about that.
“Would you be open to that, pet?”
Christ. When he called me that, it spoke to a part of me that had been repressed for so long. The greedy, almost eager part that wanted nothing more than to give in to this man in every way possible.
“Answer me, Clarissa,” he said firmly.
“Yes.” I swallowed hard. “I would.”
Now was probably the time I figured out how to tell him that this wasn’t going to work. That I thought this would be about business. Except that would’ve been a lie and I hated the idea of lying to Trent. I’d done it before. Last week, in fact. And I had vowed to go into this with an open mind. The least I could do was see it through.
“I have no intention of playing games with you,” he said, his voice soft, his eyes intense. “I figure the best way to handle this is to be up front about my intentions. I’ve spent years waiting for you, Clarissa. I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.”
“Why did it take you so long?” I blurted.
Trent grinned. “Honestly, I wasn’t in the right head space to give you what you need.”
Hmm. That had a million questions coming to mind. “And what do I need?”
“A Dom you can trust, one you can open up to.”
Well, that wasn’t too far off. I did need those things. I’d always needed those things. Unfortunately, I had never met that man. But I suspected Trent could be the closest thing I ever got to it.
